Latest Posts

New Masons Release New Single

December 17, 2015

The end of December is always an awkward time to release music – most blogs are doing year-end compilations and best-ofs, music fans are checked out more concerned with visiting family and friends, and generally the atmosphere is not very inviting to new material. With that being said, we are usually too tied up with our own lists and people taking time off to invest time into new music, but after hearing New Masons‘ latest single we decided we had to share. The Fredonia-based band, New Masons, have released their newest single with newly ArcAtlas Records. a record label established only recently out of Fredonia’s Music Business Program. The single “Night Calls” is  an indie-pop gem, with soulful vocals, delicate guitars, an M83 Saturdays = Youth-esque breakdown, and retro Miami-vibes.  If you are a fan of St. Lucia, Ellie Goulding, or Blackbird Blackbird, then you would dig this up-and-coming act. It’s too bad Canary Birds called it[...]

Nylon Otters Reveal Debut Demos

December 16, 2015

At buffaBLOG, we try to make it our duty to keep an ear to the ground for the newest and most exciting in local music. We do this so that when we come across a band with an exciting sound and unique voice we can bring them to you first; Nylon Otters are just such a band. Nylon Otters is a Buffalo-based garage rock band with a distinctly lo-fi 90’s sound and has just released a series of demos. Being a series of demos, the songs have an obvious rawness to them, but across all eight tracks, Nylon Otters demonstrate a real fire and energy to their sound. Tracks like the blistering opener “Parrots” demonstrate their more playful side while “Down Drained” shows a shaggier improvisational side to their sound. The band’s sound can be compared to the trend of recent grungy garage rock from artists like Cloud Nothings or[...]

MileHigh’s M-A Drops Solo Project

December 16, 2015

Buffalo rap posse MileHighMuzik is a frequent feature for for the blog, namely because of their quality output combined with a seemingly never-ending stream of releases. Last December, they released a new track every day of the month, calling it Juugcember, and did the same thing this past summer in Juugly. Heavily contributing to the group’s success is leading rapper/producer M-A, the recent releaser of solo mixtape Feel Trip. The tape fins M-A working with members of his crew, but also take the experimental path that can only come with an independent mindset. The album kicks off the with the “Feel Trip Intro,” a melodic trap ballad of careful production and echoic singing vocals. The track is in the same vein as a Travis $cott song, but is brighter and perhaps with more substance, as M-A calls for his girl to stay with him as he falls. Its evolving construction is greater than that of[...]

Anthony Del Plato Releases Two New Singles

December 16, 2015

Our Batavian buddy Anthony Del Plato surprised us with a new two-song, EP last week, which he has affectionately self-titled. The first track, “Call and Answer,” is a wonderful addition to Del Plato’s canon. The song pairs autumn imagery with winter laments and is bolstered by spiraling guitars and Del Plato’s signature layered harmonies. “Numbers” is an ethereal take on a previously released song, reminiscent of Del Plato’s recent foray into electronica with new project, Tape Drive. As if that weren’t enough, Del Plato is on a roll having recently reunited with his Strings & Chords collaborator Bradley Kujawski for a one-off song under the moniker Junction Hill. Their new song, “Suburban Lawn Envy Blues,” is an upbeat number, despite the rainy weather being sung about. The grass is always greener, right guys?

The Black Ships – Dead Empires

December 15, 2015

The question of what would have happened in a world where Joy Division still exists is one of pop culture’s enduring questions. And while the Manchester foursome may have never been able to answer, Saratoga Springs’ The Black Ships may be able to, at least sonically. Awash in the same emotional bleakness and unease as Joy Division, and the same new wave pop hooks as New Order, the band finds a middle ground that immediately wins over fans of both groups. This, however, is no mere tribute band. While it’s easy to spot their influences, The Black Ships are making a definitive statement on Dead Empires. This is a act that sounds wholly unlike any other band in the upstate NY area but arrives fully confident in their technique and vision. Take for example the stellar “Sea of Cortez.” While the band’s synth/guitar combo gives a rather new wave vibe, The Black[...]

YLXR Releases “Covergirl” Remix

December 15, 2015

Buffalo electronic R&B producer YLXR balances maximalist synth and drum sequences with saccharine swells and exuberant vocal sample on his latest remix of the 2009 RuPaul track “Covergirl.” Keeping the bass and drum sounds rooted in the club, the artist patiently builds to the spirited drop that finds the woozy synth melody at its most compelling. With an ability to create interesting progressions from minimal beats to sample-heavy breakdowns, YLXR continues to impress with productions that combine pop sensibility with club music’s exultation. Stream/download “Covergirl” below [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234913496″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Parade Chic – One And Only Secret Dream

December 14, 2015

One of the most exciting developments for Buffalo’s music scene has been the emergence of progressive and vibrant art spaces like Sugar City and Dreamland as music venues. These spaces are not only excellent for shows, intimate and immediate; they bring the city’s art and music scenes together in a search for mutual liberation and survival, and foster a more open ethos for both artist and audience that makes bands like Parade Chic, whose debut One And Only Secret dropped on Bandcamp last week, more possible. Our Album of the Week, One And Only Secret Dream finds the previously lo-fi art rockers embracing a richer, almost chamber pop sound that’s preserves the Belle and Sebastian vibe while introducing an early of Montreal influence. Colin Griffin’s vulnerable and searching voice guides the whole effort, with standout cuts like the surging yet delicate “The Birds,” the simultaneously minimalist yet soaring melancholic title track, and[...]

Susanna Rose – Snowbound

December 7, 2015

Though this album was written during and inspired by last winter’s brutal reign (as detailed by Susanna Rose’s Bandcamp), there is something inherently warm and inviting about Snowbound. It takes a minimalistic look at some of life’s most tender moments — parting with a lover, suppressing a broken heart, convincing yourself of your own independence. Susanna possesses an incredible ability to be conversational through her writing. It almost feels as though a longtime friend is seated next to you, sharing her worries and shedding small wisdoms. On “Working Girl,” the opening track to the album, she sings “Oh, I want to go home / where the wind blows / and I’m not in an office every day / I can’t live this way…It’s time to go / because I’m going crazy here in my troubled mind / I need natural light / I need loving at night / I need a passionate life”. I’m sure every 9-to-5’er[...]

High Drags Side Project, SLUGS, Release New Single

December 4, 2015

SLUGS are a fairly new project for long-time collaborators (and siblings) Marissa and James Longstreet. We have covered the pair in the past under their high-energy electro-pop moniker High Drags. With roots in Rochester, SLUGS is now Los Angeles-based, and probably as opposite of High Drags’ vibes as it can get. The new project’s sound drawing comparisons to Courtney Barnett, Angel Olsen, or Deer Tick. “Anything’s Impossible” is desert-y rock and roll tune, with some 90’s grunge tinge. Check it out below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/233472120″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Peach releases new album The Fall of Rome

December 3, 2015

Buffalo production duo 桃 [peach] with only a pair of bandcamp releases to their name are responsible for one of the more unique sounds to come out of the local electronic scene. With their latest album The Fall of Rome, the artists explore sounds rooted in vaporwave, house, and electronica while adhering to the ancient Roman theme with track titles like “Julius Caesar,” “The Ides of March,” and “Fall of the Republic.” Opening with the downtempo, glitchy “Ode to a New Age,” Peach complements fiery drums with lush chords and dark atmospherics while the more house-oriented “Julius Caesar” brings to mind the work of Toronto duo Crystal Castles with its abrasive textures and frenetic synth leads. Their eclectic production skills lend themselves to more groove-based, mellow tracks as well with “Welcome to Rome” and “Crossing the Rubicon” providing a more subdued tone while maintaining the experimental, scatter-brained approach that characterizes Peach’s sound. Perhaps[...]

Petite League- Slugger

December 2, 2015

Baseball. Rock ‘n’ Roll. The Carrier Dome. Do those phrases resonate as “American” to you? Well, they should. And they’re three words that, more or less, resonate with the band from ‘Cuse known as Petite League. Petite League is a lo-fi garage rock band currently inhabiting Syracuse’s scene. The band’s newest release is titled Slugger. When one pays a visit to their bandcamp page, they’re greeted visually by a collage of vintage baseball trading cards which easily blend with Slugger’s album art. When you hit play on Slugger’s first track, “Ocean Honey,” you’re instantly transported into a basement in Syracuse with your cheap beer of choice in hand; accompanied by the smell of cigarettes, cheap whiskey, and the guy standing next to you. It’s garage-pop music for sure– in the same realm as early  Cloud Nothings, Ex Hex,  and Wavves. Each song brings an upbeat guitar riff– technical, yet not intimidating. Repeating melodies[...]

Prince Daddy & The Hyena – Adult Summers

December 1, 2015

Prince Daddy & The Hyena has me baffled. They’ve just put out something truly unique, an almost unclassifiable sounding new EP called Adult Summers. My attempt at classification: take equal parts Andrew W.K. and The Hotelier, and toss in a dash of The Locust. One of their songs even sounds like Atom and his Package. Either way, their music is fast, loud, and weird… In a good way. A very good way. Amidst the aggression, there’s a cavalcade (yes, a cavalcade) of really impressive and beautiful guitar work, not to mention the myriad of other creative noises peppered into the mix. At any rate, Prince Daddy & co. are pushing the limits of whatever genre they’re defying. In order to truly describe this band, you’ll probably just need to use the word “party.” If it’s not apparent by their irreverent approach to musicianship, Prince Daddy & the Hyena are a release from Broken World[...]

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – It’s A Holiday Soul Party

December 1, 2015

It’s not that holiday music stinks per se, it’s the fact that holiday music is bloody ubiquitous for a solid month; weaponized against us every time we go into a store (notably, except for The People’s Wegman’s on Amherst St). There’s also a lot of terrible holiday music out there, which doesn’t go well with the whole ubiquity thing, a shame considering most music fans have a holiday music stash of their own they annually retreat into. Beach Boys Christmas singles, “Christmas In Hollis,” Mr. Hanky’s Christmas Classics, Flaming Lips’ psychedelic Yuletide jams… we’ve all got something  that makes our ears feel warm and fuzzy in the month of December. Enter It’s A Holiday Soul Party, the latest from Daptone Records stalwarts Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a dynamite multi denominational collection of holiday classics that provides some serious emotional release while showcasing the incredible range and power of Miss Jones, and[...]

Gypsy Freight – I’ll hold this close

November 30, 2015

Ariel Piazza is not your run-of-the-mill college rock musician. Writing and performing under the pseudonym Gypsy Freight, Piazza paints emotional sonic portraits in a vein of ambient folk all her own. Her newest release, a full length titled ‘I’ll hold this close, ‘ bleeds with emotionalism, twelve tracks of ethereal folk atmospheric music worth swimming in. The thing about Gypsy Freight is that it’s not far off from what you’d expect if you were to imagine what the project sounds like based on name alone. That’s not to say the tracks aren’t striking (because they are), but the fact that many of the songs sound as if they were recorded in a halfway-haunted grand cathedral is remarkably suiting. Piazza’s voice is both sweet and powerful; this prowess is especially prominent in tracks like “I don’t know what I’m doing but I’m okay” and “building homes,” her Daughter-esque delivery riding the dark[...]

Orations Share New EP, Incantation

November 24, 2015

With two back-to-back weekends of 80’s dance parties and recent shows from Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Replacements cover bands, it’s fair to say that the spirit of the decade is alive and well in Buffalo. So if you miss the pulsating bass lines of New Order’s Peter Hook or the shimmering jangle pop guitar of the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, then Buffalo’s Orations should have you covered. The band just released its sophomore EP/7″, Incantation, and it’s four tracks of invigorating, post-punk gems. Orations show their immense range on Incantation, generating an ability to seamlessly transfer from the dreamy pop sounds of opening number, “Curses,” to the more nocturnal punk sounds of tracks like “Nosedive.” This is no imitation, though. While Orations dig from a plethora of 80’s sounds, there’s no particular band they seem to sounds like. Rather, Incantation is the sound of a band who grew up loving[...]