The Splits II Dirtnap Records [2015] Fire Note Says: The Splits take no prisoners on sophomore album II. Album Review: Helsinki’s Splits have just arrived on the US shore with their sophomore album, II. The record is a care free 70’s punk ride with a complete in your face attitude that never lets up for … Read more
Michael Rault Living Daylight Burger Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Michael Rault delivers a strong record to the modern garage rock crowd. Album Review: Are you tired of the whole modern garage rock revival scene? Me neither! Enter Toronto guitarist/songwriter Michael Rault to the club and his Burger Records debut Living Daylight. Each artist in … Read more
Van Dale Van Dale Fleeting Youth Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Van Dale screams 90′s indie rock with its unkempt vibe but that is the appealing part. Album Review: Columbus, Ohio’s Van Dale have a very indie back-to-basics sound and that is exactly why you won’t want to put the record down. The band’s self-titled … Read more
Andy Gabbard Fluff Alive Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Andy Gabbard comes at you with a 90’s rock guitar in his hand. Album Review: Have you ever sat in your room and just thought of making a record? I don’t even care if you can play an instrument, remember one lyric or even been close … Read more
Courtney Barnett Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Mom + Pop / Milk! Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Barnett is not afraid to say what you think. Album Review: Imagine if someone taped your daily inner thoughts and then put them on a record. Hmm – what kind of crazy would … Read more
Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell Asthmatic Kitty Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Sufjan not only creates his most personal record to date but also one of his best. Album Review: How many times do you really hear an artist return to a past sound? I would say not that many. So many times in reviews … Read more
The King Khan & BBQ Show Bad News Boys In The Red Records [2015] Fire Note Says: King Khan & BBQ return with another fun and rockin’ set of songs. Album Review: We last heard from King Khan on the 2013 Merge Records release Idle No More with the Shrines. It was one of most … Read more
Hayden Hey Love Arts & Crafts [2015] Fire Note Says: Toronto’s Hayden adds another strong record to his ever growing catalog. Album Review: Hayden had immediate attention on his 1996 debut Everything I Long For. His brooding vocals and lonely arrangements landed perfectly and were very fresh at the time, as the alternative rock explosion … Read more
Tobias Jesso Jr. Goon True Panther Sounds [2015] Fire Note Says: The performing singer/songwriter is alive and well on Goon. Album Review: I don’t know exactly how many times I have said it around here but music always is circular. A style that was dominate in the past and then fades away, always seems to … Read more
Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith Ramseur Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Avett & Mayfield take a risk with Elliott Smith cover record. Album Review: If you are going to cover Elliott Smith you better bring it. There are only a handful of deceased modern artists … Read more
Victor Villarreal Sleep Talk Joyful Noise Recordings [2015] Fire Note Says: Sleep Talk is the perfect record for a late night of socializing with spirits or just putting on the headphones and drifting off. Album Review: Victor Villarreal has quietly become one of the most respected guitarists on the indie rock scene with his work … Read more
Spring is around the corner and hopefully the March Bandcamp edition will hit you like a Lion! This month we have a psych-folk group from Korea, a classic indie band from Memphis, progressive music from Greece and an energetic group from Allentown, PA. Enjoy the new artists below and please Discover, Support & Share! The … Read more
Will Butler Policy Merge Records [2015] Fire Note Says: The solo debut from Arcade Fire’s spunky multi-instrumentalist Will Butler. Album Review: Who is Will Butler you ask? Well, he is a multi-instrumentalist from the band Arcade Fire and also the younger brother of lead singer Win. I will admit that Will is not the first … Read more
I always like an honest approach to music and that is exactly what you get today on our track premiere from Brooklyn’s Robot Princess. The band plays an indie style of rock that thrives on its intricate laid back wordplay and guitar runs comparable to Pavement while Beau Alessi and Catherine Anderson possess the back … Read more
The Juliana Hatfield Three Whatever, My Love American Laundromat Records [2015] Fire Note Says: The Juliana Hatfield Three return to the indie scene after 22 years. Album Review: “There is history in this place” is the first line from Sebadoh’s “Skull” which is a track from the same era when The Juliana Hatfield Three were … Read more
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Chasing Yesterday Sour Mash Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Noel moves forward on his sophomore High Flying Birds record Chasing Yesterday. Album Review: No matter what either Gallagher brother says, Oasis for sure made a mark. I also understand the dynamic of solo careers and in this case, Noel Gallagher … Read more
Frankie And The Witch Fingers Frankie And The Witch Fingers Permanent Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Frankie and the Witch Fingers will hit your 60’s garage rock nerve! Album Review: Frankie and the Witch Fingers are a garage rock group originally from Bloomington, Indiana that are currently making the big move to Los Angeles. Their … Read more
Torche Restarter Relapse Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Torche aim to rock you under their heavy groove. Album Review: You can classify Torche into any type of “rock” box you want, be it metal, alternative, radio friendly, sludge or maybe even pop but their fourth album, Restarter, is somewhat of a game changer for the … Read more
Ty Segall has been a Fire Note favorite now for some time and recently just snagged our top honors as the best album of 2014 with Manipulator. Well, no slowing Ty down as he shot out of the 2015 gate with this new Mr. Face EP on Famous Class Records. For fans, Mr. Face represents … Read more
Colleen Green I Want To Grow Up Hardly Arts Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Colleen Green shows you why age doesn’t matter. Album Review: We all have been there or soon will be, when it comes to celebrating birthday decades. For lo-fi punkster Colleen Green, that celebratory number is 30 on her newest full length, … Read more
Small Houses Still Talk; Second City The Cottage Recording Co. [2015] Fire Note Says: Small Houses releases a record from the core. Album Review: If you have read the Fire Note long enough, most people know that I have this solid place in my music library reserved for the honest singer/songwriter. Right next to my … Read more
Anymore it seems tough to find a unique sound in the indie music scene today but we are hoping to grab your ear with the premiere of Philadelphia trio Busses new track, “Liars.” It is from their latest self-released album, Wizard of the Eye, which is out today. The song represents another example of their … Read more
Mourn Mourn Captured Tracks [2015] Fire Note Says: Don’t let the age of Mourn fool you. Album Review: What if I asked you to tell my why you like new music? What would you say? Does a record need to meet a certain critic criteria to be liked such as Pitchfork’s Best New Music or … Read more
If you are like me, you have a long history with Hayden. If you are old enough you probably remember all the buzz that came along with his 1996 debut record, Everything I Long For, as its rootsy and solitary post-punk put him on the map. Fast forward to 2015, and the Canadian lo-fi folkster … Read more
The cold and snow keep pressing on as Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter but that should give you even more incentive to dive in here for some new music. The February edition holds some experimental rock from Northampton, desert drone from Tucson, progressive rock from Miami and not one but two bands … Read more