Latest Posts

Shep Treasure – s/t

February 19, 2020 Admin

Sunday morning, a few hours after a long night out, I lay flat on my back in my new, sparsely furnished apartment, the snow-reflected Sunday light streaming through the windows – a big departure from the glass-block filtered sun of a previous basement apartment. I zoned out with my eyes glued to the wall above my bookcase, and “Nothing” by Shep Treasure was stuck in my head. The next night, wrapped up in a quilt, I once again found myself spacing out, this time toward a cat toy on the floor, and “Friday” was playing in my mind. Rochester indie pop trio Shep Treasure’s debut, self-titled EP is our Album of the Week, and it won’t leave me. Frontwoman Sabrina Nichols has been narrating my thoughts for a few years now. This is her second time landing Album of the Week, the former being in the days of a previous[...]

Tonight: Mikaela Davis and Southern Star

December 12, 2019 Matt Moretti

Rochester-based songstress and premier harpist visits Babeville’s 9th Ward tonight for an evening of poppy, singer/songwriter star power. With her backing band Southern Star, Mikaela Davis‘ shine has risen over the past several years (prior to that was viral YouTube harp covers), in large part due to her 2018 debut album Delivery. Featuring Davis’ signature harp-playing integrated into dazzling and varied production, album highlights include the swelling head-nodder “Delivery” and the empowering harmonies of “In My Groove.” Davis’ lyrical themes are stream-of-conscience, lifted from a sharp-tongued diary. Most recently from her discog is”Take 54,” the opening track to 2019’s Tribute to Nillson, Vol. 2, a compilation of big names covering the work of early indie catalyst Harry Nillson. Davis has hinted on her social channels that 2020 may bring her follow-up album, so we’ll see if the mystifying harpist holds any surprises on the tracklist. The show kicks off at 8pm with doors at 7pm, $15 to get in that door. Get[...]

Full Body – Always There

November 27, 2019 Admin

Waste not, want not. If one uses their provisions wisely they will never be in need. Rochester-based band Full Body apply those wise words to their musical prowess, and it resulted for them in a wide ranging new album, Always There. Following their much applauded debut record, What’s Good?, Full Body have created a separate, and at times manic, new world. Full Body found themselves recording their sophomore effort away from their home turf. They tracked down to Headroom Studios in the bustling city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, PA, and worked with engineer and producer Scoops Dardaris. Track number one, “Small Voice (Still),” kicks the album off with slow sludge drums accompanied by metallic and beautiful guitar chord picking. Vocals hover over the main melody, and lead singer Dylan Vaisey long-windedly sings the main character’s motivation with the simplistic self-centered line, “I’m here for myself.” “Small Voice (Still)” lays down[...]

The Stedwells – “Wake Up”

October 30, 2019 Matt Moretti

Get your garage rock groove on with a tasty new tune from Rochester’s The Stedwells. The three piece outfit’s latest single is a heavy handed alarm clock rounded out with droning chords and an infectious riff. Ryan Warren brings belts out desperation in a vocal performance that plays right off of the high energy guitar groove and it’s a rock jam in every sense. The Stedwells are slated to drop their Hideout EP on November 22nd, with assists from Grammy-winning engineers Stephen Roessner and Dave Collins. Have a listen below: Wake Up by The Stedwells

superficial. – s/t

September 17, 2019 Cliff Parks

Speaking for myself a fair part of writing about local music is managing one’s enthusiasms and expectations to try to not get too carried away when something particularly tantalizing arrives via the inbox or emerges on the radar… or failing to do so entirely like I did after listening to Fredonia buzz band superficial.’s eponymous debut EP. Shimmering, mesmerizing, and completely compelling every second of it’s 15 minute running time, it bangs in a variety of ways from start to finish. Now ordinarily I’m not a stickler for rules but when it comes to putting out albums and EPs there are a few as laid down by giants of bygone ages, and one of them is your first song better hit hard, unless you’re doing an intro in which case your second song has to or else, and superficial. satisfies with a flourish. All swirling synths and organs, “Intro” feels a little[...]

Able Bodies Drop Video For “#summer (Hashtag Summer)”

August 13, 2019 Cliff Parks

Rochester feel good electro funk duo Able Bodies are back with a new single and video by the name of “#summer(Hashtag Summer)” that is a whole mood and the definition of slow burning, sexy summer fun. The Able Bodies (Eli Flynn and John Viviani) have been building up some mojo over the last few years but on “#summer” they bring it all the way down on this blissed out slow jam that’s all throbbing bass lines, cosmic vibrations for the ears and soul, and Eli Flynn’s fine falsetto pleading with us all to not screw up this summer with bad vibes or worse. Check out the video below and keep an eye out for live shows from these guys.

Beef Gordon Whips Up New Single “ABC”

June 13, 2019 Matt Burgerhoff

Rochester weirdo pop provocateur, Beef Gordon, channels an S&M Raffi on the subversive new single, “ABC.” Off his debut album, Queen Shade, Gordon (also from Buffalo Sex Change) crafts a playfully elementary beat entirely on a Casio MT-68 keyboard. With each keystroke, the wonderfully bizarre crooner lulls you into a lucid dream that’s far more mischievous than it lets on. Get tied up in this neat little track below. Queen Shade is out tomorrow (June 14th). Stream it on Gordon’s Spotify here or Bandcamp here. ABC by Beef Gordon

Younger Then at Mr. Goodbar (4/27/19)

April 30, 2019 Zach M Anderson

Buffalo’s Younger Then ended a five-year hot streak with their final show at Mr. Goodbar on Friday, April 27th. Channeling their love of outsized alternative rock––U2, Arkells, Cage The Elephant, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, among others––the band combined richly-textured riffs with propulsive grooves, soaring vocals, and hooks as massive as the Grand Canyon. Playing to a packed house, the band pulled no punches, tearing through their greatest hits and fan favorites from their full-length album, “Bad Life” (Standby Records), and their self-titled debut EP. Though it was certainly bittersweet to commemorate the end of a talented group, the members of Younger Then––singer Zack Dupuis, guitarists Michael Wirth and Austin Dorr, drummer Jeremy Shields, and bassist Matt Dudek––are already planning their next moves, with a series of new projects in the works. Supporting acts included rust-belt rockers The Eaves and Rochester’s power-pop purveyors The Demos. The Eaves The Demos Younger Then

DRIPPERS! – APSEN ZURTS

March 25, 2019 Cliff Parks

Rochester bizarro world psych rock act DRIPPERS! has tapped into some profoundly esoteric emanations on their debut LP APSEN ZURTS to create some seriously out there psychedelic progressive rock that’s our Album of the Week. Ideal for your next scheduled freak out, everything about APSEN ZURTS seems to come at us from some place… else, a thrilling and exuberant ode to Syd Barrett transmitted from a parallel universe where Syd Barrett never existed. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with this album to be honest because DRIPPERS! aka Mike Turzanski has put forth a record that’s somehow imminently listenable yet utterly disconcerting simultaneously, like attempting to merge data from totally incompatible programs, or acute aural cognitive dissonance wrapped in vaguely sweet ear candy up until the oddly menacing frankly bonkers vocal performances kick up. 60’s psychedelia, free jazz and doom metal coalesce into the perfect soundtrack for somebody’s nervous breakdown, possibly your own. Even[...]

midnight Releases New Anti-Pop Track “Pressure Gradient” Produced by ylxr

November 27, 2018 Matt Burgerhoff

Rochester anti-pop crooner, midnight, goes against the grain with his latest and exceptional collaboration with producer ylxr, “Pressure Gradient.” Dealing with the personal and contrasting emotions of racial injustice and bigotry in America today, the vocalist’s weightless whispers bring an electrifying melody and sense to ylxr’s turbulant amalgamation of software malfunctions and corrupted systems. This is a rebellious and charged pop track you don’t want to sleep on. Give it a spin below. Check out more midnight tracks on Spotify here and SoundCloud here.

Able Bodies Drop Video For “Pedaling”

October 22, 2018 Cliff Parks

Rochester feel good electronica duo Able Bodies have struck again with a shamelessly infectious video for their latest single “Pedaling” that is pure ear candy that’s possibly good for you too. Extolling the virtues of the active lifestyle with super fuzzed out synths, a sublime guitar riff, and vocals treated or otherwise that wrap you up in an encouraging hug, “Pedaling” is another unstoppable single from Viviani and Flynn who are currently four for four, and the video by Nick Kundrat and Adam Antelek is suitably over the top, trippy, and an adrenaline rush to get you going. Check it out below, and get out of the house!

Redbeard Samurai Drops Visuals for Debut Single “Turn it Up”

October 3, 2018 Matt Burgerhoff

Get your body movin’ as Rochester soul-hop artist, Redbeard Samurai, drops the visuals for his absolutely banging debut single, “Turn it Up.” Off his upcoming concept album, Second, the promising emcee cooks up a funky mix of soul, jazz and hip-hop influences over slice and dice rhymes for a fantastically fun, full-blown party track. This one’s going to blow so be one of the first to hear it below. Watch out for Second dropping soon and for more Redbeard Samurai, check out his official site here and Facebook here.

Tonight: Harmonica Lewinski

September 21, 2018 Cliff Parks

Tonight Rochester Hell raising gang of malcontents Harmonica Lewinski make a welcome return to the Queen City opening for local legends The Irving Klaws and fellow Rochesteronians The Fox Sisters at Nietzsche’s. Frankly, this is a pretty bonkers lineup, featuring the aforementioned Rochester hellraisers, plus the hard charging, R&B party up fun of The Fox Sisters, as well as the raunchy and intense fun of The Irving Klaws, so this show might be exactly what you need after this extraordinarily wacky week. Also, this show is so not whitebread that the only suburban Millennial gentrifiers you’ll have to put up with are the ones you pass on Allen on your way to the show. Cover is $5 and doors are at 10pm. Lewinski Grind by Harmonica Lewinski

California Cousins – Distant Relatives

September 17, 2018 Nick Sessanna

California Cousins have been kicking around their native Rochester (and far beyond) for a while now… If you’re not familiar, they wield the most noodly riffs known to man stuffed into time signatures that will make your head spin. Distant Relatives (out now on Chatterbot Records and Deep Sea Records) is their debut LP, a ten-song lesson in emo and skramz virtuosity. There are elements here of heartfelt-emo (The Hotelier) and heavier, vocal-cord-shredding hardcore (Touché Amoré), all wrapped up in a nearly impossible math rock (Tera Melos) package. “Aspirin” is an apt opener; the Cousins opt for a quick-tempo screamer to start things off with a bang. The real treat here (and throughout the rest of the LP) is the attention paid to sheer guitar acrobatics. In general, their songs are packed full of ingenious guitar tricks – squealing harmonics, swelling feedback, nimble bends, and quick licks that will make any musician nod with approval. Lead single “Extendo Weekend”[...]

KOPPS Unleash New Video for “Hott”

August 20, 2018 Cliff Parks

Beloved blog favorites KOPPS are back with a deliciously evil video for “Hott” that lives up to it’s name and the trashy and sexy aesthetic you know and love from them. Yes, our friends from down the 90 have gone Hollywood on us… and it is good, hitting us with a super shiny video clip featuring Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster, a budget, some vaguely McLuhanesque media commentary, an international cast of dancing fans, and some demonic hoodoo that beats that spicy new Vice produced Gaspar Noe movie to the punch and confirms again that Mrs. Patti is truly a magnificent front woman and hellaciously good at leading us all into sin. Sure their masked drummer and that brown ABBA turtlenecks and powder blue trouser ensemble will haunt your dreams and possibly make you reevaluate your views on Swedish socialism and the works of Stieg Larsson, but at least those freaky dreams[...]