Son Volt Honky Tonk Rounder Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Son Volt’s Honky Tonk is like a lost sleeve from the golden era of country music’s creative past. Album Review: Here’s a funny thing: when loading Honky Tonk into my iTunes library, the digital overlords saw fit to label it as “rock,” however, the two … Read more
Great White Buffalo Great White Buffalo Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Great White Buffalo compose fun and heavy pop hooks. Album Review: A lot of bands put themselves out there with an adrenaline rush of a sound; Great White Buffalo is one of those bands which consist of members Graham Bockmiller, Stephen Johnson, Blake LaGrange, … Read more
Palma Violets 180 Rough Trade Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Absurdly hyped London-based band delivers a fine, if flawed, debut. Album Review: Every few years the British music press, led by NME, goes insane over some foursome of young lads with bad haircuts. The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, The Vaccines all come to mind. Like those … Read more
Robyn Hitchcock Love From London Yep Roc Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Love From London has a more streamlined pop sound, but still retains all the trademark Hitchcock charm. Album Review: I’m not going to proclaim myself the world’s leading authority when it comes to the music of Robyn Hitchcock, but I think I’m pretty … Read more
Low The Invisible Way Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Low return with plenty of new ideas on the engaging The Invisible Way. Album Review: The biggest story on Low’s tenth record, The Invisible Way, will be that Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy was sitting on the other side of the microphone and produced the thing. … Read more
Hey Marseilles Lines We Trace Onto Entertainment [2013] Fire Note Says: Sophomore album from Seattle’s Hey Marseilles brings the Northwestern sound back to the masses. Album Review: Seattle Washington group Hey Marseilles revive a classic Northwestern sound on their engaging sophomore record Lines We Trace. The band arms themselves with a full arsenal of instruments … Read more
How To Destroy Angels Welcome Oblivion Columbia Records [2013] Fire Note Says: How To Destroy Angles’ full length, Welcome Oblivion, shows a bit more bark and bite. Album Review: Even before going on a hiatus from main project Nine Inch Nails it seems that Reznor was on the road to reinvention. With the unconventional release … Read more
Eels Wonderful, Glorious Vagrant Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Eels gives a valiant effort but has problems living up to the new album’s title, Wonderful, Glorious. Album Review: It’s difficult to not judge an artist’s current work against what they have made in the past. Mark Everett, the heart and soul of eels, knows this … Read more
Chelsea Light Moving Chelsea Light Moving Matador Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Thurston Moore returns with his thundering new band Chelsea Light Moving. Album Review: In 2011, Sonic Youth announced that the band was “ending for a while” following the separation of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. Now if you are Thurston Moore what do … Read more
The Cave Singers Naomi Jagjaguwar Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Cave Singers blend classic influences with modern sounds on Naomi. Album Review: The indie-folk scene has become pretty crowded the last few years. Acts such as Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes have proven that audiences still have a soft spot for … Read more
They Might Be Giants Nanobots Idlewild Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: They Might Be Giants return with another fun batch of indie rock on their 16th studio full length. Album Review: I still get excited when a new “adult” They Might Be Giants record hits the shelves. For me the band still brings back fond … Read more
Hollis Brown Ride On The Train Alive Natural Sound Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The sounds of the South straight from Queens, New York. Album Review: The opening title track on Hollis Brown’s new record will instantly give you a straight up southern flavor of rock n roll from the Queens, New York quartet. The … Read more
Highasakite In And Out Of Weeks EP Propeller Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: Norwegian indie-pop quintet Highasakite make US debut with engaging EP. Album Review: Norwegian indie-pop quintet Highasakite are ready to break out in the US with their debut EP In And Out Of Weeks. It is a compact 5 songs of infectious hooks, … Read more
Ron Sexsmith Forever Endeavor Cooking Vinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Forever Endeavor revels in all of its melancholy glory! Album Review: Forever Endeavor, the 12th album from Ron Sexsmith, finds the Canadian singer/songwriter in an even more reflective mood than normal. While he has never been accused of being upbeat, a throat cancer scare … Read more
Lost Animal Ex Tropical Hardly Art Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Lost Animal’s debut is an odd mix of ambient keyboards, colorful electronics, and half-sung half-spoken musings. Album Review: Ex Tropical finds Jarrod Quarrell—the sole member of Lost Animal—using a bank of keyboards to craft a ten-track set of strange, atmospheric tunes. Drawing inspiration from … Read more
Arlo Aldo Zelie Teamadelle Music [2013] Fire Note Says: Arlo Aldo arrives on the alternative folk music scene with their debut album, Zelie. Album Review: With their debut album Zelie, Arlo Aldo demonstrates a firm arrival onto the alternative folk music scene. The band is many different things, borrowing sounds from folk, blues, indie, country, … Read more
Johnny Marr The Messenger Sire/ADA Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The long awaited “real” debut from guitarist Johnny Marr. Album Review: Johnny Marr is best known as the creative mind and guitarist for The Smiths. Since that historic groups split, Marr has spent the last 20 years playing with a diverse set of artists that … Read more
Popstrangers Antipodes Carpark Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Popstrangers Antipodes is an unconventional album that gives back if you’re willing to put in the time. Album Review: Who knew that of all places, New Zealand could surprise and give us more talent? They’ve brought us Ruban Nielson, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s front man, and now they … Read more
Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy What The Brothers Sang Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: McCarthy and Billy pay respect to one of the most famous pairs in rock history. Album Review: I will be the first to admit that an album of Everly Brothers covers seems to be a stretch even for … Read more
Tegan and Sara Heartthrob Warner Bros. Records [2013] Fire Note Says: With Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara mix in new sounds with familiar stories of love and heartbreak. Album Review: Tegan and Sara’s seventh studio album, Heartthrob, strays slightly from the duo’s previous albums, mixing pop and club music with their familiar singer/songwriter sound. True to … Read more
Various Artists Son Of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys ANTI- Records[2013] Fire Note Says: Sometimes a sequel is better than the original — but not this time. Album Review: As Ralphie declared, hunched over his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring and discovering the secret message was nothing more than an ad for … Read more
Dead Confederate Peyote People Spiderbomb Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Dead Confederate’s mini album Peyote People gives an interesting look on what’s to come. Album Review: Rollin’ across the southern sands, like a psychedelic tumbleweed out of Augusta, Georgia we have Dead Confederate which may be new to you but the band has some history. … Read more
Hayden Us Alone Arts & Crafts [2013] Fire Note Says: Hayden returns to a bigger stage with his new record Us Alone. Album Review: Hayden has been a name in the business since his successful 1995 debut Everything I Long For and its US reissue in 1996 that was accompanied by MTV exposure (yes they … Read more
Airstrip Willing Holidays For Quince Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Willing is a promising stoner/psych debut from Airstrip! Album Review: Airstrip is a psychedelic stoner rock band from North Carolina, masterminded by Matthew Park. Their debut lp, Willing, out now on Holidays For Quince, is not your run of the mill stoner rock album though. … Read more
Big Harp Chain Letters Saddle Creek Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Big Harp’s sophomore album is a bluesy, boozy, bassy ride. Album Review: Big Harp is the husband-wife duo of Chris Senseney and Stefanie Drootin-Senseney, who joined musical forces in 2010. Chain Letters is the sophomore follow-up to the 2011 release White Hat. Not being … Read more