EZTV Calling Out Captured Tracks [2015] Fire Note Says: Soft guitar pop brewed with heartbreak. Album Review: Soft hook filled guitar pop has always had its place on the indie scene. Recently, other than maybe Real Estate, there does not seem to be many bands embracing this style until hearing the debut from Brooklyn’s EZTV. … Read more
Pupppy Shit In The Apple Pie Father/Daughter Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Pupppy’s debut album, Shit in the Apple Pie, is exactly the kind of quirky pop album that the indie rock world would have tripped all over themselves giving accolades to in the late 90’s-early 2000’s. Cut from the same cloth as such … Read more
Native Lights Native Lights Passive Recordings [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: The members of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Native Lights have been contributing their fair share of captivating sounds for 20+ years. Their self-titled debut is a huge win for fans of the dark ambient and shoegaze genres as they lift influences from titans My Bloody Valentine … Read more
No Joy More Faithful Mexican Summer [2015] Fire Note Says: When all the pieces lock into step, you’re in that ride through the wormhole that all the best shoegaze evokes. Album Review: The Kinks knew it. The Mats knew it. You know Pavement knew it. Work smarter, not harder. Find your lane, play to your … Read more
Hop Along Painted Shut Saddle Creek Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Frances Quinlan’s voice absolutely soars with her smooth growl on Hop Along’s sophomore record Painted Shut. Their indie music can be both quiet and loud on the same track as Hop Along brings big booming guitars as they tell their stories of desperation. … Read more
Wolf Alice My Love Is Cool RCA Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Wolf Alice’s debut is ambitious and, for the most part, delivers. Album Review: Buzz has been building around Wolf Alice for a few years now. With several singles and two EP’s already under their belt, the London band has put in a lot … Read more
Radioactivity Silent Kill Dirtnap Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Silent Kill breaks the mold of what “punk rock” is supposed to sound like! Album Review: Punk rock has been getting a bad rap over the last decade or so for not being creative, fresh or even fun. What once was a thriving genre, especially on … Read more
The Stratford 4 Keep Your Crazy Head On Straight Magnetic Stare Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Do you remember The Stratford 4? The band released two solid albums on Jetset Records back in the early 2000’s. The group then was caught up in major label red tape and the Ric Ocasek produced Keep Your … Read more
Desaparecidos Payola Epitaph Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Desaparecidos create a memorable return! Album Review: Formed in 2001 in Omaha, Nebraska, Desaparecidos released one album, Read Music / Speak Spanish in 2002 on Saddle Creek Records. The band never broke up but the members went different directions including of course, Conor Oberst’s career with Bright … Read more
Jonathan Boulet Gubba Popfrenzy Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Jonathan Boulet’s Gubba is a tightly wound biker/punk rock LP. Album Review: Sydney based Jonathan Boulet pulls the ripcord on a briskly paced, rocker. Gubba sounds like a 50’s era biker gang learned to play crunch heavy punk music. There is a layer of nostalgic rockabilly … Read more
Surfin’ Mutants Pizza Party The Death Of Cool Fleeting Youth Records [2015] Fire Note Says: This is one party you don’t want to miss! Album Review: Surfin’ Mutants Pizza Party is the one-man bedroom project of 21 year old Julien Maltais. You might think that the bedroom genre is tired and worn out and probably … Read more
Evan Phillips Silhouettes Self-Released [2015] Fire Note Says: Silhouettes is Phillips at his best! Album Review: Anchorage, Alaska is not really a hotbed for new music but it should never simply be dismissed based on its map coordinates. I say this because when you hear singer songwriter Evan Phillips fourth solo record, Silhouettes, you may … Read more
Annabel Having It All Tiny Engines [2015] Fire Note Says: Time to reconnect with your emo feelings! Album Review: At some point do you ever feel like you are too old for a genre of music? I have had those thoughts over the years about emo but always remind myself how I will still turn … Read more
Destruction Unit Live In San Francisco Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Exhilarating psychedelic freak-outs from Arizona noise rockers. Album Review: Count me as a huge fan of the Live in San Francisco live series brought to us by John Dwyer and Castle Face Records. The whole series has been remarkable and well worth … Read more
Magic Pie King For A Day Karisma Records[2015] Fire Note Says: So good you’ll want more than just one slice. Album Review: Magic Pie are a Norwegian band that has been around for about a decade now and have been releasing some really solid music mixing seventies indebted classic and progressive rock with a modern … Read more
Thee Oh Sees Mutilator Defeated At Last Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: After Drop, Thee Oh Sees return to form. Album Review: Thee Oh Sees have always been an interesting band. While—in my humble opinion—2014’s Drop wasn’t a huge success, it wasn’t a total failure either. Drop provided some killer tracks, which is … Read more
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Multi-Love Jagjaguwar [2015] Fire Note Says: UMO redefine what you thought you knew. Album Review: If you would have told me this time last year that I‘d be shaking my ass to a Unknown Mortal Orchestra album, I‘d have called you crazy. Having sprung out of New Zealand in 2011 with their … Read more
Warm Soda Symbolic Dream Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Symbolic Dream is a refreshing power pop gem! Album Review: I didn’t love Warm Soda’s last album, Young Reckless Hearts. I felt like it was a pretty big letdown from their wonderful debut album, Someone For You, which ended up being one of my … Read more
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin The High Country Polyvinyl Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Missouri’s finest band returns with gusto. Album Review: Way, way back in 2006 and the dawn of the mp3 blog era there seemed to be so many bands popping up from every corner of the universe and the only hope … Read more
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Quarters Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Quarters is an intriguing and rewarding long player. Album Review: So here is a crazy idea. How about make a record with only 4 tracks that each runs a total time of 10 minutes and 10 seconds and then name it … Read more
Kopecky Drug For The Modern Age ATO Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Kopecky streamlines both their name and their style. Album Review: I became aware of the Kopecky Family Band’s 2012 debut album, Kids Raising Kids, last year and was immediately enchanted. The Nashville band’s mix of pop with Americana twists was fresh and lively, … Read more
Föllakzoid III Sacred Bones Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Föllakzoid successfully recreate the sound of 1970s German rock via modern-day Chile. Album Review: I’ve been on something of a “krautrock” (more properly called “Kosmische Musik” or “German Space Rock”) kick lately, and the new album from Chilean outfit Föllakzoid fits into my recent listening habits … Read more
Froth Bleak Burger Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Froth find the pop between the fuzz! Album Review: The psychedelic rock train is really hard to slow down right now as West Coasters Froth have just delivered a sophomore album in Bleak that is another shining moment for the genre. There is only so much you … Read more
Anekdoten Until All The Ghosts Are Gone Self-Released [2015] Fire Note Says: Anekdoten remain the champions of dark and brooding Prog. Album Review: There are a handful of bands that, way back in the early nineties, had the cojones to attempt a revival of the most scorned and hated genre of rock music ever: the … Read more
Alabama Shakes Sound & Color ATO Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Alabama Shakes take you on another pendulum ride full of raw expression. Album Review: Three years ago, when Alabama Shakes came out of nowhere to rock the world with their debut, Boys & Girls, driven by soulful R&B-influenced roots rock and the stunningly unique … Read more