Latest Posts

FRENSHIP – “Carpet”

March 30, 2016

LA-based electro-pop tagteam, FRENSHIP, released their first single off their upcoming EP last week and it’s a good one. The duo, composed of two former LuLulemon co-workers, teamed together to craft music they are passionate about / write songs about bangin’ on carpets. The EP, due out this summer, is lush with grandiose-sounding mixtape jams for fans of Passion Pit, Humans, or Stepdad. Check out their lead single “Carpet” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/254298840″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Sun Cut Flat – “Warped Buddhism”

March 29, 2016

Right from the start, Sun Cut Flat’s new single “Warped Buddhism” grabbed a hold of my ears and would not let go. The Brooklyn-based collective, fronted by Nick Lattanzi with support from a rotating cast of Berklee-trained musicians, is best described as a mix between early Caribou, Antelope or Nomo. Fans of the aforementioned would appreciate the driving/ethereal instrumentals combined with washed out vocals. Sun Cut Flat’s new EP, titled Obscurities, comes out this morning and is available for purchase over here. In the meantime, check out “Warped Buddhism” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/254276112″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Wild Year – “Setting Yourself on Fire”

March 28, 2016

LA-based indie rock act, Wild Year, released a single this past month that is totally shareworthy. The track “Setting Yourself on Fire” is starts off like a clean indie popr ock track with lead vocalist Cole Morrall cooing “none of us are what we seem, you’re still talking  without sleep, pictures of me will burn in your hands, you still tell me this was my plan.” Assuming this song is about this song is about the disintegration of a relationship, the chorus is what is most powerful and lingering. If you are a fan of Memory House, Trails and Ways, or Beach Fossils, you’d probably dig Wild Year.  Check out “Setting Yourself on Fire” below.

Lost Kings (ft. Katelyn Tarver) – “You” (Proppa Remix)

March 25, 2016

Without a doubt, one of the hottest pop singles of 2016 thusfar has been Lost Kings’ and Katelyn Tarver’s “You.” It came in just the right time for when Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” was one play away from getting annoying. Almost on cue, Lost Kings and Katelyn Tarver delivered a song that nourishes our need for falsetto vocals, bass drops, Latin rhythm, and an infectious chorus. The song was perfect… until Chicago-producer Proppa got a hold of it, re-worked the song to give it an almost Bag Raiders feel, and made this song absolutely contagious. Take a listen below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/251193042″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Alex the Astronaut – “Half of 21st Street”

March 24, 2016

Aussie native turned temporary New York transplant, Alex the Astronaut, released her first single close to a month ago, and it’s an indie-pop gem. Alex is a passionate story teller, and “Half of 21st Street” is a testament to her skills. The song is a love story (as half of songs are), of two individuals that start innocent and develop into something that is real.  If indie-pop Regina Spektor with an Australian accent sounds appealing, then you’ll be into Alex the Astronaut. Check out “Half of 21st Street” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/246479469″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Kindatheart – “Perception”

March 22, 2016

Sometimes a song just hits you at the perfect moment and seems almost like you are in a movie. This is what happened to me when I popped on “Perception” by University at Texas  at Austin enrolled ndie act Kindatheart, when I was driving through into the nicest day since November watching dirty snowpiles melt into nothing. The quartet’s sunny sounds is obvious a product of their environment of constant and sometimes brutal Texas sun. If Buffalo’s Bryan Johnson and Family are Lake Pop,  Austin’s Kindatheart is River Pop.

Kvlt Ddy – Springing Graves

March 22, 2016

Kvlt Ddy (pronounced “Cult Daddy”) is a band native to Syracuse that issued their fifth release, extended play Springing Graves, a little more than a week ago. The EP’s cool color schemed cover art looks like a beautifully violent fuse of Avatar‘s prettiest foliage and The Terminator’s skinless skull –  an accurate visual for the music, oddly enough. Kvlt Ddy’s self-proclaimed pop bummer rock and lo-fi emo genres justly portray their songs. Kyle Beam, Alex Palumbo, and friends composed shoegaze with two different stylistic foci: synth-heavy, effect-drenched shoegaze, and a fuzzy, distant, noisy variant. Admittedly, the group’s duality helps give the three song-EP an overall lost feel. Springing Graves makes it easy for you to keep your head down and bob about half-wittingly, forgetting your troubles. “Lingering Will” is the first song off this boisterous crew of recordings, the name providing effortless foreshadowing for what is to come. The tune begins with a clean,[...]

Plain Brown Envelopes – Love In A Plain Brown Envelope

March 21, 2016

Alright Buffalo, let’s slow it down a bit. This week’s AOTW comes from a fresh collaboration between songwriter Bill Nehill (TMMC, Poison Arrows) and arranger Katie Quider (Space Is Haunted, The Patterns). The new project, titled Plain Brown Envelopes, channels low-tempo dark folk vibes, Nehill’s brooding songwriting conjuring Jeff Mangum in his darker moments and at a significantly lessened BPM. Quider’s backup vocals and arrangements provide a ghostly edge to the gothic-tinged folk project, whose eight-track debut Love In A Plain Brown Envelope offers a deceptively powerful collection of tracks perfect for the last gasp of a long winter. At the core of Plain Brown Envelopes sits the enduring songwriting of Bill Nehill. The craft is juxtaposed nicely with elements of both stoicism and desperation, tonalities spread throughout the album like a hand of fanned-out playing cards. The strange thing about this album is the fact that it was recorded[...]

BIG FRED Shares Single Off <3pals<3

March 16, 2016

Incoming! It’s no secret that Rochester’s local music scene is teeming with top-qual bands of all genres (personally, I like to call Roc city the “indie rock capital of the state”); best make room for one more. Meet BIG FRED, one of the scene’s fresher additions. Composed of Conor McCann (guitar/bass/vox) and Dylan Vaisey (drums), the duo’s fuzzy, spastic sonic creations are nothing short of interesting. Lead single “Worm” mixes a Pedro the Lion-like lyrical longing with an explosiveness akin to the ever-inventive Wolf Parade. It sounds like throwing a firecracker at a beehive and the subsequent ‘get-the-fuck-outta-there’ that follows—fun-and-games right into life-or-death. The rest of the five-track debut, titled <3pals<3, follows suit with intermittent blasts of sludgy fuzz (the band’s self-coined “trash pop” classification makes almost too much sense), spastic and creative rhythms, and healthy portions of wonderfully janky riffage throughout. Cassettes are available here via the Poughkeepsie-based Sad[...]

PineSheets – Casual Frustrations

March 16, 2016

… Think a completely synthetic Elvis Depressedly meshed with the trippy-ness of Youth Lagoon. The previous ellipse is necessary as it reflects Casual Frustrations‘ tendency to slow your breathing as you become entangled in its dizzying churn. For PineSheets’ new EP, sole songwriter/producer, Joseph Vita, wrote six cohesive songs, their simplicity bordering on nothingness. The songs as a whole represent the stale depression Vita experiences throughout his daily affairs. Via R&B, soul, and experimentation, PineSheets succeeds in creating an attractive EP. Casual Frustrations kicks off with the whimsical, fluttering “Can’t Wait.” About a minute in, the piece transforms into a noticeably jazzier mix, in which Vita sensually creeps forth eventually singing about his excitement to give his love some sugar. The lead single, “Sunday Afternoon,” takes you on a twisting journey through the latter half of the weekend (typically the less exciting half). Vita exclaims, “I need to find something to occupy[...]

dreambeaches Release New Single

March 15, 2016

Buffalo-based beach-y trio, dreambeaches, released their first single off their forthcoming album Habits. dreambeaches, lead by Corey Bzibizik sprang onto the local scene last year after splintering off from local synth-pop band,  Humble Braggers (and bringing Jacob Peter and Gabe Wells from said band along). Set for a late spring release, the summer-y lead single “Graduation Day” is a fuzzy-pop song that delves into casual frustrations – road rage, cocky college students, and watching a relationship fade away while you are still treading water. Put some shades on, drive with the windows down, blast “Graduation Day,” and care about nothing. Hakuna Matata.

Joywave – Swish

March 14, 2016

One straight half hour listen through later and I can totally see why after only a few days of availability, Swish has taken the world by storm. There’s no doubt that Joywave’s newest 10 song release will take you on a ride. Not necessarily a roller coaster ride, more like a gentle lift on the back of a golf cart while doing donuts in a parking lot at ten miles per hour (this is a compliment because it is a very fun time doing golf cart donuts!!!). Though the title of the release utilizes one of Kanye West’s discarded album name ideas, the band boldly claimed the appellation for themselves and made it every bit their own. It’s clear that they wanted to stick with the aesthetic of the How Do You Feel Now? era based on the cover artwork, and how could they not? After expressing his fond attachment[...]

ROMP – Departure From Venus

March 14, 2016

When two individuals meet via Tinder, one would be safe to assume that there is a certain “connection” waiting to be made. That swipe to the right might result in a new partner if you catch my drift. In our age of digital love, what does a Tinder swipe really mean? In the case of Madison Klarer and Lucas Dalakian, Tinder was the vehicle that helped them create a completely professional musical relationship, aptly-named ROMP. Stranger things have happened, right? Either way, ROMP specializes in fun, synth-laden pop rock that’s riding the third-wave of nerd-chic acts a la Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball with a female-fronted touch (think Field Mouse or Tancred). In yet another stellar “aptly-named” decision, ROMP decided to name their first LP Departure From Venus. Themes of alienation, confusion, and twenty-something woes permeate the nine-songs on DFV. Opening track “Backfire” is an archetypal example of ROMP’s specialties – bouncy pop-punk about the awkwardness[...]

Feverbox Release New Single

March 10, 2016

Buffalo’s Feverbox might not be from the Heartland, but one listen might be enough to fool you. Reminiscent of bands like The Black Keys and Alabama Shakes, Feverbox arrive as a band with a deep soulful blues rock sound. Their latest single ‘Voices’ is an absolute full-fired barnburner of a song. “Voices” is drenched in atmosphere and is absolutely infectious, with one of the slickest hooks I’ve heard in a rock tune this year. If you find yourself lamenting the recent lack of great blues rock bands, the Queen City might not be the first place you’d think to look, but Feverbox proves it might be the best place to look. Catch them on April 15th at Dreamland with Bryan Johnson and Family, Skirts, and Dreambeaches. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/250124709″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Nudes – demos

March 8, 2016

After releasing their debut EP last year, The Nudes have compiled a collection of b-sides simply titled demos. Here, the Syracuse quartet offers songs that were recorded in a basement over the span of a couple years. Naturally, this provides a very DIY, lo-fi feel to their overall sound. demos starts off mellow but gradually picks up the pace, and by the third track, “i never know” they’ve hit their stride. Once “i never know” gets going, it sounds like it could be an early 60s rocker from the likes of The Kinks, or a modern equivalent from The White Stripes. This vibe permeates throughout most of the album. But amidst all of the grimy rock they mix in songs like “ghosts” and “hurt to feel” that feature electro-beats and arpeggiated synths. Together, it creates an interesting and enjoyable balance. The lead vocals predominately feature singer/guitars Mim Reading, with the occasional appearance of[...]