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Tonight: San Fermin

April 12, 2016

While Baroque pop may have been perhaps indie rock’s biggest scene in the mid-2000s, it’s a sound that has increasingly been disappearing in recent years. Lucky for fans of bands like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, and Menomena; San Fermin arrived to pick up that ball and roll with it. Based out of the original hub for much of that scene, San Fermin hails from Brooklyn, New York, and it’s something you can hear in their music. The band artfully juxtaposes the classical compositions of band leader Ellis Ludwig-Leone with their raw rock sound to create something personal but massive in scale. San Fermin is a band who have been steadily rising and growing a fan base while avoiding any of the ‘hype band’ tags that causes many artists to fizzle out. Instead they have been quietly winning plaudits from NPR and The New York Times and blowing the unsuspecting public[...]

Tonight: The Mountain Goats

April 6, 2016

Officially celebrating 25 years together as a band, 2016 marks an important landmark for The Mountain Goats. The band originally arrived with a wave of similar mid-90s lo-fi folk rock bands but became bonafied legends for John Darnielle’s unique gift as a storyteller. Darnielle has always has a unique approach to songwriting by investing in different concepts from album to album and finding humanity in it, whether it’s religion, addiction, mental health, or as in their latest release, professional wrestling. Beat the Champ, continues in the tradition of the band’s long lineage but finds Darnielle and company operating in a slightly more playful and adventerous space then recent efforts. Tonight’s show at Asbury Hall marks the first show the indie rock legends have played in our fair city in 5 years and it’ll be interesting to see how new material melds with their classics. If the band’s live show is[...]

Tonight: Acid Mothers Temple

April 2, 2016

Tonight Mohawk Place will be home to one of the most tripped out, mind-bending experiences to hit Buffalo in a long time. Japanese cult legends, Acid Mothers Temple, will stop by to bring their unique conscinousness-expanding psyc-rock to the unexpecting public. With nearly 100 albums to their name between their live and studio work, this is a band that never ceases working or experimenting. Acid Mothers Temple mix everything from loud distorted guitars to jazz instrumentation to electro breakbeats and howled vocals. Rather than make music for the general public or even as a means of self-expression, Acid Mothers Temple founder, Kawabata Makoto, has said that he aims to immerse people into a world of collected sounds he hears through life. With an incredible live reputation behind them and a sound that’s this wholy unique, it’s safe to say that tonight show at Mohawk Place will be like nothing you’ve ever[...]

Tonight: David Wax Museum

March 23, 2016

Fresh off a much-buzzed about sting at this year’s SXSW, Buffalo is joined tonight by David Wax Museum. The duo hails from Charlottesville, VA, and plays a unique and winning blend of folk rock and Mexican-styled music that they’ve entitled Mexo-Americana. The band’s retro inspired instrumentation is clearly on display and the Mexican influence can clearly be heard on singles like “Born with a Broken Heart” and “Guesthouse”. That said with the band’s focus on pounding percussive rhythms and acoustic guitar, David Wax Museum’s sound also calls to mind the music of experimental folk artists like Dodos. For those looking to see a band who seem just on the verge of being the next big thing, with a clearly defined adventurous sound, should look no further than 9th Ward tonight.  $15 cover.

Feverbox Release New Single

March 10, 2016

Buffalo’s Feverbox might not be from the Heartland, but one listen might be enough to fool you. Reminiscent of bands like The Black Keys and Alabama Shakes, Feverbox arrive as a band with a deep soulful blues rock sound. Their latest single ‘Voices’ is an absolute full-fired barnburner of a song. “Voices” is drenched in atmosphere and is absolutely infectious, with one of the slickest hooks I’ve heard in a rock tune this year. If you find yourself lamenting the recent lack of great blues rock bands, the Queen City might not be the first place you’d think to look, but Feverbox proves it might be the best place to look. Catch them on April 15th at Dreamland with Bryan Johnson and Family, Skirts, and Dreambeaches. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/250124709″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze Release Impressive EP

March 2, 2016

With nearly every city having a crowded folk scene, it takes a truly special talent to stand out; and that’s why we take the time to bring you, Rochester’s Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze. At the tail end of 2016, when the music blogosphere was busy compiling their top lists of 2015,  McQueen quietly released  her EP titled Entangled. While the sharp songwriting and mesmerizing vocals of her earlier release seem to continue to have grown, it’s the addition of the grand layered arrangements that help it stand out from the work of other local singer-songwriters. Each song from opener “Long Gone” to “SMIC” have sweeping instrumentation that give them an energy and passion often missing from the local folk scene. This is not to miss the excellent songwriting though, with title tracks like “Entangled,” Madeleine finds a way to perfectly sum up the conflicting barrage of emotions that swirl around one when[...]

Column 36: The Performance of Pablo

February 18, 2016

In Screened Plays I normally write about the relationship of film/television and music, that’s exactly what today’s article was originally intended to be, before this all got a bit bigger. Last week I had the pleasure of being part of the Yeezy Season 3 theater experience which was beamed into theaters in eighty cities across the world (including our very own Regal Elmwood) which would debut Kanye West’s new album and fashion line. While the show itself was rather unspectacular, essentially a glorified listening party with Kanye passing the aux cable around like a 2am Curb ride. The album itself and it’s rollout however, have been far more fascinating. To the point where this week’s Screened Play will be looking at a far different performance, the one of Kanye’s release. Which is to say, do we now think there’s a chance this entire release has been performance art? Kanye has[...]

Northern Spies Drop Do/Postcard

February 10, 2016

Today’s delightful bit of new music comes from Rochester’s indie rockers, Northern Spies. The band hasn’t given us new music to cherish in sometime since their 3-track EP in 2014, but with a recent Christmas single and two new tracks, it seems these guys are gearing up for something. The first single is “Do” a playful and energetic rocker that has a distinctly 90s alt rock sound. It’s an infectious little jam that easily worms it’s way inside your earholes and doesn’t seem to want to leave. Following that is “Postcard,” a track that seems to find it’s roots in the indie rock tradition of bands like Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, it’s this lovely meandering jam that shows a different side to the band and makes me excited for what’s to come. Let’s hope these two tracks are just the beginning of what’s to come for us from[...]

Faire Écho – Child of Rage

February 8, 2016

Before the break, I mentioned that going into the new year buffaBLOG would be keeping you up to date on every new and exciting voice in local music. So it’s after eagerly waiting 30 long days that I can finally share with you one of those voices; Faire Écho. Faire Écho is the electronic brainchild of Buffalo native and former Sleepy Haha’s bassist, Derek Sullivan. Now residing in Neu-Ulm, Germany; Sullivan has taken to producing music full-time and the first results are nothing short of breathtaking. Child of Rage is the name of his forthcoming work, a loose concept album based around the destructive power of childhood pain and fear. The album follows a haunting series of vocal samples that thematically ties the work together using what sounds like childhood therapy sessions and chilling eyewitness accounts. While the album itself is still awaiting a release, Sullivan has released a collection[...]

Matt Script Reveals New Video

December 23, 2015

Last week saw the premiere of the new video for Buffalo singer-songwriter Matt Script’s catchy new single, “See You Anymore.” The video was shot almost entirely on Snapchat and has a manic energy and offbeat sense of humor that perfectly reflects the breezy single. The new song is reminscent of bands like Wavves or FIDLAR but decidedly more melodic and harmonious. It’s impressive how effortless and infectious “See You Anymore” is when one would guess it’s creation was anything but. The track is a brief taste of his new album sharing the same name but leaves me eagerly awaiting to hear more in 2016.

Nylon Otters Reveal Debut Demos

December 16, 2015

At buffaBLOG, we try to make it our duty to keep an ear to the ground for the newest and most exciting in local music. We do this so that when we come across a band with an exciting sound and unique voice we can bring them to you first; Nylon Otters are just such a band. Nylon Otters is a Buffalo-based garage rock band with a distinctly lo-fi 90’s sound and has just released a series of demos. Being a series of demos, the songs have an obvious rawness to them, but across all eight tracks, Nylon Otters demonstrate a real fire and energy to their sound. Tracks like the blistering opener “Parrots” demonstrate their more playful side while “Down Drained” shows a shaggier improvisational side to their sound. The band’s sound can be compared to the trend of recent grungy garage rock from artists like Cloud Nothings or[...]

The Black Ships – Dead Empires

December 15, 2015

The question of what would have happened in a world where Joy Division still exists is one of pop culture’s enduring questions. And while the Manchester foursome may have never been able to answer, Saratoga Springs’ The Black Ships may be able to, at least sonically. Awash in the same emotional bleakness and unease as Joy Division, and the same new wave pop hooks as New Order, the band finds a middle ground that immediately wins over fans of both groups. This, however, is no mere tribute band. While it’s easy to spot their influences, The Black Ships are making a definitive statement on Dead Empires. This is a act that sounds wholly unlike any other band in the upstate NY area but arrives fully confident in their technique and vision. Take for example the stellar “Sea of Cortez.” While the band’s synth/guitar combo gives a rather new wave vibe, The Black[...]

The Wombats

November 25, 2015

It was eight years ago the Wombats burst onto the scene, just fresh-faced youngsters at the time armed with roaring guitars, hooks galore, and a cheeky sense of humor to them. Since then, the band’s sound and popularity have only grown, with the group experimenting with electronics, approaching darker subject matter, and thrilling crowds at some of the world’s biggest music festivals from Glastonbury to Coachella. Earlier this year, the band released their latest album Glitterbug, which saw the Wombats’ new electro-pop sound flourish. The band has become famous for it’s raucous live show (a sweaty dance party of back to back singalongs), and tonight, brings that show to Buffalo. Prior to their set tonight at Waiting Room, I had the chance to chat with drummer Dan Haggis about the band’s changing sound and upcoming show. buffaBLOG: So the band’s sound seems to have change over the years, with your first record, A[...]

Orations Share New EP, Incantation

November 24, 2015

With two back-to-back weekends of 80’s dance parties and recent shows from Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Replacements cover bands, it’s fair to say that the spirit of the decade is alive and well in Buffalo. So if you miss the pulsating bass lines of New Order’s Peter Hook or the shimmering jangle pop guitar of the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, then Buffalo’s Orations should have you covered. The band just released its sophomore EP/7″, Incantation, and it’s four tracks of invigorating, post-punk gems. Orations show their immense range on Incantation, generating an ability to seamlessly transfer from the dreamy pop sounds of opening number, “Curses,” to the more nocturnal punk sounds of tracks like “Nosedive.” This is no imitation, though. While Orations dig from a plethora of 80’s sounds, there’s no particular band they seem to sounds like. Rather, Incantation is the sound of a band who grew up loving[...]

Tonight: 80’s Party for the Food Bank

November 20, 2015

It’s that time of year. As the holidays approach, families and friends are getting together to celebrate the season and each others’ company. But obviously, for many stricken by poverty, this is a difficult season. So while sharing good will with your loved ones, it’s important to remember to help those who need it, and thankfully, the Food Bank of WNY is putting on a fantastic benefit event tonight to do just that. DJs Rick Vallone and Sal Sciandra will be spinning the best in 80’s music for one hell of a dance party, with cuts including the new wave sounds of Talking Heads and Blondie, the pop classics of Madonna and Whitney Houston, and the origins of hip-hop from N.W.A. and Rakim. Handlebar will also be featuring 80’s-inspired drinks specials and be showing the best (or worst) in 80’s movie goodness. So prepare to bust out the leg warmers[...]