Latest Posts

Hooray For Earth’s Noel Heroux

August 14, 2014

Upfront, I just have to tell you that I’ve been dying to see Hooray For Earth since Janauary of last year. A Johnny Come Lately to their 2011 debut, True Loves, after somebody on the blog (probably Mike Moretti) flagged them as a band to check out for their “M83 but weird” vibe, their show at the Ninth Ward was high on my list after 2012’s M83 blowout. Formed in 2005 as the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Noel Heroux, Hooray For Earth became a hit with music bloggers thanks to the incredibly solid True Loves, which earned the moniker “cult favorite” and marked the band as one to watch. Unfortunately, fate cruelly intervened to scotch the show. Fast forward to this July and the release of Hooray For Earth’s sophomore effort, Racy. Guitar driven and more in your face than its predecessor, Racy represents something of a departure for Heroux and Hooray[...]

August 13th

August 13, 2014

The Juan MacLean – “A Simple Design” Veteran house producer John MacLean is set to release his latest LP as The Juan Maclean, titled In A Dream, on September 16th via DFA records. Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem fame once again pairs with the producer for the single “A Simple Design.” The synthpop jam features a smooth groove with a funky, spirited vocal delivery from Whang along with a sprawling solo that accentuates the track’s idiosyncratic design. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162714162″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Artifact – “How Did You Change” (Feat. Gates) Bristol producer Ryan Bonfield aka Artifact drops his latest EP, How Did You Change, for Saints & Sonnets on August 18th. The title track features guest vocals from Gates and shows off a command of melodic, driving house and smooth [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/161906652″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Tensnake – “Feel of Love” (Kaytranada Edition) Montreal producer Kaytranada has quickly gained a[...]

Spoon’s They Want My Soul

August 4, 2014

After reading a few advance reviews of Spoon’s new album, it’s become apparent that one of the main storylines writers have latched onto is how this is a relatively difficult album to write about. This seems to be for two reasons. First, because Spoon has so consistently been churning out excellent music over the past 15 years, there really isn’t much to say other than, “it’s another great Spoon album.” Second, Spoon has so consistently been churning out excellent music over the past 15 years, that so consistently sounds like nothing other than itself, (a sound which is notoriously difficult to describe – there are not that many adjectives akin to “sparse,” there are only so many ways to describe guitars that sound “angular”), there really isn’t much to say other than, “it sounds like a Spoon album.” Both of those things are most certainly true. This album sounds amazing,[...]

Disco Infiltrator: July 31st

July 31, 2014

Dark Sky – “Odyssey” London electronic trio Dark Sky have been fairly prolific so far this year, with two excellent tracks appearing on the Mister Saturday Night compilation Brothers and Sisters in addition to an upcoming 12″ single, “Silent Fall,” out on August 15th. The b-side from that release is a typically atmospheric, moody techno track with a heavy bass line and driving percussion that provide a sense of urgency while still managing to use the restraint necessary to keep the tune sounding concise. Look for Dark Sky’s debut album, imagin, out August 29th via Monkeytown Records. Kresy – “Expresso” Spanish producer Kresy is known for his nostalgic house and disco vibes, crafting silky smooth grooves that along with warm bass and elegant sampling create an infectious vibe. His latest track, “Expresso,” follows a familiar formula, combining ethereal textures and melodic piano with a memorable, gritty groove that highlights the subdued bliss the artist is[...]

Girl Talk

July 31, 2014

Mashup master Girl Talk is so gracious that he thanked *me* for doing this interview, as if the opportunity to talk with the world traveling beatmaker isn’t one of my not-so-secret hopes and dreams. The last time I saw Girl Talk (government name: Gregg Gillis) was on a sweaty summer evening in 2012, so it’s appropriate that two years later, he’s coming back to the 716 to deliver another night of sweat til ya bleed steez in the way that only GT can. For Gillis, “shows are actually difficult for me as far as performing the material, and they’re always physical. I always want them to go better, always trying to push, trying to move forward.” Push he does. At the onset of Girl Talk, Gillis would show up to house parties still clad in the suit he wore to his day job as a biomedical engineer, and while the[...]

Column 11: Buffy Goes to the Bronze

July 30, 2014

In a very strong example of being late to the game, I’ve finally started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (thanks, Netflix).  I’m only two seasons in so far, but the Scoobie gang’s hangout, the Bronze, is already as endearing to me as it was to the millions of fans who kept current with the show while it aired. The Bronze is the ideal high school hangout spot. Its cappuccino menu and dark interior oozes cool, yet it’s also practical as a destination to do homework or date half-human, half-vampires. It’s also Sunnydale’s live music destination, featuring grungy bands as well as Seth Green on guitar. The Internet tells me that the fictional Bronze actually acted as a showcase for up-and-coming Los Angeles bands at the time, and that major music/narrative moments happen there (but in later seasons that I haven’t yet seen). While it aired, Buffy was completely in-step with[...]

Weatherbox

July 17, 2014

In honor of their show next week at the Waiting Room, we sat down with Weatherbox frontman Brian Warren for an intimate look into his life since the release of their stellar new album, Flies in all Directions. You can catch the band this upcoming Tuesday, July 22 with Dikembe and local support from Brother Keep and Del Paxton. buffaBLOG: You guys are playing in Buffalo on July 22… have you ever played here before? Brian Warren: I have to admit that I don’t recall… you can Google it? We had a drummer from Buffalo. He was in the band from 2009 to 2011, so I think we stayed there on tour. bB: Well, you guys are from San Diego right? Do you think that living there has a lot of effect on your music? BW: Um… There are definitely a handful of my favorite bands that are from San Diego… For[...]

Column 10: Zach Braff Swings for Another Home Run with Wish I Was Here Soundtrack

July 16, 2014

Do you remember the stir Zach Braff created last April when he launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance his next movie? People were very divided on the issue; some threw their money at their favorite former Scrubs/movie star, while others resented what the perceived to be an A-lister trying to milk laypeople of their hard-earned money. Regardless of how you felt, the Kickstarter campaign was a success and Braff’s movie, Wish I Was Here, is coming out on Friday. The soundtrack debuted yesterday, and it’s getting a fair amount of attention thanks to Braff’s soundtrack track record (cough, Garden State, cough). His 2004 efforts were everything that “lightening-in-a-bottle” phrase intends to describe, and Braff had a lot to live up to this time around. In his press rounds this month, Braff has shared some anecdotes about the soundtrack, the most intriguing being that he tapped several artists to write original[...]

Five Questions with Fat Creeps

July 13, 2014

Local musician John Toohill (JOHNS and Alpha Hopper) will occasionally sit down with touring bands and ask them five questions. For his latest installment, he spoke with Mariam Saleh of Boston’s Fat Creeps, set to play Buffalo tomorrow at Spiral Scratch Records. John Toohill: Hi. Are you awake? Mariam Saleh: Yupp! JT: Great! Question 2 – So I heard your band is named after all the insects the bullies made you eat as kids. Do you still eat bugs and night crawlers for song inspiration or do you just kinda like how they taste now? MS: You can get use to almost anything. That shit grows on you after a while. Stink bugs: not that bad. Not that bad at all JT: So I should just accept my strange childhood traumas and name my band “Alone at Lunch Again” or “Senior Poopy Pants?” MS: Naw, “shit guy.” Title your first release[...]

Miniature Tigers

July 10, 2014

The guys of Miniature Tigers just can’t sit still. Originally from Phoenix, Charlie Brand, the lead singer of the indie-pop outfit, has called home to a number of places- including Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Austin. Safe to say that the band’s musical style changes roughly as much as their home base, and that’s not a bad thing. Their latest album, Cruel Runnings – a confident summer record stuffed with solid synthpop songs that WILL get stuck in your head— paints an entirely different picture than that of their 2008 debut Tell It To The Volcano, but no matter how drastic the stylistic departure may be from album to album, Miniature Tigers always seem to wind up with songs worth grooving to. buffaBLOG was able to get a few questions in just before the band left for an extensive full US tour with The Griswolds. Brand discusses recording in the tropics, going[...]

July 8th

July 8, 2014

Kelis – “Friday Fish Fry” (Maribou State & Pedestrian Remix) R&B artist Kelis released her sixth studio album, Food, earlier this year on British electronic label Ninja Tune, which featured production from TV on The Radio’s Dave Sitek. Following the album’s release, remixes have been contributed by electronic artists like Machinedrum, Mount Kimbie, Ben Pearce, and Breach, with the latest rework coming courtesy of UK producers Maribou State & Pedestrian. The pairs’ take on “Friday Fish Fry” begins as an eerie, cinematic build with an elusive bass line and smooth, chilled percussion that eventually shifts to an elegantly layered breakdown that centers around the singers’ sultry vocal delivery. Ejeca – “Jalek” British house producer Ejeca’s latest EP, Contemplation, features four tracks that reflect the wide range of the artist’s influences that have informed his ever-evolving sound. The recently shared clip of “Jalek” from the EP shows off an infectious deep house vibe with[...]

Disco Infiltrator: July 3rd

July 3, 2014

FaltyDL -“Some Jazz Shit” New York producer FaltyDL has always veered towards jazz influenced, spacey atmospheres in his productions, so the straightforward, soulful sound that makes up his latest track “Some Jazz Shit” feel like a natural progression of the artists typically contemplative, sometimes melancholic style. With sprawling percussion, melodic keys and an elegant string arrangement, the track stretches out to just over six minutes of smooth, atmospheric beats reminiscent of the deep house orchestrations of London’s Floating Points. Listen below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/156670261″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Soldiers of Twilight – “Believe” (PBR Streetgang Remix) UK house duo PBR Streetgang’s latest remix of Soldiers of Twilight’s “Believe” appears on the forthcoming “Content” via 2020 vision recordings. The cut features a thick bass groove and sultry vocal sample that sets up a dark disco vibe and an overall smooth, nostalgic feel. Listen below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/156702798″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /][...]

Column 9: The Sandlot Celebrates the Fourth of July

July 2, 2014

Every once in a while, a movie comes around and catches you off guard for its surprisingly spectacular use of music. Does it surprise you that The Sandlot is on that list? The 90s favorite is loved for many things, but I’d surmise that its soundtrack ranks low on that list for most people. It’s not that people don’t think it’s great (the 1960s music definitely sets the stage for a nostalgia explosion), but it’s just overlooked in favor of the movie’s other great elements. This Fourth of July, I urge you to re-watch this classic, especially the scene in which the gang celebrates the holiday in the most American way possible: Playing baseball in a neighborhood lot, wearing jean shorts, scarfing down hot dogs on their way to the game, watching fireworks in awe…all set to perhaps the best rendition of the “America the Beautiful” the world has ever[...]

Column 8: Queen Bee Lana Del Ray Takes on Disney

June 25, 2014

Disney’s Maleficent recently hit theaters, but audiences were prepped months ahead of time thanks to the trailer, which features Lana Del Rey’s take on the traditionally sickly sweet “Once Upon a Dream.” Lana is a bad B, so it’s no surprise that she takes the cheerful longings of a maiden fair and rips them apart into something no less than haunting. Her take is almost trance-like and invokes the effect of a spell Maleficent herself may be capable of casting. The song definitely conveys Maleficent’s terrifyingly cool aura. It definitely ups Maleficent’s cool factor, an added plus for Disney, who now needs to go after children and their hip millennial parents. Check out the original version of “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty, Del Ray’s version in the Maleficent trailer, and the full-length version below. Sleeping Beauty Maleficent Trailer Full-Length

Psychic Teens

June 24, 2014

If you happened to make it out to buffaBLOG’s Herd Fest this past weekend, you may have heard something about a little band from Philadelphia called Psychic Teens. Now if you were fortunate enough, you actually got to catch their set at Allen Street Hardware, as part of Sugar City’s showcase. And if you missed their set, well, then shame on you. Needless to say, the brotherly love trio (singer/ guitarist Larry Ragone, bassist Joe Decarolis, and drummer Dave Cherasaro) made an impression on Buffalo this past weekend, brandishing their own brand of gothic, art-punk with some post-punk tendencies. As one attendee said, “I just got blasted by Psychic Teens,” while extending his jaw attempting to make his ears pop. “Did you catch them?” he asked me. However before I could answer, partly due to being unable to hear him, he said, “I totally forgot my plugs. They are definitely[...]