Latest Posts

Ismatic Guru – An Incredible Amount of Overwhelming Information

January 23, 2025

Buffalo’s Ismatic Guru, the hyperactive prog-punk brainchild of John Toohill (aka Science Man) and Bran Schlia (aka Helmsley), has finally unleashed their long-awaited full-length album, An Incredible Amount of Overwhelming Information. This isn’t your typical album release; it’s a culmination of a years-long recording project, a sonic archive of the duo’s relentless creativity. Over the past few years, Toohill (guitars, vocals, lyrics) and Schlia (bass, organ, drums, production) have meticulously crafted and released a series of numbered EPs, each a limited edition cassette run, building a following through their respective labels (Swimming Faith & Steak and Cake) and beyond. Now, those EPs, along with five brand new tracks, have been compiled into a 26-song, breakneck journey that encapsulates their self-described “idiot-prog punk adventure.” The band’s growing fanbase is well-deserved; with over 15k monthly listeners on Spotify and a dedicated Bandcamp following, it seems Ismatic Guru’s brand of chaos is striking[...]

Carmen & Lizzy – Dissolving

January 16, 2025

For the better part of a decade, Buffalo folk-duo Carmen & Lizzy have quietly woven themselves into the fabric of Buffalo’s music scene, having built a following with their heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting, finely-tuned vocal harmonies, and a sound that blends folk intimacy with indie sensibilities. Now a recognized force, the duo–made up of cousins Carmen O’Keefe and Lizzy Bassler–has just released Dissolving, their first substantial offering of new music in over 5 years. This 6-song EP finds the duo gently pushing the boundaries of their established folk aesthetic for a sound that matures alongside their songwriting and keeps the mystifying qualities that put them on Buffalo’s map. Dissolving is our album of the week.   Dissolving widens the scope of Carmen & Lizzy’s discography. While their earlier work, like the 2019 full-length Climate, leaned into a starry-eyed folksy vulnerability, the new EP is a bit more enigmatic and exhibits growth in[...]

Raybees – Reaper, Take My Life For Free!

January 9, 2025

It’s a new year, and what better way to shed that holiday lethargy than with a blast of sonic mayhem? Buffalo’s own basement psych-rockers Raybees are here to deliver just that with their sophomore EP, Reaper, Take My Life For Free!, out January 3rd. This self-released, self-recorded, six-track onslaught picks up where their debut left off, but cranks the intensity and noise up by a good margin. If you’re a fan of the noisy, psychedelic punk rock of bands like Osees and The Jesus Lizard, then buckle up. Reaper, Take My Life For Free! is our album of the week.   Raybees is led by the core duo of Jacob Smolinski (guitar/vocals) and Dan Keegan (who replaced the drum machine of the project’s debut), along with featured players Matthew Danger Lippman (guitar), Kam Plotner (synth), and Brandon Schlia (bass). Something of a star-studded side project, Raybees showcases a completely different[...]

Chores – Tender As A Wound

December 19, 2024

The Rochester local music scene has had a damn good year. Rounding out our Album of the Week column for 2024 is Rochester trio Chores‘ debut album Tender As A Wound, which delivers a dose of ’90’s-inspired indie rock that’s both familiar and refreshingly off-kilter. The band, consisting of Ian Egling (vocals, bass, synth), Scar Markham (drums, vocals), and Jenn Wameling (guitar, vocals), skillfully blends their prowess for a sound that would be especially palatable to fans of Pixies, Miracle Legion, and Pavement. With that 90’s influence worn proudly on its proverbial sleeve, Tender As A Wound places a well-deserved exclamation point at the end of Rochester’s excellent 2024 run.   The album seems to be in conversation with its influences, sometimes echoing them affectionately (“Rocks In Your Pockets” in particular is steeped in a Malkmus-esque eccentricity), other times acknowledging them with a simple, friendly nod (“Tripwire” ditches the fuzz[...]

Matt Smith’s Nervous System – Today and Tomorrow Too

December 12, 2024

Matt Smith’s Nervous System, a Buffalo-based project led by scene veteran Matt Smith (guitar/vocals) alongside Roddy Potter (drums) and Colin Pratt (bass/vocals), returns with Today and Tomorrow Too, a six-track EP stealthily released on October 18th. Following two full-length LPs (Close Down The Dream in 2021 and The Age of Reasonable Expectations in 2023), this concise offering marks a shift in approach, focusing on atmosphere and texture. It feels like a compelling next step for a project that started as a mere outlet for Smith’s extraneous ideas. Today and Tomorrow Too is our Album of the Week.   The EP conjures the understated groovy cool of The Velvet Underground and serves it up with a simmering intensity not unlike the sounds of indie rock stalwarts The National. The result is an effort that strays a bit from the bluesy power-pop vibes of their debut in favor of a more introspective,[...]

Big Nobody – Charlie’s Alive

December 5, 2024

Big Nobody is a relatively new name in the Rochester local scene, but don’t be fooled: the members of this fresh garage-pop powerhouse have been purveyors of fine sounds for over a decade now. Featuring members of fan-favorite local acts from both past and present (Total Yuppies, Comfy, Calicoco, Wild Pink), the DIY supergroup’s sophomore album Charlie’s Alive brings the groundwork laid by singer/guitarist Jacob Walsh (on the band’s electrifying debut in early 2023) to new heights. The riffs are louder, the songwriting is still spirited and heartfelt, and best of all–the album invites you in, like you’ve known these guys for years. Big Nobody’s Charlie’s Alive is our Album of the Week.   This is an album for the people. Charlie’s Alive gets the infrastructure just right by enmeshing radio rock hooks that put bands like Everclear and Third Eye Blind on the map with the punk rock inventiveness of[...]

Welks Mice – BLUB BLUB

November 28, 2024

Six years, a pandemic, and a whole lot of life later, Buffalo’s Welks Mice have re-emerged with BLUB BLUB, an EP that trades some of the anxious energy of their 2018 debut for a sound that is softer around the edges, but no less genuine. This time around, songwriter Max Weiss and vibraphonist Andre Welks-Fabretti hone in on themes of optimism and openness, their delightfully economical indie-pop providing the perfect backdrop. It’s honest, it’s tender, and it’s our Album of the Week.   Welks Mice’s unique approach to minimalism is a refreshing breath of air in a local scene dominated by distorted guitars and crash cymbals. Welks-Fabretti’s charming vibraphone melodies make up the majority of arrangements, and Weiss’ unabashed ‘cards face-up’ lyrical delivery is disarming and accessible. The combination is distinct in style, blending the best elements of bedroom pop and anti-folk for a sound that would sit nicely next to[...]

Comfy – Goated & Foreboded

November 21, 2024

Comfy is a band that never stops moving. The now-Rochester-based power-pop outfit of frontman Connor Benincasa has called home to three major cities in the last decade, and has put out three times as many releases. Friends, band members, and collaborators rotate in and out of the band’s roster on every couple albums with Benincasa remaining the band’s only constant. It’s not just churn and burn though–the amount of deliberation that goes into the music is obvious, most notably on the full band releases. Goated & Foreboded–Comfy’s latest LP and our Album of the Week– just might be the band’s strongest effort to date.   Goated & Foreboded listens like something Harry Nilsson would’ve written if he had joined Weezer for the Blue Album sessions. Equal parts provocative and digestible, the album meanders seamlessly from beachy easy-listening (“Wait”) to sludgy garage rock (“Spark”). The range is especially impressive because nothing[...]

Beef Gordon – American Paranoid

November 7, 2024

Beef Gordon. stage name and musical alter ego of Rochester native and former Buffalo Sex Change frontman Phil Pierce, has just released the follow up to his 2019 debut Queen Shade & Etc. The album is American Paranoid, and it conceptualizes a dive into the conspiratorial sides of American culture from the lens of Beef himself, taking aim at hot topics like politics, aliens, super stardom, and gluten. Pierce’s satirical brand of art pop won’t be lost on fans of artists like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Father John Misty, and Deee-Lite; it borders on shtick but Gordon is careful to preserve the sanctity of his craft. Either way, it’s fun and it works. American Paranoid is our Album of the Week.   Normally, it would be challenging to avoid using “Pierce” and “Gordon” interchangeably, a move that might reduce Beef Gordon to mere costume. But that’s not the case here.[...]

Big Fred – Slapstick

January 13, 2020

Big Fred has amassed some friends over the past 5 years. Well known in their hometown of Rochester for the band’s off-kilter brand of woolly indie pop, Big Fred has made waves as far as Poughkeepsie–where label Sad Cactus Records is headquartered, and Chicago–where their latest EP Slapstick was recorded. Despite the band’s reach, turns out the sonic twists and turns of Slapstick will be the Big Fred’s last effort, as they’ve decided to call it a day in pursuit of other creative projects. Bummer. Slapstick is our Album of the Week. Slapstick carves out a different space for itself in Big Fred’s repertoire. The five song EP slows things down a bit, dialing down the volatility of the bands previous releases, namely 2017’s LP Oh Hi Hello, and replaces it with a synth-centric mid-tempo haze. Though comparatively stripped down, the tracks maintain an Ariel Pink-esque eccentricity for a sound[...]

Comfy – Thanks For The Ride

March 12, 2018

If you’re at all familiar with the upstate NY music scene, chances are that you know Comfy. The Utica-sourced garage pop act, which serves as the musical brainchild of Connor Benincasa, is known for its highly energetic live shows, feelings-on-his-sleeve style of songwriting, and general relatability. Benincasa recently packed up and shipped out to Philadelphia, but that hasn’t slowed his roll. The move seems to be the creative catalyst behind Comfy’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Thanks For The Ride–an unwavering rock-and-roll record self-described as an “exercise in independence,” also netting our album of the week. The hype that has waxed during the four years since Comfy’s debut Pillowhugger is not without warrant–not only is the album a local slam-dunk, but it picked up a bit of national attention when Rolling Stone (yeah, that Rolling Stone) named Pillowhugger one of the top 10 cassettes of 2014. All hype aside, Thanks For The[...]

Passive Aggressives Anonymous – The Mauve Album

February 12, 2018

The Mauve Album is the perfect title for Passive Aggressives Anonymous’ first full-length release. The Rochester band’s music has more in common with the shade of violet than you might think–both have a pleasant and mostly disarming initial appearance, but upon scratching the surface you’ll find a little something extra. For Passive Aggressives Anonymous–or ‘PAA’–a band whose call to glory is their expertly-arranged romantic lounge style of instrumentation, that “something extra” comes in the form of frontman John Valenti’s tongue-in-cheek vocal delivery, which remains unabashedly intact on the new album. The Mauve Album is buffaBLOG’s Album of the Week. For those unfamiliar with PAA and have no idea what I mean by “tongue-in-cheek” vocal delivery, allow me to paint a picture. You’ve booked a suite in a hotel that’s near overly classy (not a t-shirt in sight, decked-out lobby bar, red velvet everywhere, etc.), but something about the elegance is[...]

Seafox – Eulogy of the Angels

February 5, 2018

Harnessing musical influence into something fresh and original is no easy feat. Unless you’re Seafox. The Buffalo-based folk-pop band upended the scene late last year with its impressive sophomore full-length Eulogy of the Angels, channeling the likes of Beck, Pink Floyd, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, and more. The amalgamation of these influences brought to the table something ambitious yet near-perfectly executed, as well as our album of the week. As the sophomore effort of singer/songwriter William Fortier, Eulogy carries some serious weight. A full ten songs deep and somewhat of a departure from the solo singer/songwriter vibes of Fortier’s debut Colours, the album enmeshes acoustic folk with some of the catchiness of modern alternative for a blend that makes repeat listens easy and often. Having begun initially as Fortier’s solo project, Seafox has evolved with the recruitment of brother Eric Fortier on bass/keys and Kevin Pryles on drums. Together, the[...]

Ex-Pat – Does Life

November 6, 2017

Rolling solo when it comes to creative projects, especially music, comes with perks. For starters, you’ve got virtually unlimited creative space to wander around in. And with nobody to answer to but yourself, the exploration of that space becomes entirely unhindered and worth the wander. That musical wanderlust makes all too much sense to Ex-Pat, or Patrick Weil, whose experimental dreampop is a headtrip, a vacation, and a bit of sonic time travel all rolled into one package. His newest album Does Life hones in on a certain soulful airiness and polishes it as much as the lofi designation will allow. Does Life is our album of the week. Ex-Pat’s signature is as hazy as it is deliberate, much akin to the experimental stylings of Ariel Pink and the lofi tremble of newer artists like Elvis Depressedly. Does Life is decidedly less noisy than previous endeavors, focusing now on a[...]

dreambeaches – Disappearing Act

October 23, 2017

dreambeaches is a band who needs little, if any, introduction around Buffalo right now. The quartet has been making waves on the local indie rock circuit for a few years now, and after an electrifying show last week (and a forthcoming tour to boot) to celebrate the release of their latest EP, the band is bound for more than just a bit of local success. dreambeaches’ new EP Disappearing Act is our album of the week. Disappearing Act picks up just about where the band’s 2016 EP Habits left off, tightening the screws on their unique blend of math-infused indie pop. If you enjoy bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and Foster the People but crave a little something more out of your indie rock, Disappearing Act has your name all over it. The EP finds its best moments in sheer walls of tangled and exacting instrumentation, swooning choruses, and vocal harmonies[...]