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Column 1: Prologue

Sound and motion are inextricably linked. Think about it: every motion has a certain sound associated with it. Everyone knows what clapping hands sound like, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who can’t imitate a buzzing bee. Most sounds are universally recognized, and when they are, they become a shared human experience. In fact, sound is so fundamental to our lives that when it defies our expectations, it’s either unsettling, or inspires a frenzied look into why it’s different and what that means for us. This line of thinking is what will guide Screened Plays, buffaBLOG’s investigative coverage of the sounds that shape the kind of motion that’s become an integral part of our lives: motion pictures, and not just of the movie variety. Any moving image with notable sound is fair game, including but not limited to: movies, television, commercials, shorts, cartoons, and maybe (but probably not) your parody[...]

Jake Smith of The White Buffalo

Jake Smith stands in the back hallway of The Irving Plaza, the music venue that lives in the East Village of Manhattan. Smith’s band, The White Buffalo, will be playing in a few short hours, along with co-headliner Chuck Ragan, a tour that Smith’s publicist has personally coined, as ‘the manliest tour.’ After one look at Smith, you can see why that title just may stick. “That’s a little strange,” he says of the tour’s coined nickname, “But in a lot of respects, there’s not a lot of bullshit on this tour.” He adds, “we [Ragan and opener Johnny 2 Bags] all write honest songs and try to form them unabashed, and without compromise, we try to write good songs, songs that people can believe in.” When your wife informs you that she has been cheating on you with another man and is leaving, Jake Smith is the kind of[...]

April 24th

Axel Boman – “It Starts With the Stomach” Stockholm, Sweden based DJ/producer Axel Boman’s latest effort is a near ten-minute jam, with a typically playful groove and subtle texture changes throughout. After a fizzy synth breakdown near the 4 minute mark, the raucous percussion slowly picks up momentum and falls back into the infectious sweet spot that the track is built around. Look for “It Starts With the Stomach” to appear on the latest edition of the Friends Will Carry You Home compilation series from Berlin house duo Catz n Dogz. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/146070535″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Losoul – “Daddy, What’s a Rise?” German techno veteran Losoul’s first release on Hypercolour comes via the two track Slowly Turning, out on May 12. The rigid, funk flavor of “Daddy, What’s a Rise?” is carried by a heavy, unrelenting groove, elusive vocal samples and short disco stabs that span the tracks’ eleven minutes. Listen[...]

The Tins

Hello and welcome to the first in what I hope to become an ongoing series where we check in with various local bands to ask that question that pops into our head from time to time, “what are they up to” these days. It has been a little while since we last heard from The Tins after they initially took Buffalo by storm in 2012. And, judging from this interview and their recent logo contest (submissions due April 25), they are preparing to come back with another string of solid releases. So, what are they up to? What is your band currently working on? Dave: We are currently prepping for our summer release.  We are all very excited! When was the last time you released an album? Adam: Back in 2012, when we released our first full-length, Life’s A Gas What has changed since your last release? Adam: We’re pretty much[...]

April 17th

Howson’s Groove – “Shake Up” (Arkist Remix) South London duo Howson’s Groove recently released their latest EP, Body &  Soul which includes two original tracks as well as remixes from Fybe:One and Arkist. The re-work of “Shake Up” by Bristol producer Arkist, provides a clean, smooth house interpretation of the original cut, incorporating industrial elements to make for an inviting, low-key atmosphere. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144670779″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Blood Orange – “Uncle Ace” (a/jus/ted Remix” “Uncle Ace,” the newest single from Blood Orange’s brilliant LP, Cupid Deluxe, has received a warm, disco treatment from legendary New York DJ Justin Strauss, working with Teddy Stuart under the name a/jus/ted. Spanning nearly nine minutes, the elegant cut contains emotive piano chords and a killer, slow burning groove that give it a dark, 80’s inspired feel. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144849082″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Deadboy – “Return” UK producer Deadboy’s follow up to his 2013 Blaquewerk EP, titled Return, is out[...]

The Hold Steady’s First Four Albums (and Their Last Two)

The Hold Steady have been playing music for just over 10 years now.  They started out in 2004 with Almost Killed Me and since then, they’ve released another five full-length albums, including this year’s Teeth Dreams. Popular consensus seems to be that their last two albums, Teeth Dreams and 2010’s Heaven is Whenever, were a significant departure from the standard of quality the band had established over its first four albums, which, in retrospect, now appear to have been part of a classic, near-flawless 5-year run. Figuring out “what happened” to the Hold Steady isn’t easy and opinions will vary. Surely, some people may even enjoy the last two albums as much, or even more, than their earlier work.  The music, to a casual listener, likely doesn’t sound terribly different. The Hold Steady have always played guitar-driven music with a classic rock bent, and with Craig Finn’s easily identifiable half-talking/half-singing delivery[...]

April 3rd

Lone – “2 Is 8” British producer Lone was responsible for one of the most infectious singles of 2013 with “Airglow Fires,” a track that features a hip-hop inspired outro, hinting at a possible new avenue for the artist. “2 is 8,” the latest single from his upcoming album, Reality Testing, is a mesmerizing blend of hip-hop and house, channeling J-Dilla with it’s spry, bouncing feel. The vibe perfectly captures the producers wide array of influences, showing an impressive mastery of texture and movement as the track closes out with a lush, emotive synth breakdown.   Bicep – “Nova” London via Belfast duo Bicep recently shared their latest cut, “Nova,” an exclusive that will appear on Will Saul’s upcoming DJ-Kicks mix. Like many of their tracks, the gritty percussion and soaring vocal samples makes for a 90’s house feel with subtle, yet elegant transitions. Look for the track on Saul’s mix due out June[...]