Buffalo

Governess – (Let Me Be Your) Governess

August 10, 2016

Have you ever partied so hard that you blacked out? If so, think of that last thing you remembered happening when you woke up the next day. Whatever that may be is what Governess sounds like. The bands’ debut album, (Let Me Be Your) Governess is a foul blast of fresh air to purify your poisoned hearts, and gleefully torch your saccharine souls. The concept of “rock n’ roll” has been twisted into so many different forms over the years but at the root of all the best kinds is attitude, energy, and some sort of lust, which this album is soaked in. You can’t fake this; sure you can try, but the kids always suss out the posers and this should pass any test you wanna throw at it. There are many influences heard on Governess’ debut (hard rock, 70’s sleaze, vintage punk, & a sprinkling of metal, in case[...]

Ugly Sun Releases Debut Single “Mock Me Out”

August 5, 2016

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Arctic Death frontman John Crook. Since the band’s split in mid 2011, the members have held tenure in an impressive run of great Buffalo bands, including, but not limited to: Nelson-Type, Crooks, and Father Baron. Ugly Sun is Crook’s new project, rounded out by longtime collaborators Trey Hollowood and Harrison Crook. The trio released their debut EP, Cherokee, earlier this month. Recorded with Jay Zubricky at GCR, their new single, “Mock Me Out,” is a sunny and articulate take on alternative rock. The song highlights Crook’s distinctive drawl and the band’s use of big, beautiful guitars and lush harmonies. Ugly Sun is sure to be a fixture in the local scene this fall. You might also be able to catch them on tour throughout October. Till then, you can stream “Mock Me Out” below via Soundcloud. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/272590516″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Passed Out Share New Single Off Forthcoming EP

August 2, 2016

Passed Out is the aggressive hat that lead singer Andy Pothier wears when penning frustrated call-out anthems. The Buffalo-based songwriter has been an integral part of the area’s growing scene, regularly playing the circuit with his folk-y introspective solo jams as a singer/songwriter, as well as the percussionist for swamp buskers, Pine Fever and psych-rock act Deadwolf. Late last week, Passed Out dropped their new single “Winnipeg” off of their forthcoming EP, Infinite Regression. Immediately, “Winnipeg’s” intro is reminiscent of The Anniversary’s “Till We Earned a Holiday.” The track is all about a $20 hockey bet backed by an aggressive Japandroids-esque hyper abrasive backing. Fans of Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos will enjoy the vocal style and arrangement on this one. The band describe themselves as “very sad, then happy, then very sad again” and they definitely follow that formula with “Winnipeg.” Keep Passed Out on your radar for their release show on Thursday, August 18th[...]

Head North Releases New Music Video for “God (Bring It Back)”

July 29, 2016

Buffalo cosmic rockers Head North are back with a new video for their quasi-folk song, “God (Bring It Back).” The song seems like a true departure from their previous efforts, with frontman Brent J. Martone’s classic emo slur serving as a lone reminder of what the band once was. This time around, “God (Bring It Back)” is heavy on acoustic guitar, vocal hooks, and drummer Ben Lieber’s impressive rhythmic backbone. The band is due to release their next album, The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World, later this summer. Check out the impressive choreography in the video below – master Buffalo videographer Andy Deluca had his hand in this one.

Alpha Hopper Teases Tracks from Last Chance Power Drive

July 26, 2016

It’s impossible to put Alpha Hopper in a box, and their song “Western Walk” off their upcoming album Last Chance Power Drive is no exception. It starts off sounding like a straightforward post-punk song, in the vein of your favorite band on a Killed by Death or Bloodstains Across compilation. The one you always put on mix tapes and hope your friends ask you “Who is that band and where did you find them?” That all changes when the second guitar comes in. That’s when you get a taste of their psych-rock influence which fuses with their punk sound and builds up to the end and leaves you wanting more. Which is why this song, at nine seconds short of two minutes, is the perfect length. It gives you a good taste, but when it’s over you just want to hear what’s next. Luckily we don’t have to wait much[...]

Sparklebomb Releases New Batch of Spooky Singles

July 22, 2016

Spooky synth queen, Sparklebomb, has released a new batch of brooding ambient tracks. The Buffalo-transplant / Syracuse native, Angie Conte has been performing under the moniker for close to seven years, perfecting her atmospheric and dismal sound. As per the songwriter’s repertoire, the intro to “Right Along with Me” leads into the dialogue of an old-time audio of Murder Castle, a drama inspired by serial killer / madman, H.H. Holmes. The dialogue is spliced over ominous organs, eventually introducing a drum machine. The muffled interaction drops,  leaving almost mesmerizing synth loop meanwhile building your anxiety for something to happen, which is a tease because the track fades out much like how it faded in. If there ever was a musician to score a horror film, it would be Sparklebomb. Check out “Right Along with Me” below and explore the ‘bomb’s discography here.   [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/273362364″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Super American Releases New Lyric Video for “Congratulations”

July 8, 2016

The hyper-literate pop-punkers in Super American are at it again, this time with their new song “Congratulations.” By now, you probably recognize enigmatic frontman Matt Cox (ex-ringleader for other Buffalo favorites I Can See Mountains and Thick Winter Blud), who specializes in penning irresistibly upbeat emo anthems. You might also recognize the new addition of two members of ex-Buffalo expats Lovey. “Congratulations” reflects the influence of Super American’s new lineup – Cox joins the rest of his band for a surprisingly still sit down despite the group’s knack for fun, polished post-internet rock. “Congratulations” is below for your viewing pleasure. Photo and video credit: Andy DeLuca

Andy Pothier Releases Folk EP

July 7, 2016

It is known Buffalo is teeming with talented musicians. There are but a handful of those musicians whose relentless dedication to their craft leads them to explore multiple genre avenues at the same time, trading spare time for practice hours and rehearsal sessions, earning accolades for some of the hardest working musicians in Buffalo. Andy Pothier is one of those musicians. Maintaining roles in an Americana folk band, a psychedelic band, and fronting his own frenetic punk outfit, all while steadily putting out material from his acoustic solo project, Pothier lives right up to that aforementioned accolade. His latest effort, Keep Him On Your Mind, hits us from his most vulnerable but also his most comfortable outfit—the solo acoustic Pothier that many know and love. It is from this project which most of his sonic offerings pour, and KHOYM finds solace in that formula, a fleeting EP of delicate and[...]

Holland Purchase Releases Debut Single

July 1, 2016

Kevin Stuitje (of Tomoreaux fame) has just released a new single under the moniker Holland Purchase. His debut single, “Five Years” is sad, guitar rock about the realities of navigating relationships while also dealing with depression. The track has undeniable emo flavor (the good, passionate kind) while also nodding towards Tomoreaux’s ambient tendencies. “Five Years” both highlights and distorts Stuitje’s shoegaze-esque vocals that range from a quiet hum to passionate screams. Fun fact: Cody Morse (of Buffalo band Deadwolf) recorded the track, which also features Tom Burtless (Humble Braggers) on drums and Nate Ward on bass. Head over to Holland Purchase’s Bandcamp page – you can snag “Five Years” for a very affordable “pay what you want” rate.

200 Kids Outside Drop Off Neetchy’s The Old Me

June 30, 2016

200 Kids Outside is one of the most interesting rap acts in Buffalo. The duo usually features Neetchy on the mic with Minel covering production, though on this tape much of the production is handled by Neetchy. Neetch is a melodic rapper, at times straight singing, with lyrics that ride from tongue-in-cheek to romantic, stopping in many places in between. The group last hit us in the winter with Y’all Need a Drink, and kicked off the summer with Neetchy’s mixtape The Old Me. The Old Me is in primarily Neetchy’s work, though Minel does production and mixing on a handful of tracks. It kicks off with “Did You Wrong,” a pretty awesome Minel production. The wonky accordion beat is perfectly offset by the smoothness of Neetchy’s vocals. His subject matter on a lot of tracks is heavily influenced by love, as is the case here. The iconic “It’s Neetchy” ad-lib is nice to[...]

Bill $aber’s Creative Trap Sound Shines on Newest Project

June 22, 2016

Erie County rapper Bill $aber kicks off his latest project with a chorus of “If I fuck your bitch, my n***a do not get to stressing.” Its bold, nonchalant nature relays the confidence of the man behind the mic. On I.P.I.C $aber is a junkyard dog, dropping intense, aggressive floetry in a calculated manner. Opening track “Kum and Go” sets the standard, but the blueprint for $aber’s sound seems to happen on “You Talk it I Live it.” Atdenn’s sparse production leaves clean space for head nods and for $aber to preach his gospel of weird raunchiness, evidenced on lines like”If I don’t fuck she gonna pout.” Atdenn and Boyfriend make appearances on several cuts on here too and work right in with the aesthetic. The $aber crew are a raunchy, odd outfit perfectly comfortable saying exactly what they want. Playful keys are building blocks for a ton of these beats (“Homicide $aber[...]

DUDES share debut record Stay Home PT 2

June 3, 2016

Stay Home PT 2 is the debut from the new punk garage band DUDES. DUDES are exactly what you want out of a garage band nowadays, showing off a solid display of nice riffs played at a fast pace mixed with creative use of added effects, but without overdoing it. The band keeps garage rock as it should be: raw, fuzzy, and abrasive. The singer/guitarist plays some nice psychedelic punk riffs with the always pleasing wah/fuzz effect combo. The vocalist shows an impressive range where songs can be compared to groups from Thee Oh Sees to Pissed Jeans. Tracks like “Sun in your eyes” go from a nice slow groove to fast paced as the song progressives making some super sick psychedelic punk jams. The band says it is heavily influenced by Ty Segall, the Spits, and local group Plates. The quality drum work shows influences from stoner metal band Torche The drumming is clearly a priority for[...]

Lesionread – “Listen To Me”

May 31, 2016

Local multi-media artist Lesionread (aka Shawn/Sean Lewis/Louis) seems to be everywhere lately, playing shows with a band, gearing up for his split release with Space Cubs, and most recently, releasing a wonderfully trippy video for “Listen To Me.” The gorgeous kaleidoscopic visuals are cut perfectly in time to the sweetest sounds we’ve gotten this far from Lesionread, so perfect that one can pleasingly anticipate when the soothingly psychedelic visuals will change. Even the LR psycho sound and vision breakdown seems pleasantly mesmerizing in execution for this preternaturally satisfying slab of art. Lesionread has a mixtape release party with Space Cubs coming up at the Mohawk this Friday featuring Mooses, Dogs In Ecstacy, Little Cake and Jack Toft, as well as a headlining spot at the Herd Fest 2016 kickoff June 16th, also at the Mohawk. Check out the clip for “Listen to Me” below. Lesionread – Listen To Me (Official Music Video) from Shawn[...]

Feverbox – “Gemini”

May 24, 2016

Local garage rockers Feverbox have dropped one the great, wistful jams of the summer with “Gemini,” a satisfying change-up featuring some plaintive vocals and melodies reminiscent of the Shins and Two Door Cinema Club. These dudes are showing some real range and a nice capacity for surprise, making their show on Herd Fest Day 3 at DBGB’s seriously essential. Speaking of which, anybody else digging that Herd Fest app? I had absolutely nothing to do with it’s development so I can honestly say I’m fairly impressed, and it’s going to be fun letting my smartphone guide me around the venues and shows going off over the three days. Good times in the city because the future is starting to look like now. Anyways, check out Feverbox’ new single below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/265054943″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Space Cub Releases New Track “Knots”

May 18, 2016

Space Cubs seems to be sitting atop a fertile vessel of creative visions and prolificacy as of late. After releasing a full length this past fall through Unspeakable Records, the solo effort of Suzanne Bonaficio brings us a new track that is dangerously captivating. This track comes dressed in some essential Space Cubs components: meticulously assembled electronic layers, seemingly misplaced glitched-out samples, beautifully spectral vocal lines. Though the sound is signature and recognizable, it feels as fresh as ever. Bonaficio’s work is often described as dreamy, which is certainly subjective depending on the listener, but to me, “Knots” feels much more grounded. Perhaps it’s the robust and palpable bass line that provides enough rhythmic rooting in the here and now. It’s definitely a track that shares as much unique artistic value as it does an infectious dance beat. Listen to “Knots” below and be sure to check out more from Space[...]