Male Gaze Gale Maze Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Ripping through space and time, Male Gaze burns with their debut. Album Review: One of the most exciting labels today has to be John Dwyer‘s Castle Face Records. Scooping up artists from the underground and piping them into our ear holes, Dwyer‘s newest discovery … Read more
Juan Wauters Who Me? Captured Tracks [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: The Beets frontman Juan Wauters is back with his sophomore record, Who Me?. His simple acoustic approach is a very throwback folk-rock that thrived in the 70’s. Who Me? follows The Beets path of short songs as most hover around the 2 minute mark. … Read more
Wolf Alice My Love Is Cool RCA Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Wolf Alice’s debut is ambitious and, for the most part, delivers. Album Review: Buzz has been building around Wolf Alice for a few years now. With several singles and two EP’s already under their belt, the London band has put in a lot … Read more
Anytime I hear a “Dinosaur Jr. meets Neil Young” description you know I will dig a little deeper. That tag is what some are throwing around about Atlanta’s Tedo Stone with his southern flare and indie rock. After checking out his first track I think you argue that it is a fair comparison. His new … Read more
Radioactivity Silent Kill Dirtnap Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Silent Kill breaks the mold of what “punk rock” is supposed to sound like! Album Review: Punk rock has been getting a bad rap over the last decade or so for not being creative, fresh or even fun. What once was a thriving genre, especially on … Read more
The National A Lot Of Sorrow (Box Set) 4AD Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: “Sorrow found me when I was young / Sorrow waited, sorrow won. / Sorrow that put me on the pills / It’s in my honey it’s in my milk / Don’t leave my hyper heart below.” Now repeat! That is … Read more
Haynes Boys Haynes Boys Slab / Re-Vinyl Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Haynes Boys debut should be in your collection. Album Review: How about I introduce you to one of the best roots rock records you never took for a spin? An alt-country / Americana staple before the genre was really defined. That would be … Read more
How about 10 new artists to finish off June? For the latest Bandcamp edition, TFN has found dream pop from LA, a pure singer/songwriter from New Mexico, excellent garage rock from France, distorted beauty from Canada and emo-punk out of Florida. Discover, Support & Share! Guapo London, England Led by drummer extraordinaire David J. Smith, … Read more
Desaparecidos Payola Epitaph Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Desaparecidos create a memorable return! Album Review: Formed in 2001 in Omaha, Nebraska, Desaparecidos released one album, Read Music / Speak Spanish in 2002 on Saddle Creek Records. The band never broke up but the members went different directions including of course, Conor Oberst’s career with Bright … Read more
Crocodiles Boys Zoo Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Crocodiles have a strong bite on Boys. Album Review: San Diego’s Crocodiles is a power pop band with a dark twist. Their previous work has been filled with themes of the sinister and the vapid; these themes are ever present on their newest album, Boys. Band members … Read more
Why not? So many bands from the past have been reforming, why not welcome back Veruca Salt? Maybe because you are sure to be disappointed? Ok – today’s Fire Track, “Empty Bottle,” might make you rethink that assumption. Having reformed with their original line-up back in 2013, Veruca Salt is set to return with their … Read more
Jonathan Boulet Gubba Popfrenzy Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Jonathan Boulet’s Gubba is a tightly wound biker/punk rock LP. Album Review: Sydney based Jonathan Boulet pulls the ripcord on a briskly paced, rocker. Gubba sounds like a 50’s era biker gang learned to play crunch heavy punk music. There is a layer of nostalgic rockabilly … Read more
Surfin’ Mutants Pizza Party The Death Of Cool Fleeting Youth Records [2015] Fire Note Says: This is one party you don’t want to miss! Album Review: Surfin’ Mutants Pizza Party is the one-man bedroom project of 21 year old Julien Maltais. You might think that the bedroom genre is tired and worn out and probably … Read more
Evan Phillips Silhouettes Self-Released [2015] Fire Note Says: Silhouettes is Phillips at his best! Album Review: Anchorage, Alaska is not really a hotbed for new music but it should never simply be dismissed based on its map coordinates. I say this because when you hear singer songwriter Evan Phillips fourth solo record, Silhouettes, you may … Read more
Rose Windows Rose Windows Sub Pop Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Rose Windows return for their sophomore and final album. Album Review: For a band that will only put out two albums, the Rose Windows will always have a special place in my heart. Not only was their debut album, The Sun Dogs, one hell … Read more
We always strive to promote self-released music and today’s Fire Track does just that. Seattle’s Blackheart Honeymoon may tell you that they have been influenced by the likes of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Gram Parsons, but after one play of “Bodies,” I think you will agree that New Pornographers meets Fleetwood Mac is a … Read more
Annabel Having It All Tiny Engines [2015] Fire Note Says: Time to reconnect with your emo feelings! Album Review: At some point do you ever feel like you are too old for a genre of music? I have had those thoughts over the years about emo but always remind myself how I will still turn … Read more
We are happy today to premiere the second song from Kissing Party’s forthcoming album, Looking Back It Was Romantic But At The Time I Was Suffocating. What most people probably don’t know is that Denver’s Kissing Party has been releasing material since around 2006, so they are a real gem just waiting for some deserved … Read more
Heartless Bastards Restless Ones Partisan Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Erika Wennerstrom’s power surged vocals are hard to resist. Album Review: The Cincinnati now Austin based Heartless Bastards return with their fifth full length album, Restless Ones, that will once again dazzle fans with its soulful approach. The band has always been centrally driven from … Read more
Shamir Ratchet XL Recordings [2015] Fire Note Says: Portrait of an artist as a young man. Album Review: There was some story last year about a high school senior who was said to have made millions on the stock market. I don’t know if the reporter got it wrong or the kid misspoke, but the … Read more
Destruction Unit Live In San Francisco Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Exhilarating psychedelic freak-outs from Arizona noise rockers. Album Review: Count me as a huge fan of the Live in San Francisco live series brought to us by John Dwyer and Castle Face Records. The whole series has been remarkable and well worth … Read more
Magic Pie King For A Day Karisma Records[2015] Fire Note Says: So good you’ll want more than just one slice. Album Review: Magic Pie are a Norwegian band that has been around for about a decade now and have been releasing some really solid music mixing seventies indebted classic and progressive rock with a modern … Read more
Thee Oh Sees Mutilator Defeated At Last Castle Face Records [2015] Fire Note Says: After Drop, Thee Oh Sees return to form. Album Review: Thee Oh Sees have always been an interesting band. While—in my humble opinion—2014’s Drop wasn’t a huge success, it wasn’t a total failure either. Drop provided some killer tracks, which is … Read more
Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss are the twin guitar heroes of the Bay area band Sleepy Sun and they’ve teamed up for this side project which happily does not stray far from the mothership. Their sunny, reverb-heavy take on California psych-pop definitely recalls the ease of song craft found on last year’s Maui Tears. However … Read more
Jamie xx In Colour XL Recordings [2015] Fire Note Says: A relaxed build to some truly devastating xx moments, but nothing here rivals the snap of We’re New Here, which feels like a missed opportunity. Album Review: The xx are fun to watch live. Oliver’s big, stage-chewing gait, Romy’s stony confidence. In lesser hands, their … Read more