Emerson Lake & Palmer Live In California 1974 Shout! Factory Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Prog legends at the absolute top of their game! Album Review: In 1974, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were at the top of their game, they had just released their most successful album, Brain Salad Surgery, and were on their way … Read more
The People’s Temple More For The Masses HoZac Records [2012] Fire Note Says: The People’s Temple have the tunes to match their swagger! Album Review: In late 2011, The People’s Temple first showed up on my radar with their album, Sons of Stone, which was a nice piece of Byrds via Black Rebel Motorcycle Club … Read more
Peter Buck Peter Buck Mississippi-MRP Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Peter Buck goes solo (with help from some friends) and branches out in new yet familiar ways. Album Review: Peter Buck’s voice sounds like a belch being let out slowly through an old-time fire-stoker. In spite of this I really enjoyed Peter Buck’s new solo … Read more
Sleeping Bag Women Of Your Life Joyful Noise Recordings [2012] Fire Note Says: Sleeping Bag’s sophomore record is another great slice of well-done slacker rock! Album Review: I am a big sucker for slacker rock and Bloomington, Indiana band Sleeping Bag nail it. Their self-titled debut was just out last year in August and ended … Read more
The Babies Our House On The Hill Woodsist Records [2012] Fire Note Says: No “Sophomore Slump” for The Babies on Our House on the Hill! Album Review: Although originally conceived as a side project between Woods member Kevin Morby and Cassie Ramones from Vivian Girls, one thing is clear from the first song on The … Read more
Scott Walker Bish Bosch 4AD Records [2012] Fire Note Says: With Bish Bosch, Scott Walker gives listeners another sonic puzzle to solve! Album Review: After talking eleven years to follow up 1984’s Climate of the Hunter with 1995’s Tilt, and talking eleven more years to follow-up Tilt with 2006’s The Drift, Scott Walker has picked … Read more
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit Live In Alabama Lightning Rod Records (2012) Fire Note Says: This hot live set from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit hits on Isbell’s solo career as well as his DBT classics! Album Review: It’s hard to believe that Jason Isbell has been a solo act for almost as … Read more
Dinosaur Jr. Chocomel Daze (Live 1987) Merge Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Celebrate 25 years of You’re Living All Over Me with Chocomel Daze, a rare live show from that era! Album Review: Merge is releasing Chocomel Daze to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dinosaur Jr’s landmark release, You’re Living All Over Me. Recorded in … Read more
Weinland Los Processaur Woodphone Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Weinland returns with a bigger sound driven by the same solid emotion. Album Review: Immediately from opening track “Bones Checking In” you hear an evolving sound from Portland OR’s Weinland as they move away from their more hush like moments on 2009’s Breaking The Sun into … Read more
Naomi Punk The Feeling Captured Tracks Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Naomi Punk is at the forefront of shoegrunge on their debut lp! Album Review: If you have ever wondered what you would get if you crossed shoegaze with grunge, take a seat, I have a band for you to check out. Their name is … Read more
Deftones Koi No Yokan Reprise/Warner Bros. Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Hope that you’re not tone deaf for the Deftones. Album Review: Roaring to life once again Sacramento, California’s own alt-metalers Deftones present us with a fine outing in the form of Koi No Yokan, meaning promise of love or premonition of love after a … Read more
Don Caballaro Gang Banged With A Headache, And Live Joyful Noise Recordings [2012] Fire Note Says: The new Don Cab is intense, brutal, and also a great introduction to the Math Rock pioneers! Album Review: Gang Banged With A Headache, And Live, is an ‘authorized bootleg” from Math/Instrumental Rock dynamos, Don Caballaro. This is one … Read more
Run, Forever Settling Tiny Engines Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Indie rock done right with a purpose, message and substance. Album Review: There can never be enough said about a solid indie rock record from a band that have spent much of their last two years on the road playing tiny clubs, basements and house … Read more
Brian Eno Lux Warp Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Brian Eno is a connoisseur of the floating world and you can trust him as your guide. Album Review: The new Brian Eno album brings us more of ambient Eno, of soundscape Eno. But it’s not thematic like his space-y Apollo. Nor is it as calculated … Read more
Human Cannonball Let’s Be Friends Self-Released [2012] Fire Note Says: Jesse Remnant dons Human Cannonball moniker again, returns with members of Shrug, and crafts folkie, pop fun on Let‘s Be Friends. Album Review: Here is an album that was two and a half years in the making (mostly due to Remnant playing bass and supplying … Read more
My Jerusalem Preachers The End Records [2012] Fire Note Says: My Jerusalem will grab your ear from the opening track as their sophomore record, Preachers, is a non-stop enjoyable ride. Album Review: Preachers is the sophomore album from Austin’s My Jerusalem and from the opening piano intensity on the opening title track you just know … Read more
Eric Burdon & The Greenhornes Eric Burdon & The Greenhornes EP Readymade Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Two eras of R&B garage style rock meet up for a stellar modern EP! Album Review: This EP release was one of the cool collaborations that came out last week on Record Store Day’s Black Friday. It features … Read more
Clinic Free Reign Domino Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Free Reign finds Clinic doing what they do best, and continuing to add new ingredients to their psychedelic sonic stew! Album Review: There was a point in the early 2000’s where I, like a lot of music fans, were riding hard on the Clinic bandwagon. What … Read more
The Who Live At Hull 1970 Geffen/UMG [2012] Fire Note Says: See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Release Me. Album Review: Originally released as part of the Deluxe Edition of Live at Leeds in 2010, The Who-Live at Hull 1970, has finally been given its own standalone release! Recorded the night after Leeds, February 15th … Read more
Further Seems Forever Penny Black Rise Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Further Seems Forever comes back to the scene strong. Album Review: Further Seems Forever returns with their first studio record in eight years, and the first to feature the full original line-up since 2001’s The Moon is Down. I’ve rocked Further Seems Forever before, … Read more
Anberlin Vital Universal Republic Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Anberlin makes good on their promise to deliver their most aggressive record. Album Review: I’ve been listening to Anberlin for a few years now, ever since New Surrender [2008] dropped. Needless to say, I’ve been eagerly anticipating Vital, their seventh studio record. In June, frontman Stephen … Read more
Times New Viking Over & Over EP Siltbreeze Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Times New Viking make a triumphant return to Siltbreeze with their new EP! Album Review: You Can Never Go Home Again is the name of a posthumous book by Thomas Wolfe, in which he famously stated that once you have left your … Read more
A Shoreline Dream333Latenight Weeknight Records [2012] A Shoreline Dream comes to us all the way for Denver, Colorado bringing with them a moody blend of ambient psych with a nice post-rock tinge. A neat idea, the 333 album was actually released as three separate EPs each bearing the name of 3. Once everything was said … Read more
Basement Colourmeinkindness Run For Cover Records [2012] Fire Note Says: The sophomore album from Basement brings back the glory days of indie guitar rock for an entire new generation to enjoy! Album Review: I was just having this conversation last week about my wish (and the need) for solid straightforward guitar rock to make a … Read more
Titus Andronicus Local Business XL Recordings [2012] Fire Note Says: The most fun celebrating life’s meaninglessness that you’ll ever have! Album Review: Usually when you think Titus Andronicus a bunch of things come to mind: a shouted, garble growl of lyrics, abrasiveness, historical references, New Jersey, worthlessness, life’s meaninglessness , mortality, drowning your sorrows, drunken … Read more