by Jason Klaiber | Dec 24, 2017 | New Music
“Japan Style” is different from anything you may have heard before, aside from perhaps the samurai-influenced aura of the Wu-Tang Clan. The track shows a prime culture clash between Thirstin Howl the 3rd’s Brooklyn-raised background and a...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 24, 2017 | New Music
With a radiant indie rock sound at the helm, Ithaca-based duo Dear Apollo are–aptly so–on their way to the stars. The duo’s members crafted their debut EP hundreds of miles apart from one another with the aid of Dropbox, a surprising factoid given...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 20, 2017 | Buffalo
Emotive Buffalo trio Cooler packs a lot of punch in the fleeting yet effective “Buried,” a touchstone for the confident avoidance of life’s burdensome trials and tribulations. The lyrics point to a mind overpacked with anxiety brought on by a...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 19, 2017 | New Music
Andy Thomson, of Edinburgh, has released the indie-pop showpiece “Superhero” through Satellite Records under his pseudonym Fuzzystar, a christening that provides a nod the way of groups Big Star and Mazzy Star. Marked by a luxuriant guitar sound, manic but...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 19, 2017 | New Music
HEPTAGRAM’s fresh-out tune “Here, Now” augments its transcendent sound with lyrics concerning the reality happening in the moment and the feeling of reaching contentment and strength. The official music video is breathtaking, depicting aerial views...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 19, 2017 | New Music
If one were to be fed with the information that Still Parade’s “Kindness” sustains an electronic drum beat at its core, they might feel inclined to expect four minutes of heartless machinery ahead. Instead, they would be treated with a track...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 19, 2017 | New Music
The commanding lead single from newly banded-together alternative rock trio Undercut’s eponymously titled EP, “Take the Wheel” opens up to a shimmering ambience before ringing in piercing drums and bass. The vocals aren’t rough, but...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 19, 2017 | New Music
“Shock Mounted,” with simplicity and grace, captures a feeling of freedom in the dark, post-breakup abyss. Transylvanian producer Jinka allows her new single to float on an unorthodox, jaunty dance rhythm, complete with head-turning vocal effects and...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 18, 2017 | Album of the Week
Buffalo mainstays The Tins’ have released the 4-song, 13-minute EP City Lies, a sure-to-be timeless offering of warmth and introspection. “Lifeline,” the introductory track, is couched in a sweltering texture that should mesmerize with its yearning...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 11, 2017 | Album of the Week
Everybody’s Friend, the recently released album from Cheektowaga indie rockers Hundred Plus Club, gets going right from the start, with the frenetic opener “Twice the Pride, Double the Fall” bringing forth all the attitude one might expect from a...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 11, 2017 | New Music
“When the Night Is Through” stands as the debut single from Good in the Dark, the collaboration among Chicago-bred multi-instrumentalist Heather Perry, percussionist Carlos J. Zapata and guitarist Grant Goldsworthy. The band sustains a noise pop sound...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 11, 2017 | New Music
The Dirty Clergy’s “Summer Days” should feel like an escape or maybe more so a cause for longing if you live in western New York this time of year. The track sounds like vintage Weezer brightened up by angelic backing vocals and talk of everlasting...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 11, 2017 | New Music
Minneapolis band Why Not applies a formula of indie rock mixed with math rock and punk to their 2-minute-long single “Dear Friend, Pt. 2.” The track houses irrefutable energy brought on by cutting guitar riffage and unbridled percussive bashing, all of...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 11, 2017 | New Music
With a song title like “Debbie Harry,” it comes as little to no surprise this recent single from German indie rock band NEWMEN encapsulates a sleek new wave sound bearing partial resemblance to that of Blondie, the legendary New York outfit Harry famously...
by Jason Klaiber | Dec 10, 2017 | New Music
Matt Batey’s solo project Ruler finds the Montana-turned-Seattle-hailing musician pushing out the single “Easy Life,” a high-spirited pop-rock masterwork stitched together from the fabric of life’s woes. From dealing with a downer of a 9-to-5...
