Latest Posts

Sparklebomb – Bring in the Night

February 2, 2015

Last year, I was taken aback by just how haunted I was with Funeral Beats, the debut cassette from Sparklebomb, the alias of Angie Conte, one of the city’s more unique and intriguing electronic musicians. Mixing synth beats and textures with samples from found phone recordings, the mini album was a seance, a conjuring of ghosts that has stayed with me since I heard it. So when I heard there would be a follow up tape, Bring in the Night, I was excited to see what Conte had in store next. As I sit with it now, this new tape is as much a step forward as it is an exciting return to these haunted spaces. On the whole, there is something much brighter about Bring in the Night than the anxious spaces of Funeral Beats. This is not to say the sense of anxiety that hangs over the synth drones has been fully excised nor[...]

Alex Berkley Drops First Track from Latest Fun-a-Day Album

February 2, 2015

The start of February means the start of another month of Fun-a-Day. The now annual collective project, where people are asked to do something “fun,” normally artistically fun, every day over the course of our shortest, and at least in Buffalo, most miserable month (see outside currently), is a nice way to get through some winter blues. Curated by Sugar City, the finished products will be on display at the DIY headquarters on March 12th. In what is now becoming a yearly traditional, local singer/songwriter, Alex Berkley, has already begun his Fun-A Day project, following up last year’s ambitious Sick of the Sound of My Voice, and 2013’s 28 Days of Fun. While his 2015 project has yet to be titled, for this year’s album, Berkley has decided set his iTunes on shuffle, and whatever song comes up first, write an original tune about a memory said song conjures. Repeat[...]

Computer Magic – “Dreams of Better Days (Don’t Pass Me By)”

January 29, 2015

Brooklyn-based electro-pop solo artist, Computer Magic, shared with the internet this week a blizzard inspired gem titled “Dreams of Better Days.” Originally a Sullivan County native (we had to look it up too), Computer Magic should be used to the snow. Regardless, the (another word for electro pop) songstress spun the time where the city was crippled by the biggest snow storm of all time (oh yeah, it wasn’t). The elegant yet tense “Dreams of Better Days” recalls Au Revoir Simone, a touch of Metric, and even Buffalo’s long lost project, Love Scenes. Check out “Dreams of Better Days (Don’t Pass Me By)” below.

MD WOODS Drops First Single From Young and Vain 2. EP

January 29, 2015

Winter usually kicks my seasonal folk obsession into high gear so I was pleased to see that stand out Rochester folkie, MD WOODS, dropped the first single from his forthcoming album, the sequel to his summer released Young and Vain 1. EP, earlier this week. On the passionate “Finally in Love,” WOODS’ pleading and somewhat broken down vocals recall Heartbreaker and Gold era Ryan Adams, so if that peaks your interest, give the song a spin. “Finally in Love,” which can be streamed below, will be featured on Young and Vain 2. in the near future.

Cloakroom – Further Out

January 29, 2015

If you are at all into the somewhat relevant pop punk and emo scenes, you are bound to have heard of the record label Run for Cover Records, which is home to bands such as Tigers Jaw, Modern Baseball, Citizen, and Basement,  just to name a few.  One of the label’s more recent signings was the band Cloakroom, a trio of factory workers from Indiana. Cloakroom is one of those bands that is pretty hard to place into a single genre.  The way I heard it best described was slowcore, which seems incredibly fitting. The band is an amazing combination of alt rock, post hardcore, grunge, emo, and shoegaze that when combined, makes for an incredibly punchy, warm sounding record.  With countless bands trying to embrace this sound and seeming to come up short each in their own way (i.e. Title Fight, Pianos Become the Teeth, Whirr, Pity Sex, Nothing,[...]

Saint Opal Does a Futuristic Croon on Debut Track

January 28, 2015

In the past we’ve featured music from Ez Amadi including his track “Dali,” and now we’ve received news that he’s started a hip hop-RnB collective known as Black Sol. Included in this collective is Ez, recently featured rapper Dean Chatham, and singer Saint Opal, from whom we first hear from below. Floating on a acid-y beat, Opal croons over other-wordly synths on this ambiguous track of longing and apprehension. Her vocals are consummated with a trailing, echoey effect that makes the track ever more haunting. The Black Sol crew is hard at work, with two new tracks on their soundcloud in the past three days. Stay tuned for more from the Erie County crew. I’m anxiously awaiting some more stuff from their other two members, Melo Nymbus and Eddy Haze.  There’s a lot of talent on that roster.

Concreatures – Pretending to Swim

January 28, 2015

It truly goes without saying that the 90’s was an incredible decade for alternative music. Some would say it was the only decade for alternative music. The Brooklyn sludge rockers in Concreatures may have a thing or two to say about that. Their self-released debut album, Pretending to Swim, flows thick with 90’s influence but is not without its moments of contemporary bloom. The eight-track album hits hard, loud, and confident in all the right places; no doubt a modern alt-rock release to write home about. The album opener and single “White Noise” is a straight punch to the chest. In a hats-off to heavy gaze bands like Hum or Smashing Pumpkins, the song is thick and distortion-heavy, but also pleasantly melodic in the verses. It’s moments like this that give some of the album’s songs a good sense of dynamicity–the leads may be straight-up screaming, but that’s not to say the[...]

Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor

January 27, 2015

The Pale Emperor sure is shaping up to be the Marilyn Manson reinvention we didn’t know we needed. Facing a slate of lackluster records and diminishing stature in the mainstream media, Manson made a number of bold decisions leading into the recording of Emperor, his ninth studio effort. He parted ways with his longtime bassist-guitarist Twiggy Ramirez, choosing instead to record with Tyler Bates, an accomplished film-and video game-composer in his own right, having scored dozens of high-profile horror and action flicks. Perhaps more significantly, he largely abandoned whatever remained of his shock shtick, and stripped down his high intensity brand of industrial metal to a grinding, bluesy stomp. The LP opens with “Killing Strangers” – a knuckle-dragging death march over which Manson moans like a self-assured serial killer, sounding almost regretful as he proclaims, “You better run / cause we’ve got guns.” It could be a kiss-off to the[...]

Diet Cig – “Harvard”

January 27, 2015

We’ve been admiring from a distance San Francisco/Miami-based independent label, Father/Daughter Records, since its super impressive co-curated lineup with Miscreant Records at the co-presented 2014 CMJ party at Silent Barn. The label’s upcoming release which we are buzzing about in the office is from New Paltz-based duo, Diet Cig. With obvious comparisons to Swearin’, Quarterbacks, and Waxahatchee, Diet Cig is undoubtedly a band that should be on your radar in 2015. Coincidentally as of drafting this post, I just saw they are playing a show at the Glitter Box on Tuesday, March 24th along with Newish Star in support of the duo’s February 24th EP release, Over Easy. So see you then.

Pappy Stardust & The Eclectic Moon Sandwich Drops the Grimy EP, Your Local Lizard Band

January 27, 2015

After seeing the title for the new Pappy Stardust & The Eclectic Moon Sandwich EP, Your Local Lizard Band, I had to ask myself, what exactly is a Lizard Band? Pappy Stardust, by the way, is a lo-fi, messy, garage rock collective from our good friend and neighbor city, Rochester. After listening, it really made sense to me in an odd way. The group of revolving members’ latest tracks are an overall grimy combination of really cool, psychedelic instrumentals with heavily echoed vocals, and at times, even a bit of a surf rock. Your Local Lizard Band starts off with the incredibly groovy “The Lizard #3,” highly due to the prevalent plucked bass line and the catchy repeated guitar riff, and ends with the nearly 8 minute, mostly instrumental track, “The Wave,” which is truly a psychedelic monster. Your Local Lizard Band is an overall incredibly fun listen, and is highly recommended. It is available[...]

SPEIRS Releases Debut Single, “Headwarm”

January 26, 2015

Despite the “buffa” in our name, we definitely have a soft spot for our neighbors in Rochester. One of the sister city’s newest offerings comes from SPEIRS, a female-fronted post-rock group a la The Appleseed Cast. The group’s debut single, titled “Headwarm,” is a five-minute sweller, full of effected guitars (coming from some really tasty looking gear) and chill out vibes. According to the band’s facebook page, we can expect the rest of their EP in a few weeks. Until then, click the widget below to enjoy “Headwarm…” After all, the Northeast could use some extra warmth today.

Gaby and the Thurstones Contribute “Everything is Red” to Split Single

January 26, 2015

Over the weekend, a Rochester band that was new to my radar, although apparently not to the former host of the WBNY Local Show, dropped a solid single as part of the two-track Sport. Gaby and the Thurstones, a trio of singer/songwriters released a split single along with Little Alien, who I would assume to be another Roch act, but his FB page offers pretty much no info. Anyways, Gaby and the Thurstones’ contribution to the split, titled “Everything is Red,” is a pleasant cocktail of Fanfarlo, Local Natives, and Los Campesinos. It’s peppy, indie-folk with some chamber pop flair, and a bit of a ray of sun shine on an otherwise miserable winter day here in WNY. The full split single can be streamed here, and you can listen to “Everything is Red” below.

Is “FourFiveSeconds” Even A Song?

January 26, 2015

On paper, the Kanye West-Paul McCartney-Rihanna collaboration “FourFiveSeconds” looks huge, a swing-for-the-fences song that could actually change things. It features two of the world’s greatest pop stars, plus a Beatle, and other wild card talent, but virtually none of their presence is felt. The legendary Paul McCartney is reduced to tapping on a few keyboards—maybe guitar. Kanye deploys a brief, auto-tuneless vocal performance that is totally mailed in, and I have no idea what David Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors is doing here. For all we know, he was just hanging out in the same room while the song was recorded and got some props. A total of 10 people are credited here – a spare acoustic guitar song – that sounds like it was mixed down from just four tracks. The song’s uplifting, face-the-day tone feels like it could be sung at AA meetings or in one of those[...]

Andy Pothier – In Headlights

January 26, 2015

Delighting local music fans and folk lovers alike, Andy Pothier’s new album dropped earlier this month, highlighted by an intimate release show at Mohawk Place soon after featuring the likes of Sonny Baker, Damian, and others in support of the Pine Fever drummer. In Headlights, Pothier’s third release to date, and this week’s Album of the Week, is an heartfelt look at life’s ups and downs, covering everything from what it’s like to be twenty-one to what it’s like to be in (and out) of love. Many of the album’s eight tracks feature pretty, mellow instrumentals that lay a great foundation for Pothier’s earnest vocals. Musicians Billy Fortier and Sharon Mok (Tiny Rhymes) contribute background vocals throughout the album, creating sweet harmonies that make for an enjoyable listening experience. “Twenty-One Years” is notable in this regard. Album highlights, for me, include “The Lucky Ones” for its pretty guitar strumming and “Oh, to[...]

Alpha Hopper Release “85315,” Tease Upcoming LP

January 26, 2015

Alpha Hopper’s new single “85315” (pronounce it “Eight Five Three Fifteen,” I think) draws on much of what made their last album, Let Heaven and Nature Sing, so great. Here, like there, the band locks in and stampedes like a single minded beast, drawing power from a driving beat and singer Irene Rekhviashvilli’s forceful shouts. But it’s different, too: the jagged aesthetic has been augmented by vaguely Eastern melodies and rhythms and Rekhviashvilli’s vocals are a bit more out front, more chants than yells. The band sounds like they know what they’re good at and they’re experimenting with different ways to use it, which makes the prospect of their upcoming LP (set to be released this summer)  even more exciting. Check out “85315” below.