Buffalo

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[...]

Supergoner Post New Material

August 26, 2014

Buffalo quartet, Supergoner, posted late last week their new song”Glass Cannon.” The single is a 90’s flavored indie rock gem that encapsulates the vibe and feel of the era. Fans of Cloud Nothings, Dinosaur Jr., and Superchunk would dig this sound. Half of the members of Supergoner are formerly of defunct rock band, Concubine, so that’s why the vocals sound semi-familiar. Check out “Glass Cannon” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/164059325″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

moverealfastSTOP Release Final Single

August 25, 2014

moverealfastSTOP announced that they would no longer be going forward with the musical project, which was born out of Queen City Music Lottery that took place last spring. As a parting gift, the band released their final single, “The Words Song.” The song is a mix of Lesionread’s delicate vocals, playful bass, purrs, and Cross Stitch’s Joleen Bolger’s accented yelps, and tempo-changes. moverealfastSTOP was one of more promising Lotto bands, and with the announcement of the absolution of the project, this puts added pressure on Scajaquada Creeps, who seem to be the last remaining active project from the lottery.

Three Acts to See at The Elmwood Village Festival of the Arts

August 23, 2014

This weekend, the Elmwood Village’s annual Festival of the Arts returns for another year of paintings, crafts, sculptures, and such. The less sweaty cousin to the Allentown Art Festival will stretch from West Ferry to St. James, filling the street with normally more people than concrete. In addition to art and food vendors, the festival will be offering a decent selection of musical acts to take in while you ponder over your purchase of another metal lawn sprinkle. So if you decide to catch some music this weekend at the fest, here are three options are worth your time. Photo by Steve Matthews Zak Ward – Saturday @ 7-11 Stage (2:00pm) The former frontman to Buffalo stalwarts, Son of the Sun, and current member of ’90s alt-cover act, Kurt & the Loders, continues to be a presence in the Buffalo music scene. Despite SOTS calling it quits late last year,[...]

Passion in Constellation Releases Latest Single, “Smash”

August 19, 2014

Passion in Constellation has recently released a staggeringly catchy single. Packed with monumental transitions, euphoric synth hooks, and moments of serene grace, “Smash” is a full exhibition of the burgeoning dance producer’s strengths. Furthermore it’s his most experimentally playful release up to date. The single opens with a gritty and sultry bass line before the primary hook takes over. Here, synth stabs are accompanied with deft high-hat work, mallet samples, and anonymous female vocal coos. “Rainforest part-ayyy” is what she appears to be announcing and the fun is only beginning. The track craftily conjures an atmosphere of the jungle-book meets the disco, veering in and out of various adaptations of it’s infectious hook and don’t you worry, PIC makes sure to scatter surprises throughout. A sudden shift at 1:48 puts the bass-synth combo on full display via sparse kicks and shuffled high hats. Towards the end, a lush key melody[...]