Latest Posts

Every Time I Die – From Parts Unknown

June 30, 2014

Do I really need to introduce Every Time I Die? Maybe I should, because every person who listens to them winds up with a melted face. I’m not kidding, check any comment section on any reviews of any of their albums. Anyone who has ever been to their perpetually sold-out Christmas shows knows what ETID is all about: brutal, guitar smashing, oft-hilarious dudes playing ugly chords on Lisa Frank guitars. What isn’t amazing about that? All that aside, ETID is nothing short of legendary. Album number seven is called From Parts Unknown, and this time around, ETID have enlisted Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou as a producer. Let me tell you something. It shows. This is ETID’s heaviest stuff yet. Album opener “The Great Secret” was my personal favorite song, probably because it was like two minutes of getting punched in the face. I like to listen to music to relax and drown out the[...]

Tonight: Caddywhompus, Aircraft, and Zealot

June 26, 2014

Tonight will be a glorious night. A night full of experimental indie pop, psychedelica, and walls of sound. Caddywhompus will be blessing us Buffalonians with their presence after traveling all the way from New Orleans. I couldn’t describe their sound better myself: “With a daunting assortment of amplifiers and effects-pedal tweakery, the duo executes its incredibly loud and at times nearly overwhelming sets with an impeccable musicianship and live presence. Song structures alternate between sweet psychedelic indie ballads to the most intense, ear-splitting of noise-driven crescendos” Tonight’s support comes from the one and only Aircraft, known for their fine psychedelic-indie rock. Rounding out the pack will be one of buffaBLOG’s favorite younger bands, Zealot, and their fuzzed out lo-fi. The entrance fee to Dreamland (on Franklin) is only $5, and make sure you bring your own beer.

Quiet Country Audio

June 16, 2014

If you follow buffaBLOG at all, you should be familiar with Quiet Country Audio. Although it functions as a full-blown recording studio, the men at QCA specialize in high-quality live video sessions of local and national bands. As one of our curators for Herd Fest, they have picked several local artists (and one out-of-towner) with QCA sessions under their belts. Their showcase will be held on June 20th at DBGB’s beginning at 10pm and mostly features bands from the emo and pop punk spectrum. Ghost House is QCA’s pick from NJ and fits in nicely with the other emo/punk heavyweights from Buffalo. Cedar Kites is next up, reminiscent of Brand New and Balance and Composure. Rust Belt Lights is the punkiest of the bunch, riding fast tempos and crunchy guitars. The Traditional are just coming off finishing their new album, and will probably have plenty of new, heavily-emotional material to show off. Wrapping[...]

Tonight: Aircraft and Bearhunter

June 13, 2014

This is one busy Friday! With shows happening all over the city, one particular destination that should be of note is M&T’s Second Friday series in front of the Burchfield Penny. Tonight’s showcase features performances from Aircraft at 5:30pm and Bearhunter at 7:00pm. The bands will be playing in the front yard until the sun goes down. Of course the event is free – the gallery will be open until 8:00pm. There will also be art-making workshops, book signings, and a movie screening at dusk.

Tonight: The 2nd Annual B-Lo Invasion Homecoming Show

June 8, 2014

Has it really been a year already? Tonight is the 2nd Annual B-Lo Invasion Homecoming Show featuring the same star-studded lineup as last year. Jacob Smolinski will be taking a break from his tenure in his new band, Local Onlys, to reprise his role with The Cascos, and there is bound to be excitement from the Matt Danger Lippman-fronted Brimstone Blondes. Last but not least is Victory For Poland, who have been crashing our top 20 lists since we discovered them. In case you weren’t already sold, here is a quote from Smolinski himself: “Last summer, it was wild. This summer? Wilder. Be there or be square.” The show is $10 at the door and starts at 7:00pm at Babeville. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/62242753″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

American Stories – Horse Beard

May 26, 2014

American Stories is an interesting band. Their new album Horse Beard is a mashup of genres, namely psychedelic, folk, punk, americana, and emo. The opening track, and perhaps Horse Beard‘s strongest, is “Programmed.” The song is reminiscent of something Beck would have written in the late 90s, or even blissful indie rock like Built to Spill. At times, it dips into something 60s influenced, but it maintains  the sort of loose slacker vibe you would expect from a musician like Beck, or the fuzzy warmth from a jangly BTS jam. “All The Same” takes these already strong sensibilities and wraps them in a shroud of the kind of emo you’d come to expect from Sunny Day Real Estate. I’m only two songs in but if you’re guessing you might find a pattern here, you’re right. American Stories are genre hoppers, and typically, it would make an album sound like it lacks direction. That[...]

I Can See Mountains Has Gone Beachy

May 21, 2014

I thought I had viewed the last moments of I Can See Mountains last year. It was a bittersweet show full of catchy riffs, half sung/half spoken vocals, and even a display of acrobatics when Matt Cox jumped onto the rafters of the Waiting Room and swung himself around (much to the chagrin of club security). Much to our delight, ICSM isn’t quite out for the count. Cousins Matt Cox and Kevin Hoffman decided to continue on with the band and have just released a new EP called Gone Beachy. Recorded at Quiet Country Audio, the three song EP is full of the catchy wordplay and upbeat emo that made ICSM a fan favorite in the first place. “My Acquatic” sounds like a Hoffman/Cox fronted Cloud Nothings, bolstered by that huge beginning riff. Soon enough, “She’s My Bobby Orr Pt. II” brings us back to the ICSM we’re used to. “Bald”[...]

Tonight: Del Paxton Vinyl Release Show

May 17, 2014

Today is a busy day!  Between Porch Fest, graduations, and what seems like a billion other shows at your disposal, this one might take the cake. Del Paxton is releasing their fantastic EP, Worst. Summer. Ever., on vinyl and is throwing a show to celebrate.  I don’t know about you, but those mint green records/t-shirts are calling my name. Backing up the Paxt tonight will be their buds in Living Room, Real People, and Newish Star. Ask a punk where the Glitterbox is and get there by 6:00pm.

Tonight: Matt Pryor

May 13, 2014

Matt Pryor is one of those men who unintentionally became one of the founding fathers of a genre that would eventually come to be called “emo.” He and his band, The Get Up Kids, conquered the late 90s and early 00s with a string of passionate and critically acclaimed albums full of emotional indie rock.  He’s here in Buffalo tonight for an intimate acoustic show with a cast of other emo/pop punk greats. Joining Pryor is Bob Nanna (Hey Mercedes/Braid), Steve Soboslai (Punchline), Mark Rose (Spitalfield), and Anthony Musior from Buffalo-based band The Traditional. Doors are at 7:00pm, only $12 at the door. Tonight’s show has been moved to The Gypsy Parlor. All tickets purchased from The Waiting Room will be honored. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112615180″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Seahaven – “Karma Consequential”

April 29, 2014

Seahaven have traded distortion for chilled-out guitars and effected drums on this ambient track from Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/140537809″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Stepfriends Premiere New Song From Forthcoming LP

April 25, 2014

Lucky day! We here at buffaBLOG have recently stumbled upon an exclusive track from the new Stepfriends LP, set to drop by early summer. Stepfriends, of course, is a collective of sorts, featuring all sorts of musicians from the WNY area, but mainly focuses around the duo of Johnny Lucas (from Buffalo but currently based in NJ) and Greg McClure (who you might recognize from Buffalo-based band Del Paxton). “I Know You” blends a subtle horn section, some beautiful vocal harmonies, and nimble guitar lines.  Check it out below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/146290766″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Nelson-Type – Cycles

April 21, 2014

Nelson-Type is just one of “those” bands. Ever since the duo released 2011’s excellent Grow Homeless, Grow Unbound, we buffaBLOGGERs have been waiting anxiously for their next release. It’s been three long years and, yes… we admit (at times), we believed the rumors that grad school and the comforts of a full-time job had claimed Nelson-Type for good. But for a couple of yes-men who took their name from a man whose trademark is a long, exaggerated “yeeeeeeesssss,” it was hard to imagine a batch of songs going unfinished. Luckily for us, Cycles came out this week. Six songs of pure, unadulterated Nelson-Type glory, ripe for the listening. “Games” kicks off this EP, making use of swirly guitars, high gentle tenor vocals, and about just as much reverb as anyone could stomach. With no accompaniment from any percussion, Nelson-Type opted instead to fill out this song with just a touch of[...]

Tonight: Et al.

April 16, 2014

Baltimore’s Et al. will be touring through Spiral Scratch today, bringing their new-wavey guitar-driven pop along with them. In case you missed the Queen City Lottery Showcase, two of the bands have “made it” and are acting as support tonight. Nail School, featuring members of Space Wolves, Merchants, and JOHNS, and NELJÄ (who suggest they might be your favorite of the night) will be playing, as well as Deutscher Girls, who will probably be in drag. The show starts at 6:00pm and will feature free cookies, free beer, and plenty of sick vinyls to flip through while you enjoy some live music. A mere $5 will get you this fantastic experience.  

Delplato & Kujawski – Strings & Chords

April 14, 2014

I am treated to the best of the best of local music from week to week. Over the past few years, I have had an opportunity to objectively review and appreciate a wide variety of music that comes my way. That being said, nothing ever seems to grip me like a release from Anthony Delplato. This time he has a partner, Brad Kujawski. Together, Delplato & Kujawski have put together Strings & Chords. I might have already had a biased opinion going into this review… but let’s just say Deplato & Kujawski didn’t let me down. “We Sail” starts off sounding like We Have The Facts And We’re Voting Yes-era Death Cab For Cutie. Two clean guitars with a slight warble play in sync through most of this song – I was actually expecting nothing more than a pretty instrumental opening track… Not that there would have been anything wrong with that[...]

Tonight: Banquets and Placeholder

April 12, 2014

Tonight, Buffalo has a Black Numbers showcase to offer. Banquets will be coming through to visit (one of) our favorite local record stores alongside the equally emo, but ever-so-slightly grungier Placeholder. I’m positive I’m going to say the word “emo” several more times throughout this post, but hey, I’m not complaining. Its going to be a great show. Local support tonight comes from the dudes in Lancer (with a guest member from Brother Keep), as well as old-school emo support from Alleys (who have a similar connection to Buffalo emo-kingpins Figurehead). This one is an early one – $10 gets you into a show that ends by eight so you have time to party hard afterwards.