Surfer Blood Snowdonia Joyful Noise Recordings [2017] Fire Note Says: Surfer Blood stay true to their roots after their loss. Album Review: Surfer Blood lost Thomas Fekete, their original drummer, to cancer in 2016. He had left the band a year earlier to receive medical treatment; the band raised funds for his treatment in 2015 … Read more
Japandroids Near To The Wild Heart Of Life ANTI- [2017] Fire Note Says: Rock lovers rejoice: Japandroids have returned! Album Review: Are you ready to rock? If so, Canadian duo Japandroids have something for you on their third LP, Near To The Wild Heart of Life. An alternative title to the album could be We’ve … Read more
The xx I See You Young Turks [2017] Fire Note Says: The xx takes a big step forward on I See You. Album Review: The xx, the London trio consisting of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith, have released their third album, and their first in five years. Of course, Smith’s 2015 release … Read more
Two Door Cinema Club Gameshow Glassnote Records [2016] Fire Note Says: Try not to dance to the newest from Two Door Cinema Club. Album Review: It’s taken Two Door Cinema Club four years to release their third full-length album. The Irish three-piece took their time to craft a confectionary gem with Gameshow. It’s dance rock … Read more
St. Lenox Ten Hymns From My American Gothic Anyway Records [2016] Fire Note Says: St. Lenox’s second album is a poignant reflection on identity. Album Review: Andrew Choi and friends are back on his sophomore album, Ten Hymns From My American Gothic. Choi’s folk-electronic style is alive and well on this effort – it may … Read more
Dawes We’re All Gonna Die HUB Records [2016] Who: Dawes is a four-piece band from Los Angeles, CA. Sound: Versatile rock that reminds you of 1970’s singer/songwriters and 1980’s pop rock. TFN Final Take: You’ve gotta respect Dawes for one thing: their insistence on sticking to their artistic vision no matter how out-of-style or anachronistic … Read more
Phantogram Three Republic Records [2016] Fire Note Says: Phantogram’s exciting first half lifts up the second half of the album. Album Review: Phantogram, the New York duo consisting of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, has released their third album. It’s title, Three, doesn’t win many points for creativity. It’s a good thing that the psychedelic … Read more
Kings of Leon WALLS RCA Records [2016] Who: Three Tennessee brothers and their cousin. Grizzled veterans of rock. Sound: Southern arena rock. TFN Final Take: Kings of Leon were so close last time! Perceived band discord led to an album, Mechanical Bull, that felt fresh after a few albums of retreads. WALLS sees Kings of … Read more
Day Wave Headcase / Hard To Read Grand Jury Music [2016] Fire Note Says: Day Wave’s debut is an engaging jangle-rock emo experience. Album Review: Day Wave is Oakland’s Jackson Phillips; he tours with other musicians who comprise the band. Headcase / Hard To Read is a full-length consisting of two EP’s, last year’s Headcase … Read more
The Radio Dept. Running Out Of Love Labrador Records [2016] Fire Note Says: The Radio Dept. gets political. Album Review: The Radio Dept. have been around for almost twenty years, yet they’ve only put out four albums in that period. That fact is in part due to trouble with their previous label; nevertheless, you can … Read more
How To Dress Well Care Weird World/Domino Records [2016] Fire Note Says: How To Dress Well plays with new toys with mixed results. Album Review: Tom Krell is back for his fourth full-length album under the moniker How To Dress Well. So far, his first three albums have fit nicely into a specific theme: the … Read more
Kishi Bashi Sonderlust Joyful Noise Recordings [2016] Fire Note Says: Kishi Bashi takes some chances and expands on his sound three albums in. Album Review: Kishi Bashi (Kaoru Ishibashi) has released his third full-length album and it’s quite a departure for the artist. Kishi Bashi’s first two albums have been hybrids of chamber pop and … Read more
The Head And The Heart Signs Of Light Warner Bros. [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: Are you in the market for a likeable rock album? The Head and the Heart may have something to interest you with their third LP, Signs of Light. The band has a knack for meticulous harmonies and soaring singalongs. Album … Read more
Frank Ocean Blonde Self-Released [2016] Fire Note Says: Frank Ocean fans are awaited for their patience. Album Review: It’s easy to automatically reject that which the Internet deems as being worthy of our time and attention. I had peripherally been made aware of Frank Ocean’s impending release and all of the buzz surrounding it. Appreciating … Read more
Angel Olsen My Woman Jagjaguwar [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: Angel Olsen’s third album makes a loud, brash entrance; My Woman’s first three tracks are top notch, including the remarkable “Shut Up Kiss Me.” That track will make you stop what you’re doing and take notice. It sounds like a Blondie song with its in-charge … Read more
DMA’S Hills End Mom + Pop Music [2016] Fire Note Says: DMA’S full-length debut is a fond call back to another time. Album Review: DMA’S is a three-piece band from Australia. With an introductory (and very solid) EP under their belt last year, Hills End is the group’s debut LP. Johnny Took, Tommy O’Dell, and … Read more
Chairlift Moth Columbia Records [2016] Fire Note Says: Chairlift’s eclectic pop is fun and engaging. Album Review: Chairlift comes to us from Brooklyn by way of Colorado. The electronic pop duo consists of Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly; Moth is their third released LP and first in four years. For those of you not familiar … Read more
Cage The Elephant Tell Me I’m Pretty RCA Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Cage The Elephant returns with an impressive fourth LP. Album Review: When I heard the first single, “Mess Around,” from Cage The Elephant’s latest album, I was less than impressed. The same was true with the album as a whole. However, after … Read more
Chelsea Wolfe Abyss Sargent House [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Chelsea Wolfe brings a lot of her native California’s sunniness to her work…well, maybe not. Wolfe has a knack for the dark and brooding. I enjoyed her haunting vocals on label-mates Russian Circles’ album Memorial. However, the synth-heavy approach of Abyss lacked the depth of … Read more
Beach House Thank Your Lucky Stars Sub Pop Records [2015] Fire Note Says: 2015 has been a good year for Beach House. Album Review: Seems like I was just writing a review for a new Beach House album because, well, I was. The Baltimore duo has followed up their August release (Depression Cherry) two months … Read more
Heyrocco Teenage Movie Soundtrack Old Flame Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Heyrocco’s debut album is a throwback to the alternative rock of the 1990s. I was in high school then; the members of Heyrocco are just a couple of years removed from high school now. The lyrics and themes of the album remind me … Read more
Born Ruffians RUFF Yep Roc Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Born Ruffians’ slick posturing is hit and miss. Album Review: Toronto’s Born Ruffians’ fourth LP, RUFF, is power pop with a punk attitude. Band members Luke Lalonde (guitar/vocals), Mitch Derosier (bass), Andy Lloyd (guitar/keyboard) and Adam Hindle (drums) have a penchant for creating easily digested … Read more
Blitzen Trapper All Across This Land Vagrant Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: In the track “Nights Were Made For Love” off of the new Blitzen Trapper album All Across This Land, lead singer Eric Earley repeats “All I wanna do is rock and roll.” That line captures the band’s goal on their eighth studio … Read more
City And Colour If I Should Go Before You Dine Alone Records [2015] Fire Note Says: City and Colour’s latest is full-bodied. Album Review: City and Colour’s latest release, If I Should Go Before You, is a full band effort and it shows. Formerly, Dallas Green (of Alexisonfire) was the primary creative force for City … Read more
Silversun Pickups Better Nature New Machine Recordings [2015] Fire Note Says: Silversun Pickups’ latest is a solid effort and stays the course. Album Review: Silversun Pickups is back with their fourth studio album Better Nature. The Los Angeles band is a throwback to 1990s grunge with a synth pop element, blending sounds from the previous … Read more