Album Reviews

Awake & Dreaming – Inevitable

September 11, 2026

buffaBLOG warmly welcomes Awake & Dreaming, an awesome Canadian alt-rock quartet, to our reviewal archives. The band recently recorded their debut album, Inevitable. In this album, Awake & Dreaming (Instagram account here) successfully position themselves as a standout act who brandish massive mixes formulated with slick technicality and intense catharsis.   After the album opener, Inevitable leads us to “Rewire,” the second scheduled single. In “Rewire,” the melodic portion of the band allows the percussion to go wild at times. Overall, this tune is pretty funky and understatedly cool. The song halts into questionable bliss while the singer intonates, “Give me something to get me through…” referring to the idea that our numbing world is difficult to cope with alone.   Inevitable offers jazzy, syncopated drums, mumbling, bubbling bass guitar, and bright, trembling synthesizer before we reach the first single, “Underwater.” The band describes this song as a “… 2[...]

rapper yung king colo promotes new "pop out" single

Yung.King.Cole – “Pop Out”

September 9, 2026

Rapper Terrel Tarantino – aka “Yung.King.Cole” knows the power of a strong hook. The NYC emcee boasts Upstate NY roots and leans hard into the highlight of his new track. On his latest single, “Pop Out,” Cole relentlessly blazes forward with his earworm hook across a whirlwind 2 minutes. His lines are a tour de force, as they power through the typical breaks and find a new endpoint within the production. And when you crave it, the hook hits again. His flow is an idiosyncratic style that sorta meshes with what we’ve heard over in Detroit recently. Production here is percussive-heavy and plays a complementary role to Cole’s frenetic style. If you’re interested in hearing more from Cole, make sure you check out his output on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 playlist a spin – you’re sure to find some fresh artists for[...]

The Fourth Wall – “Future Memory”

September 9, 2026

The Fourth Wall reside in Portland, Oregon, and make a delightful blend of shoegaze, pop, and indie rock. “Future Memory” is a great place to start – sounding like a mix between Death Cab for Cutie, Local Natives, and your favorite late-90s one-hit-wonder, “Memory” is both epic and unassuming. Carried by stabs of piano and a bravely anthemic drum presence, this one sounds like what it must look like to watch the birth of a star… From a safe distance, of course.   Check out the video for “Future Memory” below.    

Jayson Andrew – “Deadman”

September 9, 2026

Jayson Andrew is an up and coming singer/songwriter from Orlando, Florida whose “Deadman” caught our ears. His particular brand of indie folk is upbeat and literate with an almost European mouthfeel. It’s low key and very, very listenable – Earthy and vulnerable, his delivery is both inviting and disarming, breaking down your barriers and inviting himself in.   Check out “Deadman” on Spotify or Apple Music.    

24k Jonni – “Nyjah Hu$ton”

September 6, 2026

Sometimes you see a song title and immediately want to press play. Nyjah Hu$ton, if you’ve been out of the game since Skate 2, is one of the top dawgs in the world of skating, street skating specifically. His influential style on and off the board makes him a welcome addition to the “got a hip hop song named after them” athlete ranks. Move over Mo Bamba. The artist behind the cut, 24k Jonni, is set to build off “Nyjah,” and his other single from this year, “Vices.” “Nyjah” boasts a jazzy hip-hop instrumental, skate-laced imagery, and a no-bullshit delivery. It’s only his second single, but it’s a tone-setter that should get you excited about 24k’s future output. Check out more from 24k Jonni on Spotify – and while you’re there, check out our Best Hip Hop of 2026 Playlist. 

Sky Kistler – “you make me feel alive”

September 6, 2026

Sometimes you just gotta reinvent yourself – which is exactly what Sky Kistler is doing on latest offering “you make me feel alive.” Dropping the anon ZSHELL moniker to evolve into “hyperpop nonsense” is a bold move, but with songs like “you make me feel alive,” we think Sky is going to be just fine. Pulsing 8-bit bass drums assault your eardrums while Sky’s voice glitches out uncontrollably. This one hits hard and would have us uncontrollably grinding our teeth on our pacifiers if it was still 2002 and we had any interest in going to a rave.   “you make me feel alive” is on Soundcloud (below) and Spotify.   Sky Kistler / ZSHELL · you make me feel alive

Autumn Luz – “Tattered”

September 6, 2026

Autumn Luz hits us with the creepiest single we’ve heard in a long time… Creepy in a good way, of course. As we inch into fall, the topically-named Autumn offers us “Tattered,” a song that slinks through your speakers with its spindly baritone guitar work and breathy (literally) percussion. The unique vibes here speak for themselves, but sometimes it’s nice to hear from the artist too – here’s what Autumn has to say about “Tattered:”   “I wouldn’t wish anyone the conflicted desperation and frustration behind that song, but I’m glad it came out where it did… Everyone needs somewhere to be messy when they feel destroyed, manipulated, ignored, or angry.”   “Tattered” is available on YouTube (below), or, on Spotify.    

PLASTIC-P – “HE’S DEAD, JIM”

September 5, 2026

We’re suckers for references over here at buffaBLOG HQ. “HE’S DEAD, JIM,” the rising single from alternative rapper PLASTIC-P, interpolates the iconic catchphrase from StarTrek’s Dr. McCoy to propose some ideas that you might find interesting. Just asking questions, really.  P is relentless on his mic, continuously hammering line after line at a rapid pace with minimal lung breaks. Conspiracy-laced imagery is a pillar of PLASTIC-P’s output, both in lyricism and album artwork. It makes for an interesting experience no matter what, as a bar reveals itself to be a double entendre about who killed Kennedy, for example. My highly informed take? It was the driver. “JIM’s” production deserves a nod here – heavily focused on an old-school sample with an undercurrent of dynamic bass hits. If you’re feeling it, check out PLASTIC-P on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground Rappers of 2026 playlist a listen to discover[...]

Ethereal Gone Kids – “She’s Way Too Cool”

August 30, 2026

The word “ethereal” and shoegaze seem to go hand in hand – so the tellingly-named Ethereal Gone Kids are on point with latest single, “She’s Way Too Cool.” This Melbourne quartet makes an incredible amount of noise – between the squalling guitars and thunderous drums, it’s tough to tell which is doing more damage to your eardrums. The instrumentals are set off by a cavernous vocal about the challenges of maintaining relationships in your twenties – an interesting juxtaposition, but ultimately, exactly what shoegaze is about in the first place.   “She’s Way Too Cool” can be found via the Spotify embed below.  

Wolfschmidt – “Svalbard”

August 30, 2026

Wolfschmidt are about to blow your face off with the soaring math rock of “Svalbard.” I didn’t know what a “Svalbard” was – turns out it’s a Norwegian archipelago, one of the Northernmost inhabited places in the world… And now listening to this song makes me want to visit. Wolfschmidt (who happen to be Swedish) make full use of guitar energy – setting it off with a soaring vocal that is shiver-inducing, pun-fully intended. Lyrically, “Svalbard” “explores the duality of dreading drastic changes, for better or worse.” Gnarly.   “Svalbard” can be found on YouTube (embedded below) or via Spotify.    

A Place To Bury Strangers – “Dead Inside”

August 29, 2026

A Place To Bury Strangers have a warped one for you here. “Dead Inside” is exactly what you’d expect from a experimental, genre-eschewing act – weird noises; circuit-bent stabs of guitar; and cold, glassy-eyed vocals. APTBS mastermind Oliver Ackermann explains it as “fear, obsession, heartbreak, and rage all wrapped together,” but for any indie rock fan (or guitar pedal aficionado), we would probably just call it “awesome.” Perhaps even “iconic.”   Check out “Dead Inside” through the YouTube embed below, or, on Spotify.  

Pintandwefall – “Mustang”

August 29, 2026

Pintandwefall has been around for 15 years – and 15 years in band years is like 80 years in human years. Their time together has resulted in some really great music, “Mustang” included. The song is written from the perspective of Kurt Cobain’s iconic axe – “You can throw me around…” etc… Although, we don’t recommend throwing Fender guitars around anymore, especially in this economy. The song is perfectly menacing and has a great, driving energy… In fact, we think Kurt would actually love this song, and unironically stan Pintandwefall.   “Mustang” is available via bandcamp (below) and also via Spotify.   “Mustang” b/w “Worse” by Pintandwefall

They Owe Us – “There Goes My Fairytale”

August 29, 2026

They Owe Us combine fuzz and folk on latest single, “There Goes My Fairytale.” Sounding a bit like a rambling indie rock band and a bit like Billy Corgan if he took some molly, “There Goes My Fairytale” is a literate and fun jangler that makes ideal use of the quiet/loud songwriting approach. Self-described as “if The Walkmen and The Band had a kid” – we agree, but think They Owe Us is marching a bit more to their own drum. Life doesn’t always have a fairytale ending, but at least it has really cool indie rock music.   “There Goes My Fairytale” will be on They Owe Us’ upcoming album, Katzengold, due out in September. Until then, preview the song via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify.   They Owe Us · A02. There Goes My Fairytale

Keya1r – “Fish Tales”

August 26, 2026

The “art of storytelling” has been a genre-defining characteristic of hip hop since the golden age, and it’s great to hear a fresh one in 2026. “Fish Tales” from Philadelphia rapper Keya1r spins the tale of a date (or 3) going sideways. Keya1r’s sharp pen is able to drop lines that satisfy both the listener and his Puerto Rican honey. “It’s hard to spell menu without me ‘n u.” I’m blushing. Press play on this track and see the fate of our fearless, red-blooded hero. “Fish Tales” appears on Why Not? – the latest project from Keya1r with themes of taking chances, serendipity, and rolling with the punches when times get tough. Listen to it right over here on Spotify. While you’re there, check out our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 playlist, updated every week to feature artists like Keya1r.

The Stupid Reasons – “Brighton”

August 24, 2026

F-boys beware! The Stupid Reasons are here to commit, and they certainly do on latest single “Brighton.” The song details that special moment where your situationship turns into a relationship and having a “plan” as to what that might look like. Musically, this one falls somewhere between Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Good Old War, and The Cure – the squiggly synths and chorus pedals are very pleasantly cranked.   Check out “Brighton” via the Spotify embed below.