Buffalo

Stress Dolls – “Alone”

February 1, 2022

The transparency that Buffalo punk artist Stress Dolls possesses is as evident in her music as it is on social media. The last words in her Spotify bio read, “Currently I’m back in the studio with Marc working on a new release that I hope to get out sometime in 2021…” And boy did she deliver. With the single “Alone,” released January 7th (accompanied by a stunning music video just three days later), Chelsea O’Donnell shows off her near decade of experience by screaming both authenticity and relatability with straightforward lyrics like “I’d rather be alone,” showcasing that sometimes our complex thoughts are best relayed in simple terms. It’s done through the simple-yet-effective use of jangly guitar rock and synth lead flourishes, highlighted of course by O’Donnell’s one-of-a-kind vocal prowess. You can find all the different ways to enjoy “Alone” (as well as her newest EP, FORWARD) via this link.[...]

Tough Old Bird – “‘The Jaybird Lives!'”

February 1, 2022

You can almost hear the blowing of a breeze and rustling leaves while gazing at the nature-esque cover art for Buffalo indie folk duo Tough Old Bird’s latest EP, A Mantle for the Lantern. Buffalo brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan recorded the entire EP in their home while the rest of the world was shut down due to COVID-19. The intro to the EP, “‘The Jaybird Lives!’,” creates a very delicate, yet safe atmosphere for the audience to float through. With a breezy folk vibe that sways back and forth, A Mantle for the Lantern is akin to a rhythmic river running under the sunset. The only two words needed to sum up the ambience of the EP are peace and harmony. First, preview “‘The Jaybird Lives!'” via YouTube below, but be sure to check their entire (lengthy!) discography on Spotify as well.

Hyperview – “I Used To Be Normal”

January 31, 2022

The breath of vocalist AJ Newman from pop-punk band Hyperview is frosty enough to give an audience chills. Their most recent addition to their catalog is an EP, I Used to be Normal, featuring a music video for the project’s title-track. This was a big leap forward for both Hyperview and their fans, being the first ever music video they posted. The on-set video perfectly captures how one feels “trapped” inside of what/who they thought they were, even as normal life continues to happen around them. It runs perfectly parallel with the haunting lullaby blend of vibey emo-punk that is “I Used to be Normal.” Check out the music video for “I Used to Be Normal” below – you can also find the EP of the same name on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Hundred Plus Club Release Music Video for “Extraterrestrial Dread”

January 25, 2022

Buffalo indie-alternative act Hundred Plus Club have teamed up with local label Admirable Traits Records again for a new(ish) music video/single. Beyond their catchy indie rock approach, the trio exude charisma and eloquence on camera quite effortlessly. In their latest music video for single, “Extraterrestrial Dread,” Hundred Plus Club take us on a journey with a galactic blue friend who presumably represents dread. Ironically enough, this goofy blue being is the only thing that brings a smile to the band’s faces throughout the entirety of the video. The overall tone of the song provides a calming essence that could be enjoyed in just about any mood, full of chiming guitars, subtle keys, and metronome rhythms. Stream: “Extraterrestrial Dread” here. You can also watch their music video below.

Buffalo Dream-Pop Trio Dream Dream Release Blissed-Out Debut

January 25, 2022

“Chill vibes” would be a humble understatement when describing the sound of dreamy Buffalo-based trio Dream Dream (featuring members of Aircraft and The Tins). Their double single, Chill Vibes // Blissin’, released on October 15, 2021 via Admirable Traits records, captures a nostalgic early-nineties feel while still introducing a fresh sound to the table. For “Blissin,” Dream Dream brings wet, spacey, and downright hypnotizing vocals which call for the response of an enchanting synthesizer. The way the synth dances in between the lyrics truly seems to speak for itself. Listen to “Blissin’” on Soundcloud (below) or stream it via Spotify and Apple Music. Admirable Traits Records · Dream Dream – “Blissin'”

Humble Braggers Release New Single, “So Alive”

October 12, 2021

Buffalo indietronica mainstays Humble Braggers are back again with another lush single they’re calling “So Alive.” By now (we hope!) you’re familiar with the quartet’s euphoric sound – songs filled with what seems like hundreds of synth textures; big vintage drum sounds; plucky guitar riffs; and Tom Burtless’ signature croon. “So Alive” continues that trend, complete with a set of lyrics about how good it feels to face your fears head-on. Check out “So Alive” below via Soundcloud. If you like it, you can also find their entire discography on Spotify and Apple Music. PS: Don’t forget to pre-save their full-length LP, Love & Fear, due out November 11th – here’s the link for you to do so. Humble Braggers · So Alive

Johnny Hart and the Mess Release New Single, “Get Lost Living”

September 11, 2021

Buffalo-based rock n’ rollers Johnny Hart and the Mess recently released a new song called “Get Lost Living.” While showcasing Johnny’s soaring vocals and riff-based, guitar-driven style, the band dives deep lyrically on “Living.” About the song, they say: “This song is about getting lost in life. Both bad lost and good lost. Bad meaning you get so engulfed in the trivial nonsense of the day to day, you stop and ask are you really living your life, or are you just going through motions? Good meaning, you are so entranced in something that is bringing you immense joy that you’re just watching your life go by and couldn’t be happier… Life is short, get lost living it.” We think you’re gonna like it – you can listen to “Get Lost Living” via YouTube below or stream it on Apple Music, Deezer, or Spotify.

SPACED – “Spinning”

August 18, 2021

SPACED is a Buffalo-based hardcore band with a brand new EP that you should be checking out now – they’re a veritable supergroup, featuring members of Talking in My Sleep, Funeral Coat, Post Prom, Calloused, and more. They’ve self-described their new EP as “far-out hardcore” with an “accessible sound, unique groove, and different perspective;” we can’t help but agree. You can feel the magic in debut single “SPINNING” – expect rip-roaring guitar solos, phasers, and a powerhouse performance from singer/screamer Lexi Reyngoudt. You can preview “SPINNING” via YouTube below, or, you can check it out via Spotify.

Breakfast For Dinner Release Sparkling New Single, “Say”

August 12, 2021

Buffalo’s own Breakfast for Dinner has just released an excellent new single, the synthy, indie-pop magic of “Say.” Full of sparkling keyboards; tight, 80s snare drum flavor; and dreamy, lovelorn vocals; fans of Anna of the North; Clairo; or Now, Now are going to find something to love here. It’s set off by a stunning music video – the band is lit with purple, syncopated lights set to the beat of “Say.” It’s perfectly simple and B4D looks amazing, enough to have already racked up 20,000+ views (as of August 12, 2021). Check out the video for “Say” below via the YouTube widget. If you’d prefer to stream, you can find the song on both Spotify and Apple Music.

Prímera División – El Sonido de Prímera División

April 26, 2021

Hunger Artist and Covito, two of Buffalo hip hop’s most versatile producers have teamed up to keep the city’s current cultural dominance in the forefront with international beats and vibes under the code name Prímera División, and El Sonido de Prímera División  is their debut manifesto. Projected through the prism of the global obsession that is football (soccer) and the gritty and hazy ear candy that’s  an essential component of  Buffalo’s Hip Hop sound, the remixes and sonic collages of El Sonido de Prímera División showcase the inescapable fact that the Queen City’s hip hop scene is the spiritual and aesthetic inheritors of all things East Coast. Following in the footsteps of sonic pioneers like The Bomb Squad, DJ Premier, and The RZA, Primera Division creates intricate Walls of Sound for each cut to get all the way in your ears, with layers of esoteric samples and psychedelic frequencies designed[...]

The Hamiltones Release New Surf-Punk Concept LP, ‘Dracula Invitational, 1791’

March 14, 2021

The Hamiltones have been kicking around Buffalo for years now, crafting epic, spindly surf-punk that brings to mind The Ventures, The Cramps and Dick Dale. They’re also fiercely individualistic – this time around, they’ve crafted an utterly unique batch of songs, 14 to be exact, self-described as “the score of the most ridiculous, b-movie Dracula film no one has ever seen (and may not even really exist).” Welcome to Dracula Invitational, 1791, a next-level concept album that tells the story about how the Hamiltones were invited to be the house band at the most infamous Dracula party in the world. The whole plot is spelled out in a wax-sealed letter that’s included with every record. The Hamiltones went all out for this, including a huge centerfold illustration depicting the Dracula party drawn by Buffalo-based illustrator Mickey Harmon. Songs like “No, Let’s Eat the Musicians” (which is accompanied by a music video[...]

Wild Once Release New Music Video for “Alone by Choice”

February 23, 2021

Buffalo indie/emo mainstays Wild Once are back (or still here, rather) with a brand new music video for “Alone by Choice” – the video showcases the band’s members in various states of relative solitude before bringing back them together to play in the same room once more. In an impressively choreographed shot, singer Tom Mayer plays his guitar in a kayak… Hopefully it didn’t fall overboard. This video feels especially poignant after the socially distant hell that most of us have been living through this past year. For that matter, Wild Once’s unique brand of ambient punk-meets-indie-meets-americana energy is the perfect accompaniment. Wild Once recorded “Alone by Choice” with Jay Zubricky at GCR studios this past August 2020. If you like what you see/hear, it can be found on We Did it Anyway, out now on Bandcamp and Spotify

Tines – “Thin Blue Line / Rock and Roll Witness Protection Program”

February 17, 2021

Over the course of rock n roll’s sordid history different styles of songwriting have emerged and worked their ways to the forefront. On one end of the spectrum, bands such as Black Sabbath, The Who, and Rush, have woven together fictional stories and flawless music to create grand, theatrical performances. All the way on the other end of songwriting and storytelling resides punk rock. Its DIY ethics are breathed into every aspect of creating, performing, and way of life. Lyrics from punk bands are personal. The songs are shorter and hit harder than those of the rock n roll grandfathers. Different, yes. Worse or better, that is irrelevant. Piercing the belief that a band must chose one style or the other is Buffalo’s very own rock n roll soldiers, Tines. Members of Tines have lived in the trenches of rock n roll since the nineties, fronting various projects, running a[...]

Humble Braggers Release New Music Video for “Better”

January 5, 2021

Buffalo synthpop heroes Humble Braggers are back with a new music video for their reimagined jam, “Better.” The video finds the HB boys getting raucous in a backyard beer pong session, complete with NFL-quality can punting (Go Bills!), table flipping, and plenty of quasi-drunken bliss. Juxtaposed against the band’s tomfoolery is front man Tom Burtless, smoothly mouthing the lyrics and dressed to the nines in an expertly-decorated room. It’s a good look for the Buffalo mainstays, who continue to pump out mature and polished music (and evidently having a great time doing so). Like all of Humble Braggers’ work, “Better” is another absolute earworm, full of tasty synths, soaked in reverb, and tinged with just-enough vintage 1980s flavor. Check it out below – If you prefer to listen elsewhere, you can find all of the links here.

Buffalo Duo Amateur Hockey Club Releases New EP & Single

December 4, 2020

Here’s a dope one from Buffalo’s own Amateur Hockey Club. The Buffalo-based duo reside in an emo-indie aether, as evidenced by their latest offering, “Mad Max Mathews Makes Machines Musical.” Bringing to mind bands like Transit, Charmer, or Dryjacket, “Mad Max” finds the duo exploring the realities of post-grad ennui and twenty-something angst with lyrical sincerity, meandering guitar and bass riffs, and a bedroom-pop-esque mix. This one really lets loose around the two-minute-mark, where the guys step on the distortion pedals and go out swinging with an anthemic sing-along section. Amateur Hockey Club just released a brand new EP called Figure Myself Out, upon which “Mad Max” resides. Check out the whole EP on Spotify here.