New Music

JJackpot ft. Pro Dillinger – “No Bets”

March 9, 2026

South Bronx native JJackpot is a self-described veteran of the crack baby era of the city – and you can hear the granules of residue hovering off of each bar of his newest track “No Bets.” Together with NY veteran in Pro Dillinger, JJackpot’s authenticity doesn’t even need subtext: “We ain’t from BET.” It’s a nice double entendre with the title too. A concrete beat paces the track, with malicious piano and door-slamming drums to set the tone for the rappers. And the emcees’ coldness is the cherry on top, weaving in street references the snarl of veteran rappers who’ve seen it all first hand. Add this one to your grittiest playlists. If you’re into “No Bets,” check out more of JJackpot’s output on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Underground Rap 2026 a listen and find your next favorite track.

MEMORIALS – “Dropped Down the Well”

March 8, 2026

The frantic new single from MEMORIALS is the latest banger blaring through the buffaBLOG office speakers as of late. Soaked with organ and brimming with neurotic post-punk energy, we’re reminded of SPRINTS, The Walkmen, and even Ceremony when we listen to this jam. Ripping basslines, monotone vocals, and blistering drums are the engine that make “Dropped” roar – get this one going on your next road trip, just be careful not to push the pedal all the way down to the metal.   Check out the video for “Dropped Down the Well” below. It can also be found on Spotify and bandcamp.    

riley hp – “finelovin”

March 8, 2026

riley hp sounds like he’s about to fall apart on latest single, “finelovin.” Bridging the gap between Mac DeMarco and Atom and his Package, “finelovin” has all the straight-through-the-interface-DI tones you could hope for. It’s a fitting, lo-fi approach for riley hp’s lyrical content about impostor syndrome and how it relates to love. Janky and fun, “finelovin” is the kind of song that simultaneously feels like it cares too much and not at all… And that’s worth writing about.   Check out “finelovin” on Spotify and Apple Music    

The Mad Mile – “Smiths”

March 7, 2026

Last time we heard from London-based duo The Mad Mile, we were waxing poetic about previous single “Wendy Houses.” Perhaps topically, new song “Smiths” deals with the fallout and feelings from your favorite neighborhood bodega going under new management and turning into convenience-store-slop. The duo have an uncanny way of making their songs sound haunting and mysterious while still retaining a catchy quality – this one reminds us a lot of Autolux with hints of Pinback and Wombo.   Check it out below or peep it on Spotify.   The Mad Mile · Smiths

Stephen Becker – “Bad Idea”

March 3, 2026

Stephen Becker bridges the gap between Wilco and Big Thief on latest offering, “Bad Idea.” Slow-moving, but not lacking in artistry or intensity, Becker fills “Bad Idea” with jangly acoustic guitar, layered thick with tasty guitar licks. His lilting brand of folksy bedroom-pop is ethereal and easy-going, even if the subject matter is a little heavy. Sometimes it’s best just to hear it straight from the artist’s mouth, so here’s a poignant snippet from Stephen on where his head was at when he was writing this song:   “‘Bad Idea’ is about a breakup I went through after seeing the ballet – the haunting feeling of the dancers’ movements lingering in my mind, the sad-sweet taste of spiked lemonade on the train ride home. I was thinking about, and trying to manifest, change with a newfound determination to break free from unhealthy routines and patterns in life and in love.”[...]

Cape Crush – “Calm & Delivered”

March 3, 2026

Released in anticipation of their debut album, Cape Crush has shared their newest single with us, “Calm and Delivered.” Based out of Massachusetts, this four piece is unabashedly emo and we love it. Epically bodacious guitars wail in your face with the fury of a thousand room temperature PBRs.   Ali Lipman’s vocals feel heartfelt but never whiny or self righteous; with the story behind them coming from her experiences as a parent and a woman. She goes on to say it:   “…is about the pressure to be emotionally regulated when everything around you is overstimulating.. .It’s inspired by my journey as a parent… As well as my journey as a woman, where setting boundaries is often interpreted poorly… So it’s really about finding your inner-power as a woman and not being afraid of your rage or frustration.”   You can watch the music video for “Calm and Delivered”[...]

Wolfschmidt – “file”

March 3, 2026

Sometimes you just fucking crush it. Good day at the office? Beat someone in an arcade video game? Make the perfect Tik-Tok? You get the idea. Swedish band Wolfschmidt decided to knock it out of the park with “file,” their latest single. Describing themselves as “nu-gaze” (elevator pitch is “cleaner” shoegaze or “second wave” shoegaze). It still has that polished/unpolished enigma feeling from the guitars and effects that any shoegaze fanatic will latch onto (so don’t let the nu-gaze name ruin your mood!).   You can hear it below from YouTube or over on Spotify. It’s a hair under three minutes and well worth your time commitment if you enjoy tracks that ride the guitar all the way through. Other than a short bit mid-track you’re gonna be rocking the fuck out.  

The Sven Curth (Huge) Trio – Live at your local Waterhole

March 3, 2026

Sven Curth and his cronies let loose a wicked live set in Live at your local Waterhole. Alongside featured keyboardist Chris Carballeira, these enviable musicians tailored a set of 60s and 70s rock – and blues-inspired masterpieces. This live set is fun-filled, kindly rebellious, and consistently full of next-to-the-bonfire coziness. Overall, The Sven Curth (Huge) Trio do justice to classic rock. No joke – they all know how to play! Always peaceful yet engaging, these performers offer a captivating sonic experience that has us raising our gaze away from our phones and up at the proverbial stage.   “How Come?” is the first track on this live recording. There’s a thumping shuffle on the drum kit. The bass guitar walks us along on a loose leash. Joining other songs on this collection that question important societal norms like marriage, Curth sings, “How come everyone’s looking for a partner?” Though Curth[...]

Stratosphere – Haze / I’m Yours

March 3, 2026

Fredonia’s Stratosphere continues reaching for the stars – the four piece from Buffalo’s beloved college town neighbor (and beloved college rock band incubator) has been wrecking eardrums since their debut in 2024, and latest double single Haze / I’m Yours is an excellent continuation of the band’s sound. “Haze” feels like a continuation of their namesake, both thematically and sonically. Squiggly guitars give way to wall-of-noise guitar choruses, continuing the storied tradition of quiet/loud, guitar-driven anthems made timeless by Pixies or Nirvana. “I’m Yours” leans a bit more into Bleach-era Nirvana sounds, layered thick with Rat (TM) pedal distortion and Grohl-esque drumming. One thing’s for sure, this band makes a tremendous amount of noise – something that’s often hard to capture in a recording, but Stratosphere does surprisingly well. We’re hoping to catch them live soon, but when we inevitably do, we’ll be making sure to bring earplugs (and maybe[...]

James Beastly – We Should Be Animals

February 27, 2026

Genre-defying songwriter Jim Paulos, AKA James Beastly, returns to buffaBLOG wielding a new sonic blade: his upcoming album, We Should Be Animals. As Beastly himself aptly puts it, he was once,   “… too indie to be punk and too punk to be indie.”   Nick Sessanna reviewed James Beastly’s previous album Junk Values here, giving it high praise. We’re happy to review his newest collection of songs – this time with a somewhat different approach. Overall more relaxed, the album ranges from buzzing shoegaze to dissociative, ambient folk. Moreover, We Should Be Animals is Beastly’s most ambitious attempt, starring key musicians like those from The Cast-Iron Canaries, Patrick Byers from Broken Social Scene, and Magdalena Żaczek of Smokey Robinson and Andrea Bocelli fame.   “Spring Violets,” the lead single from We Should Be Animals, queues with a disheartening, eerie synth pad. The quiet bellows of Paulos sit atop a decidedly[...]

Hit Like A Girl – “Are You In Love (feat. Zayna Youssef)”

February 27, 2026

Philly based Hit Like A Girl collaborated with Zayna Youssef for “Are You In Love.” You may want to sit down for this, but it’s a love song, and I think it’s just what everyone needs right now! It’s delightfully uplifting and starts with a synth intro that leads into bedroom pop vibes that give way to pop-punk tinged guitars. All of this meshes oh so well with with Youssef’s and Maroulis’s vocals.   You can hear “Are You In Love” below from Bandcamp. “Burning At Both Ends” is their next album, due out March 27 (Cryptid Records). They’ll be touring in support of it and may be coming near you (check their socials). Be sure to check out the non-profit, No More Dysphoria, mentioned on their Bandcamp page. They support trans and non-binary individuals financially with their transitions.   Are You In Love (feat. Zayna Youssef) by Hit Like[...]

Here if you need – “When It Falls Back into Place”

February 27, 2026

Nothing hits quite as good as some straight up emo mainlined into your ears, right? “When It Falls Back into Place” is the latest from Here if you need; Midwest Christian emo at its finest. Vocals delivered by Luke Whatman elicit fond memories of yesteryear when everyone could just vibe to some happy/sad and everything in between. We couldn’t dance and barely figured out how to mosh, but we figured it out, right? This is very much a guitar driven song in the spirit of TBS or Reliant K, and you’ll appreciate the ups, downs, and breakdowns.   You can hear “When It Falls Back into Place” below on YouTube or on Spotify. This is only the band’s second single, the first one being 2024’s “E-Mail,” but give the band a follow and maybe we’ll see some more soon!          

The Same Sky – “What’s Left”

February 27, 2026

“What’s Left” is the end result of Montreal based act The Same Sky mashing together a breakup through the lens of The Odyssey (the Greek one, not the Christopher Nolan one). The trip back to finding yourself after a breakup probably makes one feel like Odysseus trying to get back home, though I don’t recall if he fucks with a guitar and Big Muff pedal this hard (I never read the whole thing, but neither did your English professor).   I doubt Homer could have fathomed the crossover of his epic to a shoegaze track some two thousand years later, but I’m sure he would have at least appreciated the artistry.   You can hear “What’s Left” below via Bandcamp and on Spotify. You’ve not long to wait for more from The Same Sky as their album “Haunting in the Mountains” is out in April (Casa Joven).   Haunting in[...]

Big Sleep – “Bruiser”

February 27, 2026

“Bruiser” is the current single off of Holy Show, the latest album from Dublin’s own Big Sleep. It felt like one of those recipes my girlfriend tells me I need to “keep at a simmer, Chris.” While I can’t quite point out the difference betwixt a low boil and a simmer, Big Sleep obviously can because this track simmers *perfectly*. Tight drums combine with flittering guitar with moments of focus where the whole band comes together. Vocally, I was reminded of (younger) Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse fame and in general just loved the hyper focus of the track.   If you’re simmer challenged like I am, let “Bruiser” guide your way. It has nothing to with cooking, but you’ll enjoy it nonetheless. The album is available wherever you stream music; we have it below from Soundcloud and the Spotify link here.   Big Sleep · Bruiser

Bleary – “bug”

February 26, 2026

Nashville based Bleary bring us their latest single, “bug” (with a lower-case b) but with capital letter quality sound. “bug” features heavily what feels like a wall of guitars in multiple flavors that will pique the interest of shoegazers anywhere, with four minutes that feels like just enough but leaves me waiting for the next track. Luckily there IS another track – the equally catchy yet subdued “sugar splint.”   Fans of Mitski may already be familiar with the band, as they have opened for her on her tour.   You can hear “bug” below courtesy of Soundcloud or Spotify. Their debut full length “Little Brain” is due out May 15 (yk records) but until then have plenty of back catalogue for your listening pleasure. I particularly enjoyed 2019’s “Ghost” but I’m sure you’ll have your own.   yk records · Bleary – bug