Cleveland has a long history of cool, aggressive bands. See: Any of Tony Erba’s projects, Integrity, list goes on and on. Add Cruelster to that list; part rock’n’roll, part punk, full on aggression. They’re playing tonight too. Ocean Garden Oriental Foods on Niagara for a measly $fiver. Surf birds, Aaron and the Burrs, and lady elves, Cross Stitch, open the thing. Working on elf time, not punk time. 8pm sharp for a sunday night. Get it out.
The boys in Rotten have been called a lot of things but nice isn’t one of em. Glue splattered, filth-punk with some anarchistic flare, England’s favorite sons have been laying down a path of slime-strewn indecency since their inception. Whether live or recorded on wax these boys deliver the goods and do so in spades, inspiring sweet, sick madness. BUT BEWARE. They will ruin anything they touch and consume anything they can get their filthy hands on. They’re just a wee bit off-kilter. It makes sense then that their new EP is titled Bat Shit Crazy. You have to be a little crazy to inspire the kind of punk as hell attitude that these fellas cop. Do yourself a favor and head down to Mohawk Place tonight (6 bands for 6 bux!) and pick up a copy. It’s their release show and it would really make them happy. Then again,[...]
In this day and age hardcore and punk bands are a dime a dozen. It takes a special something to capture the ear, beyond the slosh and genre-defining milieu…we’re looking to be inspired. Breakout have all the intangibles to make them stick out from the pack. Their songs are bloody good; hooky and slightly unhinged. You can hear them pull elements from early SoCal punk bands, and make the link to modern hardcore. All with style and poise. Tonight you can find the lone star punks at Ocean Garden Oriental Foods (1233 Niagara St.) along with locals Pissing Match, New Vision, and out of towners Pure Disgust and Hard Stripes. A solid bill filled with some great bands and it’s only $8. Get down to the spot tonight. 7pm for doors, 8pm for punk.
Facility Men are messy in the best kinda way. Loose and gravelly, discordant rock, with a rough-around-the-edges approach…probably one of the coolest current bands in the Buffalo crop. Plus Teo’s a madman live so you should probably check em out. They’re playing tonight at the Jungle Gym (9pm), with those fleshiest of Fleshy Mounds and Slotfillers. You know where the Jungle Gym is and if you don’t, well, don’t ask me. $5 as per the usual.
Pop punkers of the world rejoice! Your favorite 90’s band is back! (Sorry NOFX…you were great, but kinda burned us on those last few records). Lagwagon, the seminal California group that counted itself as one of the figureheads of the mid-90’s punk explosion, and, lets be honest, was the tour de force of Fat Wreck Chords, has decided to release a new album after nine loooonnnnngggg years and hit the road. And by hitting the road, I mean hitting it HARD with Fat Wreck Chords other prodigal sons, the slightly more melancholic, street-anchored Swingin’ Utters. (This Legends are on the bill too). A solid dose of fast, melodic punk brought to you by the label we all worshipped as disenfranchised, awkward youth. Town Ballroom ($25) sets the stage for our energy and impassioned chants of “Violins”. Get there by 7pm to catch all the action.
In heavy metal, or any genre of music for that matter, it’s difficult to create a sound that is truly unique. For every band or artist that plies their craft in an attempt to be original and relevant and true to themselves, there are the inevitable comparisons to “similiar” artists; similar in sound, style or perhaps, more profoundly, in cultural expression. Take Pearl Jam, a massively popular band that, despite years of solid releases that span acoustic Crazy-Horse dirge to chaotic bombast, ala “Do the Evolution,” will always be, in some sense, lumped in with the grunge sound (whatever the hell that really is). Pearl Jam is associated with grunge because they were part of that movement, for good or ill, and their first album reflects that sound. And it doesn’t matter what the rest of the albums sound like. They will always be that band. That’s why it’s so[...]
Next to the Boss, no artist embodies the spirit of New Jersey quite like the Gaslight Anthem. With their tales of lost romance and city streets, poetic bent for gritty storytelling, focally set on urban imagery, the Anthem fit comfortably in the nestled nook of traditional rock’n’roll, all whilst traversing a somewhat punk rock spirit. Call them saviors, call them whatever you want. This is REAL rock’n’roll anyway you slice the dice. Along with Against Me!, another band that has carved out a unique niche in the ofter-than-not constricting medium that is punk, The Gaslight Anthem will be performing a special show tonight at the Town Ballroom ($29, 7pm). As legend of their live performances continues to grow, so does their popularity, and you’d be foolish to miss them. This band is just going to keep on getting bigger, mark my words. Get there early to catch opener, Twopointeight.
Is it a Man…or is it an Astroman? This is the question that has plagued mankind for over 20 years. And these surf rock sounds from outerspace? Well, lets just chalk it up to good old fashioned fun, because at the end of the day, isn’t that what Man or Astroman? is really all about? Those of us that grew up watching B-movies, Mystery Science Theater, and rank Plan 9 from Outer Space as one of our favorite movies gets it and tonight we celebrate it. For those who don’t know, picture Dick Dale on acid, a perverse distorted version of rock’n’roll held on planet Mars. This is essentially Man or Astroman?, one of the States’ greatest cult bands. They are the surf that meets the sci-fi. Totally bizarre, totally tubular (cowabunga?), totally everything that makes this kind of music fun. And totally playing the Tralf along with hard rockers,the[...]
Day Two is underway for Buffalo’s most talked about independent record showcase, featuring some of the city’s best DIY artists. Peterwalkee Records has put together a great lineup featuring a who’s who of interesting and creatively “free” acts, including hometown heroes, Lemuria, buffaBLOG favorites Space Wolves and Mallwalkers, as well as up and comers Cross Stitch and Newish Star and a host of several others. In addition to the music (doors at 6, first band at 7), the American Legion 1041 (533 Amherst St), will also feature an art show, including art from band members playing the fest. You can expect big sales, vendors from local record shops and all the best food and music this side of the border. If you appreciate the DIY ethic, or are just looking to hear some rad bands, make it down the Legion tonight and celebrate with the best of em.
Shilpa Ray has a long and passionate history with the city of Buffalo. The NYC resident has played our little nook for years, both as a solo act and as the front woman for Her Happy Hookers. Since her visits began nearly a decade ago, Buffalo has embraced her with open arms, perhaps because, as the old saying goes, real recognizes real. Shilpa is an artist’s artist; a commanding lyricist, powerful stage presence, and a unique entity in todays mish-mash world of categorized phonies. An infusion of blues, punk, rock’n’roll, and soul is perhaps the only good way to describe her sound. Look to 2011’s Teenage and Torture for assurance and to have your mind absolutely blown. Girls got pipes. Tonight, Shilpa will be playing Nietzsches, her main stomping grounds since Mohawk closed, along with the fast-rising duo, She Keeps Bees. As both are known for their eclectic and moving live shows,[...]
It’s not often that an experimental, Japanese metal trio receive the kind of hype that Boris has been showered with. After all, they are decidedly rock (in decidedly un-rockist times) and the words “experimental” and “trio” in the rock idiom are usually attached to bands like YES, a decent act if you like watching paint dry or think jazz fusion is “pretty cool maaaaaaaan”. Fortunately, Boris is not that kind of band. What they ARE is a blistering amalgamation of pyschedelia, ambience, pop and metal riffage rolled into one six-legged package. With influences as deep as Nick Cave, Venom, Sleep, and Nick Drake, one can see how good taste in music often translates to good taste in songwriting. Bonus points for naming your band after a Melvins song. It’s been five long years since Boris returned to Buffalo. Tonight they will be blowing eardrums (literally: earplugs advised) at the same[...]
Berlin. The LGBTQ community. Punk rock spirit. These are some of the common threads of the upcoming film from Yony Leyser (William S. Burroughs: A Man Within), Desire Will Set You Free, slated for release in Spring 2015. Straight from the press release, Desire “explores artistic and marginalized life in Berlin with an often critical and sometimes humorous (but always reverent) eye. The story follows the encounter between an American writer of Israeli/Palestinian descent and a Russian aspiring artist working as a hustler. Actively exploring gender identity, sexuality, andthe differences between expatriate and refugee life, the main characters travel through Berlin’s layered history and unique subcultural landscape. On their adventures they discover influences and remnants of the Weimar Republic, WWII, the Bowie years, and punk”. Jillian Mertz, a staple of the Buffalo music & arts scene, and recent German transplant, has been heavily involved in the promotion of this film, as[...]
Tonight, Allen St.Hardware is getting a facelift. The neighborhood bar, known for its classy decor and modest atmosphere, will paint its face black in celebration of the first Humpday Horrorshow, courtesy of Hematone Productions. What you can expect: Industrial music, courtesy of DJ’s Malik Saint (of Shaken Stylus) and [K A T O], go go dancers, shooter girls, pizza, wine tasting, a costume contest ($100 gift certificate to Divine Machine for best costume) and much more. With several sponsors and a great deal of hype, this is set to be one helluva mid-week party. And it’s only $7. The needles set to drop at 10, but doors are at 9 so get there early and experience all things Hump.
“I’m coming up only to hold you under And coming up only to show you’re wrong And to know you is hard; we wonder… To know you all wrong; we warn. Really too late to call, So we wait for morning To wake you is all we got To know me as hardly golden Is to know me all wrong, they warn. At every occasion I’ll be ready for the funeral At every occasion, once more, it’s called the funeral At every occasion, oh, I’m ready for the funeral At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral” These iconic lyrics from Band of Horses track “The Funeral” are some of the most recognizable and cherished words ever sung in indie rock, and for good reason. They come from a place we have all, at one time in our lives, visited; a dark, inward vestige, the hole that we had to[...]
It’s safe to say that 2013 was THE year for Queens of the Stone Age. Not only was their …Like Clockwork album wildly received by fans, it was their most critically acclaimed album to date; a perfect blend of sleaze, longing, grit and desperation. All the puzzle pieces fit on this one, and many fans of the band count it among their best. Since that time Queens have been touring in support of Clockwork, continuing to build their rep as one of rock’n’roll’s premier live acts. Tonight, along with QOTSA, is Brody Dalle, Australian singer-songwriter, formerly of the Distillers and Spinnerette. Dalle has been at this game a number of years first as the snarly punk rocker vocalist in popular Hell-Cat band the Distillers, then incorporating indie sounds into her repertoire to develop a fuller, more unique sound, first with Spinnerette and now on her first solo release; 2014’s Diploid Love.[...]