Mac DeMarco Another One Captured Tracks [2015] Fire Note Says: Grab a cup of coffee with Mac and enjoy his latest record! Album Review: It’s always a big deal around The Fire Note Headquarters when Mac DeMarco releases a new record, since the release of Rock and Roll Night Club back in 2012, we have … Read more
Wild Raccoon Mount Break Howlin’ Banana Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: One-man garage pop from France?! Yes, you heard me right. From across the seas comes Wild Raccoon and his reverb filled mayhem of a record that aims to please. If you are a fan of early Ty Segall or King Khan, Mount Break … Read more
Bully Feels Like StarTime Intl./Columbia Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Bully’s debut makes you wish the nineties never ended. Album Review: Alicia Bognanno has an itch to scratch. Although born the same year Nevermind was released, this particular itch seems to only be scratched effectively by emulating the music being made while still in elementary … Read more
Sometimes all you need is a catchy band name and I am in before the music even starts playing. That was the case for Brooklyn’s Surf Rock Is Dead. The duo of Kevin Pariso and Joel Witenberg, hailing from Chicago and Melbourne, respectively, met in New York City. After just jamming for a bit the … Read more
Brother O’ Brother Show Pony Fonoflo Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Get your rock blues groove on with Brother O’ Brother. Album Review: This has been a year that finds many in the music critic world asking questions like; are there any new sounds out there?, is everything new really a rehash?, and is that … Read more
Strange Wilds Subjective Concepts Sub Pop Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Strange Wilds debut full length, Subjective Concepts, is one of the closest sounding records Sub Pop has released in years that embraces the label’s original Pacific Northwest/Olympia/Seattle sound from which they built their foundation. Is does not take long to hear the Bleach-ear … Read more
Saint Motel My Type EP Elektra Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: From the opening sax on “My Type,” California’s Saint Motel hook you with the latest infectious song of the summer. Pretty good for a track that has been around since 2013 but Saint Motel are proof that sometimes it takes time for music … Read more
Rocky Votolato & Chuck Ragan Kindred Spirit SideOneDummy Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Rocky Votolato and Chuck Ragan should be in your collection of singer/songwriters that you always find time for. Both have had previous success fronting bands; Votolato with Waxwing and Ragan with Hot Water Music. Both now have a much more rooted … Read more
Damaged Bug Cold Hot Plumbs Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: I am not sure everyone knows this but Thee Oh Sees’ John Dwyer has a synthesizer-driven side project called Damaged Bug. Cold Hot Plumbs is actually his sophomore album under this moniker and once again it is a mixed bag of interesting … Read more
“Moving” marks the return of Lou Barlow to the solo album world as his new LP, Brace The Wave, will be his first in six years. Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh have kept him busy on the indie rock side of things so if you are familiar with his earlier solo efforts, the mid-tempo pace and … Read more
The Mynabirds Lovers Know Saddle Creek Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Mynabirds return with a dream-pop gem. Album Review: The current landscape in pop music is dominated by women; this is now extending to rock music as well. With acts like Speedy Ortiz, Sleater Kinney, Sharon Van Etten, and Jenny Lewis (to name a few), … Read more
Chris Staples Cheap Shades EP Barsuk Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Offered as a free download to concertgoers who attend shows on his tour in support of the excellent American Soft, Chris Staples’ Cheap Shades EP is a strong and surprisingly unified release. The two new tracks (“Cheap Shades” and “Cindy, Diana, Janet and … Read more
Eric Gaffney A Cassetterospective Joyful Noise Recordings [2015]
The Chemical Brothers Born In The Echoes Astralwerks [2015] Fire Note Says: The Brothers further toy with song structure when their best work is their most traditional. Album Review: There’s a lack of finesse in the loops, a want for direction in the pacing, but there’s a density and a weight to the way the … Read more
Of Monsters And Men Beneath The Skin Republic Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Of Monsters and Men return with their sophomore effort. Album Review: Of Monsters and Men is the Icelandic band who had a huge hit with 2011’s “Little Talks,” and is currently gaining traction with “Crystals.” “Crystals” is the lead single from their … Read more
Let’s finish off July with 10 new artists you should check out. The July Bandcamp edition, features some shoegaze from Hong Kong, GBV vibes from Indiana, sweet meets smooth from LA, garage rock from Ohio, scuzz from Chicago, and some looping guitar lines from Jersey. As always – Discover, Support & Share! Perturbator Paris, France … Read more
You can try but most likely you won’t be able to pry this funereal Americana from my cold dead hand. Or at least something like that! Just not as dramatic when it comes to the first single and debut solo record from Monk Parker. His new album, How The Spark Loves The Tinder, is due … Read more
No Joy hail from Canada and have released three LPs with the label Mexican Summer since their late 2009 inception. Since the beginning the group has continually received praises from critics including their most recent effort, More Faithful, that came out this past June. We recently caught up with No Joy’s bassist, Michael Farsky and … Read more
Great Lake Swimmers A Forest Of Arms Nettwerk Music Group [2015] Fire Note Says: Great Lake Swimmers have a pleasant, peaceful sound. Album Review: Great Lake Swimmers know their lane and stay in it during their most recent LP, A Forest of Arms. That lane is aptly described by the album’s title; triumphant and scenic, … Read more
Elvis Depressedly New Alhambra Run For Cover Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Many times great indie rock lies on the fringes of the mainstream and most of the time it is discovered by accident. I feel that way about Elvis Depressedly, which is technically a side project of Mathew Lee Cothran’s Coma Cinema. With … Read more
Titus Andronicus The Most Lamentable Tragedy Merge Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Risking over-ambition and failure, The Most Lamentable Tragedy has it merits—just hope you’ve done your homework. Album Review: From a literary standpoint, Titus Andronicus could be considered William Shakespeare’s first tragedy, a gruesome tale of rape, violence, and revenge. While New Jersey’s Titus … Read more
Negative Scanner Negative Scanner Trouble In Mind Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Ahh -28 minutes of post-punk bliss is what you get here with the debut from Chicago’s Negative Scanner. Lead vocalist Rebecca Valeriano-Flores has a PJ Harvey meets Sleater-Kinney sound as her pulsing energy pushes and shoves you through the record without ever … Read more
Dances hail from Brooklyn and on their upcoming debut, Keep Talking, the band will show off their admiration for classic NYC punk, Britpop, ’60s psych and some straight up ’90s era alt rock. Today’s Fire Track highlights the alt rock side of the group with “Suzy Lee.” The track gets kicks off with a disjointed … Read more
White Reaper White Reaper Does It Again Polyvinyl Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Exciting debut album from hot new Louisville band! Album Review: I’m always looking for good new bands to champion. If you want to catch my ear and hold it, you better have guitars, hooks, attitude, and tunes. White Reaper has all of … Read more
Ricked Wicky King Heavy Metal Guided By Voices Inc. [2015] Fire Note Says: Pollard’s Ricked Wicky sparks your rock n roll juices! Album Review: The journey for Robert Pollard’s Ricked Wicky continues just five months after their debut with the sophomore album, King Heavy Metal. Sure, it is a quick turn-around but c’mon – what … Read more