Rochester

Soviet Dolls Release New Dark-Pop Song, “Ghostlover”

December 14, 2016

Rochester electro-pop act Soviet Dolls recently released their latest single, the dark and looming “Ghostlover.” The quintet combines lush synth textures with an alternative rock backbone and the cherry-on-top vocals of dusky singer Alexandra Wendt. The result is a dark pop banger that we can’t help but crush on. Fans of CHVRCHES, Metric, or The Naked and Famous would really dig this tune. “Ghostlover” is available via Bandcamp for a “pay what you want” rate. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/296780980″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

KOPPS Share New Single “I LOL @ U”

November 18, 2016

Right now during these surreal and uncertain times, when we needed something like this the most, KOPPS has delivered a sonic judo chop to the senses with their bonkers new single “I LOL @ U.”  A riot of 80’s electronica, 90’s sass, ulterior motives, and super sweet ear candy, this psychedelic head rush from our good friends from Rochester doesn’t play around. That goes for the accompanying lyric video, which is beautifully executed and viciously trippy (if not unduly mean to ice cream), proving again that KOPPS is the whole package. You can catch KOPPS December 3 at Anthology in Rochester when they join Joywave, The Demos, Harmonica Lewinski, Mikaela Davis, Secret Pizza, Pleistocene and pretty much the rest of Rochester’s indie scene to play a benefit for Tim Avery, a booker and essential scene impressario battling cancer. Tickets are $20. Show goes 2pm to midnight.  

Oh Manitou Releases New Singles

September 28, 2016

Oh Manitou, a Rochester-based indie act still in their infancy, released duel singles”People I’d Like To Be” and “Once Again” last week. The songs, notably “People I’d Like To Be” showcase immense talent as Oh Manitou embarks on quite the sonic journey. All instruments (keys, vocals, guitars, the like) are played with noteworthy skill and their notes were chosen with great care along with production savviness. The tune commences with a brilliant horn and woodwind introduction. Guitar work and cymbal embellishments are the bow on the present. Then, a chorused and distorted guitar nudges the song awake. “People I’d Like to Be” fills out with bass, drums, and a unique lead. While toms and tambourine shakes fill the air, vocals take to the forefront – awesome harmonies carry you away. “Falling into the sea watching the stars align,” is a perfect way to describe this song, but the sight must be equally as[...]

Full Body Drops “Magnesium Deficiency” Singles

September 13, 2016

Full Body, a slackrock trio from Rochester, released two versions of one song, “Magnesium Deficiency,” on August’s final day. The first, “Magnesium Deficiency,” is a quick punk song with fuzzy bass, robust electric guitar, and Blink-182-like lead vocals. The second, dubbed “Mag Def,” is a beautiful, slowed down take of the same song with the addition of synth, easier vocals and drums, and chorused guitar. Both versions are equally as potent. Both carry the same relatable lyrical lines, such as “Validation is a curse,” and “Everything that’s not yours is shared.” But, for separation’s sake, the first sounds like Dads and the second is something you’d hear from Balance and Composure. Check out the demos below, and stayed tuned for their upcoming split with Soft Cough.

midnight Releases Second Single from 0:00

August 12, 2016

On his recently released o:oo EP, Rochester-artist midnight rolls out a club-influenced R&B sound courtesy of Buffalo producer YLXR’s evocative percussion and atmospheric synths. The pair supplement each other’s aesthetic especially well on “Descent,” a sultry track that highlights the artist’s clever vocal phrasing and patiently builds to a break with chopped vocals and deep bass groove. The single is out now via Majestic Casual records. Take a listen below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/275623820″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Branch Davidians – Sex, Death, and Things Less Boring

August 3, 2016

The Branch Davidians have released their EP Sex, Death, and Things Less Boring. Based in Rochester, the band began as an indie folk duo, before lead man Ben Stephanus expanded both the size of the group and the scope of its sound. Their five-song release is full of fuzz and shoegazey vibes. The lead guitar’s grimy buzz is a consistent force throughout the EP. They fuse throwback ‘90s tendencies with noise-rock elements to achieve a dissonant pop sound. Stephanus’ vocals are trippy with a dash of reverb, and reminiscent of melodies from underground ‘60s rock. The groovy “Bridges of Madison County” sounds like it could be a pop tune from The Zombies fed through the lens of a Tame Impala rocker. The lead guitar riff on “Your Sex Wants You Dead” is textbook pop punk, but with much more distortion. It’s not until the final track, “Blessed Water,” that the[...]

Pleistocene Shares Track from Forthcoming LP Spear

July 18, 2016

Pleistocene rises! Rochester’s coolest named-after-a-geological-epoch surf-punk outfit has dropped a new single off of the band’s forthcoming LP Spear, due out on Pleisto-tour cassette via Casual Punks on 7/22 (and beyond, if you happen to catch the 5-piece on their midsummer East Coast tour), with a full-fledged digital release slated for early August. Spear marks the band’s first full length since 2014’s Ontario Girls. The new single, “Your New Life,” is the third to be shared from the new record, and it basks unabashedly in all things Pleisto—reverb-laden ocean leads over a bass tone sludgier than sludge itself. Singer Katie Preston’s unphased vocals deliver the sweet nostalgia of an old friend, offering a perfect contrast to the song’s surrounding fuzz. The chilled-out new track seems to contradict what might have otherwise been considered a reinvention of the traditionally jangly Pleisto-sound, judging from the first two album spoilers (the exceptionally explosive[...]

Joywave Remixes Maybird’s Single

June 29, 2016

Rochester-raised psych-rockers Maybird have released the first single and title track off their debut EP, Turning Into Water, in late February. The song recently underwent a facelift by getting remixed by fellow breakout Rochester synth-rockers Joywave. “Turning Into Water” is transformed from vintage spaced out psychedelia into a riot of loops, drums simultaneously from the future and the past, discordant keyboards, and the clear, otherworldly tenor of Josh Netsky. Now based in Brooklyn and signed to Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records, who released their debut EP last month, Maybird are yet another band  to the east that are breaking to the next level (see: KOPPS, Mikaela Davis). Check out the reworking below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/269635543″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Total Yuppies Release New Single “Dreaming”

June 15, 2016

Following the announcement of their new EP, Pleasantries, out July 1st, Rochester garage pop act Total Yuppies have released the lead single, “Dreaming.”  This will be the 585 quartet’s first official release, aside from a single “Normal Life,” which was released in late 2015. In the new track, Total Yuppies find the perfect level of simplicity.  “Dreaming” takes aim at the ever relatable post-college life, wasting your mornings,  avoiding people from your high school, and of course, drinking on the weekends.  The way dreamy sounding, clean vocals float over the bouncy guitar make the track nothing short of catchy as hell. Check out the track below, and pick up Pleasantries via Dadstache Records on July 1st.

Attic Abasement – Dream News

June 14, 2016

So yeah, we slept on this one for a bit. But anticipation has an strange way of making things better—and that was just the case for Dream News, Attic Abasement’s first full-length since 2010’s Dancing Is Depressing. A project once unabashedly saturated in lo-fi singularity, Attic Abasement takes a more polished approach on Dream News; the Rochesterian trio shipped off to New Paltz to record this one in an honest-to-goodness studio this time around. I know what you’re thinking: “Uh oh, lo-fi project in a professional studio?” Well fret not, the bedroom production quality is the only attribute traded—the top-shelf songwriting, puzzle-piece riffage, and the magnetic vocal rawness of frontman Mike Rheinheimer remains in full effect. With that said, it’s nothing short of impressive what the band has done with this record. Now rounded out with a full-time bassist and drummer (Keith Parkins and Joe Parker, respectively), AA’s sonic aesthetic[...]

1809 Studios Releases New Session ft. Sleepy Hahas

June 8, 2016

The wait for Sleepy Hahas’ forthcoming full length, From the Bottom of a Warm Lake, has been a long one, but at the very least we can get by on the handful of singles that have been dropped in the past year. The band took to 1809 Studios this past fall to lay down a live rendition of “En Passant,” a track that’s anticipated to be on the new album. It’s a psych-rock ballad of sorts, complete with lead vocalist Pat Butler’s expressive croon and mesmerizing instrumentals from all fronts. The just-under-10-minute jam is telling, in that with the impressive spread of gear, the precision of every note uttered and how enveloped each member seems in their own playing, it shows that the group really cares about their delivery. Here’s to eagerly awaiting the full collection of recorded jams! Check the video out below. Photo by Jackson Zimmerman Photography

Jon Lewis Releases Video for “Everyone Wants to Know”

June 2, 2016

Jon Lewis‘ newest single and video for “Everyone Wants to Know” comes in preparation for his forthcoming EP, Out to Lunch, which is set to drop next week. The Rochester native’s brand of indie rock is injected with a bit of quirk, though it’s hard to pinpoint what the “quirk” actually is. Maybe it’s the choral harmonies that cut through like moments of clarity in this particular song, or it could be the super subdued lead vocals that are accompanied by a surprisingly gleaming tone. Whatever the origin may be, the music video seems to encapsulate the personality of this band pretty damn well. Between the unique blend of psychedelic rock and Americana, the hypnotic kaleidoscope visuals and singing severed heads, it’s hard not to let the video magnetize you for its duration. See for yourself below and keep your ears open for Jon Lewis’ EP release in the coming[...]

midnight Premieres Single Feat. The Internet

June 2, 2016

Rochester singer midnight returns his electric-soul sound to us by way of his new single “Native America.” In his controlled falsetto, midnight gently navigates through the bounding synths and kicks of the beat. “Native America” is driven upon the sin and dishonesty that resulted in the foundation of our country. The title and track reference both the atrocities committed against the indigenous people of the Americas, and how how the normalcy of violence and stubbornness is engrained in our being. “We’re in Native America,” midnight sings “where the lies are infamous, but the truth, it lives in us.” It is charged and sharp while remaining beautiful and delicate. The track features production from the Internet, well-known for rising up with the hip hop collective Odd Future and receiving acclaim for their 2015 album Ego Death .“Native America” comes ahead of the midnight’s July 1st release of his EP 0:00. midnight describes the project[...]

Harmonica Lewinski Releases Video for “The Slug”

April 19, 2016

Rochester garage-rock group Harmonica Lewinski has released a strange new video, on par with the act’s established demeanor. Harmonica Lewinski has made a name for itself with this aesthetic of lo-fi and trippy rock ‘n’ roll. Their latest single ‘The Slug” is the first taste of their forthcoming album Head Honcho, and their newest material since last year’s Naked Brunch. It calls to mind the sounds of the underground surf rock of the sixties combining it with modern garage punk influences. The single’s video companion really helps bring to life the slimy, DIY nature of the tune. Sure to be a hit at your next sleazy basement party, check out the video below.

The Loner(s) / Drive Me Home Please Release Split

March 29, 2016

Rochester’s The Loner(s), Drive Me Home Please, and label, Bangkok Blend combined efforts to release a split last Friday, aptly titled the loner(s)/ drive me home please. For new listeners, The Loner(s) is a more lo-fi, sometimes strictly instrumental version of All-Time Quarterback or Secret Stars, while Drive Me Home Please combines simple synth pop mixes with depressed, Jordan Dreyer-like (La Dispute), self-conscious spoken word poetry. The mixing of the two artists proves fruitful, displaying the bands’ likenesses and potentials for further opportunity in the music industry. Stand out track from The Loner(s)  is “How To,” a song driven by the lonely despair that accompanies all loners. A kind acoustic guitar riff supporting a two-note analog synth flourish provides a chill environment. Unfortunately, the singer’s low coo croons of unrequited, incommunicable love – “I like you, but I don’t know how to.” “Drive Me Home Please” by Drive Me Home Please is[...]