Latest Posts

Super American – Disposable

April 24, 2017

Disposable (recorded/mixed by Jay Zubricky) unabashedly throws gentle nods to the golden era of late 90’s/early 2000’s pop-rock anthems. Though that pocket of nostalgia can be a tough one to inhabit and present in an updated, relevant way, it’s one that Super American pulls off pretty well on their debut release. This isn’t an album to overthink, and that’s one of the most enjoyable parts. It’s a hook-heavy  collection of tunes with strong vocals and enough lyrical variance to hold a listener’s attention. I envision this record landing in the hands of someone just graduating college, going through a particularly lamentable breakup or entering the summer in an emotional lull, and having the auxiliary power to carry them through that experience. At the same time, it has the mnemonic power to forever remind the person of that period of time whenever they hear a similar melody or guitar lick ( a quality that I feel like a lot of[...]

Sonny Baker Releases New Single

March 29, 2017

Sonny Baker’s newest single, “Swollen, You’re Opening” off his forthcoming release, Easier, is a pleasant surprise. If you’re at all familiar with Baker’s music, you’re familiar with a driving rock beat, jangly guitar hooks, dynamically cathartic vocals. This song is more of a stripped down soundtrack to a daydream, with the samba inspired rhythm and shy acoustics offering a pie-in-the-sky feel. Though somewhat unexpected, I think Baker approaches the tune with finesse and honesty, which speaks to his sensibility toward craft over genre. Peep the single below and keep an ear out for the rest of the EP to drop next month.

Tonight: Wild Pink

March 23, 2017

Wild Pink’s recent self-titled full length (out via Tiny Engines) is a slow burner. Though the instrumentation is warm, sincere and steady, It’s the poignant details in the lyrics that catch you by the collar and force you to press your ear into singer John Ross’ earnest murmur a bit more. For as sleepy as the record sounds, it includes incredibly romantic and energized images of mundanity, loneliness, freedoms of  youth versus the constraint and perplexity faced as an adult. It is a sprawling soundscape that seeps in like watercolor. Catch Wild Pink along with Candy Ambulance, Award Show and Space Is Haunted at Sewing Soul Studios. Show at 8pm. $5 for the touring bands.

Humble Braggers – I Know Better, I’m No Better

March 13, 2017

Humble Braggers have one of the more distinguishable sounds in Buffalo. Max reverb, slick guitar riffs, high-reaching vocal melodies and signature 80’s synth samples are this band’s M.O., and have been from its inception. The trio’s debut full length, I Know Better, I’m No Better, doesn’t stray from the familiarity of this, which when boiled down to recognition and consistency, plays to their advantage in a lot of ways. It’s a special thing when an album can make you experience a sensation that isn’t auditory. Many of the songs tackle uncertainty within oneself, a lack of control between oneself and another person, or a festering anxiety over that lack of control. Even the song titles are quite telling (i.e. Fight, Losing It, Burden, Weight). The heaviness of the diction is juxtaposed with the lightness of the sound. The collective work of songs feels a bit like a back and forth[...]

Tonight: Del Paxton

March 3, 2017

If I’m being frank, it’s somewhat difficult to write a Buffalo show preview from a new angle for a band like Del Paxton, a band that has been at it for 4 years, covered lovingly on buffaBLOG countless times, and premiered on a national level by outlets like Impose Magazine, KEXP and The A.V. Club. What I can say is that Del Paxton is a pretty honest representation of what it means to be deeply immersed in this city’s DIY community.  They play music for the sake of playing music, all while continually supporting other local artists and sporting a humble attitude despite their laudable success. Whether or not its members agree, this band means a great deal to a lot of people, especially fellow Buffalo musicians. The band’s new record, All Day, Every Day, All Night (out today via Topshelf Records) is a completely cathartic experience. Though it might not[...]

Bottler Drops Debut Single

February 23, 2017

It’s been roughly six months since Sleepy Hahas bid us adieu at their last live performance, but that long absence hasn’t been for naught. Pat Butler, former frontman of Sleepy, has been slowly unveiling a new pop-tronica project under the name Bottler. Bottler’s debut single “Phases” is an eruption of sound.  It’s somewhat of a heavy tune despite the ethereal disposition. It makes use of  thickly layered synths and a vocal melody that, interestingly, coerces your ear away from the accompaniment quite a bit. It’s an alluring tune, in that it hangs on some unexpected progressions and never feels fully resolved — which may turn out to be a pretty cool direction for this type of music if it’s executed with intention. Overall, I think Bottler holds immense potential to be a hook-driven treasure trove. Catch Bottler’s Buffalo debut on March 10th with Humble Braggers, Chad Valley, and dreambeaches, but in the meantime check out the single below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/282160358″[...]

Tonight: Cooler

February 16, 2017

Tonight’s show, presented by our good pals at The Public, seems like a no-brainer in terms of quality. Between Cooler, The Slums and Ugly Sun, each band on the bill are local pioneers in their own right, respectably carving out their own pocket within the indie, fuzz-rock and post-punk worlds and consistently putting out thoughtful, well produced material. Cooler’s most recent full length release, Phantom Phuzz, re-affirmed the high standard that all three of these bands set for themselves. The album is a feel-good listen. It’s not super complex or difficult to digest, but it’s exceptionally catchy and radiates honest feelings. This band possesses an incredible amount of charm, which isn’t something I usually associate with fuzz-rock, but they manage to translate that charm pretty darn well from their recorded material to their live shows. Get to Nietzsche’s tonight at 8:30pm. $5 entry.

Tonight: PineSheets

January 18, 2017

New year, new doom ‘n’ gloom…and I mean it in the best way. PineSheets had me reeling after an enigmatic set at Mohawk Place last year and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why at the time. The solo project is headed by Joseph Vita, an Albany native who released a full length, Parade, under the PineSheets moniker this past month. The album is sparse, dark and a little seductive. The most intriguing component is how non-linear each song reveals itself to be. On first listen through, Parade doesn’t make immediate sense. Not all of the lyrics are discernible, there’s no obvious song structure, and not a ton of predictable melodies are used. The pith of these songs, however, is not the immediacy or the configuration. To me, it’s the play on quotidian ambiance. It’s like soundscape commentary for the day-to-day downer in all of us. There is also something so oddly comforting[...]

Tonight: Rubblebucket

December 8, 2016

Of the handful of bands that I consistently recommend seeing live, Rubblebucket has held a spot on my list since I first saw them in 2014. I’m convinced that most upbeat, dance groove-driven bands translate well to a crowd of people in terms of energy, but man oh man, does this one take energetic to a whole new level. Granted, there are always 5+ members in the Brooklyn-based outfit, a beefed up horn section, and sometimes an eccentric full-bodied, faceless flower mascot comes out and stage to boogie. Sounds wild, right? Even still, the band is incredibly tight and will absolutely captivate you musically, if not visually. Since re-branding themselves under the name Rubblebucket in 2008, the band has put out 7 official releases (with a brand new one on the way!). They haven’t quite reached household name status, but it’s clear that wildly huge success is not the end-all[...]

Tonight: Cooler EP Release

November 19, 2016

Phantom Phuzz, the newest six song release from Cooler, comes as a follow up to their hard-hitting EP 1993 released last September. From beginning to end, it’s easy to hear growth in musicality from the local four-piece. The EP opens with a haunting post-rock influenced jam that does its job setting the tone for what follows. Dynamics and harmony between male and female vocals is this EP’s strong suit. The conscious approach to bringing out each lead vocalist’s natural abilities  is evident. I’m a huge fan of Run For Cover Records’ shoegaze all-stars, Pity Sex, who Cooler reminds me a lot of. But in contrast to them, it’s really nice to hear deliberately crisp vocals paired with all the fuzz. It amplifies the melodic hooks and adds a whole new element of charm to each tune. “Days”, the second track on the EP and also my favorite, is the best illustration of this. In celebration[...]

Space Cubs – Something For Us

October 31, 2016

Something For Us is a chilling inhale and a warm reprieve. This eight-song release serves as Suzanne Bonifacio’s most recent full length as Space Cubs, the one-woman experimental electronic project based out of Buffalo. With vocals that are pure, direct and at times otherworldly, Bonifacio constructs an atmosphere around her listener. Each song is a tapestry, thickly woven with minute detail, unique depictions interlaced into each one. The speaker on this album is adrift, dealing with the seemingly impossible burden of being unsure and living uncomfortably with the desire to change. On “That First Day”, she sings: “I’m planting myself tiny seeds / But picking them up cause they won’t be stomached today / I’m losing myself in another day’s due / Now watching the days growing old / To learn what is sweet is the greatest hill I am climbing / Now I sit within my findings / I[...]

Mallwalkers Debut Video for New Single

October 18, 2016

The first time I saw Mallwalkers, my cheeks hurt. I must’ve been smiling for a half hour straight. Not that their performance was comical, just incredibly infectious. There were about nine people on the stage (including horns, my favorite part of any ensemble), all seemingly under a moonstruck, punk-driven craze. Mallwalkers have this riotous ability to rally all the energy in the room, in their own bodies, and throw it all on the floor. By the sounds of “Dial ‘M’ For…”, that’s exactly where the new album is headed, too. The music video for the new tune, directed by FLATSITTER and choreographed by Michelle Merlo, is just as amusing. It features the band’s two main vocalists, Daniel Carosa and Jaz Frazier, cavorting around the city. There’s this flashy, desaturated overlay throughout the entire video that lends itself to the gritty, abrasive nature of the song. The band’s new album, which[...]

Tonight: Lockedown

September 22, 2016

Katie Locke, better known under the moniker Lockedown, is no stranger to the electro-pop scene in Buffalo. Her debut album Taste is a convincing expression of sensory driven memories. The wide array of synth tones, vocal effects and rhythm explore both space and depth within the sound, which I really appreciate (best experienced out loud through quality speakers). Though the instrumentals bring a sense of lightness and whimsy, there’s enough backbone in the core melodies and vocal styling to really take hold of you. My favorite track off the album ,”Cracked”, illustrates this perfectly. Catch Lockedown tonight at Milkie’s alongside The Nigh and Nate Cox. Doors are at 8pm, $5 entry.

Tonight: Bethlehem Steel

September 7, 2016

The Buffalo-turned-Brooklyn based Bethlehem Steel is already five dates into their fall tour with fellow Brooklynites, Painted Zeros. Tonight’s show at Mohawk Place makes an anticipated sixth. After getting some well deserved praise and coverage from NPR following their SXSW performance earlier this year, the trio has been If you’ve never heard Bethlehem Steel before, a fresh listen introduces you to piercing melodies and a whole lot of fuzz. Frontwoman Rebecca Ryskalczyk’s voice carries a hauntingly somber tone to it that manages to still be bright and hopeful at the same time. If you dig a little deeper into the lyrical content, you become privy to the flip-side of their up-beat energy. The lyrics are equally as haunting. On “Yeah, I’m Okay With My Shit Life”, the last tune of their 6-song album Docking, Ryskalczyk sings, “…If I could breathe under water / I would stay there forever / to[...]

Tonight: Izzy True

August 22, 2016

Izzy True‘s Nope, released in early August, carries a sound that spans decades. With the pulse of 80’s pop and the instrumental sensibility of a 60’s psych-rock band at times, it’s a time warp of sorts, but one that melds together brilliantly. The album is a total daydream and there is a matured variance in comparison to the Troll EP released last year. Highlights for me include “Mr. Romance” and “Cruel Kings II”. Catch Izzy True tonight at Dreamland along with Chevron Bloom, Teenage Satan and Yellow House. Entry is $6. Show starts at 7:30.