Latest Posts

1809 Studios Releases New Session ft. Sleepy Hahas

June 8, 2016

The wait for Sleepy Hahas’ forthcoming full length, From the Bottom of a Warm Lake, has been a long one, but at the very least we can get by on the handful of singles that have been dropped in the past year. The band took to 1809 Studios this past fall to lay down a live rendition of “En Passant,” a track that’s anticipated to be on the new album. It’s a psych-rock ballad of sorts, complete with lead vocalist Pat Butler’s expressive croon and mesmerizing instrumentals from all fronts. The just-under-10-minute jam is telling, in that with the impressive spread of gear, the precision of every note uttered and how enveloped each member seems in their own playing, it shows that the group really cares about their delivery. Here’s to eagerly awaiting the full collection of recorded jams! Check the video out below. Photo by Jackson Zimmerman Photography

Jon Lewis Releases Video for “Everyone Wants to Know”

June 2, 2016

Jon Lewis‘ newest single and video for “Everyone Wants to Know” comes in preparation for his forthcoming EP, Out to Lunch, which is set to drop next week. The Rochester native’s brand of indie rock is injected with a bit of quirk, though it’s hard to pinpoint what the “quirk” actually is. Maybe it’s the choral harmonies that cut through like moments of clarity in this particular song, or it could be the super subdued lead vocals that are accompanied by a surprisingly gleaming tone. Whatever the origin may be, the music video seems to encapsulate the personality of this band pretty damn well. Between the unique blend of psychedelic rock and Americana, the hypnotic kaleidoscope visuals and singing severed heads, it’s hard not to let the video magnetize you for its duration. See for yourself below and keep your ears open for Jon Lewis’ EP release in the coming[...]

midnight Premieres Single Feat. The Internet

June 2, 2016

Rochester singer midnight returns his electric-soul sound to us by way of his new single “Native America.” In his controlled falsetto, midnight gently navigates through the bounding synths and kicks of the beat. “Native America” is driven upon the sin and dishonesty that resulted in the foundation of our country. The title and track reference both the atrocities committed against the indigenous people of the Americas, and how how the normalcy of violence and stubbornness is engrained in our being. “We’re in Native America,” midnight sings “where the lies are infamous, but the truth, it lives in us.” It is charged and sharp while remaining beautiful and delicate. The track features production from the Internet, well-known for rising up with the hip hop collective Odd Future and receiving acclaim for their 2015 album Ego Death .“Native America” comes ahead of the midnight’s July 1st release of his EP 0:00. midnight describes the project[...]

Secret Pizza – Nothing Needs to Happen

May 29, 2016

Rochester’s Secret Pizza doesn’t sound cheesy like their name might imply. Instead, they embody badassitude, something the sweet, old lady with sunglasses on the black and white cover of SP’s upcoming release, Nothing Needs to Happen, carries. Nothing Needs to Happen is the group’s first proper LP, wrangling in tracks from previously released EPs and sessions, and man does it hit home. The albums starts of with “Where do we go from here?” a roaring, feedback-filled swarm of music. “No, I’m not that steady,” sings Phil Shaw, admitting to a feeling many know well. The song continues by raveling you into a fuzzy blanket of guitars, keeping you awake with a kickass bassline. “Where do we go from here?” is answered by, “Anywhere!” The screams and fighting of the instruments turn the listener into a well-understood pile of mush. “Oh my my,” is hushed at first, at least before Secret Pizza[...]

Harmonica Lewinski Releases Video for “The Slug”

April 19, 2016

Rochester garage-rock group Harmonica Lewinski has released a strange new video, on par with the act’s established demeanor. Harmonica Lewinski has made a name for itself with this aesthetic of lo-fi and trippy rock ‘n’ roll. Their latest single ‘The Slug” is the first taste of their forthcoming album Head Honcho, and their newest material since last year’s Naked Brunch. It calls to mind the sounds of the underground surf rock of the sixties combining it with modern garage punk influences. The single’s video companion really helps bring to life the slimy, DIY nature of the tune. Sure to be a hit at your next sleazy basement party, check out the video below.

The Demos – Paramount Clouds EP

April 4, 2016

Making music is not an effortless endeavor. But Rochester’s The Demos sure make it seem that way. Their polished blend of indie powerpop is unabashedly catchy and clean, and the music just seems to flow from them. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard a collection of tracks from this outfit (their last release was 2011’s LP Lovely), but the band is still slinging hooks. Their new EP Paramount Clouds builds on the same indie rock foundation as their 2011 effort, refining the formula and smoothing the edges of their craft. The EP starts as you may expect, a pronounced drumbeat drives a backdrop of synth strings on “I Don’t Mind.” Bass drops in soon after that, but not before vocalist Jason Milton lays a smooth croon down. By the time the chorus hits, you’re left fumbling for the year—the whole package conjures early 2000’s indie rock a la[...]

The Loner(s) / Drive Me Home Please Release Split

March 29, 2016

Rochester’s The Loner(s), Drive Me Home Please, and label, Bangkok Blend combined efforts to release a split last Friday, aptly titled the loner(s)/ drive me home please. For new listeners, The Loner(s) is a more lo-fi, sometimes strictly instrumental version of All-Time Quarterback or Secret Stars, while Drive Me Home Please combines simple synth pop mixes with depressed, Jordan Dreyer-like (La Dispute), self-conscious spoken word poetry. The mixing of the two artists proves fruitful, displaying the bands’ likenesses and potentials for further opportunity in the music industry. Stand out track from The Loner(s)  is “How To,” a song driven by the lonely despair that accompanies all loners. A kind acoustic guitar riff supporting a two-note analog synth flourish provides a chill environment. Unfortunately, the singer’s low coo croons of unrequited, incommunicable love – “I like you, but I don’t know how to.” “Drive Me Home Please” by Drive Me Home Please is[...]

Tonight: Unearth

March 18, 2016

In the metalcore sphere, bands are a dime a dozen. One here, one there; most of whom are indecipherable from one another. Formula;  intro, fast part, chorus, fast part, scream, breakdown to fade. Unearth, pioneers of the movement and stylistic shred wizards are the exception to that rule. Since their inception in the late 90’s they have continually upped the game with a series of transcendent hardcore-influenced metal albums, equal parts mosh and melody. Nobody can rip a lead quite like Buz, or Ken for that matter. And nobody wails quite like Trevor. Ear shredding vocals, thunderous breakdowns and traces of tasty Pantera-like groove, make Unearth one of the most dynamic and interesting bands in the genre today. Still riding high off of their excellent 2014 release, Watchers of Rule, Unearth will be calling Montage Music Hall in Rochester home, if just for the night (doors at 7:30, $20). Also[...]

BIG FRED Shares Single Off <3pals<3

March 16, 2016

Incoming! It’s no secret that Rochester’s local music scene is teeming with top-qual bands of all genres (personally, I like to call Roc city the “indie rock capital of the state”); best make room for one more. Meet BIG FRED, one of the scene’s fresher additions. Composed of Conor McCann (guitar/bass/vox) and Dylan Vaisey (drums), the duo’s fuzzy, spastic sonic creations are nothing short of interesting. Lead single “Worm” mixes a Pedro the Lion-like lyrical longing with an explosiveness akin to the ever-inventive Wolf Parade. It sounds like throwing a firecracker at a beehive and the subsequent ‘get-the-fuck-outta-there’ that follows—fun-and-games right into life-or-death. The rest of the five-track debut, titled <3pals<3, follows suit with intermittent blasts of sludgy fuzz (the band’s self-coined “trash pop” classification makes almost too much sense), spastic and creative rhythms, and healthy portions of wonderfully janky riffage throughout. Cassettes are available here via the Poughkeepsie-based Sad[...]

Joywave – Swish

March 14, 2016

One straight half hour listen through later and I can totally see why after only a few days of availability, Swish has taken the world by storm. There’s no doubt that Joywave’s newest 10 song release will take you on a ride. Not necessarily a roller coaster ride, more like a gentle lift on the back of a golf cart while doing donuts in a parking lot at ten miles per hour (this is a compliment because it is a very fun time doing golf cart donuts!!!). Though the title of the release utilizes one of Kanye West’s discarded album name ideas, the band boldly claimed the appellation for themselves and made it every bit their own. It’s clear that they wanted to stick with the aesthetic of the How Do You Feel Now? era based on the cover artwork, and how could they not? After expressing his fond attachment[...]

Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze Release Impressive EP

March 2, 2016

With nearly every city having a crowded folk scene, it takes a truly special talent to stand out; and that’s why we take the time to bring you, Rochester’s Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze. At the tail end of 2016, when the music blogosphere was busy compiling their top lists of 2015,  McQueen quietly released  her EP titled Entangled. While the sharp songwriting and mesmerizing vocals of her earlier release seem to continue to have grown, it’s the addition of the grand layered arrangements that help it stand out from the work of other local singer-songwriters. Each song from opener “Long Gone” to “SMIC” have sweeping instrumentation that give them an energy and passion often missing from the local folk scene. This is not to miss the excellent songwriting though, with title tracks like “Entangled,” Madeleine finds a way to perfectly sum up the conflicting barrage of emotions that swirl around one when[...]

Blue Falcon Release Paranoid Single

February 23, 2016

Rochester power-pop revivalists Blue Falcon just dropped “All Illuminati” and have delivered a sharp, hilarious and infectious take on our current and ongoing infatuation with that mythical secret organization. Whether you’re an old timey conspiracy theorist, a Marvel Comics fan, or puzzled to the point of paranoia by the rapid ascent of Kanye, Lady Gaga, and Justin Beiber, Illuminati-Mania is in full swing and “All Illuminati” takes it apart with driving guitars, groovy dual vocal harmonies, Cars synth lines, and lyrics hitting on the allure and wish fulfillment that underlies every conspiracy theory and this one in particular. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/246880416″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Attic Abasement Drops First Single of Forthcoming LP

February 17, 2016

Preceding a highly-anticipated LP release via Father / Daughter Records, Rochester DIY rockers Attic Abasement have given the masses a taste of said LP—titled Dream News—with “Guarantee Jesus,” the first single of the record. Sauntering through jangly chord progressions, bumbling bass lines, and the passionate sounds of AA centerpoint Mike Rheinheimer (holy shit @ 1:16, 2:15), the track is without question an extension of Attic Abasement’s aching indie rock aesthetic—music for the rest of us. The sounds have matured a bit from the lower-fi recordings of previous albums, but all of that unassuming charm remains. You’ll find “Guarantee Jesus” streaming below, and preorders for the new album are available now via Father / Daughter. Dream News hits shelves on 5/27/16. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/246094758″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Hawker M. James – Long Playing Lo-Fidelity

February 15, 2016

The bedroom recording is catnip, nay, manna for music bloggers, but Long Playing Lo-Fidelity by Rochester wunderkind multi-instrumentalist Hawker M. James hits so many sweet spots, it’s almost ridiculous. A brilliantly curated four track recording that successfully summons the gorgeous ear candy sounds of The Flaming Lips 1999-2006, I’m From Barcelona, Mercury Rev and Brian Wilson, it’s another tremendous record from our neighbors to the east, and our Album Of The Week. Right off the bat it has to be noted that the mix by Al Carlson at Gary’s Electric is beyond superb. Everything on the album has a scale and sense of space to it, helping HMJ’s home recordings operate in the sonic sandboxes of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Steve Drozd and Dave Friddman. The sense of density that permeates  Long Playing Lo-Fidelity makes it feel timeless yet immediate and showcases the talent and ambition that’s been part of Longwave and done production work for (blog favorites)[...]

Northern Spies Drop Do/Postcard

February 10, 2016

Today’s delightful bit of new music comes from Rochester’s indie rockers, Northern Spies. The band hasn’t given us new music to cherish in sometime since their 3-track EP in 2014, but with a recent Christmas single and two new tracks, it seems these guys are gearing up for something. The first single is “Do” a playful and energetic rocker that has a distinctly 90s alt rock sound. It’s an infectious little jam that easily worms it’s way inside your earholes and doesn’t seem to want to leave. Following that is “Postcard,” a track that seems to find it’s roots in the indie rock tradition of bands like Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, it’s this lovely meandering jam that shows a different side to the band and makes me excited for what’s to come. Let’s hope these two tracks are just the beginning of what’s to come for us from[...]