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Tonight: Blitzen Trapper

October 10, 2015

Portland roots rockers Blitzen Trapper make a welcome return to Buffalo tonight at the Town Ballroom along with Jesse Malin. After excellent shows at the Mohawk and Tralf over the years, the PAC-NW country/folk rock five piece will be bringing songs off their most recent release All Across This Land, a return to form that finds the band refocusing themselves on their sound after the progressive yet somewhat unsatisfying VII, while the acclaimed singer songwriter and man of the people Jesse Malin will be celebrating the release of of 2015, Outsiders, which just dropped  yesterday. This will be a celebration of the best kinds of American music: raw, soulful, exuberant, inclusive, joyfully real, and a really good time. Tickets are still available for $16. Doors open at 7pm while the show starts at 8pm.

Toro Y Moi at Waiting Room (9/29/15)

September 30, 2015

Columbia South Carolina electro-funk chameleon Toro Y Moi at last made his Buffalo debut Tuesday night at a sweltering Waiting Room with Astronauts, etc. and the clear consensus is that show was absolutely worth the wait. In town in support of  What For, his fourth studio album in five years, the prolific Toro Y Moi (aka Chaz Bundick) delivered an expansive set of chilled out electronica and corporate funk as heady, psychedelic ear candy that got the crowd moving Opening act Astronauts, etc. established an incredibly chilled out vibe with an intensely smooth and soulful light disco rock built on a tight yet laid back rhythm section, dreamy keyboards and the seemingly effortless falsetto of lead vocalist and member of Toro Y Moi’s touring band,  Anthony Ferraro. The vibe was straight up late 70’s and it was strong, moving the growing crowd with sharp grooves and mesmerizing them with melodic and[...]

KOPPS – The Sound of Music

September 27, 2015

One of my favorite shows this year was easily !!! with Rochester’s KOPPS downstairs in the Ninth Ward at Babeville this past May. If the acoustics in Asbury Hall are dodgy, the acoustics in that brick basement are downright sublime, and that was a show you felt in every cell of your being, the energy created by both bands a thing felt that night. After being dogged by sound issues earlier in the week at Waiting Room, KOPPS in particular sounded spectacular, getting the crowd moving and playing new songs pointing to an even denser, ambitious sound to go with their never secret weapon, vocalist Patricia Patron. This latest iteration of blog favorite KOPPS is on full display on The Sound Of Music, a four track EP co-written with Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster released last Friday via Cultco which fulfills those ambitions and then some. “My Gold” was a huge hit live[...]

Tonight: Alabama Shakes

September 21, 2015

Alabama Shakes, the pride of Athens, Alabama, have taken the world by storm thanks in no small part to the almost otherworldly brilliance of Brittany Howard, and after a terrific summer of shows they’ll be getting our Fall started with a WNY debut tonight at Artpark. Having just stomped the sophomore slump into the dust with this year’s bold Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes have shown both moxy and staying power, and this show is a real treat for local music audiences eager to see what the fuss is all about while the band’s still on the way up. Fresh off an opening stint with Robert Plant And The Sensational Shape Shifters, Troy, New York folk singer/songwriter Sean Rowe will be on hand for support. Doors open at 7pm, and tickets on the lawn are still available for $35.

of Montreal at Asbury Hall (9/14/15)

September 16, 2015

The always ambitious of Montreal avant-garde freakshow rolled through Buffalo for it’s annual visit, this time in the post religious sanctuary space that is Asbury Hall at Babeville, and for the brave music fans who left the safety of their homes on a Monday night, it was a glorious night to thoroughly get their ya-ya’s out- physically and otherwise. I really wanted to like of Montreal’s opener, especially because I usually dig their openers (Janelle Monae, Dream Tiger, Kishi Bashi), but Surface to Air Missive failed to excite When they veered into early R.E.M. territory, things looked up, but their predilection for 60’s jam band guitar noodling and staring earnestly at each other while they played became turnoffs. Their vocalist/rhythm guitar player did sing his heart out, putting the hammer down mightily on his throat muscles to hit some impressive falsetto notes, and I had to appreciate the effort, because[...]

Tonight: Kharlos

September 10, 2015

Dreamland on Franklin Street is hosting a proper Buffalo blowout that’s not to be missed in honor of the release of the debut cassette from post grunge troublemakers Kharlos. Assembled for the occasion of the release of Don’t Think About Dying At My Party (More Power Tapes) will be [redacted; secret] and buzz band Sixties Future, with a special vinyl DJ set from Queen City Cartel’s Dante Velour, a keg of beer, and a piñata. With Kharlos, a local super group of sorts, and [redacted; secret] about to [redacted] for [redacted] to tour the [redacted] with [redacted], it’s going to be a hell of a party.  Admission is free. Show starts at 7pm.

“The Likeness of Being: Portraits by Philip Burke” at BPAC Ends 9/13

September 7, 2015

Buffalo artist Philip Burke’s excellent “The Likeness of Being,” a retrospective of celebrity portraits at the Burchfield Penney Arts Center at Buff State, ends this Sunday, September 13th, making this Friday’s Second Friday at BPAC your last chance to see it for free before it closes. Featuring works seen in national publications like Rolling Stone (when it was cool), Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, the exhibition spans Burke’s 30+ year career and vividly runs the gamut, from political satire to pop culture iconography to warm and fuzzy rock star hagiography. This Friday’s Second Friday at Burchfield Penney will also feature a book signing by Philip Burke himself as well as a performance by Buffalo double bassist Juini Booth (Chuck Mangione, McCoy Tyner) from 5:30pm – 7:30pm and a lighting ceremony and audio installation outside in the Front Yard at 8pm.

Tonight: Pappy Stardust

September 5, 2015

Tonight Buffalo’s newest psychedelic guru Pappy Stardust celebrates the release of his latest CD All Around Sound with Tomoreaux, Mooses side project Moody Cosmos, and Buffalo dream pop outfit SHEDS. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Steve Leszyk, Pappy Stardust has emerged as a supremely bold and experimental force for mind expansion, like the entire lineup for tonight’s show at Sugar City, and All Around Sound is a definitely a journey into out there sounds. Doors open at 7pm, and it’s pay what you can, so don’t be stingy. All Around Sound by Pappy Stardust

Tonight: M & T First Friday College Night

September 4, 2015

Buffalo indie rockers the Albrights will be performing at their namesake gallery, the Albright Knox, this evening as part of it’s M & T First Friday College Night featuring extended evening hours and free admission. College students also get to enjoy the remarkable AK Screen Play animation exhibition in the upstairs gallery, including two claymation films by Alison Schulnik featuring songs by Scott Walker and Grizzly Bear. “Forest,” featuring Grizzly Bear’s “Ready, Able,” is a haunting and exceptionally trippy riot of color and motion that’s one of the many standout works on display. The Albrights play at 8pm while the gallery is open til 10pm.

Made Violent Shares Interactive “Wasted Days” Video

September 2, 2015

Our latest Buffalo rock heroes are at it again with the release of their latest video, the interactive and wonderfully ludicrous “Wasted Days.” A delightful ode to _____ing off, the clip features the lads ____ing off around NYC with joyful abandon, and the interactive camera (which actually works like a dream!) makes this ideal for any much needed daytime  ____ ing off. You can easily watch this video a few times, monkeying with the 360 degree camera to see what else has been crammed into this burst of psychedelic awesomeness, and ____ off for at least a good 15 minutes. Keep an eye out for Made Violent around town (including Edgefest next Saturday) before they tour the UK with Wolf Alice, who are currently the hottest band in the England.

A House Safe for Tigers – A House Safe for Tigers

August 24, 2015

It’s been an album of the summer since it’s release at the end of June, but in honor of it’s delayed and now hot anticipated album release party this Saturday at the Mohawk, the eponymous debut from WNY supergroup A House Safe for Tigers is our Album of the Week. The resoundingly succesful collaboration between WNY music scene stalwarts Brandon Delmont (Girlpope, Son of the Son, Lindburgh Babies) and Mark Constantino (Exit Strategy, Returners), A House Safe for Tigers hits a variety of sweet spots From the opening vibrations of the w’sm Mercury Revesque instrumental “Entrance” that kicks it off, A House Safe for Tigers immediately signals it’s attention to sonic detail and keen sense of history, a point driven home by lead single “Ann Marie.” A shimmering ode to Brian Wilson’s lifelong affection for the sonic architecture of fellow troubled by brilliant savant Phil Spector, “Ann Marie” is a[...]

Beach House at Town Ballroom (8/21/15)

August 22, 2015

Whenever I’m writing a review of show, I always bumrush the stage to get a pic of the night’s setlist because writing it down in real time is a pain and it takes you out of the all important moment. But there were no setlists to be had last night after Beach House’s mesmerizing return to the Town Ballroom, and I knew I was in real trouble because piecing this show back together in my mind afterward would be nigh impossible. Like the best REM dreams, it feels like Beach House’s set basically just happened; while it obviously had a beginning and an end, between the unidentified new songs and gossamer vibe, everything else in between was beyond time. It was a pleasant sensation to float along with for the duration, but that means no setlist, only fragments. After a bracing but brief opening set by Baltimore garage rock duo[...]

Tonight: The Tins

August 18, 2015

The Picnic in the Parkway free concert series at Bidwell Parkway is presenting a can’t miss concert later on tonight showcasing two of the local scenes most exciting bands, Aircraft and The Tins. Blog favorites Aircraft are getting ready to release their latest EP, the hotly anticipated and deliciously named 7 Gems From The Sparkling Void and embark on a tour of the Rust Belt and North East, while the adventurous electropop trio (and fellow blog favorites), The Tins, will be unleashing danceable synth driven jams from last year’s Young Blame EP and converting new members to their cause. Just think of all the unsuspecting Elmwood Village free concertgoers about to be turned on to two of Buffalo’s most exciting bands… what fun awaits. The show starts at 7pm.

Tonight: The Jaguar Club

August 15, 2015

Brooklyn new wavers, The Jaguar Club, are in town this evening for a show upstairs at Mr. Goodbar with DC out synth rock outfit Incredible Change and local hard rockers The Soft Love. Propelled by soaring keyboards and even more soaring vocals, The Jaguar Club is straight up English New Wave with a rusted out sensibility that’s sure to please, while the spaced out synths and electronic distortions of Incredible Change will be sonic champagne in your ears. The dark, heavy duty post rock jams of headliners The Soft Love however are ideal for headbanging. The show starts at 9pm and $5 gets you in.

Reel Time Records Drops Split 7″ from the Televisionaries & the Fox Sisters

August 6, 2015

Rochester’s the Televisionaries and the Fox Sisters have unleashed a split 7′ EP of garage punk and psych soul jams on the appropriately named Reel Time Records that is seven minutes of pure reckless, demented bliss. This is real John Waters soundtrack music: classic, prehistoric rebel rock… the mythic, sexualized early rock’n’roll that terrified the Concerned Citizens groups your grandparents belonged to and informed early punk. Fast, loose, and joyfully unhinged, this three song equivalent of vodka, Redbull, and speed is a thrill. Enjoy.