Fire Note Staff

Video Premiere: Dany Laj And The Looks – “Hold For Love”

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TFN is excited today to premiere Dany Laj and The Looks new video for “Hold For Love” off of the bands latest record Everything New Is New Again. Shot in the landscape of northern Ontario’s biggest city, Sudbury, the video gives you a taste of the mining town airs of where Laj is from.

“Hold For Love” is a great power pop track that highlights Dany Laj’s knack for the hook. This guitar driven song is a good representation of Dany Laj and The Looks overall sound and the video showcases their hard working delivery. The video was directed and edited by Joseph Golinski and the camera work was by bass player Jeanette Dowling.

The band is gearing up for another road trip starting this Friday that has dates across Canada and the USA. TFN highly recommends checking them out! You can find all their current tour dates below.

Make sure you also snag a copy of the album – You can find a vinyl copy of Everything New Is New Again HERE at Yeah Right! A CD copy HERE from Transistor 66 and a digital version at their Bandcamp page HERE.

Dany Laj & The Looks Tour Dates
11/08 – Townehouse Tavern – Sudbury, ON
11/09 – The New American Pub – Sault St-Marie, ON
11/10 – The Apollo – Thunder Bay, ON
11/12 – 156 Parkview St – Winnipeg, MB
11/14 – The Slice – Lethbridge, AB
11/15 – The Palomino – Calgary, AB
11/16 – Pat’s Pub – Vancouver, BC
11/17 – Lucky’s Liquor – Seattle, WA
11/22 – The Grizzlar – Edmonton, AB
11/23 – Amigos – Saskatoon, SK
11/25 – Apollo – Thunder Bay, ON
11/26 – Uptown VFW – Minneapolis, MN
11/27 – Mary’s Place – Rockford, IL
11/29 – Lyric Room – Green Bay WI

The Raconteurs – “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” [Video]

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The Raconteurs – Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler – have shared a new video for “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying).” The video was directed by Ben Chappell and prominently features the iconic House On The Rock in Spring Green, WI.Help Us Stranger (Third Man Records), which has already seen the band perform across much of the US and will include dates in South America and Hawaii before the year’s end. See below for the full list of tour dates.

THE RACONTEURS LIVE 2019
November 7: New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore NOLA #
November 8: Birmingham, AL – Alabama Theatre #
November 9: St. Augustine, FL – The Amp @
November 10: Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach #
November 12: Teatro Gran Rex – Buenos Aires, Argentina (SOLD OUT)
November 13: Teatro Coliseo – Santiago, Chile
November 15: Popload Festival – São Paulo, Brazil *
November 17: Corona Capital – Mexico City, Mexico *
November 18: Plaza Condesa – Mexico City, Mexico (SOLD OUT)
December 5: Portland, OR – KNRK December To Remember at Crystal Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
December 7: San Jose, CA – ALT 105.3’s Not So Silent Night at SAP Center at San Jose *
December 12: Honolulu, HI – The Republik
December 13: Honolulu, HI – The Republik

* FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE
# WITH KING JAMES & THE SPECIAL MEN
@ WITH MARGO PRICE

Jenny Lewis – “Rabbit Hole” [Video]

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Jenny Lewis has unveiled a brand new clip for “Rabbit Hole,” which is from her latest release On The Line. (Warner Records). Like its predecessor “Red Bull & Hennessy”, “Rabbit Hole” was shot live and directed by Eric Notarnicola (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Nathan For You, Who Is America?). The live video features Jenny navigating swirling scenes of mysterious costumed figures and celestial backdrops, with cameos from Mac DeMarco and King Tuff.

Jenny is currently on tour and you can catch all of her dates below.

JENNY LEWIS
ON THE LINE TOUR 2019
10/29/19 — Ithaca, NY — State Theatre
10/31/19 — Toronto, ON — The Danforth Music Hall
11/01/19 — Montreal, QC — L’Astral
11/02/19 — Portland, ME — State Theatre
11/03/19 — Providence, RI — Columbus Theatre
12/07/19 — Brighton, UK — The Brighton Centre*
12/08/19 — Leeds, UK — First Direct Arena*
12/09/19 — Cardiff, UK — Motorpoint Arena Cardiff*
12/10/19 — Nottingham, UK — Motorpoint Arena Nottingham*
04/09/20 — Byron Bay, AU — Byron Bay Blues Fest

*supporting The National

Video Premiere: Smug Brothers – “Every One Is Really Five”

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The Smug Brothers have had a busy year already with the release of February’s Attic Harvest and July’s All Blur And Spark. Well, the group is not ready to close out 2019 yet as today’s video premiere for “Every One Is Really Five” is the debut single from their forthcoming eighth full-length record, Serve A Thirsty Moon, which is due out on November 8th via Gas Daddy Go! Records in conjunction with the first Local Music Day in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday, November 9th.

If you are wondering why Smug Brothers have had a creative surge in 2019 they will tell you that it was propelled when longtime members Kyle Melton (vocals, guitar) and Don Thrasher (drums) added Scott Tribble in 2018. Scott brought with him a pedal board, some guitars, various keyboards and a creative mind. Now the band has added one more change for Serve A Thirsty Moon as the Smug Brothers have become an official four piece with the studio debut of new bass player Kyle Sowash.

Serve A Thirsty Moon will offer 21 tracks with a 40-minute run time so there will be plenty of new music for fans to dig into. Make sure you get your first taste of their bigger sound when you play the video today and make sure to check out Smug Brothers Bandcamp page HERE when the album is released next week.

Beck – “Uneventful Days” [Video]

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Beck asked Dev Hynes from Blood Orange to direct a video for his new single “Uneventful Days.” Beck had admired the originality and personal style of the clips that Blood Orange made for himself and for others so it seemed like a perfect fit.

Beck’s new album Hyperspace will be released November 22nd on Capitol Records. The new record will be Beck’s 14th studio album and first since 2017’s Colors, which won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical at the 61st GRAMMY Awards. Hyperspace’s release will be bookended by two Beck festival headline appearances: October 26th at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, and December 6th at Intersect in Las Vegas.

You can pre-order the record HERE.

Jeanines – “Winter In The Dark” [Video]

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Brooklyn’s Jeanines specialize in short bursts of energetic but melancholy minor-key pop. With influences that run deep into the most crucial tributaries of DIY pop — Television Personalities, Marine Girls, early Pastels, Dolly Mixture — they’ve crafted a style that is as individual as it is just plain pleasurable.

With 16 great songs included, there is a lot at work here on their recently released debut album via Slumberland Records. Jeanines have been compared to such cult pop icons as Dear Nora, Black Tambourine, and more recent acts like Veronica Falls and Girl Ray, but their dark, modal melodies and pensive, philosophical lyrics ensure them a place of their own in today’s crowded but boisterously healthy DIY pop scene.

Now the band is back with their first proper video with “Winter In The Dark” and are set to bring in 2020 with a string of west coast shows. You can order a copy of the record HERE and check out the tour dates below.

Tour Dates
1/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Love Song Bar
1/8 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
1/9 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
1/10 – Chico, CA @ TBA
1/11 – Portland, OR @ Firkin Tavern
1/12 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project

Peter Bjorn And John – “Rusty Nail” [Video]

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Peter Bjorn and John will celebrate their 20-year anniversary in 2020 with the release of their ninth full-length studio album – Endless Dream – due out March 13th via INGRID. The band has dropped the single and video for “Rusty Nail” along the news of the new LP and a Spring US headline tour. You can see all the confirmed tour dates below.

Peter Bjorn and John Confirmed Tour Dates
March 23, Los Angeles, Teragram Ballroom
March 24, Santa Ana, La Santa
March 25, Oakland, The New Parish
March 27, Portland, Doug Fir Lounge
March 28, Seattle, The Crocodile
March 31, Salt Lake City, Urban Lounge
April 1, Denver, Bluebird Theatre
April 3, Saint Paul, Amsterdam
April 4, Chicago, Empty Bottle
April 5, Detroit, Loving Touch
April 7, Philadelphia, Johnny Brenda’s
April 8, Washington, Union Stage
April 10, New York, Webster Hall
April 11, Boston, Brighton Music Hall

Fletcher C Johnson – “In My Time” [Video]

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Are You Feelin’ It is the brand new full-length from Burger Records alum, Fletcher C Johnson, which is officially out now. The digital only release can be purchased anywhere you purchase music digitally, and/or streamed on Spotify.

Are You Feelin’ It leaves behind the electric instruments of his past in favor of acoustic guitars, harmonicas, and piano. Gone are the synths and surf riffs that dominated his last single, “Wilder Than Me,” but his pop sensibilities remain. The choruses on Are You Feelin’ It are more sing-along-friendly than ever.

Matt Berninger feat. Phoebe Bridgers – “Walking On A String” [Video]

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Matt Berninger, of GRAMMY-winning band The National, alongside acclaimed singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers have released a new video and song, “Walking On A String”, which was written specifically for Between Two Ferns: The Movie by Berninger in collaboration with his wife, writer Carin Besser and musician Mike Brewer. It was recorded at Sound City, CA with Walter Martin (guitar) and Matt Barrick (drums) of The Walkmen and produced by Bridgers, Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska. The track has officially been released by label Dead Oceans and can be streamed now. The music video was directed, shot and edited by Tom Berninger and Chris Sgroi.

Wolf Parade – “Against The Day” [Video]

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Wolf Parade have delivered an official video for the synth-driven “Against the Day,” the group’s first new recorded material in three years. The song, which features rare alternating lead vocals from Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug, is available now all on DSPs worldwide.

Directed by Scorpion Dagger and featuring an 16-bit contribution from Doctor Octoroc, the visual is a post-apocalyptic Wolf Parade listening party. “Against the Day” follows their last release Cry Cry Cry (2016).

Wolf Parade have also just announced headlining 2020 European and UK tour dates, which begin March 2nd in Utrecht, Netherlands at Tivoli Vredenburg and end March 15th in Dublin, Ireland at The Button Factory. All dates are below.

Mar. 02 – Utrecht, NL – Tivoli Vredenburg
Mar. 03 – Hamburg, DE – Knust
Mar. 04 – Berlin, DE – Gretchen
Mar. 06 – Cologne, DE – Club Volta
Mar. 07 – Zurich, CH – Bogen F
Mar. 08 – Luxembourg, LX – Rotondes
Mar. 09 – Paris, FR – Petit Bain
Mar. 10 – Brussels, BE – Orangerie @ Botanique
Mar. 11 – London, UK – The Dome
Mar. 13 – Bristol, UK – Thekla
Mar. 14 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room)
Mar. 15 – Dublin, IE – The Button Factory

GA-20 – “Lonely Soul (Live)” [Video]

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GA-20 was formed by friends Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs in Boston, MA in 2018. The project was born out of their mutual love of heavy traditional Blues, R&B, and Rock & Roll of the late ’50s and early ’60s. Faherty and Stubbs bonded over legendary artists like Lazy Lester, J.B. Lenoir, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Junior Wells. Feeling a void in current music, the duo have set out to write, record and perform a modern version of this beloved art form. Live, GA-20 is a trio of 2 guitars, vocals and drums. Raw, passionate and honest performance – both on stage and in the studio – is the only goal.

Stubbs has spent the past 11 years as guitarist for Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite. During that time he has also backed up and toured with such Blues giants as John Hammond, James Cotton, Junior Watson and James Harman. Stubbs also leads his own original instrumental psych-rock band, The Antiguas.

GA-20’s new album Lonely Soul will be available on October 18th via Karma Chief Records. Click HERE to pre-order.

GA-20 LIVE:
Sep 25 ONCE Ballroom, Somerville, MA
Oct 05 One Long Fellow Sq, Portland, ME (w/ Ward Hayden & The Outliers)
Oct 11 Starlite, Southbridge MA
Oct 25 Atwoods Tavern, Cambridge, MA (w/ Big Jon Short)
Oct 26 Nick A Nees, Providence, RI
Nov 01 The Press Room, Portsmouth, NH (w/ Jesse Dee)
Nov 07 The Hideout, Chicago, IL (w/ Jonah Tolchin)
Nov 6 Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH
Nov 9 Fretboard Brewing, Cincinnati, OH
Dec 19 Terra Blues, NYC
Dec 20 Ruthie’s BBQ, Montclair, NJ
[more dates to be announced soon]

The Hecks – “Flash” [Video]

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Chicago trio The Hecks have been at it since 2012, starting out as the duo of guitarist Andy Mosiman & Zach Hebert. The band drafted guitarist Dave Vettraino into the fold, a recording engineer who was recording the band’s s/t debut (Trouble In Mind, 2016) & ended up joining the band In 2017. The band’s journey to the end result of My Star⁠—their second album⁠—has taken them three years.

After recording an initial version of the album in 2017, The Hecks started gigging with new fourth member & keyboardist Jeff Graupner, whose synthesized squiggles added some welcome heft & swagger to the band’s tunes. After reworking & rearranging much of the new material to accommodate Graupner, the band scrapped the recordings & rebuilt them from the ground up, incorporating Graupner’s skills at the keys.
The single “Flash” is off The Hecks new album My Star which is out today on Trouble In Mind! You can order up a copy HERE.

Cherry Glazerr – “Call Me (feat. Portugal. The Man)” [Video]

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Cherry Glazerr – the Los Angeles based trio led by Clementine Creevy – have released the video for “Call Me,” the band’s new single featuring Grammy award-winning Portugal. The Man. Team work makes the dream work, y’all! The video for “Call Me” stars performance artist Jibz Cameron (“Dynasty Handbag”) working to realize her QVC hosting dreams. Watch it now!

that dog. – “Just The Way” [Video]

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Los Angeles band that dog. — comprised of guitarist/vocalist Anna Waronker, drummer Tony Maxwell, and bassist/vocalist Rachel Haden — have released a new video for the song “Just The Way,” a standout track from their first new album in twenty-two years, entitled Old LP, which is out now via UMe. The Casey Storm-directed video is a Three’s Company fever dream, and guest stars the band’s longtime friends Jack Black and Maya Rudolph.

TOUR DATES:
11/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
11/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw

Michael Stipe – “Your Capricious Soul” [Video]

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Michael Stipe hasn’t released any music since his band R.E.M. broke up in 2011. That is an incredibly long time for such a career artist so the debut of “Your Capricious Soul” is special. The track actually surfaced several months ago when Stipe performed it and “Drive To The Ocean” opening for Patti Smith. The rumor is he has other tracks ready to go for a full solo album so let’s hope this is the launch party!

Currently “Your Capricious Soul” is available for a pay-what-you-want donation (or for free) on Stipe’s website HERE. The download comes with master-quality audio version of the song, its accompanying video by Sam Taylor-Johnson, a lyric sheet, a print-ready poster, a stencil, and an animated flip-book portrait. For the next 365 days, all proceeds from the song will go to Extinction Rebellion.

“I took a long break from music, and I wanted to jump back in,” Stipe says in a statement. “I love “Your Capricious Soul” — it’s my first solo work. I want to add my voice to this exciting shift in consciousness. Extinction Rebellion gave me the incentive to push the release and not wait. Our relationship to the environment has been a lifelong concern, and I now feel hopeful—optimistic, even. I believe we can bring the kind of change needed to improve our beautiful planet earth, our standing and our place on it.”

The Muffs – “Sad Tomorrow” [Video Classics]

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TFN was sad to hear about the passing of The Muffs lead singer Kim Shattuck last night. She had been battling ALS for the last two years. Kim was 56.

The Muffs put out several fantastic records over the years and Kim could absolutely wail! This video for “Sad Tomorrow” is one of TFN favorites so play it as loud as your player can go!

As with other artists, Kim’s music will live on and The Muffs actually have a new album coming out October 18 via Omnivore Recordings. No Holiday, is The Muffs’ first new album in five years, and represents a celebration of everything the band has always stood for, and continues to be. Bassist Ronnie Barnett says “I think this new album represents the depth of our band like none of our others. It could have easily been aptly called The Many Moods Of The Muffs. All of our strengths: melody, big rock, sweetness, nastiness… All on display and readily apparent. The three of us, after all these years, are a family. The love between us is well represented here. We laid it all out there on this one.”

Kim Shattuck (songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist) adds “I wrote the songs between 1991 and 2017. We decided to have a long album and use songs that had been in my arsenal but were weeded out for super concise albums. They were all great songs and we didn’t want them to go to waste. No way!”

No Holiday contains 18 tracks on CD, Digital, and a 2-LP set (with laser-etched fourth side). Drummer Roy McDonald: “I think No Holiday is the most unique album we’ve ever made. 18 songs that run the spectrum from full blown productions to intimate home recordings. This was a labor of love for us and I think that comes out in the record. We wanted to create something lasting and special. I, for one, couldn’t be happier with the results.”

You can pre-order a copy HERE. RIP Kim – we will miss you!

Dry Cleaning – “Viking Hair” [Video]

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UK quartet Dry Cleaning have shared the second single off their forthcoming EP “Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks”(their second EP in just over 4 months), entitled “Viking Hair.” Trademark repetitive, melodic guitar motifs ring out over an energized rhythm section that builds to a gradual crescendo. Lyrically, “Viking Hair” is inspired by romantic ideas about someone you’re attracted to but don’t know well, and distracting things seen in the street.

The song is accompanied by a video shot and edited by the band and Pedro Pina. The band provides the following context: “Cactus Club is a weekly LGBT line dancing class and club where everyone is welcome. Based in Clapham, South London, it was established in 1993 and is run by Michael, Anne and Peter. Whilst recording ‘Viking Hair,’ we noticed the mood and rhythm of the song brought line dancing to mind. We found Cactus Club online and approached them to see if they would be interested in helping us to make a video. Dry Cleaning wish to thank the Cactus Club organizers and all the dancers who took part for sharing the fantastic atmosphere at their club with us, and for their enthusiasm and expertise.”

Both EP’s, July’s “Sweet Princess” and October’s “Boundary Road Snacks And Drinks,” will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th and can be pre-ordered HERE. You can find the band’s tour dates supporting the release below.

DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES:
Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club
Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival
Oct. 20th – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival
Oct. 23rd – London, UK @ The Lexington
Nov. 23rd – Glasgow, UK @ Great Western Festival
Nov. 24th – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social
Wed. Feb. 12 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s
Thu. Feb. 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
Fri. Feb. 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
Sat. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club
Thu. Feb. 20 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms
Fri. Feb. 21 – Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast
Sat. Feb. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ The Sunflower Lounge
Fri. Feb. 28 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
Sat. Feb. 29 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
Sun. March 1 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers
Tue. March 3 – London, UK @ Village Underground

Kiwi Jr. – “Salary Man” [Video]

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Toronto’s Kiwi Jr. have announced a worldwide release of their debut album Football Money, via Persona Non Grata Records. Football Money will come out worldwide on January 17th, 2020, following the March 2019 Canadian release on Mint Records.

The band has shared the video for their single “Salary Man.” A virtual explosion of power-pop, the track, like the full LP, was engineered by Aaron Goldstein, and mixed by Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh. Of the video Kiwi Jr note, “after the fall of civilized society, all that’s left is a future rife with radioactive dogs and the remains of parties that never really took off. Clad in suit and tie and unable to part with their old routine, our hero wanders aimlessly through debris and clean up crews, searching for the remnants of something compelling and desirable.” The clip was directed by Ben Rayner who says: “putting together a perspective for this video, I wanted it to be fast paced, low budget, tongue-in-cheek, and highly personable.

All natives of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Kiwi Jr. are now based in Toronto and much of their songwriting is informed by the city that surrounds them. They have spent the last 5 years honing their craft both in the studio and live, including opening spots with Wolf Parade, New Pornographers and Alvvays. We think you are going to like this band!

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