Latest Posts

Christo Sedgewick and The Fabulous Regrets – The Lonesome Tender Hollow Of The Night

April 3, 2026

Chicago is a hub for blues and americana – we’re happy to profile another tried-and-true musical group known as Christo Sedgewick and The Fabulous Regrets. March of 2026 saw the release of their third album, The Lonesome Tender Hollow Of The Night, in which the band has found a way to soundtrack the little things that can make or break you. With songs that evoke grit through tales of of sinking woes, Christo Sedgewick and The Fabulous Regrets do blues, folk, and americana sweet, sweet justice.   Song number one, “The Dead King Hunts And Eats The Gods,” demonstrates immediate depth of musicality here with dark, rhythmic blues. The band is groovy in every sense of the word, and on “Dead King,” Sedgewick and his bandmates deliver a remarkably classic tune. The drums patter along with a bluesy shuffle, making this song an undeniable head bopper. When Sedgewick delivers the[...]

Slept All Day – Yutori

March 23, 2026

Being the enigmatic music hub that it is, it’s no surprise Austin, Texas birthed the supreme electronica duo Slept All Day. Their newest release, Yutori, is a concept album, with “Yutori” functioning as a Japanese term for spaciousness. Perfect for easy listening, the album conveys serenity, peace, and welcomes the springtime thaw.   The first track, “Seagulls in the Waves,” starts off strong with a very deep atmosphere – something that is certainly true throughout Yutori‘s entirety. The singer mentions the “sun shin[ing] on [his] tired face,” a perfect lyrical accompaniment that compliments the experience of the duo’s guitar melodies melting away worry.   As you traverse out of the blippy electronica and textured guitars of “Pure Imagination” into song three, “Summer Tide,” you’ll notice the incredibly smooth flow of the album. With continued listening, one may realize that the pace of Yutori is purposely slow, offering time to relax and[...]

Bleach the Sky – Wash Away

March 6, 2026

Boston, Massachusetts’ Bleach the Sky have been kicking around for the better part of a decade – an indie/alternative/shoegaze trio whose latest album, Wash Away, has been blaring through the buffaBLOG office speakers non-stop. Their newest musical endeavor is a foundational five-song EP, all of which have been meticulously crafted over the course of the last three years. Produced by Jay Maas, formerly of the raging band Defeater, and mastered by Kris Crummet, Wash Away blends the best parts of late ’90s alt rock, emo, and shoegaze into the band’s best (and best-representative) stuff yet. With influences ranging from Teenage Wrist, to Incubus, to Jimmy Eat World, Wash Away is truly the sum of all its various inspirations.   “GIN,” the album’s opening track, is concise, blistering shoegaze. Perfectly noisy and concentrated, Bleach the Sky uses fuzzy guitars, an ethereal bass, and huge drums to back fittingly-crushing lyrics like, “Who’s to say[...]

Broke Royals – Campr

February 9, 2026

Returning for buffaBLOG to review are Washington D.C.’s Broke Royals – click here to see Nick Sessanna’s take on their single, “The Weather.” Campr, the album containing said single, is Broke Royals latest release. The album is stunningly calculated, referencing themes of restraint, emotional intelligibility, turbulent friendships, and self-empowerment.   Album opener “Better Off” is a lovely introduction to BR. Clean and airy guitars, breathy vocals, and tight drums power this one forward, culminating in a mid-song crescendo that makes use of crunchy guitars. They perfectly segue into title track, “Campr,” in a way that blasts in seamlessly from the opener. The singer laments, “I choose my words carefully / Look where that’s gotten me.” The music itself is tinged with yearning guitar licks that touch ever-so-slightly into Midwest emo territory, alongside wild, impressive percussion. “Campr” achieves depth within the mix with its soothing, string-like synth pads. Halfway through, the[...]

The Del-Viles – It’s Just A Kiss-Off

January 22, 2026

Minneapolis-based act The Del-Viles has been kicking around the City of Lakes since 2021, brandishing a gritty brand of rock ‘n roll that takes the best of ’60s mod and ’00s garage rock revival and mashes it into an unholy unity of blues and modern-day guitar rock. For a three-piece act, they make a surprising amount of sound – expect lots of blues-based riffing and gravel-voiced vocals with ’60s inspired lyrical patterns. They’ve been hard at work and are set to release their brand new album, It’s Just A Kiss-Off, full of blues-inspired jamming with a garage-rock sensibility.   Opening track “The City” is a perfect archetype for what to expect from The Del-Viles. Gravely-voiced, retro-inspired vocals rip through start-stop, 12-bar-blues. Big bouncing basslines rip behind the simplicity of the rip-roaring guitar tones. Track two, “What You Got” leans into these stabby blasts of guitar too, trading nimble basslines for[...]

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,”[...]