First off. Thanks for checking out the site. We appreciate you stopping by and hope that you'll continue to look in on us from time to time.
The idea of the Firesideometer probably dates back to around 1995 when my buddy Chad and I were at the peak of our adoration for a little band by the name of Quicksand. Their CD, Slip, not only changed both of our lives, but also stood as the shining example of what all good rock albums should be. In our minds, no other band could quite match the power, intelligence and attitude of Quicksand. Over time we found ourselves discussing most of our music collection in reference to Quicksand's albums. "Well,it's pretty good, but it's no Manic Compression,"or "Damn, that song's almost as good as 'Dine Alone!"
Our little grading curve came to be known as the Quicksandometer. We never put anything down on paper or anything. But we always knew exactly where an album stood on the Quicksandometer. Radiohead's The Bends? Clearly at least a 9. Hum'sDownward is Heavenward? Maybe only a 7.5. Everything had a place on the Ometer. All was right with the world until Quicksand broke up a few years back.
Devastated, Chad and I looked to each other for answers. Chad had been trying to sell me on this Swedish band Fireside for quite some time. We both thought Do Not Tailgate was pretty decent. Chad loved Fantastic Four, but I had yet to hear it. Chad heard Uomini d'Onore and fell in love. I agreed - it was badass. But maybe not Quicksand caliber material. Then came Hello Kids. And that sealed it for me. This band's collection of B-sides and unreleased material proved to be better than most band's A-sides could ever hope to be. That's when we decided that yes, these guys had earned it. They would set the high-water mark by which all other bands would be judged.
In the final months of the year 2000, we decided to take the Firesideometer online. And this is it. Our goal with the site really has little to do with the band Fireside. We're not a fan site by any means, though we're definitely fans. However, we'd much rather use the site as a resource for fans of all music, not just Fireside. After all, there are plenty of other bands that are out there killing themselves to make the kind of music that (sadly) only a small percentage of this planet's population will ever hear, much less truly appreciate.
Sites like Buddyhead.com, Saulgoodman.com (R.I.P.), and even CMJMusic.com have certainly given us a lot of inspiration. Chad and I use their sites every day to keep up with what's going on in the music scene - who's new album is sub-par and who's is unbelievably good. Our site is built with the belief that you can never have enough information sources out there promoting solid musicianship. And rather than sitting around bitching all day about how nobody's ever heard of the music we like, we figured we'd try to do something proactive to change that situation. With the help of our buddy, Shawn and our network of friends across the midwest, maybe we can do just that.
Be patient with us. We know the site's not exactly overflowing with content right now, but we do plan on adding a ton of reviews and hopefully a couple more interviews in the next few months. Thanks again for checking us out.
-Firesideometer 2.11.01