Latest Posts

Loser Demon – EP3

August 22, 2026

Loser Demon’s EP3 is fresh off the presses, and a stunning follow up to last year’s EP2. In it, the group internalizes new influences and sounds, morphing their musical output into an emo-tinged indie rock. Their 2025 indie punk release is covered here by longtime contributor, Nick Sessanna. To note, EP3 marks Loser Demon’s third release in three years. Its contents are tightly-knitted, warm, and relatable.   The EP opener “New Year, New Hell” has a bright guitar lead that matches the lyric, “Goin’ everywhere and nowhere.” The rhythm section pops with energy and is sufficiently well-rounded in both performance and production. The slightly buzzing bass allows the urgent guitar to shine in the mix. The baritone, sometimes falsetto vocals, soar like a hunting hawk.   Song three, “Expensive Speech,” has a mechanical opening before exploding into something slower and bigger than previously heard. The song is fuzzy, yet alarming. The[...]

Dren McDonald – Vox Pterous

August 15, 2026

Dren McDonald is a well-accoladed composer from the San Francisco Bay area whose newest EP, Vox Pterous, features minimalist, morphing arrangements. Dedicated to lost friends, McDonald succeeds in creating something from nothing, with the result being an exemplary effort that sits at the intersection of contemporary classical and mood music.   The EP opener, “Anchors Up,” is delicate and angelic. There are pedaling strings and rhythmic, choir-like vocals. The interesting bassline brings a supportive groove that roots the swirling void. “Anchors Up” is lovely and trance-inducing. Sections of the whole arrangement fade in and out, offering movement that is very easy to lose yourself in.   Song three, “Aviator Eyes,” has icy guitar at the start. McDonald says so much with so little – the sum is greater than its parts. There is a perfect balance between nothing and everything. The beautiful and haunting vocals and instrumentals are performed by[...]

Scooter Scudieri – The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer

August 8, 2026

West Virginia’s Scooter Scudieri is noteworthy, both for his involvement in artists’ rights and for his adept musical talent. Embodying the mantra of “There’s still time left in life to be lucky,” Scudieri embarked on a 7-year journey to write, record, perform, and engineer his latest venture, The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer. At 57-years old, Scudieri has ample experience and tons to say. He openly disclosed that this album is AI-managed. To whet some fears, the album’s music is completely created by Scudieri himself – he utilized AI only as his manager for concepts like album continuity and marketing strategy.   After the first song “Crushed,” which urges you to do what you love, is song two, “Process of Creation.” There is an almost Primus-like, super funky bassline. The twinkling keys in both ears make you start believing your dreams, and the ohs in the background are deep[...]

Steve Delamater – Don’t Rush the Punchline

July 24, 2026

From the bustling city of Los Angeles, California comes Steve Delamater, perhaps better known as Super Steve – a self-proclaimed nerd rocker that combines facetious absurdism with indie music to get his points across. Delamater’s newest release, Don’t Rush the Punchline, is full of witty lyricism and excellent, catchy pop rock instrumentals serving as earworms that easily get stuck in your head.   After the first song, “Minimum Wage,” kicks off the album with contagious energy, we come to song two, “Breathe Through Your Hips.” A horn section appears in this song giving it some ska influence, with a horn solo actually rearing its head as well. “Breathe Through Your Hips” goes from quiet to loud often, and the dynamics heard throughout the song are rock solid. The lyrics offer sarcasm regarding yogic asanas, while the song is itself is tastefully simple: “Just lay on the floor / And once[...]

quilium – climatoGRAFIQ

July 16, 2026

Seattle has always been a city that breathes new life into the music scene, and the Emerald City’s, quilium, certainly brings a refreshing take on psychedelia and electronica. quilium’s fiercely unique, 26-song album, climatoGRAFIQ, is chock-full of riveting, intense musicality and meaningful lyrics about topics like accountability and environmental disillusionment.   Notably, track three, “tenaCITY” has a booming 808 bass drum and a peculiar piano trill that goes from pianissimo to very hard. Regarding the lyrical content of “tenaCITY,” quilium states:   “The building and maintenance of cities is an enormous testament to our tenacity and herculean effort to reshape our world… [A]ny future society that will actually survive will be forced to grapple with the current dichotomy between humans and nature causing a climate collapse.”   Song five, “CATwash,” is a parody to Rose Royce’s “Carwash.” Though the song is a parody, some very serious lyricism comes when quilium[...]

Stephanie Babirak – Rotten Fruit

June 30, 2026

New York City’s Stephanie Babirak is an exceptionally talented harpist, singer-songwriter, and composer that utilizes a synthesis of classical and contemporary influences to achieve atmospheric, indie-folk bliss in her new release, Rotten Fruit. Lyrical content and sonic moods focusing on what it means for something to be “bad” help Babirak attain a wondrous quality in her latest release.   The album starts off with “Apocalypse,” which boasts a calming harp and a big bass drum. The song is beach-y, with a smooth, buttery guitar accompaniment. The bits of syncopated percussion sprinkled in add flourishes of aural interest. Song two, “Waves and Whispers,” is a lackadaisical and sweet lullaby. When listening with headphones, the song is truly stunning and immersive. “My thoughts are heavy with your name,” is softly cooed, and the hum of the bass and backup vocals is transcendent.   Following the lushness of “Hey Cain,” we come across[...]

Jerkazoid – Earth In Reverse

June 28, 2026

Portland has a knack for housing some great acts, and the new album, Earth In Reverse, from skate punk trio, Jerkazoid, is a welcome addition to their thriving DIY music scene. Jerkazoid successfully obliterates your eardrums (in a good way) with restless punk energy.   Song one, ” Runaway,” queues a clever voice clip to start off the album. There’s a tinge of Midwest emo in the singer’s growly tenor, however, the band is of tried-and-true 90s punk style. “Runaway” is consistent, boisterous, and supercharged. Track three, “Six Minutes Away,” is deeper and more visceral. “No one knows I exist,” is sung amidst changes in feel while the lyrics poignantly point out the fear of thinking of someone who doesn’t think of you in return. “King of the Middle of Nowhere” has toms upon entrance, with singular guitar pitch joining the backbone in a sixteenth note blitz. The bassist certainly[...]

Extra Space – New Colors

June 22, 2026

Under the moniker Extra Space, Brooklyn’s Joey Puleio and Chris Kyle triumphantly return to buffaBLOG for the review of their sophomore album, New Colors. After the release of Green Season (covered here by Nick Sessanna), the bandmates of Extra Space successfully make great use of their shared chemistry in creating New Colors. Their newest music evolves from prior work, continuing a radiant combination of shimmering Midwest emo and twangy folk.   Song One, “Never Wanted,” is poignantly lo-fi. This kind of recording and mixing style calls to memory the work of Unknown Mortal Orchestra with a healthy dose of American Football. With a hushed vocal delivery and a shower of percussion and beautiful guitar, “Never Wanted” is like a quiet night at home, settling into a simple life. The shushing drum cymbals and slick bass runs are standouts to my ear – but the warbling, wavering guitar tones sound perfectly[...]

harper – Breach

June 13, 2026

Detroit, Michigan bestows upon us a rather interesting musical entity in harper, who, for the better part of three years, crafted their unique sonic signature for their debut album, Breach. Full of self-proclaimed melancholic fuzz and chamber instrumentation like pipe organ and harp, this stellar release was recorded, mixed, and produced by Nick West, the protégé of one of Nine Inch Nails’ founders, Chris Vrenna.   We start off with the title track, “Breach,” and are immediately soaring amongst cumulus clouds with stunning organ and massive guitar as our wings. The percussion bounces back and forth between the ears playfully, and the vocals are just as gentle as the clouds you’re flying through. The mysterious lyrics seem to tell of loving someone who hates themselves too much to do what’s best for them.   Song four, “Anymore,” has light acoustic guitar and an overdriven electric guitar that serve as warmth[...]

Neo Dimes – Alone

June 9, 2026

Denver, Colorado gifts us Neo Dimes – Stephen Edmunds’ primary, dystopia-inspired musical outlet. With mechanical auditory environments, ghostly vocals, and a shoegaze-y feel with EDM and industrial rock influences, Alone looks to address the social downfalls of the digital age as well as the battle within the self.   Song one, “Beasts,” is immediately notable for its reverbed-out depth. There is a slew of haunting keys and vocals, with the line, “Come down feed the need / Look now you’re the beast,” getting stuck in your head on repeat. The song eventually quiets into blips and bloops as well as a chant of the aforementioned line. After a breakdown of intense drum and bass, the song expands into a wide soundscape of sizzling electronics.   Across the next amalgamation of tunes, there are riveting drums, mind-bending guitar leads, and bleeding synthesizers. Song six, “Don’t Think,” stands out due to the[...]

Bubblegum Cistern – SYZYGY

May 31, 2026

Knoxville, Tennessee’s Bubblegum Cistern, a duo made up of Eddie Stephenson and John Seeber, recently released SYZYGY, a wonderfully rhythmic, space-influenced record that is bound to pique your interest. Whether it’s demonic vocoders joining a frenzy of vocals, or the extremely impressive percussion heard all throughout the album, SYZYGY lands successfully among the sun, moon, and stars.   “Low Gravity,” song one, blasts off with some sort of alien chime that disintegrates into static. The bass is huge, and the instrumentals are jazzy with a bowel-shaking groove. As noted previously, the drummer is going crazy. Surprise: there’s double bass in this astral bop! The track also features splendid vocal runs. Later on in the song, the frontman victoriously takes a ballsy risk by singing alone.   Traversing across the album leads us to “Back to Phoenix,” which stands out with its wistful happiness. There is big, thumping acoustic guitar and[...]

Zoe Konez – Everything’s Fine

May 21, 2026

We must keep going despite the notion that the life we built may not presently serve us anymore. Brighton-based, British singer-songwriter Zoe Konez’s Everything’s Fine is based on just that sentiment. The album is a kind respite that gives us space for self-forgiveness. The message is conveyed through clever, finger-styled acoustic guitar, brilliant vocal harmonies, and well-textured synthesizers. Sonically, everything within the album’s confines was executed by Konez herself.   The album starts with the gentle piano of “Paragon.” There is a percussive acoustic guitar playing in triplets before it eases into drums and auxiliary clicks. Immediately, the listener is tempted by the calm promised by Konez. Song two, “I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Anymore,” continues with the three-four meter and triplets. It is here that Konez fortifies her soft-spoken, truly beautiful vocal performance. “I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Anymore” is stripped-down, simple, and soothing, and seems like a[...]

Mike Stocksdale – Connectors

May 5, 2026

Exceptionally experienced, Californian songwriter, Mike Stocksdale, is releasing his newest collection of songs in Connectors, an effervescent and bold album where humans joyfully play blues-inspired indie rock: no AI or click tracks here. Stocksdale has years of discography to his name, and Connectors only further serves to demonstrate his overall musicianship and critical acclaim. The album is an impressively fluid listen, with each song transitioning into the next as easily as taking your next breath.   Album opener, “Nothing Like Beginning,” queues with echoing percussion and brilliant guitar and harmonica. A tambourine splashes in your ears. The song is overall very catchy and consistent, and immediately points to fantastic songwriting. The relatable lyrics, “And if God exists / Then sign me up / ‘Cause that means God made you…” are poetic, yet straightforward. “Nothing Like Beginning” bleeds into another single from Connectors called, “Elevator.” There is a fat, wet snare[...]

Outsideness – …From What?

May 1, 2026

Freidrich$ made his buffaBLOG debut back in late-August 2025, when our longtime contributor, Nick Sessanna, reviewed his genre-shattering album Wish – a collection chock-full of supremely relatable lyricism and dreamy mixes. Freidrich$ and fellow musician, Azalias, have combined their creativity into an outlet called, Outsideness, and the two couldn’t blend more seamlessly together. They’ve released a formidable collaboration album in …From What? With Azalias’ beautiful falsetto and Freidrich$’s rich tenor, their efforts amalgamate into a stunning, atmospheric collection of songs.   “Remedy,” the album opener, starts off with ghostly coos from Azalias. The zippy guitar is enthralling, like watching embers shoot up from a bonfire. Mood-wise, this song is easygoing and sensual, but it is pinned against pensive lyrics like, “I’m feeling hollow, but you have a way with me.” Azalias has a hushed vocal delivery in this one, not unlike the alt pop of Billie Eilish. Next, is “Pretend,”[...]

By Million Wires – Not Over EP

April 25, 2026

After fourteen years of hiatus, By Million Wires, coming all the way from Tarnów, Poland, are releasing a gripping new offering with their upcoming re-entry, the Not Over EP. The EP’s themes range from survival to empty nostalgia, and the sound is akin to the overall messages.   The first song, “Over,” begins with jelly-like guitar that flirts with the math rock genre. This song is a solid jam, feeling all-encompasing as the deep, fuzzy bass envelopes you. Honestly, “Over” would be perfect for taking a no-destination cruise on a day where having the windows down is a statement that summer is on its way. The chorus is absolutely huge, with a fat tambourine cascading between your headphones.   “Glass Houses,” the second song, starts with a bit of an “Everlong” feel. When frontman Mirek Skrok cathartically delivers, “And though the ears cannot hear / And through this glass I[...]