Preview

Tonight: The Bloody Beetroots

June 5, 2014

When I think of The Bloody Beetroots, I hear “1, 2, WOOP, WOOP,” a humming scratching, a ticking clock and the guttural screams of “Warp.” [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/18855122″ params=”color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] From Italy, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo is known for his punk influence on the electronic world. He adorns a mask during performance and is known to many as The Bloody Beetroots. Whether it be a DJ set or a live performance, it is more than just dance music. The art of the Beetroots spans time and history, and incorporates cultural influences that set the sound apart from the rest. Last year, The Bloody Beetroots did a collaboration with Paul McCartney. The music video for that song, “Out of Sight,” truly captures the poetic essence of who Rifo is. “Electronic dance music is the bridge that spans my musical influences. My intention was to use the energy of punk[...]

Tonight: Graph Rabbit

June 4, 2014

Graph Rabbit is a dreamy indie rock act based out of Brooklyn that combines the talents of Austin Donohue, a filmmaker as well as musician and composer, producer Allen Farmelo (The Cinematic Orchestra, Talk Normal), experimental pianist Shy Kedmi, and sound engineer Valgeir Sirgurosson (Bjork, Sigur Ros). You get a blurry, fairy-tale-Icelandic vibe when you listen to the band (performing live as a duo) with some Thom York influences thrown in for good measure. Graph Rabbit’s debut LP, Snowblind, is literally defined as damage to the eyes caused by excessive exposure to highly reflective snow fields. You go blind and you can not see. Now that’s a concept Buffalo can wrap its head around. Using analog synths, glockenspiel, strong vocal leads, and lots of sleigh bells, Snowblind tells the story of an aimless wanderer searching for harmony. The LP is all about escape, and Graph Rabbit make an effort to transport[...]

Tonight: Chris Robinson Brotherhood

June 3, 2014

Chris Robinson was always one of the biggest hippies in music, but he didn’t really start letting his freak flag fly until he left the Black Crowes, and formed the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who take the stage at the Town Ballroom tonight (8pm, $24). The name is somewhat ironic, considering in the Crowes, Chris actually played with his brother, Rich Robinson, with whom he had a notably rocky relationship. The Brotherhood established themselves in 2012 with the release of two critically acclaimed albums, Big Moon Ritual and The Magic Door. Both albums embraced Robinson’s enthusiasm for extended jams, with several tracks that went on for 10 minutes or more in lengths. The band’s third album, Phosphorent Harvest, just game out, and while the song lengths are trimmed down just a bit, there are still plenty of extended jams. This music lends itself well to the live setting, where little improvisations can be added[...]

Tonight: Poliça

June 2, 2014

The Tralf’s “Summer Of Indie” continues with a killer lineup of up and coming electronic artists featuring Minneapolis  electronica outfit  Poliça with New York’s Lolawolf and blog favorite Lesionread. In town to promote last year’s excellent Shulamith,  Poliça stands apart from the field thanks to their propulsive, R&B infused 80’s new wave sound, evocative lyrics, intense live shows, and chilled out yet soulful vocals from front woman Channy Leaneagh. There’s a tremendous amount of buzz around Lolawolf and their debut EP due in no small part to minimalist old school synths and the distinct and delicately smokey voice of Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny, spiritual son of Prince), while local wunderkind Lesionread (aka Shawn Lewis) will no doubt continue his rise to power and rapid evolution as electronic and multimedia artist  with some new hardware and some mouthwatering new material. Missing Lesionread is foolish, so being there by 8 PM is[...]

Tonight: Steak & Cake Records Presents Parlor Trix #1

June 1, 2014

Local DIY label, Steak & Cake Records, is set to present an evening showcase featuring some of Buffalo’s very best up-and-coming talents in the comfort of the CEO’s living room (410 Potomoc). If the lineup correlates with the order given on the event page, first up is Joey Mason, an East Aurora raised one-man band who teeter between Phoenix influenced psych-pop with a healthy dose of Strokes vibes mixed throughout. Next is Sonny Baker, a musician that by now needs no introduction or writeup because he is mentioned here weekly via one of his many projects (solo, A Hotel Nourishing, Wooden Waves, Lazlo Holyfeld, Alex Berkley and the Atlanta Falcons). Just expect that he will be playing guitar and singing tonight. Third on the lineup is mumble core savant, Damian Weber. Fresh off the heel’s of March’s incredible You Don’t Need It (recorded with Steak & Cake), Weber will be[...]

Tonight: Being Beastie, Volume 2

May 31, 2014

Buffalo boys and producer-promoters Damon Bodine and Tony Caferro team up once again to promote cancer awareness through music in their widely well-received benefit series. Being Beastie, a karaoke-style event held at Duke’s, features participants rapping to Beastie tracks while being backed up by local band Rhubarb. Bodine, whose Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer is in remission, devotes his time to promoting cancer awareness and has been promoting this event for six years. After Adam Yauch aka MCA, lost his battle with a rare form of salivary gland cancer in 2012, Bodine dedicated this event to the memory of the hip hop icon. 100% of the proceeds of this donation-based event go to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the world’s largest voluntary blood cancer research organization. The suggested donation is $5, but there is no limit on how much you can donate, so bring cash and courage (if you plan on rapping). Doors[...]

Tonight: Rootscollider

May 30, 2014

Imagine the deep beat of a fast-paced drum folded into the harmonious sound of a celestial synth. The music lifts you into the air, like you’re a sylph, guiding your hands and feet in motion. Subtle waves of bass creep around you and your accompaniment as you wander further and further into the fresh, funky sound. That’s a little bit what it’s like to listen to RootsCollider, the Rochester-based band coming to DBGB’s tonight. The four-piece collaborates their vibes into a chaotic and chill frenzy that’s perfect for letting the day go and getting down. This will be their last stop in Buffalo before they head into the Summer festival months–if you’re looking to dance, hover on down for the show, starting at 10:00 p.m. Whorehey and Lopro open the night with DJ sets, and Big Basha takes the stairs down with his final set closing the night.  $5 will[...]

Tonight: Hurricanes of Love

May 30, 2014

On what appears to be the start of “festival” season here in Buffalo, the best bill you may find this weekend is at some place called the Big Herk. Some people may also call it the home of local mumble core songwriter Damian Weber. Weber and crew, which tonight includes a stripped down version of Alex Berkley’s & the Atlanta Falcons, an acoustic Jack Toft, and Squeaky Wheel’s Jax Deluca, will be welcoming off-beat folk rambler Frank Hurricane aka Hurricanes of Love. Currently on tour with minimal performer player 2, Hurricane’s backwoods tunes are laced with weirdness and humor, while remaining melodic and touching. Music is aiming to start right around 8:30 this evening. Entry is free, but donations for touring acts will be welcomed and accepted. Further details, including venue address, can be found here.

Tonight: Headshots Volume 2

May 29, 2014

If you’re a fan of Buffalo hip-hop – or you’d like to get on the fast track to becoming one – the best place to be tonight is the Gypsy Parlor, where several of the Queen City’s most talented up-and-coming hip-hop acts will be performing as part of Headshots Volume 2. The latest installment will feature a collection of local rappers including Shuteyes, WZA & Tommy Two of Radarada, Short Moscato (who will also be hosting the event), Nat Wheat, Chronic Collective and Bagel Jesus with Sparkmatic. Buffalo has an incredibly vibrant hip-hop scene filled with highly talented people approaching the genre from a wide array of different background and styles. If you haven’t been paying attention to it, tonight would be a good night to fix that, and get with the program. The show starts at 10, and it figures to a wonderful showcase for our fair city’s ever-growing[...]

Tonight: The Goods

May 28, 2014

Over the last few months, the eclectic musical exports of Fredonia have caught our attention with bands like fuzz-rock trio Zealot and psych-pop outfit Mooses being featured here at buffaBLOG. The latest addition to that growing list are funk-rock band The Goods, a three piece consisting of Nate Schwartz on guitar, vocals, and saxophone, Sam Pavlovich on Bass, and drummer Colin Gray. Having played regularly throughout the Fredonia area as well as a handful of appearances at the upstairs venue of Buffalo’s Mr. Goodbar, the trio brings their experimental, melodic blend of jazz, rock and funk to Allentown tonight for a headlining show at Nietzsche’s.  Their self-titled debut EP, released this past December, features four tracks ranging from guitar-driven pop-rock, to groove based funk and straightforward, riff-heavy rock. The record is currently available for download on Bandcamp along with a recently released update of the sprawling, sax-centric jam “Earthman“. Music starts at 10pm,[...]

Tonight: Squeaky Wheel Presents Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

May 28, 2014

Continuing their series of excellent and innovative music documentaries that I seem to always be out of town for, Squeaky Wheel will be showing Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell tonight. The movie focuses on the life of the avant garde fixture who died of AIDs at 40. Russell’s work runs the gamut of disco and more experimental cello compositions. Tonight’s documentary is an episodic look at Russell’s life coupled with a wider look at the main cultural currents around his work. As always, the work will be followed by a performance by a local Buffalo artist. In this case it will be the very active cellist, T.J. Borden. Tonight’s screening will begin at 8pm in Hardware’s back room. Squeaky Wheel members are free, non pay $7.

Tonight: Delay

May 28, 2014

I quoted a guy named Jordan Nittoli on Monday and goddamnit, I’ll do it again, if only because this is actually the gig he was talking about: “Buffalo rools cuz there are a lot of gigs every week : ^ ).” Tonight, another installment of Punk ‘N Tots goes down over at Broadway Joe’s. Columbus’s Delay will be making their way over from Akron on the second stop of a two-month tour. Their latest release, Circle Change, is a nice self-contained power pop package, one which I’m sure will come across with great fuzz and fury live. Along with Delay, we’ve got Space Wolves, who have likely already stolen your heart in the past with their poppy surfy goodness. We’ve got Mapmaker, one of podcast host Mike Moretti’s favorite bands of the year, who will hopefully have some copies of their recent album Critical Path on hand to be exchanged[...]

Tonight: Yi

May 26, 2014

As a wise person (at the top of the Facebook event) said, “Buffalo rools cuz there are a lot of gigs every week : ^ ).” He was teasing this week’s Punk ‘N Tots show over at Broadway Joe’s, but I’m going to steal his words to tease tonight’s show at Black Dots, featuring Oakland’s Yi, along with Alpha Hopper and Blackie & the Vanilla Sex. Right off the heels of yesterday’s doubleheader (which, at the time of writing, will be kicking off in a few hours), Black Dots is hosting another noisy, rock ‘n roll style extravaganza. YI will be visiting us on the third date out of their tour supporting their new release, Crying. Give it a listen. They’re some fuzzy punks that have the ability to bust out Yuckish pop (see “Going Dumb”), melodic, Cheap Trickish breaks (see “The Bus”) and harder fare that will make your[...]

Tonight: Sauced

May 24, 2014

As one of Buffalo’s most diverse and creative music scenes, the instrumental hip hop and beat producer community has long needed a continual event to showcase some of the city’s vibrant, unsung talent. Tonight, Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar will host the first installment of Sauced, an event aimed at featuring local as well as touring producers, providing an opportunity for their studio heat to be brought to a live setting. Veterans of the Buffalo hip hop scene, Shuteyes and Tone Atlas, will be rocking live on the MPC with local MC Mad Dukez and DJ Charlie the Butcher hosting the event. Also on the bill tonight are Oakland producer Durazzo, whose jazzy, sample-based tracks have a reflective, soulful feel and New Orleans producer AF The Naysayer as a part of their “Back on the Pads” tour.  Music starts at 10pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/87419866″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]    

Tonight: Aesthetic Perfection

May 24, 2014

Electronic music, in all of its forms, can be a fickle beast. It’s kind of like dating a German chick: sometimes you love her, but she doesn’t always love you back. Music made electronically through drum machines, synthesizers, and samplers always seems to be bubbling at the surface, but never quite boils over. Which, according to Aesthetic Perfection’s lead singer and primary creative force Daniel Graves, is just fine. “The state of electronic music is kind of irrelevant to me. I don’t exist in a scene that will ever be mainstream, so the mainstream’s acceptance of it doesn’t really affect me,” he says, adding “Europeans embrace electronic music more than we do is just a matter of culture. They just exist in a world that likes the sound more, we exist in a world that loves Nickelback.” AP’s latest release, Till Death, is a great departure from their early discography.[...]