Buffalo

Stream YLXR’s Magnificent “Stream”

March 9, 2016

Buffalo producer YLXR has a million different sounds in his pocket. Drawing influence from ambient, electronic, hip hop and countless other genres of music, YLXR’s releases can be counted on to surprise you musically in the best way. Latest release “Stream” is another win for his track record. The front half of the track features fluttering with synths and plucked strings, punctuated with a sparse but thoughtful bottom half. In the manner of an emotional transition, sounds come and go. The sampled words “In a moment, everything can change,” are expertly reflected in the song, and after they drop the track gets a gust of air before exhaling in the outro. The track is a full experience start to finish, with the each sound thoughtfully included. Per usual with YLXR, it’s a must-listen. Stream “Stream” in the stream below.

Chill Ali Drops “Paypa Thin” Video

March 4, 2016

Chill Ali remains a model of consistency within the Buffalo rap scene. Within the Rich Slave umbrella, Ali has been a beacon of consistently chill releases for the last couple of years. Much like in his previous work, “Paypa Thin” has the dichotomy of smooth music but striking lyricism. Extremely personal lines, like Ali’s relationship with his mother and their struggles in finding safe places to stay, can get lost with your natural inclination to bob your head to his music. “Paypa Thin” in particular has a great beat to get lost in, with vocals samples from the same world as Ty $’s latest work with Kanye appearing within the production. Always chill, but multifaceted at the same time, Ali has come through again with a nice track. Peep below.

Joe Mason – I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars

March 1, 2016

With so many colleges concentrated along the 90 from Rochester to Fredonia, intense winters, and a long time epicenter for sonic exploration in Dave Fridmann’s Tarbox Road studio in the woods outside Fredtown, Western New York should totally be a hotbed for modern psychedelic music and for fans of music that makes ears feel WEIRD. Those fans just got something else to feast on in the form of a collaboration between Moody Cosmos and Joe Mason, Mason’s sophomore release I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars. Alternately bright and dark, and joyfully freaky all over, this album is seriously aural cotton candy for your brain. Swinging from outsized kaleidoscopic bursts of sound on jams like “Crazy Legs” and “Wide Eyes” (featuring Moody Cosmos) and “Alright” to the spaced out minimalism of chilled cuts like “Come Back” and “Waiting For The Day,” I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars keeps everything sweet[...]

Dr. Ooo Remixes Usher and Pharrell for “1050”

February 24, 2016

Buffalo rapper and EKL associate Dr. Ooo is one of the city’s most refined wordsmiths. His lyrics and flow shine on in each track he releases, and when he’s having fun on a track the feeling is contagious. This is the case on “1050,” a remix of the 2001 Usher joint “U Don’t Have to Call.” 2001 was primetime for the Neptunes, but Pharrell and Chad Hugo’s work is timeless. The beat for “UDHTC” is just groovy and drum-heavy, setting up Dr. Ooo for a fun freestyle of sorts. Ooo tests out all sorts of flows while talking acidic fruits and high numbers. And he’s also juggling for most of the video. Entertaining, lighthearted, impressive and sexy, just the way Usher would want it. Watch below.

Strange Acres Deliver New Single/Video

February 24, 2016

The music video is not dead. MTV may have done away with them in favor of dramatic hour long  blasts of teenage pregnancy and whatever else, but to the few who keep this underrated art form alive and breathing: I salute you. Salutations to Strange Acres, the mood rock pioneers of East Aurora, who have teamed up with local rock photographer / videographer Andy DeLuca to bring us the video for “Parlor Girls”—the band’s first single since 2013. “Parlor Girls,” recorded at Quiet Country Audio, mixes a fresh, ambient electronica vibe with the almost cinematic-esque mood-setting prowess Strange Acres is known for. Chillingly seductive, dark, and a total midnight simmerer, “Parlor Girls” mashes moodcraft likeness with Zero 7 and Blonde Redhead. The video follows perfect suit, matching the swirling ambience with hazy filters and light effects to create a cohesive and affecting multimedia experience. If you’ve been waiting patiently for new[...]

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[...]