Buffalo

Yes Yes Performs On EBS’ Hello Rookie

September 16, 2014

Buffalo’s favorite ex-pat folk singer, Yes Yes Michael Ersing, recently appeared on the September installment of Hello Rookie, a musical competition airing on Korean network, EBS. The monthly program pits musicians against each other for the chance to advance and appear on the television special,  EBS Space 공감, with the opportunity to win 1 million won, which is roughly $970. While Yes Yes sadly did not win (the money went to MAN and Wings of the ISANG), the program certainly provided the relocated musician a great opportunity to showcase his unique brand of folk. Watch the video below. Keep an eye out for the transfixed audience members throughout the clip. Photo Credit – Douglas Vautour

Aaron & the Burrs Drop New Single, “Release the Bats”

September 16, 2014

It appears that the September Polar Vortex is upon us, slowly surrounding us like Union Soldiers at Wounded Knee, minus an aristocratic narcissist with a wicked mustache. As the weather gets colder and greyer, it’s hard not to focus on the inevitable coming winter. However, it’s not all bad. Maybe the news of new music from the instrumental surfer post-punk outfit, Aaron & the Burrs, will raise your spirits or at least your body temperature. The trio is comprised of Nicholas Reynolds (guitar), Eric Bifaro (bass), and Carson Cain (drums) and have been playing together for close to two years in various West Side basements “Release the Bats” takes you to a place where terms like Polar Vortex only exist in dystopian novels penned by Eastern European writers with names you always mispronounce. When I listen to Aaron & the Burrs, I imagine I am on a tropical beach sipping finely aged rum[...]

Wild Bear Releases Debut Single, “Glass Ceilings”

September 15, 2014

“Glass Ceilings,” the debut track from mysterious new local act Wild Bear, is a tempting morsel that fuses chilled out minimalist electronica with soulful spoken word vocals reminiscent of Bill Withers and Grizzly Bear. Throw in some inspirational pro feminist lyrics and you’ve got something that makes you want more. Follow Wild Bear on Twitter here and stay tuned here for the latest developments from this enigmatic new band. Update: Wild Bear’s full 3-song EP is now streaming on the act’s bandcamp page.

Like A Parrot Forms Royal Tongues, Releases “The Balance”

September 12, 2014

If you have been following the blog over the past few months, you should already be up to speed on the production/writing duo of Like A Parrot. After having decided to keep the Like A Parrot work as a behind the scenes endeavor, the tag team of Justin Gamella and Aaron Bonus have moved their catchy pop tunes over to a project called Royal Tongues. The first single from the new outfit is “The Balance,” a song that you should be familiar with as we featured back in November as our introductory post to Like A Parrot. The revisited synth pop jam has been starting to get picked up by alt radio stations, and may soon be a part of the regular rotation over at Alt-Nation on Sirius radio. Listen below and remember where you heard it first.

The Slums Release Highly Anticipated EP

September 12, 2014

Is it an EP if it’s three songs? A question that often keeps me up late at night. Anyways, we have been anticipating the release from Buffalo-based four-piece, The Slums, since we caught wind of their formation earlier this year. Comprised of past members of The Malones, Scales, Strangers, The Boy and His Machine, and recorded with Paul Besch at Quiet Country Audio, the debut already commanded respect long before the release of any material. On surface level, it seems as though The Slums pick right up where The Malones left things with the first track on the EP, “The Devil,” which could have easily been track seven on the band’s widely popular 2013 release. Where The Slums really start to make it’s identity is with the second and third tracks, “Hot Skins” and “Sore Eyes,” which introduce lead singer Steven Floyd’s growling manic and throatily desperate vocals, a sound[...]

Anthony Del Plato Releases New Song

September 11, 2014

If you’re even the casual buffaBLOG reader, you know that we sort of have a thing for Anthony Del Plato. Between his phenomenal debut EP, 8 Old Vines, his apocalyptic themed follow-up, we sill still be here tomorrow, and most recently his project with Crows and Jays’ Brad Kujawski, titled Strings and Chords, Del Plato has received 100% positive praise from the buffaBLOG HQ. His latest single, “Numbers,” is no different. The song’s formula is much like previous Del Plato works, with solemn Minus the Bear-like vocals, lyrics that read like a coded diary entry, and a cohesiveness that many strive for, but few achieve. Check out “Numbers” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/167175955″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Difficult Night Drops New Track

September 11, 2014

Slacky folk-rockers Difficult Night have just updated their Soundcloud page with a spankin’ new number. The new track, titled “Turn My Back,” doesn’t stray far from the band’s signature sound, sitting somewhere between the practiced bagginess of a Pavement jam and the lo-fi indie jangle of All-Time Quarterback. Singer/guitarist Shane Meyer lays his customary spoken-word singing style over a foundation of rhythmic piano octaves and a twinkly guitar riff, resulting in a sound that is decidedly Difficult Night with a fun new flavor. Oh, and towards the end of the song there is a bomb guitar solo that could pierce a concrete slab. But don’t just take my word for it, press the play button below and give the fresh track a listen for yourself. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/166436608″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Strange Acres Release Music Video For “Minority”

September 10, 2014

Last seen as a part of the Harvestsum showcase at this summer’s Herd Fest, the dark pop outfit, Strange Acres, have just released the music video for “Minority.” Found on their self-titled 2013 debut album, the song sounds like Karen O taking a trip to the darker side. The elegant and eerie video, which is down right Lynchian at times, was shot by High Watermark Films, one of the minds behind the Mohawk Place doc, Bring Me Your Vultures. Watch the music video for “Minority” below.

Yung Zza Remixes “The Shout Song”

September 10, 2014

That breeze you felt over the greater Buffalo area yesterday was the massive sigh of relief coming from Bills fans as the team had agreed, in principle, to be sold to Buffalo Sabres owners Kim and Terry Pegula. When owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. passed away this spring, every Buffalonian’s fears of the Bills leaving town, especially once that meddling Bon Jovi got involved, were nearly met, but thanks to the Pegula family, the Bills will remain in Buffalo for a very long time, and maybe even win a couple more games. What does this have to do with music? Not much really, but DJ Pizza Pizza, who just so happens to be playing our Heavy Rotation: Back to School Dance on Friday, released a new remix version of the the Bills “Shout Song” on the 6th to ring in the new football season. While the song has be remixed[...]

Elmwood Village Yet Again Looking For Bands, Porches

September 8, 2014

After two successful installments, the Elmwood Village’s Buffalo Porchfest will once again take over area porches and balconies on Saturday, October 4th. I remember taking a peak at the first batch of acts that signed up for last fall’s inaugural run, and it was a bit rough around the edges. Last May, though, saw the amount of porches nearly triple, hosting some of the more quality local acts like Radarada, Alex Berkley & the Atlanta Falcons, and Humble Braggers, to name a few, so hopes are high for Porchfest 3.0 next month. Sign up for volunteers, bands, and porches is currently live on Porchfest’s website. Keep an eye out for fest maps and porch/band pairings as we get a bit closer to the event.

JOHNS Drop Exclusive New Track

September 8, 2014

Buffalo trash rockers, JOHNS, have just dropped a new single on their Bandcamp page. The song, titled “Palace of Ill Control,” offers the first taste of the band’s forthcoming LP Grift Marks. The new album has an anticipated winter release via Peterwalkee Records, the label responsible for Mallwalkers’ Shake the Rust Off. (It has also been rumored that PW is to have a hand in cross stitch’s new 7 inch—fingers crossed.) JOHNS’ new single hits pretty hard and sounds like something you might hear if you decided to bust out an old Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game—a driving punk rock number fit to grind the tops of buildings to. The cryptically charged lyrics are sung with an urgency that brings stampedes and landslides to mind. Better be along for the ride. Check it out below.

Space Wolves and Lesionread Featured on Chicago Public Access

September 5, 2014

Last spring, two Buffalo acts, Lesionread and Space Wolves, ventured west to take part in Chicago-based public access show, Chic-a-Go-Go. The cult show has billed itself as a “dance show for kids of all ages,” having past guests such as Dan Deacon, Fugazi, TV on the Radio, and Everlast. With teased instagram videos leaked a couple months back, the performances have been anxiously awaited by many in the buffaBLOG office. In the first video, Lesionread and his merry band of morphsuits bring his converted work bench-turned technology holder to an audience of unaccompanied minors/cool dads. Spazzy and flamboyant, the performance is high-energy much like Lesionread’s usual routine. What is not par is the weirdo popper’s unusually shy demeanor post-performance interview. Perhaps all of the dancing children/TV cameras made him a little nervous. Following Lesionread (or the order I watched the videos) was fuzz-surf duo, Space Wolves. Although the band is already[...]

Handsome Jack Premieres First Single from Do What Comes Naturally

September 5, 2014

A slow week here in Buffalo finally got better today as some new music came to our attention. Long time Buffalo blues rockers, Handsome Jack, have released the first single off of their forthcoming album, Do What Comes Naturally. Titled “Echoes,” the track is a heavy, road house slow burner, touching on influences from the Rolling Stones to the Black Keys, and is best served in a dark bar with a shot of whiskey or two. Do What Comes Naturally is currently available for pre-sale on iTunes and will be officially released on October 7th via Alive Naturalsound Records. In the mean time, listen to “Echoes” below.

Tonight: Peterwalkee Records Fest – Day One

September 5, 2014

Labor Day marks the symbolic end of summer (of course the powers that be have decided to attach a stigma to a holiday celebrating the labor movement), but as long as there are festivals and gatherings, I like to think that there’s still a little warmth in our bones. And if the good times have to end, Peterwalkee Records Fest is a worthy last gasp. The two day festival kicks off tonight at the American Legion hall on Amherst Street. Admittedly, I’m not an expert on every single band on the bill, but to my ears the first night is the heaviest. We’ve got: Male Patterns: breakneck-yet-catchy punk from Albany JOHNS: dark, anthemic blend of punk and pop (but not pop-punk) Dead Unicorn: noisey powerpop from Kingston centered on the impending nuclear apocalypse Cruelster: speed up The Marked Men, piss ’em off, make it awesome and from Cleveland Resist Control:[...]

Applennium Releases “Old Maples”

August 29, 2014

So we may have let one slip under our radar. Earlier this year, local mood rockers Applennium stealthily dropped a new track on their Soundcloud page—a grooving song sounding like something off of Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest. The danceable track, titled “Old Maples,” is a bit of a stylistic departure for the band, leaving behind the dreamy folk twang of earlier material to capitalize on a peppy house-beat with a fat, juicy bassline. A rhythmically-played palm-muted riff and distant jangle-chords add a pleasing airy element to the track while the band’s chillingly good male/female harmonies round out the haunting number. Never a dull moment from this band—earlier this year they played a mind-blowingly good set for the Harvest Sum showcase of Herdfest, and wound up contributing a song to the label’s 2014 summer compilation, available here. Better six months late than never, enjoy Applennium’s “Old Maples” below. (You know, if[...]