Best of 2014

Hip Hop’s Winners and Losers in 2014

December 23, 2014

With most of hip hop’s biggest names staying relatively quiet this year, there was a lot of room for new players in the game to surface. In the absence of projects from Kanye, Frank, Kendrick, we have to pay attention to more people. For some artists, this is great news, as they gain notoriety and stay in our conscience for the whole year. For others, no bigs in the picture means they become the ones scrutinized. Not everyone can win, not everyone can lose, and not everyone can do just one of those. So here are ten of my picks for winners and losers and winner/losers in the wonderful year of 2014. Winner/MVP – Young Thug It really was the year of Thugger. At the top of the year, solo hits like “Stoner” and “Danny Glover” had Young Thug on the cusp of the mainstream, but his stampede to the top was[...]

Guest Post: Pat Butler

December 23, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For the next installment in the guest series, Pat Butler, singer/guitarist for the Sleepy Hahas, submitted his year end list. The Sleepy Hahas will ring in the new year next Wednesday night, beginning at 10pm, at the Gypsy Parlor. Favorite Albums: 10. Death Grips – Niggas on the Moon I’m not going to lie. I wept deeply when I heard they were breaking up this past July. I hate to see a truly groundbreaking band die prematurely, but at least we’ll never have to listen to a crappy Death Grips album. Niggas on the Moon popped up out of nowhere for free, and boasted a slightly tamer side of the band, while maintaining all the psychotic ferocity that[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 10 – 1

December 18, 2014

We know we say this every year but Buffalo had an amazing year. We haven’t been around long enough to know whether or not these things are cyclical, or if we are just hyper aware of the local scene, but since we’ve been established in 2010, 2014 was the most impressive year for the local scene. In 2013, things were looking grim, but the local music, like the city of Buffalo, knows a little something about overcoming adversity. This year saw the (re)opening of Mohawk Place, the debut of the Studio at Waiting Room Studio, and finally gave the nomadic Sugar City a place to call their own after being baseless for close to two years. Over the last couple of days, we have been highlighting our favorite 25 songs from 2014. We had 66 different songs that went into consideration for our writers favorite tracks, not to mention the hundreds and[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 20 – 11

December 16, 2014

We know we say this every year but Buffalo had an amazing year. We haven’t been around long enough to know whether or not these things are cyclical, or if we are just hyper aware of the local scene, but since we’ve been established in 2010, 2014 was the most impressive year for the local scene. In 2013, things were looking grim, but the local music, like the city of Buffalo, knows a little something about overcoming adversity. This year saw the (re)opening of Mohawk Place, the debut of the Studio at Waiting Room Studio, and finally gave the nomadic Sugar City a place to call their own after being baseless for close to two years. Over the next couple of days, we’ll be highlighting our favorite 25 songs from 2014. We had 66 different songs that went into consideration for our writers favorite tracks, not to mention the hundreds and hundreds[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: Five Close Calls

December 15, 2014

We know we say this every year but Buffalo had an amazing year. We haven’t been around long enough to know whether or not these things are cyclical, or if we are just hyper aware of the local scene, but since we’ve been established in 2010, 2014 was the most impressive year for the local scene. In 2013, things were looking grim, but the local music, like the city of Buffalo, knows a little something about overcoming adversity. This year saw the (re)opening of Mohawk Place, the debut of the Studio at Waiting Room Studio, and finally gave the nomadic Sugar City a place to call their own after being baseless for close to two years. In the next couple of days, we’ll be highlighting our favorite 25 songs from 2014. We had 66 different songs that went into consideration for our writers favorite tracks, not to mention the hundreds and hundreds[...]

Guest Post: Mark Czelusniak

December 15, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For the next installment in the guest series, Mark Czelusniak, founder of Rochester live sessions series, Genesee Live, submitted his year end list.  2014 was a a big year in my life. No, it was not impacted by any of the major world or current events. Nor were there any major, life changing events in my personal life for that matter. 2014 is the first year that I can not say for certain that, in all my years of music fandom, I don’t have a favorite record. It was much easier when I was younger and much of the music I listened to in high school had a bigger impact on me as a person. However, with the music industry shifting everyday[...]

Guest Post: Dr. Ooo

December 11, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For the next installment in the guest series, Buffalo MC Dr. Ooo (aka Drew Hartman), submitted his year end list.  So originally I told myself that I was going to keep this list to 10 songs BUT THEN I REMEMBERED THAT ITS ALMOST 2015 AND I CAN DO WHATEVER THE F*CK I WANT…just kidding but really. Here’s my favorite 15 songs of 2014 IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER SO CALM DOWN EVERYONE. Top 15 Songs of 2014 Ab Soul – “Tree of Life” “I wish I could live like the trees, shoot the breeze, stay around some leaves, you naaaMean??” Nuff said. SZA ft Kendrick Lamar – “Babylon” SZA’s hypnotizing voice and K Dot’s fire verse over[...]

Staff Picks

December 7, 2014

To cap off our Best of 2014 coverage, we asked a handful of our staff writers to submit their favorite albums and songs of the year. Adriana Lang Favorite Album Chet Faker – Built on Glass I was scrolling through somebody’s blog over the summer, and to my annoyance, they had a self-starting playlist. My initial annoyance quickly passed as I actually tuned into the song, pleased within the first few seconds of listening. After a quick Google search, I realized I was listening to Australian musician, Chet Faker. I bought the album quickly after, and was not at all disappointed. Built on Glass embodies everything that electronic music needs right now; it’s a balanced mixture of the synthetic and the soulful. This album is completely genuine, and asserts itself without any contrivance. It’s also one of the few albums I can listen to without skipping any songs.  I was[...]

Guest Post: Jeremy Franklin

November 30, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For the next installment in the guest series, Jeremy Franklin, former member of the late Son of the Sun and current member of the Soft Love and Kurt & the Loders, submitted his year end list. The Soft Love, comprised of former members of the Thermidors and Son of the Sun, will make its live debut on January 17th at Nietzsche’s. It seems as though some of the industry shenanigans in 2104 are as noteworthy as the music itself.  As music evolves, I feel it is only fair to summarize a “year in review” as moments, in addition to concerts, songs and albums.  Let’s start with the most unfavorable and work our way to a few[...]

Guest Post: Chris Groves

November 30, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For the next installment in the guest series, Chris Groves, member of Applennium and Fourem, submitted his year end list.  This is by no means an ordered “Best Of” list of 2014 for me. Much of 2014 is actually a blur, a whirring jumble of things I can’t really put time stamps on. Maybe it’s a hard realization that I just don’t have any super defining moments (yet?). The last two months of 2013 may as well be the beginning of 2014 for all I care. When I was asked to put together this list, I thought it might be an afternoon and a beer type thing…I was mistaken. I’m sure there’s a bunch of things[...]

Guest Post: Brandon Schlia

November 30, 2014

For our Best of 2014 coverage, we once again decided to reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For our first installment in the guest series, Brandon Schlia, founder of local DIY label, Steak & Cake Records, submitted his year end list. Schlia recently interviewed Jeannete Wall of Miscreant Records. You can listen to their talk here. BEST LOCAL BANDS These are the bands that I would go to see even if I’d just worked 10 hours and it was a snowstorm and I had to walk. 1. Hot Tip 2. Space is Haunted 3. Softlines 4. Cal Dripken 5. Newish Star BEST RECORDS 1. Celestial Shore – Enter Ghost I always liked them until Mink played with them at Mohawk and I realized that I actually loved them. I guess there might be[...]

Top 20 Rochester Tracks: 10 – 1

November 26, 2014

One of the blog’s major goals for 2014 was to cover more material out of our neighbors to the east in Rochester. In the past two years, we had done a top ten songs out of the 585, but this year, we decided to double our recognition to top 20 songs out of Rochester. Honestly, we could have probably done a top 30, but we decided to contain it to 20 so we didn’t lose you in our droning on about how awesome Rochester’s music scene is. Without further ado, here are buffaBLOG’s top 10 tracks out of Rochester in 2014. 10. Europa & the Great Red Spot – “Din” Europa & the Great Red Spot have a reputation for releasing high-quality indie rock with a bedroom recording vibe. This year’s Inside Voices was no exception; it included “Din,” a four-and-a-half minute slow-burner that channels The National and Built to[...]

Top 20 Rochester Tracks: 20 – 11

November 26, 2014

One of the blog’s major goals for 2014 was to cover more material out of our neighbors to the east in Rochester. In the past two years, we had done a top ten songs out of the 585, but this year, we decided to double our recognition to top 20 songs out of Rochester. Honestly, we could have probably done a top 30, but we decided to contain it to 20 so we didn’t lose you in our droning on about how awesome Rochester’s music scene is. Without further ado, here are buffaBLOG’s top 20 tracks out of Rochester in 2014. 20. Louis Bijoux – “Owe Ya” Starting off our third annual countdown of buffaBLOG’s top songs out of Rochester is weirdo-pop outfit, Louis BIjoux with the track “Owe Ya.”  Combine Kevin Barnes flamboyance with Robert Smith-y goth leanings and the free-wheeling aspects of Ariel Pink, and you have “Owe[...]

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 2

June 27, 2014

Today’s brings you round 2 of our staff picks for favorite songs and albums at 2014’s half way point. If you missed yesterday’s part 1 of submissions, you may read it here. Sarah Machajewski Album: Neil Young  – A Letter Home We should all be thanking Neil Young for putting out a new album. We should be thanking him doubly for making it an album of covers.  We should be thanking him three times as much for the album’s gritty phonographic sound that stands out in an age of digitized, computer-created music. But maybe that’s what Neil Young does best. His loner tendencies have led to some innovative, cutting-edge music. Yet this album doesn’t forge new paths, but revisits old ones. Young selected 12 songs that have meant something to him at some point in his career, taking from greats such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, and The Everly Brothers. They[...]

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 1

June 26, 2014

With 2014 at its mid way point, the staff here at buffaBLOG has gone over the first six months of the year and picked our favorite tracks and albums. Variety is always nice on lists like this; it shows that we have been blessed with a rich and diverse year of new music, and for the most point, it is reflected on today and tomorrow’s Part 2 lists. Bill Wright Album: Liars – Mess For 15 years, Liars have been tweaking, reworking, and pivoting their sound.  But if there is one thing that has remained constant over the years, it’s that they have always been a little weird. Their front man is even named Angus ,which is a weird name if I’ve ever heard one (apologizes to all the readers out there named Angus). This year, Liars put out their “electronic” album, a record that takes all the beeps and boops they[...]