Latest Posts

Tonight: Druse

November 13, 2018

Sugar City is being savagely taken over by Rochester tonight, featuring a double-whammy headliner via post-hardcore act DRUSE and mathy-emo kingpins Taking Meds. They will be joined by the equally excellent California Cousins and the swimmy, shoegaze-tinged Carpool; both bands have been making waves lately in the emo scene (see our album of the week nods here and here). Tonight’s show is at Sugar City – get there by 7pm to catch all of the bands. We couldn’t find a price, but we’ve provided a link to the Facebook event here. A friendly reminder that Sugar City is an all-ages, drug and alcohol free space. My Moon is Always Full Promo by Taking Meds

California Cousins – Distant Relatives

September 17, 2018

California Cousins have been kicking around their native Rochester (and far beyond) for a while now… If you’re not familiar, they wield the most noodly riffs known to man stuffed into time signatures that will make your head spin. Distant Relatives (out now on  Chatterbot Records and Deep Sea Records) is their debut LP, a ten-song lesson in emo and skramz virtuosity. There are elements here of heartfelt-emo (The Hotelier) and heavier, vocal-cord-shredding hardcore (Touché Amoré), all wrapped up in a nearly impossible math rock (Tera Melos) package. “Aspirin” is an apt opener; the Cousins opt for a quick-tempo screamer to start things off with a bang. The real treat here (and throughout the rest of the LP) is the attention paid to sheer guitar acrobatics. In general, their songs are packed full of ingenious guitar tricks – squealing harmonics, swelling feedback, nimble bends, and quick licks that will make any musician nod with approval. Lead single “Extendo Weekend”[...]

Tonight: California Cousins

February 7, 2018

Rochester math/emo/punks California Cousins are headlining a Buffalo show tonight in support of a genre-blending tour package definitely worth your attention. Philly’s Caracara are swinging through courtesy of Flower Girl records, bringing their emotional baroque-pop/shoegaze/emo with them. Joining them are Richmond, VA act The Weak Days, who have been accurately described as “emo by association, pop-punk in denial.” Rounding out the show are Buffalo act honey, whose pop-tinged emo always guarantees a good time. Tonight’s show will be at Sugar City. There’s an $8 donation at the door to support the touring bands. Doors are at 6:30 – keep in mind Sugar City is an alcohol-and-drug-free safe space! George’s Bridge by California Cousins

Top 20 Rochester Tracks: 20-11

December 8, 2015

It’s that time of the year again where we rack our brain, scan our playlists, and check all of our posts for all of the songs that we’ve covered from the 585 from the past year. It seems like just yesterday we were jamming out to Kitty Snowpants and discussing when JOYWAVE was going to break (spoiler: they did). This is our fourth year of tracking our favorite songs of the year out of Rochester. Now, I am sure there are amazing songs that we’ve brushed over or haven’t even heard coming out of the city. This list is subjective obviously, this is a blog. Regardless, I think Rochester’s scene this year has been the strongest it has been ever, pumping out consistent jams which is giving Buffalo a run for its money. Without further adieu here is the first half of buffaBLOG’s top Rochester track of 2015. 20) Animal Sounds[...]

California Cousins – George’s Bridge

October 2, 2015

Rochester emos California Cousins are no stranger to buffaBLOG. We’ve been following them and theirs since the dissolution of Keeler last year. Luckily, Cali Cousins are still hanging around, blessing us with a new EP full of noodly emo jams that they’ve christened George’s Bridge. I’m sure you can all reminisce of a time where you and your high school friends jumped off an old derelict bridge or had a clandestine rendezvous by a graffiti-laden abandoned structure. California Cousins tug on your nostalgic heartstrings in that way (and boy am I a sucker for some good emo jams). “Soft Earth” kicks off this EP with some twinkly guitar riffs reminiscent of Snowing, Del Paxton, or Tiny Moving Parts. Guitarist Christian Ortiz is a twinkle daddy for sure (it’s a Facebook group for twinkly guitar-riff lovers, so get your mind out of the gutter). Drummer Juan Ortiz skillfully weaves his rhythms in between  Christian[...]

California Cousins Release Limited Edition Tour EP

July 31, 2014

Fresh off of a huge show with Pentimento and currently on a summer tour, California Cousins have just released a new three-song demo. The Rochester emo band has been on our radar since the dissolution of the now-defunct buffaBLOG favorite, Keeler. This set of songs is perfect for fans of riff-heavy emo and hardcore. The demo is currently free, but only for the duration of California Cousins’ summer tour. Listen to opening track “Your Backyard” below or follow the link to Bandcamp for a free download.