Latest Posts

Dean Chatham Shares the Visuals for New Single “EL-P”

May 30, 2018

Buffalo’s resident emcee, Dean Chatham, comes to us with the video for his latest and greatest alt-rap track, “EL-P.” Titled after the celebrated producer and Run the Jewels rapper, this raw, lo-fi cut boasts a bumping technical beat that evolves and devolves like a Transformer. What starts off simplistic and jazzy deconstructs into a spirited musique concrète of electro glitches and technical difficulties that will surely pump some serotonin into your noggin. Tying it all together is Chatham’s stone cold flow that compacts deep, dizzying and multi-layered rhymes like a game of Tetris. At 23-years-old and having already shared the stage with Rae Sremmurd and the immortal Gucci Mane, keep an eye on this promising up-and-comer as he and his music continues to grow. Check out the video for “EL-P” below and jump over to Dean Chatham’s YouTube here and SoundCloud here for more videos and tracks.

Saturn V - LP

Saturn V – s/t

May 21, 2018

Buffalo three-piece, Saturn V have been making all the right moves following their EP, two songs, released last November. Since then the band has been blowing away crowds as they make a name for themselves in the local punk circuit. Saturn V dropped their first self-titled LP earlier this month that’s full of brash energy and a killer tempo from start to finish. The record opens up with the song, “weight,” which begins deceptively tame before Saturn V presses on the gas midway through and launches into a breakneck punk flourish. There’s a small moment right before the band really speeds things up. It isn’t a revolutionary musical breakthrough and only involves a quick 4 count on the sticks, but it just sets the tone for “weight” and Saturn V’s self-titled as a whole. The record is stripped of any unnecessary chaff and instead, gets right down to it. Over the course of[...]

Dotsun Moon Drop New Single “Sin Nombre en 18”

May 11, 2018

With a new EP on the way Dotsun Moon are back with a smoldering new single in “Sin Nombre en 18” that’s a breathless and bilingual slab of electronic pop and well worth a listen. “Sin Nombre en 18,” or “Nameless In 18,” conjures both 60’s French pop with a decidedly non French twist thanks to Maria Sebastian’s sweet vocals and vaguely menacing British New Wave via Richard Flierl’s synths, guitar, and slick yet organic production that crafted vast spaces to be filled with sound. Give it a spin below and stay tuned for more music this year from Dotsun Moon. Sin Nombre en 18 by Dotsun Moon

Yellow House Drop Fuzzy New EP

April 12, 2018

Yellow House have been a buffaBLOG favorite since their 2016 debut. After a short period of inactivity, the self-proclaimed “overblown shoegaze” act is back, boasting the blend of shoegaze-meets-punk-meets-emo that we’ve all come to love and expect from them. Their latest offering is entitled III, a four-song EP that is as refreshingly simple as it is mysterious. III was recorded across two sessions across the spring and winter of 2017 and finds the duo chasing a more vocally driven mix than its predecessors… The songs explore themes of nostalgia, hopelessness, and existentialism, case-in-point, EP opener “Walking Away.” In a minute-and-a-half of fuzzed-out guitar riffs, drums, singer/songwriter Matt DiStasio sings about feeling empty-headed and unmotivated. Similar vibes can be found on EP closer, “On Sunday.” Beneath the crunchy tones and smart riffing, it’s clear DiStasio is battling the ennui of day-to-day drabness. EP highlight “Montana” is a bit more nuanced, bringing to[...]

Pendulum Girl Drops Mysterious heart demos

February 22, 2018

Leah Loefke, formerly of Love Scenes, is back like a phoenix out of the dark under the enigmatic nom de plume Pendulum Girl, and her recently released debut release heart demos, a magical lo-fi electronica dream pop gem that’s an instant triumph. Less an EP and more a collection of hymns to memory and getting through living, heart demos connects instantly with it’s hazy soundscapes, whispered, prayer like vocals, and delightful capacity for minimalist understatement and heavenly, out-sized emotional strokes, sometimes in the same song. Achingly heartbreaking from the very start, “magnet” sounds like a childhood dream about heaven, if it was directed by David Lynch and produced by Brian Eno, floating over a sweet metallic air conditioner drone. I’m definitely going to cue up the organ drenched and delicate “crying in the carwash” for my next trip through the Delta Sonic, and if I get overcome by the moment, I’ll be[...]

Into The Wake Release Dark, Three-Song EP

February 21, 2018

Into The Wake has been through a lot… For them, 2017 was a year of many shows (solo and otherwise), but an equal amount of loss and frustration. They soldiered on through a member change and still managed to hit the studio with Jay Zubricky at GCR this past autumn… Now standing strong as a solid quartet, the band is moving forward as always, having just released a three-song EP called Listening Through Silence. On Listening Through Silence, the band has honed their biting, political approach into something more emotional and nuanced. Into The Wake has polished many of their rough edges here – their songs are flush with lead guitar, and layered thick with shimmer and ambiance. There now exists a palpable darkness to their hard rock/heavy-emo songwriting – think somewhere between A Perfect Circle and Thrice. On lead single “The Note,” the band trades anger and guttural screams for tasteful[...]

Buffalo Trio Ghostpool Releases Debut EP

February 13, 2018

Pop-punk refuses to die, and it probably never will… Mostly because of bands like Ghostpool, a Buffalo-based three piece whose m.o. is crunchy guitars and hooks aplenty. Their debut EP, There is a Hole at the Center of Everything, is a five song offering chock full of catchy pop-punk tunes, set off by emo-esque vocals about longing, self-hatred, and growing up. Fans of Alkaline Trio, Green Day, The Menzingers should give this one a listen. “Nightmare Eyes” kicks things off perfectly with a simple chord progression, backed by a catchy lead guitar riff, and distant vocal ooohs. Ghostpool is at their most nuanced here, channeling bands like The Hotelier through unique progressions and dynamic changes. Songs like “Dropout” and “Humanoid” are more Green Day/Alk3 oriented, pairing spitfire guitar work with big, irresistible vocal melodies. It’s worth mentioning that Ghostpool has a knack for writing big pop hooks… They just happen to be wrapped up in a gritty punk[...]

Sundownchasing (Anthony Del Plato) Kicks Off Twelve-Month Songwriting Project

January 11, 2018

Sundownchasing (aka Batavian singer/songwriter Anthony Del Plato) announced late last year that he would be “shaking off the rust” by releasing one song per month for the entirety of 2018. His first offering, Another Shade of Blue,” is trademark Anthony Del Plato, evoking the frigid January weather via his eerily pristine musicianship. He pairs icy guitar tones with vaguely winter-esque lyrics about the Niagara River, frozen to look like a lion’s mane. Fans of The Appleseed Cast, Bon Iver, or Minus the Bear will love this song – be sure to check it out using the widget below. “Another Shade of Blue” is the first of many Sundownchasing songs to be released this year – they will all be available through Bandcamp. Another Shade of Blue by Sundownchasing

Alleys Release Farewell EP, Sliver of Great

January 9, 2018

Buffalo trio Alleys are in a strange place, figuratively speaking of course. Drummer/vocalist Sebastian Cichon recently moved about as far across the country as possible… About 3,000 miles to be exact. But mere distance couldn’t stop Alleys from releasing their latest and final(?) offering, a four-song EP titled Sliver of Great, recorded at GCR studios with Jay Zubricky. If you aren’t familiar with Alleys, they’ve perfected the art of mathy pop-punk with tinges of emo, twinkle, skramz, and any other sub-genre you might be able to think of. Opening track “Strange Things Are Afoot At The Circle K” is a wonderful waltz that highlights Alleys’ strong attention to syncopation. At just over two minutes in length, the song presents as one long crescendo, exploding into a fuzzed-out ending, supplemented perfectly by a disgustingly dirty bass tone. “Have Fun Being Married to Satan” is another two minute banger that finds Alleys exploring a more upbeat sound, pairing spitfire vocals with an[...]

Ugly Sun Drops Fresh Single “LITTLE SISTER”

December 21, 2017

In time for your holiday shenanigans, local garage punks Ugly Sun have graced us with a new single by the name of “LITTLE SISTER” and an accompanying lyric video that’s funny and trippy as all hell. A skull crushing ode to making time with somebody’s little sister (probably yours), there’s something eternal and timeless within Trey Hollowood’s punk riffs, Harrison Crook’s galloping backbeat, and John Crook’s yearning howl, and “I want to be the space in between” is just a killer lyric. Rudy Scheider’s lyric video is a psychedelic treat of lo-fi video effects, ridiculous detours, including some vaporwave and a cameo by a very sad Joe (Made Violent) White, and distortions that will remind some of trying to watch the Playboy Channel on the sly unsuccessfully with an old cable box. The fellas in Ugly Sun always seem to be up to no good, and I love them for it. Enjoy.

Carmen & Lizzy Release Folksy New Single “Runnin’ Away”

December 13, 2017

We’re excited to spotlight acoustic duo Carmen & Lizzy, who have been making lots of waves in the WNY music scene as of late. C&L (more specifically cousins Carmen O’Keefe and Lizzy Bassler) specialize in crafting a gentle brand of acoustic folk, reminiscent of acts like The Staves, Nickel Creek, or HAIM. We’re jazzed on their latest offering, “Runnin’ Away,” which features an emotion-filled guitar line and lush harmonies sure to warm even the coldest of hearts. Where Are We Now? is out now via Nonexistant Records. If you like what you hear, head over to Bandcamp for a digital download.

The Eaves Drop First Single and Video

November 28, 2017

Sixties Future was a band much beloved here at the buffaBLOG from that Herd Fest show at the Mohawk when the melted the faces off a few staff writers, myself included. Chris Couche’s Matt Berninger meets Bruce Springsteen vocals and mythic frontman stage presence, coupled with the band’s retro edged hard driving Americana rock made believers of us, and from that point forward their every song or show received passionate attention. After a few years growing in strength in the rock revivalist corner of the local scene, when word went out that the band was calling it quits there was definitely some sadness. Everything just felt right about Sixties Future, but maybe it wasn’t to be. But earlier this summer there was word on the street that the band was resurfacing  under the moniker The Eaves, but nothing materialized until last week when they released “Feel Better,” their debut single and a music video[...]

Small Smalls – Things Can Only Get Worse

November 27, 2017

Time freezes in an eighties neon haze on Things Can Only Get Worse, the debut full length album from Buffalo synth pop trio Small Smalls, accompanied with a bittersweet awkwardness  that keeps it vulnerable and new. The bright lo-fi synth lines always lift off, but never drift too far from the emotional core that holds Colette Montague’s lyrics and vocal performances together on a set of songs that encompasses New Wave, sixties pop, noise rock, and surprisingly in the end, surf punk. “Brave Bird” is a perfect album opener with it’s beguilingly shiny and upbeat synths and vocals and  fuzzed out guitar, which give way to the angular yet pensive New Wave of “Falling Blossoms” and pleasing atonal robotic textures of “Polystyrene Girl,” both of which play beautifully off of Colette Montague’s warm and airy soprano. The offbeat sonic textures continue on “Hamster Lunch,” featuring vox from guitarist Stephen Malczewski, punk rhythms from Dave Borden,  and[...]

Dirt War - Loss

Dirt War – Loss

October 26, 2017

Cascading down from some place on high comes falling to earth, hardcore doom rockers Dirt War with  their newly released EP, Loss. Formed from the missing and severed limbs of various Buffalo groups, it’s possible you haven’t heard Dirt War yet. Their last recording was a Demo from 2015. But after giving Loss a listen, it won’t be easy to forget them. In the realm of doom, stoner, metal/rock, things can get both stale and confusing. With multiple different classifications and genres floating around, and a tendency for some bands to simply sit back and hash out a groove for 20 minutes, the realm has its fair share of bands that, well, tend to sound the same. Either by accident or design. But, on Loss, Dirt War go left instead of right. The band uses a dual bass setup and forgets about guitars all together. This isn’t a gimmick, it’s a[...]

dreambeaches Drop New Single “Trademark,” Ready New EP

September 27, 2017

Buffalo baroque surf rockers dreambeaches are getting ready to drop their newest EP in a few weeks and they’re getting us ready for it too with a hot lead single, “Trademark.”  A gorgeous riot of chiming guitars, a propulsive beat, irresistible hooks, and sunny harmonies that soothe the soul, it’s an excellent teaser for Disappearing Act due October 13th from Admirable Traits Records and the show they’ll be putting on at Milkie’s for their album release shindig that night.  In the meantime, enjoy “Trademark” below.