DON’T WATCH TV – 99 DEGREES
Is a Buffalo Boy Band finally having a moment? Even during the prolonged periods of poptimism, nostalgia, and the heyday of music blog publication darlings Brockhampton, we can’t recall a boy band-y boy band demanding much coverage around the 716. But maybe the time’s upon us.
99 DEGREES, the debut project from Western New York pop rap group DON’T WATCH TV, is powered by Y2K influence. Sometimes it’s Pharrell (any iteration of Pharrell), and sometimes it’s One Direction, but it’s always a familiar energy. DON’T WATCH TV may not be a familiar name, but the group has been laying the groundwork and crafting their sound between Buffalo and Rochester in recent years.
Nic, Hirco, C3die and Austin Kelley each bring a growing local fanbase to the project, which is fair to call a collective as well as a boy band. C3DIE and Hirko serve as the primary vocalists for this project, each contributing styles that work as an idyllic trip through 2000s pop and R+B scenes. They offer fresh takes on sounds that dominated that era of radio, Limewire, and janky mp3 players. A significant factor in the fresh feel comes from the production work heavily handled by Nic and Austin Kelley, who transport sounds from 2000s and early 2010s pop-rap and R+B into 2026. Their influences range from subtle to sampled, keeping you locked into the throwback work.
99’s opening cut, “FOCUSED ON TONIGHT,” jumpstarts the project with a distinctly NERD feel. Its garage-y drums and distorted electronic vocals only serve to bolster the appeal of a straight pop radio hook. The nostalgic sounds aren’t limited to rap and R&B from the era though. “STRIPPED VEGAS” opts for a more twinkling club feel for much of its opening, offering more of an Ellie Goulding vibe than Ashanti.
Some of the hooks here harken back to the golden era of hip hop and R+B crossover hits, like something we’d hear from Bobby Valentino and Lil Wayne. “BAD NEWS” features a near-direct sample of Bow Wow and Ciara’s “Like You.” The production remains dynamic and nostalgic, as”19″ boasts a serene underwater guitar part that would make Mike Dean proud.
You can really feel the even split of contribution between vocalists and producers throughout 99, as tracks frequently have definitive shifts in production, elegantly transitioning between stages of song. “BREAK MY RULES” feels like a song of the summer nomination in its bright front half, before shifting to an after-hours confessional as it winds down. This track highlights moments on the album that lean towards the later aughts, where Drake influences come a little more into focus. Stripped-down beat switches of tracks like “REMISSION STATEMENT,” or the celebratory horns of “CATCHING A WAVEEEE.” Despite the sonic nods, the crew pushes these sounds further and fully collaborative, as you take a second to review credits that frequently feature most of the group.
A steady stream of quality releases from iconic artists with expert production work set the base for the poptimism movement that hit especially hard in the late 2010s. We’re sorta losing it- at least in chart performance. We didn’t get a song of the summer, a lot of the radio is downbeat; ballads made by TikTok stars. More power to them. But the sounds from DON’T WATCH TV were there before the TikTok stars hits dominated Billboard. It was there before Carlie Rae Jepsen got acknowledged as a genius instead of a one-hit wonder. These are the soundtracks to the bleachers in gym class and sharing headphones on a bus ride. (at least if you’re like 33 years old ((me)). It falls on very welcome ears.
The local crew in DON’T WATCH TV flexed a lot of nostalgic muscle and modern-day skill to craft up an experience distinctly 2000s, with a boy-band claim and pop-rap flair that may sound familiar to me but will never sound old.
Categorised in: Album of the Week
This post was written by Matt Moretti