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Tonight: Jonathan Richman

Jonathan Richman has been writing and recording for roughly 40 years, and whether it is his prodigious solo output or his legendary work with the Modern Lovers, Richman’s influence and impact are undeniable. Tonight, he will be performing at Nietzche’s. Those who have attended his shows in the past continually note how enjoyable and charming Richman’s performances are so do not pass up tonight’s opportunity. The songwriter will be joined by drummer Tommy Larkins this evening at 9pm. Tickets can still be purchased at the door for $15

Tonight: Neon Indian

After about four years of silence caused partially by a stolen laptop, Neon Indian’s Vega Intl. Night School is one of this year’s surprises. Vega Intl. sounds like something you might hear in a restaurant in Blade Runner. A solid record oscillating between atmospheric synth tunes akin to music from Italians Do It Better and the aggressive tight groove of album highlight “Slumlord.”    Tonight, Neon Indian returns to Buffalo for the first time since a great show at Soundlab a few years ago. Playing at the Tralf, the group will be joined by Explorer Tapes and local electro-spectacle performer, Lesionread. Doors open at 7pm tonight and tickets can still be purchased for $19.

Tonight: Mikal Cronin

Over three albums, Mikal Cronin has established himself as an incredibly consistent and solid musician, creating catchy and throughly enjoyable power pop since launching his solo career in 2011. Having previously recorded with Ty Segall, Cronin skews in a sunnier direction that Segall’s sludgey garage rock, favoring lusher instrumentation and more tuneful vocals. Obviously indebted to the heady mix of yearning and soaring melody that characterized Big Star’s  most upbeat songs. Cronin’s most recent album, MCIII, released earlier this Spring fills out the promise of his breakthrough, MCII, with better recording quality and added strings and horns. The album’s latest single, “Made My Mind Up,” playing to all the right anthemic notes. This concert should prove an excellent way to celebrate the last few blissfully nice nights of Summer as it gives to chill of Fall. Doors for tonight’s show open at 7pm with a cover of $14. Arts & Crafts pop artist[...]

Tonight: Ratatat

On tour in support of their 5th album, Magnifique, Ratatat will be stopping in Niagara Falls to perform at the Rapids Theater tonight. Rising to the prominence in the 00’s for their hip hop remixes and equally engaging hip hop influenced instrumentals, the group has been consistently making solid and interesting music for over 10 years. Magnifique, released earlier this summer, sees them returning more closely to the style of Classics after a more experimental turn on their last two albums. The record’s single “Cream on Chrome” features an almost baroque groove and infinitely catchy melody. This is sure to be an excellent show and a great way to spend one of these final sultry nights of the quickly waning summer. Tickets are still available for $30 at the doors, which open at 6:30pm.  

Tonight: Kevin Greenspon

Tonight, Squeaky Wheel hosts what promises to be an engaging performance by composer and video artist, Kevin Greenspon. Greenspon will be performing To Leave a Mark, a collection of electronic music that mixes spacious melody with spurts of noise and distortion and is intercut with fast cut video montages promising to coax “the viewer into a state of self-reflection.” Touring regularly for years, Greenspon also finds the time to run the record label, Bridgetown Records, which releases music by his “like-minded peers from the deep reaches of the underground.”  Opening for Greenspon is Frankie NP and Nick Gordon: two Buffalo artists who have performed for years under a number of guises and monikers, each instantiation of their work showing equal talent and inventiveness. This is not a performance to be missed. Music begins tonight at 8pm. The first come, first seated event is$5 for non-members, free for Squeaky Wheel members.

Tonight: METZ w/ Viet Cong

Mohawk Place hosts a seriously stacked lineup tonight with bands touring in support of some the year’s best releases. METZ, after opening for Lightning Bolt and releasing their stellar second albums return to Mohawk Place, joined by Viet Cong and Crosss. METZ have released two albums to date, both equally unrelenting and visceral. Their performances are ferocious and gloriously loud. Viet Cong are touring in support of their full length debut LP, Viet Cong, released earlier this year to wide acclaim. Their songs are delightfully bleak, jittery and dense, each track shifting and pulling the floor from under you at every point. Rounding out the bill is Crosss, a sludgey and heavy counterpoint to the comparatively quick moving Viet Cong and METZ. To sum up, tonight wil be a heavy and amazing lineup of bands at Mohawk Place and we will need a written excuse, signed by a parent or guardian as[...]

Tonight: Mr Twin Sister w/Moon King

Mohawk Place will host the hard to pin down Mr Twin Sister tonight. The genre hopping band has released a handful of EPs and a short album over the years, with music running the gamut of indie pop to disco. Consistent throughout is a playfulness and an apparent refusal to be boring. Joining them is the Toronto based duo, Moon King, touring in support of their debut LP, Secret Life, which was released back in April. The pair’s music is dreamy and perfect for an easy going summer night like tonight. The show features two great bands for a very nice price of $14. Those heading to Mohawk surely won’t regret it. Doors open at 8pm.

Tonight: Soul Night

Word on the street is that there is a storm brewing this weekend. Meteorologists are yet unsure if it will be a real SOUL storm, but if you come down to Milkie’s tonight, you are sure to feel the thunder in your soles. By now, Soul Night is a Buffalo institution, a seasonal night of some of the best pop music ever recorded and one of the city’s sweatiest dance floors all organized to benefit the tireless work of Sugar City. This is fever pitch level stuff folks. Have you ever seen what this music does to people? Have you ever, say, listened to Sam Cooke by yourself? You know its power, you know what it can do. Now imagine it louder, in a bar full of some the city’s hippest kids. Yes, you see why you cannot miss this event right? The rain forecast tomorrow was ordained by the[...]

Tonight: Real Estate

You know what’s boring? Talking to Real Estate agents. You know what’s not boring? Going to see the band Real Estate at the Tralf tonight!  The New Jersey band’s easy going guitar driven music is the perfect vibey accompaniment to the eve of the summer solstice. Opening for the band is the excellent guitarist, William Tyler, whose instrumental pieces are reason enough to show up for the show early. But, if you have a Herd Fest bracelet, you should already being showing up early because the first 30 bracelets get in for free. Local sunny songwriter Bryan Johnson has just been added for local support, so celebrate the summer and head to the Tralf tonight. Doors open at 7pm and tickets are $23.

Tonight: Queen City Music Lottery #2 Showcase

The Queen City Music Lottery is an exciting experiment  that tests some of the myths we hang onto about bands, such as that they are made up of organically formed people who share deep personal bonds. Obviously, we know this isn’t actually the case but on some level, I think we unconsciously subscribe to this. This is why the Lottery sounds so intriguing. What happens if you assemble bands via lottery, what kind of random combinations of people does it create and what kind of music can they make in a short time? As I mentioned, the Queen City Music Lottery is Sugar City’s annual event where bands are assembled by drawing names out of a hat. These bands can be made up of long time musicians or people who have never picked up an instrument in their life, the bands are assembled and given a few months to coalesce.[...]

Tonight: Neutral Milk Hotel

At a certain point, the idea of seeing Neutral Milk Hotel in concert was akin to a talking dog, fantastic if it happened, but totally impossible. Tonight, Neutral Milk Hotel, reunited and touring, will be performing at a sold out Asbury Hall at Babeville tonight at 8pm. The band really needs no introduction, but for those unaware, Neutral Milk Hotel are best known for their 1998 album, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. The record, a masterpiece of surreal and sometimes violent beauty, is a touchstone for many. The band’s legend only grew when, following the album, band leader Jeff Mangum disappeared from the public eye altogether, surfacing to release field recordings from Eastern Europe at some point in the 00’s. Finally returning, first on a solo tour and now with the full band, Jeff has returned. Tonight’s opener is Circulatory System, a psychedelic band commonly associated with Neutral Milk Hotel along[...]

Still Diggin’: I Hate Record Store Day

In the summer of 2002, I went and bought my first record at Home of the Hits. It was The Shins’ Oh Inverted World, and it cost me about 17 dollars (I really don’t remember the price to be honest). That day, I spent a sleepy afternoon flipping through all of the records, carefully weighing my limited budget against my nearly unlimited options. I took it home and must have listened to it nearly every day that summer. I have collected records and used it as my primary means of purchasing music ever since, and the question I sometimes ask myself, in the face of a wide variety of ways to listen to music from Pandora to Tidal (can anyone say Tidal with a straight fact by the way?), why do I still go with LPs as my preference? Thinking it over, I think my reasoning comes down to a desire to[...]

Tonight: Lightning Bolt w/ METZ

Tonight’s Lightning Bolt show at Mohawk Place may be so sold out. There were ten tickets for $15 each left at midnight, so if you haven’t already purchased a ticket, now is your absolute last chance. I really encourage you to do so because the last time Lightning Bolt was in town, it was absolutely bonkers and amazing. Lightning Bolt have recently released their first album in over 6 years, Fantasy Empire, through the always solid Thrill Jockey records. Lightning Bolt’s music is a blistering attack of noise and sound but, as their live performance makes abundantly clear, one in which the duo has total control over. This is as much a physical accomplishment as it is a musical one and you have to wonder how they manage to keep pace with what they are doing and how they don’t collapse from exhaustion after a few songs. If the show they played[...]

Tonight: Boyharsher

Wednesday seems like a good night for music on the darker side, which is good as Dreamland will be host to 3 excellent acts. Tonight’s Boyharsher show is a great fit for those looking brooding, moody music that is at times danceable. Boyharsher fills out the danceable card, performing minimal wave songs with an industrial edge. Combining sparse synths with droning vocals, the Georgia based duo is sure to put on an excellent show. Local post-punks, Orations, offer a guitar driven counterpoint playing music reminiscent of Bauhaus and early Cure. Heart Brains are billed as “thoughtful’ noise-drones. Oddly enough, they are the harshest sounding band in a show featuring another band with ‘harsh’ in their name. For only a $5 donation to the awesome space at Dreamland, this is a great way to spend a Wednesday or any day really. Show begins at 8pm.

Tonight: Newish Star

Whenever Mac assigns me to write a preview, I quickly listen to a few songs to get a feel for each band and go on writing. I mean, I am sorry, I only have time to listen to so much. It is actually a little unusual that I will get so caught up in the music that I just go and listen to a band’s new cassette from start to finish. This is what happened with Newish Star, playing tonight at the Glitterbox with a host of other bands. For those unfamiliar, Newish Star plays guitar driven music reminiscent of Jawbreaker and Archers of Loaf. The trio’s latest cassette, How Soon We Forget, was released this month. It is excellent. Hailing from New Paltz, Diet Cig also recently released an excellent cassette of earnest, guitar music featuring declamatory vocals. The group is currently on tour in support of the release, Overeasy. Over easy happens[...]