Wooden Wand Farmer’s Corner Fire Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Farmer’s Corner is a confident, cool, laid back trip down a long dusty road. Album Review: Farmer’s Corner, the new album from Wooden Wand has some pretty high expectations to live up to. Blood Oaths of the New Blues, Wooden Wand’s album from 2013, received … Read more
Roof Doctor Mobile Freedom House Mutt Tapes [2014] Fire Note Says: Quirky indie pop/rock tunes from Philly. Album Review: A five piece hailing from Philly, Roof Doctor already have several releases under their belt, the most recent of which is this short (29-minute) ten track LP Mobile Freedom House. There’s nothing about their sound that … Read more
Popstrangers Fortuna Carpark Records[2014] Fire Note Says: Follow-up to last year’s excellent debut does not disappoint. Album Review: In the run-up to Popstrangers’ sophomore album there has been a lot made of the band’s recent move from Aukland, New Zealand to the musical epicenter of the world – London. Subsequently, attempts have been made to … Read more
The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger Midnight Sun Chimera Music [2014] Fire Note Says: Full-fledged psychedlia infused with whimsical 60’s trippy pop and vibe. Album Review: The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger is a band that was formed by Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and while they have two other releases under … Read more
Bob Mould Beauty & Ruin Merge Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Bob Mould returns with an emotionally charged record. Album Review: Right from the opening track “Low Season” you recognize that Beauty & Ruin is one of the most emotionally driven records Bob Mould has released. The song is a slow burner that finds Mould … Read more
Nones Midwestern Family Values HoZac Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Unhinged and chaotic, Midwestern Family Values delivers the goods. Album Review: Nones are rock. Let me repeat that just a little bit louder, NONES ARE ROCK! This Chicago band is the music you play when you are in a bad mood and you want to … Read more
Priests Bodies and Control and Money and Power Don Giovanni Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Priests give indie punk rock a shot in the arm and then they pummel the injection site. Album Review: Almost 10 months ago, I ran across a Priests video on YouTube. Cannot remember how I stumbled onto it, but it … Read more
Gold-Bears Dalliance Slumberland Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Gold-Bears revive an old formula for modern results. Album Review: Noisy feedback guitars, buried pop song structures, and plenty of big sing along moments makes the sophomore album from Gold-Bears an indie treat. Dalliance finds main band guy Jeremy Underwood joined by an almost entirely new group … Read more
Bloom Thousand Yard Stare Broken Circle Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Fans of somber electric guitar indie rock and catchy keyboards will enjoy the sounds of Bloom’s new album Thousand Yard Stare. Album Review: Bloom hail from Nashville, Tennessee where there is no such shortage of rock being made these days. Their new album is … Read more
Amen Dunes Love Sacred Bones Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Amen Dunes creates their most engaging record to date. Album Review: I like finding records that I can just sit down with. Sure, you can give me a windows down rocker anytime but everyone needs an album that challenges their ear, makes them question where … Read more
The Crookes Soapbox Modern Outsider [2014] Fire Note Says: The Crookes continue their upward trajectory with their new album. Album Review: I’m not really sure why The Crookes aren’t bigger. I guess I understand why they aren’t bigger here in the US, suffering the same fate as bands like Maximo Park, who seem to be … Read more
Curtis Harding Soul Power Burger Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Curtis Harding is an emerging artist that you should get to know now. Album Review: The retro soul movement keeps inching toward the forefront of the indie scene and leading the way is Atlanta’s Curtis Harding. You may already know the name as he was … Read more
Motorpsycho Behind The Sun Rune Grammofon [2014] Fire Note Says: Built to lofty heights, Behind The Sun might collapse under its own weight—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Album Review: What do you think of when I say Motorpsycho? An opener for Five Finger Death Punch? A character from the new Mad Max film? … Read more
R.E.M. Unplugged: 1991 & 2001 – The Complete Sessions Rhino Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Listen to a band at some of its highs with this unplugged collection. Album Review: To commemorate Record Store Day 2014, Rhino released a four-LP collection of R.E.M.’s two MTV Unplugged performances. These took place in 1991 and 2001 and … Read more
La Sera Hour Of The Dawn Hardly Art Records [2014] Fire Note Says: La Sera rocks it up on third LP Hour Of The Dawn. Album Review: The Vivian Girls at this point seem like a very distant past when it comes to bassist Katy Goodman. Even though they technically broke up this past January … Read more
Gruff Rhys American Interior Turnstile Music [2014] Fire Note Says: American Interior blends psych, folk, pop, rock and traces of dance music into a potent blend that is uniquely Rhys and completely satisfying. Album Review: The Super Furry Animals have been on hiatus since 2010, following the release of Dark Days/Light Years. Since that time, … Read more
Patrick Park Love Like Swords Downward Road Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Patrick Park once again shows why he should be singing to the masses. Album Review: Everyone has several artists they keep close to the vest and consistently root for them when it seems that nobody else cares. One of those artists for me … Read more
The Shilohs The Shilohs Light Organ Records [2014] Fire Note Says: The Shilohs let the sunshine in on their summery second album. Album Review: The Shiloh’s debut (last year’s So Wild) was an impressive record that brought together a plethora of ramshackle 60s rock sounds, from The Kinks to The Velvet Underground to The Beatles. … Read more
Conor Oberst Upside Down Mountain Nonesuch Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Conor Oberst is showing his age – and that is not a bad thing. Album Review: Does it sound weird that Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) is 34 years old? Not that 34 is over the hill by any means but when you consider that … Read more
Coldplay Ghost Stories Atlantic Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Coldplay’s latest Ghost Stories could use more life. Album Review: Coldplay has made their most “Coldplay” album, deserving of the criticism sometimes unfairly lobbed at the band. Their sixth LP, Ghost Stories, has a sleepy, pandering feel to it that is often unexciting and rarely exhilarating. … Read more
I came WAY late to the GBV party: by the time I caught on to the band’s greatness, the reunited “classic lineup” had already released four albums, and it looked like that might be all we got from them. (I proceeded to procure a massive collection of all things GBV, Pollard, and his various side … Read more
Tame Impala Live Versions Modular Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Tame Impala‘s Live Versions offers small twists on some old favorites. Album Review: It‘s a real challenge for bands to become important in their genre. For Australia’s Tame Impala that seems to be no problem. It‘s also an impressive feat because your could consider Tame … Read more
The Black Keys Turn Blue Nonesuch Records [2014] Fire Note Says: The Black Keys don’t quite meet high expectations with Turn Blue. Album Review: True story: When I first heard “Fever,” I didn’t know that it was the first single from The Black Keys’ new album Turn Blue. I was trying to figure out the … Read more
Kishi Bashi Lighght Joyful Noise Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Kishi Bashi’s sophomore effort goes bigger and avoids the slump! Album Review: A soaring indie pop record primarily written on a violin should have made people run to the hills but instead the debut, 151a, from K. Ishibashi (aka Kishi Bashi) landed at #5 on … Read more
Wussy Attica! Shake It Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Wussy rivals their best with addictive Attica! Album Review: The upward progression of a band is the reason people should stick with a group and follow their career. Too many people are stuck on shuffle these days and Spotify makes it so easy to skip around. … Read more