Latest Posts

Rayhan – EP 5

February 14, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Here in Buffalo, we consider Toronto our neighbors to the North, so we were pleased to receive the latest EP from Canadian artist, actor, and comedian Rayhan Jabbar. On his latest offering, a three-song EP he’s titled EP 5, Jabbar flexes all of his creative muscles into something all-encompassing and undefinable. Between art, acting, and music, if you had any questions about Jabbar’s multi-talented nature, this EP shifts wildly between hip hop, indie pop, and… Bollywood? You read that right. Obviously as fellow snow belt dwellers, a song like “Windchill Minus Twenty” might appeal to us, especially as February temperatures plummet to that point regularly… Although we’re probably talking Fahrenheit here in the US – that’s probably much, much colder where Rayhan’s from. Here, he uses a tough and glitchy beat to rap about how “selling drugs is a right of passage,” and the journey from being a drug-slinging youngster[...]

Fourmile – Fourmile

February 13, 2026 Nick Sessanna

It’s amazing that, as musicians, we can collaborate across literal oceans. That’s exactly what Fourmile did – a collaboration between Buffalo’s Dylan England (of Del Paxton * fame), and a group of London-based musicians (Owain, Cais, Hank, and Tom) that boast a pedigree of other great bands including TTNG, Harlem Renaissance, Big Hug, and Muttering. Their efforts have resulted in a three-song EP, Fourmile, that continues England & co.’s penchant for guitar-driven Midwest emo sounds. Having initially connected when Del P did a European tour, the members have stayed in touch – lucky for us, it’s resulted in new music. If the album art to Fourmile is any indication – a patchwork of carpets strewn with some guitar pedals (very nice ones, I might add), cables, and Fender Telecasters – this is a guitar-forward offering, layered thick with lots of tasty textures, twinkles, and any other relevant buzzword typically given to[...]

Belle Blue – “Jack”

February 7, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Belle Blue‘s latest song would have been a huge hit in the ’90s… Ironic, since she herself wasn’t even around then. “Jack” is built around sparse guitars and Belle’s world-weathered vocals – culminating in a swelling emotional crescendo that takes us to the end of the song. Belle seems to know the science behind creating “space” in a song – what starts as stabs of fuzzed-out guitar turns into a maelstrom of emotional noise. This one’s a keeper. Check out the official music video for “Jack” below. It’s also available on Spotify.

New Words – “Meteor”

February 7, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Last time we checked in with New Words, we were psyched on the big hooks and emo energy of single “Gave You More.” Project mastermind Benny Scheibel is back and has doubled down on the emo energy, this time with a track called “Meteor.” Fans of Listener or La Dispute will appreciate the passionate sprechgesang that kicks this one off, before a chunky, guitar-driven chorus brings everything home a la The Early November or Knuckle Puck. It’s clear Scheibel loves the art of “emo,” in it’s many forms/waves – get sucked in by the emotional catharsis and stick around for the phat hooks. “Meteor” is available via Spotify – see below.

halfstride – “Reading With The Lights Off”

February 6, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Halfstride is a newly-minted Buffalo-based band that specialize in indie rock sounds that go down ultra-smooth. Their latest single, “Reading With the Lights Off” is about “late nights, quiet thoughts, and the moments that linger after the noise fades.” A ringing, rhythmic ride cymbal sets the scene for a chuggy, palm muted guitar backbone and an impressively nimble bassline. Astute readers of the blog may recognize former members of Ponder (the Giraffe) in this act, so expect a little bit of funkiness to this otherwise pleasantly straightforward rocker. Check out the music video for “Reading With the Lights Off” embedded below.

Singing River – Shoutin’ Good Time

February 5, 2026 Nick Sessanna

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 10 years to the date that we featured Hawker M. James’ Long Playing Lo-Fidelity as our album of the week (yeah, we know, we’ve been at this for a long time)… But if it’s any indication that we’ve been on our BS for the last decade, we’re delighted to feature Singing River, which shares members (Mike specifically, more on that later); still NY-based, still making incredible music. They’re here with Shoutin’ Good Time, an Americana affair that pairs blues, country, indie rock, and folk into a rip-roaring, rowdy time… Like something you’d hear in a horn-soaked saloon. Project masterminds Mike James and Anthony Kuhn (and their accompanying band, in total, a six-piece ensemble) layer this EP thick with big guitar energy, bolstered by harmonicas, sleezy horns, and genuinely good vibes. It’s wrapped up in a nice little bow that pays homage to traditional[...]

The Del-Viles – It’s Just A Kiss-Off

January 22, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Minneapolis-based act The Del-Viles has been kicking around the City of Lakes since 2021, brandishing a gritty brand of rock ‘n roll that takes the best of ’60s mod and ’00s garage rock revival and mashes it into an unholy unity of blues and modern-day guitar rock. For a three-piece act, they make a surprising amount of sound – expect lots of blues-based riffing and gravel-voiced vocals with ’60s inspired lyrical patterns. They’ve been hard at work and are set to release their brand new album, It’s Just A Kiss-Off, full of blues-inspired jamming with a garage-rock sensibility. Opening track “The City” is a perfect archetype for what to expect from The Del-Viles. Gravely-voiced, retro-inspired vocals rip through start-stop, 12-bar-blues. Big bouncing basslines rip behind the simplicity of the rip-roaring guitar tones. Track two, “What You Got” leans into these stabby blasts of guitar too, trading nimble basslines for[...]

Broke Royals – “The Weather”

January 20, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Broke Royals hail from Washington, DC and have toured the US heavily for many a year. They’re still pumping out quality tunes – case in point, new single “The Weather.” Taking an obviously ’80s influenced approach, “The Weather” plays with pretty synth tones and chorus-laden guitars, evoking the era of excess without ever truly embodying it. In fact, the subtleness of this song was a conscientious choice – opting for confidence with a tinge of unease underneath. “The Weather” is available now – check it out below via YouTube or on Spotify.

Sister Void – “rewind”

January 19, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Sister Void, colloquially known as Nico Mann, is an LA-based alt pop act whose “rewind” recently caught our ears. Ethereal, lightly gothy, and ruthlessly catchy, “rewind” is one of those songs that can slot effortlessly into any of your playlists. Workout? Perfect. Chill out. Vibes… But the real appeal here is that, beneath it’s perfectly-produced exterior, “rewind” has some profound deeper meanings – here’s a bit more from Sister Void regarding “rewind:” “This song is about wishing you could go back in time and do things differently… After you go through a breakup, you have to pick up the broken pieces of yourself to put yourself back together, almost like you’re a shell of yourself or a broken version. It takes a long time to feel whole again on your own after giving so much of yourself away.” “rewind” is available now. Check out the Spotify embed below,[...]

Ailbhe Reddy – “That Girl”

January 17, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Ailbhe Reddy is ready to KISS BIG. That’s the name of her new album, anchored by her stunning new single, “That Girl.” Ailbhe’s style is lush and ethereal, anchored by a virtuosic drumbeat, but layered thick with electric pianos, gauzy synth pads, and of course Ailbhe’s lilting vocals. It’s accompanied by a stunning music video directed by Greg Purcell that perfectly compliments the airy goodness found within. Here’s a bit more from Ailbhe about what exactly inspired “That Girl:” “This is one of the record’s emotional anchors. A study in how love shifts shape over time – how we start seeing each other less tenderly, and forget what we once adored.” “That Girl” is available via YouTube (below), or, on Spotify.

Lateral – “Phenomenal Realization”

January 17, 2026 Nick Sessanna

Lateral wants you to know they are scrongly… And if you’re a regular reader of our blog, you already know scrongly is kind of our thing. “Phenomenal Realization” is one of those songs that pays homage to the Midwest emo of old (think ’90s or ’00s) while still sounding fresh and fun. Expect lots of guitar energy and emotive vocals to power this banger forth. Here’s a bit more about the deeper meaning behind the song from the band themselves: “Phenomenal Realization’s lyrics are written about the feeling of leaving a pot boiling on the back burner and the water spilling over, which was a metaphor for my life at the time. I felt like I had all these irons in the fire and i walked away and forgot about them and the water was spilling all over my life.” Check out “Phenomenal Realization” on YouTube (below) or[...]

big heck – “ALTAR 444”

December 19, 2025 Nick Sessanna

big heck hits us with a big closing song with the capstone track on their latest EP, The Earth! The Heavens! The Sapient Stars!. It’s called “ALTAR 444” and its a lovely and noisy shoegaze-r with a core in art pop, pairing sludged-out guitars with bizarre, synth-y elements and impassioned vocals. There’s even a hint of Deftones energy here, with the whisper-moaned vocals that drip with intensity. “ALTAR 444” is on both Bandcamp and Spotify. The Earth! The Heavens! The Sapient Stars! by Big Heck

The Mad Mile – “Wendy Houses”

December 19, 2025 Nick Sessanna

London-based duo The Mad Mile have an impressive pedigree – its two members, Adam Pickering and Matthew Goodbody, have worked together previously in seminal math rock act General Admin. The duo split off to explore new sounds, and the result is captured in latest single, “Wendy Houses.” Dark, angular, and gaze-y, “Wendy Houses” dabbles in post-punk atmospherics with dark vocals, stabby guitar work, and even some distorted keyboards. It’s cool and moody, and that pretty much checks all of our boxes… Not to mention, you can really hear the camaraderie these two have built having worked together for years. “Wendy Houses” can be previewed via YouTube below, or, found on Spotify.

Rude Films – “Horseshoe”

December 17, 2025 Nick Sessanna

Rude Films occupies the dank mills of Manchester – those dank vibes have permeated the jaunty post-punk of their latest offering, “Horseshoe.” Ultimately guitar-driven in a discordant-but-melodic way, “Horseshoe” is full of shoegazy washiness, angular riffing, and swirling atmospherics. The crew made a purposeful pivot to a more controlled and refined sound with “Horseshoe,” and while we love the unhinged fuzz of their other work, it certainly tickles the eardrums in a lovely new way. “Horseshoe” is available via Spotify (below).

A Days Wait x Color Theory – “Empty Promises”