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Day 4: the gifted children

December 17, 2014

There are certain absolutes that you can count on during the holiday season. The first is that you’ll definitely want to rip years ears off after hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” at least three dozens times by now. The second is that after saying “I’ll finally get a tree this year,” you won’t. The third is that Rochester’s the gifted children will release their impressive annual holiday album, with this year being no different. This week, Rochester grizzled vets, the gifted children, released their seventh annual holiday album.  Much like the six past years, the band somehow manages to put a cool indie tinge on the same songs you’ll hear at your nephew’s Holiday Pageant. Christmas, Volume 7, features some hip renditions of “Over the River and Through the Woods,””O Come All Ye Faithful,” and three different songs from The Nutcracker to name a few. My favorite[...]

Day 2: Jack Topht and Little Cake

December 15, 2014

I am very happy that Steak & Cake Records decided to release their second annual Christmas Meltdown compilation with singles staggered starting on December 13th for two reasons. The first is that last year’s December 23rd release could only be enjoyed for like 48 hours tops. The second is that it makes writing six out of the twelve “12 Days of Christmas” posts a lot easier. The first song from Steak & Cake Records’ holiday compilation comes from Allentown’s own Jay-Z and Beyonce, Jack Topht and Little Cake. Titled “Santa Bae,” the song puts a spin on the Christmas classic in a way that you could only expect from the alt-rapper and soulful songstress. If you have Jack Topht for secret Santa, buy him a DVD player.

SHEDS Release Debut Video

December 12, 2014

It’s no secret that the blog has been recently drooling over Lancaster-based act, SHEDS. With that being said, we were more than pumped to get a hold of the band’s debut music video for the song “HPBG” or high pressure basketball game. The video is very true to the title, clipping select moments from various intense NBA games and slicing them in a very dreamy direction. SHEDS is currently working on their upcoming full-length with an aim for a spring release, but I’m sure you can check back here as soon as there are any developments. SWISH.

Tonight: Secret Pizza (Early Show)

December 5, 2014

The Hoyt House has a pretty great bill tonight, which could be the perfect pre-game for tonight’s Wooden Waves release party.  The lineup is packed by three legit Rochester bands, headlined by Rochester’s growly shoegaze quartet, Secret Pizza. Also making the 75 miles journey west on 90 is power-pop four-piece, Cult Classic, and raucous Black Eyes with a punch-in-the-face duo, i cant stop wondering. From Buffalo is Real People/False Paul hybrid project, Stoop Kid, and making the return after a one year hiatus, Tony Rocky Horror. The show is supposed to start at 5pm, so tell your boss that you think you left your iron on or something around 3pm to leave you enough time to go home and change into your cool clothes. $3 cover.

Tonight: Tiny Rhymes & Andy Pothier

December 4, 2014

Tonight Allentown’s hippest low-key venue, Pausa Art House,  is set two host two up and coming acoustic acts coming out of Buffalo. On the bill is indie-folk quartet, Tiny Rhymes, a intricately pleasant act that’s lead by effortlessly gripping vocals. Sharing the stage is Andy Pothier, a local staple and current percussionist for Buffalo folk-stompers Pine Fever. Pothier’s delicate sound will make you want to pull your chair forward so you don’t miss anything. Doors are $7 or $5 if you still have your student ID with an 8pm start. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173536560″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Passion in Constellation Drops Latest Track in “We Want It All”

November 21, 2014

Local electronic producer, Passion in Constellation aka Chris Alan, released his brand new pure pop track titled “We Want It All.” The single is a collaboration with Cara Doyle, a local singer that has been completely under our radar up until now, but with this production with Alan, Doyle is definitely on our map. As far as the song goes, it’s an upbeat pop-gem, similar to a purer Grimes meets the synth pop stylings of Charlie XCX. “We Want It All,” on surface level is all about capturing the night, making the most of it, and taking command, but underneath it’s skin, the song is a lot deeper than this. The verses are millenial-tinged, singing about wrapping your fingers around a crystal ball and grasping love, life, and spirit.  With this latest production, Passion in Consellation continues to prove himself as an extremely skilled producer with the ability to operate solo[...]

The Absolutes

November 18, 2014

It may come to no surprise that buffaBLOG has a show this Saturday in Rochester due to the all-encompassing Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram teases. If this is the first post you’ve ever read on this website and have never visited our social media accounts, Hi. We put together a nice show on Saturday at the Bug Jar in Rochester with four bands and a DJ. As a matter of fact, I will tell you about one of the bands right now. Set to start Saturday night off with a bang is Rochester-based trio, The Absolutes. A long-time player in the local scene, the band’s retro power pop sound is similar to that of The Zombies, Elvis Costello, or more currently early Apples in Stereo. These garage rockers should be on early, like way earlier than you would expect bands to start on a Saturday night, so make sure you get[...]

Tonight: JoyCut

November 14, 2014

It’s not often that a band out of Italy plays Buffalo. It’s even rarer an Italian electronic band plays Broadway Joe’s, a venue usually associated with Punk’n Tots showcases and nu-metal. Tonight, Joycut is set to make their Buffalo debut as  part of the last leg of their tour, which was preceded by a European tour.  Needless to say, 2014 has definitely made use of the duo’s passports. Joycut’s sound is a dash industrial with a splatter of well-produced delicate and hypnotic electronica. This band’s performance is very lively, consisting of two live drummers/multi-percussionists tweaking computers and samples to make a cohesively gripping sound. If you like Sleep Party People, Fuck Buttons, Matthew Dear, or even Bergs Sans Nipple, than you should probably be at this show. I haven’t been able to come across a door time or cover, so let’s just say normal Friday night showtime and normal Friday[...]

Undergroud Electronic Producer, Davor, Drops “City Nights” Single

November 12, 2014

With the 2014 emergence of acts like Darksleep and FOTISPORN, Buffalo seems to have quite a few underground electronic producers lurking in it’s shadows, mostly releasing sultry bedroom compositions.  Another name to add to the club is home-studio act, Davor aka Davor Majdandzic, a Burlington expat turned Buffalo pioneer. His latest single, “City Night,” is a cut of playful electro pop, dripping in youth and innocence. Take a listen below.

Slight – “Run”

November 12, 2014

Rochester’s music scene has had an amazing 2014. From breakout national hits like Joywave’s “Tongues” to strong tracks by local staples like Mikaela Davis, Harmonica Lewinski, and Secret Pizza, to name a few. Some good things must come to an end, though, as the city took a hit with the early 2014 announcement that one of the most notable bands in the scene, Cottage Jefferson, would be splitting up, with lead singer/guitarist Jim Hill packing his bags and heading to New York City. When God closes a door, he opens a window though because this morning, Hill shared with the internet his new Brooklyn-spired two track demo, Run, under the project name Slight. Fans of CJ’s fuzzed out college rock can breath easy as Slight manages to conjure up visions of Yuck on the EP’s title track. Listen below.

Gillian – “Out & Out”

November 4, 2014

Over the weekend, we received an e-mail from Brooklyn-based indie-pop quintet, Gillian. Fronted by former Rochester resident, Geoff Bennington, Gillian is almost the total package, a polished sound with incredibly catchy, developed melodies that fans of Broken Social Scene, Sheer Mags, Los Campesinos!, or The Cast of Cheers would love. The band has two shows in Rochester this winter, with the first being Sunday, December 7th at the Bug Jar. The second is January 23rd with two bands we’ve been talking about this week, Bryan Johnson & Family and Talking Under Water. Don’t just listen to “Out & Out.” The whole EP, The Eyes In My Head, is phenomenal.

Slap Bracelets – “The Wendigo”

October 30, 2014

New York City based shoegaze duo, Slap Bracelets, is comprised of Debbie Chou (vocals/bass/ keys) and Chris Gersbeck (vocals/guitars/bass/programming). The band has the ability to be both sweet and dreamy (listen to “The Wendigo”), but can also put on the edge to a more raucous classic punk sound. Expect a mix of Depeche Mode, Lower Dens, and Haim, and you are good to go. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114147567″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Camp Counselors Releases “Sighs” on Halloween Compilation No. 2: Gatherings

October 30, 2014

Spookytacular WNY expat, Kyle J. Reigle, records under the moniker Camp Counselors and for the second year in a row, released another track to producer’s yet-to-be-created slasher flick. The creepy new single “Sighs” has the same feel as Camp Counselors previous works, pairing well with fog coming from the ground, being unsure you locked your door on a windy night, and irrational fears that Freddy Krueger is actually a real person that wants to kill you. The track is included on Halloween Compilation No. 2: Gatherings, the second annual seasonal collection released via Reigle’s Snowbeast Records label. Gatherings also includes contributions from Teen Daze, Psychic Twin, and Medina native, Seismograph. Listen to the full comp here, and check out “Sighs” below.

Comfy Releases New Singles

October 29, 2014

Utica, New York’s Comfy is a band that’s buzz, unlike Ebola, has been spreading all over New York State, from the jampacked DIY shows in Brooklyn to the dimly lit basements of Buffalo and every cool house show in between. Last week, while prepping for their super legit slot on the Miscreant & Father/Daughter co-sponsored showcase at Silent Barn, Comfy released two new tracks, “Dreamy” and “People Talking.” The band’s sound is in the same realm of Swearin’, The Babies, and Krill with a hint of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. With a forthcoming EP set to be released soon via Miscreant Records, Comfy is a band that you should have in your band vocabulary because there is a chance they may be playing top secret show in Buffalo at some point this week.

Tonight: Diarrhea Planet

October 27, 2014

Without a doubt, party-punk act Diarrhea Planet is one of the most talked about bands rising in the ranks of the blogosphere. Another consensus is the off-putting band name, which some dismiss before giving them an actual listen. I, for one, think the band name sounds like a writer for a failed 90’s teen comedy came up with fictional grunge band playing a high school prom. “Like… Diarrhea Planet are totally playing prom. Duh.” The band’s sound is big, almost like if you took the good parts of Weezer, with the energy of Andrew W.K, and Nashville-style of labelmates Jeff the Brotherhood. To boot, Diarrhea Planet’s live show is incredibly engaging. This past month, I caught them in Brooklyn’s soon-to-be-closed DIY space Death By Audio, where I witnessed the sextet crunch itself onto a tiny stage, pump out jammers to a sweaty, constantly crowd surfing audience intent on pulling down the drop ceiling[...]