Latest Posts

Jared Bill – Unknown Country

December 14, 2025

This ain’t Jared Bill‘s first rodeo… At least on buffaBLOG. The international man of mystery is back with another batch of interesting and captivating songs, their deeper meanings often inscrutable, but certainly never boring. The album is called Unknown Country – a 10 song collection of whatever the hell Jared wants, set off by his trademark deep country baritone. We’re gonna go ahead and say that Unknown Country is the perfect name for this album, because it is. Jared’s always going to keep you guessing – and laughing – while you make your way through these songs about Appalachia, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and… Jai Alai?   You might be expecting flat out country music from Jared, but opening song “The Cruise” is closer to a 1980s-era post punk jam. Electronic disco drums and plucky guitars power this one forward, with, of course, Jared’s trademark baritone. In case you’re questioning the absurdity that might[...]

Drift City – Spectral Heart Mosaics

October 28, 2025

Kentucky-based musical effort, Drift City, plants a promising seed with their latest EP release, Spectral Heart Mosaics. From start to finish, the folk-and-jazz-and-blues-inspired band presents themselves very professionally – the sounds, accurate; the production (see: Kevin Ratterman), thick and palpable. There is a wide variety of instruments utilized throughout the EP, like lulling saxophones and zipping synthesizers. While the songs wrap the listener in a dampening mist of tangible relaxation, the overall feel of this music collection is hopeful, pushing toward self-growth, as well as somewhat spiritual.   The EP opener, “Leave Your Life,” listens like the soundtrack of a mood-lit lazy river. Immediately, one may take note of the vocal delivery, falling somewhere between Iggy Pop crossed with The National. After a brilliant saxophone solo, there is a pleasing shift in feel when the drummer strikes the ride with brushes more consistently, lending to a relaxing, jazzy feel. Song[...]

Aatocaster – superstition (studio works ’23-’25)

October 14, 2025

From the underground corners of Los Angeles, the enigmatic Aatocaster rises from the shadows. In the pursuit of a cult-following as opposed to mainstream hubris, Aatocaster forms jagged soundscapes of crystalline digitalization, where post-punk rhythms and shoegaze ambiance collide with glass-shattered electronica. The result is the mind-bending superstition (studio works ’23-’25), an abrasive but eye-opening dance through fields of data compiled together into some sort of experimental world. Even the artwork surrounding this release is noisy and degraded. Intentionally unsettling, superstition challenges us to push our boundaries past surface level – a deeper dive into this album will reward the listener with a mysterious, but cerebral lyrical presence.   superstition opens with “the mirror,” a song that floats into your sub-conscious like a half-remembered memory. “the mirror” is a perfect title, because alongside a spooky vocal presence, this song sounds a lot like a mirror shattering. Glinting keyboards ding like shards[...]

Loser Demon – EP2

October 9, 2025

The only constant in life is change, and Loser Demon seem to have embraced that with fervor on their most recent release, EP2. It’s often a bigger leap than people realize to go from a raw, lo-fi energy to something that feels produced and intentional; in fact, you’re almost putting yourself in a much harsher spotlight because you don’t have the “well, it’s supposed to sound raw” defense to fall back on anymore. Luckily for Loser Demon, they don’t have to ponder on their self-worth too much – their new six-song release is a master class in growing as a band, full of powerful, self-propelled indie punk that feels explosive, powerful, and poignant in all the right ways.   Rather than start with the album opener, we’re going to highlight “Reliance,” one of the album’s most blood-pumping songs. Get used to the hallmarks found here – buzzsaw guitars grind with a guttural[...]

Ole Anders Winge Walseth – Borodino 1812

October 9, 2025

Ole Anders Winge Walseth (OAWW).   An epic name tied to an epic new EP – Borodino 1812, a six-song offering that feels like a clarion call for war. Even just the mention of “1812” evokes images and feelings of a battle long since past, and OAWW brings it to life with a passionate blend of alt rock and metal. Written over the course of 8 years (2017-2025), Anders Winge Walseth and Erlend Naalsund teamed up to write the majority of this Norwegian rock EP, with the exception of “Death on the Horizon” and “Ocean Liners,” which come straight from OAWW’s brain.   We’d be remiss without starting with the title-track and opening track, “Borodino 1812.” Through epic guitars, snarling vocals, and a 5+ minute runtime, the band delves into a powerful soundscape that copes with themes of conflict, valor, and what it truly means to be “human.” These themes[...]

Love Ghost – Gas Mask Wedding

October 7, 2025

If you’re familiar with Love Ghost (and you should be, we’ve reviewed his albums here and here), you already know what a personality Finnegan Seeker Bell is. The enigmatic frontman/musician/songwriter/content creator is always pushing boundaries – whether that means writing songs about death and drugs; bounding from genre to genre without a care in the world; or just generally having a fuck-it-all attitude toward life – Bell’s devil-may-care attitude belies his genuinely prolific songwriting output. He’s back with another full length; to our knowledge, his second of the year. He’s calling it Gas Mask Wedding – here’s a little bit about the album from Bell himself:   “These songs are about finding intimacy in the middle of chaos. I wrote songs about loving something that could destroy you – because that is the world I live in. If you live in this world too then welcome to the wedding.”   Right[...]

Chris Portka – The Album Everyone Wants

September 25, 2025

Chris Portka was originally going to release his latest effort, The Album Everyone Wants (TAEW), exclusively on vinyl. There’s some sort of irony about releasing an album hyped up as “the one that everyone desires” on such an intentional media like wax, but maybe that’s the point. Chris Portka does whatever the fuck he wants – evidenced by his previous effort, the noisy and experimental Trash Music (that we reviewed here), and further bolstered by the not-quite-180-degree turn taken on TAEW. Portka leans harder into the American songbook here on TAEW, never eschewing his noisy indie rocker tendencies, but instead, mashing them together with gentler folk rock backbones; sighing pedal steel guitars; and delightfully weird psychedelia.   While the vinyl of Trash Music ramped up feelings of nostalgia and anxiety, it has a different outcome when listening to the broader, “songwriter” appeal of an album like TAEW. Chris’ left-field shenanigans feel like the flourishes that make this[...]

SOZI – DREAM

September 25, 2025

SOZI is LA-born and raised, and her latest EP, DREAM, is a glittering reflection of that upbringing. Written and produced by SOZI, this end-of-summer blitz is a celebration of all things glitz and glamor. Here’s a little more about DREAM from SOZI herself.   “The ‘DREAM’ EP is all about the illusions we chase, the fantasies we fall into, and the moments of clarity that wake us up. It’s the sound of summer seen through a hazy lens: warm, glittery, emotional, and a little surreal.”   SOZI smartly opens the album with “Superstar” – an archetypal SOZI jam that combines retro disco throwbacks (think Bee-Gees-type staccato strings that sigh and burst) with a modern-day pop sensibility. SOZI’s voice is powerful, but not overwhelming, acting as a lilting presence that floats perfectly overtop the electropop instrumentals… And while the phrase will be forever associated with Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher,[...]

Jake Cassman – Idling High

September 9, 2025

On his 2025 debut album, Idling High, Jake Cassman displays his solicitude, profound lyricism, and satirical humor. The heart of this record has a nostalgic, yet modern feel to it, which Cassman exhibits beautifully. His eclectic style is a mix of indie rock, Americana, and even power pop, an accessible blend that keeps listeners engaged and excited. He often writes with a dark sense of humor, using it to tackle heavier topics like depression, stagnation, and self-esteem.   Cassman attended the University of Pennsylvania for a brief two years before he transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston to pursue his music career. While music is his main forte, Cassman also expresses his comedic side in tracks such as “Asking for a Friend”, and “I think I’m Happy.” Both songs present his wry sense of humor through blunt, shameless, and sarcastic lyrics – “Ever look in the mirror, hate[...]

Liquid Pennies – Fore

July 25, 2025

You gotta love a band that describe themselves as “psychedelic explorers;” that’s exactly how St. Petersburg-based act Liquid Pennies introduce themselves… And honestly, it’s a pretty apt description. The power trio specializes in a hard-to-describe sound, combining elements of prog, psych rock, and indie with a little bit of je ne sais quoi powder sprinkled overtop. They’re proud to announce their latest offering, Fore, which explores all of the aforementioned elements in a tight-but-expansive collection of eight intriguing songs. With a laundry list of wild influences – think The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, The Smile, and King Crimson (and anything and everything in between), it’s not hard to imagine that Liquid Pennies are here to push a few boundaries. Luckily for us listeners, they do it in an exquisitely listenable way, a challenge for some prog-ish acts, but not this talented trio.   The album opens with “Tapered Scape,”[...]

Tristan Turdean – 5 SONGS TO GET OVER YOU

July 17, 2025

Tristan Turdean aims to tug at our collective heartstrings with a brand new breakup EP that traverses all the different stages of grief… From denial all the way through acceptance (we omitted anger, bargaining, and the all-encompassing depression, but Tristan sure didn’t), 5 SONGS TO GET OVER YOU is a nu-age pop-punk journey that aims to assault all of your senses with powerful musical compositions, heart-on-your-sleeve vocals, and excellent production.   Normally we’d start with the opening song, but we’re giving our nod for album favorite to album closer, “Leave You In The Past.” While the rest of the EP is an incredible ride, there is something special about hearing Tristan’s acceptance of his situation. Especially since, as per his words: “This project is about feeling everything, surviving it, and moving forward stronger.” on “Leave You In The Past,” Tristan delivers vocals that are restrained yet emotionally resonant, while the[...]

Plàsi – Camino

June 23, 2025

“Scandinavian clarity and Mediterranean warmth” – a design element that fits oddly well when describing singer/songwriter Plàsi. On his latest EP, Camino, the Greco-Swede explores gentle, acoustic-folk with his trademark vulnerability. Hushed and intimate while simultaneously exploring the genre’s infinite bounds, Camino is an album that encourages you to break free from expectations and societal pressures. Instead, project mastermind Mikael Bitzarakis crafts natural-sounding songs that are the aural embodiment of following your passions and retaining a childlike sense of wonder.   Even when Plàsi is exploring heavy topics, like a rough father/son relationship on album opener “Father’s Eyes,” his music sounds warm and inviting. It speaks to his talent as a writer – exploring these hard-to-breach subjects with an underlying musicianship that makes them feel approachable and normalized. Here’s a little more from Bitzarakis about the powerful message beneath the song:   “… We don’t want to see or learn from our similarities.[...]

The Unlimited Stars – Impossible

June 16, 2025

Whip out your black outfits and eyeliner – Texan quartet The Unlimited Stars (TUS) have a new EP out that’s sure to please your inner goth. They’ve named the EP Impossible – four songs (including a live track and a radio edit) that showcase the group’s penchant for ’80s-inspired post-punk that brings The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees to mind while also channeling shoegazers like Slowdive… And while don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, consider this a last hurrah of sorts for this version of TUS – the chameleon-esque band will be switching to a more high-octane industrial/EBM sound in the near future, reflecting their shared love of industrial metal.   The EP kicks off with the title track, “Impossible – LIVE,” a song that has evolved with the band over their four-year tenure. The band purposely worked to capture the je ne sais quoi of their live sound,[...]

Cartman – Waves

May 30, 2025

One listen to the new album from Denver-based artist Cartman and you’ll wonder if he’s telling the truth about recording it in a walk-in closet in a guest bedroom. Residing at the vertex between hip hop, indie rock, and pop music, Waves is a collection of breezy, summer-sounding songs that rest heavily on excellent production, acoustic-guitar twinkles, squiggly synths, and Cartman’s past as a hip-hop artist. Expect plenty of earworms, perfect for putting on for your next poolside gathering.   The mysterious and nebulous “Gold” opens this fantastic album – at just about a minute in length, this one is fleeting, but hits hard. Cartman’s flow is smooth and unbothered, gliding over a 3:4 time signature like some sort of modern day waltz. Just when you think it’s about to explode into something beautiful, he launches into song two, “Tonight.” “Tonight” is an archetypal Cartman song – catchy hip-hop-inspired rhythms, twinkly[...]

Glitter Etiquette – CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE

May 29, 2025

Glitter Etiquette (GE) dives deep into synth-forward indietronica bliss on their latest release, CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE. Highly conceptual, the album dives deep into highbrow ideas about socioeconomic and cultural archetypes… And while we’re usually pretty good at parsing out the meaning behind lyrics, in these instances, it’s usually better to hear a snippet from the band’s own words – see below:   “The album contrasts the tranquil, expansive hue of blue (cerulean) with the ominous force of darkness thru the metaphoric red army, portraying a cosmic battle between clarity, empathy, and depth versus aggression, ego, and decay. These colors become metaphors for clashing worldviews: blue as the fading ideal of unity and imagination, with the antithesis showing the toxic acceleration of greed, polarization, and control. Through its swirling textures and lyrical critiques, Cerulean warns of the rise of socioeconomic and cultural archetypes—techno-feudal overlords and their machine counterparts, influencer-worship, manufactured identity—that[...]