Latest Posts

Ghostface Killah and BadBadNotGood – Sour Soul

March 3, 2015

After the needlessly complex, multi-sectioned production on A Better Tomorrow, Wu-Tang fans probably want another album of live-instrument production about as much as the MidEast wants another W. Bush administration. But where the RZA’s work on Tomorrow was too often flowery and excessive, Sour Soul’s sparse, brooding beats mesh perfectly with Ghostface Killah’s trademark intensity. In fact, it’s some of the best production on a Wu-Tang record in years. For that we ought to thank BadBadNotGood – a superb instrumental trio out of Toronto, discovered first by Tyler, the Creator (who, interestingly, has his own jazz aspirations). Their work on Sour Soul runs the gauntlet from post-bop jazz to soul to trip hop and electronica, sometimes all in the same track. More importantly, they prove themselves masters of tone and texture: it’s some of the most head-spinning production this side of Portishead. As for Ghostface, it could nearly go without[...]

Del Paxton Shares First Track From Forthcoming Split EP

February 26, 2015

If you haven’t heard about Del Paxton yet, this might be your first time on buffaBLOG. Hello. The Buffalo-based three-piece topped our top 20 list in 2013 with the song “Motion Sick,” played a slew of legit Buffalo shows, and most recently signed to emo revival label, Topshelf Records. Today, the wheels were put into motion of the upcoming 7″ split with Gulfer as the band premiered its new single “Bad Batch,” via Absolute Punk. Although I haven’t figured out how browse Absolute Punk for close to ten years, this is a major accomplishment. Thank you for the direct link. “Bad Batch” follows a similar formula that Del Paxton has mastered: Zach Schoedel and Dylan England’s dueling vocals, mathy clean heyday of Chicago emo guitars, and Greg McClure’s impressively tight drumming all culminating in a crescendo that make you want to jump over your friend to shout the chorus. Check it out[...]

Dan Deacon – Gliss Riffer

February 26, 2015

I have always had mixed feelings for Dan Deacon. Admittedly, I did not get into his music until his 2012 album, America, was released and immediately started back with his first album,2003’s Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat. His early material is some really abstract, sometimes ambient, and generally weird music that is definitely not for everyone. One track on his first record, “Glass and Metal,” just features smashing and banging metal and glass with added post effects. But the samples he used on these albums were amazing, making the three records incredible sounding, each one its own unique experience.  As he released more albums and his time progressed, so did his sound. That growth is most notable on his his 2009 album, Bromst. On this album, Deacon stayed with some of his sample based tracks, but added a heavy amount of rhythm and melodies, making much of the material catchier. Despite[...]

Made Violent – Made Violent

February 25, 2015

The hotly anticipated debut EP from local trio Made Violent has finally landed, and it is definitely our Album of the Week. This fine five song collection is what we’ve been waiting for ever since they exploded onto the scene and began their somewhat wacky, but not surprising upward trajectory towards this big label release. These guys turned heads with a few shows locally with their propulsive downtown NYC meets Manchester guitar rock before essentially disappearing from the local scene and reappearing at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and in NME write-ups for the band’s UK mini tour before being signed to Columbia Records. Which brings us to Made Violent, one of the tightest EP’s you will ever hear out of Buffalo, a scintillating collection of bottom heavy guitar jams, joyfully louche and nihilistic lyrics, and delightful harmonies. “Two Tone Hair” kicks it off with a perfect distillation of what[...]

Kid Rock – First Kiss

February 24, 2015

Believe it or not, Kid Rock turned 44 back in January, and he’s not sounding so young anymore. On First Kiss, his tenth studio album, the American Badass stays firmly planted in his front-porch rocker, offering up what might be the chillest, most country-infused music of his long and (somewhat) varied career. Of course it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The Kid’s been moving toward Seger-esque rock ’n’ roll, southern rock and country ever since he sang about putting your picture away with Sheryl Crow, peaking with 2010’s classic rock achievement Born Free. But where Born Free was endearing – almost charming – in its simple, sunny authenticity, First Kiss often feels cloying and repetitive. On the retro boogie-rock of “Good Times, Cheap Wine,” Rock yet again reminds us what he likes – which, in case you forgot, is “good times, cheap wine (and) backbeat rock and roll.” Elsewhere, he’s[...]

AIMES – “Harmonique Cosmique” (Late Night Version)

February 24, 2015

Brooklyn-based electro-afficianado, AIMES, released a new single this month titled “Harmonique Cosmique,” via up-and-coming record label, Wonder Stories. The label put out four seperate versions of the song, including a disco version, a late night version, an AM version, and a beach version, making “Harmonique Cosmique” basically a dance song for all occasions.  AIMES’ latest effort proves the artist’s ability to make a variety of dance music that should serve as ambassador to the genre . Go rent a sexy sports car or spend 8 hours at Uniqlo, just make sure AIMES’ “Harmonique Cosmique” is queued up.

M.A.G.S. – Cellophane

February 23, 2015

“Tonight was beautiful.” posts Elliott Douglas, the musical fulcrum behind Buffalo’s hottest new indie rock outfit, M.A.G.S. The three-word post hits Facebook at 3:11 a.m., shortly after (and undeniably in reference to) the band’s highly successful EP release party at Mohawk Place. The show was destined for success from the day it was announced; M.A.G.S. has picked up a noteworthy amount of buzz around Buffalo since self-releasing a handful of demos late last year, and the bill—rounded out with other big Buffalo acts such as Bryan Johnson & Family, The Slums, and Kharlos—was solid gold. Armed with their riot-of-a-good-time Cellophane EP and a fresh spot on the roster of Admirable Traits Records, M.A.G.S. is here to stay. Cellophane, as a whole, is the purest representation of Douglas’ ability to write hook after hook… after hook. Each of the expertly-arranged tracks brims with personality, whether it’s rhythm guitar played with the perfect amount of upstroke pep or a bass shred[...]

Zealot Teases New EP, Releases Alternative Take of “Spent”

February 20, 2015

The fuzzy, Fredonia bred trio, Zealot, have been hard at work on a debut EP for a while now, with hints that a May release seems doable. Today, the three piece teased the forthcoming EP, which is currently titled Foilage, with a new song called “Spent.” The version that will eventually appear on the EP will have a different sound, but for the alternative take on the track, the trio left the influences of Yuck and 90’s fuzz rock behind, and released a song that would fit nicely on a Modern Baseball or Front Bottoms record, or for a local comparison, think Alex Berkley fronting I Can See Mountains. Listen to the alternative take of “Spent” below and keep an eye out for the full EP later this Spring.

Adventures – Supersonic Home

February 19, 2015

With no prior knowledge, you would probably have no idea while listening to the new Adventures album, Supersonic Home,  that this band was made up of members of the brutal hardcore punk band Code Orange. Three of the four members of Code Orange decided to ditch the heavy breakdowns and join with two friends to go for a new project, solely for the sake of having some fun. Sonically, the two projects couldn’t be more different. While this is the band’s first full length, the quartet has been releasing splits and EP’s since around 2012. With the help of Run for Cover Records,  Adventures’ first album is now available. While the sounds that Adventures bring on Supersonic Home are nowhere near groundbreaking, the band still managed to put together a pretty solid album. The strong point of Supersonic Home is definitely the songwriting.  The hooks on almost every one of[...]

Gay Angel Releases First Installment of floral

February 19, 2015

We first stumbled upon Jake Bellissimo’s Gay Angel project in the summer of 2014, impressing us enough to select his song “Gloria!” as one of our favorite Rochester tracks of the year. The chamber pop musician is what you would call ambitious, collecting one of the biggest cast of musicians for his album places i’ll eat, people i’ll eat I have seen on a WNY release, maybe ever. Bellissimo decided to up the ante on his latest work, an expansive four part, 100-track project that would make Sufjan Stevens blush. The first album, floral, pt. 1, was just dropped a couple days ago on bandcamp via Roch label Drunk With Love Records. The remaining albums hope to be released by the end of April according to Bellissimo. For the first floral installment, Gay Angel has continued to hone his orchestral sound, with influences ranging from Owen Pallett to Beirut to[...]

Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors

February 17, 2015

Night Visions may have blown Imagine Dragons into the upper reaches of the stratosphere, largely on the heels of one unbelievably overplayed atomic-themed song, but a sizable chunk of music critics chided the young mega-stars for their safe, middling pop-rock approach, glossy production, and perceived lack of originality. Naturally, for LP No. 2, ID aimed for more “stripped back … rock-oriented” songs – a common-enough progression for groups in their position, taken by artists from MGMT to NIN. These shots at earthier, heavier and more stylistically diverse music is evident throughout Smoke + Mirrors. But they’re more decoration than excursions – means of dressing up songs that, at their core, are cringingly stale and uninspired. Opener “Shots” is unabashed dance-pop that hits cheese when aiming for cool, the trip-hop spaz of “Gold” falls back all too quickly on its big dull chorus, and ballad “It Comes Back to You” brings[...]

Red Heat Shares Follow Up EP, Poisoning the Grand High Witch

February 17, 2015

Valentine’s Day is a time of love and passion (and mindless consumerism, but I digress), so it seems almost poetic–ironic, even–that Red Heat put out a fresh slew of political punk songs to digest this February 14th. The EP, titled Poisoning the Grand High Witch, is red hot (heh) and dirty, channeling the emotional rawness of an early Cursive or Desaparacidos and the discordant dance vibes of Death From Above 1979. The new release is currently streaming over on Steak and Cake’s bandcamp page and is available as a pay-what-you-want download. Check out “CHOMSKY” below and follow the link for more of this biting goodness.

Joywave Annouces Debut LP, How Do You Feel Now?

February 17, 2015

After exhausting every ounce of airplay out of the breakout single, “Tongues,” Rochester’s synth pop five-some, Joywave, have finally announced the release of its debut full-length How Do You Feel Now?, set to drop on April 21st via Cultoco Music/Hollywood Records. The band has a couple area appearances coming up between now and then, including opening for Big Data, whose hit single, “Dangerous,” featured Joywave frontman Dan Armbruster on lead vocals, on Saturday, April 4th at the Showplace Theatre. The five piece is also set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, March 2nd The band’s latest single, “Somebody New,” has been getting some serious burn on Alt-Nation lately. Originally included on the 2014 EP, How Do You Feel, which also featured “Tongues,” the song will be the lead off track on the forthcoming LP. Listen to “Somebody New” below.

Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

February 17, 2015

Last Friday, Drake surprised fans with a drop of his newest mix tape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Rumors of the Toronto-born star’s newest project surfaced back in late November, when NBA Raptors’ DeMar Derozan hinted that Drake was working on a new peroject that would be released in January. The end of January approached, to no avail, when P. Reign of OVO and Reps Up confirmed the rumors of the mix tape, calling it some of Drake’s best work. Drake remained silent regarding the news until the 12th, when he posted album art for the If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late on Twitter, teasing fans for another 24 hours before finally dropping the tape. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late combines some experimental elements with other classically Drizzy ones, and the resulting sound is really refreshing. Staying characteristically true to his roots, the mix tape features[...]

Sufjan Stevens – “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross”

February 16, 2015

Sufjan Stevens fans rejoice! Earlier this morning, we were given a taste of the prolific songwriter’s new album, Carrie & Lowell, in the form of the deliciously dark folk morsel “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross.” It’s been a while since we’ve heard Steven’s folksier side, and this first single returns to those roots, paralleling the romantic aspirations of his earlier material, namely Seven Swans. The angelic harmonies and delicately cascading acoustic melodies lay a nice foundation that contrasts the darker subject matter this time around. Have a listen below; Carrie & Lowell drops 3/31 on Asthmatic Kitty. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/190647487″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”160″ iframe=”true” /]