Blog: The Fire Note

Mac DeMarco 2 Captured Tracks Records [2012] Fire Note Says: DeMarco shows artistic growth on his excellent new record! Album Review: When I reviewed DeMarco’s excellent debut ep earlier this year, Rock And Roll Night Club , I felt it was going to lead to bigger things on his next record. Rock And Roll Night Club was a flawed release, goofy in spots, repetitious [...]

Bad Books II Triple Crown/Favorite Gentlemen Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Bad Books delivers a line drive double. Not a home run; a line drive double. Album Review: A wise man, Nigel Tufnel, once said “This goes to eleven.” The opening track on II , Bad Books’ new album, feels like it might go to eleven. Not in volume but in reach, in the depth it might sink into [...]

Benjamin Gibbard Former Lives Barsuk Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Ben Gibbard cleans out his 8 year old closet to create his first solo record Former Lives. Album Review: It is actually a bit surprising that Death Cab For Cutie's frontman has not had a solo record until now but Former Lives represents Ben Gibbard's official debut. The album consists of 12 songs that span eight years, three relationships, [...]

The Whigs Enjoy The Company New West Records [2012] Fire Note Says: The Whigs rock steady with Enjoy the Company . Album Review: The Whigs are a three-piece band from Athens, GA. For full disclosure, I’m biased towards anything that comes out of this town as I am a UGA grad and a huge fan of R.E.M. Athens has given us R.E.M., the B-52s, Pylon, [...]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! Constellation Records [2012] Fire Note Says: This is more than a comeback record, it’s a landmark! Album Review: Here’s the thing about instrumental post rock, you almost always know what you are going to get before you put the record on. It’s going to be dramatic, it’s going to build slowly,gradually getting louder and more intense until it climaxes [...]

Moon Duo Circles Sacred Bone Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Moon Duo‘s, Circles, creates an album that everyone with an open mind can take something away from. Album Review: Being a great fan of anything bearing the title of space rock, psychedelic rock, garage rock, and fuzzy dream pop it’s hard to believe that I’ve never heard a note of Moon Duo until just recently. [...]

Pinback Information Retrieved Temporary Residence LTD. [2012] Fire Note Says: Time means nothing to Pinback as they return strong as ever! Album Review: It has been 5 years since Pinback released their last studio album, Autumn of the Seraphs [2007], and you absolutely wouldn't know it after taking in the sonic adventure that is their new outing Information Retrieved . The duo of vocalist/guitarist [...]

Jason Lytle Dept. Of Disappearance ANTI- Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Dept. of Disappearance is Lytle’s best record since Grandaddy’s Sumday. Album Review: I never really noticed the connection between Neil Young and Grandaddy until I listened to Dept. of Disappearance , the new album from Jason Lytle, and even then it took at least 5 listens until I [...]

The Tragically Hip Now For Plan A Zoe/Rounder Records [2012] Fire Note Says: The Tragically Hip’s Now For Plan A will appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers to their music. Album Review: Full confession time…I had never knowingly heard a note of The Tragically Hip’s music until last week. I heard someone talking about them years ago, and I heard they were Canadian, [...]

Tame Impala Lonerism Modular Recordings [2012] Fire Note Says: Like a black hole this album sucks you in and then proceeds to explode like a super nova! Album Review: If Tame Impala’s first album Innerspeaker [2010] is their Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band then Lonerism has to be their Dark Side of the Moon. Think of a Jackson Pollock painting, and now [...]

Ty Segall Twins Drag City Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Segall saves his best of three albums in 2012 for last! Album Review: Ty Segall is walking in rarified air these days. There aren’t many artists who can put out three excellent albums in a year. Ryan Adams tried it with his trilogy of Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights , and [...]

The White Stripes Live At The Gold Dollar Third Man Records [2012] (Vinyl Vault Package #13) Fire Note Says: The Vault comes through again as The White Stripes, Live at the Gold Dollar is exactly what any fan wants. Album Review: This new Third Man vault release is actually the recording of The White Stripes first show at The Gold Dollar in Detroit on August 14th, 1997 [...]

PAWS Cokefloat! Fatcat Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Cokefloat! is one of the most exciting indie debuts of the year! Album Review: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was given this album to review, within the first 30 seconds I was completely hooked and have gone back to it time and time again. Cokefloat! , the debut lp from Glasgow’s PAWS [...]

R.E.M. Document [25 Anniversary Edition] Captiol/I.R.S. Records [1987; re: 2012] (2CD Set) Fire Note Says: Document stands up even taller in the R.E.M. catalog today with the release of the 25 Anniversary Edition. Album Review: R.E.M.'s fifth studio album, Document , is considered their breakout album by many as it was their first to go Platinum, their first Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and [...]

Coheed And Cambria The Afterman: Ascension Everything Evil/V2 Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Coheed and Cambria take a huge leap forward from their last release. Album Review: Over the last ten years, Coheed and Cambria has been constructing an intricate story called The Amory Wars, based on lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s comic series. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, or, like me, have a little trouble following [...]

The Soft Pack Strapped Mexican Summer Records [2012] Fire Note Says: An album full of lush fun, cool, and soaring songs, Strapped , is an album that seems to know how to have a good time. Album Review: Picture this - The Cure, Modern English, and The Killers walk into a bar and after drinking a bit and gaining some swagger what comes out might [...]

A.C. Newman Shut Down The Streets Matador Records [2012] Fire Note Says: A.C. Newman’s third album is more straightforward and the better for it. Album Review: A.C. Newman, aka Carl Newman, is one of frontmen for The New Pornographers. Here he releases his third album under the name A.C. Newman Shut Down the Streets . Newman’s first two releases relied on power [...]

Boston Spaceships Out Of The Universe By Sundown: The Greatest Hits Of Boston Spaceships Fire Records [2012] Fire Note Says: One last dance with Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships! Album Review: If you take a listen to all of Robert Pollard's side ventures over the years the Boston Spaceships material clearly stands out. The trio of Pollard, Chris Slusarenko (Takeovers, GBV) and John Moen (Decemberists) delivered five full length albums [...]

Lord Huron Lonesome Dreams IAMSOUND Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Lord Huron delivers a sparkling, thoughtful full-length debut with Lonesome Dreams . Album Review: Let’s not talk about Fleet Foxes or Band of Horses, nor Crosby, Stills & Nash. Doubtless most considerations of Lord Huron’s first full-length album will be full of backward-looking and sidelong scrutinies. Instead let’s regard this album for what it plainly is: [...]

Unnatural Helpers Land Grab Hardly Art Records [2012] Fire Note Says: Unnatural Helpers return with Land Grab , a record of fun, quick and polished jams. Album Review: I’m not saying that in today’s vast music scene you must have what is considered a recording gimmick to stand out but the Unnatural Helps new album, Land Grab , may show too much polish for its own good. I’m [...]