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Tonight: Flux Pavilion

September 28, 2015

UK bass artist Josh Steele knows the essence of dubstep, and he will be taking the stage at Town Ballroom once again tonight on the Tesla tour along with 12th Planet and Diskord, hosted by MNM Presents. Much has changed since 2010, when his disharmonious edgy dubstep dropped live and ripped your ears off with a semblance of pleasure and confusion. Few major players can say they still stand in the darker, grimier, shut your eyes and let the music take you down the dark corridor category of electronic music. Flux Pavilion did then, and he still does now. His sound on “I Can’t Stop” perked the ears of generational culture diplomats Kanye West and Jay Z enough to feature on their album Watch the Throne, also having a special feature in the film The Great Gatsby. He’s headlined several UK and US tours, in addition to multiple festivals all over the world, including Glastonbury,[...]

Sound Devices: Why Cory Loves His MicroKorg

September 22, 2015

This is how this column will work: each week, we’ll feature a piece of gear that one local electronic music maker loves. The gear featured here might be vintage, homemade, or brand spanking new, and we’ll ask one simple question about it: Why do you love it? I’ll go first. “I bought this [MicroKorg] synthesizer about 10 years ago to use in a band I was in at the time. We just wanted a way to add a layer of noise to our songs, and this guy did the job. I never mastered it; I suppose it’s not too late. What I honestly love about it is the character. I unearthed this last week after it sat in an extra room, unused, for a couple of years. I forget how that key in the middle popped out, but I do know that strip of duct tape with the notes for[...]

Tonight: MAKJ

September 18, 2015

As the fall slowly approaches, Buffalo nightlife says goodbye to Sky Bar and welcomes back LiFT Nightclub. The fall opening kicks off tonight with MAKJ, presented by Factory Nightlife. Located in downtown Buffalo, LiFT is known for its dynamic lighting, ultramodern sound system and of course, the artists that make the club come alive. LiFT has featured artists like Cosmic Gate, Audien and Tritonal, making it one of Buffalo’s most popular venues for electronic music. Otherwise known as Mackenzie Johnson, MAKJ is now thriving as a producer, mostly known for his electro-house remixes and collabs with artists like Hardwell and Bingo Players,. With three Beatport Top 10 hits, including his work with Hardwell on “Countdown,” and his 2014 smash “Let’s Get F*cked Up” with Lil Jon, he continues to shake the airwaves with his weekly radio show and tracks released on his SoundCloud. Local support will come from Jesse Aaron and Eyes Everywhere. [soundcloud[...]

Spruke Kickstarts Concept Album Music To Die Alone In Space To

September 14, 2015

Music To Die Alone In Space To, the newest project from Buffalo DJ/electronic producer Spruke, is a wildly imaginative concept album that places its’ listeners at the forefront of a celestial narrative. Narrated by an astronaut who has been untethered from their spaceship and set adrift in space with an hour left to come to terms with their situation, each track conjures a unique frame of mind that follows the narrator’s journey through “different levels of consciousness.” “It’s one of those ideas that just stuck with me since I was a kid and I learned about the laws of motion for the first time,” said the artist. Determined to create a sonic departure from the more energetic forms of music that define his DJ endeavors, Spruke attributes his inspiration to “yearning for a sound where you’re patient and you let things take time to happen, you don’t make a million noises just because[...]

Tonight: Pleistocene

July 31, 2015

Infringement is one hell of a festival, isn’t it? In case you haven’t had your fill, we’d like to bring attention to the showcase at Sugar City tonight, also known as the Sugar City Masquerade Ball. Costumes are encouraged! Obviously we’re a music blog, so we’re here to tell you one of our Rochester faves, the jangle-poppers in Pleistocene, will be kicking off the night right. They’re followed up by Baltimore, MD’s Joseph and the Beasts (who sound like Father John Misty meets Of Montreal), as well as Buffalo stalwarts Like a Panther and Wolf. Pleistocene plays at 7:00 so make sure you get there early! $5 entry, $3 if you have a costume on. Let’s get festive.  

17 Bands To See At Albany’s Move Music Festival

April 20, 2015

One of the goals we have as a blog is to expand our regional/state-wide influence/knowledge base. Once we received an e-mail from Move Music Festival, a three day festival taking place in the heart of Albany, NY, we knew we had to check out. Over 100 bands were announced as part of the festival, and trust me when we say we did our homework. Over the past week we listened to probably about 96 acts that we’ve never heard of before. Bands like Sheen and CONTACT were impossible to google so I have no idea what they sound like. Other bands totally disappeared from the lineup (C’mon Dead Leaf Echo, I was looking forward to catching your first show since I was super poor living in NYC and eating the complimentary apps as dinner at someone’s art show in Williamsburg). The following are 17 acts we are personally excited to check out[...]

St. Vincent

March 5, 2015

Grammy Award winner St. Vincent returns to Western New York less than a year after her spectacular show last April at Babeville for a sold out show tonight at Rochester’s Water Street Music Hall, and I can’t lie to you, I am vibrating at a higher frequency with anticipation. St. Vincent, aka Texas native Annie Clark, has been steadily building momentum ever since her debut in 2007, and with her eponymous album last year, she found commercial and critical acclaim while confirming that she’s today’s Bowie; ie an ever evolving and shape-shifting artist willing to take her art apart and build something new and better (or at least interesting) with each iteration (until you put out Glass Spider). St. Vincent will never do that to us. The last time around, Annie took the Babeville audience to church, literally, filling the majestic space in the main room at Asbury Hall with[...]

Kharlos

January 8, 2015

Kharlos sounds like suburban kids jamming in the basement tripping out on their mom’s stash of benzies. The kicker is that that all three members Buffalo music scene veterans nearing their 30’s, or at least getting there. The trio’s EP, Hail Kharlos Vol. 1, is stacked with four songs that are equally adrenaline filled (“Better”) as they are soul warming (“Alright”). The band is just so Zen. They are overboard and self-assured, and they are okay with that. The raspy, echoing vocals of Benjamin Maries make you want to cuddle up with your favorite 80’s High School dramedy as he sings songs about cats and Acid trips. Kharlos is dance music for the emotional vacant and the rest of us degenerates who have no other excuse for being assholes. This is our Ann Arbor.  Kharlos is grunge with exactly two and a half bumps of 30mg, pharmaceutical grade Adderall, because[...]

Tonight: Brimstone Blondes w/ The Demos

December 22, 2014

Are you sick of shopping malls yet?  I’ll bet you’re not sick of  abandoned Asian food markets and rock and roll! And if you’re saying to yourself “But I am sick of rock and roll…,” then why are you even reading this? I digress. Brimstone Blondes will be kicking off their “Red White & Blonde” Christmas tour tonight with a Chanukah bonanza at Ocean Garden Oriental Foods (1233 Niagara St.). If you didn’t catch them at their release party at Iron Works a few months back, now is your chance to catch their signature blend of charismatic post-punk for yourself. If you did make the release party, you probably know enough not to miss out. You know what they say: go Blonde or go home! (They don’t actually say that.) Two other bands share the bill with The Blondes tonight– Rochester’s power pop pros The Demos will be bringing it along with[...]

Red Heat

November 11, 2014

Red Heat sounds like some kind of STD that possibly ran rampant through US Soldiers stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Rather, Red Heat is a thinking man’s punk trio consisting of Jordan Jones (drums), Nick Randall (guitar), and Brandon Schlia (bass/ vocals). The sound of fuzzy, infectious walking bass lines paired with the political vocals of Schlia draw you in, attacking such issues as militarization, national media, public education, and even Ferguson, MO. “My job is to write lyrics that run short but make a point,” Schlia explains, “like Bukowski if his obsession was world politics and not beer & pussy.” Red Heat uses everything at their disposal. They make you want to lock yourself in your bedroom and get reacquainted with every punk rock ever made from The Stooges all the way to NOFX, and everything else in between. Heat manages to even operate outside of[...]

SHEDS

October 21, 2014

The glory of the the DIY/ House venue is the element of surprise. Sometimes you are lucky if you know more than two bands. Then there’s the out-of-town band. But there is always that variable, that one band that no one knows shit about. SHEDS is one of those bands. SHEDS just played their first show earlier this month at the Glitter Box. “We were kind of removed from the live music scene for about a year,” guitarist Patrick McPinic says, “during which we holed up every weekend to play music. We really enjoyed all of the bands at the Glitter Box show.” SHEDS consists of a trio of Lancaster natives: McPinic, Justin Young (guitar/vocals), and Jason Overholt (drums). They have been playing together for almost a year in a half and just recently released their first single, “HPBG.” If you happened to carouse the merch table at their Glitter[...]

Tonight: Dads

October 19, 2014

New Jersey’s Dads have been exploding in popularity in the past couple of years due to the resurgence of the second wave of emo which still manages to lure heartbroken high schoolers and nostalgic twenty somethings. Touring in support of their latest full, I’ll Be The Tornado, Dads’ sound can be placed right in July 2001, halfway between the evolution of Chicago indiemo and 2003’s emergence of the skinny-jeaned jaded Myspace generation. Dads will be one of the first wave of bands christening the Studio at the Waiting Room (334 Delaware Ave UPSTAIRS), with support from Tiny Moving Parts and Nai Harvest.  Doors are at 7pm with a $13 cover. Make sure to wear your cool clothes.

Unearth at Rochester’s Montage Music Hall

October 17, 2014

With only a couple weeks away until the release of legendary metalcore outfit, Unearth’s, six full-length release, anticipation is steadily building. It has been several years since the groups last album, Darkness in the Light, and Watchers of Rule is poised to whip the metal community into yet another frenzy. It’s time for the kings to take back the crown…. Quite simply, Unearth are in a league of their own when it comes to metal. Crushing breakdowns, Maiden-esque melodies, and riffs that slink with so much groove and power, you’d be a fool not to jump right into the vortex Theirs is a rival unmatched. And the live shows?? Well that’s the stuff of legend. I’ve seen Unearth a dozen or so times, and they truly are one of the most energetic and exciting live bands going in the scene right now. Tonight, the band finds themselves at Montage Music[...]

Bill & Jamie’s House

October 7, 2014

The words Bill & Jamie’s House may give you thoughts of stuffy, pompous dinners and cocktail parties, events where you find yourself surrounded by professors and PhD students who manage to speak a lot of words without saying anything. Needless to say, Bill & Jamie’s House never sounds like too much fun, but oh contrary my pessimistic butterfly, the band has more meaning and substance than your graduate school mind can fathom. The new acoustic duo has yet to play a proper show or release any recorded material, and yet they still seem to be creating a buzz for themselves already. What would you expect from Mohawk Place legend Bill Nehill and former Mallwalkers and Sexist member, Jamie Rowitsch? “Although we are very new, it has already exceeded my expectations tenfold,” Nehill says. “Also, I love the fact that we rehearse at Jamie’s kitchen table.” If you have followed the[...]

Cal Dripken

September 30, 2014

The issue with a lot of doom, hardcore, and even punk is that the genres so conforming and formative, that it becomes drone-esque, taking you on a flight plan without showing you any new views of Lake Tahoe. Once you have been to LA, you have been to LA, but how about we go to Narnia instead? That is exactly where the Buffalo sludgy, metal quintet, Cal Dripken, plan on taking you. Then again, what else would you expect from a band that features current members of Fleshy Mounds, Blobs, Aircraft, and Scajaquada Creeps? “You can have a heavy riff and still have a melody that doesn’t have to be a boneheaded melody,” guitarist James Warren explains. “It can have something to it, besides just being loud and heavy. We try to combine both of those things a lot.” What really makes Cal Dripken stand out among the multitude of[...]