Album Reviews

Ashford – Pictures of Places I’ve Been

December 16, 2024 Matt Burgerhoff

Buffalo pop punk/emo rockers, Ashford, close out the year on a high note with their dynamo debut LP, Pictures of Places I’ve Been. The record is a nine-track patchwork of new material and singles released earlier this year including the tracks “Temperance,” “Gorilla Glue” and “The Painter & the Patient.” Expect a variety of clean yet rough-around-the-edges vocals; powerful, overdrive guitars; and hefty, punctuative drums for a listen that will make your hair stand up. Variety is what Ashford does best on this album. Like a pop punk buffet, the band cooks up a deeply satisfying mix of tones, textures and tempos that keeps Pictures of Places I’ve Been fresh and engaging. You’ve got your choice of softer, more poignant songs like “Bliss,” or heavier, crunchier songs like “Crown.” No two songs sound the same with each having their own distinct flavors to chew on for hours. [...]

Gatto Black – (Not) Ready to Die

December 13, 2024 Matt Burgerhoff

The cat’s out of the bag with (Not) Ready to Die, the bombastic new sophomore EP from feline-friendly Buffalo post-hardcore project, Gatto Black. Featuring singer-songwriter, Sal Mastrocola (EXNATIONS, No Net), this 7-song collection is a powder keg of emotions triggered by screamo vocals, chaotic drum beats, and third-rail riffs that will shock your system. “But the thing about cats… they’re never afraid of their shadows,” and neither is Mastrocola, as he wails introspectively on the opening track, “Bitch I’m a Cat.” The singer-songwriter wears his heart on his sleeve and spills his guts via snotty emo-punk vocals that shake with anger and sadness. Each song is impressively unique, robust and layered, and runs a gamut of feelings that wallow in angst and insecurities. You can feel these difficult, dizzying emotions on tracks like “No One Can Ruin Me.” This absolute tornado of a tune lashes out with[...]

JEWELTONE – Visions of Heaven

December 9, 2024 Matt Burgerhoff

Buffalo hardcore trio, JEWELTONE, bring the pain with their new EP, Visions of Heaven. Following up their demo release last year, this bruising EP features four new tracks of stripped-down, no-frills hardcore punk that will have you two-stepping and stagediving. With an endearing band statement of unity and inclusivity, JEWELTONE have spent the last year building a name for themselves in the city’s hardcore scene. At their shows you’ll find a melting pot of all ages and backgrounds pinballing off heavy riffs, punishing drums, and howling vocals. Consisting of Christian Adams on bass/guitar, Jordan Walker on drums and Neftali on vocals, each member brings their own unique perspective and influences to the project. These influences, acting as their north star, are wide-ranging and far-reaching, especially Nef’s whose roots are firmly planted in Buffalo’s hip-hop community. Their spotlighted single “IDFWY,” puts all these influences in a blender for[...]

Black & White Cat / Black & White Cake – S/T

December 2, 2024 Matt Burgerhoff

Throw on a leather jacket and mirror shades and let Buffalo deathrockers Black & White Cat / Black & White Cake be the soundtrack for your cemetery dance party with their debut self-titled album. Inspired by the 1977 horror flick, The Sentinel, and formed six years ago by vocalist Dan Oh and guitarist John Toohill, this gothic five-piece delivers lo-fi melodic post-punk that’s cloaked in darkness and apathy. Rounding out the group and helping to bring their sound back from the dead are guitarist Dave Ward, bassist Paul Morin and synthesist Kelly Morduant. Opening up this brooding collection of songs is the track “Useless” that encapsulates B&W Cat / B&W Cake’s macabre spirit. Oh’s cold, near-death vocals play perfectly against Toohill and Ward’s warm-blooded guitars; perfectly reflecting of the duality of life and death. It’s a great and catchy introduction to the band and their brand of punchy[...]

Hundred Plus Club – “Get Away From Me Jack”

November 25, 2024 Matt Moretti

The Hundred Plus Boys are at it again. Fresh off a sweet streaming success in their previous single “Gobsmacked,” Buffalo’s post-punk outfit drops their follow-up “Get Away from Me Jack.” HPC’s has featured bright guitars and earworm hooks taking influence from the great acts of 2000s indie rock, but lately things have gotten darker. “Gobsmacked” started down a gothy-er path that’s continued with the rollout of “Get Away from Me Jack.” On this single, frontman Zain Shirazi’s baritone vocals hide within a heavy bottom half featuring some pounding bass guitar and a drum section that flips between understated live playing and New Order in-your-face “Blue Monday”-styled drum machine, continuing the band’s experimentation with percussive elements. Shirazi’s brooding vocals menacing backing voices compound the feeling of being under a sinister spell, as Zain tries to resist: “You want people to come to your show … / But I don’t[...]

Elemantra – “The Problem”

November 18, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Perpetually-whirring Buffalo shoegazers Elemantra are back with a fresh new single, “The Problem.” Their impeccable pedalboard curation is on full display here, ranging everywhere from ghostly clean guitars to monstrous blasts of fuzz. Elemantra’s patented brand of all-consuming ambiance is on full display here, lush with nimble basslines, tight drumming, and those far-off vocals that make your favorite ‘gazers sound so mysterious – think Slowdive or MBV. Fans of all waves of emo, anywhere from Appleseed Cast to Citizen, will also enjoy “The Problem,” for its excellent execution of somber emotions and quiet/loud dynamics. You can find “The Problem” via Bandcamp below, or, stream it via your preferred listening service – Spotify or Apple Music. The Problem (single) by elemantra

Bat Ring – A Spectre Prepares

November 11, 2024 Raigan Martinez

Brianna Battista, frequent Little Cake collaborator and former Skirts co-lead, has released her debut album under new solo-project Bat Ring. With production by Bran Schlia (Steak & Cake Records), A Spectre Prepares introduces a beautifully creative sound into the world of experimental post-rock. In addition to the haunting vocals by Battista, this album utilizes synths and distortion in a truly unique way. The five tracks are inspired by a series of painful experiences Battista summated in a personal essay regarding the album. After a poor-fit college program, her creativity was stunted by an inability to express herself the way that she wanted. As Battista continued to experience a power imbalance between herself and her classmates, she began to question her reasons for creating. She writes, “My goal was directly tied to everything these men in my acting program thought of me, and said about me, and said TO me,[...]

We Were Blank – “Summer Bones”

November 8, 2024 Michael Moretti

Local pop-punk/emo quartet, We Were Blank, are back with a one-off single “Summer Bones.” The new track hits a bit more on the punk realm than the band’s usual catalog, with comparisons to heavier pop-punk acts like Microwave and PUP. Lyrics-wise, this track is about the pains of getting older and feeling listless. There is a yearning to go back to the times of having summer bones, which is a younger, fresher, and ultimately more exciting time than having these aging autumn bones. Check out the band’s resume on Spotify and keep a look out for We Were Blank, because they are always gigging around the city.

Wylie Something – Picnic

November 4, 2024 London Nickolai

Buffalo local, Wylie Something, the songwriting vehicle for musician Jacob Smolinksi, is inviting you to a BBQ of freshly grilled tunes for the soul, with an all new record titled Picnic. For an appetizer, we’re served our first track “Feel Like Jake.” For listeners looking for a classic taste, they may find that the jam-band like vibes of this song call back to the sounds of The Grateful Dead or the bluesy swing of Bob Dylan, while more modern-day listeners might enjoy the heavy indie-psych influence. “Jake” listens like a blue sky with whisky clouds on a slow day, where the smiles are warm and drinks are iced cold. This feeling is captured perfectly in the slow swaying guitar strums, the woozy bongo blips, and Jake’s soulful baritone belting – feeling like a hazy meditation without a care in the world. This feeling continues into track two, “Stuck[...]

Sleep Debt Ceiling – Demo EP

October 28, 2024 Raigan Martinez

Buffalo-based project Sleep Debt Ceiling has released their debut, Demo EP. The four song folk punk album, written and performed by James Stephenson, dives into the harsh realities of mental illness, drugs, and imposter syndrome. The status of band membership is unconfirmed as SDC claimed via Instagram, “This is maybe a solo project. It might be a band. No one is entirely sure of this.” The demo was written in April and recorded in May of 2024, as a result of Stephenson’s self-isolation. Through a perfect mix of raw acoustics, thought-provoking lyrics, and grungy vocals (see the spiraling chorus of “Self-Obsessed and Miserable” or sporadic bridge of “Guarantee”), Sleep Debt Ceiling is “guaranteed to make strangers ask if you’ve talked to anyone lately.” Inspired by Stephenson’s upbringing, “Narcan Supernova” opens up the demo on a rough but poignant note. The track depicts the hardships of watching someone struggle with[...]

Pilot-Field – Songs From South Buffalo

October 14, 2024 Nick Sessanna

There’s no shortage of great punk rock bands in Buffalo – Pilot-Field joined that canon earlier this year (and also last year) and has continued to create fun and excitable nuggets of pop-punk with intent. The band of two McCormicks and two Brennans has just released a two-song EP, Songs From South Buffalo, continuing a trend of simple-but-effective punk rock songwriting that focuses heavily on big melodies set to fast tempos. The album kicks off with “Sweet Home,” an ostensible double-meaning title that references both the very-shoutable chorus refrain and a Buffalo-adjacent locale… And while Sweet Home (the locale) is more of a North Buffalo haunt (I digress). “Home sweet home, home sweet home, far from you’s where we belong” The track is all about being content with your circle. It suits the blasting drums and full-throated guitar of “Sweet Home” perfectly. They continue this same energy on song two, “I[...]

Dr. Boat – “Catch A Foul”

September 19, 2024 Chris Miller

Dr. Boat, a four piece from NYC, purportedly a ‘Medically Accredited Dreamboat Experience,’ recently released their newest single “Catch A Foul.” While I’m not sure which governing body decides on accreditation for dreamboat experiences, I am sure that this is definitely one of the rockingest tracks I’ve heard in a minute. Not only that, the band has a Buffalo connection in drummer Max Kalnitz, who hails from our fair city. This is glam rock through and through; with the guitar turned up to 11, slick as fuck bass riffs, drum kit on fire, and a singer who clearly has some swagger. I really couldn’t describe it any better. If you enjoy The Darkness, Wolfmother, or think Jack White’s love of the guitar should be shared by everyone… This do be the band for you. You can hear “Catch A Foul” below from YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify. Be sure to[...]

Hundred Plus Club – “4/19 (Demo)”

September 9, 2024 Chris Miller

Hundred Plus Club recently released a freshened version of their first song ever (!), affectionately titled “4/19 (Demo).” Ostensibly a working title or the file’s original name, the group used a ten-year-old idea of the first music they ever wrote that could be considered a fully fleshed-out tune. The trio kept the original recording of the drum track, a tight, jazzy snare-forward beat from drummer Burak Spoth, while adding mysterious lyrics and spindly guitar from singer/guitarist Zain Shirazi. There’s something special about demos recorded in a “tin can basement,” and it’s a fun little development that HPC had the wherewithal to polish this into a proper release. We’ve embedded a Spotify player below for convenience, but be sure to check out all the different ways to support HPC via this helpful Linktree link.

Rodagues – Made Men

June 19, 2024 Jordan Budd

Buffalo alternative hip hop trio, Rodagues create an experimental yet catchy modern rap sound. Their fizzing sonic concoction fuses many different strains of hip hop, whether that be old school boom bap, houston’s chopped and screwed sound, southern trap, as well as a plethora of related subgenres. The group’s three man weave of artists is composed of WizzleDaWzRd, puh-GEEZ, and Be_Daylight. To get to know an individual member’s catalog, check out our review for puh-GEEZ’s project LEVELS. Rodagues’ latest release “Made Men” is a collaboration between WizzleDaWzRd and Be_Daylight. The beat, crafted by Wizzle, combines a vaporwave-like, cloud rap aesthetic with a smooth-as-butter west coast bounce. He said of the track: “I guess for the hook part the inspiration was the Jermaine Dupri and Jay Z song, ‘Money Ain’t a Thang.’ I always say I’m the modern version [of] JD with how my beats [are] sounding.” Wizzle’s gravely voice floats[...]

Nolo the Slayer – Bottega

June 10, 2024 Jordan Budd

There’s a funny story behind the way Buffalo rapper, Nolo the Slayer got his name. Early on in his music career, while he was going under the name Nolo, he randomly decided to change his Instagram handle to “@nolotheslayer.” On his first official feature, the artist who he had worked with saw his Instagram, assumed that was his artist name and released the feature as just that, “Nolo the Slayer.” At first Nolo was a bit upset about the situation, as it wasn’t his chosen name, but before he knew it, the moniker had already stuck with those around him. He ended up continuting to use it and the word “Slayer” has even become a common adlib for him. The addition of “The Slayer” gives the name and interesting and unique edge, sounding like the title of some ancient exalted medieval knight. Furthermore, after he’s released and promoted 2023 projects like I[...]