Latest Posts

Punks or Terrorists

July 8, 2014

The life of a small venue booking agent can be a trying one at best. You book the show and promote the show. If there’s a low turnout, you foot the bill, and you have to deal with your neighbors and the local authorities accusing you of harboring terrorist. The latter was the real life of St. Petersburg, FL booking agent and promoter, Kat Lynes. On Sunday June 29th, a concerned neighbor of Lynes’, Keith Coleman, called the police after he saw what he considered to be suspicious individuals, three men and three girls coming out of Lynes’ apartment. The ‘nefarious’ looking individuals were members of Nevada punk band, Vampirates. They had played a show at St. Petersburg’s Fubar the night before, a venue Lynes books shows at regularly. As per their agreement, Lynes had supplied them lodging at her apartment. Coleman had mistakenly had thought he had seen a[...]

Tonight: Pinky Doodle Poodle

June 28, 2014

If you’re like me, you never need an excuse to go to a casino. They have booze, gambling, and all of that extra oxygen that they pump through the air vents, like a diabetic kid shoving candy corn into their pie hole after trick or treating. However, if gambling, booze, and arbor secretions aren’t reason enough to head to the Hard Rock Cafe Casino in Niagara Falls, then maybe Pinky Doodle Poodle is the push that you need. Pinky Doodle Poodle are the amped female fronted Tokyo rock band with ties to the Rust Belt. PDP are the perfect mesh of Detroit proto punk and retro DC hardcore. Fronted by former Honey Bee vocalist Yuri, PDP’s first full length album was released on Robby Takac’s (of Goo Goo Dolls fame) label Good Charamel Records, which was also recorded here in Buffalo. The 10 song self titled release hit the street[...]

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 1

June 26, 2014

With 2014 at its mid way point, the staff here at buffaBLOG has gone over the first six months of the year and picked our favorite tracks and albums. Variety is always nice on lists like this; it shows that we have been blessed with a rich and diverse year of new music, and for the most point, it is reflected on today and tomorrow’s Part 2 lists. Bill Wright Album: Liars – Mess For 15 years, Liars have been tweaking, reworking, and pivoting their sound.  But if there is one thing that has remained constant over the years, it’s that they have always been a little weird. Their front man is even named Angus ,which is a weird name if I’ve ever heard one (apologizes to all the readers out there named Angus). This year, Liars put out their “electronic” album, a record that takes all the beeps and boops they[...]

Psychic Teens

June 24, 2014

If you happened to make it out to buffaBLOG’s Herd Fest this past weekend, you may have heard something about a little band from Philadelphia called Psychic Teens. Now if you were fortunate enough, you actually got to catch their set at Allen Street Hardware, as part of Sugar City’s showcase. And if you missed their set, well, then shame on you. Needless to say, the brotherly love trio (singer/ guitarist Larry Ragone, bassist Joe Decarolis, and drummer Dave Cherasaro) made an impression on Buffalo this past weekend, brandishing their own brand of gothic, art-punk with some post-punk tendencies. As one attendee said, “I just got blasted by Psychic Teens,” while extending his jaw attempting to make his ears pop. “Did you catch them?” he asked me. However before I could answer, partly due to being unable to hear him, he said, “I totally forgot my plugs. They are definitely[...]

Black Dots

June 18, 2014

Josh Smith deserves a lot of credit, and not just because he’s a walking, talking encyclopedia of underground punk knowledge. Or because he owns and operates a basement record store, Black Dots, on the West Side of Buffalo. Or just because he runs a local label by the same name, or even because he also supplies a space for shows on the West Side. No, he doesn’t deserve credit for any one of these things, he deserves credit for all of these things. On paper, Smith should totally be Barry from High Fidelity. He’s been embedded in the underground scene in Western New York for years now. He’s shared the stage with members of Syracuse’s Perfect Pussy, among others. He knows about all of the bands you’ve never heard of, and can speak of them coherently and articulately. However, Smith is not that guy. “So I’m going to be releasing[...]

Street Eaters – Blood::Muscles::Bones

June 17, 2014

Blood::Muscles::Bones, the second full length release by Bay area band Street Eaters, reads like an ominous autobiography for the Berkley duo. How long can they withstand this experimental jet set lifestyle? A global tour schedule that has taken the band around the world at whiplash speeds. However, don’t romanticize their demise just quite yet, because Blood::Muscles::Bones may be the rawest, post-punk record to come from the West Coast in some time. Let me put it this way: this is the record that Kathleen Hanna and Dave Grohl got to never make. It was a project they always talked about before they both started believing their own legends. Blood::Muscles::Bones is juvenile in the sense that it is uncompromising and idealistic. You won’t find any unnecessary bridges, extra verses, or choruses. They’ve cut all of the fat, lacerated the gizzards, smothered them in hot sauce, and gobbled them up, just to wash it[...]

Tonight: Big Neck Fest

June 12, 2014

According to Bart Hart, it all started in 1994. It sounds like the beginning of a campfire horror story. A story that the ‘bro’ antagonist tells to get the big breasted cheerleader scared. However, Hart’s story is a bit more seedy and endearing, consisting of a bar called Ashbury Alley, punk rock, and of course Buffalo. Formerly the Rust Belt Show, the Big Neck Fest returns with its annual festival for the 15th year. Presented by Shaken Stylus and Queen City ex-pat record label, Big Neck Records( now based in northern Virginia). Tonight, Big Neck Fest will commence for its Day 1 festivities at the Allentown staple, Nietzsche’s. Big Fest isn’t just any  rock show. This is a festival that managed to bring Jay Reatard to Buffalo in its first two years back in 1999 and 2000, and this year isn’t any different. Headlining Day 1 will be Chi Town’s[...]

Joshua Smith of Black Dots

June 10, 2014

You have most likely walked by it a thousand times. You’ve probably totally ignored it, like it was invisible, like a vagrant. If it was a two headed mythological serpent of the future, it would have offered you it’s forbidden fruit. It sits drunkenly on the corner of Grant Street and Lafayette Avenue, like Dylan Thomas over a typewriter, directly across from Sweetness 7 Cafe. I am of course talking of Black Dots record shop. If you have ever wandered into the basement record store, you are familiar with it’s owner Joshua Smith. Smith can usually be found sitting behind the counter with the glow of his laptop dancing across his scruffy face.  Always sporting jeans and an obscure punk T-shirt, Smith will give a gentle nod as you enter the store, and calmly go back to his computer. He has a quiet demeanor, but if you can engage him,[...]

Tonight: On The Cinder

June 6, 2014

What are you doing tonight? Well, if you’re not too busy binging on season 2 of Orange is the New Black, stalking your ex on Facebook, or trying to decide who won twitter this week between Rob Delaney and Patton Oswalt, I hear there’s a show going on tonight. But Justin, there are just so many shows going on in the Queen City tonight, how do I choose which one? You can start by heading over to the Flower House as later tonight, they will be hosting On the Cinder’s tour kick off show. The Buffalo punk band, who are ‘fueled by cheap beer and the fear of getting old,’ will be sent off in style by fellow Buffalonian punks Accidentals, Grain Assault, and Seven Thirty Seven before hitting the road. Music kicks off at 7pm with a suggested donation of $3-$5. Ask around for the address.

Big Mean Sound Machine Releases Contraband

June 3, 2014

Angelo Peters may be the hardest working man in the Ithaca music scene right now. Between recently taking over the booking responsibilities at The Dock (formerly Castaways), as well as booking at the Loft, and current recording and production work, his 13 piece band, Big Mean Sound Machine, has managed to release its eighth studio recording, Contraband, through Angry Mom Records. Peters and company get a little bit spacey on this one, and it works, as extra moog and synthesizer effects that accent the expanding horn sections fit in perfectly. Big Mean Sound Machine, who are known for elaborate percussion and horn sections, has managed to up the ante on Contraband. Where before the horns (Alicia Aubin -Trombone, Bobby Spellman – Trumpet, Jamie Yamen – Tenor Saxaphone, and Remy Kunstler – Baritone Saxaphone) were more of an accent, on this album, they are the centerpieces that drive songs like “Whoa[...]

Tonight: Aesthetic Perfection

May 24, 2014

Electronic music, in all of its forms, can be a fickle beast. It’s kind of like dating a German chick: sometimes you love her, but she doesn’t always love you back. Music made electronically through drum machines, synthesizers, and samplers always seems to be bubbling at the surface, but never quite boils over. Which, according to Aesthetic Perfection’s lead singer and primary creative force Daniel Graves, is just fine. “The state of electronic music is kind of irrelevant to me. I don’t exist in a scene that will ever be mainstream, so the mainstream’s acceptance of it doesn’t really affect me,” he says, adding “Europeans embrace electronic music more than we do is just a matter of culture. They just exist in a world that likes the sound more, we exist in a world that loves Nickelback.” AP’s latest release, Till Death, is a great departure from their early discography.[...]

Upset – “Linus”

May 20, 2014

Los Angeles has always been a mecca for music, like fellow NYC and Chicago metropolises. While ups and downs are unavoidable, as of late, LA has been able to find its footing, with new acts like Fidlar and Cherry Glazer, among others, to come of the City of Angels. The newest member to this club is the all girl pop punk outfit, Upset. Upset is a supergroup of sorts, consisting of former drummer of Best Coast and Vivian Girls, Ali Koehler (guitar/ vocals), Jennifer Prince (guitar) formerly of La Sera, and Patty Schemel (drums) of Hole fame. Upset released their debut album, She’s Gone, in October of 2013, on Don Giovanni Records. They are about to hit the road with White Lung, and have released a brand new track “Linus” to commemorate the tour. “Linus” is a throwback to an early 90’s alternative pop punk. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/147149401″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″[...]

Thunderegg – C’mon Thunder

May 13, 2014

C’mon Thunder, the new release from San Francisco’s Thunderegg, is the album we just might deserve. Full of lyrical real life experiences, as in the way they actually happen and not the way we thought they would happen, sometimes a creative licence is just a cop out. The California band is led by singer/songwriter Will Georgantas, the artist that Conor Oberst has always dreamed of being.  With an unprecedented output since the mid nineties, and a revolving door of band members (himself being one of the only constants), Georgantas writes the songs you only dreamed of writing at 14. They are chockfull of truth, consequence, and awkwardness. Even if the music you fell in love with as a teen isn’t as relevant as it once was, C’mon Thunder manages to avoid that problem. The album comes on like a tornado: slow and unassuming. Songs like “We Kissed and Ran Some[...]

Brother Keep Releases To You and Yours

May 6, 2014

Brother Keep are some angry mo-fos! Their new EP, To You & Yours, listens like a middle finger to the “empty girl” who ran off with guitarist/vocalist Nick Sessanna’s former best friend. The four track release opens up with the pop punk “Windy City” and ends with the whimsical “Laces”. In a lot of ways, this recording is classic boy meets girl, girl betrays boy. Just listen to any Senses Fail record. Where Sessanna and company differ from Buddy Nielsen and Senses Fail is that there isn’t any huge climax where Sessanna kills his ex. To You & Yours is more than a revenge record.  It has real sustenance, something that can really hold you over until dinner time. To You & Yours is that ‘Dear Jane’ letter that you drunkenly leave on the nightstand after you have packed the last truck load of your belongings from the studio apartment the two[...]

Tonight: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

May 1, 2014

Since Mohawk Place closed its doors, there has been a void left in the local Buffalo music scene. Where do we Buffalonians get our itchy fix for live music? There are been a few new places that have popped up. After Dark Entertainment has fulfilled a certain void, with its venture The Waiting Room. Buffalo Iron Works has put together some great shows as well, however the one spot that gets over looked again and again is Nietzsche’s. Even though it has has been at it for over three decades, supplying live music nightly, the venue still seems to be a bit of an afterthought here and there. In just the last few weeks, Nietzsche’s has been putting together fantastic weeknight shows with out-of-towners, and tonight is no different. Tonight, the Allen Street staple with be bringing Baltimore’s funkadelic Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. PPPP is a quartet that will bring[...]