Dave Rowntree: Radio Songs [Album Review]
Dave RowntreeRadio SongsCooking Vinyl [2023] 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for fans of the Britpop/alternative rock band Blur. While the quartet … Read more
Belle And Sebastian: Late Developers [Album Review]
Belle And SebastianLate DevelopersMatador Records [2023] When novelist Nick Hornsby wrote that “Sentimental music has this great way of taking you back somewhere at the … Read more
Houseghost: Another Realm [Album Review]
HouseghostAnother RealmRad Girlfriend Records [2022] Another Realm is the sophomore album from punk group Houseghost out of Dayton, Ohio. The trio is made up of … Read more
Nora O’Connor: My Heart [Album Review]
Nora O’ConnorMy HeartPravda Records [2022] Chicago-based vocalist Nora O’Connor’s list of credits providing backing vocal support, both in the studio and on tour, is as … Read more
Todd Rundgren: Space Force [Album Review]
Todd RundgrenSpace ForceCleopatra Records [2022] Fifty two years into a career that includes more than twenty solo studio albums, another ten with the band Utopia, … Read more
Spoon: Lucifer On The Moon [Album Review]
SpoonLucifer On The MoonMatador Records [2022] In just a few weeks, The Fire Note will publish its writers’ favorites and picks for the best releases … Read more
Dream, Ivory: About A Boy [Album Review]
Dream, IvoryAbout A BoyAWAL [2022] The music of Dream, Ivory is the product of Filipino/American twentysomething siblings raised on the endless musical resource of the … Read more
Weyes Blood: And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow [Album Review]
Weyes BloodAnd In The Darkness, Hearts AglowSub Pop Records [2022] Singer/songwriter Natalie Mering performs under the moniker Weyes Blood, a name derived from her original … Read more
The Tallest Man On Earth: Too Late For Edelweiss [Album Review]
The Tallest Man On EarthToo Late For EdelweissANTI- [2022] Swedish folk singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson performs under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, and Too … Read more
Phoenix: Alpha Zulu [Album Review]
PhoenixAlpha ZuluLoyaute/Glassnote Records [2022] It’s been 13 years since French electro/pop/alt/dance band Phoenix released their American breakout album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix with hit singles “Lisztomanio” … Read more
Lambchop: The Bible [Album Review]
LambchopThe BibleMerge Records [2022] Over the decades, Kurt Wagner and his various collaborators have more than lived up to their early claim to the title … Read more
Richard X. Heyman: 67,000 Miles An Album [Album Review]
Richard X. Heyman67,000 Miles An AlbumTurn-Up Records [2022] The speed of the earth as it moves in orbit around the sun is 67,000 miles an … Read more
Archers Of Loaf: Reason In Decline [Album Review]
Archers Of LoafReason In DeclineMerge Records [2022] I know that I was not alone in my excitement when I heard that the original four members … Read more
Sloan: Steady [Album Review]
SloanSteadyYep Roc Records [2022] Steady represents Sloan’s 13th full length album, and its release today coincides with the 30th anniversary of their debut record Smeared … Read more
Lou Reed: Words & Music, May 1965 [Album Review]
Lou ReedWords & Music, May 1965Light In The Attic Records [2022] The standard rock critic cliché often attributed to Brian Eno—he of early Roxy Music … Read more
Daniel Lanois: Player, Piano [Album Review]
Daniel LanoisPlayer, PianoModern Recordings [2022] Here’s a sentence I never expected I’d write: Daniel Lanois has made a quiet, quaint, and charming little piano album. … Read more
Disq: Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet [Album Review]
DisqDesperately Imagining Someplace QuietSaddle Creek Records [2022] Can you imagine what it would have been like to release your debut record days before the forever … Read more
The Cult: Under The Midnight Sun [Album Review]
The CultUnder The Midnight SunBlack Hill Records [2022] If they gave out rewards for perseverance, there’s no doubt that singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy … Read more
Tedeschi Trucks Band: I Am The Moon: IV. Farewell [Album Review]
Tedeschi Trucks BandI Am The Moon: IV. FarewellFantasy / Concord Music [2022] There’s a satisfying sense of closure flowing nicely through the six songs of … Read more
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Cool It Down [Album Review]
Yeah Yeah YeahsCool It DownSecretly Canadian [2022] Returning to recording nine years after their last album, Mosquito, NYC’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with a … Read more
Mercyland: We Never Lost A Single Game [Album Review]
MercylandWe Never Lost A Single GamePropeller Sound Recordings [2022] Before David Barbe recorded three studio albums next to Bob Mould in his band Sugar, he … Read more
Mike Adams At His Honest Weight: Graphic Blandishment [Album Review]
Mike Adams At His Honest WeightGraphic BlandishmentJoyful Noise Recordings [2022] In spite of the inevitable earworm infestation, power-pop has proven to be one of the … Read more
Flogging Molly: Anthem [Album Review]
Flogging MollyAnthemRise Records [2022] Although they were formed in Los Angeles in the late 90’s, Flogging Molly is a Celtic rock band led by Irish-born … Read more
Rhett Miller: The Misfit [Album Review]
Rhett MillerThe MisfitATO Records [2022] When Rhett Miller recorded his solo debut in 1989 with his friend and producer Murry Hammond, the two had not … Read more
Boon: Bad Machine [Album Review]
BoonBad MachineWindow Sill Records [2022] Bad Machine, the fourth album from Philadelphia experimental rock and pop band Boon, is the second release from the now … Read more