Latest Posts

Luxury Suite – Sparrows / Starry Eyes (Evalina)

November 24, 2025

Luxury Suite might be a fresh addition to the Rochester marquee, but the DNA here is strictly local royalty. Featuring alumni from previous blog favorites SPORTS and Cottage Jefferson, the new group feels like a logical, sonic handshake between those two previous projects. They manage to fuse the angular, dancey post-punk rhythms of the former with the distinct jangle-pop sensibilities of the latter. It’s a sound that nods respectfully to New Wave titans—think the rhythmic elasticity of Talking Heads meeting the melodic jangle of The Smiths—while keeping a power-pop edge that recalls early Elvis Costello. After a summer of tightening up the set on stage, they’ve finally dropped their debut studio efforts, produced and engineered by fellow Rochester staples Josh Netsky and Sam Snyder of Maybird.   “Sparrows” serves as the high-energy introduction. It’s got a kinetic, upbeat drive where the guitars do a lot of the heavy lifting, chiming[...]

Slow Coast – Home of the Restless

November 23, 2025

We last heard from San Francisco’s Slow Coast when buffaBLOG reviewed their singles “Double Vision” and “Perfect Lie.” We’re happy to report they’re back – Slow Coast just released their stellar album Home of the Restless, which sonically presents itself as beach-y and somewhat psychedelic. The lyrics cover several topics related to self-discovery – here’s a little more from the band about their headspace while writing the album:   “Most of these songs were written in moments where I felt like I was standing in my own way – caught between who I thought I was and who I actually am. It’s about the quiet fights that happen in your head, the stories you tell yourself just to get by, and the clarity that comes when you finally stop running from them.”   Overall, this album is incredibly consistent, offering tunes that are reminiscent of Tame Impala, The Strokes, and[...]

Bullet Brak and R.A. the Rugged Man – “Mighty Dollar”

November 23, 2025

Rap mainstay Bullet Brak made waves for us with his tenacious April single “Eating Good,” and he returns to our pages with more insightful bars delivered with a junkyard edge to them. “Mighty Dollar” discusses the root of most motivations – money and how to make it. Brak’s always hustling, and makes clear thoughout the track that anything he can sell will be sold. The track gets an assist from alternative hip hop legend R.A. the Rugged Man, who’s primary method of income has been being one of the best lyricists in the game for something like 2 decades. His verse fittingly compares his talent to Satchel Paige, and we agree that his brain should probably be donated to science when it’s all said and done. Bump this in the gym, and add it to your favorite lyrical hip hop playlists. Check out more from Brak on Spotify, and listen[...]

Essy – “Thinking About You”

November 22, 2025

Essy is a master songwriter, having written for a bunch of artist on major labels… But we’re highlighting her personal single right now, “Thinking About You.” This is synthpop at its finest – gauzy and easy-going with lyrics about love and regret. It’s the title track of Essy’s new EP not too hot//not too cold and it’s not hard to see why. Give this one a chance, the mysterious verses have a wonderful pull, bursting into a pop-soaked chorus that’s catchy as all get out.   “Thinking About You” is available via YouTube (embedded below) and on Spotify.    

Hardbody Jones – “Nice Little Fit” ft. Nyota Parker

November 20, 2025

The latest single from Canadian artist/engineer/DJ Hardbody Jones is about satisfying your id when your ego gets a little bit ahead of itself. That’s a novel, highly-relatable concept. “Nice Little Fit” explores the cognitive trick of feeling fresh in the face of everything else crumbling. Hardbody and featured artist Nyota Parker offer vocals that fluidly float between rapping and singing as they take turns describing the real-world problems they face, reprieved only by throwing on their respective fits to get some gratification out of the uneasiness. Slick and sultry keyboards pace the single, adding an appropriately silky experience to a track  about feeling good. Hardbody’s got a quality library to explore on Spotify, and you’ll also catch him on our regularly updated New and Emerging Hip Hop playlist.

Club 8 – “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate”

November 20, 2025

What could we even have left to say about perpetual buffaBLOG staples, Club 8? The band is so, so good at writing simple and accessible indie pop with an ethereal touch – they certainly haven’t reinvented the wheel on “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate,” and frankly, that’s why we keep coming back for more. At a brisk 1:39, the song comes and goes before you know it, but not before packing it with a punchy snare, twinkling guitars, and just-barely-ghostly vocals that sit in a sweet spot in the mix.   “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate” is available on Bandcamp (below), or Spotify/Apple Music.   Another Faux Pas In The Cathedral Of Hate by Club 8

Night Talks – “Shadows On The Run”

November 20, 2025

LA-based band Night Talks keep it sleek and polished on their latest alt rock banger, “Shadows On The Run.” Inspired simply by a relationship that’s run it’s course, “Shadows On The Run” plays with crispy production and powerhouse vocals to build something that would fit comfortably on a shelf next to Paramore, LCD Soundsystem, or The Killers. We wouldn’t be surprised if we heard this one on The Edge (or Sirius XMU for you satellite heads)… So give it a listen now and tell everyone you heard of it on buffaBLOG before it was cool.   “Shadows On The Run” is available now – try Spotify or Apple Music.   Night Talks · Shadows On The Run

Kouskous Heaven – “Thinker Bell”

November 20, 2025

Eat your heart out, Disney Adults. Likewise for fans of small balls of crushed durum wheat semolina tossed with flour. Kouskous Heaven is here to blow your friggin mind – “Thinker Bell” is their latest offering, and it’s… insane. Math rock is the name of the game here – guitars and basses and drums obliterate the senses, offset by an absolutely stunning (and oddly, soothing) vocal. Almost like a Midwestern Emo Primus existed specifically in the year 1995. I refuse to elaborate on that statement any further.   Needless to say, Kouskous Heaven is one hell of a band and this song is surely going to turn some heads. Spotify embed below.  

Devreaux Scales – “Fall Forever”

November 20, 2025

Devreaux Scales, aka Matt Lavin and Jeremy Nunes, slammed together “Fall Forever” out of some really spicy guitar work. An urgent guitar pulls at your ear – octave chords are layered thick with chorus tones before dissolving into a bevy of harmonics, acting as the song’s powerful centerpiece behind the understated (but catchy) vocals. As the first cut from the duo’s upcoming album, Drain To Live, we can’t help but get excited for the rest of the swimmy sounds these guys are whipping up.   Check out “Fall Forever” via the YouTube embed below, or, head over to Spotify.    

Sisters – “I can’t see”

November 19, 2025

“I can’t see” is the latest track from Sisters, a half American/half British band. I’m unclear if the parentage of everyone involved is the union between a Yankee and a Brit or if some people are British and some are American, but I digress. The frenetic bass track that underpins the song through the first part is catchy as fuck and it eventually calms down for a bit before picking back up toward the end. I’m not sure what they classify themselves as, but this felt like the perfect amount of post punk for 2025 and, if their continued touring is any indication, probably in the years to come too.   You can hear “I can’t see” below from Soundcloud or over on Spotify. I was creeped out by the album art but after some time staring at it I dig it. It reminded me of a a cross between[...]

Sister Wanzala – “Winter Dominos”

November 19, 2025

Sister Wanzala describes their latest single as “cold funk” and … hopeful, romantic, or… tragic (depending on whether you squint). I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for, but I dove in and was greeted by the loveliest guitar tones and dulcet baritone vocals. They claim that everything is done at home on microphones that “should probably be in landfills,” but boy howdy does that not fit the description whatsoever.   “Winter Dominos” settles into an almost mournful groove and, dare I say, an almost jazzy mouthfeel? Somewhere between Alex G and Frank Sinatra almost feels like a cop out, but the more I say it the more it just makes sense and I stand by that assessment.   The Soundcloud embed is below, and the Spotify link can be found here. Be sure to add it to your winter blues playlist and give their back catalogue a listen[...]

RQTBL – “Joyce”

November 19, 2025

I was initially too blind to see what RQTBL stood for (Racquetball, for the uninitiated) but now I get it and I’m digging their latest single, “Joyce.” Probably about someone’s Mom or Grandma, right? Sounds like a Mom name. Nope, it’s about addiction and the toll it takes on your psyche (and we’re hear for it). Thrashing about with what I can only describe as diabolical sounding guitars, these Aussies are here to rock your face off and no I won’t elaborate further (just listen).   You can hear “Joyce” below from Bandcamp or over on Spotify. You can hear more of their sick punk tinged riffs and more on their 2025 album “Nosebleed Choir.” They very helpfully have their lyrics on their Bandcamp page for the song; I have a terrible time parsing lyrics sometimes!   Joyce by Racquetball

Lower Pony – Bluette

November 17, 2025

If you’re at all familiar with Buffalo’s music scene, you already know the guys in Lower Pony. Ray Fulton, Dave Calos, and Ryan Besch have been in and out of Harvest Sum bands for years, and they recently tapped Passed Out frontman Andy Pothier (another recent Harvest Sum inductee) on drums. So their first proper 7-inch, Bluette, isn’t really a debut, it’s more of a “hello again.” After a years-long stream of demos, these four tracks finally put the band’s sound on wax: lo-fi, 90s-indebted slacker rock. It’s a refreshingly traditional guitar/guitar/bass/drums formula that leans on good, honest songs, not studio tricks, pulling hard from influences like Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh.   The EP starts fast with the single, “Bluette,” a 59-second sprint that’s all tangled guitars and resigned lyrics (“if you feel this way / there’s not much I can say”). It’s as jagged as it is engaging and[...]

Giuseppe Cucè – 21 grammi

November 16, 2025

Hailing all the way from Sicily, Italian singer-songwriter Giuseppe Cucè released a cathartic, intense album called 21 grammi. The album title, which translates to 21 Grams, refers to an old theory about the human soul: during the exact moment of death, the human body, according to legend, would drop 21 grams in weight. This loss of exactly 21 grams is apparently the soul and all that cannot be measured – memories, faith, love, and so on – escaping the body when one reaches Death’s Door. 21 grammi, released by TRP Vibes and produced by Riccardo Samperi, relentlessly attempts to explain the human experience, with Cucè himself stating, “Within those 21 grams there is everything: what we have loved, what we have lost, and what still keeps us alive.”   The album begins with the sprightly “È tutto cosi vero.” Immediately coming to mind is the work of Forro in the[...]

The Feather – “Two”

November 16, 2025

We last heard from The Feather back in April with their track “BB,” a single off of their album of the same name. Fast forward a few months and now we have “Two,” set to be part of BB DX -the deluxe version of the original BB. Initially recorded along with the original slate of tracks for the album, it feels like adult contemporary had a lovechild with indie pop. This is a deliberate choice, as per Thomas:   “…The chorus reminds me a bit of some Phil Collins vocal lines, and it brings back memories of the music my dad used to play at home when I was a kid. The song is about being in a relationship, unconditional love, the fear of losing it, and above all, the bond between two people in the darkest moments.”   Honestly, the synth and guitar with the tight drum fills did[...]