Buffalo

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[...]

Sixties Future Release New Single

May 10, 2016

I’m not sure exactly what Sixties Future‘s name eludes to, but I believe “the future of 60s music” is a safe bet. With a lead singer Chris Couche sounding like The Boss himself, this group fronts a powerful, unabashed, Americana rock and roll that makes you want to hop on the loud, happy bandwagon. Mellow organ, big guitars, warm bass, and wispy slide guitar meld together forming the various body parts of “Bulletproof.” Opposite to the name, a common theme within the tune is the fear of dying alone. For a song that begins with distant calls from guitars and vocal chords, “Bulletproof” confidently strides forward until the end, leaving the listener “stoking the fire,” ready and wanting more. Have a listen to the single below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/262563933″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Consequences (ex-Real People) Releases Debut EP

April 28, 2016

One listen through We’ll See How The Year Goes and you’ll realize why Consequences is quite a fitting name. You might remember Sworts as the whirling dervish that fronted Buffalo emo-punks Real People (before their untimely demise last year). This time around, Sworts has traded in his dynamic electric guitar work for an acoustic guitar. WSHTYG is a four-song EP that capitalizes on heartbreak, strife, and the mental games that one must navigate while they struggle through their twenties. “Everything Will Work Out” finds Sworts lamenting “I wish I knew then what I know now.” It quickly becomes apparent that WSHTYG is full of introspective lyrics contemplating the true meaning of love, what it means to be in a relationship, and how another person might define who you are. Throughout the EP, Sworts’ voice wavers perfectly, his high range sitting fragile on top of the otherwise barren acoustic tracks. Tracks like “Irreparable Damage” sound reminiscent of late-90s[...]

Brimstone Blondes Return With New Singles

April 27, 2016

It’s been a while since we last heard material from plucky Buffalo-rooted glam-rock act, Brimstone Blondes. When we last checked in, the band was a four-piece college-bound band still semi-based out of Buffalo, or at least all their instruments were still in a suburbs basement. Now in 2016, Brimstone Blondes are very much a Purchase band, embracing showmanship, keyboards,  makeup, and glitter. The now five-piece released two songs this week “First Impressions Are Everything” and “Touchdown U.S.A” Recorded with $ell $ell $ell Studios in Manhattan, the A-Side single, “First Impressions Are Everything” is an introduction to lead singer Matthew Danger Lippman’s unique persona and his ability to burn bridges. If you are a fan of the band’s previous works, long gone are the simple garage-rock licks. The Blondes have evolved. Check out “First Impressions Are Everything” below.

Brat’ya – “Call Me”

April 20, 2016

Lovers of old school synths and unrestrained keyboard lines will get a huge kick out Brat’ya’s  new single “Call Me.” Brat’ya, a solo project from Alek Ogadzhanov (of Smart House), goes all out with lush electronic textures,  vintage 80’s drum sounds, and almost baroque flourishes that play perfectly off the naked yearning of his lyrics and vocals. This is the definition of modern synth pop, and it can be yours via Brat’ya’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy. Maybe get some rollerskating in under disco lights with this in your earbuds. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258609054″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Tins Premiere New Video for “Love On Strike”

April 5, 2016

The Tins have been quite a force in Buffalo music for several years now, culminating in the release of the fantastic Love on Strike last November. Recently, the trio released a video for the title-track, featuring lots and lots of donut play. This one goes out to all the Paula’s Donuts addicts out there – consider this your trigger warning. “Love on Strike” follows the Tins format of sunny, quasi-psychedelic indie rock. The song is chock full of great harmonies, squiggly synth, and razor sharp hooks. The video was produced by Drew Luster and Mike Muntner of the NYC Comedy Team Garbage Farts. You can check out some of their other work at Garbagefarts.com. We hear they both like donuts quite a lot. Please enjoy the smooth sounds of The Tins below. RIYL Tame Impala, MGMT, or Ducktails.

The Slums Release New Single, “Gospel Pt. II”

March 31, 2016

For such a loud band, the Slums have been uncharacteristically quiet for quite some time (except for maybe that extremely raucous show with fellow noisemakers, PUP). The silence has come to an abrupt end – The Slums have just dropped their first single from their new album, SORRY, entitled “Gospel, Part II” via soundcloud. The song is brash and beautiful, melding singer Steven Floyd’s unmistakable voice with just-barely-discordant guitar work. RIYL The Blood Brothers or Pile with the earnest songwriting of Lemuria. The Slums CD release show for SORRY will be held on April 29th. Pay attention to their social media for more juicy details very soon. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/256396787″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

dreambeaches Release New Single

March 15, 2016

Buffalo-based beach-y trio, dreambeaches, released their first single off their forthcoming album Habits. dreambeaches, lead by Corey Bzibizik sprang onto the local scene last year after splintering off from local synth-pop band,  Humble Braggers (and bringing Jacob Peter and Gabe Wells from said band along). Set for a late spring release, the summer-y lead single “Graduation Day” is a fuzzy-pop song that delves into casual frustrations – road rage, cocky college students, and watching a relationship fade away while you are still treading water. Put some shades on, drive with the windows down, blast “Graduation Day,” and care about nothing. Hakuna Matata.

Kimmy Reveals Debut EP

March 11, 2016

Pear, by Kimmy, is a recent release by the Buffalo group deeply immersed in the thrashing indie rock scene.  With vocals that sound like a punk-y Kevin Drew (sometimes even King Krule), the band sports an interesting dynamic for listeners here, there, and everywhere.   Instrumentally, Kimmy is the younger brother of The Blood Brothers, and a cousin to Pissed Jeans.   Unafraid of technical dynamics and rhythms, the newly formed band teamed up to record with Steak & Cake Records’ head honcho/producer, Brandon Schlia.  Kimmy writes mosh-worthy tunes meant to shake off whatever parasite’s within.  One listen through will make you wonder why the pear on the album cover isn’t skinned and leafless. The EP kicks off with “Parasite,” which cuts like a dirty, rusted blade.  The artwork continues onto “Mutt,” a six-and-a-half minute song with plenty of intense instrumentals.  The lyrics, “… sometimes, this is not enough,” give the musical piece[...]

Feverbox Release New Single

March 10, 2016

Buffalo’s Feverbox might not be from the Heartland, but one listen might be enough to fool you. Reminiscent of bands like The Black Keys and Alabama Shakes, Feverbox arrive as a band with a deep soulful blues rock sound. Their latest single ‘Voices’ is an absolute full-fired barnburner of a song. “Voices” is drenched in atmosphere and is absolutely infectious, with one of the slickest hooks I’ve heard in a rock tune this year. If you find yourself lamenting the recent lack of great blues rock bands, the Queen City might not be the first place you’d think to look, but Feverbox proves it might be the best place to look. Catch them on April 15th at Dreamland with Bryan Johnson and Family, Skirts, and Dreambeaches. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/250124709″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]