Fire Bug

Strictly speaking, “blues-rock” is a bit reductionist in describing the sound crafted by Firebug. All the expected markers are present; here’s the crunchy riff, there’s the Hammond organ; but Firebug adds exceptional dirt and fuzz alongside auxiliary instruments (dig the mandolin in “Fool Like Me”) to bring the sound into realms of grunge, psychedelia, and even folk. While on the whole, the album rails with steam power, stand out tracks such as “Sinner” and “Wine Water and Bread” also elicit the sexy, sliding swampiness of downtempo NewOrleans groove.

Speaking of sexy, take time to bask in the vocals of Juliette Tworsey. Her smoothlyrounded, valkyrie-vibrato gives wings to the heart of Firebug. From soulful swells as in “For the Love”, to Grace-Slick-esque howls as in “Follower”, she deftly navigates the space of each song to remain present without overpowering.

Also found in “Follower” are some of the more notable lyrics of the album. Remarking upon a world that as “turned gray” where “so much is unclear” and “all my news is a soundbyte”, Tworsey sings with honest ire, “I only know what they told me…I’m a follower”. - Indie Music Blog

FireBug is a ferocious and beguiling album, power chords and perfect vocals bring this offering of talent driven music to a high boil, culminating the talents of musicians that have fought the good fight to be one of the top LA Bands today. To be honest, it is not easy for a female fronted band of this magnitude to get the respect deserved, but the spiritually stirring vocal talents of Juliette Tworsey cannot be denied, no wonder, with the influences of historic artists Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, QOTSA, Wolf Alice, PJ Harvey, The Black Keys, BRMC, Muddy Waters, Johnny Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon and Aretha Franklin, FireBug is poised to set the music world aflame, and it is about time they get their due. - Indie Pulse Music

Today, Elmore is premiering “Strange Days,” the third single from the band’s upcoming release. The duo says of the song, “[it] is an attempt to garner a simple assessment of the world around us from the perspective of an onlooker, one who has a strong desire for escapism from the daily woes and struggles of the average person. It is also a step back from a world that appears, on the surface, to be increasingly divided and polarized to extremes. In that reflection comes a certain acceptance that even though the world may not always make sense, we push on and do the best that we can as we approach yet another day.” - Elmore Magazine

"Sinner" was produced by Chris Goss (Queens of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys) and is a lesson in how modern bluesy swamp rock should both sound and feel. Juliette Tworsey's vocals perfectly match the song's great groove and it's truly hard to avoid listening to the song on repeat. Of the song Tworsey noted, "While none of us are perfect, we all have an intrinsic need to be free - despite our many imperfections." - Pure Grain Audio

" After sincere efforts to enjoy Jenny Lewis’ solo record, I’m all the more impressed by women who never play the coy/precious card, but plain old kick ass and shoot prisoners: Witness L.A.’s Firebug (tonight, 3/16, Satalite). This is a klassic roots-rock band with a truly special singer named Juliette Tworsey, who sings bold and tough but a little broken, smart but not wise. Minor chords and lotsa stiff-upper-lip heartbreak and slide guitars. WARNING: CONTAINS NO EMO SELF-PITY. " - L.A. Weekly Review

"Fire Bug reminds us a bit of Concrete Blonde. It's all very competent, and Juliette Tworsey has a very powerful voice." - Time Out New York Magazine

"Their sound is unique but think the grandeur and big sounds of Jane's Addiction, the darkness and melody of one PJ Harvey and gritty blues all mixed with a splash of psychedelic Pink Floyd." - New UK Music Review

page 6 - I'll be honest. I had never heard of the band until I saw their name on the line-up for Sonisphere. Opening the Strongbow Stage would be a good test for any band, and after checking out their material online, an interview seemed the right thing to do. With a grand collection of awards under their belt it seems I've been missing out! The sound that the band makes fuses together so many styles it's a real wonder to hear. Still unsigned, but with plenty of solid material behind them, the band possess a strong energy that manifests itself in a blues rock undercurrent topped off with hauntingly strong vocals and a musical dexterity that tips a hat towards rock and psychedelia.

From their live performance expect the band to deliver their sound with a physical presence that is both confident and cool.

Our moment shared with them at Sonisphere showed that the group are not only accomplished musicians, but also keen to spread awareness of their sound.

page 43 - Opening the Strongbow Stage, the foursome of FIREBUG wake up everyone in the cider vicinity with a cool set fusing a blues vibe over a core base of rock. The sound is a welcome start to the day. Perhaps it is the fact that they have brought some of the Californian summer sound with them from their homeland. Perhaps it's the fact that the band keeps you guessing with a totally credible variety building upon the styles already mentioned. The power generated by the foursome is impressive, and rather than simply blatting your ears with loud noise, the band creates a really structured sound that melodiously satisfies your eardrums. Needless to say, the crowd response is favourable! - The Bermuda Square Effect by The Juke

ALBUM REVIEW: FIREBUG – Season For Change (Buddha Belt) – Rather lush female-fronted retro alternative melodic hard rock. Originally from Chicago and now located in Los Angeles, Firebug have one positive foot in the 70’s, folk rock, restrained touches of Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac while their other foot is positively planted in the U.S. radio-friendly alternative rock of the 90’s. Lush, strongly-voiced classic American alternative hard rock, twelve impressive tracks, no fillers, just classic melodic hardrock – simple as that, classic song-based guitar driven beautifully-voiced impressive imaginative classic melodic rock. - Organ Magazine

"Los Angeles-based quartet Firebug deftly melds a myriad of styles and influences on "Fragile," a dynamic collection that should garner attention beyond their Southern California confines. Vocalist Juliette Tworsey is the star attraction, soaring on every cut with an expansive soulful range and often harmonizing with herself to punctuate the passionate content of her lyrics. The boys in the band are no slouches either, fusing melody, counterpoint, and expert musicianship without overstepping their bounds. Whether quoting Delta blues, glam-folk, bombastic arena-rock or dabbling with breezy California pop, Fire Bug has the tools to grab the brass ring and then some."

- All Music Guide **** - All Music Guide review by Tom Semioli

"Fire Bug ventures into some interesting musical territory on their second album Season For Change. Mixing the passion of emo, the melodicism of pop, the magnitude of classic rock and the delicacy of folk, the Chicago-to-LA quartet finds a way to inhabit the spaces in between all of those various sonic touch points without identifying themselves too closely with any one specific area. Guitarist/vocalist Juliette Tworsey establishes an energy at the front of the band that distills and blends any number of like-minded personalities. She can soar like Annie Lennox ("Paradise") or warble like Kate Bush ("Forever Won't Wait") or balls-out rock like Heart ("Just Because") . Tworsey's partner in Fire Bug, guitarist/keyboardist co-songwriter Jules Shapiro, is clearly a big part of the band's genre hopping, with the two of them fashioning an indie pop/rock version of "Over The Rhine". A major advance over the 2003 debut Fragile,, Season For Change finds Fire Bug embracing their musical diversity by playing to the strength of each song and increasing the intensity of the colors in their genre palette."

- Amplifier Magazine - Review by Tom Semioli

Los Angeles, CA band Firebug described as indie-psychedelic rock. And Their “Seasons For Change” album doesn't let down. Throughout the whole album there is great trance rock theme. Juliette Tworsey (lead singer, guitar and mandolin) shows her versatility in her vocals.

From the first song “Paradise”, I knew this album was going to be a great musical experience. The opening instrumental takes you into the first vocals. Tworsey's vocals glide you through to the end.

“Just Because”,track 2, was one I really enjoyed. There is a nice strings jam in the beginning and Tworsey really shows off her vocal range. The lyrics are great too, “I love just because”, hits very powerfully and true.

Some of the tracks also bringing in a bluesy sound that I really like. In track 4, “Seasons For Change”, you get more of guitar licks and real moving beats. There is also great essence of poetry in the song “Smile” with nice drum beats and intricate strumming.

“Eyes Wide Open” is a great 70's trance style song. I could just picture the crowd swaying and moving fluidly to this song. I did like many of the songs my favorite came in the end.

“Been There Before” is the last track. A lovely guitar jam comes in with the drums and makes me want to hear more. Also Tworsey uses her voice like a perfect instrument. All together this album was a beautiful listen. It has the ability to reach over many different musical interests. - Detroit Examiner by Kristin Karpczuk

Fronted by flame-haired, intense vocalist Juliette Tworsey, Firebug are an American 4-piece with a sound you need to hear. They started off in Chicago before making their way to LA, where they are popular essentials to the club scene. They play a heady mix of indie, psychedelic rock which manages to have quite a 70s sound yet seems utterly current.

The band’s Facebook page lists their influences as including Led Zeppelin, Portishead and The Doors. It has to be said you can clearly hear evidence of this in their sound. The first thing that struck me was how like Zeppelin’s Kashmir the tracks Just Because and Paradise are. That urgent, building guitar and echoing, trippy vocals. I think Tworsey’s quirky look and strong vocals are what give the band their edge and will ultimately draw people to them. But their musical worth is in no doubt and will keep you returning to the play button.

My only criticism of the band would be that the album ‘Season for Change’ is great as a whole but maybe a bit samey after a few listens. It gives me great hope that this is a really good band in the making and I look forward to their next album.
Dreaming of America has quite a big stadium rock feel to it, it’s easy to imagine them playing to a huge crowd. Firebug play at Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth this year. If you are there I highly suggest checking them out. - Music Review Unsigned by Becky Beynon-Lewis

FIRE BUG
End of the World
Buddha Belt Records

This is a really great EP from Fire Bug. The LA band has a slight ‘70s feel that sounds like Zeppelin or early Heart, although they’re not stuck in the past. Their style is really hard to describe in that it has a slight retro feel but not really. You have to hear them to see what I mean. The band is made up of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Juliette Tworsey, guitarist Jules Shapiro, bassist Ian Solomon and drummer Ty Dennis.

There are four cuts on here with one being a radio edit of a previous song. The first song, “End of the World” starts off cautiously with just guitar and Juliette’s almost fragile voice, before giving way to the rest of the band. The sound has almost a hazy psychedelic feel to it, sort of like Melanie or a subdued Janis Joplin meets Soundgarden.

The second cut, “Paradise” is even better, again starting off with a subtle intro before cranking away. The band has a great sense of dynamics however, trading off the quieter passages with the more raucous parts. “Forever Won’t Wait” is very Zeppelin-esque with really nice guitar and a good vocal filter. The last cut is the “End of the World” edit.

Fire Bug is a band that is capable of really great things. I can’t wait for the full album.

4 STARS

www.nowontour.com - www.nowontour.com

As much as I love music, lately I haven't felt too excited about what I've been playing on New Music New Talent. I'm still playing unsigned bands I really love like Trash Monroe, Zen Motel, Rounds, Death of the Elephant and Catherine Elms but I've known about all of these artists for quite some time now, I've felt the music I've played from some of the other bands I receive is good, but not original. It seems to be a lot of generic indie bands.

Anyway, it's not too often I get blown away by a band (some examples in the previous paragraph)! I get sent music from promotion companies every week. I don't download everything they send, as some is not my kind of music, and some I just think is rubbish, if it sounds reasonable, I'm likely to download one of the songs but not all of them (there's usually maybe about 5).

However last week while I was prepping for my show and checking out what I had been sent, I was blown away by something straight away. This band is Firebug, female fronted rock/blues fusion, that actually made me want to (and did)! download all about 14 tracks I could get.

I liked them so much I've made them my artist of the month for July.
They're from America but I actually found out they are playing one of the smaller stages at Sonisphere, so if you're going, I suggest you go see them! - DJ Moonlight

" America's sweethearts Fire Bug are possibly the prettiest things to have come out of MySpace, ever. The band is made up of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Juliette Tworsey, guitarist Jules Shapiro, bassist Ian Solomon and drummer Ty Dennis. Picture the scene; Juliette and Jules formed Fire Bug in a park. Juliette has the cheekbones of a younger Kate Moss, and a quirky dress sense to match. They are psych rock with an acoustic guitar. The acoustic is allowed its full impact, yet this is served with a sad contrast to Juliette's vocals. There is a grace and charm to their songs paralleled by their good looks and positive outlook. They've hit the American club scene to promising results playing such musical meccas as CBGB's and The Roxy, with little reason to look back."

- Angry Ape UK review - Angry Ape UK

This band exuded attitude, and with fuzzed-out, gritty guitar riffs that would make Jack White blush, and a strikingly beautiful, near-operatic vocal performance, they provided an incredibly entertaining show. I’ve been sitting here now for about ten minutes trying to find an ...apt way to fully describe Fire Bug’s sound, but I can’t really do it. They rock, but they’re vibey, too. They’re sassy, yet nuanced. What more can I say? Fire Bug need to be experienced to be appreciated. - The Spotlight by Zack Smith

Firebug have done it again! They have managed to amaze me, not only with their brilliant song-writing and musical talents, but with another excellent video to go along with their newest single, Dreaming Of America.

This masterpiece is directed by Matthias Schubert (http://www.cinematthias.com) and filmed in various locations around the west of America. If you saw their last video, also directed by Schubert, it was filmed entirely in the desert, and is quite different. Firebug have that ability, to keep everything fresh and original, but also very distinctively theirs.

“Dreaming of America” is full of melody and hooks that show what amazing guitar players Jules and Juliette are. The tune is very catchy and its not surprising that it is leaping up the unsigned charts at tourdates.co.uk. The lyrics are great too, touching on some current and ongoing issues, and I think Bill Maher should use the song for his TV show. The video, though gave me a sense of love and warmth for this country and maybe that’s what Firebug were going for: that even though America has its problems, it’s a beautiful country worth dreaming of still. - Inclination Magazine by Lissy MacMillan

"The music of Fire Bug is like that of no other we've heard in a long time! The mix between the vocals of Juliette Tworsey and the guitar work of Jules Shapiro is spectacular. A fresh new sound with perhaps only a slight ghostly sound of Zeppelin in the mix. Tworsey's vocal deliverance can only be compared to a small few... one being that of artist, PJ Harvey. When you're speaking of Fire Bug, passion is at the forefront, and Tworsey's voice is unique and powerful enough to turn the ears of even the most tried skeptic. Jules Shapiro's guitar approach is truly pristine! Executing loads of emotional ammo and intensity, which only fan the flames to even greater heights. The vocal deliverance of Juliette is quite simply, magical." - Muen Magazine