Latest Posts

The Jesus and Mary Chain – Damage and Joy

April 18, 2017

To look at the kinds of new and exciting music, both locally and nationally, that’s been emerging, one would have taken notice of the resurgence that post-punk of the late 70s and 80s has played. At the center of this has been The Jesus and Mary Chain. Fronted by brothers, Jim and William Reid, they released their first record, Psychocandy in 1985, but the band had been on hiatus since 1998/99, after their record Munki was released. However, The band have recently come back together and released a brand new record, titled, Damage and Joy, on March 24th. There’s always a certain trepidation when a band gets back together and releases a new album. The questions arise as to why; short on money, can they still play, what drives their creativity? One really interesting aspect of Damage and Joy is how it doesn’t sound dated, or more precisely, the way[...]

Tonight: Decorum

April 6, 2017

Brooklyn’s three piece outfit Decorum takes a hold of the post-punk revitalization movement and makes it their own. The often jangly, spindly guitars that are found throughout the genre are vacant, as Decorum consists of a dual bass set-up and drums. Taking the various flavors the low end has in post-punk and playing both at the same time creates atmospheric textures while still staying true to the genre. Swirling around, in almost a cyclical nature Decorum incorporates a dark, moody sound that’s strung out and made thin, wisp like, on top of which are early shoegaze, breath-like vocals. Supporting Decorum  at Dreamland will be locals, Orations, who are just coming off their stellar post-punk LP, Wych Elm, along with Slow Mutants who always seem to bring a ton of energy to their shows, and post-punk trio, The Patterns. This is a post-punk night not to miss. Show at 7pm. $6 to[...]

Orations – Wych Elm

April 3, 2017

Following up on their previous EP, Incantation, Buffalo quartet, Orations, have released their debut 12” LP, Wych Elm on March 17, through Custom Made Music. Showcasing the variance in 80’s post-punk, Orations’ debut is in part a look back, a revivalist endeavor so to speak, while also being a record that stands on its own merits. Orations is Jess Collins on vocals, Paul Morin on guitar, Jason Draper on bass and melodica, Matt Chavanne on drums and percussion, with additional help from Aaron Ratajczak and Rick Wright. Present on Wych Elm are some of the various iconic sounds that made up a chunk of the post-punk sonic aesthetic from the 80s. Like the jangly, sometimes airy and dreamy guitar, the dark, low, rhythmic bass, and the often brooding, dour vocal delivery. The reproduction of the genre is flawless and the band really wears their influences on their sleeves, including bands[...]

Tonight: The Lopez

March 28, 2017

Dreamland will be hosting a night of high energy noise pop/post-punk full of thrills and chills (vibes that is), tonight. Coming over from Pittsburgh, The Lopez mash together noise pop and distorted synths to create a raucous, yet dream like sound. Think if Beat Happening and the electropunk style of Nervous Gender were thrown into a music blender. Also on the bill will be Philly’s Femsplainer along with local Buffalo act, Tina Panic Noise. It should end up being a full on party, perfect for a late Tuesday night. Doors open at 7pm, bands to start going up around 8. There will be meat and vegan tacos available for a dollar so get there early, and bring $5 for the door just in case.

Slowshine – s/t

March 16, 2017

Based out of Albany, shoegaze rockers Slowshine offer up a slick blend of new-wave elements and somber vocals, all with just the right amount of shoegaze haze on their recent self-titled release. Put out independently by the band on March 7th, the band is made up of Noah Bondy and Cameron Castan, who trade off on guitar, bass and vocals, Connor Dixon on drums, with additional guitar work by Nicholas Worchol. To talk about modern shoegaze would not accurately describe the kind of sound that Slowshine are bringing to the table. Instead of being a wall of sound, that’s been fed through a few dozen different pedals and distorted, fuzzed, and hazed out to near indefinability, Slowshine are much closer to the early 90’s variant of the genre, like Ride’s Nowhere. The band has more in common with Slowdive than in just their name, for instance. There’s a dream-pop like[...]

Turinn – “18 1/2 Minute Gaps”

March 9, 2017

Alex Lewis, AKA, Turinn is an English electronic producer based out of Manchester. From his debut record, 18 1/2 Minute Gaps on the always stand out label, Modern Love, drops the single of the same name. The title is a reference to the 18 minutes of unexplained erased audio, that in part led to the impeachment of Nixon. The inclusion here makes sense, and plays with the idea of absence revealing truth. “18 1/2 Minute Gaps” doesn’t waste time, jumping right into a moody house style beat that sits on top of a rich and dark synth. A quick shot here and there of high pitched, feigned, jazz style synth notes cuts through the gloomy fog of the beat. It’s an incredible blend of textures and electronic genres. The jazz synth itself is a very mutilated James Blake sample from one of his early dub EPs, that’s almost been turned[...]

CD-ROM – _001

February 27, 2017

Rochester synth punk outfit, CD-ROM offer up a multi-textured and infectious on their debut EP titled, _001. Assembled together like Voltron from various Rochester bands, Green Dreams, Leus Zeus, and Sports, CD-ROM consists of Jesse Amesmith on vocals, Nate Briscoe on bass, Trevor Amesmith on drums, Mike Turzanski on mono synth, and Kevin Burns on poly synth. _001 was self released by the band on February 18th. With a run time of almost 25 minutes, _001 is pretty dense for a debut EP, and that’s a plus because there’s a lot to unpack with this record. For one the group does not have a traditional punk set up going. There’s really not much of a guitar to speak of. Instead it’s synths trading back and forth that are backed by solid drumming that keeps the tight rhythms locked in. The bass here is really interesting because at times it’s in[...]

Newish Star – American Angelica Tree

February 21, 2017

It’s been over a year since local low-fi/indie group, Newish Star released their last record, 2015’s You Missed Everything – Part II. After ending their tour and with little noise coming from the trio in terms of new releases, there was the possible fear that we’d never hear anything from them again. Another tale of a local Buffalo outfit that ended up splintering band members and kind of fading off into the distance. But no, that’s not what this is about. Because on February 13th, the band put out a brand new release titled, American Angelica Tree. To say that it’s just a new release from the band wouldn’t quite do it justice. It is a collection of songs from the band released for us all to hear and enjoy, true, but really, it feels more than that. After a flurry of releases in 2015, it’s altogether possible that the[...]

Tonight: Radiation Risks

February 14, 2017

If you don’t have someone to be with this Valentine’s or need a last minute date idea, then Mr. Goodbar (upstairs) is the place to be this February 14th. The night will be part punk showcase, part date auction with proceeds going to Planned Parenthood. It’s the perfect way to go about Valentine’s Day. Set to thrash around tonight are lo-fi punks, The Drains, who will also have their new release, “Easy to Love” available. Along with them will be Radiation Risks (who also have a brand new release as of today) and Slow Cooker, with appearance by indie folk crooner, Bill Nehill. After the music you can put in your bid to win a date with a number of people who will be available for a charity date auction. All in all, it should be a fun night. The fun gets started at 7pm with a $5 cover. 21+.

Tonight: trunkweed

February 9, 2017

Baltimore based DIY indie pop outfit, trunkweed will be bringing their flavor of brash pop melodies and emotive lyrics to Mohawk Place tonight. This is the second stop on their first tour for 2017 and it’s likely not one to miss. Their newest record, you are a nice surprise has a subtle yet intense quality to it, like a compact, white hot flame that at times lashes out with a scorching intensity. Joining them on stage throughout the night will be Buffalo’s stripped down punk folk group, Velvet Bethany, psych rockers, Bold Folly, psychpop from Moody Cosmos, and some hardcore punk from The Drains. Doors are at 8 pm. and it’s $5 to get in.

Green Slime – The Vesta Rose EP

January 30, 2017

Buffalo two piece, Green Slime construct an energetic throwback experience on their new EP, The Vesta Rose, a follow up to their self titled full-length LP from September. Blending together grunge, indie, and pop-punk, the duo consisting of brothers, Eric Ellman on guitars/vocals and Blake Ellman on drums, aim to recall a particular moment in rock history while also adding a bit of modernity. Green Slime’s primary vein on this new EP is grunge, and it’s something the band is able to manipulate well. The tone of the guitar has a guttural quality to it that really captures that 90s grunge grit that became a staple of the genre. Especially here, that tone is needed, not only to evoke the genre, but in order to fill up all the sparseness that exists. As a two piece, the band consists only of a guitarist and a drummer. Unlike a group like[...]

Mallwalkers – “Dial ‘M’ For…”

January 23, 2017

Funk punk collective, Mallwalkers are back from their hiatus, or self imposed exile? Either way, they’ve returned and have brought with them to Buffalo a new LP,  “Dial ‘M’ For…” which is a follow up to their debut record, 2013’s Shake the Rust Off. Classic cinema fans will pick up the reference to the Hitchcock thriller, but unlike the director’s affection for putting his audience through a series of tense moments and plot twists, Mallwalkers places anyone who listens on a dance party crazed ride full of moments to get your heart pumping. A riotous mixture of musical genres ranging from hardcore, ska, funk, indie, soul and surf-rock, Mallwalker’s sound is hard to pinpoint. Even with their embracing of the funk musical aesthetic being as it is, they don’t sound anything like George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. Instead, the band collaborates together to create a sound that’s very much their own.[...]

Hot Tip – Hold Me, Closely

January 16, 2017

Hailing from Buffalo, Hot Tip delivers a cohesive collection of electrifying cuts on their new 12″ LP, Hold Me, Closely. Formed in 2013, Hot Tip is made up of Katherine Goewey on vocals, drummer, Irene Rekhviashvili, both from the band Pang, guitarist, Stephen Floyd from the Mallwalkers, and bassist, Keely Guiliano from Cross Stitch. Hold Me, Closely was one of those late 2016 releases that needed to be talked about in 2017. The quartet is not one to fall neatly into a singular classification of what it means to be a punk band, that would be too easy. That would be too boring. Instead, what makes the band interesting is the fact that they fill Hold Me, Closely with a balanced assembly of different punk/rock elements. The band prefers to describe themselves as “free punk,” as they’re not just one styling of the genre. They are made up of splatterings of hardcore,[...]

Space is Haunted Drop Full Album Contact

December 14, 2016

Buffalo-based low-fi post-punk duo, Space Is Haunted’s new record, Contact is an energetic barrage of crunchy guitar and ephemeral vocals that are all held up by consistently solid drumming. The duo is made up of primary guitarist and vocalist, Jamie Levy and drummer and vocalist, Katie Quider. Contact was released on local independent label, Drug Party in early December. Those familiar with Space Is Haunted through their local gigs and their two previous releases will notice some songs from the past that have found themselves on Contact, namely “Gone” and “On an Ocean,” from past releases Space is Haunted and For Science respectively. The new renditions of these tracks are tighter, more focused, with an extra bit of polish but still showcase the same drive and combination of elements that make the band so enjoyable to listen to. The group has grown and become more experienced but without having to[...]

Taking Meds – My Life as a Bro

December 9, 2016

Pieces of punk, a pinch of indie, a bit of math rock, and bitter pathos get thrown together to form the sonic base for Rochester, NY four-piece, Taking Meds. Released November 4th via Broken World Media, the band’s full-length debut record, My Life as a Bro is a sonic endeavor that seeks to incorporate math rock inspired riffs with the indie-punk sound that various members in Taking Meds had been playing with in their previous band, Such Gold. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Skylar Sarkis, who left Such Gold in 2013, along with current Such Gold members, lead guitarist and vocalist, Ben Kotin, bassist, Jon Markson, and drummer, Matt Battle. Taking Meds started when Sarkis was a part of Such Gold where he along with Kotin started experimenting with math rock style guitar compositions. My Life as a Bro opens with “Taking Meds” which gets up and going quickly. Full of[...]