Latest Posts

Travis Scott – Rodeo

September 10, 2015

I have decided that I am going to create an award for the album that I am happiest that I didn’t overlook this year, just so I can preemptively give it to Travis Scott’s new album, Rodeo. Up until this point, I have been wildly unimpressed by the “new Atlanta” style of hip hop, as popularized by artists such as Migos, ILoveMakonnen, Young Thug, and Future, to name a few, and despite Scott hailing from Houston, the sound used on Rodeo is unmistakably similar. While there is no doubt that these artists do have massive potential on singles, their full length efforts have left too much to be desired in artistry and lyrical content. Surprisingly, this is far from the case on Rodeo.   Without even listening to the record, if you take a look at the list of producers on the record, it is stacked with production talent like[...]

Tonight: Chon

September 10, 2015

Guitar lovers rejoice as instrumental math rock quartet Chon is set to take the stage at the Studio at Waiting Room later on tonight. Known for incredible, flashy guitar work and a groove heavy style of math rock inspired instrumentals, the San Diego bred group is sure to have the audience in awe as the members flawlessly rip through tracks off of their latest full length album, Grow. Opening the show will be locals Dininex and Amputecht, and doors open at 6:30pm tonight. Plenty of tickets are still available at the door for $14, and all ages are admitted, 16 and under with an adult.

Tonight: The Utah Jazz & Love Canal

August 29, 2015

What is better than a tape release show? A dual tape release show! Tonight, rock and roll kings the Utah Jazz, along with local hardcore freakers Love Canal, are both dropping new tapes on the Black Dots record label. To celebrate, the bands are setting it off at the Hickory Urban Sanctuary, a small warehouse type venue on the East Side of Buffalo. Set to open up the show are garage rock act and overall fun time Kharlos plus local doom outfit Sun Black Smoke. The Hickory Urban Sanctuary is at 232 Pratt Street on the East Side, and doors are set to open around 7pm.  With a cover of only $5 and a good attitude, there’s no reason NOT to go support your local punks. BLK-07: LOVE CANAL – Enter the Love Canal by LOVE CANAL BLK-06: UTAH JAZZ – Ivory Wave by UTAH JAZZ

Beach House – Depression Cherry

August 25, 2015

At this point, you really have to hand it to Beach House. With a decade under their belts, the duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have managed to constantly put out well received material, drawing clear shoegaze influence and crafting it into their own dreamy, synth soaked sound, all while managing to create something special on each release. As my listen counter of the band’s newest release, Depression Cherry, began to rack up, I noticed something: this band has done an absolutely incredible job with recycling the same sound for their past four albums. No one has seemed to bat an eye as Beach House reuses their instrumental style of dream pop release after release, droning backing organ chord by droning backing organ chord, programmed drum beat by programmed drum beat. That being said, while their instrumentals have remained stagnant for the most part, the duo seems to have[...]

Mac DeMarco at the Tralf Music Hall (8/16/15)

August 18, 2015

This past Sunday, the sweetheart we all deserve, Mac Demarco, treated Buffalo to yet another intimate, sold out show at the Tralf Music Hall. This time around, Mac brought with a full band, and played seven of the eight tracks off of his newest release, Another One. DeMarco’s charisma was in full effect, as was his entire band’s, delivering a performance that kept the audience smiling the whole time. Check out our photos of the show below. Click here for a full gallery of the photos from the night. Jerry Paper Mac Demarco Setlist “The Way You’d Love Her” “Salad Days” “No Other Heart” “The Stars Keep On Calling My Name” “Another One” “Cooking Up Something Good” “Ode to Viceroy” “Without Me” “Reelin’ in the Years” (Steely Dan Cover) “Just to Put Me Down” “Let Her Go” “I’ve Been Waiting for Her” “A Heart Like Hers” “Still Together” Encore “Enter Sandman”[...]

The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

August 15, 2015

In case you need any affirmation that emo is not dead, last night at Waiting Room was a strong reminder. All of the bands on last night’s bill brought their A game, all playing fantastic, on point sets. Take One Car opened the night with their heavy, talk rock oriented jams, followed by a lighthearted, mellow set from Virginia Beach’s Turnover. Pianos Become the Teeth found the perfect mix between mellow and extreme, delivering an incredibly passionate performance. Closing the night was The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, delivering another emotional set. Despite the heavy performance, the tone of the night was not too serious, as it wouldn’t be a World Is Beautiful set without an excessive amount of stage banter. Take One Car Turnover Pianos Become the Teeth The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die[...]

Tonight: The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

August 14, 2015

Emo lovers rejoice. Another absolutely stacked lineup makes it was to Waiting Room tonight. Taking the stage tonight will be indie emo/post rock outfit The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, fresh off of the announcement of a new album, Harmlessness, set to be released September 25th via Epitaph Records. The band has hyped the record as one of its most ambitious releases yet. Also on the bill is the post hardcore / screamo act turned turned soft (in a good way), Pianos Become The Teeth. Opening will be emo / pop punk outfit Turnover, making their much awaited return to Waiting Room. Turnover also embraced a softer, lighter sound on their latest release, Peripheral Vision, creating an incredible atmosphere throughout the new record.  First to take the stage will be the talk rock band Take One Car, also making their return to Buffalo.[...]

Adult Mom – Momentary Lapse of Happily

August 7, 2015

I remember a couple months ago, sitting on the floor of a living room on the West Side, hearing Stephanie Knipe’s music live for the first time. Armed with just an electric guitar, Knipe, front woman of Purchase, NY’s Adult Mom, proceeded to perform one of the best solo sets I have ever seen: simple guitar chords matched with some undisguised, brutally honest lyrical content, delivered in just the right way. It really gave me a whole new appreciation for her music as a whole, and I was delighted to hear she had a new full length on the way. Titled Momentary Lapse of Happily, the new Adult Mom record is just what I expected in a way. Its an album about breakups, abusive relationships,  gender, and emotional turmoil, which comes off as one of the most brutally personal releases I have heard this year. And after having listened to[...]

Tonight: Muerte & the Coltranes

August 5, 2015

All you Buffalo punks are in for a real treat tonight. I mean, how often do you get to see a band straight out of Mexico? Well, tonight’s the night. Hitting the Glitterbox later on will be the stellar Mexican hardcore act, Muerte, along with fellow touring bands the Coltranes, a bizzaro ripping punk act from California, and post punk / sludge act Coordinated Suicides from Wisconsin. Local wise, you’ll be getting a taste of a brand new punk act, called Basement Rat. As usual, the show is all ages. If you don’t know where the Glitterbox is, feel free to head over to the facebook event and ask an admin, they don’t bite. Things are set to take off at 6pm, and $7 is being asked for the touring acts, but as stated on the event page, no one will be turned away.

Tonight: GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES!

August 1, 2015

Those looking for an alternative to the sold out show at the Town Ballroom tonight, there are plenty of options to chose from, one of which being a show at Buffalo Iron Works. Bearing only a guitar and a drum kit, math rock duo GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! will provide a real treat for the audience. Cited as one of the leaders of the math rock movement, the duo is sure to provide an incredibly high energy set, and their experimental yet accessible style of songwriting is something you won’t want to miss.  Included in the GIRAFFES tour package is experimental / progressive outfit, TripLip, and the show will also feature an opening set from local dual drum duo, Coca Cola Death Squad, or CCDS for short. The show is set to start at 8pm, and the entry fee for the show is only $8.

Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy

July 30, 2015

Believe it or not, if you were at the Titus Andronicus show at the Tralf Music Hall in 2013, you were among the first people in the world to hear tracks off of the band’s latest effort, The Most Lamentable Tragedy. While two years seems like a stretch from the first announcement of an album and its release date, after hearing it all the way through for the first time, it all makes a bit more sense now. This album is not only the band’s most ambitious release to date, but their most uncompromising, mentally engaging, and liveliest. The Jersey outfit really outdid themselves on this one, a tough task after some of their past work, crafting a 29 song, 93 minute “rock opera” of sorts, cited by front man Patrick Stickles as having underlying meanings rooted in manic depression and how it has affected him throughout his life. These[...]

Pitchfork Music Festival: Sunday

July 23, 2015

Just when you thought the day by day lineup of acts couldn’t get any better, Sunday happened. With no rain in sight, the crowd at the final day of the 2015 Pitchfork Music Festival did not hold back in the blistering sun during sets from Viet Kong, Waxahatchee, Caribou, Run the Jewels, Courtney Barnett, and many more. Check out the photos of Sunday’s action below. Single Mothers Viet Kong Waxahatchee Madlib & Freddie Gibbs Perfume Genius Courtney Barnett Jamie xx Caribou Run the Jewels Todd Terje & The Olsens Chance the Rapper Check out a full gallery of Sunday’s acts here, and if you missed any of Friday or Saturday’s shots, catch up here and here.  

Pitchfork Music Festival: Saturday

July 22, 2015

The Pitchfork Music Festival action continued into Saturday, just to be cut short midday by torrential down pouring and high winds. Luckily, the weather only caused a short delay, and gates opened back up to the anxious fest goers. The relentless rain had no effect on their spirits, as I saw of the most passionate and active crowds of the entire festival, almost as if the precipitation had helped in a way. Nearly every set I saw this past Saturday was incredible, but the major standouts were Future Islands and Bully. During both sets, I found myself too busy singing along every word to grab as many pictures as I would have liked. Check out the photos of Saturday’s action below. Jimmy Whispers Protomartyr Bully Future Brown Mr Twin Sister Kurt Vile and the Violators Parquet Courts A$AP Ferg Future Islands Sleater-Kinney  Vic Mensa Check out a full gallery of[...]

Pitchfork Music Festival: Friday

July 21, 2015

With the sun beating down on the growing lines of anxious festival goers and shouts from street vendors selling bottled water, I could see the excitement building within the crowd as the 2015 Pitchfork Music Festival was ready to kick off. As Union Park opened it’s doors, it slowly filled with boisterous music lovers, some running to be first in line at the stages. Musically, some indie’s biggest acts played, including CHVRCHES, Mac Demarco, Panda Bear, and a headlining set from Wilco. Check out the photos of Friday’s day time action below, along with photos from the Official Pitchfork Festival after party at the Subterranean featuring Pinkwash, Tenement, and Waxahatchee. Natalie Prass Jessica Pratt ILOVEMAKONNEN Mac DeMarco Panda Bear Iceage CHVRCHES Wilco Official Pitchfork Festival After Party feat. Waxahatchee w/Tenement and Pinkwash at the Subterranean  Pinkwash Tenement Waxahatchee Check out a full gallery of Friday’s acts here.

Tonight: Liturgy

July 20, 2015

The barrage of shows at Mohawk Place this year just keep on coming, and this week is no exception. This evening, the venue will host black metal (??) outfit Liturgy as the four piece continues to tour in support of its 2015 release, The Ark Work. Following a fairly substantial sonic departure from transcendental black metal sound on previous releases, the band took a more gothic, brooding electronic based approach on the newest record, which actually makes for an incredibly interesting listen. I have a feeling that these varied styles will make for a very off the wall and strange live performance. Performing on tour with Liturgy tonight is experimental / industrial duo, Yvette. Opening up the show will be the stellar local garage / noise rock act, JOHNS.  The show is set to take off tonight at 8pm, with tickets available at the door for $14.