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Bryan Johnson & Family Signs to Admirable Traits, Releases “Dead Fox” Single

October 8, 2014

Local lake-pop act, Bryan Johnson & Family, have announced that their new EP, Cool Your Jets, will be released next month via Admirable Traits, a record label with Buffalo and Brooklyn roots. The album’s first single, “Dead Fox,” just premiered this morning, and BJ & crew absolutely kill it. The guitar and vocals are pristine, the melody as bouncy as expected, and the production is wonderful. The song is a fantastic power-pop jam that refuses to let summer die. Bryan Johnson & Family will be celebrating the release of Cool Your Jets on Thursday, November 6th at the Waiting Room’s newly opened upstairs studio. The $10 cover includes a physcal copy of the EP. Mallwalkers and Del Paxton will be providing support. Listen to “Dead Fox” below.

Tonight: We/Ours

October 6, 2014

Minnapolis noise quartet, We/Ours, will be making a West Side stop this evening as part of a solid showcase down at the Glitter Box. Featuring members of Casual Users, Frozen Teens and the Sundowners, We/Ours are a fuzz-noise band with the ability create hooks that sound like the Besnard Lakes if they never left the basement. Take a few minutes to listen their demo to get a better idea. Glitter Box regulars Aaron & the Burrs and Mink help round out the bill along with a fresh local act, SHEDS, making its debut live appearance. $5 will get you into the basement tonight. Doors at 6pm, music at 7pm, leave at 10pm. Very economical.

Just Announced: The Tragically Hip

October 6, 2014

Buffalo’s favorite Canadian act, the Tragically Hip, will be returning to town this spring, Saturday, April 18th, with a show set for the First Niagara Center. After a triumphant solo set this past summer at Canalside, Gord Downie and crew will be making their annual trip to the Queen City, back into the arms of a fan base that has pretty much adopted the band as its own. Geography aside, the Hip is a Buffalo band. Don’t let a silly border tell you other wise. The band will be on tour to commemorate the reissue of its third album, Fully Completely (originally released in 1992). The 2-disc reissue is set to drop on November 18th. As for the show, tickets go on sale Saturday, October 18th at 10am. Prices range from $32.50 – $99.00

Today: Buffalo Porchfest

October 4, 2014

Well, its pretty awful out. After almost two straight weeks of nearly perfect weather, its currently pouring. But, the Elmwood Village’s third installment of the Buffalo Porchfest will continue on. Many of the porches that volunteer do have some sort of covering. Mine, unfortunately, does not, so I may have to get a little creative. Bands will be scattered all over the Elmwood Village this afternoon, stretching from Allentown to almost Buff State. You can reference the map and full band schedule, which includes sets from blog favorites like Difficult Night and Pine Fever’s Andy Pothier, here to start planning your soggy afternoon. Music begins at noon and runs staggered until 4pm.

The RealBads Drop “Prom Night” Music Video

October 3, 2014

Beyond paying attention to the music scene in Buffalo and Rochester, we like to explore a bit in Ithaca and Syracuse’s music scene. Today was a good day to poke around, because Ithaca’s the Realbads just released their debut video, “Prom Night,” off the forthcoming album, Here Come The RealBads (Sweet Baby God Records). The album was recorded with Binghamton producer Hunter Davidsohn, who also worked on the new Porches and Frankie Cosmos records. As for the song/track, “Prom Night” sounds like a fuzzed out yet dreamy version of Sharon Van Etten or Angel Olsen with a touch of Jefferson Airplane thrown in. The animated video is a bit of a mind trip, tracking a purple mannequin through a variety of scenes that someone less sober than I may be able to decipher. Check out the Realbads music over on their bandcamp page and watch the video for “Prom Night” below.

Jon Lewis Releases Animated Video For “Tomorrow”

October 2, 2014

Earlier this week, we came across the new music video for “Tomorrow,” a Jens Lekman-esque track from Rochester singer/songwriter, Jon Lewis. The animated clip, which was directed by Johnny Mchone (Adult Swim’s Mr. Pickles), features a reflective, gumby-like man looking at past memories and getting sucked into the drawing. Kids who grew up on Nickelodeon in the early 90s should get a nice shot of nostalgia from the clip. Check out Lewis’ material on bandcamp and watch the video for “Tomorrow” below.

CHVRCHES/Interpol/Lykke Li @ Oakland’s Fox Theater (9/18/14-9/20/14)

October 2, 2014

Our former contributing photographer, Sean Mikula, sadly left town a couple years ago. After a stop in Chicago, he eventually settled in the Bay Area in California. While we won’t be seeing him shooting at the Ballroom any time soon, we are happy to have him back, submitting some great shots from his concert travels on the west coast. He recently shot a triple feature over a September weekend of CHVRCHES, Interpol, and Lykke Li at Oakland’s Fox Theater, and we are happy to share some of his pictures. Keep an eye out for future photo spreads from Sean. To check out some of additional work, visit his website here. Photo Credit – Sean Mikula

Sunny Union Premieres New Single, “Wild Mountain Thyme”

September 30, 2014

Late last week, Rochester born folk act, Sunny Union (the moniker of Sunny Zaman), released the first track from his forthcoming album, Wollstonecraft II, the follow up to the January released Wollstonecraft. Titled “Wild Mountain Thyme,” the rustic number is full of gorgeous, Fleet Foxes harmonies, and contemplative acoustic plucking. The song was originally written by folk singer Francis McPeake and has been covered by White Antelope, the solo project of Robin Pecknold (speaking of Fleet Foxes). The now Brooklyn-based musician plans to release the full album sometime next month, so keep an eye out. Listen to Zaman’s take of “Wild Mountain Thyme” below.

Wild Bear Drops New Track, “Bloody Lips”

September 29, 2014

After getting our attention with the Grizzly Bear/CANT-esque debut single, “Glass Ceilings,” the intriguing new electro project, Wild Bear, quickly returned with its follow up track over the weekend.  Titled “Bloody Lips,” the song is eerie and vocalless, with an air of menace that never quite surfaces, reminding me quite a bit of former Buffalo project, Camp Counselors. Check out the song below.

Tonight: Cliffs

September 25, 2014

Buffalo Iron Works is sporting a formative bill of indie rock later on tonight, highlighted by Columbus duo, Cliffs. The pair is on night two of its first tour and Iron Works is as good of a place to keep the good times rolling. Cliff’s crunchy brand of garage pop and shouting vocals evoke bands like Jeff the Brotherhood, Free Energy and a touch of Japandroids. The local support is all over the place in terms of sounds. You have the manic, steamfolk Mr. Boneless, some looping singer/songwriter material from Matt Script, and the always pleasing peppy surf-rock from Bryan Johnson & Family, who just yesterday finally announced their long awaited, new EP. Music begins this evening at 8pm. Cover is probably $5.

Just Announced: Diarrhea Planet

September 22, 2014

Raucous Nashville sextet, Diarrhea Planet, will be taking over the newly re-opened Mohawk Place on a usually sedated Monday, next month on October 27th. Currently on tour with Jeff the Brotherhood (although not at the Buffalo gig), DP was getting some serious buzz last year following the release of its debut album, I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. The less than appetizing band name certainly didn’t hurt either. Tickets should go on sale very soon, so keep your eyes pealed.

Just Announced: Centro-Matic

September 22, 2014

This past weekend, Denton, TX  indie outfit, Centro-Matic, posted on its website that its upcoming December tour would be last as the quartet plans to go on an indefinite hiatus following the tour dates. The four-piece has been kicking around since the mid 90s, releasing some great, under-the-radar records, including its most recent, 2014’s Take Pride In Your Long Odds, a record that appears to be the band’s final. The farewell tour is set to include a stop in Buffalo at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Sunday, December 14th. The show is presented by Funtime, the talent buyers behind most of the shows at the Town Ballroom, Thursdays at Canalside, and the Outer Harbor Concert Series. The Centro-Matic show will be a part of a new series from Funtime at the Amherst Street venue, following last month’s Lydia Loveless show and this month’s Mike Watt date. Local crunchy, alt-country act, Roger Bryan &[...]

Tonight: Ava Luna

September 18, 2014

As you should know by now, Mohawk Place officially reopened its doors last week with a three night, grand reopening weekend that saw bands from the venue’s past and, until it closed up shop in early 2013, present return to start a new era of live music at the downtown stomping ground. While I haven’t been back since they reopened, I heard that the woman’s bathroom already successfully flooded, so some things never change… Anyways, tonight is as good of a night as any to make a return stop as Brooklyn’s Ava Luna will be hitting the stage. The band is new-era hipster soul, combining elements of doo-wop and the DIY spirit. Fans of the Talking Heads, Dirty Projectors, and Mayer Hawthorne would gladly get down to Ava Luna. Supporting Ava Luna this evening is the shimmering pysch pop of Celestial Shore and local indie act Mink, which features past members of[...]

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Poison Touch”

September 18, 2014

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have reached that “can’t do wrong” status with me. Their fuzzy and sometimes reverb heavy take at indie pop is near perfection in my eyes, and it may not be better exemplified than on their latest track, the shimmering and peppy, “Poison Touch.” Set to be included in the expanded edition of 2014’s Days of Abandon, the song once again features Jen Goma of A Sunny Day in Glasgow on lead vocals. “Poison Touch” stands up well next to Days of Abandon‘s best track, “Kelly,” also featuring Goma after former member Peggy Wang moved on from the band. The expanded edition of Days of Abandon will be released next week on September 23rd. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168036509″ params=”color=ff5500″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Just Announced: DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist

September 17, 2014

After a few weeks of rumors, local promoter, Mike T. Marshall, just confirmed on his facebook page that influential DJ/producer, DJ Shadow, will be playing the Town Ballroom on Tuesday, November 11th along with Cut Chemist. Born as Joshua Davis and referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix of sampling,” Shadow is best known for his genre defining, debut release Endtroducing…, and for the development of the experimental instrumental hip hop scene. The two DJs will be in town for the vinyl-only, Renegades of Rhythm tour, honoring Afrika Bambaataa. I am not much of a DJ guy, but even I know this is a big one. Tickets are on sale right now for $27.50 in advance, $30 day of. I am guessing this show never reaches that day of price so buy your tickets now.