Latest Posts

Tonight: KOPPS’ Y2K End Of The World Dance Party

June 7, 2019

The state of the world got you down? Are all of the trendlines pointing to a big honking anxiety attack? Well get ready to dance away all of your mounting apocalyptic fears away by celebrating and commemorating the last time we all thought the world was going to end, in the one place I want to be when the end comes, the beloved Mohawk, with some tasteful DJ sets from Tom Burtless (Humble Braggers) and Jacob Asher (Ben Bailey of Joywave)  and a special performance by Rochester electro trash disco gods KOPPS. Go back in time to the turn of the millennium with all the hottest 1999-2000 jams and a Y2K costume contest for the sexy party people dressed to impress, so be sure to leave your smartphones at home (just kidding). Doors are at 8:30pm, music starts at 9pm and cover at the door is $12.

KOPPS Unleash New Video for “Hott”

August 20, 2018

Beloved blog favorites KOPPS are back with a deliciously evil video for “Hott” that lives up to it’s name and the trashy and sexy aesthetic you know and love from them. Yes, our friends from down the 90 have gone Hollywood on us… and it is good, hitting us with a super shiny video clip featuring Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster, a budget, some vaguely McLuhanesque media commentary, an international cast of dancing fans, and some demonic hoodoo that beats that spicy new Vice produced Gaspar Noe movie to the punch and confirms again that Mrs. Patti is truly a magnificent front woman and hellaciously good at leading us all into sin. Sure their masked drummer and that brown ABBA turtlenecks and powder blue trouser ensemble will haunt your dreams and possibly make you reevaluate your views on Swedish socialism and the works of Stieg Larsson, but at least those freaky dreams[...]

Joywave at the Town Ballroom (03/07/17)

March 12, 2018

This past Wednesday, our neighbors down the 90, Joywave, finished up a very lengthy full US tour with a stacked show at the Town Ballroom.  Buffalo’s own Humble Braggers opened things up, followed by Joywave collaborators and boisterous Rochester natives Kopps.  Low key pop act Sasha Sloan was also on the whole tour as well, and delivered a sweet set to get the crowd ready for Joywave.  When they finally took the stage, they ripped through tracks from their whole discography, and they drew a huge crowd that packed the room.  Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Humble Braggers Kopps Sasha Sloan Joywave

Tonight: Joywave

March 7, 2018

Tonight Joywave blows the roof off Buffalo’s historic Town Ballroom for the final date of their ‘Thanks. Thanks for Coming’ tour. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Joywave are Rochester indie rockers fronted by multi-hyphenate Daniel Armbruster. Their latest album, Content, was released last year and gathered millions of listens with singles “It’s a Trip!” and “Doubt.” Be prepared to move and potentially lose your voice. Joining the party is LA-based singer-songwriter Sasha Sloan. You might recognize her porcelain voice from collaborations with Kygo, ODESZA and Kaskade, but now she’s singing her own awesome and moody pop songs. Also performing are Rochester-based rocktronica four-piece, KOPPS, and synth poppers, Humble Braggers. Doors at 7pm. $17 for advance tickets, $20 at the door. 16 and up with ID, under 16 with an adult.  Get your tickets here.

HRVST Festival at Riverworks (10/14/17)

October 18, 2017

Last Saturday, local radio station, 103.3 The Edge partnered with After Dark Presents to threw their inaugural HRVST Festival. While the show was original slated to take place at the Cumulus Festival Grounds, it was moved to an outdoor festival stage at Riverworks due to production issues. This may have been for the better, as the covered, open air stage at Riverworks served as a great fit for the autumn themed festival. The lineup was eclectic and great, featuring a whole day full of music, including sets from PVRIS, Joywave, Brian Fallon, Manchester Orchestra, and Phoenix. Check out some photos from the festival below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. PVRIS Joywave Brian Fallon Manchester Orchestra Phoenix

Joywave Returns with “It’s a Trip!”

May 30, 2017

Rochester indie powerhouse Joywave dropped their second single “It’s a Trip!” earlier this month from their new album Content due out July 28th via Hollywood Records/Cultco Music. The album will be a major followup to the band’s 2015 breakout release How Do You Feel Now? “It’s a Trip!” taps into the roots of psychedelia with a groovy guitar riff and a smooth synth to back everything up. Lead singer Daniel Armbruster cracks out the falsetto, which gains some twinges of analog sound embedded in the chorus.  Check out the music video for the new single below.

The Kerfuffle Before Christmas at KeyBank Center (12/2/16)

December 6, 2016

This past Friday,  Buffalo’s alternative radio station, 107.7, packed the Key Bank Center for their annual one day music festival,  The Kerfuffle Before Christmas.  This years lineup featured artists such as Judah and the Lion, Atlas Genius, Joywave, Capital Cities, Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness, and the Dirty Heads.  Check out our shots from the sold out show below, and click here for a full gallery. Judah And The Lion Atlas Genius Joywave Capital Cities Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness The Dirty Heads  

Edgefest 2016 (07/31/16)

August 3, 2016

Local radio station 103.3 the Edge came back this year with another stacked lineup for their annual one day festival, Edgefest.  This year, the fest took place in Canalside opposed to the outer harbor, which I’m sure was a welcome change to many. With rain in the forecast, the crowd still showed  up in huge numbers, and lucky for them, there wasn’t a drop of rain in sight all day.  With blistering sets from Detones, Joywave, Tokyo Police Club, and more, this is sure to stand up as one of Edgefest’s best showings to date.   Check out some photos from the show below, and click HERE for a full gallery The Joy Formidable Tokyo Police Club Joywave Sam Roberts Band City and Colour Deftones

Joywave Remixes Maybird’s Single

June 29, 2016

Rochester-raised psych-rockers Maybird have released the first single and title track off their debut EP, Turning Into Water, in late February. The song recently underwent a facelift by getting remixed by fellow breakout Rochester synth-rockers Joywave. “Turning Into Water” is transformed from vintage spaced out psychedelia into a riot of loops, drums simultaneously from the future and the past, discordant keyboards, and the clear, otherworldly tenor of Josh Netsky. Now based in Brooklyn and signed to Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records, who released their debut EP last month, Maybird are yet another band  to the east that are breaking to the next level (see: KOPPS, Mikaela Davis). Check out the reworking below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/269635543″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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[...]

Joywave at Waiting Room (10/9/15)

October 12, 2015

A sweltering Waiting Room paid host to the local homecoming of hot as fire electro pop outfit Joywave, making the first of its back-to-back WNY appearances before heading home to Rochester the night after for a rapturous home town gig. Joining the five piece was pop siren Grace Mitchell and rising Roch besties KOPPS. Check out select shots from Friday’s show below, and for a full gallery, click here. KOPPS Grace Mitchell Joywave

Tonight: Joywave

October 9, 2015

The series of great shows making their way to Buffalo this fall continues tonight as local heroes return for another glorious homecoming. It was just a little over a year ago that Rochester’s Joywave were just starting to make small waves outside of the Western New York music scene but little beyond that. Then came their breakthrough single, “Tongues.” The song almost immediately begun rotation on alternative radio around the country, and the band’s sudden popularity even scored their debut album a spot on the Top 40 charts and catapulted them to appearances on late night shows such as Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. Joywave now returns to the music scene that birthed them with their collection of infectious synthpop jams. If the band’s live show is nearly as high-energy and fun as their record, then tonight’s show show should be nothing short of an absolute blast. But while Joywave might be riding the[...]

KOPPS – The Sound of Music

September 27, 2015

One of my favorite shows this year was easily !!! with Rochester’s KOPPS downstairs in the Ninth Ward at Babeville this past May. If the acoustics in Asbury Hall are dodgy, the acoustics in that brick basement are downright sublime, and that was a show you felt in every cell of your being, the energy created by both bands a thing felt that night. After being dogged by sound issues earlier in the week at Waiting Room, KOPPS in particular sounded spectacular, getting the crowd moving and playing new songs pointing to an even denser, ambitious sound to go with their never secret weapon, vocalist Patricia Patron. This latest iteration of blog favorite KOPPS is on full display on The Sound Of Music, a four track EP co-written with Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster released last Friday via Cultco which fulfills those ambitions and then some. “My Gold” was a huge hit live[...]

KOPPS Drop Latest Single “My Gold”

September 1, 2015

I had been hearing the buzz for awhile, especially after the group’s much hyped Joywave collaboration “Tongues,” but it wasn’t till seeing KOPPS earlier this year that they made an impression on me, and what an impression they made. Taking the stage before !!!, the Rochester quartet laid down the gauntlet with an impressive arsenal of dance-punk jams that shook the room. Now KOPPS is back with its newest and perhaps most impressive single yet, titled “My Gold.” It’s worth mentioning the production on the track, which was handled by Joywave front man Danial Armbruster, as it might be the breeziest the band has ever sounded. That’s not to say “My Gold” is not a banger though. With it’s propulsive bassline and hard-hitting beats, the track is an absolute belter of a single. Check it out below.

Just Announced: Joywave

June 24, 2015

After opening up for the Kooks last night at the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, Rochester’s next great hope, Joywave, will return to Buffalo in a headlining role set for Friday, October 9th at Waiting Room. The band has been on absolute fire this year, dropping its debut LP, How Do You Feel Now, earlier this spring, making an appearance at the ESPN studios, chillin with Tony Hawk, and touring with Brandon Flowers. I haven’t caught the band for a while, but I hope it’s still mixing in some cuts from its fantastic EP, Koda Vista, into its live sets. Anyways, you can grab a ticket for Joywave’s latest WNY homecoming gig starting this Friday, June 26th, at 10am for $15 in advance, and if there are any left, $17 at the doors.