Latest Posts

Ian McCuen – After I Descend from the Sky, Before I Return to the Dirt

December 4, 2025

Ian McCuen operates on a creative clock that ticks a little faster than the rest of us. For the past nine years, the Buffalo-based singer-songwriter has delivered a new full-length record on a nearly annual basis, a pace that would exhaust most musicians. Their latest offering, After I Descend from the Sky, Before I Return to the Dirt, arrives just a year after the electronic-tinged As the Oceans Rise and the Empire Falls. But where 2024 saw McCuen experimenting with synthetic textures, this massive 24-track collection marks a return to the soil. It is a sprawling, organic entry into the bedroom folk canon that Ian has honed in on over the past decade, and it’s our album of the week.   Despite the “bedroom” descriptor (the album was self-recorded), the sound here is far from sparse. McCuen has once again assembled a recurring cast of collaborators to flesh out their[...]

New Words – “Gave You More”

December 3, 2025

Buffalo-based New Words is led by vocalist Benny Scheibel – they’re here with the ’00s-inspired bombast of new single, “Gave You More.” With the energies of Jimmy Eat World and a hint of All-American Rejects, “Gave You More” is built around a super catchy guitar rhythm and a rolling drumbeat. Scheibel’s vocals are proud and powerful, complimented perfectly by the thundering basslines found here. This one was tailor-made for anyone processing a breakup – so, especially if you’re feeling heartbroken, let the anthemic vibes run through your bones and be prepared to be humming this one the rest of the week.   “Gave You More” is available on Spotify, too.  

Super Flea – Demo

November 28, 2025

It would be safe to assume we’re writing a nostalgia piece about the popular, Cheektowagan market that closed in 2014 and was revitalized in 2022… But no, we’re talking about a new emo/pop punk crew that have named themselves Super Flea. Cooper Taylor and John Carr (of Autoignition, Speed Dial, and other projects) teamed up with Milo Duhn to come out swinging with a three-song EP, simply called Demo… With a few friendly faces in tow. Expect fantastic drumming from Del Paxton’s Greg McClure and the tried-and-true Jay Zubricky/GCR Studios treatment, who both suit this project perfectly.   If their pedigree tells us anything, Taylor/Carr are becoming masters of pop-punk songwriting. Opening track, “86,” is a great place to start – blistering drums from McClure lay the groundwork for Taylor/Carr explosiveness. Fans of Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, and The Story So Far will enjoy the bratty, gravel-voiced vocals and sharp[...]

Gatto Black – Sky Is Blue

November 20, 2025

If there is a singular ethos driving Buffalo’s Gatto Black, it is the sheer, unadulterated catharsis of truth. The recording project, spearheaded by singer/songwriter Sal Mastrocola, has spent the last few years sharpening its teeth on a pair of EPs—2022’s 2 Stressed 2 Be Blessed and 2024’s (Not) Ready To Die. But on his debut LP, Sky Is Blue, Mastrocola isn’t just sharpening teeth; he’s baring them. Released via Triple Hammer Records, the album benefits heavily from the steady hands of producers Gary Cioni (Hot Mulligan, Crime in Stereo) and Michael Hansen (Pentimento, Hotel Etiquette). Together, they have helped Mastrocola sculpt a sound that sits comfortably at the intersection of melodic hardcore and emo, channeling the frantic energy of Comeback Kid with the emotional weight of Touché Amore.   The visual identity of the album—a black cat (often the project’s mascot of sorts) precariously navigating a power line against a[...]

Spaced – No Escape

November 13, 2025

If ToeJam and Earl started a hardcore band, it would be Spaced.   Fueled by trippy instrumentals, old-school gang choruses, and effortlessly-cool swagger, the Buffalo “far out hardcore” crew rip banger after banger after banger on their radical new EP, No Escape.   Formed in 2021 with the shared ethos of channeling pain and anger into something fun and positive, vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt, guitarists Joe Morganti and Donny Arthur, bassist John Vaughan, and drummer Dan McCormick have put in work this year. They’ve recently wrapped up impressive domestic tours opening for super-heavyweight acts including Terror, Bane and Hot Water Music and now they’ve got the scene buzzing with their latest 5-track collection of bruising, psychedelic hardcore.   Opening No Escape is the title track; a gnarly rager that perfectly encapsulates the band’s infectious and in-your-face spirit. Give it a spin for a stoner jam intro filled with crash-and-burn dive bombs[...]

Astronaut Head – “Talk To Frank”

November 7, 2025

Once again returning to buffaBLOG, Astronaut Head, the solo project of Buffalo’s Jessica Stoddard, treats us to an epic, movie soundtrack-esque piece of lo-fi, indie trip hop called “Talk To Frank.” Stoddard has worked on projects that are at least part-Scottish, such as The Deep Red Sky and The Little Birds. Not too long ago, Astronaut Head also released the 5-song EP Meek Moon, a musical grouping reviewed by buffaBLOG’s Ronald Walczyk. The EP departs from Stoddard’s past creative endeavors, and presents with an alienesque echo. “Talk To Frank” is a similar, yet continued evolution of Stoddard’s journey – it is drenched in reverb with titillating synthesizers and massive electronic drum queues. The song provokes, all at once, intense introspection and dream-like entrancement. It feels natural despite its intensity at times.   Stoddard is very mindful, exact, and practiced in her approach to songwriting and musical production. One can definitely[...]

Old Ghosts – Still Sinking

October 30, 2025

Veteran Buffalo hardcore haunts Old Ghosts are back from the dead with Still Sinking, their latest EP that’s loaded with heart and louder than hell.   Old Ghosts have been kicking around the scene for over a decade, dating back to the release of their 2011 debut, Caskets. Over the years, the band has seen members come and go, but has since settled into a lineup featuring vocalist Derek Dole, guitarists Tom Mayer and Nick Racino, bassist Brian Kaczamarczyk and drummer Josh Heatley. Most of the members share a history having collaborated on projects including Dead Hearts, Rust Belt Lights, and Wreckage. On Still Sinking, the five-piece compile a mix of previously-released singles and new material into a melodic 13-minute hardcore punk rollercoaster.   “False North” opens the pit, and the EP, with a pile-on of cymbal crashes, guitar spikes and drum rolls. From there, Old Ghosts remind you what[...]

Crows Will Cry – Maelstrom

October 24, 2025

With electrifying instrumentals and haunting vocals, Crows Will Cry truly lives up to its name. The Buffalo-based act is known for its post-rock, ambient, and cinematic elements and genres, spinning trance-inducing webs of sound woven into powerful melodies. Their latest LP, Maelstrom, is a ten song offering that features a broad selection of both instrumental tracks and songs with hauntingly stunning vocals, showcasing the band’s interesting dichotomy – captivating rhythms and beats versus vocal-driven melodies.   The tracks that do have lyrics are amazingly written. Songs like “You,” “Solace,” and “Fire” provide the audience with deep and emotional lyrics about feeling alone, betrayed, and abandoned. The raw energy that is exhibited throughout Maelstrom shows the band’s immaculate ability to display both intense and emotional feelings through music.   A standout track is definitely “Chemical,” with dynamic and fun beats and harmonic, almost robotic vocals. The track is emotionally charged and builds as[...]

Bryan Dubay – Call Your Mother

October 23, 2025

At a time when music often feels fleeting, Buffalo’s Bryan Dubay has delivered Call Your Mother, a deeply personal, full-length album whose careful, deliberate construction invites you to slow down and truly absorb it. Continuing to explore the atmospheric terrain between indie rock and chamber folk, the record showcases Dubay’s comprehensive role as performer, producer, and engineer. While he enlists talent for certain string and percussion parts, the album’s cohesive vision is distinctly his own, a product of a very specific melodic focus.   The album is framed by Dubay himself as an “exercise in gratitude,” a concept that finds its footing through the music’s emotionally intelligent explorations of life, loss, and connection. He cites George Harrison’s slide guitar work and Elliott Smith’s songwriting as primary influences, and these are not just casual touchstones. The slide guitar, prominent throughout, is used not for bluesy grit but as Harrison often did:[...]

The Mookies – “Grocery Store”

October 22, 2025

Sporting an updated lineup and a slight rebrand, The Mookies (formerly Mookie) have dropped their latest single, “Grocery Store,” a track that gives the Buffalo five-piece a solid launchpad for their jangle-pop trajectory. Recorded at Watchmen Studios and mixed/mastered by Nathaniel Weiss (of Rom Com Victims), the track is a quick, boppy earworm that has surf-punk leanings, showing a bit more teeth than their previous work. The instrumentation is tight and energetic, a fitting foundation for a song that’s all about the dizzying internal monologue of spotting a potential crush in the produce aisle.   The concept is relatable enough–letting your imagination run wild with “what-ifs” in the context of an alluring stranger–but it’s the execution that makes the song shine. Giuliana Bauman’s vocals are sweet and disarming, offering a counterpoint to the song’s blazing pace and jangly, overdriven guitars. It’s bubblegum punk of the highest degree–accessible enough for a[...]

Godlvng – “Go!”

October 20, 2025

Godlvng is an abstract hip hop trio from our city that challenges the zeitgeist with their lyrics, and sends you to otherlands with their sounds.   Vocalists Tr38cho & Father Baker tend to meet producer Hunger Artist wherever they are. On their latest track, “Go!” that appears to be in some sort of dark, vaguely evil dungeon. Each vocalists lyrics are far from vague, posturing within some purgatory of understanding. “Go!” explores the relationships between prey and predator, both with foxes and hens and lions and sheep. They repeat the line “A Lion doesn’t concern himself with the thoughts of a sheep – that’s a lie if I ever heard it. If a lion doesn’t try to think like its prey then how does it eat?” examining conventional societal wisdoms. What else is nonsensical? What else need not apply? Should we lean into nihilism? That thought is also proposed here[...]

Many Eyes – Combust

October 16, 2025

Buffalo hard rockers Many Eyes return with Combust, their new explosive, yet all-too-familiar sounding EP that will leave you seeing and hearing double.   Behind the band is the legendary Buffalo vocalist, Keith Buckley, who formed Many Eyes after the very ugly and very public breakup of veteran hardcore favorites Every Time I Die back in 2022. As ETID went their separate ways, Buckley stepped out of the shadows and surrounded himself with the talents of guitarist Alan Hague, bassist Sean Vallie and drummer Nick Bellmore. The four-piece debuted with a series of singles leading up to their 2024 freshman full-length, The Light Age. On Combust, Buckley and crew lay down four new tracks that build upon their wayward metallic hard rock repertoire. With a volatile fury of hardcore and metal influences, strap yourself in for grungy rhythmic changes intertwined with down-tuned riffs, chunky basslines, wrecking ball drums, and earsplitting[...]

Stephen Babcock – “Hockey Town”

October 14, 2025

The Bab-man strikes yet again – the latest in a series of Buffalo-adjacent singles, “Hockey Town” trades Buffalo Bills mania for the quiet and stoic life of a Buffalo Sabres fan. Sure, the Sabes have become a long-struggling team that are now essentially a farm team for the rest of the league (e.g. Eichel, O’Reilly, Okposo, Reinhart etc.)… Bit I digress – if you were around in the late aughts, the Sabres were an absolutely electrifying team that brought honor and glory to our Rust Belt locale. Babcock brings a similar prestige with his understated, almost folksy approach to “Hockey Town,” evoking small-town nostalgia with an approach not unlike Sam Fender or Catfish and the Bottlemen a la his signature twang and ultra-clean production.   Check out “Hockey Town” via the YouTube embed below. Spotify and Apple Music exist too.  

Roy Flush – “Buggin’ Out”

October 13, 2025

The Eastside of Buffalo continues to produce some of the most compelling artists in the 716. One of our favorite new acts is rapper Roy Flush, who brings a street sensibility to each of his bars. “Buggin’ Out” is one of his recent highlights. It’s a great track to explore Roy’s mindset and his experiences, as each line drips with authenticity. Verses describe his connections within the prison system, intimidation with a purpose and the gravitational pull of the streets.  A voice representing a conscious asks Roy on the hook about his behavior, and his poignant response is essentially that it’s just the way things have to be. Roy’s anchored on the beat by a melancholic soul sample that really grounds Roy’s street diary. Its sweetness counters Roy’s aggressiveness and creates a perfectly well-rounded sonic experience. Give it a spin below. Check out Roy’s latest run of singles on Spotify.[...]

Soul Butchers – Second Death

October 9, 2025

Buffalo’s Soul Butchers have always been a force in the local scene, known for their high-octane live shows that leave ears ringing and soles smoking. Three years in the making, their latest full-length album, Second Death, has finally arrived, soaked in all things that give the four-piece rock band their signature snarling edge. The 13-track effort is another blistering document of the band’s unique blend of noise rock and garage punk, bottling the raw energy of their stage presence into a calculated and surprisingly diverse collection of songs this time around. Second Death is our album of the week.   The album’s sound is immediate and raw, not unlike previous Butchers releases, but this time around the band recorded and engineered the entire project themselves before handing it over to John Angelo for mixing and mastering. The result: an album on which the band had the breathing room to do[...]