Latest Posts

Tonight: Andy Pothier CD Release

January 8, 2015

I thought about writing a little blurb describing Andy Pothier, but I think he said it best himself. Referencing his new album, In Headlights, Pothier states, “Some of the records that mean the most to me have very little to them – the goal was something very minimal and subtle and I like to think that with In Headlights it’s in the same vein.” He’s pretty dead on – I’d recommend Andy Pothier to fans of Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, or even Modern Baseball. He’ll be bolstered tonight by two other solo acts, Sonny Baker and Damian (the latter clinched the top spot on our Best Songs of 2014 list), as well as The Observers and Tapered Creek. This show most definitely has a Mohawk Place vibe – doors are at 8:00pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173079134″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: Single Mothers

December 3, 2014

After quitting the band for a few years to do some gold prospecting (no, I’m not kidding), singer Drew Thomson has rejoined Single Mothers to come back with a vengeance. Let’s just say the London, Ontario punks are going to make Buffalo a filthier place tonight. Their songs are full of straightforward dirty guitars and half-grunted, half-Hold Steady vocals. A few words to describe these dudes: brash, dirty, self-loathing, and loud. Tonight’s support comes from some of WNY’s sleaziest sounding bands, including The Slums, Cal Dripken, and Rochester’s DRUSE… Sleazy in a good way of course. The show is at 6:30 at The Studio at the Waiting Room. $10, all ages.

Tonight: Real Friends

November 25, 2014

Emo/pop-punk band Real Friends (not to be confused with Buffalo’s Real People) will be stopping through Buffalo tonight in support of their new album, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing. Sad songs, mean songs, these Illinois-based guys do it all. RIYL the records Saves the Day, Brand New, or Taking Back Sunday were putting out a decade ago. Neck Deep, Cruel Hand, Have Mercy, and Cedar Kites will be opening the show tonight. You can still get $15 tickets if you hit up someone from Cedar Kites, otherwise the show is $17 at the door. Doors are at 6:00, 16+.

Tonight: Modern Baseball

November 12, 2014

The clever dudes in Modern Baseball seem to be riding high on a wave of interest in their awkward anti-pop musings about post-adolescence blues. It’s nothing short of endearing and relatable – see the startlingly frank acoustic musings about Twitter on “@chl03k” or the (somehow) nerdier version of Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin on tracks “Fine, Great.” Instagram and Twitter references aside, Modern Baseball songs are smart, relatable, and inherently infectious. RIYL The Front Bottoms, Tigers Jaw, or The Weakerthans. Opening this show is a veritable treasure trove of great underground emo. Knuckle Puck is classic pop-punk, but Somos, Foxing, and Crying each bring their own, excellent take on emo to the stage in different ways. Expect some sad, awkward, and conversely delightful chiptune from Crying, who we happened to catch up with earlier this week. Local support comes from Head North. Tickets for tonight are $15. Doors are at[...]

Tonight: Slingshot Dakota

November 3, 2014

I was lucky enough to catch a set from Topshelf Records’ Slingshot Dakota the last time they rolled through Buffalo at Sugar City. Singer Carly Comando had a wicked sore throat, but powered through an energetic set full bolstered solely by bouncy keyboards and drums. For lack of a better word, it was really punk. Luckily for us, the duo is back in Buffalo tonight supported by Real People (who also played last time they were here), Cross Stitch, and Red Heat. The show is $5, doors are at 6:00pm, music starts at 7:00pm, and it will be over by 10:00. Ask a punk if you don’t know where the Glitterbox is. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21281355″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: Pianos Become the Teeth

October 31, 2014

No costume? Abstaining from the spookiest of holidays? Well, you could probably still wear your costume to a show, but regardless, Pianos Become the Teeth are coming through Buffalo to provide a much-needed source of entertainment if you’re afraid of handing out candy on this rainy Halloween. In case you missed them last time they rolled around with Circa Survive, the post-hardcore band is back again, this time, hot of the release of their new LP,  Keep You. Tonight’s show is at The Tralf with support from ambient rockers Gates, fellow post-hardcore band Frameworks, and New Jersey’s Vasudeva. Doors are at 6:30 and it’s only $12 for a stacked lineup. Bring your kids if you want, it’s all ages too. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/91615193″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: New Found Glory

October 21, 2014

New Found Glory is approaching 20 years as a band and still going strong. Often credited alongside Blink-182 and Green Day as the godfathers of the genre, the pop-punk heroes will be hitting the Town Ballroom tonight in support of their freshly-released eighth album, Resurrection. Pogo, mosh, or whatever, tonight’s gonna be a lot of fun. Supporting NFG tonight are We Are The In Crowd, Candy Hearts, and Fireworks. Tickets are $24 at the door. Get there at 6:30. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9960957″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Europa & The Great Red Spot – Inside Voices

October 13, 2014

This week brings us yet another Rochester Album of the Week nod. Europa & The Great Red Spot‘s Inside Voices is a wonderfully understated LP full of fuzzy lo-fi gems. Riding mysteriously on a heavy space theme, it might as well be the sound of Europa itself spinning around Jupiter. Album opener “Din” is an immediate highlight. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between TV on the Radio and Local Natives, “Din” is a simmering slow-burner, with beautiful lyrics that touch on love, space, tattoos, and conflicting weather patterns. It’s a fitting introduction for an album full of hazy, lo-fi beauty. Another great dowsing rod for this band is the title track, “Inside Voices” – a six-minute, almost-instrumental epic worth getting lost inside. E&TGRS specialize in songs like these – swirly synths, shy guitars, and a pleasant, washy mix. On the other hand, “Redshift” walks the line of psychedelic – think the[...]

Tonight: Bayside

October 8, 2014

Tonight, Bayside is playing at the Waiting Room… But fans of Bayside probably already know that – they refer to themselves as a cult. For those Buffalonians who haven’t been indoctrinated yet, think passionate pop-punk/emo with a monster discography a la Saves the Day or Alkaline Trio. Just make sure you keep an eye out for rabid fans. The ex-The Movielife stalwarts in I Am The Avalanche and Seaway will be opening up the show tonight. $19 gets you in at 6:30. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/7040414″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: A Hotel Nourishing EP Release Show

October 3, 2014

After a dark, seven-year hiatus, A Hotel Nourishing (Sonny Baker and Cam Rogers) returns tonight to release some new music, the deeply textured and haunting Empty Gesture EP. The band will be taking the stage at the recently re-opened Mohawk Place, so get ready for a healthy dose of 2007-esque nostalgia. Joining AHN are Aircraft, Mr. Boneless, and Red Heat (their first show!). Doors open this evening at 8pm while music kicks off around 9pm. $5 cover.

Machine Gun English – I’m Too Tall For My Time Machine These Days

September 29, 2014

“They” say that rock n’ roll is dead; I think the Stainds and Creeds and Puddle of Mudds of the world are just getting smarter. Rock music is now led by bands like Black Keys and Cage the Elephant – its less about machismo and brain dead guitar distortion and more about bluesy goodness. Machine Gun English is kind of like a mix between the Arctic Monkeys and Wild Beasts. The Rochester three-piece is all about rock n’ roll and good times, and it shows through their music. “Body Shots” is an accurate representation of the band and a great way to open the EP. A chorus chant of “Are you ready to go?” coupled with a classic rock guitar riff is plenty to power through the four-minute banger. The band hits their stride hardest on “Thanks, But No Thanks,” the Wild Beast-iest of their tracks. I am reminded of[...]

Alleys Post Wordy New Music Video

September 22, 2014

Alleys get existential in their new video for “Can’t You Just Make Fun of the Way I Talk Again…?” Singer/drummer Sebastian Cichon literally faces himself in a minimalistic video featuring the two-piece’s riffy emo/skramz. Cichon’s distinctive Sprechgesang is equally heartfelt and heartbreaking over Alex Cadwalladder’s nimble guitar – recommended for fans of TWIABP or Nai Harvest… Just no matter what, don’t accuse these guys of being WR.

Pinback at Buffalo Iron Works (9/16/14)

September 17, 2014

With this odd polar vortex framing our upcoming winter, my sense of nostalgia has been going crazy. I have always felt like Buffalonians are allowed only a few short weeks of crisp sweater weather before we get annihilated with snow… So on went my flannel and my dollar store beanie – as I headed out my door to go see Pinback last night, I had a feeling it was going to be a night worth remembering. Luckily for me, Pinback was coming to Buffalo. I have resigned myself to the fact that I have to occasionally drive to Pittsburgh or Cleveland to catch my favorite bands. It’s just a fact of life… And when a soul-crushing shift at my job cost me a chance to see Cloud Nothings earlier this year,  I had been determined to get to Iron Works ever since. The cobblestone streets are a nice touch (maybe not[...]

Rochester’s princess//princess Releases New EP

September 10, 2014

Call it punk, call it lo-fi, or call it tweemo, Rochester’s princess//princess’ new EP is full of it. Upon reaching my goal, I am completely underwhelmed. is a set of six raucous bedroom-esque recordings full of bouncy guitar and, at times, some surprisingly dark lyrics. My personal favorite was the brooding “BFF <3 (metacaricature),” full of minor chords and lyrical curses like, “I won’t be there when you’re drowning in the ocean. I’ll be drenched in suntan lotion.” A close second was the album’s second, albeit upbeat metacaricature, “The Girls School (another metacaricature).” They’ve offered it up for free – follow the link to bandcamp below.

Tonight: Instead of Sleeping, Humble Braggers, and more

August 29, 2014

Pittsburgh, PA’s Instead of Sleeping has been through Buffalo three times already – and they always leave the stage having expelled more energy than one thought humanly possible. If that wasn’t enough convincing, there is also a stacked local lineup featuring Fredonia-fuzzmongers Zealot, the smooth piano pop of Darling Harbor, and the swimmy reverb of Humble Braggers. Tonight’s show is at the Ninth Ward. Tickets are $5 presale and $10 at the door. Be there for doors at 7:00pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/30317224″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]