Buffalo

Hundred Plus Club Releases Debut EP

February 23, 2016

Local garage rockers Hundred Plus Club have just released their debut three-song EP, full of frantic, dance rock. This fresh-faced act recently recorded with Nick Borgosz at World of Noise Studios (Bryan Johnson & Family, M.A.G.S.). We recommend these guys if you would be interested in hearing what Dave Monks (Tokyo Police Club) would sound like as front man of The Rapture or Interpol. You can check out our personal favorite track from Three Songs, “Reversed,” below.

Tonight: Klozapin

February 20, 2016

Brooklyn’s Klozapin comes to town this evening for their debut Buffalo gig at Nieztsche’s. The grimey psych-pop act will be nestled smackdab in the middle of  an eclectic lineup featuring sets from three local bands that should be on your radar. Klozapin is still riding high ion their 2015 full self-titled full length, chuck full of shoegaze-y indie-rock jaunts. Kicking off the night is cavernous psych act,  Bold Folly, a band featuring ex-members of Honey Spine and Drone Wars. . Also on the bill  is  golf-pop supergroup, Super American, a merger between the groups I Can See Mountains and Thick Winter Blud. The new band specializes in up-tempo punk rock, quirky lyrics, and on-stage banter. Recommended for fans of Norm McDonald. Headlining the night is Buffalo’s own Americana bar rockers Sixties Future, who recently released their debut EP in the tail end of 2016. It’s the hottest ticket in town. Doors open at 9pm with[...]

Garrett Klahn (ex-Texas Is The Reason) Releases Debut Single

February 19, 2016

For anyone familiar with earnest, 90s indie rock, you may recognize Garrett Klahn from seminal emo band Texas is the Reason. Fun fact: Klahn is originally from Buffalo and still has strong ties to the Queen City. Recently, Klahn holed up in a Main St. studio with a bunch of veteran Buffalo musicians to cut a new album. The result is a 10-song, self-titled effort that will be released via Rise Records. Klahn is currently streaming his debut single, “Are We Alright?.” Klahn’s brand of simmering indie rock is atypical from Rise’s heavier reputation, emphasizing his smooth baritone drawl over chill, synth-textured indie rock. Klahn is slated to return to Buffalo to play a few solo shows soon – until then, you can preorder the album via iTunes or MerchNow. Have yourself a listen to “Are We Alright?” by clicking below.

Don Scuzz Hits on Love and Let Die

February 18, 2016

Buffalo rapper and Hooligang member Don Scuzz is a hard hitter. Best recognized by his gruff, intimidating flow and ability to rap the hell out of a chorus, Scuzz comes into the middle of February with another project under his belt. In Valentine’s Day spirit, Love and Let Die is a Scuzzian fusion of street sounds and lyrics with surprisingly great depth to them. Project highlight “50 Facts” stands as one the best tracks we’ve heard from the Don. Built off of a Zaytoven-esque descending piano, Don and guest Meechy El Camino stick to a melodic flow reminiscent of throwback stuff from Dipset and even French Montana’s non-mainstream work. Meechy asserts himself on the first half of the track, dropping a verse with some really great flow switches and all around solid lyricism. Whether he’s on “Genesee faded off Hennessy” or “pulling off in the Jag with the MTV hat to the[...]

Saint Opal Drops Video for New Single

February 17, 2016

Saint Opal may be relatively new on people’s radars, but one thing is certain; she has announced herself in a tastefully bold and dramatic way with each and every single that’s been dropped. The newest release for “Lilac Corona” is no exception. The song is brought to life in the accompanying music video, produced by Haute La Vie, which is both creepy and hair-raisingly poetic. There’s a moment in the video where Saint Opal submerges herself in a tub of black water and kind of tussles with the heavy garments she’s wearing, wrapping them around herself. It’s a perfect representation of how I felt listening to this tune —  totally enveloped in the phantasmal imagery and weighed down by the melancholy timbre. The video also features two dancers, Max Darling and Angela Lopez, who beautifully make use of movement to represent some sort of vexing relationship between the two characters.[...]

Doc 0bvious Catches Eyes on Attention to Detail

February 16, 2016

Buffalo rapper Doc 0bvious comes from city supergroup Prime Example. The collective is known for crafting entire packages of soulful hip hop, stretching from production through to lyricism. 0bvious bleeds that same blood, and his solo debut Attention to Detail is a testament to the DNA that he and his crew stand by. 0bvious kicks off the project with “Plot Summary,” properly outlined in the opening line “The Doc’s here to put a boot in that ass.” Production throughout the project is handled by Prime Examples’ own Program, and on here he opts for a beat heavy on groovy bass. Doc continues his confident bars for the duration of the track, which gets a dope closing of Method Man sample cuts from DJ Optimus Prime. Though the meat of Doc’s game is his ability to drop bars, his songwriting shines on several tracks here. The album’s third track “Over There” values simplicity[...]

Charles Bordeaux Releases Free Of.. EP

February 16, 2016

Buffalo producer/songwriter Charles Bordeaux, formerly known as REverb Rock, recently released a soulful four track EP titled Free Of.., which includes instrumental melodic synth jams as well as downtempo experimental pop with frenetic percussion and emotive vocals. The artist’s abstract style is notably compelling on tracks like “Temple” and “Youth”, where lush arrangements accompany the singer’s introspective lyrics along with immersive vocal samples. The casual instrumental jam “Wax & Wane” centers around an infectious synth progression, paired with static drums and a strong bass groove to make for a jazzy, contemplative feel. Listen to/download Free Of.. below.

Moody Cosmos Reveals New Single

February 9, 2016

Last week, Moody Cosmos–the neo-psyche garage project of Mooses frontman Peter Cahlstadt—dropped a new single, making our early spring a bit more exciting. The explosive track, titled “Old Sarge’s Drop Zone,” is a departure from the outfit’s first single, the soulful “Rocky” (which, unfortunately, has disappeared from the depths of the internet). The new track is a psyche-glam cornucopia of instrumentation, opening with a tonky piano riff that eventually explodes into a liberal serving of fuzz, organ, trumpets and sax, recommended for fans of Foxygen, Sleepy Jackson, and Supergrass. The whole track listens like a grand psychedelic rock opera–politically tinged, wild and huge. Worth a spin. Downloads are available here on the Moody Cosmos’ bandcamp page, and it’s worth mentioning that any proceeds made from the track will be donated to Charity:Water, which aims to provide clean water to developing nations. More info on that at charitywater.org. Check out “Old Sarge’s[...]

Space Cubs Releases New Video for “A Tired Sky”

February 8, 2016

The marriage of audio and visual creations is a wonderful thing. The end product can uniquely heighten emotional response and enlarge ideas nested within a particular song. Space Cubs, the experimental electro solo project of Suzanne Bonifacio, never shies away from this. Pairing experimental images with her music is something she does even in live settings and it has proven that her visual presence is just as strong as her musical one. In keeping with Space Cubs’ distinct celestial vibe, the music video, directed by Frenchpressley, features trippy iterations of geometric patterns and irregular forms. It completely embodies the haunting yet whimsical nature of the song and transports the viewer to a frenzied dimension. Watch the vid below and keep your eyes and ears peeled for a new Space Cubs album this spring.

Faire Écho – Child of Rage

February 8, 2016

Before the break, I mentioned that going into the new year buffaBLOG would be keeping you up to date on every new and exciting voice in local music. So it’s after eagerly waiting 30 long days that I can finally share with you one of those voices; Faire Écho. Faire Écho is the electronic brainchild of Buffalo native and former Sleepy Haha’s bassist, Derek Sullivan. Now residing in Neu-Ulm, Germany; Sullivan has taken to producing music full-time and the first results are nothing short of breathtaking. Child of Rage is the name of his forthcoming work, a loose concept album based around the destructive power of childhood pain and fear. The album follows a haunting series of vocal samples that thematically ties the work together using what sounds like childhood therapy sessions and chilling eyewitness accounts. While the album itself is still awaiting a release, Sullivan has released a collection[...]

200 Kids Outside Drop Thirst-Quenching Album

February 5, 2016

For being a relatively newer act, 200 Kids Outside have got their formula nailed down. It’s not a conventional one either. Across three projects dating back to last spring, the duo of producer Minel and vocalist Neetchy have been making music drawing from influences in alt-hip hop, southern trap and R&B, and have owned it the whole way. Minel’s been a maestro on the boards providing crisp production of varying styles for Neetchy’s signature melodic vocals which float between singing and rapping. YA’LL Need a Drink is a great seven-song taste of what the duo have been working on since last August’s AutoPilot.  Album opener “WiFi” sonically is a quintessential 200 Kids song. Minel takes no time getting into his vault of swirling synths and melancholic keys, and Neetchy’s layered vocals serve as the opening bell that their project is here. “I don’t wanna cry, but the water clears my eyes,” sings Neetchy, taking[...]

Short Moscato Releases Spree of Songs

February 3, 2016

Buffalo hip hop mainstay Short Moscato started off the New Year strong with four new quick-hitters in the month of January. Moscato dropped the 13 song Whatever/Forever project in the last quarter of 2015, an album filled with great tracks from he and his talented friends in the scene. This year’s loosies work off of the Short Moscato blueprint: a hard flow, personal lyrics, and beats of all sorts. The string was lead by “Turquoise,” an ethereal track with a heavy psilocybin influence. In between moments of reflection and revelation, Moscato cuts through with refreshing poignancy, as seen in the line “a Dutch should never ever cost more than $1.50.” Much of the track stays true to the titular theme though, as Moscato questions his need and habit and is guided by a narrator suggesting the use of turquoise as relief. Moscato goes on to appear on the Lucky Seven track “Netlfix &[...]

damian – Hazy 85

February 3, 2016

Former Buffalo now Brooklyn-based folk artist damian just released a spirited yet sweetly melancholic album of instrumental 80’s covers boiled down to the barest of bones.  Armed with a Casio keyboard and a roster of 80’s heavyweights from the Holy Trinity of Jackson, Madonna and Prince to Van Halen, Bananarama, The Bangles, Fleetwood Mac, and Billy Idol, damian is simultaneously merciless in his minimalist approach yet keen to get to the melodic and human heart at the center of each song. Unabashedly retro, Hazy 85 conjures memories of ancient home computers, vintage video game consoles,  and FM hit radio while reconfiguring his 80’s favorites into bit and byte soundtracks. It’s almost hilarious how thoroughly effective damian is at conjuring David Lee Roth’s growl or the otherworldly sweetness of Stevie Nicks through his vintage synth. In fact his cover of the 1982 Fleetwood Mac hit “Gypsy” is one of the clear highlights of the[...]

La Fiesta Lafayette Releases New EP

February 2, 2016

Mysterious lo-fi act La Fiesta Lafayette has just released a new three-song EP. Recorded on the cheap in in a run-down apartment with a gas leak, LFL has made efficient use of the surprisingly ideal bathroom acoustics. Capoed guitars and smooth mandolin tones lay the groundwork for LFL’s snarky, but fitting vocal delivery. What results is an impassioned acoustic effort in the same vein as Fevers and Mirrors-era Bright Eyes or Balance Problems. Check out “OpheliaOphelia” below.  

Matt Script Reveals New Video

December 23, 2015

Last week saw the premiere of the new video for Buffalo singer-songwriter Matt Script’s catchy new single, “See You Anymore.” The video was shot almost entirely on Snapchat and has a manic energy and offbeat sense of humor that perfectly reflects the breezy single. The new song is reminscent of bands like Wavves or FIDLAR but decidedly more melodic and harmonious. It’s impressive how effortless and infectious “See You Anymore” is when one would guess it’s creation was anything but. The track is a brief taste of his new album sharing the same name but leaves me eagerly awaiting to hear more in 2016.