What do you get when you combine a one-of-a-kind living legend, an up-and-coming guitar heroine, and an eight-piece brass band? An unforgettable night on the Love This Giant Tour, the live iteration of the excellent David Byrne/St. Vincent album of the same name. Featuring a slew of Love This Giant tracks, St. Vincent solo songs, … Read more
The intent of our Label Profile feature is to simply highlight a record label that we feel aligns with our own belief here at The Fire Note that music is an experience. Today we profile Tiny Engines. A huge thanks to Will Miller (pictured in grey) for taking the time to answer our questions. Make … Read more
The Urinals Negative Capability In The Red Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Urinals surge from the punk underground with the reissue of retrospective Negative Capability. Album Review: These are the things that label In The Red records lives for: seemingly influencing about half their catalogue of artists, The Urinals’ brand of minute-long art punk … Read more
Travis Where You Stand Red Telephone Box [2013] Fire Note Says: After a five year hiatus, Travis are back with the breezy Where You Stand. Album Review: I still scratch my head over the lack of success by Travis as the band helped pave the way for groups like Coldplay, Muse, Keane and Snow Patrol. … Read more
We caught up with Joe Lewis of Black Joe Lewis at the Bunbury Festival in Cincinnati and had the privilege of asking him some questions. The good news is that he answered them! Without any more delay the Joe Lewis interview awaits you below. TFN: Talk about the new record – Electric Slave. Joe Lewis: … Read more
Jake Bugg Jake Bugg Mercury Records [2013] Fire Note Says: At only 19, Jake Bugg electrifies the indie/rock scene with his self-titled, debut album. Album Review: It’s hard to believe Jake Bugg is only 19. His deep voice and timeless rock music are comparable to Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Johnny Cash. At 17, Jake … Read more
Weekend Jinx Slumberland Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Brooklyn via San Francisco band add some New Wave flavor to their second album. Album Review: Weekend’s 2010 debut, Sports, was a loud, distorted and uncompromising affair. It was also almost unlistenable. Even front man Shaun Durkan has admitted to having difficulty sitting through it in its … Read more
Paper Lions My Friends Fountain Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Paper Lions’ power pop returns with comforting steadiness on My Friends. Album Review: Prince Edward Island’s Paper Lions’ fifth album My Friends reminded me very much of an album I reviewed earlier this year, Noah And The Whale’s Heart of Nowhere. In fact My … 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
Barbarossa Bloodlines Memphis Industries [2013] Fire Note Says: Barbarossa is Thom Yorke’s more soulful, less robotic cousin. Album Review: James Mathé, the man behind the Barbarossa moniker, is a London-based musician whose brand of soul-inflected, electronically augmented tunes run the gamut from sparse balladry to glitchy experimentalism to bluesy funk pop. A former member of … Read more
The Love Language Ruby Red Merge Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Every song on The Love Language’s Ruby Red is good – making you want to listen to the album again and again. Album Review: Ruby Red is the first I’ve heard of indie/rock band The Love Language. After listening to the album’s first track, … Read more
Matthew Sweet Girlfriend Zoo Entertainment Released: October 22, 1991 Producer: Fred Maher & Matthew Sweet Length: 60:19 In October 1991, singer/songwriter Matthew Sweet released Girlfriend to a very unexpecting music scene. He had recently been dropped by A&M Records after two underperforming records, was newly divorced and made the move to a newly created label … Read more
No Age An Object Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: No Age continues to perfect their garage psychedelia sound with An Object. Album Review: Los Angelinos Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt (the two principals of No Age) return with their fourth long-player, An Object. The album title is an interesting statement – I … Read more
Tim Easton Not Cool Campfire Propaganda/Thirty Tigers [2013] Fire Note Says: Singer/songwriter Tim Easton has a new vibe on the entertaining Not Cool. Album Review: Guess what? Tim Easton has a new record titled Not Cool. Who is Tim Easton you say? He is just a native Ohio artist that is on his tenth studio … Read more
Medicine To The Happy Few Captured Tracks Records [2013] Fire Note Says: After an 18 year hiatus, the original line-up conjures up a dose of psychedelic excellence. Album Review: There have been reunions aplenty of late. From our beloved Guided By Voices to Archers Of Loaf, Dinosaur Jr. and The Dismemberment Plan, but none are … Read more
Pop. 1280 Imps Of Perversion Sacred Bones Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Pop. 1280 return with more noise rocking on sophomore record Imps Of Perversion. Album Review: Are you searching for a new record to get your blood pumping? Look no further than this sophomore effort from Brooklyn’s Pop. 1280 because Imps Of Perversion is … Read more
Subways On The Sun The Honeymoon Stagecoach Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Well-produced, melodic debut gives plenty of nods to their Seattle forerunners. Album Review: Catchy hooks: check. Solid guitar riffs: check. Crystal-clear production: check. No, it’s not psych, garage, metal, or progressive, but Seattle-based Subways on the Sun have crafted an immaculately-arranged and satisfying … Read more
Long Lost Save Yourself, Start Again No Sleep Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Long Lost’s debut is a catchy collection with Save Yourself, Start Again. Album Review: Long Lost is the culmination of collaboration between Transit’s Joe Boynton and Vinny Comeau. The pair worked with Aviv Moritz (drums), Mat Morin (guitar), and Mike Moschetto (bass) … Read more
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages Dig Thy Savage Soul Bloodshot Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Barrence Whitfield is back to shake your soul! Album Review: Bloodshot Records has had an injection of “soul” lately with the recent release of JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound (TFN Review) and now Boston’s legendary Barrence Whitfield & The … Read more
Junior Astronomers Dead Nostalgia Broken Circles Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Junior Astronomers’ debut Dead Nostalgia is a punkish step towards greatness. Album Review: Junior Astronomers is a punk band from Charlotte, NC. They leave the Southern fried on the side and go full punk (with some mainstream influences) on their debut album Dead Nostalgia. … Read more
Hospital Ships Destruction In Yr Soul Graveface Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Hospital Ships third album aims for the back seats at an arena near you. Album Review: Call me a sentimentalist or an old fuddy-duddy, I don’t care. The thought of The Dismemberment Plan, Sebadoh and Superchunk all with albums on the horizon makes … Read more
Washed Out Paracosm Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Washed Out offers up a warm pop vibe on the likable Paracosm. Album Review: What do you do when your genre fades away? That is the question that Washed Out’s Ernest Greene had to answer as his debut full length, Within And Without, was a … Read more
Winter Makes Sailors Moving On Anyway Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Columbus, Ohio band delivers an intoxicating pop album. Album Review: Sean Gardner is the main man behind Winter Makes Sailors. If you live in Ohio, you have more than likely seen him in one of the many bands he has played in, Denovo, Kopaz, … Read more
Organs Headin’ For The Door Killer Diller Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Organs debut LP is an energized weaponization of the blues—and all in under 23 minutes. Album Review: The NYC three-piece Organs is a band that rocks the question “When I rock ‘jump,’ you rock ‘how high?’” Their debut through Killer Diller Records, Headin’ … Read more
The Moondoggies Adiós I’m A Ghost Hardly Art Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Moondoggies return with the memorable and confident Adiós I’m A Ghost. Album Review: By the time a band gets to their third album they typically have reached some sort of crossroad. For Seattle’s Moondoggies, their third album Adiós I’m A Ghost … Read more