New Music

No Swoon – “Wait To See”

March 14, 2022

With an LP set to release April 8th, LA-based band No Swoon spoiled fans with a third single, “Wait To See,” from their upcoming sophomore album Take Your Time. The duo of Tasha Abbott and Zack Nessel-Patt are impressively able to combine grungy guitar tones with soft and soothing vocals in this dreamy, shoegaze-y number. It’s visually displayed in their clever lyrical video featuring Tasha Abbott laying over what looks like the coziest blanket of all time while lyrics written on ripped paper are casually placed on a transparent space atop her face. Stream it on Spotify & Apple Music

Roller Derby – “Starry Eyed”

March 14, 2022

Coming all the way from Hamburg, Germany, surfy post-punk trio Roller Derby have the world harking to their latest work “Starry-Eyed.” This hypnotic .wav file is about as transcendent as the deep blue eye featured on the single’s cover art. The motion picture of “Starry-Eyed” premiered on March 4th of 2022 and is one of the trippiest video I’ve seen to date. Before watching, I closed my eyes and visualized what the song would look like on video and Roller Derby exceeded the expectations of my imagination; see the psychedelic magic of “Starry-Eyes” for yourself. Check out our previous writeup for their single “Flying High” here. Stream it on Spotify & Apple Music too

Render Ghosts – “Keeping My Number”

March 14, 2022

Congregating from London/Utrecht, Render Ghost is giving synth pop a classical touch in real time. With the skillset of articulate composer Tom O. C Wilson, renowned singer-songwriter Tamara Van Esch, and innovative instrumentalist Iain Chambers, their latest single “Keeping My Number” can’t possibly lose. The airy vocals push the cloud-like synthesizer to achieve maximum purity. Classical synth pop is a particularly interesting genre due to the aspects it takes from both the past and the future and Render Ghosts seem to be seasoned time travelers. Stream it on Spotify & Apple Music

Laveda – “bb”

March 14, 2022

With an illuminating voice, Ali Genevich from the Albany-based band Laveda leads listeners to the light. This statement is exceptionally evident when experiencing their latest shoegaze single, “bb.” Written in the middle of what seemed to be a socially apocalyptic world, lines like “In the basement and I’m never coming out, fucking wasted for what’s done while in the dark” brings out your inner darkness and doctors-it-up. “bb” was just put out on March 4th of 2022 and things are finally starting to look up in the global pandemic department… So let the words of Laveda usher in your own personal renaissance. You can also find our write up of another excellent Laveda song, “Rager,” via this link. Stream it on Spotify & Apple Music bb by Laveda

grape juice! – “Goodbyes Suck”

March 9, 2022

Catered with a visual, Saratoga Springs’ very own grape juice! gave us just what we needed a month before Valentine’s day with “Goodbyes Suck.” The trio consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Hunter, “The Talent;” bassist Jesse, “The Sugar;” and last but not least, percussionist Mike “The Spice.” If you’re looking for an audible pick-me-up, look no further, lyrics such as “Goodbyes suck, but so do early mornings, grab a cup of coffee and move on.” The level of wholesome grape juice! spoils us with is similar to dinner at your grandma’s house after you told her you haven’t eaten all day… That is, if your grandma specialized in warbly guitars and bedroom-indie perfection somewhere in between Mac Demarco, Vampire Weekend, and your favorite Midwest emo band. Listen on Spotify and Apple Music – lots more options via Linktree as well.  

Dogdad – “Cut / 20 Minutes”

March 9, 2022

It’s difficult to identify if “Cut/20 Minutes” by DOGDAD was improvisational or precisely composed due to the sheer amount of expression that was packaged into three minutes and fifty four seconds. The manically explosive track sounds something of a Jackson Pollock painting in a beautifully refreshing way. The “20 Minutes” portion of the song ensues in a much more soothing tone, I assume for the audience to wrap their heads around what just happened before they jump right back in. Check it out on Spotify and Apple Music

Cola – “So Excited”

March 8, 2022

The abstract rhythm in the lyrics laid down on Cola’s (ex Ought) single, “So Excited,” is truly hypnotic. If you let the song take you, you’ll end up in an unfamiliar place but you’ll be happy to be there. Darcy, from the international band, claims: “It was that song that we would warm up with and get tight on since it was one of the first to really come together, plus it’s fun to play. There are Cola songs of mine that predate this one but this was the one I was working on when Ben told me he was going to come back from grad school and we talked about jamming together. It clicked when we played it out with Evan and from there we decided to work on songs for a new project.” That being said, “So Excited” is second single to their upcoming debut album Deep in[...]

Sarah Johnsone – “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl”

March 8, 2022

The initial use of negative space is enough to make you lean a little closer into your speakers to hear the angelic vocals of UK artist Sarah Johnsone on “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl.” She welcomes the retro-esque indie-rock vibes to her portfolio on this second single and they get along quite well. In her own words: “I’ve found that my lyrics always tend towards the somber side, so for this single I wanted to juxtapose it with energetic riffs and guitar solos. It’s the first recording I made with my band, which gave me way more scope and depth musically. The song is about falling for someone who you know is no good, but it isn’t a downcast tune at all.” In my words, Sarah Johnsone is a lyrical, rhythmic, and charismatic badass who does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Check it out on Spotify and SoundCloud Sarah[...]

Everything In Waves – Fading Out

March 7, 2022

Buffalo-based one-man-band Everything In Waves is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to gorgeous sounds. The latest installation in his discography, Fading Out, takes listeners on a self-reflective journey. The vocals and lyrics are the vehicle of this five-song EP, consisting of stacked melodies with a driving force that feels like it takes you around the world five times and back… What I’m trying to say is, Everything In Waves, aka Anthony DelPlato, was born with pipes. Each song on Fading Out has its own distinctive concept that carries out an overall theme of hopelessness in hope itself. In Anthony’s own words: “The title track, ‘Fading Out’, closes the loosely chronological sequence and narrates the end of this disastrous connection. The suffering, the pain, the misery, it all finally started to fade away. This is not a happy album, but one that I think we can all associate with. It gives[...]

The Pop Kids – “Boston I”

March 7, 2022

Every classic alt-rock album needs an intro that rips, and The Pop Kids came in and did what they had to do. “Boston I” is a bona fide ballad of growing up in Boston, created for The Pop Kids’ debut self titled album. It satisfactorily gets you geared up for the rest of the guitar-based grunging that proceeds. With a taste of trippy in the words of The Pop Kids, “This is so surreal” and “This is so cool” when talking about “Boston I.” Check it out on Spotify too.

FLOWVERS – “When It Comes To It”

March 4, 2022

Across the Atlantic ocean resides a band by the name of FLOWVERS who are wavy enough to be heard overseas in the States. These folk have arrived here at buffaBLOG as the avengers of the anxious with “When It Comes To It.” Covid-19 took many things from people all over the world in these past two years… Whether it’s physical, mental, or spiritual loss; people suffered and still do from social drought. FLOWVERS can not only vouch for those chasing the concept of acceptance within their social life but lead them to the light in acceptance of self. It’s all demonstrated, of course, by their brand of jittery, high-energy indie rock. We’ve featured FLOWVERS before too – you can also check out “Far Away” and “Flowers.” Check it out on Spotify and Apple Music FLOWVERS · When It Comes To It

Small Pockets – “Good Reason”

March 4, 2022

Grab your keys, cooler, and a camera because you’re about to make some grade-A memories with this song. Atlanta-based artist Small Pockets gave us the first glimpse of summertime in a long time with their latest, “good reason.” Joey Kirby (aka Small Pockets) is a songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who is known for two things: “creating and biking w/ friends in Atlanta” via his Instagram. The Rich Rayburn-inspired music video for “small pockets,” animated by Abraham Mast, illustrates nothing less. Stream it on Spotify and Apple Music

Heather Bond – “The Mirage”

March 4, 2022

With the weight of a feather, the voice of Nashville singer-songwriter Heather Bond floats whichever way the wind blows. The connection between her raw vocals and the instruments in her Live in Nashville performance of “The Mirage” prove it. Her execution of vocals are just as crisp live as they are on record. Not to leave out the notable bassist and producer Viktor Krauss, who keeps the audience grounded with a rich bassline. Stream it on Spotify and Apple Music

Christian Linsey – “Kids”

March 4, 2022

Coming in with the ambiance of the dance floor on prom night, Christian Linsey represents the retro indie rock of NYC. His deep, watery vocals put you in a whirlpool of reminiscence… That is, until Linsey rips his roots as a drummer right out of the ground and goes against the current of your whirlpool of memories. “Kids” reached the surface on February 18th 2022 serving as the single for Christian Linsey’s sophomore album New English.  Check it out on Spotify and Apple Music too. Christian Linsey · CHRISTIAN LINSEY – KIDS

Lake Notion – “It’s Complicated, Always”

March 1, 2022

All the way from Latvia, Lake Notion surprised us with this jangly energy-bomb they’ve titled “It’s Complicated, Always.” Reminiscent of neo-emo luminaries like Pinegrove, “Always” pairs big guitar sounds with emotional, but melodic vocals. Mid-song, the trio (!) surprises you with a nimble, mathy section, full of start-stop rhythms and intense, bombastic energy. Through and through, this one is an epic listen that continues to keeps you guessing, even as the huge “ah-ahhhh” vocals bring the song to a perfect close. Preview “Always” via YouTube below – you can also find it on Apple Music and Spotify