Latest Posts

Passive Aggressives Anonymous – The Mauve Album

February 12, 2018

The Mauve Album is the perfect title for Passive Aggressives Anonymous’ first full-length release. The Rochester band’s music has more in common with the shade of violet than you might think–both have a pleasant and mostly disarming initial appearance, but upon scratching the surface you’ll find a little something extra. For Passive Aggressives Anonymous–or ‘PAA’–a band whose call to glory is their expertly-arranged romantic lounge style of instrumentation, that “something extra” comes in the form of frontman John Valenti’s tongue-in-cheek vocal delivery, which remains unabashedly intact on the new album. The Mauve Album is buffaBLOG’s Album of the Week. For those unfamiliar with PAA and have no idea what I mean by “tongue-in-cheek” vocal delivery, allow me to paint a picture. You’ve booked a suite in a hotel that’s near overly classy (not a t-shirt in sight, decked-out lobby bar, red velvet everywhere, etc.), but something about the elegance is[...]

The Able Bodies Drop Video For “Pet Shop”

January 30, 2018

Rochester electropop outfit The Able Bodies are back with a new single and video that’s absolutely guaranteed to provide some warmth during this fine Buffalo winter we’re having. “Pet Shop” is irresistible 80’s pop and a Chromeo-esque summer roller skating jam that’s just a few months early, heavy on juicy synth lines and breezy, soulful vocals… but it should be noted that it’s definitely not about about the joys of pet ownership or the American pet industrial complex. A tight follow up to their debut single “Flicker” from last August, it’s hilarious, catchy as hell, and what you need right now.

Tart Vandelay – Flow

December 20, 2017

Rochester indie pop rock act Tart Vandelay have released their second EP. Aptly titled Flow, it is a jazzy and tranquil four song trip. Originally a duo, the now four-piece group is building off of their 2016 debut, which featured more of a loop-based pop inflection. On Flow, the band is blending ethereal and polished tones together, achieving a smooth and breezy sound. Lead singer Katie Halligan’s voice shifts just as well as the music does; as light and airy as the most laid-back jazz moments, and as full-throated as the heavier rock moments. The EP opens with “High Noon Haze,” a vibey slow burn tune that casually floats along. “Lonely Girl” is a shuffling indie jazz-rock tune reminiscent of early John Mayer. The pace starts to pick up slightly on “Cloudy Doubts,” which rides a beachy vibe and syncopated groove. By the closing track, “Drifting,” they’ve reached full fusion,[...]

Circa Survive at the Main Street Armory (12/01/17)

December 5, 2017

This past Friday, Circa Survive brought an insane tour package to the Main Street Armory in Rochester.  We sent our photographer down the 90 to catch some of the action.  The massive venue did not deter the bands nor the passionate fans from giving it their all.  Balance and Composure kicked things off, followed by instrumental prog/math rock act Chon.  Things started to get a little crazy after Thrice went on, in a good way.  The madness was only amplified into Circa Survive’s set, as both bands are known for having exceptionally passionate fans.  Check out some photos from the show below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Balance and Composure Chon Thrice Circa Survive

River Lynch and The Spiritmakers Drop New Video “Straight Through”

October 19, 2017

Rochester rock and roll upstarts River Lynch and The Spiritmakers have teased us with a video for their latest single “Straight Through” that is pure, organ soaked, riff heavy goodness.  These guys are clearly on a mission, and this song and rock-band-in-studio-recording video definitely qualify as a call to arms to fellow rock revivalists ready to reassert the primacy of rock music, for good or ill, in the crowded modern marketplace. With more new music  on the way, it will be most interesting to hear what they’ve got to back all of this up. In the meantime, check out “Straight Through” below.

Cavalcade – The Switch

October 16, 2017

Rochester’s Cavalcade has been around for a decade plus, an impressive tenure for any band. In that time, they’ve released a handful of LPs, with songs that combine the intellectual indie-rock of The Dismemberment Plan with the profound rock n’ roll vibes of Frank Zappa. Their latest offering, The Switch, is no exception, a six-song offering full of unconventional musicianship with a next-level mindset. On previous releases, Cavalcade took a much looser approach to songcrafting, peppering their songs with worldly percussion and extended, mind-altering jams. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a free-spirited approach, but The Switch sounds incredibly cohesive in comparison. A lush, ever-present organ provides a backbone to these songs, which have transformed from six-minute prog-rock epics into four minute pop songs with an equally unique approach. One of Cavalcade’s strongest assets comes from vocalist Michael Munn’s distinctive croon; his unique timbre makes him the perfect narrator to these delightfully profound rock[...]

Rochester Indie-Emo Act Barbarosa Release Ambient New EP

October 4, 2017

Rochester’s Barbarosa are a talented duo who craft beautiful indie-pop tunes laced with synthesizers and well-thought-out male/female harmonies. Their new, self-titled release is no exception; fans of mid 2000’s emo like Lydia, Copeland, or MAE will find this lush EP hitting close to their heart. We recommend starting with opening track “A Step Back,” which combines the sentimental twang of late 90’s emo with atmospheric synth swells and cavernous reverb. Barbarosa’s pop songwriting is best demonstrated here, especially in the chorus, where they expertly expand a typical four-chord structure into something atmospheric and beautiful. Their male/female harmonies shine through strongest here, pairing a strong, catchy melody with inventive and jazzy drumming. Track two, “Pervitin,” might be the best juxtaposition of their Bandcamp bio – “loud and pretty.” Here, we find Barbarosa at their darkest… Bordering on menacing and mysterious, the duo have crafted a song more energetic than “A Step Back,” but no less beautiful.[...]

Total Yuppies – CARE EP

October 2, 2017

Punk rock has a penchant for being uninviting. It’s just the nature of the genre–loud, often incomprehensible yawps from politically-charged bandleaders backed by blasts of noise. I’m not shitting on punk (I enjoy my fair share), but I realize these are some pretty broad strokes I’m painting with. My angle–punk rock is also a vastly multi-faceted genre. Take Total Yuppies for example–their flavor is decidedly punk, yet they somehow remain infinitely relatable and fun to listen to. Their lyrics are accessible, their melodies and progressions at once infectious and gritty. Their latest release, CARE EP, impresses once again, a testament to their ever-tight delivery of material and the quality of the material itself. CARE is our Album of the Week. CARE is both an appropriately and somewhat ironically titled record; the band strays from the emotionally-steadfast plane of punk rock with lyrics and themes that slice with every day relevancy. The 5 song[...]

Big Fred Releases Swirly Trash-Pop LP

September 6, 2017

Fans of big muffs, small clones, and pop songwriting unite! We’re digging Rochester’s Big Fred, who recently put out a nine-song LP called Oh Hi Hello. OHH is full of swirly, wonky trash-pop that seems tailor made for fans of Mac Demarco or Ariel Pink. The cherry on top of their psychedelic-tinged garage-rock comes from front man Conor McCann, whose distinct vocals add a tasteful trashiness to the mix. On a deeper level, Big Fred touches on themes of companionship and introversion and ponders whether the act of “wanting something” is more fun than actually having something. Check it out via the widget below. If you’d like to support Big Fred, Oh Hi Hello is out now via Sad Cactus records. You can snag it digitally from Bandcamp or purchase a physical copy here. Oh Hi Hello by BIG FRED

Ben Morey & The Eyes – Mt. Doom

August 14, 2017

Rochester is a great city to be a musician nowadays. There is no shortage of fellow musicians, like-minded individuals, and just general support of the arts, and Ben Morey knows it. Though initially planned as a solo album, Morey’s latest–the brilliant and grandiose Mt Doom–fully utilizes this exceptional network of people, a near countless number of musicians coalesced  into what might be considered the city’s greatest supergroup–The Eyes. Featuring contributions from members of just about every prominent act around Rochester, Mt Doom brims with ambition and sparkles with creative influence. Though the album’s official release was over a month ago, physical copies (vinyl and tapes!) begin shipping out next week, so what better time for an album of the week feature? After listening to Mt Doom a few times, it is difficult to imagine the songs as the lo-fi 4-track recordings they were originally slated for. The album is home[...]

Overhand Sam – Longer Legs

July 31, 2017

Rochester’s Sam Snyder is forever a busy musician. Splitting time between playing guitar in Brooklyn’s Maybird (currently gearing up for October tour dates with Portugal the Man and The Babe Rainbow) and his self-written, self-recorded, self-produced solo project Overhand Sam (or OHS) could be a full-time job considering the amount of material both acts pump out. Maybird is riding high on the recent release of their Unraveling EP, produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, and somehow Snyder found time in between to put out a full-length’s worth of the haziest psychedelia bangers I’ve heard in a while. Overhand Sam’s Longer Legs is our album of the week. It’s not nearly accurate enough to call Longer Legs a mere continuation of 2015’s Long Legs, though the similarities exist. In addition to reworked versions of previous tracks “Bitter” and “Nothing Worse Than Waiting,” both records bask in lo-fi excellence, a[...]

Hieronymus Bogs – Lowlives Divine

June 26, 2017

We’ve written about Hieronymus Bogs before. For the uninitiated, the man is as unique as they come. Blending elements of orchestral folk and spoken word poetry, Bogs has made his songcraft well known around western New York and its surrounding areas with an extensive catalogue and touring. Once a Rochester native, Bogs now resides in Truth or Consequences, NM–an area which suits his character well–”my musical direction was pulling me west through the landscapes and sparseness; I think my music sits well in this kind of environment,” Bogs says of his new homebase. His newest album Lowlives Divine builds on his strengths of inspired lyricism over eclectic folk instrumentation for songs that excel in the creation and maintenance of freeing moods and feelings. It’s an interesting thing, moodcraft. It’s one thing to write a song, the structuring of intro verse chorus verse outro. It’s another thing entirely to endow such[...]

Talking Under Water Release Video For “We Used To Dream”

June 13, 2017

To borrow and adapt a now classic Rick James quote, nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Ephemeral, elusive and irresistible, we can’t escape it now matter how hard we try (trust me, after a while you just go with it), and for Exhibit A of this human phenomenon would have to be the video for Talking Under Water’s “We Used To Dream.” Already lovely and melancholic slab of Beatles, Beach Boys and Chicago infused 80’s mega pop, the clip from the Rochester quintet is practically weaponized nostalgia… for the joy of youth, the Tom Hanks classic “Big,” and a magical time long ago when blowing on things like videogame cartridges really did fix them. The clip and single hail from the bands eponymous debut album which arrived in April and can be found here.

Joywave Returns with “It’s a Trip!”

May 30, 2017

Rochester indie powerhouse Joywave dropped their second single “It’s a Trip!” earlier this month from their new album Content due out July 28th via Hollywood Records/Cultco Music. The album will be a major followup to the band’s 2015 breakout release How Do You Feel Now? “It’s a Trip!” taps into the roots of psychedelia with a groovy guitar riff and a smooth synth to back everything up. Lead singer Daniel Armbruster cracks out the falsetto, which gains some twinges of analog sound embedded in the chorus.  Check out the music video for the new single below.

Tonight: Maybird

May 27, 2017

Tonight Rochester by way of Brooklyn vintage rockers Maybird will be bringing their instantly timeless rock to the Buffalo Iron Works with Sun Parade. The quartet from just up the 90 made a big splash regionally, rapidly drumming up a number of admirers, including a few of our staffers, and more importantly mega producer Danger Mouse, who snapped them up and released their debut EP Turning Into Water in 2015.  Opening the show will be The Sun Parade, four gents from the wilds of Massachusetts exploring the outer reaches of college fried indie rock.  Doors open at 8pm, show’s at 9pm, and tickets are $10.