Latest Posts

Comfy – Goated & Foreboded

November 21, 2024

Comfy is a band that never stops moving. The now-Rochester-based power-pop outfit of frontman Connor Benincasa has called home to three major cities in the last decade, and has put out three times as many releases. Friends, band members, and collaborators rotate in and out of the band’s roster on every couple albums with Benincasa remaining the band’s only constant. It’s not just churn and burn though–the amount of deliberation that goes into the music is obvious, most notably on the full band releases. Goated & Foreboded–Comfy’s latest LP and our Album of the Week– just might be the band’s strongest effort to date.   Goated & Foreboded listens like something Harry Nilsson would’ve written if he had joined Weezer for the Blue Album sessions. Equal parts provocative and digestible, the album meanders seamlessly from beachy easy-listening (“Wait”) to sludgy garage rock (“Spark”). The range is especially impressive because nothing[...]

Bug Day – “Cockroach Kid”

November 15, 2024

Buzzing Rochester art-rock act, Bug Day, released a video for their new single “Cockroach Kid” at the tail end of October. The video, shot by Shepherd Moon Studios, goes deep into the seedy underbelly of cocklepicking industry. For the uninformed, a cocklepicker (or cockleman) is a fisherman who catches cockles (duh), which is another word for a European clam. The sleeper bit on this video is band’s incessant usage of a twig as the microphone. Fans of Cloud Nothings, Microwave, or Sleeping Bag should give them a follow. The band is active outside of the Rochester area, so they may be coming to a town near you (or Buffalo).

Beef Gordon – American Paranoid

November 7, 2024

Beef Gordon. stage name and musical alter ego of Rochester native and former Buffalo Sex Change frontman Phil Pierce, has just released the follow up to his 2019 debut Queen Shade & Etc. The album is American Paranoid, and it conceptualizes a dive into the conspiratorial sides of American culture from the lens of Beef himself, taking aim at hot topics like politics, aliens, super stardom, and gluten. Pierce’s satirical brand of art pop won’t be lost on fans of artists like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Father John Misty, and Deee-Lite; it borders on shtick but Gordon is careful to preserve the sanctity of his craft. Either way, it’s fun and it works. American Paranoid is our Album of the Week.   Normally, it would be challenging to avoid using “Pierce” and “Gordon” interchangeably, a move that might reduce Beef Gordon to mere costume. But that’s not the case here.[...]

Heavn – “say you hate me”

November 1, 2024

Rochester’s up-and-coming indie artist Heavn has proven he is a force to be reckoned with new single, “say you hate me.” His understated blend of alt rock, indie, and bedroom-pop influences features a warm and warbly sound that’s bound to get the vibes just right. While sharing similar energy to artists like Dominic Fike and Steve Lacy, Heavn’s versatility and musical prowess stand out on their own, framing him as an artist with a unique identity and songwriting voice. With a combination of hard-hitting lyrics and a groovy, blown-out instrumental that feels effortlessly slackerish, “say you hate me” is a must-listen.   The track beautifully represents one’s journey to closure after leaving a toxic relationship. It captures the transition away from spiraling emotions and towards recognition of one’s worth. “say you hate me” is an anthem of self-defiance, bearing an empowering message that steers away from mainstream pop while still[...]

Beach Tower – Another Beach Tower EP

October 25, 2024

Readers of buffaBLOG – by now, you should already know that when a Fredonia local band releases new music, it’s bound to be noteworthy. Coming off a short hiatus, Beach Tower has large shoes to fill (or should I say, fuzzy crocs), after their intriguing first album If We Make It To May. It’s safe to say that you should slip on some of your own fuzzy footwear and prepare yourself for a surfy, pop punk sensation with their long awaited follow up, simply and wonderfully titled, Another Beach Tower EP.    Before we even dive into this album, for fans of other Fredonia locals such as HitGRL and Ryan Terry Family Band, I suggest you drop everything and go listen to this latest release IMMEDIATELY!  Fun fact, Ryan Terry of Beach Tower is also in both bands making for an extremely recognizable sound that screams “this is Ryan Terry[...]

Pena – Pocket Sized Pocket

October 24, 2024

Pena is the moniker of Rochester-based Isaiah Welch-Novels, who has just released their latest offering, Pocket Sized Pocket (PSP). Inspired by Rob Crow (of Pinback, Thingy, and solo-project fame), PSP is an understated and mysterious project built primarily around Isaiah, a four-track tape recorder, and his acoustic guitar. Any fan of Crow’s extensive discography knows his work is all-encompassing, including found sounds and a creative aesthetic that some might describe as “low effort” (check Pena’s bandcamp tags for proof)… but others see as genius. Pena follows a similar path – expect perplexing sound clips, room sounds, and other artifacts as you make your way through this intriguing LP.   The album opens with a wash of white noise on “Recycling Song.” Right away, Pena’s hallmarks become evident – noisy, direct-to-tape recordings; lyrical meandering; and pleasant-but-somber guitar riffs that don’t stick around for too long. In fact, there’s only one song on PSP that tops[...]

Croix – Self Soothe

October 11, 2024

Rochester’s Croix has proven riot grrrl to be alive and well with their debut album, Self Soothe. The punk band delves into the reality of heartbreak, self-discovery, and one’s worth through a rawness reminiscent of 70’s sensations like The Runaways or Heart. Each of the eleven tracks offer a unique sound that fuels listeners with an energy that can only be described as a “lighter-waving-type-of-head-banging.” The grittiness of “Howl” opens the LP with an ode to trans struggles written by lead guitarist and backup vocalist Jennifer Wameling, with the help of lead singer Carmen Lewis: “I won’t stop Until my breath Leaves my body My existence is resistance” In true punk nature, the song was written as a response to a transphobic speech given at conservative political convention in 2023. Now, Wameling hopes it can be a reminder of worth to other members in the trans community. Throughout Self Soothe,[...]

Home Videos – “Instant Coffee”

October 4, 2024

Rochester’s Home Videos describe themselves as “slacker tapehead indie nonsense,” which is a funny way of phrasing “intimate and heartfelt indie-emo.” While their previous efforts seem to be more rooted in a barebones acoustic approach, they’ve recently announced that “they are loud now,” as evidenced by latest offering, “Instant Coffee.” The single features both a loud and a quiet version of the song, the former of which smarts of late 90s emo greats (think the lighter side of Texas Is The Reason or Sunny Day Real Estate) with an Elliot Smith/Heatmiser feel. The song (like all their songs) was tracked live on a 4-track recorder, giving it a warm and organic vibe. Make yourself some coffee (preferably instant) and put this one on – it really is the perfect soundtrack to usher in the upcoming fall weather. You can find both versions of “Instant Coffee” via the Bandcamp embed (below),[...]

Bad Bloom – “onion”

September 30, 2024

Rochester’s Bad Bloom has been on our radar for years – frankly, it would be impossible not to hear them. The husband-and-wife duo specialize in huge, fuzzed-out shoegaze (or grungegaze, as they’ve affectionately and aptly called it), and their latest single, “onion,” continues that trend. Like it’s many-layered namesake, “onion” sounds like dozens of tiers of guitars and basses layered thick with Smashing Pumpkins-esque intensity. Singer Kate Rogers’ glassy-eyed delivery is soaked in the perfect amount of reverb in that classic, gazey way – lucky for us, it’s a bit more in the forefront mix-wise than your archetypal shoegaze tune, giving it a poppier, more accessible feel. A closer contemporary comparison would be a band like Pity Sex (especially on a more upbeat number – “Acid Reflex” comes to mind), or something more along the lines of Gleemer or Launder. You can find “onion” on all your favorite streaming sites,[...]

Fuzzrod – III

September 20, 2024

Rochester’s Fuzzrod is a no-nonsense kind of band. In a world full of twinkly and ethereal lo-fi beats to study and chill to, Fuzzrod’s latest EP, III, might function as the exact opposite. Sure, there’s a time and a place for mood music, but there’s no substitute for heading out to the Bug Jar on a Friday night and having your eardrums destroyed by a dimed Big Muff. Fuzzrod aims for a happy medium – produced by drummer Stephen Roessner (as always), III is a rare, fuzzed-out record that focuses on songwriting as much as its fun, punked-0ut live energy. It’s intentionally five (5) songs in length – a “healthy dose to support daily use” for those of us relegated to our nine to fives. “Map of Outside” kicks off the album with a spitty guitar riff, spring-loaded with plenty of retro punk energy. The sludgy tones here are masterfully captured[...]

Seldon – The Truth

June 19, 2024

Rochester up-and-coming jazz-pop band, Seldon, just dropped their second single “The Truth.” The group met at and are based out of Eastman School of Music, but hail from a variety of places, Las Vegas, Boston, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and the list goes on. The, lets just say, this American seven-piece cultivate an impressive fully-fledged soulful jazz-pop sound despite only forming in fall of 2022. Their first release and prior single, “I Still Want You,” excels in dazzling listeners with luscious R&B melodies and a subtle funk groove. The group perfectly meshes behind lead singer, Lily Bogas while a jazzy sax solo rounds out the track’s second half. Seldon explores an even more emotive sound on their new one, “The Truth,” an appropriately named slowburner about honesty within heartbreak. It starts with a contemplative solo acoustic guitar part before Bogas comes in with poignant lead vocals. Strings creep in as[...]

Jimso Slim – 3 is the Number

June 19, 2024

Shane Joyce is Rochester’s one man indie rock wrecking crew. Joyce is a talented multi-instrumentalist and his project, Jimso Slim is a jewel in the Western New York music scene. Of his project, Joyce said: “I record and play all of the parts. The only exception is a recent song called ‘Brother’s Dead’ where my friend Russell Brinkman recorded the bass.” He continued, “Everything is recorded out of my basement. I have a drum kit, a few guitars, a bass, a couple amps and a couple microphones. I’m certainly not an expert at recording or instrumentation, but I just do what I can and see what happens.” His latest release 3 is the Number, is an EP composed of, you guessed it, three great indie tunes. On the first track, “Rita Says,” Jimso Slim’s nasally Dylan-esque delivery grabs the listeners attention over a swooning instrumental. Backing chorus vocals add dimension and[...]

Vibropath – “Snare”

March 6, 2024

“Snare” is the latest from Rochester native Frank Marino-Moore, an artist and producer making music under the name Vibropath (good band name, honestly). Being that he’s so close to us geographically and puts out some catchy tunes, you can see our previous coverage here. The opening bass line is laid on delightfully thick and given time to shine for the first 45 seconds, eventually giving way to vocals, drums, and guitar – the latter of which has the fuzzy lo-fi effect turned to 11. I’m simultaneously given My Bloody Valentine and Gish era Smashing Pumpkins vibes with the whole track and I frankly couldn’t get enough. The rawness and the myriad layers of this track really resonated with me, and if you enjoy this you’ll certainly want to check out his other work. You can find “Snare” and more over on Spotify, or check it out below from his Sound[...]

Georgie – Intimacy Hangover

August 21, 2023

Georgie is an ever-growing outfit of artists from Rochester, NY, centered around mindful, calm songwriting on banjo and other interesting instrumentation. Their latest EP, Intimacy Hangover, came out Friday, August 4th, including interaction of cello and guitar underneath sensitive and perky vocal tunes. The band released a one minute trailer to the upcoming EP just three days before the release to get their fans more anticipated for what they are about to hear. You can see, hear, and feel the passion of the band’s music within the video as they are all jamming and blissing out in the living room of a house playing one of the songs from the project with joyful smiles.  The project starts out with the opening track “Alaska” that’s only a minute long and it starts out with smooth banjo that makes you feel like you’re floating. If you didn’t think you were already light[...]

Virtual Perfection Cowboy – “Stoned Ape”

December 1, 2022

“There’s really no point to any of this, so please enjoy.” Wise words from recent Rochester native Virtual Perfection Cowboy – they caught our ears with the unique synthwave textures found on their latest single, “Stoned Ape.” Reminiscent of a late 90s video game soundtrack, “Ape” is both soothing and invigorating; it’s full of futuristic synth swoops; ethereal swells; and a neurotic drum beat. With its unique influences, it’s best to hear from VPC themselves – here’s a little bit about the song in their words: “A liquid drum n bass track inspired by the soundtrack of Ape Escape by Soichi Terada and Terrence McKenna’s Stoned Ape Theory. The soft, ethereal sounds and cute animated music video will make you nostalgic for the old PS1 games of the 90’s, while also bringing you into the modern day of psychedelic experimentation. We are an ape with a symbiotic relationship to a[...]