Fire Tracks: Tony Molina – “FC ’23” / “Faded Holiday” / “Violets Of Dawn”

Hooky Folk-Pop, Straight from the Source: Tony Molina’s On This Day Lands Nov. 14

Tony Molina’s back at it—this time with a 21-song stunner that plays like a treasure chest of long-lost singles. On This Day, out November 14 via Slumberland, Olde Fade, and Speakeasy Studios SF, is peak Molina: concise, melodic, and downright addictive.

Recorded straight to 8-track tape at the San Francisco home studio of Tony and Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set), the album carries a warm, lived-in glow. Jack Shirley helped capture Hammond and piano at Atomic Garden, while Nick Bassett handled the final mix. Friends and longtime collaborators—Rachel Orimo, Stephen Oriolo, Steve Kerwin, and Ladybug Transistor’s Gary Olson on trumpet—add extra sparkle to the arrangements.

Across these bite-sized gems, Molina flips through folk-rock, baroque pop, and a little classic guitar heroics. “Ghosts of Punishment Past,” “Livin’ Wrong,” and “FC ’23” could pass for forgotten ’60s folk-rock singles, while “Despise the Sun” nods to the early-70s pastoral vibe of Heron. “Don’t Belong” chases the jangly December’s Children sound that Tony toyed with on last year’s Lost Days record.

The record’s soft-glow folk moments (“Take Some Time,” the Bill Fox-meets-Byrds spin on “Just As The Tide Was Flowing”) sit right beside baroque psych-pop dazzlers “Faded Holiday” and “No Place To Turn.” Molina even drops a pitch-perfect Eric Andersen cover—“Violets of Dawn”—all shimmering 12-strings and layered harmonies in a tight 2:15 burst. And if you crave noise, “Have Your Way” explodes in a one-minute blast of Who-worthy chaos.

Sure, you could break down every track, but On This Day begs to be heard front to back—a rare modern album that actually feels like one seamless, perfectly sequenced ride.

Pre-order here

Tour Dates
10/16 – Washington DC – Comet Ping Pong
10/17 – Richmond, VA – Cobra Cabana
10/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Foto Club
10/19 – New York, NY – TV Eye

(All shows with Jeanines & Lightheaded)