Album of the Week

Jaugust – Be My Echo, Always

March 26, 2024

Buffalo’s latest electronic duo, Jaugust, specializes in a catchy, relatable indie-pop sound inspired by early 2000s electronica-meets-emo bands like The Postal Service, American Football, and The Appleseed Cast. The duo is composed of Nick Sessanna of the Buffalo indie-emo band Cooler (check out our previous review) and Anthony DelPlato of indie meets alt-pop act Everything in Waves (previous reviews here). Their debut release, Be My Echo, Always, came out on September 8th, 2023. The project’s opener, “Racing the Shadows,” is a perfect modern take on upbeat synth-pop. It’s a “running away” song that sounds like the band is trying to beat out past mistakes by turning a blind eye to them. The second verse, however, dives into what Jaugust is running from – the project’s main theme, and its source of conflict. Jaugust tends to keep lyrics pretty generalized to heartbreak as Sessanna sings of things like being haunted by[...]

Garden Closet – cicada breath

February 19, 2024

Shoegaze is thriving. Scenes in eastern cities like Pittsburgh, New York City, and especially Philadelphia are having surges of creativity and success, yet the sound is relatively untouched in Buffalo. Garden Closet is often in a scene of their own in the 716. The three-piece leans hard into the heavy and dark side of shoegaze, drawing on influences from both classic 90’s bands and the genre’s contemporary forerunners. The lead singer, Kay Stuitje, said: “When I started this project I was really inspired by a movement in shoegaze that’s highly localized in Philadelphia… bands like They Are Gutting A Body of Water, Knifeplay, Bleary Eyed… all those bands. They’re doing this cool shoegaze sound that’s less polished, [and] less clean than a lot of shoegaze that you hear.” “jaundice,” the lead single for the group’s debut project cicada breath was released as a demo in 2022. The album features an updated[...]

Well Kept Things – Weathered For Better

February 15, 2024

Buffalo emo-rock outfit, Well Kept Things, has an interesting history. The group got traction in the local scene with well-loved releases in 2015 and 2016, before they ended up shelving the band for seven years. Check out this older post from 2015 about the band in their early days. It seemed unlikely that the group would ever get back together, but when one of the members, Kody Fintak, moved back to the Buffalo area, the Well Kept Things spark was back in full effect. After this long period of inactivity, the group returned with a release, Weathered For Better, on December 14th. The intro “Pick Scratch” is heartfelt, goofy, and catchy, three common ingredients that make up many great emo tunes. The band mentions that they drew inspiration from Latterman, a melodic punk four-piece from Long Island while recording the intro song with Jay Zubricky at GCR audio. Loud call-and-response[...]

Pinch Kitten – Curly Sue

February 5, 2024

Pinch Kitten is Buffalo’s latest artful and insane punk band that refuses to be boxed in. They go by “Buffalo Barf Punk,” an absurd tag that feels fitting for the group who enjoy playing misfit mixed bills, polar shifts in their sound, and constantly rotating vocalists. The volcanic intro track, “Sour Punch” is a loud rager that builds toward an even louder energy of pure punk detonation. Even on the intro, Pinch Kitten, along with Curly Sue’s first vocalist, Koala Manne, already sound like they’ve damn near lost it and are ready to tear everything down around them in a fiery rage.  A new vocalist, Calvin Hardick, arrives in a similar manner on “Hippie Poems.” This character is just as angry, but instead, their bratty, more lyrical delivery juts out at an even faster pace. “Curly Sue,” also sung by Hardick, is a self-affirming indie song which feels both like a[...]

Georgie – Intimacy Hangover

August 21, 2023

Georgie is an ever-growing outfit of artists from Rochester, NY, centered around mindful, calm songwriting on banjo and other interesting instrumentation. Their latest EP, Intimacy Hangover, came out Friday, August 4th, including interaction of cello and guitar underneath sensitive and perky vocal tunes. The band released a one minute trailer to the upcoming EP just three days before the release to get their fans more anticipated for what they are about to hear. You can see, hear, and feel the passion of the band’s music within the video as they are all jamming and blissing out in the living room of a house playing one of the songs from the project with joyful smiles.  The project starts out with the opening track “Alaska” that’s only a minute long and it starts out with smooth banjo that makes you feel like you’re floating. If you didn’t think you were already light[...]

Folkfaces – PLUMS

July 25, 2023

Buffalo-based group Folkfaces is known for their “Rowdy Jazz & Bluesy Roots.” The band has an irresistible, danceable energy and a remarkable variety of sounds, engaging audiences whether it’s busking on the street, playing in a small barroom, or putting on a large electric extravaganza. The band is influenced by a wide range of musical styles, including folk, jazz, blues, Americana, jug band, and bluegrass. Folkfaces is: Tyler Westcott on lead vocals, five-string banjo, acoustic & electric guitar, and 12 string guitar; Brendan Gosson on vocals, fiddle, and mandolin; Dan Schwach on backing vocals, drums, and washboard; and finally Patrick Jackson on backing vocals, electric & upright bass.  On this project, they got some special guests to help add to their miraculous vibes – for instance, on track two, “Minivan Cowboy,” they have Tim Clarke playing the trumpet; he’s also featured on tracks three & seven as well. Brian “Dr.[...]

Well Born Boot – Riverbottom Nightmare

July 10, 2023

Buffalo-based band Well Worn Boot takes influence from stylized, western country music within the frame of a ’70s shake rock band. The group draws inspirations from Jethro Tull, AC/DC, GWAR, The Grateful Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Primus, American Legends, Korn, and SlipKnot. In the event that you book the band, you’ll be able to expect uproarious shaking music punctuated by woodwind playing, showiness, humorous comedy, puppetry, and most of all… excitement. The band released their first debut full length ten track album on June 16th, Riverbottom Nightmare, as a mission statement to what their fans can expect to hear from this one-of-a-kind group. The venture of the project begins off solid with the primary opening track, “Boys In The Band,” as the first minute contains shimmering guitar riffs alongside deafening pounds coming from the drums. Not only is it a six-minute track filled with hype about the group themselves,[...]

Starjuice – Sign Language

July 6, 2023

Buffalo’s own Starjuice is a dreamy punk band performed by singer/songwriter and actor Sidney Flanigan, backed by Corey Wilde on bass, Spencer Eck on drums, and Jeffrey Colson on guitar. The band released their debut EP, Reminders, as a three-track in the fall of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, followed by their first full-length, Growing Pains (with former guitarist Jake Maurer) in February 2022. Rooted in punk but embellished by Sidney’s tender and heartfelt lyrics, Starjuice hopes to make you cry for your ex while you mosh in the pit. Their latest offering, the three-song EP Sign Language, was recorded at Skyway Studios out of Nashville TN, as the band wanted to try something new to catch the attention of their fans. The project starts off strong with the first track “Signs,” as Jeff and Sidney open up with snarling guitar riffs; Spencer with his pounding drums; and Corey’s relentless[...]

Pilot-Field – Demo 2023

June 28, 2023

Buffalo hometown heroes Pilot-Field recently released their debut EP, Demo 2023, on June 9th. The band was formed back in the Spring of 2023 and recorded this project at GCR Audio over the course of four days. Recorded and mixed by Buffalo and GCR’s own Jay Zubricky and mastered by Buffalo’s Davis Maxwell, the band brings strong, upbeat punk rock vibes. The project starts off very electrifying with the first track “Brain Surgeons in Pinstripes.” When drummer Rob Brennan slams his drums in the first couple of seconds of the track, it ignites the sense and drive of the whole project. Each drum strike reverberates through your veins, commanding your body to move in sync with the pulsating tempo. The lyrics from singer Dan McCormick make you feel like you can accomplish anything that you may not have thought you could, reverberating with late ’90s pop punk energy reminiscent of[...]

Hundred Plus Club – Doom and Bloom

June 12, 2023

Buffalo-based band Hundred Plus Club (HPC) stays on par with their poppy, story-driven music in their latest three-song EP, Doom and Bloom. The band teamed up with Admirable Traits Records yet again to record this project which joins the ranks alongside a number of excellent singles, EPs like 2016’s For You and 2017’s Everybody’s Friend, and a split with their fellow Buffalonians in Cooler.  The opening track and lead single “Garden Cruise” dives into the problems of love (in whatever form it may take) – within the first few lines lead singer Zain Shirazi exclaims, “Love makes, Love makes us cry.” He sings with such a cold and calculated pain that if you close your eyes and imagine yourself alone at night, you’d feel like you can run through a brick wall head on. Essentially, that is the picture that the band tends to draw for their fans; being able[...]

Rosie Quartz – Philophile

June 5, 2023

Buffalo-based band Rosie Quartz specializes in guitar-driven songs soaked with luscious reverb. Their surfy vibes and easy-going disposition has resulted in a new, three-song project they’ve titled Philophile (i.e. a lover of loving). Throughout your first listen, you’ll feel like you’re on a bicycle riding a hundred miles an hour on a sunny breezy day, your hair flying wildly through the wind. The drums throughout each song brought by Alex Bogart make your head bop unconsciously along with the smoothness of the guitar brought by Adam Cwynar and the deep bass grooves of bassist Ron Walczyk. When Sean Pratt’s voice first hits in the song “Constellation Prize,” you get a sense of fresh air you didn’t know you needed. Overall, their music has a vibe that is very calming and warm that makes you want to lay back and stare at the stars late at night. The project was produced[...]

Dreamhouse. – violencewave

May 17, 2023

The latest release from local electronic artist, Dreamhouse. is titled violencewave. The album is a forlorn stare into the causes and effects of violence in light of the racially motivated 2022 Buffalo shooting. Regarding the tragedy, Jordan Walker, the beatmaker behind Dreamhouse., said: “I was driving around North Buffalo. It’s not really over there, but it’s about a five-minute drive if I took the right streets.” His girlfriend let him know there was an active shooter at Tops, and that was all he knew until he saw the full news coverage. After this intense experience, Walker dove headfirst into the main theme of violencewave, expressing his feelings while discussing humanity-wide violence. While creating this auditory collage, he sourced samples that represent the inescapable anxiety surrounding violence. The ambient intro track, “dreamers intuition,” features an undulating airy melody, glittery sample splashes, and a toaster oven-like dinging sound that signals the palatable[...]

Speed Dial – i, DUMBASS

April 9, 2023

Speed Dial bassist, John Carr, comically shout-sings through a low-fidelity telephone crunch, “What up, what up, what up bitch, it’s the dial.” On the other side of the call, the distinguishing lark is met with a gaggle of laughter, a proper greeting to the Buffalo four-piece’s debut EP, i DUMBASS. “Cannonball Waterslide” introduces themes of separation and identity. There is an energetic sense of freedom, but a remaining confrontation as lead singer, Cooper Taylor sings, “I like to think that you don’t know the half of what you claim you do.”  Flaunting a newfound sense of self over saucy guitar lines, Taylor is no longer bogged down by “judgements and assumptions.” Even still, a tender moment and some feverish guitar noodling and lyrics about self-improvement, show that moving forward isn’t that simple. In the remainder of the track, gang vocals shout prior lyrics back at Taylor while his head still[...]

bugcatcher – Slacker

March 21, 2023

Rochester act, bugcatcher, write big acoustic-indie tunes for little, yet important moments in their debut full length, Slacker. On the intro song, “Roller,” the project’s lead vocalist, songwriter and main member, Jake Denning, questions changes in his life while a tender guitar riff fades in and out. Responding with indifference, Denning’s voice echoes back onto itself with the vacant phrase “well okay, well alright,” as the instrumentation kindles the project’s gentle, slacker rock sound. Denning has multiple meanings for the title, as he feels there is “a malaise to the way the album flow[s], as it’s “generally pretty mid tempo,” yet he also said it took a long time for him to make, “maybe even too long.” He referred to its origins in late 2020, and how he moved around a couple times during its development. A dreamlike short-story-tune, “Daisy Vs The Grim Reaper,” was one of the first completed.[...]

Cooler – Doom Spiral

March 13, 2023

Cooler, a Buffalo-based three-piece, creates deeply personal, ethereal indie rock fit for the most intimate of moments. Doom Spiral, the group’s 2023 release, is their best work to date. The album centers around themes of opposition and devotion while persistently shifting between a confessional love story. Throughout the project, distance between people is a constantly developing undulation. Cooler braves this emotional disparity while engaging in intricate heart-to-heart discussions. The group fills out their already-strong sound with layers of carefully-laid, familiar guitar lines, sludgy bass flavors, and newfound sleek electronics, resulting in a sound they describe as “dreamo.” The album’s intro, “Gentleman,” was the first recorded with their current lineup, currently consisting of Alley, Jake, and Nick Sessanna. Breaking through the mist, the song’s flagship guitar line is as sentimental as it is catchy, while Alley’s reserved, melancholic delivery dazzles amidst lyrical dejection. “Succulents” is a meditative groover that aims to[...]