Latest Posts

Hussalonia Debuts Live Web Series

June 2, 2014

Reclusive indie-pop maestro, Hussalonia, recently debuted the first installment of his Live from the Subterranean Hussalonia Headquarters (Vol. 1), a new web series of live cuts from the Founder’s deep catalog spliced with odd PSAs and videos. If you follow Hussalonia at all, you should know by now the guy doesn’t really do shows so this is probably your closest to catching a live gig from him. Follow the musician’s Youtube page for all of the webisodes, and if you wish to download the audio, you can find it here. In the mean time, watch the first installment for the song “I Now Doth Crazy Go,” originally found on Deep in a Donut Dream, below.

Just Announced: Lorde

June 2, 2014

Continuing to support her 2013 mega album Pure Heroine, current pop It-Girl, Lorde, will be making her WNY debut at Artpark’s Mainstage Theatre on Sunday, September 7th. Hailed as one of the biggest indie-pop crossovers in the last couple of years, Lorde will be sure to please the closet music elitists fans, and lure the suburbanites out to Lewiston like the Pied Piper. Supporting Lorde will be moody indie duo Majical Cloudz. Tickets will go on sale Friday, June 6th at 10am for $39.50, $49.50, and $59.50.

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[...]

Fat Africa – Monroe

June 2, 2014

Fat Africa’s Monroe is a weekend album for malcontents. Get stoned, bitter and fired Friday afternoon; hopeful in the evening just to be left alone; hopeless, hungover and depressed by Saturday morning, just to laugh at yourself in the afternoon and stare cavalierly into the night as soon as the sun sets, with no place, in particular, to go. At least, that’s how I chose to read it. Noah Masters, the mind behind Fat Africa, would probably tell me I am wrong, and he is probably right. My impulse is to stretch the album over a weekend, but in real life, it took three years to put Monroe together. The first track recorded, the heartbreaker “Inch,” was put to tape in 2011, and the rest were jammed out on a loop pedal from the bottom up over the next few years. In the mean time, Masters moved around quite a[...]

Who Cares What Jack White Thinks About The Black Keys?

June 2, 2014

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Jack White said some shit that pissed off a bunch of people. He accused the Black Keys of ripping off his work, and argued that Adele owes a large part of her commercial success to Amy Winehouse’s death. This was apparently controversial enough that White released a statement apologizing for the comments on his website this weekend. To me, the question that needs to be asked is why the fuck does any of this matter? First off, White’s apology is hilarious. He’s basically saying “Sorry I told you how I really feel.” I mean, it’s not like he’s actually retracting any of those opinions or saying “Nah, I was just shitting around, the Black Keys are a great band.” And as someone who thoroughly enjoys the music of White as well the Keys, I couldn’t possibly care less. So Jack White doesn’t like a band[...]

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[...]

Mario Bee Releases New Jhnson & Jhnson EP

May 30, 2014

Brooklyn-via-Buffalo-via-Rochester DJ/producer Mario Bee has showed his combined influence of both North American and UK club music on his various soundcloud demos and the Tomb EP, released last December on Austrian label Tiefparterre Records. The latest collection from the artist comes via media brand Toats Orig and is a two-tracker aptly titled Jnson & Jhnson.  Lead cut, “BabyPowder,” brings a raucous three minutes of grime, trap, and southern-rap, with a menacing, detuned bassline. Bringing to mind producers like Darq E Freaker and Royal-T, the stripped-down, raw aesthetic combines elements of Jersey club and hip hop, making for an inventive sound still strongly rooted in club music culture. The B-side, “BabyOil,” brings a similar vibe, with a faster tempo and break beats scattered throughout. Listen below and check out the Malt Disney edited video for “BabyPowder.” [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149713354″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149714232″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]  

Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild – Silk Pyramids

May 30, 2014

“So Queens that you could feel me, so dope that you could deal me.” That’s what NYC rapper Meyhem Lauren asserts on the opener of his latest album Silk Pyramids with producer Buckwild, and that’s the script that he sticks to for the length of this impressive project. Lauren doesn’t break any ground with his subject matter on this, but he does a great job rapping about rap stuff. Action Bronson, a past collaborator with Lauren, assists him on the album’s intro, and he really kills it. The beat Buckwild crafts is straight up Bronsolino’s alley, a female vocal loop that sounds like it’d fit right in with with Bronson’s “9.24.11” and “9.24.13” series. Action always comes through with the ridiculous braggadocio bars. He provides the album’s first rewindable moment with the line “Cross your motherfuckin ass in basketball wearing sandals.” Murked. One of the album highlights for me, and I[...]

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[...]

Sparklebomb Releases “Moldavite”

May 30, 2014

Buffalo electronic act Sparklebomb (aka Angie Conte) just dropped a fresh new song on her soundcloud page yesterday, titled “Moldavite.” Backed by soothing synths, the song feels like communication from distant planets that Conte managed to catch on tape. Sometimes chilling, but mostly beautiful, the track reminds me of some of Apparat’s more tender moments, and, for some reason, “Jed the Humanoid” from Grandaddy had Jed written the song rather than Jason Lytle. You can listen (and download) “Moldavite” below.

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.

Led Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love”

May 29, 2014

Led Zeppelin released a new video for an unreleased mix of “Whole Lotta Love” to preview the remixed and remastered editions of their first three albums due next week. While in no way a replacement of the classic album version, the rough mix features the band finding it’s way to rock immortality; some of the pieces are in place, but the sum total of what “Whole Lotta Love” would become is still off in the future. The video is a classic old timey clip fest that attempts to convey something of what the Zeppelin phenomenon was during the 70’s and drum up interest for the new releases. The remastered editions of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, and Led Zeppelin III arrive in stores June 4th.

KOOL A.D. – “Word”

May 29, 2014

It’s not often that you see a rapper release a kind-of X-rated cartoon music video, but that’s exactly what we got from former Das Racist rapper KOOL A.D. this week. The video accompanies the song “Word” off of A.D.’s free project Word O.K. from a couple months back, and is directed by him and animator Teddy O’Connor. It features a dog and his rabbit (maybe?) girlfriend committing lewd acts, running over cops, and watching Guy Fieri freestyles, among many other things. Yeah, it’s probably something you have to watch at least once.  It’s definitely NSFW if you haven’t gathered that, check it out below.

The Orwells – Disgraceland

May 29, 2014

After getting mocked on Letterman for their dozy on-stage theatrics, The Orwells seem poised for the big time with their second LP. “Who Needs You” is already making its radio rotation rounds with gusto, and the Pixies punch of its rockabilly-garage-punk-Fourth-of-July-parading makes for a snappy firecracker of a single. For fans of the sound, Disgraceland serves up eleven tracks in the same needle-prodded vein. Disgraceland revels in the raunchy, undignified, balls-out rock its title embraces. Its scuzzy, drugged, sometimes psychotically violent party anthems are out to restore a jagged dangerousness to rock n’ roll. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, guitarist Matt O’Keefe complains about the “safe and soft” tendencies of synthesizer-dominated modern rock. The Orwells blatantly pursue an old school classic rock set-up, infusing the standard model with wicked rebel energy. From the beginning, the record is hungry and horny, teeth sharpened and bared, eager to devour. “Southern[...]