The Cactus Blossoms: One Day [Album Review]
The Cactus BlossomsOne DayWalkie Talkie Records [2022] The music of the Cactus Blossoms is a reminder that the origins of rock & roll predated the … Read more
Beach House: Once Twice Melody [Album Review]
Beach HouseOnce Twice MelodySub Pop Records [2022] In their nearly 20 years of recording, Beach House has lived into their music’s most common description as … Read more
Modern Nature: Island Of Noise [Album Review]
Modern NatureIsland Of NoiseBella Union [2022] Modern Nature is at its core an exercise in folk rock meeting improvisational jazz in uncluttered rustic rural setting, … Read more
St. Paul & The Broken Bones: The Alien Coast [Album Review]
St. Paul & The Broken BonesThe Alien CoastATO Records [2022] Caught live, St. Paul & The Broken Bones is a full-fledged rock & soul review … Read more
Spoon: Lucifer On The Sofa [Album Review]
SpoonLucifer On The SofaMatador Records [2022] With the release of Everything Hits At Once: The Best of Spoon and a summer tour opening for “The … Read more
Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You [Album Review]
Big ThiefDragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You4AD [2022] No one will ever accuse Big Thief of holding anything back. In 2019, the band … Read more
Erin Rae: Lighten Up [Album Review]
Erin RaeLighten UpThirty Tigers [2022] On her third album, Nashville singer/songwriter Erin Rae is making an effort to Lighten Up, with help from her new … Read more
The War On Drugs: 2022 North American Tour [Concert Review]
The War On Drugs: KEMBA Live; Columbus, OH; Friday, February 4, 2022 Fans of the band The War On Drugs’ albums, might be curious how an … Read more
Pedro The Lion: Havasu [Album Review]
Pedro The LionHavasuPolyvinyl/Big Scary Monsters [2022] Singer/songwriters have been offering proof of the truth that “what is most personal is most universal,” first posited by … Read more
Eels: Extreme Witchcraft [Album Review]
EelsExtreme WitchcraftE Works/PIAS [2022] Thirty years and 16 studio albums in, Mark Oliver Everett (aka E) and his band Eels is a known entity. After … Read more
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit: 2022 Tour [Concert Review]
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit w/ Adia Victoria: Palace Theatre; Columbus, OH; Thursday, January 27, 2022 For live music fans, one of the biggest challenges … Read more
Three Merry Widows: Which Dreamed It? (30th Anniversary Reissue)
Three Merry WidowsWhich Dreamed It? (30th Anniversary Reissue)Self-Released [2021] At the risk of dating myself, Three Merry Widows was one of the St. Louis bands … Read more
Reptaliens: Multiverse [Album Review]
ReptaliensMultiverseCaptured Tracks [2022] Portland, Ore.-duo, Reptaliens have stepped away from the dreamy sounding synth drenched work on their two previous albums, to pick up bass … Read more
The Lumineers: BRIGHTSIDE [Album Review]
The LumineersBRIGHTSIDEDualtone/Decca Records [2022] Aside from The Lumineers break out hit, “Ho Hey,” with the novelty impact of the regular shouts of the title,” the … Read more
Josh Caterer: The SPACE Sessions [Album Review]
Josh CatererThe SPACE SessionsPravda Records [2021] While some artists have used the shutdown of normal life due to the pandemic to hibernate in their studios … Read more
Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Boy Named If [Album Review]
Elvis Costello & The Imposters The Boy Named IfEMI/Capitol Records [2022] Forty five years and 37 albums – give or take if we count all … Read more
The Dream Syndicate: What Can I Say? No Regrets… Out Of The Grey + Live, Demos & Outtakes [Album Review]
The Dream SyndicateWhat Can I Say? No Regrets… Out Of The Grey + Live, Demos & OuttakesFire Records [2022] Ask someone if they know the … Read more
The Wombats: Fix Yourself, Not The World [Album Review]
The WombatsFix Yourself, Not The WorldAWAL [2022] While The Wombats, who got their start in Liverpool, have absorbed British pop and indie rock influences from … Read more
Adia Victoria: A Southern Gothic [Album Review]
Adia VictoriaA Southern GothicCanvasback Music [2021] The third album from Nashville-based singer/songwriter Adia Victoria, A Southern Gothic embodies everything that title suggests. Vibrating thanks to … Read more
Dion: Stomping Ground [Album Review]
Dion Stomping GroundKeeping The Blues Alive Records [2021] It was quite a surprise in 2020 when the then 80 year old Dion Dimucci, who had … Read more
Elbow: Flying Dream 1 [Album Review]
ElbowFlying Dream 1Polydor Records [2021] The ninth studio album from acclaimed British band, Elbow, has the gentle, dreamy feel of a long, reflective quarantine nap. … Read more
Snail Mail: Valentine [Album Review]
Snail MailValentineMatador Records [2021] As the “best of year” lists – here at The Fire Note, and everywhere music fans and music critics connect – … Read more
Liam Kazar: Due North [Album Review]
Liam KazarDue NorthWoodsist Records [2021] Before moving to Kansas City in 2019, Liam Kazar had built a hefty reputation around Chicago as a band member, … Read more
Hushdrops: The Static [Album Review]
HushdropsThe StaticPravda Records [2021] Chicago-band, Hushdrops, are considered a supergroup around those parts, the trio perhaps better known for the folk they support in other … Read more
Aimee Mann: Queens Of The Summer Hotel [Album Review]
Aimee MannQueens Of The Summer HotelSuperEgo [2021] Over the course of her nearly 40 year career, Aimee Mann has pretty much done it all. In … Read more