Latest Posts

Wylie Something – Up Through the Rust

September 4, 2025

If you ask Buffalo songwriter Jacob Smolinski, the creative force behind Wylie Something, his music is tied directly to the calendar. “Everything is seasonal to me, revolving around periods of time in our quad seasons of B-LO, NY,” he explains, comparing the seasonal vibes of previous Wylie releases. “Dimes was early Spring. Picnic? Summer. But sometimes… you get something evergreen.” His latest EP, Up Through the Rust, released August 29th, is one of those evergreen moments, but one that feels perfectly suited for the here and now. “It just sounds like early Fall to me,” Smolinski says, and he’s right. The five-song collection is a hazy, scrappy, and distinctly satisfying slice of slacker rock that feels like that first truly crispy day after a long, hot summer. Bust out those denim jackets, folks. Up Through the Rust is our album of the week.   This release, his 14th in 11[...]

deb. – “Ankle Weights”

August 29, 2025

deb. Is it a statement? Is it a person? Is it a defunct, ’90s-era retail store in the McKinley Mall that specialized in prom dresses?   It’s actually a newish Buffalo band with a pedigree you might recognize – members of Previous Love, Canetis, Slow Animals, and Animal Sounds came together to create this super tight super group… And they’re creating sounds that are exactly what you might expect from these particular members. Springy, watery indie-pop with the perfect polish for 103.3 The Edge – think Young The Giant, The 1975, or Still Woozy. Eternally-nice eternal-front-man Brendan Orr shares the spotlight with his very capable bandmates this time around, including bassist Erik Corrie; lead guitarist Dakota Lord, and drummer John Perdue. They’re happy to share their “deb.ut” single, “Ankle Weights” – it won’t be hard to identify all the sugary-sweet melodies here, but keep your ears peeled from vocal performances[...]

We Were Blank – BLANK

August 28, 2025

Wouldn’t it be really funny if our review for We Were Blank‘s latest album, BLANK, was just… *blank?*   …   BLANK is out as of August 8th, 2025. Check it out on Bandcamp for a very reasonable “name your price” option, or, find it on your favorite streaming services.   Just kidding.   We Were Blank has been kicking around Buffalo for a while now. They’ve been both a three-piece and a quartet, born out of a Craigslist ad and having too much time on their hands… But perhaps the most important part of their existence is that they simply continue to make music. Buffalo musicians have this habit of borrowing musicians from other bands – you may recognize some of that happening here with fellow emo-ish act (and frequent buffaBLOG feature) Amateur Hockey Club. Whatever it takes, right? Either way, these guys ended up with BLANK – a five-song EP bridging[...]

JOEYB – anything can come apart.

August 25, 2025

JOEYB’s latest album’s leading song is “the murder of john lennon,” but was originally named “anything can come apart,” the title of the upcoming musician’s complete second LP. The sounds in the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist’s first track can be compared to that of Alex G – think “The Same” of the seminal indie rocker’s album Race. The “big” first song that accompanies both of JOEYB’s albums features the same kind of intent, featuring explosions of metamorphizing sounds, on what is otherwise a wonderful combination of guitar work and vocals.   While anything can come apart can be catalogued as an over arching indie rock, other tracks call to mind Phoebe Bridger’s work as an indie folk artist. Take “new year,” a carefully finger picked song, that shows anything can come apart is full of carefully embedded craftsmanship. There are also moments where JOEYB blends feedback and heavier sounds which can[...]

Astronaut Head – Meek Moon

August 21, 2025

A musician’s evolution is rarely a straight line. For Buffalo’s Jessica Stoddard, the path to the ambient dream pop of her Astronaut Head solo project has been a long and patient one, winding from quirky piano pop at Buffalo open mics to full UK tours as a keyboardist for a Scottish indie rock band. Along the way, a different sound was brewing – one built from looped vocals, electronic textures, and cavernous reverb. The result is Meek Moon, a five-song EP where those years of private experimentation finally take the lead.   The EP’s sound is deeply indebted to a certain Scandinavian chill, favoring atmosphere and texture over immediate hooks. Opener “batshit” makes the Björk comparison impossible to ignore, not just in Stoddard’s vocal leaps but in the contrast between its crisp electronics and a restless, jungle-like percussion. Shifting on a dime, the percussion vanishes completely on “egg the snake.” Instead[...]

Stephen Babcock – “Osaka”

August 20, 2025

It’s a Bab-man summer – Stephen Babcock that is – and our Rust Belt bub is back with yet another banger. Inspired by a late-night moment in Japan, “Osaka” details what it means to get lost, grow up, and let go. Bab/Bub keeps it simmering on “Osaka,” trading his acoustic guitar for a driving bass part, but still keeps that bubbling-under vibe that makes his music so listenable. Keep your ears peeled for some spicy harmonies, and an appreciation for the super tight drum sound that gives the whole affair an extra intimate vibe. Fans of The American Analog Set, MJ Lenderman, or Jack Johnson will surely get down with the vibes here.   Check out “Osaka” in all the usual spots.   Stephen Babcock · Osaka

Amateur Hockey Club – “UPPERCASE!”

August 8, 2025

Stalwart Buffalo-based emo-punks Amateur Hockey Club are back with a brand new song, “UPPERCASE!,” found on the recently-released (August 1st, 2025) three-song-EP of the same name. The title-track is built around a jaunty lead guitar riff and razor-sharp vocals, playing around with pop-punk undertones, but mostly adhering to a Motion City Soundtrack meets Third Eye Blind kind of power pop… aka “IPA-rock,” as they’ve affectionately (and somehow accurately) deemed themselves. Even though the song’s about battling negative self talk, it’s a fun and engaging ride across its 2:41 run time, which includes a guitar solo, some tasty self-deprecation, and lots of energy.   Check out “UPPERCASE!” on Apple Music, Spotify, or the Soundcloud embed below.   Amateur Hockey Club · UPPERCASE!

Shane Meyer – To the broken coast / on the crystal wave / it’s you, oh / hey

August 7, 2025

On his latest full-length, Buffalo’s Shane Meyer reaffirms his status as one of the area’s most distinct and disarming songwriters. A veteran of the scene, formerly of the slacker-rock outfit Difficult Night, Meyer’s solo work has found its own lane and cruises there comfortably. His new album, released August 1st on Steak & Cake Records, arrives with the wonderfully unwieldy title, to the broken coast / on the crystal wave / it’s you, oh / hey. Failure to edit? Perhaps. But it seems messy on purpose: across ten tracks of sparkling, minimalist jangle-pop, Meyer continues to perfect his unassuming, heart-on-sleeve style, delivering fractured vignettes of life that are gentle on the ear but carry surprising emotional weight.   The core of the album’s sound is Meyer’s intricate fingerpicked acoustic guitar, which provides the foundation for nearly every track. The arrangements are often sparse, allowing his lyrics and uniquely conversational delivery[...]

Sweet Talker – Summer 2025

August 1, 2025

Grab some sunscreen and soak up Sweet Talker’s scorching new two songer, Summer 2025. The Buffalo hard rock and rollers consists of members of local Buffalo punk and hardcore acts Buried Alive, Exhibition, and Big. Following up last year’s Not Your Daddy’s Rock and Roll, this brief, one-two punch continues to see the band mix hardcore punk with old school heavy metal.   The opening song, “Someone Like You,” hits like a nut shot with a frenzy of galloping drums, buzzy basslines and barking vocals. The track permeates big circle pit energy and will rough you up before downshifting into a shreddy, halftime bridge. Spin this at your Gallagher Beach party bash and watch things get a little crazy.   Rounding out the release is “Tough Tunes,” a time capsule of the days of VHS, corded telephones and Judas Priest. Sweet Talker energizes this melodic, throwback track with NWOBHM power[...]

Dotsun Moon – Tiger

July 24, 2025

Buffalo’s Dotsun Moon trades the precise architecture of synthpop for the sprawling, emotive wash of shoegaze guitars on the project’s newest release, Tiger.  The recording project of multi-instrumentalist Richard Flierl, Dotsun Moon has always been prolific, but this eight-song collection feels like a deliberate statement. Drawing a direct line to the grandeur of M83’s Before The Dawn Heals Us and the seminal post-punk of New Order, Flierl swaps programmed beats for soaring textures, creating an album that is expansive, atmospheric, and unique. Tiger is our album of the week.   The album marks a significant turning point for the Dotsun Moon project, not only in its sonic direction but in its execution. For the first time, Flierl handles all vocal duties, a departure from the prominence of female vocals featured on much of his previous work. This shift brings a new, personal-feeling cohesion to the album, with his voice acting as a steady[...]

tuesday nite – to just exist

July 17, 2025

Sometimes, a record feels less like a collection of songs and more like a place you can visit. The new EP from Buffalo’s tuesday nite, to just exist, is one of those places. It’s a room filled with hazy, drifting smoke, where reverb-soaked guitars and echo-laden harmonies hang in the air. Over four tracks, singer-guitarists Sara Elizabeth and Courtney Ann have built a sound that channels the ghosts of 90s dream-pop groups like Mazzy Star and The Sundays while remaining firmly planted in the contemporary indie sphere they so admire. to just exist is our album of the week.   tuesday nite is the kind of band that could only have formed in the strange quiet of 2020. Bonding over virtual open mics and a shared love for the raw-nerve songwriting of Phoebe Bridgers, Sara and Courtney developed an immediate chemistry that feels palpable on this recording. That intimate, two-voice core is the[...]

Stephen Babcock – “Dumb Luck”

July 14, 2025

The Bab-man (aka Buffalo-based singer/songwriter Stephen Babcock) leans into song-of-the-summer vibes on his latest offering, “Dumb Luck.” Armed with his usual tools of the trade – an acoustic guitar, shuffling drums, and his soulful drawl, “Dumb Luck” touches on not ever knowing if things are getting better or staying exactly the same. It’s a shared Buffalonian experience – to wonder if our “small town” vibes are holding us back or propelling us forward faster than we can handle, so fellow WNYers should find solace in knowing that you’re not the only one wondering WTF is going on with your life. “Dumb Luck” is one of those songs that tackles something potentially heavy without ever losing that upbeat, feel-good feel, and for that reason, we think Babcock’s oeuvre is worth your time.   “Dumb Luck” is available on all your favorite streaming services. Preview it via YouTube (below), and then take[...]

Jacob King – Merry Locker

July 3, 2025

A fixture in Buffalo’s music scene for several years, folk artist Jacob King has been a restless creative, lending his talents to projects like T.T.T.T. and Hal & Pals while pouring his own steady stream of singles, EPs, ‘zines, and poetry. With his debut solo LP, Merry Locker, it feels like we’re finally getting the clearest transmission from his particular wavelength. The album, released June 27th on his own The New Disposable label, is pure psych-folk, and its sound is as raw and atmospheric as the foggy Lake Erie harbor pictured on its cover. It’s a direct invitation into King’s cryptic, hazy world, and it’s our album of the week.   What struck me first about Merry Locker is the texture. The entire album feels warm and lived-in, humming with the fuzzy crackle of an old vinyl record. The production is lo-fi at times, but never lazy. Most tracks are built around[...]

Root Cellar – Fermentations

June 26, 2025

For Buffalo’s Root Cellar, the act of creation is a patient one. The chamber quintet’s debut album, Fermentations, arrives via Erie’s Infrasonic Press with a backstory as interesting as its sound. The six expansive tracks were captured live in two distinct sessions at Revolution Gallery, separated by over a year. This lengthy process, engineered and mixed by Shaun Mullins, has produced a remarkably cohesive, hour-long album that breathes with the energy of its live origins yet feels brilliantly intentional in its construction. It’s a fitting title, as the album documents a sound that has been allowed to bubble, evolve, and mature, settling into something complex and potent. Fermentations is our album of the week.   The band’s “post-jazz” description is a starting point, but it hardly covers the ground they explore. The group, formed in 2017, operates at a compelling intersection of influences. There’s the structural sensibility of post-rock outfits like Tortoise,[...]

Science Man – Monarch Joy

June 12, 2025

Stage dive for cover because Buffalo’s diabolical Science Man returns with his latest hardcore punk abomination, Monarch Joy.   After a 5-year banishment touring the Rust Belt countryside, local scenester heavyweight John Toohill’s project has evolved from the lone multi-hyphenate and a drum machine to a full-blown and fully-realized ensemble. Recorded and mixed by Toohill and John Angelo, and mastered by the latter, the LP marks Science Man’s latest experiment as his most cohesive and focused work to date.   Monarch Joy is sutured together with chunks of hardcore punk, garage and noise rock and injected with expressionistic themes of moral decay, sacrifice and religion’s influence on society. Toohill breathes life into his bastard creation with barking vocals that rage with the ferocity of a feral, caged animal.   The record opens with the unsettling instrumental track, “S.C.I.M.N.” Featuring a grotesque cacophony of screeching horns, droning guitars and tumbling drums,[...]