Preview

Tonight: BAMBARA

March 28, 2016

Brooklyn’s BAMBARA are finishing up their largely southern and midwestern SWARM-promoting tour circuit within the Empire State. This noisy three-piece plays punk, noise rock with a bluesy, southern twang. BAMBARA, at its core, sounds like a less sibilant METZ mashed with Dads’ ballsy instrumentals. Their songwriting and live performances earned them a spot in this year’s SXSW roster, and they achieved a third place rating in Paste Magazine’s “The 20 Best Bands We Saw at SXSW 2016.” This might make up for fellow SXSW buzzband, Bethlehem Steel, and their bad luck last weekend by being unable to play at Nietzsche’s due to van trouble. Tonight’s show is at The Glitterbox. Supporting acts include Pretty Girls Make Graves-like Alpha Hopper, the garage delinquents in Hot Tip, and the punk rockers forming Facility Men. Doors are at 6. Bring $6.

Tonight: Mac Sabbath

March 27, 2016

The concept of people dressed as McDonalds fast food characters playing Black Sabbath songs, whilst condemning the wrongs of the fast food industry, shouldn’t work. It’s so over the top; so patently ridiculous, that if I was to tell you there was such a group, you would probably say the juggalo’s are running out of ideas. But for some strange reason Mac Sabbath not only works it’s caught on like wild fire. The purveyors of “drive thru metal” have certainly found a niche in the world of “let’s party while we take a satirical approach to metal music and parody some pretty bad-ass songs”. A Mac Sabbath show is like a true nightmare wrapped in a day dream; equal parts Manson as it is Andrew WK, and this clash of ideas, makes it work. The Tralf hosts our viral heroes (Mac rose to power through their impact on metal media[...]

Tonight: buffaBLOG’s 6th Birthday Party

March 26, 2016

There’s something great to be said about the camaraderie that has formed between buffaBLOG, Buffalo musicians and honest music lovers over the past six years. We’re celebrating the all-around enthusiasm for the local music scene as well as the DIY essence of that camaraderie tonight at Nietzsche’s, and the lineup couldn’t be doper. Helping to kick off the night are Telempathy and The Get Money Squad, both of which maintain a surfy tone, though Telempathy has a more 60’s rock-infused lo-fi sound while TGMS has a breezier groove to them. Also slated to play are Cooler, one of our favorite fuzz rock bands who seem to be gaining enormous momentum lately, Moody Cosmos, psychedelic garage rock act who are gearing up to deliver new material this summer, and The Leones, whose dreamy, ethereal tunes are every bit atmospheric as they are ruminative. The only sad bit of news to report on is the cancellation of Bethlehem Steel’s set for the night.[...]

Tonight: David Wax Museum

March 23, 2016

Fresh off a much-buzzed about sting at this year’s SXSW, Buffalo is joined tonight by David Wax Museum. The duo hails from Charlottesville, VA, and plays a unique and winning blend of folk rock and Mexican-styled music that they’ve entitled Mexo-Americana. The band’s retro inspired instrumentation is clearly on display and the Mexican influence can clearly be heard on singles like “Born with a Broken Heart” and “Guesthouse”. That said with the band’s focus on pounding percussive rhythms and acoustic guitar, David Wax Museum’s sound also calls to mind the music of experimental folk artists like Dodos. For those looking to see a band who seem just on the verge of being the next big thing, with a clearly defined adventurous sound, should look no further than 9th Ward tonight.  $15 cover.

Tonight: SLUGS

March 23, 2016

LA rockers SLUGS make a triumphant return to WNY tonight as they swing through Mohawk Place tonight. Buffalo and Rochester natives might recognize Marissa and James Longstreet, formerly of High Drags fame. With roots in both Rochester and LA, the band specializes in slacker rock vibes a la Exile In Guyville-era Liz Phair, Courtney Barnett, or Colleen Green. Joining SLUGS tonight are the Buffalo punx in Basement Rat, the surf-punks in Slow Cooker, and Rochester indie pop royalty Pleistocene. Doors are at 8pm. Bring $5.

Tonight: Titus Andronicus

March 21, 2016

In what seems to be their bi-annual trek to Buffalo,  New Jersey punk Titus Andronicus will be bringing their show to the Tralf Music Hall tonight.  This will be the first stop in Buffalo on tour for their recent punk epic, titled The Most Lamentable Tragedy.  The triple LP, released on Merge Records in July of last year, is a collection that spans all eras and sounds of the band’s history.  Hugely personal ambitious in nature, the 90 minute rock opera will no doubt translate into an intense live experience. Those who get to the gig early will be in for an extra treat as well, as Craig Finn of The Hold Steady will be kicking the night off.  Doors open at 7pm with a showtime of 8pm, and tickets are still available at the door for $17.  If you have found yourself at one of the Titus Andronicus live shows in Buffalo over[...]

Tonight: SWMRS

March 12, 2016

Echoing Oakland act, SWMRS, will be in town tonight at the newly christened Leopard Lounge at Town Ballroom. SWMRS’ sound is a twist of Tokyo Police Club pop lyrics with the electrifying rock riffs of the Wombats, SWMRS will give you a great mix of energetic slacker-rock will light up the dance floor. Their songs are anthemic with heavy-hitting choruses that fans of Skaters, Free Energy, or Buffalo’s very own Made Violent would appreciate. Tickets are $12 and doors open at 7pm

Tonight: The Slums

March 11, 2016

October of last year bore exciting news that The Slums, buzzworthy post-hardcore four piece known for their dense and sludgy yet digestible sound, would be recording a full length album through Quiet Country Audio. If you’ve been following their #SlumDays video updates on the recording process at all, you might’ve seen the band joke about creating a “clean, small, very minimalistic” album, which totally refutes the “raw and energetic” label the band is so often given.  A huge part of me thinks a quiet, minimalistic album from The Slums would still be really damn good. The official release has yet to be made, but if anything, that should encourage you to see them tonight at Dreamland. Also on the bill for tonight is M.A.G.S., who have steadily gained momentum since their inception. The punchy indie-pop outfit has recently skyrocketed to the national exposure level (along with their Admirable Traits Records labelmates Humble Braggers) by having two singles featured[...]

Tonight: Oso Oso

March 9, 2016

The West Side is the place to be tonight for lovers of all things emo.  Following a stop at Sugar City last year, Long Beach emo outfit Oso Oso will be rolling back through Buffalo, to DIY spot The Lair. The band is in the midst of a spanning, two month tour of the United States, and are bringing along Albany young guns Prince Daddy and the Hyena, who let me tell you, are the real deal. I do not use the term stacked gig lightly, and I can assure you, this is a stacked gig.  Kicking the night off is local emo / pop punk act Alleys, who just put out a 7″ split on Running Around Records.   Closing the show out will be local emo vets Del Paxton.  The boys are sure to give you a taste of their new LP, out on Topshelf Records later this year, as well as[...]

Tonight: Dr. Dog

March 9, 2016

Ten years ago Buffalo’s music scene got a righteous kick up the pants when the Town Ballroom opened in the heart of the Theater District. With an emphasis on contemporary acts and one of the best rooms for live music you can go to, Buffalo finally had a place for indie bands too big for the Mohawk like TV On The Radio, Beach House, St. Vincent, Santigold and M83, and our music scene has never been the same. To celebrate this glorious milestone, the pride of West Grove, Pennsylvania return to the Queen City when psychedelic indie rockers Dr. Dog hit up the Town Ballroom with The Districts. Buffalo definitely seems to be “Dr. Dog Country,” with this show their third in three years at the Town Ballroom and sixth in Western New York since 2009, and that means their true believers will be jumping and ready to worship their[...]

Tonight: Carcass

March 7, 2016

Carcass is a name that bears a lot of weight in the metal community. One of the pioneers of technical melodic death metal and grind, the band hit their stride most infamously with their seminal album, Heartwork; a daring display of brutality and harmonized chaos. After breaking up in the mid-90’s the band reformed roughly ten years later, and have since released Surgical Steel, a worthy album to add to their worshipped catalog. Tonight see’s Carcass on a rare Buffalo visit as they visit the Waiting Room, along with highly touted locals Gas Chamber and Rochester’s Blurring. This is one of those rare “I can’t believe they’re here,” show-of-the-year candidates. Certainly one of the most talked about metal shows in recent years. My advice: Get there early; tickets could sell out, and you don’t want to hear your friends talk about what a memorable time you missed out on either.

Tonight: The Wonder Years

March 5, 2016

Tonight, one of the biggest pop punk bands around right now will be rolling through the Town Ballroom.  After dropping a new full length last year, pop-punk veterans The Wonder Years, are bringing a crew of bands with that are sure to make all the sad boy attendees happy, if only for a night. Sharing the stage with the Wonder Years will be post hardcore act Letlive., indie / post rock act Microwave, and Buffalo favorites Tiny Moving Parts. This week Tiny Moving Parts announced the release of a new album, Celebrate, out 5/20.  The trio, boasting the perfect mix of emo, math rock, and indie, are sure to put on one of the most enjoyable sets of the night. Expect to hear the new single off of celbrate, titled “Happy Birthday,” tonight. Doors open at the Ballroom at 6:30pm, with tickets still available at the door for $23.

Tonight: The Moth & The Flame

March 5, 2016

After a little over four months, Provo-based buzz band The Moth & The Flame makes their return to the queen city, with a headlining gig at The Tralf.  Since their last visit in October, the trio have released their first full-length album in five years, titled Young & Unafraid. If their name rings a bell you’ve probably caught wind of their public outcry when a certain Facebook profile ripped their video for “Young & Unafraid,” making the video viral while stealing a bunch of ad money. While this unfortunate event seemed like a curse, it ended up being a blessing in disguise, leading to a press blast, putting The Moth & The Flame on the forefront of the Facebook content stealing debate and the internet rallied behind them. This lead to alternative radio picking up on the song and they are headlining a national tour. Also on the bill are Buffalo-based[...]

Tonight: Kopps

March 4, 2016

Kopps, a four piece electronic dance group from Rochester, have proved themselves to be a potent force within the electro-pop scene. They are yet another Rochester band to break through the regional seal and go national (I like to think of them and Joywave as partners in crime on the road to success). Just recently, their sultry jam “Thermometer” was featured on the Netflix revival of Full House, aptly named Fuller House. How many people can say the gawky but loveable Kimmy Gibler busted a move to one of their original songs? The band has no doubt found their niche and are unbreakably confident in their sound, but at the same time they aren’t totally defined by their genre either. Each and every show, they dish up something fresh, along with infectious beats, sweat and a whole lot of sexiness for good measure. The rest of tonight’s bill is stacked to[...]

Tonight: Marian McLaughlin

March 3, 2016

Equal parts chamber-folk songstress and classically-charged eccentric, DC musician Marian McLaughlin will make her way to Buffalo’s Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight for the first stop on her string of East Coast tour dates. The thing about Marian is—unless you’re already familiar with her unique musicianship—chances are slim that I’ll be able to accurately describe her craft with words alone. Think… Joanna Newsom-esque vocal explorations over a backdrop of intricate classical guitar pickings and orchestra-tinged string arrangements (by collaborator and double bassist Ethan Foote). Her cathedral folk offerings are already entrancing to begin with, but in the intimate confines of the Ninth Ward? A rare treat. A wildly suitable match is found in Buffalo’s buzzing indie folk quintet Tiny Rhymes (whose Katie Weissman doubles as McLaughlin’s touring cellist) to open tonight’s show. Doors open at 7pm with a $10 admission, storytelling vibes in full force.