Latest Posts

Tonight: Humble Braggers Album Release Party

March 10, 2017

There’s really no denying that the Buffalo music scene is cranking right now. Collaborations aplenty, bands are going into the studio left and right, and the releases are coming hot and heavy, with the Del Paxton full length LP last week celebrated at the Mohawk and tonight at Nietzsche’s for brand new Humble Braggers. Tom Burtless and the fellas (Bryan Zells, Matt Chavanne) will be celebrating the release of the very first full length album I Know Better, I’m No Better with a ridiculously loaded lineup including CHAD VALLEY, dreambeaches, and Bottler. Recorded by Elliot (M.A.G.S., KIN) Douglas, there’s been a lot of buzz around this next step for Humble Braggers, so you’re definitely going to want to snap up I Know Better, I’m No Better to have it properly digested before the summer show season gets going. Getting the show started and making it international flair will be Oxford UK electro pop[...]

Tonight: The Head and the Heart

March 2, 2017

Tonight Seattle indie folk rock darlings The Head and the Heart  are back in Western New York after a six years absence to play UB’s Center For The Arts along with the always excellent Springtime Carnivore. There’s been some water under the bridge in those intervening years, with the band is foraging ahead behind their third album and first for Warner Brothers, last year’s Signs Of Life. Based on what Nathan Wilson from Wavves had to say recently about his previous dealings with Warners, good luck to them, and one hopes their pleasing California folk rock remains undimmed by the experience. Opening the show will be the ever delightful Los Angeles musical polymath Springtime Carnivore, aka Greta Morgan, returning to the area for a third time in three years having opened sensationally for Father John Misty at the Town Ballroom in 2015 and La Sera last fall at the Mohawk. Fans of[...]

Tonight: GZA

February 25, 2017

Tonight Wu-Tang original GZA aka The Genius  will be breaking it down at The Waiting Room with special guests Mayhem Lauren and Short Moscato. A true legend, GZA is the realest of real deals whether it’s with the Wu-Tang, unleashing Liquid Swords, being strong on STEM research and opportunities for students of color or using his rhymes to decode the universe on the long awaited Dark Matter, possibly out later this year. Joining him will be Queens MC, Viceland star, sensualist and bon vivant Mayhem Lauren and Buffalo’s own Short Moscato, who dropped the first single of his upcoming debut earlier this week.

Tonight: The Leones

February 18, 2017

Tonight Buffalo ghost rockers The Leones will be headlining a tight lineup of local bands at the 9th Ward at Babeville including Sonny Baker and Chevron Bloom that looks like a can’t miss show in the making. Fresh off their excellent album Ghost In The City, Leones fans can expect more synth heavy explorations into ghostly horror, along with new music from their upcoming album of a more psychedelic and spaced out variety, which is always good when heard in an acoustically perfect room such as the always exquisite 9th Ward . Joining them will be Sonny Baker and a special solo acoustic set and the very vibe heavy garage rockers Chevron Bloom. Cover is $7 and doors open at 7pm. See you there.

Rap & Destroy Drop Video For “R. Kelly’s Heel”

February 15, 2017

Buffalo’s got a new crew exploring the frontiers of hip hop and punk by the name of Rap & Destroy and they’ve dropped a video for their jam “R. Kelly’s Heel” that could be a game changer. Uniting local MC’s Tr38cho, Ideal, OLMEC, and MC/producer sparKmatiK, Rap & Destroy has both flow and grit, and an understated flavor that brings the big beats along with sweet lo-fi grooviness in manner reminiscent of the late 80’s and early 90’s… halcyon days when skatepunks skated to punk and hip hop.  There’s a full length debut LP on the way from Dead Trash Mob Records so stay tuned for more from these cats, and in the meantime enjoy this suitably gritty video for “R. Kelly’s Heel.”

Tonight: STRFKR

February 11, 2017

Get your dancing shoes cleaned and ready because dancing is mandatory when STRFKR comes to town, and they’re landing tonight here at The Waiting Room with Psychic Twin. The Portland, Oregon psychedelic dance funk outfit are known for irresistible grooves and their hyperactive, apocalyptic dance party live shows, are right on time and in town promoting their fifth album since 2008, last fall’s excellent Being No One, Going Nowhere. There will be dancing, confetti, rubber inflatables, and the kind of liberating freedom the human soul needs happening tonight at the Waiting Room. Opening the show will be emotionally charged but ethereal Brooklyn electronica duo Psychic Twin. Tickets are $20 and doors are at 7pm.

Psychic Twin

February 10, 2017

Brooklyn shoegazers Psychic Twin will be getting tonight’s STRFKR show at the Waiting Room started perfectly with their ethereal yet emotionally charged electronica, and to miss them frankly, is to play yourself out. Psychic Twin is the brainchild of daughter of the midwest Erin Fein, who decamped in Brooklyn to pursue her art, and after being joined by Rosana Caban on percussion, would culminate in the release last year of debut album Strange Diary on Polyvinyl Records, and this tour with STRFKR. Fans of Cocteau Twins and people who want to groove hard while looking inwards won’t want to miss Psychic Twin. You can check out their Bandcamp page here. Doors for STRFKR at the Waiting Room open at 7pm so plan accordingly.

Deadwolf Achieve Liftoff On Latest Single “Half A Man”

February 8, 2017

“Half A Man,” the latest single from Buffalo psych rockers, blew my mind straight up. If you haven’t already gotten this towering, epic jam into your ears, you really need to do so immediately. Anchored by drums that conjure seventies Genesis, spaced out, Drozdesque guitars, and glorious California folk rock vocal harmonies, “Half A Man” achieves celestial liftoff  and doesn’t come back, opting for sweet electronic oblivion instead. It’s B-side “To The Garden” is six minutes of nimble, psychedelic garage rock that simultaneously reminds me of Talking Heads and The Beach Boys and the American songbook these dudes are joyfully shredding on. Please check them out below and Deadwolf’s Bandcamp page for more goodness.

M.A.G.S. Debuts New Side Project, KIN

February 2, 2017

Elliot (M.A.G.S.) Douglas is back with a rather exciting new project that’s been something very much missing from the Buffalo music scene up until now. Over the last decade indie music has seen an entire sub genre rise up of boy/girl bands: Beach House, Purity Ring, Sleigh Bells, Civil Wars (defunct), Best Coast, Phantogram, etc etc… a genre noticeably absent from these parts until KIN. Composed of Douglas and his wife Julia Douglas, KIN goes one better and gives us the husband/wife duo (ala Tennis or The Carpenters) we’ve been waiting for, kicking TV On The Radio styled surf rock jams that feel good in all the right ways. Check out KIN below and stay tuned for more from Mr. and Mrs. Douglas.

Moody Cosmos Reveals New Psych-y Single

January 26, 2017

Buffalo’s fearless freak Moody Cosmos are back with a heavy curveball of a new single called “Take Me Home” that’s arrived right on time. Trading psychedelic space rock for unhinged psych garage rock that’s every bit as out there as anything Peter Cahlstadt has done, but with a glorious flaming car crash ambiance that feels so right for this new era. It’s been gratifying and encouraging seeing concerned citizen artist/musicians stepping up locally over the last few months, and now we can add Moody Cosmos to that roster with this fiery, shredding jam.

Father John Misty – “Pure Comedy”

January 25, 2017

At this point this almost qualifies as “housekeeping” but yes Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) dropped the title track of his forthcoming third album the other day, and “Pure Comedy” more than lives up the hype. For those just tuning in, it appears that liberal democracy/American democracy/the West/western civilization is collapsing all around us in real time, and Josh isn’t immune to that growing sense of dread, hence this devastatingly trenchant piece of art from his Father John Misty alter ego, even though that constructed duality too seems to be collapsing. The video, directed by Matthew Daniel Siskin  is already in the running for “video of the year” (in my dreams) thanks to it’s almost ecstatic depressiveness and up to the minute black humor, and the fact that it sums up the existential quagmire of 2017 perfectly.  Pure Comedy arrives April 7, and hopefully a tour will be announced, including hopefully a[...]

Tonight: Dance Yrself Clean Presents World War III

January 21, 2017

Tonight, Buffalo’s newest ongoing dance party series returns with a special event  at Milkie’s commemorating our new American now: World War III. There is absolutely no better way to celebrate the 45th President of the United States than a fun, apocalypse themed dance party with all your friends, some stellar DJs, and the proceeds going to the ACLU, who’s going to need the funds more than ever. Sure America is going to a dark, dark place and looking inwards, but Dance Yrself Clean’s DJs are going international, celebrating danceable hipster jams from all over the world. Tom Burtless (Humble Braggers, Honey COMA, Girl Jeans) will be covering Australia, Ben Parsons (Goth Prince of Spookyville) has Canada, Nick Muldoon (local cool dude; noted anglophile) will be repping the UK, Bryan Johnson (Bryan Johnson & The Family, Mutual Friends, Honey COMA) will be kicking out Japan’s finest jams while Allison Lavis (lead[...]

Ugly Sun Releases New Video, “Pretty One”

January 17, 2017

Buffalo garage rockers Ugly Sun are back with another excellent video, this time for their irresistible latest single “Pretty One.” Directed by Neil Maciejewski and edited by Made Violent collaborator Andy DeLuca, “Pretty One” features some beautiful lo-fi digital photography and local ingenue Whitney Smith to go along perfectly with the the single’s tasty post industrial garage riffs and stellar vocal harmonies that have already become the band’s signature sound. They might have made their debut last fall, but with jams and videos like “Pretty Sun,” 2017 could be Ugly Sun’s year.

Staff Picks

December 15, 2016

To begin our Best of 2016 coverage, we asked a handful of our staff writers to submit their favorite albums and songs of the year. Cliff Parks Favorite Album: The Avalanches – Wildflower The joy and pleasure this album gave me this year is incalculable. The elusive Australian DJ collective saved the day with this next level sonic adventure into boom box urban funk and ear tickling psychedelia, featuring a wicked sense of humor, a killer collection of guest stars (Danny Brown, Toro Y Moi, Biz Markie, Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue, Father John Misty..) and some of the greatest crate diving ever, creating a thoroughly satisfying journey into the sounds of summer and of our lives, and an ode to walking down the music filled mythological NYC streets of our shared popular imagination. Favorite Song:  Anderson .Paak “Put Me Thru” This year was far from spectacular, but Anderson .Paak was incandescent,[...]

The Leones Share Two New Christmas Songs

December 7, 2016

The Leones just released a beautifully melancholic new Christmas single that’s sure to fall on the “love” side of your love/hate relationship with Christmas songs. Featuring a sleeve by local artist Mickey Harmon, “Ghosts Of Christmas” b/w “Blue Christmas” is a festival of naked emotion; “Ghosts Of Christmas” floats on cloud of piano and sweet reverb to us from out of the Rust Belt void, while “Blue Christmas” is an achingly bittersweet ode to the Everly Brothers, Phil Spector, and the mighty Roy Orbison. “Ghosts Of Christmas” can be found on bandcamp and purchased for $2, an ideal way to support local music and art, and wallow in all of your feels.