Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Specter At The Feast Abstract Dragon/Vagrant Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club mourn the loss of a loved one on the emotional Specter At The Feast. Album Review: There comes a time in every band’s career where life overshadows the music and for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club that … 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
The Sunflower Logic Clouds On The Polar Landscape EP Pink Banana Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Robert Pollard plays it loose and releases one of his most unique recordings to date! Album Review: If you are scratching your head some then you should be told right away that The Sunflower Logic is a Robert Pollard … Read more
Various Artists Sound City: Real To Reel OST RCA Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Sound City:Real To Reel soundtrack certainly complements the movie and makes you wish they had a bit more time. Album Review: Knowing the backstory helps a bit to understand this record. Sound City Studios was known for its high end … 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
Mark Kozelek Like Rats Caldo Verde Records [2013] Fire Note Says: It is all about the song selection on Mark Kozelek’s genre hopping covers album Like Rats. Album Review: I have always said that Mark Kozelek has one of those voices which could sing the dictionary and it would be awesome. His emotional tone and … Read more
Off With Their Heads Home Epitaph Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Off With Their Heads return with a more mature outlook but are still 100% punk rock! Album Review: Minneapolis outfit Off With Their Heads play a straightforward type of punk rock that is in your face but completely controlled. I know that some of … 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
Tim Easton Before The Revolution: The Best Of 1998-2011 New West Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Tim Easton catches you up with his excellent career spanning best of! Album Review: The Fire Note has been talking about Tim Easton since our humble beginning back in 2006 with his record Ammunition and listening to his music … Read more
Youth Lagoon Wondrous Bughouse Fat Possum Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Youth Lagoon not only avoid the sophomore slump on Wondrous Bughouse but once again have released one of the better albums of the year! Album Review: Being on the edge of indie rock is always an interesting place to exist for such a young … 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
Water Liars Wyoming Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Water Liars make sure you can feel on their damaged but excellent Wyoming! Album Review: I will warn you that Water Liars sophomore record, Wyoming, is a completely damaged Americana/rock album from the duo of singer/guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster and drummer/vocalist Andrew Bryant that … Read more
The Men New Moon Sacred Bones Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Men take a risk again on fourth long player New Moon. Album Review: Last year’s excellent Open Your Heart from The Men took plenty of risks and each and every one of them paid off as it was the post-punk band’s best record … 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
Cy Dune No Recognize EP Family Tree Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Cy Dune brings the fuzz, blues and rock n roll all in a mere 16 minute EP. Album Review: Right from the opening guitar sprawl on “Where The Wild Things” you know that Cy Dune is going to fit into the 2013 scene … Read more
Sin Fang Flowers Morr Music [2013] Fire Note Says: Sin Fang takes some risks on third LP Flowers – and they payoff! Album Review: Indie pop this sweet and orchestrated has some sort of crazy appeal to my listening taste. On Sin Fang’s third solo record, Flowers, the Seabear frontman once again finds the right … Read more
Mount Moriah Miracle Temple Merge Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Mount Moriah offer a lesson in restraint on their engaging sophomore outing Miracle Temple. Album Review: Mount Moriah’s new sophomore record, Miracle Temple, is one of those albums that just gets embedded in your head as it plays with its countrified rhythms, charismatic lead vocals … 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
Beach Fossils Clash The Truth Captured Tracks Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Beach Fossils change the sonic output but retain the quality! Album Review: What is the saying? All good things must come to an end? Well Beach Fossils won’t be the first lo-fi basement do-it yourself band to move out of the cellar as … 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
Iceage You’re Nothing Matador Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Iceage returns stronger than ever on sophomore record You’re Nothing. Album Review: When Danish group Iceage burst on the scene two years ago with their debut New Brigade most people were not only taken back by their DIY post-punk rock but just as surprised that they … Read more
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away Bad Seed Ltd. [2013] Fire Note Says: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds get right to business on the sophisticated and brooding Push The Sky Away. Album Review: At this stage in the game I don’t think anyone will deny the influential rock status of … 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
Shy Mirrors Negative Collector Big School Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Shy Mirrors come at you with all their indie punk barrels loaded on Negative Collector. Album Review: Shy Mirrors may have a Swedish postal address but the band is 100% American rock n roll as founder Mike Downey hails from Champaign, IL and is … Read more