Latest Posts

The Ten Best Songs from Rochester in 2025

January 16, 2026

2025 felt like a landmark year for Rochester indie music, rivaling any era since buffaBLOG’s inception. We’ve dug through hundreds of songs to hand-pick our absolute favorites of the year. Did we miss that critically acclaimed jam band album or a classical musician’s final bow? Probably. But that’s not really our bag. We chose to focus on the tracks our team truly championed and debated the ones that came out on top. Here is a Spotify playlist we made with all of our picks. Without further ado, here are our favorite ten songs from Rochester in 2025.     10. Harmonica Lewinski – “Rat Race”    Rochester creepsters Harmonica Lewinski started off the year right with their beachy, 60s-era single “Rat Race,” which showcased the band’s punchbowl of surfy guitar riffs, jungle beats, and signature oddness. For a band that’s been around nearly fifteen years, Harmonica Lewinski still has got[...]

Bugcatcher – Big Field

December 11, 2025

Rochester’s Jake Denning has been quietly chipping away at his distinct sound as Bugcatcher since the early days of the pandemic, crafting slowcore indie folk that’s always been hazy, quiet, and a little existential. On his latest full-length, Big Field, released November 5th on Raincoated Records, he leans fully into that genre blend—it feels like a slowed-down collision between Midwest emo introspection and twangy alt-country sadness, but done with a minimalistic approach that gets impressively lush at times. Think Hovvdy meets Pinegrove meets Wednesday and you’re pretty much right there, save for Bugcatcher’s proprietary secret ingredient–this ethereal stillness that permeates the whole thing. I’m calling it “lush hush.” Big Field is our album of the week.   There’s a clear evolution in the production this time around. While Denning has proved himself as a lo-fi artist on previous releases, Big Field steps away from some of the charmingly ragged edges[...]

bugcatcher – “Hurry”

October 3, 2025

bugcatcher is one of our favorite local acts (check out our AOTW feature on Slacker here), so it’s a no-brainer that we’d feature new single, “Hurry.” Jake Denning does it again, nailing this hazy, indie-folk-emo-slacker hybrid with aplomb. Plodding acoustic guitars are layered thick, boosted by tapped drums and a foggy atmosphere, leaving just enough room for Denning’s emotive voice to peek through in a delightfully low register. This one won’t blow your shorts off with sweaty dive bar energy, but it will surely make you question your existence in the way that only a great bedroom-folk song can… And by now, you should know that’s a good thing, as we’re all insufferably existential in our own ways.   “Hurry” is available now on Raincoated Records. You can purchase via Bandcamp (below), or, on Spotify and Apple Music.   Hurry by Bugactcher

bugcatcher – “cadillac”

December 10, 2024

Rochester slowcore slackrockers, Bugcatcher, released a new single last month with their label Raincoated Records. The new track “cadillac” trudges on the tempo, it’s a slow burner reminiscent of Alex G’s early bedroom lo-fi recordings. The single has an earnest and no frills edge to it, recorded on a four track analog cassette tape as part of a year-long project via their label. “cadillac” finds itself with good company, splitting the LP with fellow Rochester DIY scene regulars Georgie, Home Videos and Kitchen. If you’re into this one, well I have good news for you. Bugcatcher and Georgie are both in town for this Saturday’s (December 14, 2024) non-binary THEYFEST taking apalce at Area 54/Amy’s. Doors at 3pm with a flexible $10-$15 cover. spit takes and split tapes by bugcatcher

bugcatcher – Slacker

March 21, 2023

Rochester act, bugcatcher, write big acoustic-indie tunes for little, yet important moments in their debut full length, Slacker. On the intro song, “Roller,” the project’s lead vocalist, songwriter and main member, Jake Denning, questions changes in his life while a tender guitar riff fades in and out. Responding with indifference, Denning’s voice echoes back onto itself with the vacant phrase “well okay, well alright,” as the instrumentation kindles the project’s gentle, slacker rock sound. Denning has multiple meanings for the title, as he feels there is “a malaise to the way the album flow[s], as it’s “generally pretty mid tempo,” yet he also said it took a long time for him to make, “maybe even too long.” He referred to its origins in late 2020, and how he moved around a couple times during its development. A dreamlike short-story-tune, “Daisy Vs The Grim Reaper,” was one of the first completed.[...]