Album of the Week

Ex-Pat – We Are All Explosives

February 20, 2023

Nostalgia is often guarded by the thick, indeterminate fog of our own memory. Ex-Pat, a Buffalo recording artist, wades through this fog. His time-warping artwork is genuine, soulful, and full of personality. Echoing the most gossamer, faded shades of 90s shoegaze and downtempo, while melting around your ears like a good-as-gold nugget of 50’s doo wop, Ex-Pat is a notable blend, indeed. His sweepingly good 2015 track, “Confusion,” exemplifies his dream pop experimentations (Check out our previous feature on AM 1400). This song excels in a fibrous synthesis of natural and electronic. It offers a soft-on-the-ears mix of creamy synths, while effectively steering into a folksy, way-down-a-country-road harmonica solo. His latest work, We Are All Explosives, is a four-song project halved by recent creations and older archives. The time-capsule of feeling freely drifts through Ex-Pat’s artistic chronology. Its whispery intro track, “The Call to be Happy,” is a minimalist construction[...]

MIMIC – A Thief, Not A Liar.

February 13, 2023

Just before Last Call Entertainment’s BJ’s Fest 2022, the now repurposed Eerie Shores Instagram posted a cryptic announcement. The dive-bar event would be the band’s final performance under their original SUNY Fredonia-born title. A following series of posts transitioned the band’s beloved moniker to a new name, MIMIC. With Eerie Shores in the rearview, “The Longest Road,” is a refreshing introduction to A Thief, Not a Liar. The winding acoustic heartwarmer steers into an EP-defining riff. The dramatic debut single, “Careless,” meets deep-seated anxieties with a relentlessly optimistic attitude. Normalizing this way of thinking, the band says that the song is about “finding happiness in areas of negativity; literally seeing rain and walking into it with a smile.” The music video, shot and edited by Brett Ballachino, reinforces these themes. The lead singer, Alex Vasiloff, finds relief from daily stress by making time for friendship. The gang take the wheel,[...]

Early Bird – “My Town”

January 24, 2023

Buffalo artist Early Bird’s hot new release “My Town” is the latest single following a year filled with numerous new tracks. “My Town” is a party song with smooth vocals featuring  heavy 808’s as well as a catchy hook with repeated lines that will have you singing along. Early Bird’s verses fit perfectly with the beat and carry the momentum through the whole track, creating a flow that feels like it has a current running through it. Early Bird’s music career started in 2016 as lead vocals for a metal group, but he shifted genres for his solo work. Taking influence from various genres including hip hop, rap, R&B, and metal, Early Bird eventually released his first single “Racks” in 2019. When he’s not working on his master’s degree, or locked in the studio, you can find Early Bird hanging out with his friends at the best local Buffalo spots.[...]

Kod!e – Cycle of Man

November 15, 2022

On October 1st, 2002, an artist named Kod!e was born into a life of makeshift homes & painstaking anxiety. To celebrate making it 20 years through this journey of life he calls the Cycle of Man, Kod!e decided to drop a 13 track album titled just that on his twentieth birthday, October 1st 2022. The alt rock/hyperpop inspired album has distinctive vocal textures. On tracks such as “Burn This Town” and “STAY AWAY,” the Buffalo-based artist’s vocals carry similar timbre to a chainsaw in a horror film. Respectively, on tracks like “What is wrong with me” and “Descending,” Kod!e’s voice floats through the atmosphere he’s engineered for himself. The wide range in dynamics and delivery over Cycle of Man is what distinguishes Kod!e from peers in the Buffalo alt rock/hyperpop demographic. A music video with scenes ranging from a cemetery to a Buffalo loft for track six, “I Knew it[...]

Urge Surfer Releases Debut EP, Music Video for “Cursed”

August 18, 2022

Urge Surfer is a brand new Buffalo-based project created by former coworkers Chelsea O’Donnell (Stress Dolls) and Jordan Smith. The duo used the itchiness of pandemic-era angst to inspire their new musical brew – a blippy and hazy blend of modular synth sighs and squelches with hints of guitar. O’Donnell’s distinct vocals lay on top of the music, often sassy and angsty, offering a unique counterpoint to Smith’s dark and calculated creations. The duo exchanged hundreds of emails with no real intention other than to write music… Telling, as their music could fit comfortably next to any Postal Service song (who pioneered this email-based approach back in the early aughts). Fans of Purity Ring, Phantogram, and even Grimes will find lots to like here, as well as synth-heads who can appreciate a tasteful use of arpeggiation and custom-curated patches. They’ve just released a video to accompany lead single, “Cursed.” O’Donnell[...]

Amateur Hockey Club – “Boxed Wine”

June 21, 2022

Buffalo’s Amateur Hockey Club explore a new, tightly-wound pop rock sound on their latest offering, “Boxed Wine.” Bringing to mind the super-polished and sugary-sweet melodies of genre frontrunners like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco (with a splash of the endearing self-awareness of The Front Bottoms), “Boxed Wine” explores a relationship that is aging poorly – like a Bota Box left in the sun. It’s clear that AHC are aiming for that archetypal sing-along summer jam here on “Wine,” so if you’re looking for a song to roll your windows down and throw devil horns to, here’s a good place to start. Check it out on Soundcloud below, or, find “Boxed Wine” on Spotify. Amateur Hockey Club · Boxed Wine

Pr0 Social – “3%”

May 27, 2022

Bringing yet another bubbly bop with his latest single “3%,” the-Buffalo based hip-hop/R&B artist Pr0 Social is a professional at his craft to say the least. Pr0 Social, born Jerrell Lanos, flaunts his caption-worthy bars with such unpredictable flows on the verses and a hook that comes with a harmony you couldn’t forget if you tried. Production-wise, the beat is impeccable, coming at you with dramatic pauses and some sort of clinking noise that has no business sounding as perfect as it does. As smooth as the Pink Panther, Pr0 Social has been popping out to perform at venues such as the Town Ballroom, which makes you wonder: is this a victory lap for his latest single? Or is he gearing up to drop something more? Stay tuned. Stream it on Spotify and Apple Music

tøbin – “Can’t Explain”

May 27, 2022

The intro to the Lost Soul EP via Buffalo artist tøbin seems as if it’s the intro to something more; something bigger. The 18-year-old singer/songwriter speaks on what he “Can’t Explain” in a way anyone can relate to. It sounds almost as if tøbin has found comfort in the numbing concept within the sample saying, “it feels just right, I love it” as he joins in with a haunting yet euphoric “Can’t Explain it.” The verses take you through the thoughts of a Lost Soul and where those thoughts take them. Oh, let’s not forget that this was his debut project; see what I mean when I say it’s something more? Stream it on Spotify and Apple Music tøbin · Can’t Explain

Sons of Luther Share Music Video for “Not To Worry”

May 25, 2022

Sons of Luther sure know how to tug at our heartstrings – the Buffalo-based rock trio meander around our fair city in their riff-filled new song, “Not To Worry.” Highlighting a phat guitar riff reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age, the song tackles the eternal struggle of finding your own self-worth with a not-so-subtle nod to one of Buffalo’s most charming and historic districts, Allentown. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos from neighborhood favorites like Billy Club and The Old Pink that also make a lyrical cameo in the song. Watch their love letter to Buffalo via the YouTube embed below (video directed by Brandon Schlia) – you can also find “Not To Worry” on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Apple Music.

B-rent – Everything For Paige

May 25, 2022

Somewhere in the up & coming hip/hop scene in Buffalo, a voice can be heard with sounds of sincerity; the voice comes from B-rent on his debut LP: Everything for Paige. The album resembles something like a modern day Shakespeare tragedy reflecting the beauty in despair. He shows his fans what rock bottom has taught him before he reaches the mountain top he’s climbing. The fuel to the flame of “Everything For Paige” was unmistakably gifted from his late sister, Paige Casillo. Tracks like “This Broke” resemble how hollow a heart that was once full still beats with as much purpose as the percussion in his music. While tracks like “Exposed” demonstrate how to run through problems (or brick walls)  head-on. The theme of the eleven track LP burns the brightest on track 10, “WITH ME, WITH YOU,” as B-rent belts out lines like “freestyle flows ain’t no need for[...]

Hussalonia – The Somewhat Surprising Re-Recording of Marsupial Garamond Hussalonia

May 18, 2022

Legend says in the year of 1997, a pop music cult was born via the Nefarico soap company and named Hussalonia. A quarter century later, Hussalonia has given us The Somewhat Surprising Re-Recording of Marsupial Garamond Hussalonia… A project that was dropped about sixteen years ago re-recorded, mixed, and mastered to the complete satisfaction of not only Nefarico & Hussalonia; but their fanbase as well. For those unfamiliar with Hussalonia, the riveting backstory and completely immersive worldbuilding are a part of the charm. In addition to their uniquely-told origins coming from a dystopian (or, surprisingly and unsettlingly current) world, their music is incredibly pristine and well-written. A truly all-around experience from this one-of-a-kind Buffalo-based artist. The album starts with the riveting “Time and Place,” in which Hussalonia bellows for the one he once loved. Conceptually continuing the tale throughout the entirety of the rest of The Somewhat Surprising Re-Recording of[...]

Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes

May 2, 2022

The spirit of Buffalo is a very real concept that only true Buffalonians could understand; a sense of community, validity, and authenticity. The legendary rap group Griselda managed to spread the spirit of Buffalo on an international level – one third of this hip-hop superpower, Conway the Machine, recently dropped what is easily his best work to date, an LP entitled God Don’t Make Mistakes. Conway’s cutthroat delivery intersects the eloquent piano keys laid over his beats with pinpoint perpendicularity. Listening to God Don’t Make Mistakes takes you into a hip hop classroom and Conway the Machine is the coolest teacher you’ve ever had. The diversity of emotion Conway has the power to convey is infinite, especially when comparing the vulnerable “Stressed” to the triumphant “So Much More.” When he says “Don’t let em’ put me in no box, I’m so much more,” it hits hard. It’s a very surreal experience[...]

TTB Donntae – “START IT UP 2”

April 30, 2022

Buffalo-based artist TTB Donntae saw a lack of hip hop percolation in the local rap scene and decided to capitalize on the situation. Bringing in relentless flows, memorable lyrics, and standout delivery all on a bomb-ass beat; allow me to introduce “START IT UP PART 2.” TTB Donntae is currently working on his third project titled Seven6teen and has released a plethora of singles leading up to it, most notably, the sequel to his song “START UP” released on previous project The Fall of Man. It’s exciting to see where TTB Donntae will take his upcoming LP after listening to his latest work; tune in. Stream it on YouTube and SoundCloud 

The Weather Might Say Otherwise – “Statue Of Frogs”

April 25, 2022

The Weather Might Say Otherwise found their way back on buffaBLOG with their latest offering, “Statue of Frogs.” Coming with a rough and rugged delivery, the Fredonia three-piece rages the faces off of their fans for three and a half short minutes. That being said, there is a really cool breakdown section a little over halfway through the track for all of those in the mosh to collect themselves properly before jumping right back in. To break down the inspiration behind “Statue Of Frogs” Singer Damian Brown talks vividly of his role with drugs and how he depends on them to pull him out of a depressive state, all the while pulling him further into his depressive state. Stream it on Spotify and Apple Music

Funeral Coat – Is That So?

April 13, 2022

Call it alternative, punk, emo, or whatever else you want, but call it correct; Funeral Coat’s debut LP, Is That So, is fire. The gas to that fire might come from professional production from the prominent Jay Zubricky at GCR Audio; but that’s just the tip of the Iceberg. Funeral Coat built up anticipation with a year of singles when they first formed back in 2020, then delivered Is That So? On July 3rd of 2021. Nearly a year has passed and we’re still spinning it – clearly, it has aged with grace. Album opener “Sorry” is the archetypal Funeral Coat song – their songs clearly have a punk edge, but never stray too far into bouncy, light-hearted territory. “Sorry” demonstrates this perfectly, highlighting a beautiful harmonic guitar lead layered thick with effect pedals. The vocals are similarly effected – masking the emotive delivery with a layer of shredded-speaker distortion.[...]