Latest Posts

Daniel Robinson Drops Latest Single, “Head Trauma”

September 17, 2014

Buffalo born electronic musician, Daniel Robinson, has just released his latest single, titled “Head Trauma.” The song, which is currently available for sale/download on iTunes, is tense cut of industrial synth pop gives off an NIN meets Postal Service feel. Robinson has popped up on a couple Dreamland showcases lately so keep an eye out for when he is back in town from recording in Toronto here and there. Listen to “Head Trauma” below, and while you are at it, head over to Robinson’s new website and browse around.

Handsome Jack Releases Music Video For “Right On”

September 17, 2014

Following the release of their new single “Echoes,” Buffalo retro rockers, Handsome Jack, have continued to tease their forthcoming record, Do What Comes Naturally, with a new music video for the song “Right On.” The Go Pro (?) filmed clip for the soulful, slow burner finds the band performing the single while making some late night stops around the city. If you like what you hear, make sure to join Handsome Jack at Mohawk Place on October 24th to celebrate the release of Do What Comes Naturally, or if you are impatient like me, head down to Nietzsche’s this Saturday to catch the boys open for Buffalo Killers. New songs will sure to be tackled. Watch the video for “Right On” below.

Sea Oleena – “Island Cottage”

September 16, 2014

It’s rare that a song I’m blindly listening to can be so capture that I just stare at a motionless video but, Sea Oleena’s “Island Cottage” does just that. The song is a little dated, close to a year and a half old, but luckily music has no expiration date. It is beautifully somber, encompassing, and gorgeous. Fans of Beach House, Youth Lagoon, or even Iron and Wine would dig it. Check out “Island Cottage” below.

Aaron & the Burrs Drop New Single, “Release the Bats”

September 16, 2014

It appears that the September Polar Vortex is upon us, slowly surrounding us like Union Soldiers at Wounded Knee, minus an aristocratic narcissist with a wicked mustache. As the weather gets colder and greyer, it’s hard not to focus on the inevitable coming winter. However, it’s not all bad. Maybe the news of new music from the instrumental surfer post-punk outfit, Aaron & the Burrs, will raise your spirits or at least your body temperature. The trio is comprised of Nicholas Reynolds (guitar), Eric Bifaro (bass), and Carson Cain (drums) and have been playing together for close to two years in various West Side basements “Release the Bats” takes you to a place where terms like Polar Vortex only exist in dystopian novels penned by Eastern European writers with names you always mispronounce. When I listen to Aaron & the Burrs, I imagine I am on a tropical beach sipping finely aged rum[...]

Wild Bear Releases Debut Single, “Glass Ceilings”

September 15, 2014

“Glass Ceilings,” the debut track from mysterious new local act Wild Bear, is a tempting morsel that fuses chilled out minimalist electronica with soulful spoken word vocals reminiscent of Bill Withers and Grizzly Bear. Throw in some inspirational pro feminist lyrics and you’ve got something that makes you want more. Follow Wild Bear on Twitter here and stay tuned here for the latest developments from this enigmatic new band. Update: Wild Bear’s full 3-song EP is now streaming on the act’s bandcamp page.

Joseph Michael Wesolowski – The Spine and Telephone Wire

September 15, 2014

Diving into Joseph Michael Wesolowski’s The Spine and Telephone Wire was a curious affair for me. Running just under 16 minutes, the 4 track EP should seem short, but after one listen-through, the melancholic folk songs provoke an aching familiarity that makes it feel like I’ve been listening for years. Spine is more than just a 4 track display of musical competence—it’s a beautiful moodscape that is as inviting as it is dismal. “’Cause I lie inside a chalkboard, teacher scratching nails on my walls / and I’m staring at the floorboards, running bravely through these halls” starts Wesolowski on EP opener “Grange.” His lyrics are clever and contemplative throughout the record and are often times given the spotlight, as most of the instrumentation throughout Spine (usually an acoustic guitar coupled with waves of ambient noise in the background) sits slightly behind his soft howl in the mix. His singing[...]

The Slums Release Highly Anticipated EP

September 12, 2014

Is it an EP if it’s three songs? A question that often keeps me up late at night. Anyways, we have been anticipating the release from Buffalo-based four-piece, The Slums, since we caught wind of their formation earlier this year. Comprised of past members of The Malones, Scales, Strangers, The Boy and His Machine, and recorded with Paul Besch at Quiet Country Audio, the debut already commanded respect long before the release of any material. On surface level, it seems as though The Slums pick right up where The Malones left things with the first track on the EP, “The Devil,” which could have easily been track seven on the band’s widely popular 2013 release. Where The Slums really start to make it’s identity is with the second and third tracks, “Hot Skins” and “Sore Eyes,” which introduce lead singer Steven Floyd’s growling manic and throatily desperate vocals, a sound[...]

Anthony Del Plato Releases New Song

September 11, 2014

If you’re even the casual buffaBLOG reader, you know that we sort of have a thing for Anthony Del Plato. Between his phenomenal debut EP, 8 Old Vines, his apocalyptic themed follow-up, we sill still be here tomorrow, and most recently his project with Crows and Jays’ Brad Kujawski, titled Strings and Chords, Del Plato has received 100% positive praise from the buffaBLOG HQ. His latest single, “Numbers,” is no different. The song’s formula is much like previous Del Plato works, with solemn Minus the Bear-like vocals, lyrics that read like a coded diary entry, and a cohesiveness that many strive for, but few achieve. Check out “Numbers” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/167175955″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Difficult Night Drops New Track

September 11, 2014

Slacky folk-rockers Difficult Night have just updated their Soundcloud page with a spankin’ new number. The new track, titled “Turn My Back,” doesn’t stray far from the band’s signature sound, sitting somewhere between the practiced bagginess of a Pavement jam and the lo-fi indie jangle of All-Time Quarterback. Singer/guitarist Shane Meyer lays his customary spoken-word singing style over a foundation of rhythmic piano octaves and a twinkly guitar riff, resulting in a sound that is decidedly Difficult Night with a fun new flavor. Oh, and towards the end of the song there is a bomb guitar solo that could pierce a concrete slab. But don’t just take my word for it, press the play button below and give the fresh track a listen for yourself. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/166436608″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Rochester’s princess//princess Releases New EP

September 10, 2014

Call it punk, call it lo-fi, or call it tweemo, Rochester’s princess//princess’ new EP is full of it. Upon reaching my goal, I am completely underwhelmed. is a set of six raucous bedroom-esque recordings full of bouncy guitar and, at times, some surprisingly dark lyrics. My personal favorite was the brooding “BFF <3 (metacaricature),” full of minor chords and lyrical curses like, “I won’t be there when you’re drowning in the ocean. I’ll be drenched in suntan lotion.” A close second was the album’s second, albeit upbeat metacaricature, “The Girls School (another metacaricature).” They’ve offered it up for free – follow the link to bandcamp below.

Louis Bijoux Releases Debut Album

September 9, 2014

One of the more interesting releases we have come across this week is the debut project from Rochester based pop musician, Louis Bijoux. That’s about all we could find on the guy. His first release, Bijoux, is a collection of lo-fi, Cure-esque post punk backed by off-beat, Wesley Willis melodies, in particular on track four, “Tetra Town.” The album’s stand out song, the playful “Owe Ya,” sounds like Ariel Pink if he had to play an 80’s prom Check out the full album at Bijoux’s bandcamp page here, and if you know more about this project, let us know. Listen to “Owe Ya” below.

Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World

September 8, 2014

What do you do after mysteriously and quietly disbanding one of Canada’s most buzz­worthy acts? Well the answer turns out to mysteriously and quietly reunite and record an amazing sophomore album. Death From Above 1979 is back with a decade of experience behind them, and it shows in The Physical World. The guitar hits hard, the lyrics bite down, and all of the tracks feel gritty. The album is fresh while still accessible to the fans that have worn out 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. There is a mix in The Physical World that will hit a lot of different cords. I hear flashes of the White Stripes, Them Crooked Vultures and even Fall Out Boy, but all blended together in a way that creates its own unique sounds. The duo does not betray its roots with the new album, and that is exceptionally clear in their radio releases “Trainwreck 1979” and “Government Trash.” If[...]

Interpol – El Pintor

September 8, 2014

After nearly twenty years of creating music, inclusive of a four year hiatus, New York City’s Interpol has produced an astonishingly flat album: El Pintor. At best, El Pintor is pedestrian; at worst, it is banal, unimaginative, and something of a cop-out. Perhaps it was the hiatus (2009-2013) that threw the band off kilter. Quite possibly, they are losing their touch, or maybe, after gathering such an ardent fan-base for nearly two decades, they merely stopped trying. Reminiscent to a bad amalgam between The Strokes and R.E.M., it sounds promising. The ultimate result, however, lacks any novelty. Upon first listening through the album, I initially had the impression that I had heard it somewhere before. This is, of course, because the album is indistinguishable from any other run-of-the-mill alternative rock album out there. In fact, what is probably most disheartening about El Pintor is not necessarily that it’s bad, but that it left me with no[...]

JOHNS Drop Exclusive New Track

September 8, 2014

Buffalo trash rockers, JOHNS, have just dropped a new single on their Bandcamp page. The song, titled “Palace of Ill Control,” offers the first taste of the band’s forthcoming LP Grift Marks. The new album has an anticipated winter release via Peterwalkee Records, the label responsible for Mallwalkers’ Shake the Rust Off. (It has also been rumored that PW is to have a hand in cross stitch’s new 7 inch—fingers crossed.) JOHNS’ new single hits pretty hard and sounds like something you might hear if you decided to bust out an old Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game—a driving punk rock number fit to grind the tops of buildings to. The cryptically charged lyrics are sung with an urgency that brings stampedes and landslides to mind. Better be along for the ride. Check it out below.

Alpha Hopper – Let Heaven and Nature Sing

September 8, 2014

The title of Alpha Hopper’s Let Heaven and Nature Sing hints at harmony and order, and despite the fuzz and the dissonance, the album churns like a fantastic machine, pistons and gears lifting and pulling in sync. The two main drivers: the jagged, restless guitar work of John Toohill and Ryan McMullen and the stressed-out, frustrated vocals of Irene Rekhviashvili. Drummer Doug Schneider is no slouch either, holding things together behind the noise. But it’s the interplay between Rekhviashvili’s strung-out shouts and the guitars’ driving crunches that gives Let Heaven and Nature Sing much of its character. Take opener “Western Walk.” It starts off with an uneven stomp of a guitar riff which mimics the heavy steps of a drunk on a mission. Before your ear can adjust to the rhythm, Rekhviashvili comes in with her own off-kilter croon, filling spaces you didn’t even realize were there, drawing out and[...]