The Fire Note’s June Bandcamp feature heats up the summer with a handful of new artists. In this edition you can find some sibling harmonies from Santa Cruz, psychedelic rock from Italy, lo-fi rock straight from Brooklyn and some solid indie from Phoenix. As always – Discover, Support & Share! Lost Boy? Brooklyn, New York … Read more
Circulatory System Mosaics Within Mosaics Cloud Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: 60’s pop melodies and wild psychedelic excursions woven together to create a giant sonic tapestry. Album Review: It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the Elephant 6 Collective and the impact that it had on rock music, and in fact, the influence it still … Read more
††† (Crosses) ††† Sumerian Records [2014] Fire Note Says: ††† debut has both highs and lows. Album Review: ††† is the combination of the Deftones lead man Chino Moreno, Far guitarist Shaun Lopez, and Chuck Doom. If you’re familiar with the Deftones, ††† is a slightly more subdued, industrial style of music. I was most … Read more
Parquet Courts Sunbathing Animal What’s Your Rupture? / Mom & Pop Music [2014] Fire Note Says: Parquet Courts are the current New York City sound. Album Review: Sometimes it is hard to explain why an album puts up a roadblock but that is exactly what happened to me on the third record from breakout band … Read more
Brody Dalle Diploid Love Caroline Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Ex-punk Brody Dalle returns with a matured rock sound. Album Review: It is crazy how time flies and to realize that Brody Dalle has been in the music scene since her self-titled Distillers debut back in 2000 which was on Hellcat/Epitaph Records. It is also … Read more
Cardinal Cardinal Flydaddy (Original) / Fire (Reissue) Released: 1994 Producer: Tony Lash Length: 30:32 (Reissue 57:01) Appearing as it did in the middle of the grunge era, Cardinal’s debut LP was definitely an anomaly. Instead of gritty guitars and gruff vocals, Cardinal is full of quieter sounds: acoustic guitars, strings, piano, even the occasional trumpet, … Read more
The Antlers Familiars ANTI- [2014] Fire Note Says: The Antlers’ Familiars is another beautiful, thought provoking experience. Album Review: The Antlers’ fifth studio album, Familiars, continues with the band’s moody, dreamy musings. The Brooklyn-based band, led by Peter Silberman with support from Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci, has often dealt with deep, heavy themes in … Read more
Howler World Of Joy Rough Trade Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Former buzz band takes a solid step forward from their debut on World of Joy. Album Review: Howler was a bit of a buzz band a few years ago when their debut album America Give Up was released. It was a tasty slice of … Read more
Guided By Voices Bee Thousand Scat Records Released: June 21, 1994 Producer: GBV Length: 36:30 I don’t think that anyone back in June of 1994 could have predicted the impact of this little lo-fi record from Dayton, Ohio band Guided By Voices. At the time, I was still in college and working in a music … Read more
If you were to ask me to list several top punk pop rock acts currently releasing records, Canada’s Steve Adamyk Band would be in my top five. Over their last two albums, Third (2013) and Forever Won’t Wait (2011), the band has been growing in both songwriting and musicianship. “Careless” is a track off of … Read more
Peter Bradley Adams The Mighty Storm I Me Mine Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Peter Bradley Adams offers up 10 tracks of Dylan-tinged folk pop. Album Review: Recorded in Nashville with several multi-instrumentalists/producers, Peter Bradley Adams’ fifth album The Mighty Storm doesn’t exactly sound the way its title would suggest. Over its forty-five minute span, … Read more
Owen Pallett In Conflict Domino Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Owen Pallett makes an interesting and at times profound statement with In Conflict. Album Review: Owen Pallett’s fourth album (and second under his actual name) is a challenge. Pallett has a vision for In Conflict that didn’t cater to this listener at first. Quite honestly, … Read more
First Aid Kit Stay Gold Columbia Records [2014] Fire Note Says: First Aid Kit have matured beyond their young years. Album Review: Hands down, First Aid Kit’s sisters, Klara and Johanna Söderberg, have one of the most addictive harmonizing vocals in the music scene right now. You may have already heard their impact on Conor … Read more
Cretin Stompers Looking Forward To Being Attacked HoZac Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Cretin Stompers bring both the rock and the weird on their debut album. Album Review: Cretin Stompers have quite an impressive pedigree, featuring ex members of Jay Reatard’s band, Wavves, Barbaras, and the one and only Big Muff Radio, (who I am … Read more
Heavens To Betsy Calculated Kill Rock Stars [2014] Fire Note Says: Heavens To Betsy‘s anger couldn‘t be more captivating on Calculated. Album Review: When people hear the name Corin Tucker they should get excited—if they don’t, shame on them. A prominent figure in music from the 90’s through today, Corin Tucker has made her waves … Read more
White Lung Deep Fantasy Domino Records [2014] Fire Note Says: White Lung bring forward their hard hitting sound. Album Review: If Vancouver’s White Lung have not been on your radar then here is your wake up call. The band’s third LP, Deep Fantasy, is a rip roaring punk record that will easily remind you of … Read more
Does some lo-fi psychedelic garage rock sound up your alley? If you answered yes then this new track from Seattle’s The Pharmacy will surely get your weekend started. From the opening retro jangle of guitar to the psychedelic drumming, The Pharmacy draws you into “Masten Lake Lagoon” right away. The song is almost four minutes … Read more
Sun Hoax Biome Digs EP / Full Joy EP Self-Released [2014] Fire Note Says: Sun Hoax is the latest offering from lo-fi auteur Dean Wells. Album Review: Dean Wells is the lo-fi wizard behind The Capstan Shafts, and if you haven’t heard any of their recordings, I’m going to need you to rectify that as … Read more
Beach Slang Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken? EP Dead Broke Rekerds [2014] Fire Note Says: Beach Slang bring back a glorious 90’s sound. Album Review: Philadelphia’s Beach Slang are a supergroup of sorts of an older indie scene. The three piece features James Snyder of Weston, JP Flexner of Ex-Friends and Ed McNulty, … Read more
Greys If Anything Carpark Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Greys’ debut LP bridges a gap between genres and offers a refreshing blend of heavy noise rock with pop sensibility. Album Review: Last years’ Greys 7” Drift was one of my favorite 7” releases for 2013. A really heavy noise rocker. I enjoyed it so much; … Read more
Jack White Lazaretto Third Man/Columbia Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Does Jack White‘s Blunderbuss follow up deserve the same praise? Album Review: If you know anything about The Fire Note, it’s that most of us here are Jack White fans. Whether it’s subscribing to his record vault, traveling to his home base Third Man Record … Read more
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Days of Abandon Yebo Music [2014] Fire Note Says: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a bit too pure this time around. Album Review: Sometimes an album’s beginning betrays its overall essence. Sometimes it sets the tone, even if that tone was not what you wanted … Read more
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires Dereconstructed Sub Pop Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires sing it proud and rock it loud on Dereconstructed. Album Review: When I first heard Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires it was on the excellent Alive at The Deep Blues Fest. … Read more
Death Cab For Cutie Live 2012 (Featuring Magik*Magik Orchestra) Barsuk Records [2014] Fire Note Says: A solid set list and effective orchestration makes Live 2012 worth hearing. Album Review: While their studio albums have always been produced in ways that are sympathetic to their half-somber/half-optimistic indie-emo stylings, Death Cab For Cutie have never been a … Read more
Mastodon has always been a band to watch. The undersea brutality of Leviathan, the debut low end ferocity of Remission, the heavy psych prog perfections that are Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye, and finally their last effort 2011’s The Hunter. You really can’t go wrong with any record in their catalog! Now the boys … Read more