No Age Snares Like A Haircut Drag City Records [2018] Fire Note Says: No Age hit the mark again. Album Review: The last No Age album, An Object, was released five years ago. What I most appreciated about that album was the significant experimentation with noise and empty space. It was quiet and mellow, encouraging … Read more
Bill MacKay Esker Drag City Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Bill MacKay covers a lot of ground on Esker. Album Review: The so-called “American Primitive” genre of solo instrumental steel-string acoustic guitar music generally is traced back to the recordings of John Fahey and other artists released on his Takoma Records label in the 1950s … Read more
Ty Segall Freedom’s Goblin Drag City Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Ty Segall creates a very fluid classic double album in Freedom’s Goblin. Album Review: The grandiose opening blare of instruments on Ty Segall’s new 75-minute double record, Freedom’s Goblin, really tells you all you need to know in its first 22 seconds. This is … Read more
Ty Segall Fried Shallots EP Drag City Records [2017] Fried Shallots, Ty Segall’s latest EP, was pulled together from his past recordings and all the profits from its sales were donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. This gives the EP a lack of cohesion but it is still Ty and some tracks stand out … Read more
You are well aware that TFN is consistently following Ty Segall, so we would not be doing our duty if we did not feature the new track by The Cairo Gang. Not familiar with the group? Well, The Cairo Gang is singer/songwriter/guitarist Emmett Kelly which is currently part of Segall’s Freedom Band. Kelly played on … Read more
Ty Segall Ty Segall Drag City Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Segall delivers one of the best albums of his career. Album Review: Opening with the thunderous guitar riff of “Break a Guitar” it is immediately obvious that Ty Segall is going to be a pretty special album. Last year’s Ty Segall offering Emotional Mugger … Read more
Wand 1000 Days Drag City Records [2015] Fire Note Says: After Ganglion Reef and Golem Wand try to tie it all together to find balance. Album Review: When I first heard Wand’s Ganglion Reef I was blown away. Concluding my original review I said, “Wand is the band that the Elephant Six Collective never produced.” … Read more
Ty Segall $ingle$ 2 Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: A fantastic collection of non-album singles and b sides brings 2014 to the perfect end for Ty Segall fans. Album Review: How does Ty Segall cap off a brilliant 2014, a year that saw him releasing the best album of his career and one … Read more
Wand Ganglion Reef GOD?/Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: With one wave of Wand, originality and individuality immediately become apparent. Album Review: We live in a world where many artists try to reshape psychedelic music, and a lot of those who try fail. When trying to capturing lightning in a bottle for that crucial … Read more
Ty Segall Manipulator Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Segall has crafted his first bona fide masterpiece with this shape shifting epic! Album Review: Ty Segall has been riding an incredible wave of creativity that seemed to hit a peak in 2012 with the release of the triple entente of rock, Slaughterhouse, Hair, and … Read more
Black Bananas Electric Brick Wall Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Electric Brick Wall is likely to be the most unique album you hear this year! Album Review: I confess, I had no idea what I was getting into when the new album from Black Bananas, Electric Brick Wall, hit my inbox. There was … Read more
White Fence For The Recently Found Innocent Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: White Fence breaks through to the next level and fulfills all expectations on their new album. Album Review: Tim Presley first came onto my radar as a member of Darker My Love, a band that really knocked me out with their … Read more
Did you know that Ty Segall had his own label imprint? How can this be possible you ask – too busy? That answer is no as Ty’s imprint GOD? Records can be found at Drag City Records. Currently GOD? has released records from David Novick, White Fence and Jack Name. Ty Segall is now releasing … Read more
For the Recently Found Innocent is the fifth White Fence album and the first one to be recorded outside his bedroom. “Like That” is the first single from the record which is due out on Drag City Records July 22, 2014. Not only does this new album feature live drumming but plenty of harmony vocalizations … Read more
Ty Segall will make his return with a new record titled Manipulator on August 26th via Drag City Records. Manipulator of course will feature Ty’s helium-cooled vocals, but is loaded with guitars! You can read the exciting press description and see the teaser below and pre-order the record HERE. “Strangled-neck solos recalling the good old … Read more
New Bums Voices In A Rented Room Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: You should be ecstatic over the beautifully well-crafted debut full-length album from New Bums. Album Review: New Bums are a two-man duo made up of Donovan Quinn (Sky Green Leopards) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance). Their debut full length … Read more
Jack Name Light Show GOD?/Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Jack Name creates a musical funhouse with Light Show. Album Review: In a time where anything goes, Jack Name aka John Webster Johns aka touring guitarist for White Fence aka Fictional Boys etc. etc.—you get the idea: unidentifiable and prolific. Described by White Fence … Read more
Magik Markers Surrender To The Fantasy Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Noise rockers present Surrender To The Fantasy, but is their creativity drying up? Album Review: Magik Markers’ Elisa Ambrogio has said “Nobody would make art if it was sensible, logical, or responsible.” “That‘s why we called the album Surrender To The Fantasy,” … Read more
Ty Segall Gemini Drag City Records [2013] Hopefully you remember Ty Segall’s 2012 record Twins (TFN Review). It landed at number 2 in our Top 50 last year and of course received a Headphone Approved stamp with its sonic excellence. Gemini was released this week from Segall and it is essentially the Twins demos album … Read more
Ty Segall has turned into one of the busier artists around and before the year is out you can add Gemini to the list. From Drag City: “Gemini begat Twins. Gemini + volumes = Twins. In other words, Gemini is the Twins demos, recorded between 2010 and 2012 by Ty Segall and Eric Bauer. Some … Read more
Mike Donovan WOT Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: A fine solo debut from Mike Donovan formerly of Sic Alps. Album Review: With the demise of Sic Alps earlier this year, it was only a matter of time before Mike Donovan launched his solo career. While the Sic Alps specialized in 60’s influenced guitar/garage … Read more
Bill Callahan Dream River Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Bill Callahan slows life down on the entrancing Dream River. Album Review: Bill Callahan is still best known from his work with Smog but since his first solo record, Woke on a Whaleheart, was released under his own name back in 2007, he has … Read more
Ty Segall Sleeper Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: A hauntingly gorgeous acoustic record from perhaps the last artist you would expect it from. Album Review: As the title to his masterful album from last year, Twins, suggested, there are indeed two sides to the music of Ty Segall. On the one hand, you … Read more
Not much info on this Ty Segall release yet although Drag City does not seem much into limited vinyl so we can assume it will be a nice black. With that said you can now pre-order the new Ty Segall record Sleeper on vinyl out August 20 HERE. Also enjoy the little commercial for the … Read more
Scout Niblett It’s Up To Emma Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Emma Louise Niblett’s decade-long run of excellence continues. Album Review: When most critics talk of Scout Niblett they inevitably bring up Cat Power and PJ Harvey. But it is her work with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and especially the late, great Jason Molina … Read more