Latest Posts

Five Most Anticipated Acts of Pitchfork Festival: Saturday

July 14, 2015

 As a part of our continuing coverage of the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend,  we take a top list of my picks for Saturday.  When it comes to festivals, Saturday is where the action really begins.  With five more acts playing than on Friday, the day is sure to be jam packed with excellent music. Bully @ Blue Stage (1:55pm) While I had not heard of Bully until a few months ago, the hype has built quickly. The female fronted quartet is an up and coming garage rock band out of Nashville, TN, and its catchy guitar sections and grungy vocals make them comparable to bands like Cloud Nothings and Girlpool. Don’t worry if you can’t make it out to the festival, though. The group will be playing a show at the Mohawk Place on September 26th here in Buffalo. Its heaving power pop style is sure to infect the festival[...]

Five Most Anticipated Acts of Pitchfork Festival: Friday

July 13, 2015

Year after year, I have been watching from the sidelines as Pitchfork announced absolutely incredible line ups to their yearly festival in Union Park in Chicago. When I found out this year I would be going as well as doing coverage for buffaBLOG, I was ecstatic. As part of my coverage for the festival, I will be outlining my five most anticipated acts that are playing each each day. Natalie Prass @ Red Stage (3:30pm) I made it a point to check out all of the artists on this years bill, and Natalie Prass really stuck out for some reason. After checking out her 2015 self-titled debut, I was instantly hooked. She utilizes her soulful, airy, beautiful voice, and combines it with grand string and horn sections, which makes for some incredible tracks. Having only one album under her belt, she showcases an incredible amount of talent. I can’t wait[...]

Newish Star – His Excellent Ray

July 6, 2015

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from bandcamp the other day, noting that a band that I follow had a new release, and even more pleased when I saw that band was local indie/punk tinged act Newish Star. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to someone at buffaBLOG that wasn’t into NS, and that is for a good reason. Since its beginning, the trio has been able to produce some of the catchiest tracks that I have heard out of a local band, and with each release, the band has managed to show an extreme amount of progression. With that being said, it comes as no surprise that I love His Excellent Ray as well. The band’s description for its latest EP is “six songs inspired by ‘Dr. Dude and His Excellent Ray.'” No big surprise here given the trio’s bumper fondness, but “Dr. Dude and his Excelent[...]

Black Dots

June 20, 2015

Continuing with this weekend’s Herd Fest festivities, local record shop Black Dots will be hosting another rooftop show this evening.  The show will feature all local acts.  Kicking off the showcase will be fem punk outfit Boy Scouts, followed by fresh local act Alien Three, featuring members of Dream Journal and Failure’s Union.  Up next will be Black Dots imprint Facility Men, and the showcase will be closed out by the psychedelic beatdown hardcore act, Junk Drawer. As usual, the showcase is free if you have a Herd Fest bracelet, but if not it will be five dollars.  Black Dots is on the corner of Grant and Lafayette.  If weather does not permit the outdoor porch show, the gig will be held inside the store. If you can’t find your way up to the porch,  come down into the shop and someone will direct you. Black Dots is on the[...]

White Lung w/ Obliterations, Utah Jazz at Mohawk Place (6/15/15)

June 17, 2015

This past Monday, Vancouver punk outfit, White Lung, brought its frenzied live show to the Mohawk Place. Local punks Utah Jazz kicked the night off with a short but sweet set, followed by some blasting hardcore tracks from Obliterations. White Lung commanded the show with its squealing guitars and piercing vocals, keeping the crowd moving the whole time. Check out our photos below. Utah Jazz Obliterations White Lung  White Lung Setlist “Sycophant” “Face Down” “Monster” “Bad Way” “Bag” “Wrong Star” “Snake Jaw” “I Believe You” “Just For You” “Down It Goes” “Thick Lip” “Two of You” “Blow it South” “Take the Mirror”    

Tonight: The Smashing Pumpkins

June 15, 2015

If there is an artist that could sell out a show at the Riviera Theatre in less than three minutes, it’s Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. The fact that he could have done the same at Shea’s, which is three times the capacity of the Riviera, is what will make this show special. The just over 1,000 people in attendance tonight will be taken on a musical journey throughout Corgan career, most notably his monumental catalog with the legendary Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan and friends will be treating the audience to an “acoustic-electro” evening, playing reworked, minimalistic versions of solo Corgan and Pumpkins tracks. This is the kickoff for the tour and is set to be a truly special night for all in attendance. There is no listed openers, but then again, they don’t really need any. Doors for the sold-out show are set to open at 8pm.

Tonight: The Cardboard Swords

June 9, 2015

Tonight marks the tour kickoff for the local boys Del Paxton, along with the trio’s good friends, The Cardboard Swords. The Grand Rapids group’s blend of traditional Midwest emo and a more modern singalong style should be a perfect match for the DP guys, and for fans bands like American Football, Into It. Over It, and Empire! Empire! (I was a Lonely Estate). The four piece’s emotionally heavy lyrics about love and heartbreak will be sure to have you feeling some kind of way by the end of the night. Also on the bill alongside Del Paxton are fresh local acts Unisex and Kimmy.  Doors open at 6pm at the Glitter Box, music will start at 7pm, and you should have $5 on you for the touring band.  This is the last scheduled local date for Del Paxton for now, so come out.

Tonight: (New England) Patriots

June 5, 2015

Kickstart your weekend with a showcase stacked with weirdo punk rock at Milkie’s tonight. Boston noise rockers, (New England) Patriots, will be taking you, or forcing you, on a sonic adventure in the headlining spot. The band features loud, strange, almost psychedelic sounding vocals, comparable to Ty Segall, along with an insane noise rock edge. Filling the local spots on the bill will be similar sounding local punks Alpha Hopper, the mellowed out Wax Mice, and Toppus Bottomus. The show starts at 9pm and tickets are only $4. At that price, there’s no reason NOT to go. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/142140729″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Jamie xx – In Colour

June 3, 2015

It’s been four years since we’ve heard a new studio album from acclaimed DJ and producer Jamie Smith, better known as Jamie xx. If you’ve never heard of Smith’s solo work, you have probably heard his material in The xx, his primary band. And for good reason, Smith has been skyrocketing in popularity, mainly after his production crediting on Drake’s hit single “Take Care,” and then Smith’s 2011 remix album, We’re New Here, which reimagined Gil Scott Heron’s I’m New Here track by track. That album hinted that Smith was going to go onto big things as Jamie xx, and almost four years later, In Colour is here, proving that he sure can shine on his own What’s remarkable about what Smith does on In Colour is that he writes so many genres into these songs, many that the casual music fan may not know and appreciate, all while making it totally accessible. In[...]

Tonight: Harmonica Lewinski

May 29, 2015

Tonight, Allentown will be the place to be as Nietzsche’s will be hosting the monumental first showcase of buffaBLOG’s own Yace Booking Company, featuring a stacked line up of WNY talent and buffaBLOG favorites. Headlining the showcase will be Rochester based retro-surf / garage rock act Harmonica Lewinski, but that’s just part of the fun. Opening the evening will be Syracuse based psychedelic indie-electronica act, Phantom Chemistry, along with two local hard hitters: lake poppers Bryan Johnson & Family and closing with the infamous funk punk outfit, Mallwalkers. The show is set to take off at 10pm, and the cover is only $5

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love

May 28, 2015

Love is a topic that has been represented in music countless times, and there is no doubt that it will stay that way for years to come. It is also one of the most influential emotions, making you feel so many different and drastic ways, many times leading to an artistic release. In this case, New Zealand’s psych-indie rock outfit, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, shares its take on love’s many complications with the new album, Multi-Love. The opening vocals on the title track are a great indicator of what’s to come. Lead vocalist Ruban Nielson floats in over some simple keys and croons “Multi-Love / Checked into my heart and trashed it like a hotel room.” In general, Neilson tackles the topic of love as a whole (not how love can make himself feel, but how it can make anyone feel), and he does it in a way where he is[...]

Eskimeaux – O.K.

May 21, 2015

I remember a couple of years ago when I stumbled across a collection of demos from Eskimeaux on an “album” titled Igluenza. Eskimeaux was a name I had heard mentioned constantly, being interested in many bands in the budding lo-fi scene out of Brooklyn.  I almost instantly fell in love with the innocence, honesty, and simplicity of those demo recordings.  Digging farther back into the project’s catalogue, I could tell that founding member Gabrielle Smith was certainly onto something from the beginning. When Smith first started what would become Eskimeaux, she was making tracks which were much more avant garde in nature, featuring ambient, drone inspired, experimental electronics.  Out of these humble beginnings, Smith began to embrace more of a bedroom pop, glo-fi sound. After enlisting the help of members of the art collective, Epoch, including Felix Walworth of Told Slant, the project really seemed to find itself After seeing[...]

Tonight: Pile

May 17, 2015

Man, am I upset I have to miss this show. Tonight, the Boston four piece, Pile, will be bringing its live show to the Mohawk Place. The band is fresh off of its new album, You’re Better Than This, and with an extreme amount of buzz surrounding the group these days, is set to take off in popularity. With an absolutely mind numbing combination of post-hardcore sounding vocals, infectious riffs, and pummeling drums, Pile’s live show will have ears buzzing and your feet moving. Pile is not the only reason to check this show out though, as the locals on this bill are not to be missed. Opening the show will be newly formed act, Rosy, featuring members of Newish Star.  Following Rosy will be local post-harcore infused indie act, The Slums, and finally, taking the stage right before Pile will be one of my personal favorite local acts, JOHNS: a[...]

Tonight: Defeater

April 28, 2015

Tonight, a tour showcasing some of the biggest acts in modern melodic hardcore will be stopping in Buffalo tonight.  You can catch the some of the genres leading acts, as well as its upcoming groups, including Bridge Nine signees Defeater, along with the hard hitting Hamilton, Ontario natives, Counterparts. Opening the show will be Capsize, Hotel Books, and Better Off. Out of tonight;s supporting acts, be sure to check out up and coming post hardcore band Hotel Books, whose vocals border poetic spoken word and are backed by some incredibly diverse instrumentals. Doors open for the show tonight at 5:30pm, with tickets still available at the door for $15.  This show is at the Studio at Waiting Room, so stage diving is not only allowed, but encouraged.

Speedy Ortiz – Foil Deer

April 23, 2015

When Speedy Ortiz’s first full length, Major Arcana, dropped in 2013, I experienced a strong sense of addiction. From the first listen, the crooked, catchy rhythms, jangly vocal delivery, and lyrical wit had me listening over and over. Speedy Ortiz doesn’t put out run of the mill indie rock, they have a very unique formula.  While seeming not to be able to escape the comparisons made by critics to bands like Pavement and Sonic Youth, Speedy Ortiz has boasted a unique style since their beginning, and one that they stuck to on Foil Deer for a good reason. The most notable quality in Speedy Ortiz’s music, other than the fuzzed out freakishly catchy guitar riffs, would be vocalist’s Sadie Dupuis’ thoughtful, charismatic, and metaphorical lyrics. Dupuis’ elegant wordplay is strongly influenced by her strong background in poetry,  as she is a candidate for an MFA in poetry at University of Massachusetts[...]