Latest Posts

Space Wolves – Space Wolves V

March 9, 2015

There is something honestly comforting about Nick Reynolds’ guitar playing. It suggests an alternate world of infinitely catchy pop rock where everyone is walking down a sun filled street whistling Space Wolves. Given that Reynolds’ lyrics are as angst ridden as his guitar is bright and chipper makes it all the better. On Saturday, Space Wolves released their 5th full length, appropriately titled Space Wolves V, after an almost two year hiatus. The duo has returned as if they never left, with no loss of their original immediate appeal. I find it sometimes very difficult to write a review of music like this,  harboring personal suspicions that magazines that run 4 sentence reviews have it right in general. This is not a dig against Space Wolves, far from it, it is meant to underscore that this tape’s pleasures are simple and immediately apparent (again in my alternate world where everyone[...]

Tonight: Flatsitter’s SAFE WOR(L)D

February 14, 2015

Let’s start with a brief mental exercise, run through all the possibilities one has for a Valentine’s Day activity, with a partner or with friends…Pretty cliche, pretty ‘done-to’death’ right? Well, tonight at The Foundry Lounge, there is actually something a little bit more unique, which is probably why it appears to be sold out. SAFE WOR(L)D is billed as a “shared virtual reality” experience. Guests receive a one-on-one session with an Oculus Rift, being placed in a series of utopian environments. For those unfamiliar with the Oculus Rift, it is a virtual reality headset that allows for full head movement and an overall immersive experience. This isn’t the Tron like virtual reality you remember from the ’90s. Presented by Flatsitter, this is sure to be an incredible experience for those in attendance. The first run of SAFE WOR(L)D was sold out, and from the looks of it, so is this[...]

Sparklebomb – Bring in the Night

February 2, 2015

Last year, I was taken aback by just how haunted I was with Funeral Beats, the debut cassette from Sparklebomb, the alias of Angie Conte, one of the city’s more unique and intriguing electronic musicians. Mixing synth beats and textures with samples from found phone recordings, the mini album was a seance, a conjuring of ghosts that has stayed with me since I heard it. So when I heard there would be a follow up tape, Bring in the Night, I was excited to see what Conte had in store next. As I sit with it now, this new tape is as much a step forward as it is an exciting return to these haunted spaces. On the whole, there is something much brighter about Bring in the Night than the anxious spaces of Funeral Beats. This is not to say the sense of anxiety that hangs over the synth drones has been fully excised nor[...]

Tonight: Well Rounded People’s Party [no. 3]

November 26, 2014

The night before Thanksgiving is sometimes thought of as one of the biggest party nights of the year as people goad themselves for the coming onslaught of awkward family interactions. Well, instead of the usual bar crawl or at least before the usual bar crawl why not take some time for some positive fun that goes toward a good cause at the third annual Well Rounded People’s Party. Even more exciting…you can have this fun on wheels! The Well Rounded People’s Party is an “all ages/all peoples” event and a rare opportunity to get your innovative media, great DJ sets, delicious food provided by West Side Bazaar, and an old-fashioned roller skating fun in one place. With sets by DJ Cutler, UVB76, Greg Howze, and DJ Dana Dancehammer, as well as an interactive live video projection by Chris Svoboda, this is sure to be a great time. So take some[...]

Mallwalkers

November 20, 2014

The only Buffalo band on the bill for this week’s roadtrip/showcase, Mallwalkers, may have to be airdropped into Rochester. Luckily blog editor, Mac McGuire, is a licensed pilot* and master of the skies.* That said, Mallwalkers will be rounding out this lineup by bringing their gritty brand of punk funk to Shelbyville…I mean Rochester. Mallwalkers have spent the year since releasing their debut LP, Shake The Rust Off, continuing to refine their sound and dominating whatever bill you put them on. Recently the band added two new members, Jaz Frazier (buffaBLOG alumni) and Mario Fanone (one half of UVB76), making the band perhaps the closest thing Buffalo has to an all-star band (way better than the Travelling Willburys). In addition to Saturday’s show at the Bug Jar (8pm, $7), the band has played and will be playing a few upcoming album release shows. I recently spoke with lead singer, Dan[...]

Bryan Johnson and Family – Cool Your Jets

November 10, 2014

Local cult leader, Bryan Johnson (that is why he calls his band ‘Family,’ right?) is one of the hardest working musicians in the city. His band has been a mainstay at local shows for years and with good reason, they are jittery, poppy crowd pleasers. And with the weather quickly cooling, the band has released a last burst of sunshine with its latest EP, Cool Your Jets. Joyful might be the quickest way to describe the bulk of Johnson’s music. Most of the songs on Cool Your Jets move quickly, featuring a bouncy beat and jangling guitars. That beat becomes the driving force behind the EP and really is one of the key features of the band’s unique sound. Impressively, Bryan Johnson and David Hamilton’s guitar playing is equally percussive, driving that bounce forward, and complimenting it well. In step with this is Johnson’s own good natured vocals. The EP evokes scenes of late[...]

Tonight: Zammuto

November 6, 2014

The recently resurrected Mohawk Place is certainly back with a strong lineup of shows to cement its reopening. Tonight, you can catch Zammuto, the latest project from one of the founding members of The Books, Nick Zammuto. While Nick Zammuto has been busy releasing music on his own since 2001, Zammuto is his latest project and has released 2 albums since The Books split up in 2012, including the upcoming Anchor.  Of no shock to fans of The Books, Zammuto’s music is equally creative and eclectic albeit in a more poppy direction than the previous group. Tonight’s show is a great opportunity to catch Zammuto on their small US Tour. Also, the band built a trebuchet for their latest music video, which is a pretty good reason to see what they are capable of live. Tonight’s show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $12 at the door.  

Tonight: White Fence

October 19, 2014

There is something in San Francisco’s water supply that seems to enable a seemingly endless stream of musicians to release an equally endless stream of amazing psychedelic garage rock. Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees spring to mind first but you should not forget the output of White Fence, aka Tim Presley. You may recognize the name of the excellent collaborative record he did with Ty Segall last year. This year, Presley released the excellent Segall produced LP,To the Recently Found Innocent. White Fence’s output is, perhaps, the most accessible of the artists mentioned earlier. Pop rock inflected with just the right amount of grit and strange, To the Recently Found Innocent stands as one of this summer’s most memorable releases. Tonight, he will be brining White Fence to the Tralf to what should be a very good way to spend a Sunday night. Joined by King Gizzard & the[...]

The Tins – Young Blame

July 14, 2014

There is a fantastic moment right in the beginning of the Tins’ latest EP, Young Blame, where a synth kicks in and the chorus brings an immediate smile to your face. It is that often sought after moment where a new song hits you in just the right way. This is the follow up to The Tins debut LP, Life’s A Gas, and my own introduction to the band, and I honestly feel really bad about not hearing them until now because this is some really solid psych pop. Young Blame opens with “Let it Go,” a slow building track leading into that earlier mentioned near perfect chorus. Those synths follow directly into the first single, “They Aren’t Evil,” an introspective song about diametric oppositions and always being somewhere between. “They Aren’t Evil” showcases vocalist Mike Santillo’s pleasant tenor (fun fact, Mike is also a real pleasant guy), a classic kind[...]

Tonight: Brötzmann/Parker/Drake Trio

June 8, 2014

Tonight is a rare opportunity to catch the international free jazz icons, Brötzmann/Parker/Drake Trio, at Hallwalls. Formerly a quartet, the trio is comprised of Peter Brötzmann (saxophone), William Parker (double bass) and Hamid Blake (percussion). The performance promises to be a nearly cosmic exploration of sound at the limits of jazz and hopefully a beautiful descent in cacophony. So, if you have had your fill of bland indie and want a chance to hear some difficult and invigorating avant-garde music, head to Hallwalls. Music begins at 8pm. Brötzmann / Parker / Drake Trio Hallwalls Sunday, June 8 • 8:00 p.m. FREE ($10-20 suggested donation)

Tonight: Squeaky Wheel Presents Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

May 28, 2014

Continuing their series of excellent and innovative music documentaries that I seem to always be out of town for, Squeaky Wheel will be showing Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell tonight. The movie focuses on the life of the avant garde fixture who died of AIDs at 40. Russell’s work runs the gamut of disco and more experimental cello compositions. Tonight’s documentary is an episodic look at Russell’s life coupled with a wider look at the main cultural currents around his work. As always, the work will be followed by a performance by a local Buffalo artist. In this case it will be the very active cellist, T.J. Borden. Tonight’s screening will begin at 8pm in Hardware’s back room. Squeaky Wheel members are free, non pay $7.

Tonight: The Aquabats

May 5, 2014

Everyone has their cultural/musical touchstones and if I were to point to one of my earlier ones (we are talking late 90s’) I would have to point to the Aquabats. In Middle School, I found very little to identify with in the alternative music that circulated among 13 year olds in ’98, I was not particularly dark or edgy but I was still alienated all the same, it was just a goofier kind (see: young nerd). So when I heard the Aquabats, specifically their first two albums, something clicked. Awash in a campy California aesthetic that was equal parts 60s’ Batman as it was third wave ska, I was instantly drawn to their songs of martians, powdered milk and forlorn crushes bathed in blaring poppy horns and rapid tempos. Even if I started to lose track of them as time went on and my taste shifted, I still returned to[...]

The Tins

April 22, 2014

Hello and welcome to the first in what I hope to become an ongoing series where we check in with various local bands to ask that question that pops into our head from time to time, “what are they up to” these days. It has been a little while since we last heard from The Tins after they initially took Buffalo by storm in 2012. And, judging from this interview and their recent logo contest (submissions due April 25), they are preparing to come back with another string of solid releases. So, what are they up to? What is your band currently working on? Dave: We are currently prepping for our summer release.  We are all very excited! When was the last time you released an album? Adam: Back in 2012, when we released our first full-length, Life’s A Gas What has changed since your last release? Adam: We’re pretty much[...]

Still Diggin’: Our Tribute to Record Stores and Record Collecting

April 14, 2014

By now, it is almost a cliche to point out that, with the rise of digital media consumption, there has been a parallel rise in older formats rooted in its physical existence. For every E-Book reader, you will find another person loudly decrying the value of books. So it is with music that, with the ubiquity of now streaming music delivery, many still cling to their ever expanding record collections. I don’t want to say one format is better than the other because, in the end, digital would win from a practical standpoint (ubiquity, takes up no space, infinitely portable, etc.), and I personally think that the two can exist together quite peacefully. But, I think it is also very human to want to have something tangible to tie us to the things we love, a way of connecting ourself to the world around us through the medium of records,[...]

Tonight: The War on Drugs

April 13, 2014

To get to the point, The War on Drugs’ most recent record, Lost in the Dream, is one of the most universally likeable rock records to come out in awhile. It is an early contender for album of the year and will definitely make many top 10 lists barring some sort of truly miraculous run of records (which, by all means, is welcome to happen) between now and December. If you are like me and would only love Bruce Springsteen if he were a little more influenced by Neu!, then this record is a must listen. It is as precise and charging as it is dreamy and lyrical. If you ever wondered what would play if you were ever standing atop a train driving into the American West and looking towards your future, this is it. Don’t even try to act like you haven’t pictured this before. With that introduction, it[...]