Latest Posts

Tonight: Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses

July 12, 2014

To carry a legacy on decade after decade is quite a feat. Louis Prima was a pivital musician during the New Orleans jazz era. He became notable for classic Italian tunes to his starring vocal role as King Louie in the Disney film The Jungle Book. With Vegas experiences and collaborations with Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack, Prima became known for his “Wildest!” signature. If you think you don’t know Prima, think again, especially if you’ve wandered Hertel Avenue for Buffalo’s Italian Festival. And if that doesn’t strike your memory, take a listen to his famous song from The Jungle Book. His son, Louis Prima Jr., is continuing the legacy but rather than recreating the past and following a set path led by his father, he is amping it up with a modern vibe. The band’s album Blow scored a #25 rank on CMJ‘s Jazz charts. Along with his eight-piece band,[...]

Today and Tonight: Red, White & Igloo – Queen City Cartel Boombox 003

July 4, 2014

America. Political stances aside, the Fourth of July is the one day a year where mostly everyone will bust out their patriotic attire, fire up the grills and shoot off those fireworks they scored from Pennsylvania (or trek downtown to watch regulated ones). For a while, my family and I had the same tradition each year. We would camp at Southwick Beach, which was just outside of Syracuse. I have the fondest memories as a child of chasing fireflies, spending time with my grandparents, the smell of the campfire and the exciting but almost terrifying feeling of holding a sparkler and running wild. My “Uncle Kenny” (we weren’t blood related) would gather the family, head to the beach and we would walk a decently far way down, where the campsites ended and there was hardly anyone in sight. My entire family and I, under the starlight ,with the sound of the[...]

Tonight: Pearson Sound

May 17, 2014

Part two of Club Phenomenology will stir up Buffalo tonight. It’s subtitle? “The Grid.” Put on by Sean Feiner and Nick States of Infinite Zone Productions, in addition to their other crew Cool Dad Records, which additionally comprises Kyle Tatum and Brian Doyle of Eyes Everywhere and Alex Morrison, the tight-knit group is out to bring an aspect of music that is not new to the dance scene. Rather, they’re out to enhance it further, and explore the opportunities. Headliner Pearson Sound, a UK producer and DJ, will take the stage at Buffalo Iron Works. Originally, this event was planned to be at The Wastelands (located at 700 Main St.) but due to unfortunate – and uncertain – circumstances, that venue closed. Execution of the event was shaky, but only momentarily. In the same day that it was “cancelled,” it was announced to be back on and taking place at Iron Works,[...]

Tonight: Claude VonStroke

April 24, 2014

In 2005, Barclay Crenshaw took on the moniker Claude VonStroke and helped create what is now known today as the “dirtybird.” Dirtybird is a record label, a player among a crew of like-minded folks, a sound that is in and of it’s own. Dirtybird, I daresay, is a way of life, at least in regard to music. The sound vibe is bass influenced house. Signature sounds of dirtybird music include pitched down vocal samples, low-toned “uhs” and staccato beats. A dirtybird song may be easily spotted as a piece of the genre, but is undeniably in a league of its own. VonStroke, along with fellow DJs Justin and Christian Martin and Justin’s roommate Worthy, gathered together with a sound system and began playing shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Dirtybird players are a group of friends. At a dirtybird show, you feel like you are their friend too.[...]