Latest Posts

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,[...]

Baked – “Mick Jagger”

May 28, 2014

Titus Andronicus is returning to the Tralf on Saturday, June 7th, and with them, the Jersey punks are bringing the very intriguing band Baked. The Brooklyn act’s new single “Mick Jagger” just received a Stereogum seal of approval. Think jagged Grizzly Bear melodies, along with some easy going Local Natives’ bass lines, and maybe a touch of Yeasayer’s sultry rhythms, and you have “Mick Jagger.” Check out the single below, in particular that burst of drums around the 3 min mark, and if you like what you hear, head over to the Tralf in a couple weeks for the real thing.

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.

Column 5: The Best Things in Life Are…Not Bert Cooper’s Goodbye?

May 28, 2014

I tossed around several ideas for this week’s column, and though it felt predictable, I kept circling back to writing about Mad Men. Maybe it was the fact that this Sunday marked the last new episode for A. Whole. Year. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been re-watching the entire series and curating a list of the show’s greatest music moments…for a later post. Yes, later. So if you immediately thought “best of” list when you saw Mad Men in this week’s title, I am sorry to disappoint. But don’t fret. I am writing about Mad Men because when you write a series about the use of music in filmed media and the Mad Men gods include a Bert Cooper song-and-dance number at the end of an episode that airs three days before your next column is due, it only seems right. Note: if you haven’t watched this week’s episode[...]

Wooden Waves Debut New Track In “It’s Only Sky”

May 28, 2014

Hey remember last fall when we were really excited about the upcoming Wooden Waves album that was right around the corner? Well, its nearly June and we are still waiting. BUT, that wait is finally nearing its end as just yesterday, the band announced that their Wilder Dreams LP will be released this July via One Percent Press. And wouldn’t you know it, this morning, OPP dropped the album’s first tease in the song “It’s Only Sky.” The single follows the Wooden Wave’s previous established modus operandi – late 90’s style indie rock with dueling male/female vocals led by Ray Fulton as well the pair of Joey and Nikki McIntosh. Listen to “It’s Only Sky” below and keep an eye out for Wilder Dreams this summer. For real this time.

Hundred Waters – The Moon Rang Like A Bell

May 28, 2014

I am afraid that my fingers will have kelp on them from my time spent in the sea. The humid tendrils of wind make me crave a fresh, cold drink. Immersed in the salty water, I hear an echo of a glorious sound, coming closer with each vibration. After I raise my head above water to breathe in air, I am relaxed. Floridian quintet Hundred Waters’ music can be described as Aphrodite music. Singer Nicole Miglis’ voice is a luminescent, deep cry, soaring above the production that Trayer Tryon, Paul Giese, Zach Tetreault, and Allen Scott compose from found sounds and precise electronic instruments. Their first self-titled album, Hundred Waters LP, was released on the Elestial label in 2012 and heard by Skrillex, who immediately signed them to his label OWSLA. Say what you want about Skrillex, the guy has taste. Two years have flown by and their latest release,[...]

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[...]

The Roots – …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin

May 27, 2014

For a legendary hip-hop band with nearly three decades of legendary albums, it is only natural for The Roots to eventually hit a wall in terms of creative output. With mostly underwhelming production style, their new record …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is not much more than a hurried concept album with vague moments of continuity. A good representative for the album is the track “Never,” a dreary jazz beat accompanied by Patty Crash’s shrill voice. The song follows a gradual buildup as the instruments become busier, only to be cut off quickly before reaching any sort of climax. This is the atmosphere for most of the album, the music and verses sounding just below the brink of their full potential. With an average song length of 2-3 minutes, it appears there is not enough time given to address the album’s complex issues of teenage angst in an unprivileged[...]

Tijuana Panthers – “Cherry Street”

May 27, 2014

SoCal garage punk trio, Tijuana Panthers, have made quite the name for themselves since their 2010 inception by routinely delivering high-energy performances ranging from sold-out concert halls to drop ceiling basements shows. Their latest single, “Cherry Street,” off of the upcoming June release Wayne Interest (Innovative Leisure), is a testament to the band’s staying power, both as a group and in your ears. “Cherry Street,” sounds like a mix between melody friendly Thee Oh See’s with early Drums riffs. The video is even more grabbing, highlighting a homicide detective’s appetite for blood and donuts at some vague time period in the 1980s. Check it out below.

Faux Leather Jacket Releases Debut EP, Sorry, Bud

May 27, 2014

On slow blog days like this, we thank the tireless Rochester musician Ben Morey for giving us some quality music to write about. Morey stepped into the producer role this time around to mix, master, engineer, shoot the cover photo, and who knows, maybe cooked a four course meal, for the recording of the new EP from Rochester act Faux Leather Jacket. Featuring songwriter Trevor Courneen and former Cottage Jefferson guitar player Erick Perrine, among others, the sextet’s four track Sorry, Bud is a laid back collection of jangly alt-country, full of sunny harmonies and a touch of 90s college rock. Fans of Uncle Tupelo, Beachwood Sparks, the Old 97s (Courneen sounds a bit like Rhett Miller), and even Buffalo acts like Roger Bryan & the Orphans and the Old Sweethearts (RIP) should be downloading this right about now. You can check out the full Sorry, Bud EP here and[...]

Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour

May 27, 2014

Anyone unfamiliar with the rather ordinary sounding musician Sam Smith may notice him from his featured vocals in Naughty Boy’s chart topping “La La La” or Disclosure’s club smash “Latch.” Now he faces the challenging task of matching the quality and success of his guest appearances with his solo effort, In the Lonely Hour. Luckily for many fans, Smith takes that challenge as motivation as he attempts to prove his newfound success was well deserved. Like most other UK imports with a hit single or two in the bag, Smith needs his debut to become something more than just an “OK” album if he has any hope of surviving the brutal music industry. Due to his previous collaborative success, it comes as no surprise his record label set him up with top producers Fraser T Smith, Eg White, and Two Inch Punch to help perfect his individual sound. Even with[...]

American Stories – Horse Beard

May 26, 2014

American Stories is an interesting band. Their new album Horse Beard is a mashup of genres, namely psychedelic, folk, punk, americana, and emo. The opening track, and perhaps Horse Beard‘s strongest, is “Programmed.” The song is reminiscent of something Beck would have written in the late 90s, or even blissful indie rock like Built to Spill. At times, it dips into something 60s influenced, but it maintains  the sort of loose slacker vibe you would expect from a musician like Beck, or the fuzzy warmth from a jangly BTS jam. “All The Same” takes these already strong sensibilities and wraps them in a shroud of the kind of emo you’d come to expect from Sunny Day Real Estate. I’m only two songs in but if you’re guessing you might find a pattern here, you’re right. American Stories are genre hoppers, and typically, it would make an album sound like it lacks direction. That[...]

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[...]

The Awkward Rebirth Of Michael Jackson

May 26, 2014

Michael Jackson’s new album Xscape debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. The lead single, ‘Love Never Felt So Good,” currently resides at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Oh, and last Sunday, a hologram of Jackson had one of the best performances of the Billboard Music Awards. So, it would seem that with the five-year anniversary of his death fastly approaching, Michael Jackson is one of the biggest pop stars in the country. So, what do we make of this? Plenty of musicians have had posthumous releases debut near the top of the chart, and had their work continue to be appreciated by new generations, but this feels different. It almost feels like Michael is actually still here, still producing new work, and still existing as an active pop star, even though that’s technically impossible. Every posthumous Hendrix or Tupac release has been treated as just that – unearthed[...]