Latest Posts

PineSheets – “Sunday Afternoon”

February 11, 2016

Albany’s music scene is severely underrated. Their atmosphere is a lot like how Buffalo’s was in 2012-  minimal legitimate venues spaces for a local band to play and talented musicians constantly talking about moving to another city (mainly NYC). Even with the obstacles put in place, talented up-and-coming acts have been emerging (Slowshine, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Bare Mattress, Jouska, and The Black Ships, to name a few). Enter PineSheets, a wonky one-man producer/singer’s whose sound is something best described as weirdo-sensual. If Mac DeMarco were to write an album to try to seduce a woman wearing high-waisted jeans after binging on How to Dress Well, the after product would be pretty close to PineSheets’ current discography. The R&B Capital District sensation has released a new music video this morning for the song “Sunday Afternoon,” off the forthcoming EP Casual Frustrations out March 5th. “Sunday Afternoon”  in essence is about how much[...]

The Fig Mints Reveal First Single From Forthcoming Split

February 11, 2016

In preparation for another well-anticipated split release via Dadstache Records, the Rochester tape label has graced us with a single on the forthcoming cassette from The Fig Mints (ongoing lo-fi indie rock project of ex-Comfy guitarist Bobby Rogan) / The Real Burnouts (Utica’s premiere psychedelic bedroom warriors). The track, titled “And So On” and delivered from The Fig Mints’ side of the tape, cashes in on the joys of lo-fi fuzz, bearing resemblance the likes of Sebadoh and Violent Femmes. The song leaves behind some of the bedroom vibes of The Fig Mints’ earlier material, but the indie charm still flows forth, blue and true. Screeching guitars, handclaps, and tambourine—what more could you ask for? The split, titled “Revitalized Parts / Halo Lacerations” drops on 3/25, and preorders for the tape are now active over at Dadstache. Slam play below to stream The Fig Mints’ “And So On,” and keep[...]

Northern Spies Drop Do/Postcard

February 10, 2016

Today’s delightful bit of new music comes from Rochester’s indie rockers, Northern Spies. The band hasn’t given us new music to cherish in sometime since their 3-track EP in 2014, but with a recent Christmas single and two new tracks, it seems these guys are gearing up for something. The first single is “Do” a playful and energetic rocker that has a distinctly 90s alt rock sound. It’s an infectious little jam that easily worms it’s way inside your earholes and doesn’t seem to want to leave. Following that is “Postcard,” a track that seems to find it’s roots in the indie rock tradition of bands like Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, it’s this lovely meandering jam that shows a different side to the band and makes me excited for what’s to come. Let’s hope these two tracks are just the beginning of what’s to come for us from[...]

MONEY – Suicide Songs

February 9, 2016

Hailing from Manchester, England, MONEY’s aim is wide on their sophomore album. Titled Suicide Songs, the album takes on a large, atmospheric scope, and a tonality of self-oblivion. Here, lead singer and songwriter Jamie Lee tackles isolation and despair head on. He calls to mind The Smiths (with whom they share a hometown), a band that had a penchant for this kind of melancholy. Dealing primarily with loneliness, Lee accompanies his words with long instrument drones, lilting rhythms, exploding horns and lush strings. The arrangements truly are beautiful and the resonant production lends a perfect touch to the epic, almost uplifting musical tone. The overall combination creates a dual feeling of hope and desolation. Lee’s voice is thick-accented, rugged and meandering, reminiscent of The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan. He achieves an almost mellow, calming sound that is at the same time rough around the edges, especially when he reaches for the[...]

Moody Cosmos Reveals New Single

February 9, 2016

Last week, Moody Cosmos–the neo-psyche garage project of Mooses frontman Peter Cahlstadt—dropped a new single, making our early spring a bit more exciting. The explosive track, titled “Old Sarge’s Drop Zone,” is a departure from the outfit’s first single, the soulful “Rocky” (which, unfortunately, has disappeared from the depths of the internet). The new track is a psyche-glam cornucopia of instrumentation, opening with a tonky piano riff that eventually explodes into a liberal serving of fuzz, organ, trumpets and sax, recommended for fans of Foxygen, Sleepy Jackson, and Supergrass. The whole track listens like a grand psychedelic rock opera–politically tinged, wild and huge. Worth a spin. Downloads are available here on the Moody Cosmos’ bandcamp page, and it’s worth mentioning that any proceeds made from the track will be donated to Charity:Water, which aims to provide clean water to developing nations. More info on that at charitywater.org. Check out “Old Sarge’s[...]

Faire Écho – Child of Rage

February 8, 2016

Before the break, I mentioned that going into the new year buffaBLOG would be keeping you up to date on every new and exciting voice in local music. So it’s after eagerly waiting 30 long days that I can finally share with you one of those voices; Faire Écho. Faire Écho is the electronic brainchild of Buffalo native and former Sleepy Haha’s bassist, Derek Sullivan. Now residing in Neu-Ulm, Germany; Sullivan has taken to producing music full-time and the first results are nothing short of breathtaking. Child of Rage is the name of his forthcoming work, a loose concept album based around the destructive power of childhood pain and fear. The album follows a haunting series of vocal samples that thematically ties the work together using what sounds like childhood therapy sessions and chilling eyewitness accounts. While the album itself is still awaiting a release, Sullivan has released a collection[...]

Muler – Unlikely Soldiers

February 8, 2016

If there’s one thing I have learned thus far in life, it’s that there is no substitute for experience. In terms of being a musician, there’s a certain type of maturity that comes with two and a half decades of playing music together. It’s an unbreakable but tumultuous bond that controls the subtle nuances that take a band from being good to being nuanced. Rochester’s Muler has been a band since 1992 – that’s a lot of life experience. Unlikely Soldiers is Muler’s triumphant second full length since reforming five years ago. The songs are tightly wound, catchy, and earnest, comparable to The Get Up Kids in their Guilt Show-era. In fact, the vibes while listening to Unlikely Soldiers are enough to bring me back about 15 years in time. This is welcome nostalgia; a listen through Unlikely Soldiers feels like 2002 surging through my ears. This batch of 10 songs would sit nicely upon a shelf next[...]

Skirts – What Do You Wanna Do?

February 4, 2016

So, break’s over. January saw some fantastic releases, and although our blog activity may have waned through the month, that doesn’t mean we weren’t paying attention. One of those releases happened to be What Do You Wanna Do?, the new record from Rochester surf-poppers Skirts. We’ve been patiently waiting on this one since the quintet premiered the album’s lead single “Swimming” last summer by way of a live session at Rochester’s 1809 studios. The band also made their Buffalo debut at Nietzsche’s last fall, having played an electrifying set that included a couple of these tracks. WDYWD? polishes Skirts’ heart-throb beach pop formula into a catchy collection of songs with a particular focus on album cohesion and its tightly-knit arrangements. A single spin through the album yields a bit of fuzziness in the chest, a warmth most welcome in chilly February. You get tracks like the slow-burning “Golden Era,” which[...]

Short Moscato Releases Spree of Songs

February 3, 2016

Buffalo hip hop mainstay Short Moscato started off the New Year strong with four new quick-hitters in the month of January. Moscato dropped the 13 song Whatever/Forever project in the last quarter of 2015, an album filled with great tracks from he and his talented friends in the scene. This year’s loosies work off of the Short Moscato blueprint: a hard flow, personal lyrics, and beats of all sorts. The string was lead by “Turquoise,” an ethereal track with a heavy psilocybin influence. In between moments of reflection and revelation, Moscato cuts through with refreshing poignancy, as seen in the line “a Dutch should never ever cost more than $1.50.” Much of the track stays true to the titular theme though, as Moscato questions his need and habit and is guided by a narrator suggesting the use of turquoise as relief. Moscato goes on to appear on the Lucky Seven track “Netlfix &[...]

damian – Hazy 85

February 3, 2016

Former Buffalo now Brooklyn-based folk artist damian just released a spirited yet sweetly melancholic album of instrumental 80’s covers boiled down to the barest of bones.  Armed with a Casio keyboard and a roster of 80’s heavyweights from the Holy Trinity of Jackson, Madonna and Prince to Van Halen, Bananarama, The Bangles, Fleetwood Mac, and Billy Idol, damian is simultaneously merciless in his minimalist approach yet keen to get to the melodic and human heart at the center of each song. Unabashedly retro, Hazy 85 conjures memories of ancient home computers, vintage video game consoles,  and FM hit radio while reconfiguring his 80’s favorites into bit and byte soundtracks. It’s almost hilarious how thoroughly effective damian is at conjuring David Lee Roth’s growl or the otherworldly sweetness of Stevie Nicks through his vintage synth. In fact his cover of the 1982 Fleetwood Mac hit “Gypsy” is one of the clear highlights of the[...]

La Fiesta Lafayette Releases New EP

February 2, 2016

Mysterious lo-fi act La Fiesta Lafayette has just released a new three-song EP. Recorded on the cheap in in a run-down apartment with a gas leak, LFL has made efficient use of the surprisingly ideal bathroom acoustics. Capoed guitars and smooth mandolin tones lay the groundwork for LFL’s snarky, but fitting vocal delivery. What results is an impassioned acoustic effort in the same vein as Fevers and Mirrors-era Bright Eyes or Balance Problems. Check out “OpheliaOphelia” below.  

Boy Jr. – No Hard Feelings

February 2, 2016

No Hard Feelings is the debut EP from Boy Jr., musical brainchild of SUNY Purchase student Erica Allen-Lubman. Released just days before Christmas, Boy Jr.’s first effort is a solid collection of tunes. Written, performed, produced and recorded almost completely by herself, these five tracks are a fine sampling of DIY garage-rock from the Rochester based songwriter. Throughout, she employs a very lo-fi aproach, but the music never feels sloppy. It offers the right amount of minimal production you want from a garage-rocker, without sounding amateurish. Ms. Allen-Lubman sings loose, but never pitchy, with an alto-range voice and a vocal tone that has a feeling of carefree weightlessness. There is a touch of bright pop to it, just enough to supply a handful of rather catchy melodies and riffs. This is clear on the track “The Killers,” especially when the repeated eighth-note piano chords begin. But she never forgets the[...]

Five Songs We Should Have Written About in January

January 29, 2016

Okay, so over the “break,” I really could not pry myself from paying attention to what music was being released, so here are the songs I feel as though we should have shared with you. We are back in the swing of things with a preview set for tomorrow and back to programming on Monday. Welks Mice – “Talking Too Fast” It’s no secret that Welks Mice are truly unique and paint vivid pictures with their talented story telling. After close to a year of playing Buffalo’s DIY circuit, Welks Mice finally(!) have some recorded material. The nu-lounge duet released their first single “Talking Too Fast” along with “Dreams” and “Company Time,” in January. Centering around a vibraphone and highlighting lead-vocalist Max Weiss’s dramatic bravado,  the  minimalist duo’s “Talking Too Fast” is a great example of the band’s repertoire. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/240297245″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Aaron Welcher – “Bubble Gum”[...]

Matt Script Reveals New Video

December 23, 2015

Last week saw the premiere of the new video for Buffalo singer-songwriter Matt Script’s catchy new single, “See You Anymore.” The video was shot almost entirely on Snapchat and has a manic energy and offbeat sense of humor that perfectly reflects the breezy single. The new song is reminscent of bands like Wavves or FIDLAR but decidedly more melodic and harmonious. It’s impressive how effortless and infectious “See You Anymore” is when one would guess it’s creation was anything but. The track is a brief taste of his new album sharing the same name but leaves me eagerly awaiting to hear more in 2016.

Jacob Peter & Shauna Presto Team Up for “Wander”

December 22, 2015

‘Tis the season for merriment and friendship, and in the spirit of such togetherness (and apparently in my case, cheesy intros), we have a nice collaboration for you before the year comes to a close. Solo musician Jacob Peter has been all over the music scene lately, from the lush synthscapes of Humble Braggers to the axe-in-lap simplicity of his bluesy solo material. This time around finds Peter arranging and producing a track written and sung by buffaBLOG’s own Shauna Presto. In essence, the song, titled “Wander,” is a true collaboration; elements of both artists are easily discernable within the work, but not without an obvious symbiosis. Whimsical mandolin and Presto’s smoky-sweet vocals open the track, initially conjuring vibes of Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and the wilderness simplicity of Eddie Vedder’s solo material. Peter’s influence arrives later in the song with an evolving eclecticism in the instrumentation and[...]