Magneta Lane: Dancing With Daggers

Magneta Lane
Dancing With Daggers
Paper Bag Records [2006]









Ever wonder what The Strokes would sound like if they had female vocals? Take Magneta Lane's new album Dancing With Daggers for a spin. They have taken the "New York" sound and tweaked it to perfection up north in Toronto, Canada. Each song has a cool swagger about it and you would think Magneta Lane has been around for a while not just releasing their debut album. It flies by at just under 30 minutes and has a bit darker feel to it then their 2004 EP release The Constant Lover. I attribute some of this to producer Jesse Keeler from Death From Above 1979 fame. He definitely kept Dancing With Daggers precise and to the point. This is the type of album that will float around the college circuit and build momentum, setting up Magneta Lane for a bigger stage next time around.

Key Tracks: "Wild Garden", "Daggers Out!", "Artistic Condition"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The Strokes
The Runaways
The Libertines

http://www.magnetalane.com/

-Review by Conrad Rocksted

Eagles Of Death Metal: Death By Sexy

Eagles Of Death Metal
Death By Sexy
Downtown Records [2006]









Ahh...The side project. The side project usually gives an artist freedom to break away from his meat and potatoes band to play a different instrument, take over vocals or change into a cartoon monkey (see Blur's Damon Albarn in Gorillaz). We of course are talking about Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age. Him and his buddy Jesse Hughes make up Eagles Of Death Metal and Death By Sexy is their second release. Homme switches from guitar and lead vocals to bang on the skins while Hughes takes the mic. The surprise is that they form a pretty good duo who don't give a care about anybody else's opinion. Death By Sexy rolls by in 38 minutes and is garage rock n roll to the core which you can throw up your hands and shake your head to the beats. With the solid drumming you also get fun lyrics and tight arrangements. Death By Sexy is very comparable to their 2004 release Peace Love Death Metal. If you liked that outing sign up for another round.

Key Tracks: "Cherry Cola", "Chase The Devil", "I Gotta Feeling"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The White Stripes
Canned Heat
Queens Of The Stone Age

http://www.eaglesofdeathmetal.net/

Soul Position: Things Go Better With RJ And Al

Soul Position
Things Go Better With RJ And Al
Rhymesayers Records [2006]









Soul Position are made up of RJD2 and Blueprint. Out of the two you may be familiar with the RJD2's solo work and his critically praised albums Deadringer [2002] & Since We Last Spoke [2004]. He also has produced many albums by the likes of Massive Attack, Unkle and Aesop Rock. With that said Soul Position offer their second album of streetwise indie hip-hop. You will not find any flash on Things Go Better. Blueprint raps and rhymes about everyday life events. Not your hardcore Columbus, Ohio life but about cell phones, girls, and parties. Soul Position add a light side to the rap scene and it turns out to be an enjoyable ride.

Key Tracks: "Drugs, Sex, Alcohol, Rock-N-Roll", "No Gimmicks", "Blame It On The Jager"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The Streets
RJD2
Atmosphere

http://www.rhymesayers.com/aDetail.php?aId=12&cT=Bio
http://www.rjd2site.com/

Taking Back Sunday: Louder Now

Taking Back Sunday
Louder Now
Warner Bros. Records [2006]









On their 3rd full length and 1st for the major label Warner Brothers Taking Back Sunday swing for the big time. Big hooks, Big chorus and Big guitars. Looking back on history Taking Back Sunday are usually credited with being one of the first "emo" bands to break big and define the genre with their 2002 debut Tell All Your Friends. The good news is for fans they have not changed their signature sound. Strong lead vocals that switch from midpace into a soaring chorus follow track by track with the exception being the delicate acoustic "Divine Intervention". Louder Now is louder than their previous efforts which may help them lose some of the emo tag and move Taking Back Sunday into a more punk/alt rock grouping. They can easily fit in at the Warp Tour or headline a tour with diverse acts. I believe that this direction works for them and will win them a larger fan base. The one problem with Louder Now is that in 2002 this formula was new, now there are many bands producing the same sound. Taking Back Sunday will still come out on top with a large following and this consistent 3rd effort.

Key Tracks: "MakeDamnSure", "Liar", "Miami"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Hawthorne Heights
Thrice
Thursday

http://www.takingbacksunday.com/sign/

The High Violets: To Where You Are

The High Violets
To Where You Are
Reverb Records [2006]









Shoegazing: A style of music characterized by a self-deprecating, introspective, non-confrontative feel. Generally employed are distortion and the fuzzbox, droning riffs and a Phil Spector wall of sound from the noisy guitars. The High Violets fit right into this genre. Right from the first track "Sun Baby" the first minute intro is like a giant wave that just surges right over you before the vocals break out. Kaitlyn ni Donovan's voice floats over every song and creates structured melodies that give each song its direction. Following the influences of My Bloody Valentine, Galaxie 500 and the Cocteau Twins , To Where You Are is one of strongest shoegaze albums released in this millennium. This is one of those albums that with each listen gets stronger and stronger and becomes harder to delete from your iPod.

Key Tracks: "Sun Baby", "Cool Green", "Invitation"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Lab Partners
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Mojave 3

http://www.thehighviolets.com/

Swearing At Motorists: Last Night Becomes This Morning

Swearing At Motorists
Last Night Becomes This Morning
Secretly Canadian [2006]









This is Swearing At Motorists 13th release if you count 7" and EP releases. It is their 5th long player. With each release Dayton, Ohio's Dave Doughman has remained faithful to a bluesy lo-fi sound with very short tracks. Like their Dayton buddies Guided By Voices, Swearing At Motorists albums change direction very quickly and great songs can last about one minute and forty seconds. This strategy sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. Some great songs just are not long enough to reach their full potential. But for most of Last Night Becomes This Morning, it emotes a real energy and desire to be heard. It was recorded over the past two years on the road in hotel rooms, bars, and backstage, which gives it a sense of urgency and isolation which translates into the perfect listen for a rainy day.

Key Tracks: "Northern Line", "Waterloo Crescent", "Slave To The Kettle"

http://www.swearingatmotorists.com/

Robert Pollard: From A Compound Eye

Robert Pollard
From A Compound Eye
Merge Records [2006]









Someone said Guided By Voices broke up? Well that is true but take a listen to Robert Pollard's post GBV album From A Compound Eye and you will scratch your head. The catchy wordplay lyrics are back, 8 songs are under 2 minutes and a multitude of stylistic ideas surface and then fade away. Hello - This sounds like a "mature" Guided By Voices album. With each listen Compound gets better and better. "I'm A Strong Lion" clocks in at 1:08 and just leaves you wanting more. "US Mustard Company" is a great hum a long song reminiscent of "Goldheart Mountaintop" from the classic Bee Thousand. I would rank this effort his best solo work and just under Isolation Drills from GBV. For a man that records thousands of songs (just in one year) this is a great collection of a mind that never stops. Oh yeah, coming in May 06 he will release 3 full length albums in the Fading Captain Series and one 7" single. He never stops - Long live GBV!

Key Tracks: "Dancing Girls And Dancing Men", "Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft", "I'm A Strong Lion"

http://robertpollard.net/

Drive-By Truckers: A Blessing And A Curse

Drive-By Truckers
A Blessing And A Curse
New West Records [2006]









Alright, I am a sucker for some good ol Alt-Country. The Drive-By Truckers never seem to disappoint. From the opener "Feb 14" thru the closer "World Of Hurt" the Truckers take you down a gritty road filled with some rock, some fried country and a little bit of steel twang. This is their 7th album in a long discography that gets better with every spin. You will also find more expanded subject matter on A Blessing And A Curse which goes outside their love for the South to complex stories about places, heartbreak, determination and politics. The Drive-By Truckers not only represent Alt-Coutry they set the standard that other bands should look to achieve.

Key Tracks: "Feb 14", "Easy On Yourself", "Wednesday"

www.drivebytruckers.com/

Moth: Immune To Gravity

Moth
Immune To Gravity
Hey Domingo! Records [2006]









The Cincy band Moth return for another great shot of alternative rockin' tunes. If you are not familiar with these lads, they have been around longer than you might think. They formed in the early 90's, have released five full length records, including Provisions, Fiction & Fear a major label release on Virgin records. (A 2002 Top 10 album on my fav internet radio station woxy). Like most bands Virgin never gave them full support and they fell back into the independent land. This is actually good news for their fans.

On Immune To Gravity, Moth moves from one rock track to the next and each song shows lyrical improvement over their previous work. This is also their hardest sounding album with great pure punk, harmony and rock mixed to make a highly entertaining listen. They have created a very catchy album that won't necessarily win any new fans but will definitely retain the old ones - plus it should sound great live.

Key Tracks: "Revolution", "Immune To Gravity", "Constantly On"

www.myspace.com/moth

Living Things: Ahead Of The Lions

Living Things
Ahead Of The Lions
Jive Records [2005]









This is one of those slow burning albums to catch on. It was released in October of 05 and made little initial noise, now it's April 06 and the track "Bom Bom Bom" is all over TV shows, commercials and even in the grocery stores. If the rest of the album held to the same catchy formula it would be selling tons of copies right now. Don't get me wrong, the fact that Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies) recorded the thing should send it in the right direction and at times you can hear the raw rawk in the Living Things but the problem with Ahead Of The Lions is that the songs get very repetitive. The formula is similar throughout the 12 tracks which can lose the listener on exactly what track they are on. Bottom line - In the days of the iPod, download "Bom Bom Bom" and get the album from your local library.

Key Tracks: "Bom Bom Bom", "Bombs Below", "I Owe"

www.livingthingsmusic.com/

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Show Your Bones
Interscope Records [2006]









This is one of those defining albums in a bands short career. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs had a successful EP, a smash debut Fever To Tell [2003] and now it is time for their sophomore slump. Except that is not what takes place on the "mature" Show Your Bones. They could have taken the easy road and put out another 37 minutes of pounding rock with Karen O almost losing her voice on every track or follow the outline of successful track "Maps" and put out a much more elaborate album with extended melodies and a medium burning pace. They decided on the later and every tune is precise and well thought out. Each listen will bring you new respect for their direction and will compare Karen O to some of the greats like Chrissie Hynde or Deborah Harry. For sure the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are here to stay and Show Your Bones could have a shot at making The Fire Notes Top 25 of 2006.

Key Tracks: "Gold Lion", "Cheated Hearts", "Way Out"

Official Yeah Yeah Yeahs Website
Yeah Yeah Yeahs MySpace
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Info [Allmusic]
Interscope Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony

Tapes n' Tapes: The Loon

Tapes n' Tapes
The Loon
ibid Records [2006]









Tapes n' Tapes shows everyone how a debut should sound. This is straight up indie fun. Name a style and The Loon has something for you. After several listens I kept changing my mind of what band they most resemble...This is what I came up with: The Pixies blended with some Pavement shaken by The Arcade Fire and My Bloody Valentine sprinkled on top. The best thing about this album is its quick transitions within songs, great wordplay, and scat rhythms. You would think this thing would be all over the place but these Minneapolis boys pull it off for one great 40 minute listen.

Key Tracks: "Cowbell", "Insistor", "Just Drums"

www.tapesntapes.com/

Jenny Lewis w/ The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat

Jenny Lewis w/ The Watson Twins
Rabbit Fur Coat
Team Love Records [2006]









Who the hell is Jenny Lewis? She is the lead singer for Rilo Kiley silly. What you still don't know who she is? Did you see Coldplay's US tour last year - Rilo Kiley was the band playing while you were gearing up for Coldplay not paying attention. Now she has a solo album and there are 3 things you should know. 1. If you like Rilo Kiley you will like this. 2. It is not as good as the last Rilo Kiley album. 3. On a bad day I would still listen to Jenny Lewis.

The only real issue with this album is that it is a bit inconsistent. Some songs seem like they were recorded on tour and not fully developed. For some fans it may be a bit more alt-country than they would like, compard to her bands work. It also has a hint of that southern gospel with the help of The Watson Twins (they are twins not just a name). Lastly, this album received an extra half flame just because she covers The Traveling Wilburys Handle With Care which I am sure is not just my guilty pleasure. It also helps that it features Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie).

Key Tracks: "Rise Up With Fists", "Handle With Care", "The Charging Sky"

www.jennylewis.com/
www.rilokiley.com/

Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Domino [2006]









The British are coming, The British are coming. I say bring them on. The UK has been trying to break a band here in the US since the Beatles. Most of the time the next big thing over there is the next disc to hit the cutout bins here. The Arctic Monkeys could break this trend. This album is more infectious with every listen. I find myself humming to songs long after the music has ended. I even have more respect for this band because they built their fan base by releasing mp3s on the net. The record labels called them fools but turned out that they sold a crapload of records, made a SNL appearance and even duped Americans to buy in.

Key Tracks: "I Bet You Good On The Dance Floor", "Dancing Shoes", "Perhaps Vampires..."

www.arcticmonkeys.com/

The Heat Meter

Here at The Fire Note we will be using a simple rating system based on a 1 to 5 scale. Solar Sizzlin' is the best thing you have ever heard and Luke Warm is well...probably won't make this blog.

= Solar Sizzlin'
= Blazing Hot
= Ovenlike
= Feverish
= Luke Warm