Blog: Fire Drills

Attack! Attack! UK Attack! Attack! UK Rock Ridge Music [2008] Fire Drills Review: Attack! Attack! UK is a new band out of Wales that has influences that range from 80s punk, '90s grunge, pop rock and new wave with everything from Stereophonics to AC/DC, The Police, The Ramones, and the Sex Pistols included. This sets the base line for their sound and it can be heard throughout their self-titled debut, which was produced by [...]

The Western States Motel Painted Birds Flying In The Orange Mirror Sun [EP] Firebird Field Recordings [2008] Fire Drills Review: Our favorite somewhat undiscovered Californian Carl Jordan is back with his band The Western States Motel and their new EP with a really long title. It contains five tracks of pleasant sunny harmonic pop songs similar to the ones that made their self-titled debut so infectious. The EP shows a progression in songwriting and complexity within the tracks [...]

Bob Dylan Tell Tale Signs (The Bootleg Series Vol. 8) Columbia/Legacy Records [2008] Fire Drills Review: It is easy to gloat about the power of Dylan but eventually you start to wonder every time a "Bootleg Series" releases how current or relevant another live version of "Maggie's Farm" can be. That is really what the appeal of Tell Tale Signs is all about because this two disc set covers 1989-2006 or albums Oh Mercy [1989] [...]

Wilco & Fleet Foxes I Shall Be Released [Single] Self-Released [2008] Fire Drills Review: Does it get much better than a Dylan song covered by the classic adored Wilco and the newly adored Fleet Foxes? Does it get much better then the single being free from Wilco's website as long as you pledge to vote? All answers to the above are no! As far as covers goes it is a pretty straight forward rendition except for [...]

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes Have Another Ball! Fat Wreck Chords [2008] Fire Drills Review: I don't know if it is adding a Ramones vibe to James Taylor "You've Got A Friend" or just a plain punk cover of Hall & Oates "Rich Girl" that makes Have Another Ball! completely infectious but it just does. This is now our favorite punk cover bands seventh album and it ranks right up there [...]

Josh Rouse The Best Of The Rykodisc Years Rhino/Ryko Records [2008] Fire Drills Review: It is hard to believe that Nebraska-born Josh Rouse is not way bigger of an artist then her is with the quality guitar folk pop that he has released over the years. The Best Of captures tracks from Rouse's five albums and two EPs from the Rykodisc years along with 7 previously unreleased tracks. People that have heard [...]

Crystal Antlers Crystal Antlers [EP] Touch & Go Records [2008] Fire Drills Review: Signing to Touch & Go was a great thing for many of us because this self-titled and self released EP should be heard by as many people that distribution can reach because it is a true lesson in what psych-rock should sound like. I also believe to garner this sound the band recruited the right producer in Ikey Owens as he [...]

Her Space Holiday XOXO Panda And The New Kid Revival Mush Records [2008] Fire Drills Review: I love when artists decide to return to their roots and stray away from some of their more recent offerings. Even though it is always a respected move many times this move can be disastrous but in the case of Marc Bianchi and Her Space Holiday, the separation from the more computer sound and diving head first into [...]