The Cave Singers Naomi Jagjaguwar Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Cave Singers blend classic influences with modern sounds on Naomi. Album Review: The indie-folk scene has become pretty crowded the last few years. Acts such as Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes have proven that audiences still have a soft spot for … Read more
Lost Animal Ex Tropical Hardly Art Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Lost Animal’s debut is an odd mix of ambient keyboards, colorful electronics, and half-sung half-spoken musings. Album Review: Ex Tropical finds Jarrod Quarrell—the sole member of Lost Animal—using a bank of keyboards to craft a ten-track set of strange, atmospheric tunes. Drawing inspiration from … Read more
Ra Ra Riot Beta Love Barsuk Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Ra Ra Riot return with a kinetic, easygoing album that asks: “can robots love too?” Album Review: Ra Ra Riot trades in strings for synths on their third album, a short but sweet set of eleven upbeat, optimistic tracks that barely breaks the half-hour … Read more
Various Artists Reason to Believe: The Songs of Tim Hardin Full Time Hobby Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Filtered through a diverse set of artists, Tim Hardin’s voice comes through loud and clear. Album Review: Oregon folkie Tim Hardin was never a massive superstar. His life cut short in 1980 from a heroin overdose at … Read more
Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse Canvasback/Atlantic Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Pedestrian Verse is an honest, mature album that grows more immediate with every listen. Album Review: On their fourth LP, Frightened Rabbit offers a set of songs that feel like the soundtrack to a late night in their home city of Glasgow. Drawing on the … Read more
Matt Pond The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hands BMG [2013] Fire Note Says: Matt Pond returns, sans PA, with an immaculately-produced set of 10 pop/rock songs. Album Review: I had heard of Matt Pond PA (Matt Pond’s “band”) before writing this review, but hadn’t really listened to much of their material—they were on … Read more
The Breezes The Breezes Self-Released [2012] Fire Note Says: The Breezes deliver a diverse, eclectic mix of classic rock-style tunes that never take themselves too seriously. Album Review: “Whoo! Explosions!” Thus begins the self-titled debut album from The Breezes, a Montreal-based band whose brand of quirky guitar-based pop swerves wildly from style to style, never … Read more
Blackfeet Braves Blackfeet Braves Lolipop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Blackfeet Braves take listeners back to the Sunset Strip circa 1968, dragging them through the dusty southwest along the way. Album Review: Most “retro” or “neo-[insert genre here]” acts stay just that: an act, in which the band prefers to mimic the creativity of their … Read more
Tiger High Catacombs After Party Trashy Creatures Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Tiger High play aggressive and spacey psychedelic rock with shades of 90s nostalgia. Album Review: Memphis-based Tiger High’s debut album Catacombs After Party meshes the band’s love for 60s rock and pop with a heavier, more layered sound that gives a nod to … Read more
Black Marble A Different Arrangement Hardly Art Records [2012] Fire Note Says: For those who want (slightly) more ‘joy’ in their Joy Division. Album Review: Influences can be a tricky thing, especially if you wear them on your sleeve as plainly as Brooklyn duo Black Marble does. Chris Stewart and Ty Kube’s debut LP A … Read more