CloakroomDissolution WaveRelapse Records [2022] Picture a world “in which an act of theoretical physics — the dissolution wave — wipes out all of humanity’s existing art and abstract thought. In order to keep the world spinning on its axis, songsmiths must fill the ether with their compositions. Meanwhile, the Spire and Ward of Song act … Read more
Three Merry WidowsWhich Dreamed It? (30th Anniversary Reissue)Self-Released [2021] At the risk of dating myself, Three Merry Widows was one of the St. Louis bands in that city’s burgeoning original, live music scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s that led to numerous local acts getting major label contrasts. No doubt, the rise of … Read more
Josh CatererThe SPACE SessionsPravda Records [2021] While some artists have used the shutdown of normal life due to the pandemic to hibernate in their studios and record new music, former Smoking Popes songwriter and frontman Josh Caterer has now delivered his second “live” concert album, serving up some tasty covers along with choice songs from … Read more
Ryley WalkerSo Certain EPHusky Pants Records [2022] In so many different ways the pandemic continues to cripple artists that includes new rounds of tour postponements and long delays in the vinyl production queue. Singer/songwriter Ryley Walker is not immune to the issues but with his newly released four song So Certain EP he fully admits … Read more
Adia VictoriaA Southern GothicCanvasback Music [2021] The third album from Nashville-based singer/songwriter Adia Victoria, A Southern Gothic embodies everything that title suggests. Vibrating thanks to the deconstructive approach of executive producer T Bone Burnett, Victoria sings through her stories of life in a geography haunted by what the Oxford Encyclopedia describes as the paradox of … Read more
FailureWild Type DroidFailure Music [2021] Failure, the L.A.-based trio of Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards and Kellii Scott, have been considered one of the more influential alt rock bands from the 90’s as their excellent releases, Magnified (1994) and Fantastic Planet (1996) always seem to show up on best of lists from that decade. Fast-forward to … Read more
Dion Stomping GroundKeeping The Blues Alive Records [2021] It was quite a surprise in 2020 when the then 80 year old Dion Dimucci, who had pop radio hits in the late 50’s with his street-corner harmony crew, the Belmonts, and solo rock & roll classics like “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” showed up with a … Read more
Snail MailValentineMatador Records [2021] As the “best of year” lists – here at The Fire Note, and everywhere music fans and music critics connect – 2021 may have been a rough year due to the pandemic, but it was a great year for new music. At year’s end we saw a flurry of new releases, … Read more
Liam KazarDue NorthWoodsist Records [2021] Before moving to Kansas City in 2019, Liam Kazar had built a hefty reputation around Chicago as a band member, dating back to work with the band Kids These Days, and more recently as support player with a variety of local artists, from Tweedy (Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy with his … Read more
Andrew GabbardHomemadeKarma Chief/Colemine Records [2021] If you’ve paid any attention to the Dayton/Cincinnati music scene over the last two decades, you’ve probably encountered the music of Andrew Gabbard at some point. He’s played garage rock in Thee Shams, explored cosmic American psych with Buffalo Killers, and released several solo projects under various guises throughout the … Read more
Porto GeeseDuckSheep Chase Records [2021] The debut album from Oslo’s Porto Geese is an intense mix of shoegaze and post-punk that is filled with strategic transitions, an array of instrument mashing and a speaker destroying rhythm of sound. The detail to every note on Duck is fantastic as the extra studio time the band clocked … Read more
Aimee MannQueens Of The Summer HotelSuperEgo [2021] Over the course of her nearly 40 year career, Aimee Mann has pretty much done it all. In the 80’s she led the new wave band ‘Til Tuesday, composing their biggest hit, “Voices Carry,” and even sang a rare duet with Rush’s Geddy Lee. When she went solo, … Read more
Damon AlbarnThe Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream FlowsTransgressive Records [2021] In many ways, Damon Albarn’s official second solo album is as influenced by his physical surroundings in Iceland, as his early breakthrough albums with the band Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish, Parklife, and The Great Escape – offered a window into the … Read more
Big HeetPlaying The BugLiving Lost Records [2021] David Settle has been on a hot streak for releasing music this year as the Philadelphia musician is responsible for The Fragiles back in February and the excellent Psychic Flowers album in July. Settle now returns with another established moniker of his with Big Heet that also finds … Read more
Curtis HardingIf Words Were FlowersANTI- [2021] Atlanta’s psychedelic vintage soul champion Curtis Harding set the bar high with his first two albums, 2014’s Soul Power and 2017’s Face Your Fear. The records highlighted a stylistic vision that put him in the upper echelon in the modern soul movement and now on his third long player, … Read more
Courtney BarnettThings Take Time, Take TimeMilk!/Mom+Pop Music/Marathon Artists [2021] Aussie indie/rock singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett’s third album, Things Take Time, Take Time, is the kind of intimate reflection on the small moments that combine to give shape to a person’s life that you might expect coming out of a pandemic lockdown. The chorus of “Rae Street,” … Read more
My Morning JacketMy Morning JacketATO Records [2021] From all reports, there was a pretty good chance that the last music recorded by the members of My Morning Jacket playing together could easily have been the sessions that gave us 2015’s The Waterfall, and 2020’s leftovers, The Waterfall II. In the downtime following that tour, singer/songwriter … Read more
Neal FrancisIn Plain SightATO Records [2021] Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis has just released one of the most warm retro groove records of the year with his sophomore album In Plain Sight. The entire record is a faithful nod to everything that was good about late 70s rock, as its songs could sit in a playlist … Read more
Chime SchoolChime SchoolSlumberland Records [2021] Chime School is the project of San Francisco musician Andy Pastalaniec. His self-titled debut is a solid slice of indie jangle pop that falls right in line with current releases from Slumberland Records label mates The Umbrellas and The Reds, Pinks & Purples. This upbeat and pleasant song structure offering … Read more
Ada LeaOne Hand On The Steering Wheel The Other Sewing A GardenSaddle Creek Records [2021] All of the songs Ada Lea wrote for her follow-up to her 2019 release, What We Say In Private, describe events that have a deep connection to points in the neighborhood where she grew up in her native Montreal. While … Read more
La LuzLa LuzHardly Art Records [2021] La Luz continue to refine their sound with every record they release and when their drummer left the band, reducing the group to a trio, it set up a perfect scenario for change for their fourth LP. The self-titled album slows down their surf psych rock and expands their … Read more
Guided By VoicesIt’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!GBV Inc. [2021] It wouldn’t feel like the year is coming to an end without getting one more Guided By Voices record to rock out to until the calendar flips to 2022. The band’s 34th album, It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It … Read more
Parquet CourtsSympathy For LifeRough Trade Records [2021] For the past 10 years, Parquet Courts have been pushing the limits of indie rock. That is a big statement considering the band from the outside seems to stay below the radar with their overall slacker vibe rock style and almost spoken singing type vocals by A. Savage … Read more
Hand HabitsFun HouseSaddle Creek Records [2021] It is always nice to hear an artist grow with each album they release. I think that is exactly what you will find with Hand Habits third full length, Fun House, as Los Angeles-based musician Meg Duffy takes their time with every piece on this album and delivers a … Read more
Steve GunnOther YouMatador Records [2021] Steve Gunn may have started out as a go-to sideman who worked with Kurt Vile, desirable for his estimable guitar chops, here on his sixth solo album the singer/songwriter has created a potent collection that allow all his musical gifts and influences to coalesce. Recorded on the left coast, the … Read more