Latest Posts

Damian – Back When I Was Marc Bolan

September 18, 2017

“It don’t fuckin matter / it’s so fuckin absurd.” This line repeats several times on the track “To Never Get Back Home Again,” the second track from Damian Weber’s new album, Back When I Was Marc Bolan. It is a sentiment that seems to define the record, as well as Weber’s own outlook. The moody and introspective singer-songwriter, who goes simply by Damian, possesses an unencumbered and carefree unrest that oozes from his music. Weber is a veteran of the mumblecore folk scene, having released several records that, at their heart, embody a bashful yet charismatic, understated quality. Having been bred by the Buffalo indie scene, he now (reluctantly) resides in Brooklyn. With the new scenery comes a new approach; Back When I Was Marc Bolan operates as a sync to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. When viewing his synched up version of the film, it is[...]

damian – Hazy 85

February 3, 2016

Former Buffalo now Brooklyn-based folk artist damian just released a spirited yet sweetly melancholic album of instrumental 80’s covers boiled down to the barest of bones.  Armed with a Casio keyboard and a roster of 80’s heavyweights from the Holy Trinity of Jackson, Madonna and Prince to Van Halen, Bananarama, The Bangles, Fleetwood Mac, and Billy Idol, damian is simultaneously merciless in his minimalist approach yet keen to get to the melodic and human heart at the center of each song. Unabashedly retro, Hazy 85 conjures memories of ancient home computers, vintage video game consoles,  and FM hit radio while reconfiguring his 80’s favorites into bit and byte soundtracks. It’s almost hilarious how thoroughly effective damian is at conjuring David Lee Roth’s growl or the otherworldly sweetness of Stevie Nicks through his vintage synth. In fact his cover of the 1982 Fleetwood Mac hit “Gypsy” is one of the clear highlights of the[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 10-1

December 17, 2015

It’s that time of year again, where we re-think and dissect every local song that we’ve come across organically or via submission. This is our fourth year counting down our top songs and this year, like every other year, has been difficult to whittle down. Like we always remind people, this list is subjective and not the end-all be all. Earlier this week we posted our five close calls and our first half of the top 20.  I am sure there are amazing local songs that aren’t on our radar, but from what we have heard, we as a group have determined below are the blog’s favorite songs of 2015. 10. Tiny Rhymes – “Arrows” Tiny Rhymes‘ ”Arrows” is an incredibly cherishable tune. It approaches the listener with a coy but welcoming softness, making it feel like a delicate gem that only you are privy to. Atop prime musicianship, singer Sharon Mok’s[...]

Tonight: Damian

November 2, 2015

Mondays are usually fairly sleepy in Buffalo, so many local singer-songwriters head on down to Nietzsche’s in order to try new material, collaborate with other musicians, or grab a fairly-priced PBR. However, this week at Nietzsche’s is a little different from the rest. This week is the debut and farewell performance of mumbly introspective local songwriter, Damian. We’ve covered a lot of Damian’s solo work and various group efforts over the past five plus years. His album, You Don’t Need It, has over 100 plays on our office computer, and we even dubbed his song “I My Own,” as the best song out of Buffalo in 2014. I guess tonight will be Damian’s Buffalo-residency swan song. It’s no doubt that he will be back, playing intimate semi-frazzled and endearing performances, it will just take a bit. Come to Nietzsche’s starting at 8pm to catch one of Buffalo’s best songwriters. Free dollars.

Jax Deluca – Wither Without You

September 9, 2015

I’m always a sucker for a play on words. The title of Jax Deluca’s first solo release, Wither Without You, embodies the strength of defiant independence and the honesty of underlying defeat. The toss and turn of an addiction: to a lover, a friend, a long-gone identity, a habit. Combining meditative melodies and insightful lyrics, Deluca weaves a collection of songs that foretell the in-between feelings we all experience. It’s what good poetry does–expresses the collective through a seemingly personal lens. Recorded in the Karpeles Manuscript Museum during business hours, one can imagine bodies gazing at the current boxing exhibit, while Deluca strums the ukulele and Kyle Marler works the pipe organ, creating a dual experience of artistic coercion. Even though live albums aren’t particularly rare, the audio engineering by Benjamin Jura, and the mixing by Damian Weber, nuance the sounds so that it’s (almost) impossible to tell where they[...]

Spring Service Shares Debut EP Concrete Prayer

September 8, 2015

Spring Service, the acoustic bedroom folk project of Tom Dennis, is music for the quiet observer. The Sun Kil Moon-esque instrumentals and story-like lyricism wring you out in an emotional but overwhelmingly appeasing way. All four tunes on Dennis’ debut EP Concrete Prayer carry a really beautiful earthy quality to them, but also incite an astral feel when it comes to the overall production. My favorite tune, “Polylonliness,” makes use of a twinkling, dizzying electric guitar part while Dennis describes striking terrestrial images of Capulin Mountain, volcanic bone and ribbons of smoke. Something about the melody reminds me so much of Band of Horses with its soaring progression and impassioned vulnerability. Concrete Prayer is more than just a union of earth and cosmos. It is also a union of East and West, a collaboration that bridges great distance. Dennis is a former resident of the Queen City and a former[...]

Steak & Cake Records

June 20, 2015

The Herd Fest-ivities continue on this glorious Saturday! Make sure you’re ready to rally by noon today, so you can head over to Record Theatre on Main Street for the Steak & Cake Records showcase. Steak & Cake Records is a DIY indie-rock label founded by Brandon Schlia (Mink, RED HEAT) that offers professional recording, production, mixing and distribution services for local artists. In other words, it is both a staple and accurate representation of Buffalo’s self-sufficient nature and synergistic music community — separate projects coming together to form something much greater than the sum of the individual parts. Dozens of wonderfully crafted records have been birthed through Schlia’s studio since its conception in 2011. If you haven’t explored S & C’s catalog on their bandcamp page, I highly suggest doing so now. This year’s showcase features seven Buffalo (and Philadelphia) based artists that support and are very much apart[...]

Tonight: Parlor Trix #2

April 8, 2015

Curly’s will host Steak and Cake Record’s second annual Parlor Trix tonight, offering a bill of returning artists, as well as fresh faces. One of thos faces, Karima Walker, is coming to us all of the way from sunny Tucson, Arizona. In between shows in New York City and Toronto on her spring tour, she promises an elegant voice and a soft acoustic packed in her luggage. The other performers include: Max Weiss, a local indie favorite, Nick Gordon of Nicky & The Hall of Fame, JOHNS, a brand new hip-hop project titled Hop Hop, and returning favorite Damian Weber. Weiss offers a very complex perspective on indie rock, and is surely not an act to miss. Curly’s will provide Weiss with a setting that will allow him to shine as a solo artist. Listening to Nick Gordon, one cannot mistake distinct influences from Mick Jagger and Jeff Buckley. A powerful combination if delivered the right way.[...]

Tonight: Advance Base

April 3, 2015

Tonight, Sugar City is presenting an evening for introverts. Headlined by always-in-his-head, Advance Base, along with support from Rochester’s ice bar, experimental Jax and blog favorite Damian, this  for those who want a calm and cool night with artists who will talk to your heart. I’ve heard the name Advance Base around the internet for a bit, but never stopped to give it a listen. #bloglife. I played a few songs last night and was instantly like “Oh wow, this sounds like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.” Guess what? Advance Base is Owen Ashworth, the voice and mind behind Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, an act known for its incredibly descriptive lyrics teeter tottering in between sad and self aware, and sometimes both. Another layer which makes this cake super sweet is the debut Buffalo performance by Ice Bar, who’s very impressive 2014 ante meridium came out of nowhere and[...]

Tonight: Andy Pothier CD Release

January 8, 2015

I thought about writing a little blurb describing Andy Pothier, but I think he said it best himself. Referencing his new album, In Headlights, Pothier states, “Some of the records that mean the most to me have very little to them – the goal was something very minimal and subtle and I like to think that with In Headlights it’s in the same vein.” He’s pretty dead on – I’d recommend Andy Pothier to fans of Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, or even Modern Baseball. He’ll be bolstered tonight by two other solo acts, Sonny Baker and Damian (the latter clinched the top spot on our Best Songs of 2014 list), as well as The Observers and Tapered Creek. This show most definitely has a Mohawk Place vibe – doors are at 8:00pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173079134″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Listen to New Tracks from Difficult Night, Fashion Expo 1990, and Damian

November 24, 2014

Last we saw Difficult Night, the slacker quartet was making the most of a soggy Porch Fest afternoon by delivering a set from a crowded Richmond Ave apt. One unknown song from that day, “Ex-Lover” premiered last night on the band’s soundcloud page. The song is led vocalist Shane Meyer’s typically desperate pleads. No word on whether the band is set on releasing stand alone singles or if an album is in the works, so keep an eye out. In Difficult Night related news, keyboardist Miles Kirsch continues to stay busy with his once dormant dance project, Fashion Expo 1990. Since resurfacing earlier this year, Kirsch has dropped a couple collections of 90’s acid/house inspired tracks n bandcamp, and late last week, released a couple tracks from Fashion Expo’s forthcoming album, Club Bleek. The first of the two tracks, “Thunder Coast,” features Fashion Expo’s trademark infectious keyboards and pumping beats.[...]

Damian Preps Remix Album, Releases Re-Worked “They Fill The Space They Believe In”

October 27, 2014

Earlier this year, local mumblecore artist, Damian Weber, released one of our favorite local releases in You Don’t Need It, which, as the year starts to near its completion, has the staff over at the blog already arguing over which track should make our year end, best of list. I personally am pulling for the title track… Regardless, over the past weekend, Weber released a re-working of one of the album’s many standout songs, “They Fill The Space They Believe In.” The song is the first leaked track of a complete remix album he plans to release soon, titled You Don’t Need Shit. The new take is layered with nervy guitar picking and warm, subtle keys, adding a dreamy quality to the already celestial slow-burning rocker. Listen to the original take on “They Fill The Space They Believe In” over at Damian’s bandcamp page, and check out the remixed version below.

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 2

June 27, 2014

Today’s brings you round 2 of our staff picks for favorite songs and albums at 2014’s half way point. If you missed yesterday’s part 1 of submissions, you may read it here. Sarah Machajewski Album: Neil Young  – A Letter Home We should all be thanking Neil Young for putting out a new album. We should be thanking him doubly for making it an album of covers.  We should be thanking him three times as much for the album’s gritty phonographic sound that stands out in an age of digitized, computer-created music. But maybe that’s what Neil Young does best. His loner tendencies have led to some innovative, cutting-edge music. Yet this album doesn’t forge new paths, but revisits old ones. Young selected 12 songs that have meant something to him at some point in his career, taking from greats such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, and The Everly Brothers. They[...]

Tonight: Steak & Cake Records Presents Parlor Trix #1

June 1, 2014

Local DIY label, Steak & Cake Records, is set to present an evening showcase featuring some of Buffalo’s very best up-and-coming talents in the comfort of the CEO’s living room (410 Potomoc). If the lineup correlates with the order given on the event page, first up is Joey Mason, an East Aurora raised one-man band who teeter between Phoenix influenced psych-pop with a healthy dose of Strokes vibes mixed throughout. Next is Sonny Baker, a musician that by now needs no introduction or writeup because he is mentioned here weekly via one of his many projects (solo, A Hotel Nourishing, Wooden Waves, Lazlo Holyfeld, Alex Berkley and the Atlanta Falcons). Just expect that he will be playing guitar and singing tonight. Third on the lineup is mumble core savant, Damian Weber. Fresh off the heel’s of March’s incredible You Don’t Need It (recorded with Steak & Cake), Weber will be[...]

Tonight: Hurricanes of Love

May 30, 2014

On what appears to be the start of “festival” season here in Buffalo, the best bill you may find this weekend is at some place called the Big Herk. Some people may also call it the home of local mumble core songwriter Damian Weber. Weber and crew, which tonight includes a stripped down version of Alex Berkley’s & the Atlanta Falcons, an acoustic Jack Toft, and Squeaky Wheel’s Jax Deluca, will be welcoming off-beat folk rambler Frank Hurricane aka Hurricanes of Love. Currently on tour with minimal performer player 2, Hurricane’s backwoods tunes are laced with weirdness and humor, while remaining melodic and touching. Music is aiming to start right around 8:30 this evening. Entry is free, but donations for touring acts will be welcomed and accepted. Further details, including venue address, can be found here.