Latest Posts

Newish Star Shares Previously Unreleased Track, “Food Chain”

October 8, 2014

After a fairly busy morning, we thought this today’s content would be suffice enough to take the afternoon off to go grab a Chippy Sandwich down in South Buffalo. Turns out, Newish Star debuted to the internet an unreleased b-side from their original Look Both Ways recording sessions and we decided we couldn’t sleep on it.  Titled “Food Chain,” the track is slowed down a bit from the band’s usually upbeat repertoire, but the crunchy, menacing chords should let the track fit in quite nicely among some of your favorite college rock tunes. Listen to “Food Chain” below.

Bryan Johnson & Family Signs to Admirable Traits, Releases “Dead Fox” Single

October 8, 2014

Local lake-pop act, Bryan Johnson & Family, have announced that their new EP, Cool Your Jets, will be released next month via Admirable Traits, a record label with Buffalo and Brooklyn roots. The album’s first single, “Dead Fox,” just premiered this morning, and BJ & crew absolutely kill it. The guitar and vocals are pristine, the melody as bouncy as expected, and the production is wonderful. The song is a fantastic power-pop jam that refuses to let summer die. Bryan Johnson & Family will be celebrating the release of Cool Your Jets on Thursday, November 6th at the Waiting Room’s newly opened upstairs studio. The $10 cover includes a physcal copy of the EP. Mallwalkers and Del Paxton will be providing support. Listen to “Dead Fox” below.

Danimal Cannon Drops Latest Chip Tunes Single, “Love Live New Fresh”

October 7, 2014

Buffalo’s most popular chiptunes producer, Danimal Cannon, released early this morning his first material in close to ten months. The single “Long Live New Fresh” stays in Cannon’s realm of expertise, with glitchy, gameboy music combined with upbeat tempo’s, providing more of an 8-bit journey rather than a surface level song. Listen below.

Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in the End

October 7, 2014

Make no mistake: despite the well-trodden narrative of 21st century Weezer as the sad, emotionally dead carcass of a once-great rock institution, the past 14 years have been good to Rivers Cuomo and co. Though critical and fan consensus regards their work in the 2000s as unequivocally terrible (which it is, by and large), none of that really affected the band in any discernible way, either commercially or emotionally. They continued to pump out shit albums with shit covers and shit lyrics, and even managed to find their biggest hit along the way with 2005’s “Beverly Hills.” They continued to tour, they sold Snuggies, they had their own goddamn yearly musical cruise. You saw them live when they came to town, you rolled your eyes as they played “We Are All on Drugs,” and then you started screaming when the iconic opening drum fill to “Undone (the Sweater Song)” kicked[...]

A Hotel Nourishing – Empty Gesture EP

October 6, 2014

For those of you who still cannot comprehend how A Hotel Nourishing is just two people—guitarist Sonny Baker and drummer Cameron Rogers—you’re not alone. I, too, have struggled with this concept since the band’s conception over seven years ago. Anyone who has seen the duo play a live show knows what I am talking about; it sounds like there are four or five of them onstage. Yet with a single guitar, a pedal or two, and a drum kit, the pair pulls off a sound so rich and intricately arranged that your double take will do a double take. That roughly equates to a quadruple take, mathematically speaking. This past Friday saw the release of A Hotel Nourishing’s long-awaited Empty Gesture EP, a six-song scorcher that, like their 2007 debut Deux Ex Machina, features that familiar original blend of “almost” math rock and post-punk artistry that made them so buzzworthy[...]

Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes

October 3, 2014

Over the years, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has garnered attention as a sort of outspoken purveyor of electronic music. Upon being asked what he would pick if he had to choose between using a guitar or the medium of electronic production for the rest of his life, he infamously responded with the latter. Eight year after his first solo album debut, The Eraser, Yorke has finally released another, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, for all to access and purchase via Bit Torrent (a sort of statement on digital music circulation in itself) late last week. The 8 track album, teeming with choppy and subdued production and foreign yet string-like synthesizer arrangements, ambiguously fuses human expression with the paradigm of technology. It’s Yorke in his most experimental leanings, the score to the anatomy of a loading motherboard. As a digital manifestation, these shadowy, slightly paranormal instrumentals prove to be the ideal backdrop to[...]

She Keeps Bees – Eight Houses

October 1, 2014

She Keeps Bees is a homemade band. Essentially an alias for minivan loving front woman Jessica Larrabee, the act has been self-releasing EP’s and LP’s alike on their own since 2008. Eight Houses, the third LP release from the Brooklynite ex-pats, marks only the second LP released on a proper label. In the past, Bees have glided between folk and blues garnering comparisons to Patti Smith and Cat Power. As flattering as that may be, it is a bit of a lackadaisical nod. A more accurate comparison would be The Heartless Bastards and even Bad Company. What works on this record is its simplicity, with the main focus being Larrabee’s booming and penetrating vocals. Her gentle, supple guitar riffs, and the drumming of Andy LaPlant take side stage to the golden goose that are Larrabee’s vocal chords. She manages to deliver strong mono harmonies, which is a feat on its[...]

Sunny Union Premieres New Single, “Wild Mountain Thyme”

September 30, 2014

Late last week, Rochester born folk act, Sunny Union (the moniker of Sunny Zaman), released the first track from his forthcoming album, Wollstonecraft II, the follow up to the January released Wollstonecraft. Titled “Wild Mountain Thyme,” the rustic number is full of gorgeous, Fleet Foxes harmonies, and contemplative acoustic plucking. The song was originally written by folk singer Francis McPeake and has been covered by White Antelope, the solo project of Robin Pecknold (speaking of Fleet Foxes). The now Brooklyn-based musician plans to release the full album sometime next month, so keep an eye out. Listen to Zaman’s take of “Wild Mountain Thyme” below.

The Architects – Border Wars Episode II

September 30, 2014

The Architects, the four piece who hail from Kanas City, MO, jog back and forth between classic rock and melt-your-faces-off dirty, grimy punk rock on Border Wars Episode II, the latest installment of their elaborate concept album endeavor which comes equipped with a coinciding comic book with art by Mallory Dorn. Its predecessor, Episode I, was more straight forward rock n roll with a few grimy tracks thrown in there. Episode II, though, is the Architects album that you may think twice about taking home to your parents. With songs like the sappy “Killer Crush,” “In the Snow,” and “Criminal,” Episode II really lets the Architects talent shine through, stating “hey, we can write super catchy pop rock songs with depth and substance, but why do that all the time?” The central force behind this record is the vocals of Brandon Phillips, driving song after song up the city on the hill. This album[...]

Machine Gun English – I’m Too Tall For My Time Machine These Days

September 29, 2014

“They” say that rock n’ roll is dead; I think the Stainds and Creeds and Puddle of Mudds of the world are just getting smarter. Rock music is now led by bands like Black Keys and Cage the Elephant – its less about machismo and brain dead guitar distortion and more about bluesy goodness. Machine Gun English is kind of like a mix between the Arctic Monkeys and Wild Beasts. The Rochester three-piece is all about rock n’ roll and good times, and it shows through their music. “Body Shots” is an accurate representation of the band and a great way to open the EP. A chorus chant of “Are you ready to go?” coupled with a classic rock guitar riff is plenty to power through the four-minute banger. The band hits their stride hardest on “Thanks, But No Thanks,” the Wild Beast-iest of their tracks. I am reminded of[...]

Wild Bear Drops New Track, “Bloody Lips”

September 29, 2014

After getting our attention with the Grizzly Bear/CANT-esque debut single, “Glass Ceilings,” the intriguing new electro project, Wild Bear, quickly returned with its follow up track over the weekend.  Titled “Bloody Lips,” the song is eerie and vocalless, with an air of menace that never quite surfaces, reminding me quite a bit of former Buffalo project, Camp Counselors. Check out the song below.

Yung Lean – Unknown Memory

September 26, 2014

This one hurts. This one really hurts. And it hurts because the pieces are there, but it just falls short of what it could’ve been. I do like this album, but I can’t help but listen to it thinking of what I wanted it to be. I would say that I’m crying about this, but with Yung Lean being associated with the Sad Boys, crying might be considered a good thing. I had such high expectations for this project, the debut album from one of my favorite artists Yung Lean-doer. The worst part about reviewing this album is the sincerity behind it. I know listening to it that Lean tried his best to make a really good album. He cut down on the jokes, and cut down on the rapping super hard, instead opting for a lot of autotune singing. I really liked it on “Ghosttown,” but my expectations were[...]

Mags Drops Debut Singles

September 26, 2014

A couple weeks ago, we wrote about The Slums EP, a new group led by The Malones ex-frontman, Steven Floyd. He is not the only former member with the creative bug brewing. Former Malones bassist, Elliott Douglas, formed a new solo project of his own under the moniker, Mags. Unlike the Slums harder, more aggressive sound, Mags continues the crunchy catchiness that the Malones left off with last year. Mixed and mastered with Paul Besch of Quiet Country Audio, “I Won’t Talk,” is an indie rock jam, easily syncable for your fall playlist.

Transfer in Jamaica Releases Speculative Party vol. 1

September 25, 2014

Buffalo producer/mashup artist, Transfer in Jamaica, creates music that, at it’s most compelling, can shift our perception of two seemingly unrelated styles and reveal an unlikely common ground, reminding the listener that genres are dynamic as a result of this eclectic creativity. The artist’s latest release,  Speculative Party vol.1: “Cry If I want To,” is part left-field DJ mix, part mashup album, divided into three parts that spans styles from indie rock to r&b, trip-hop, soul, electronic, and mainstream pop. The first track includes transitions from a pitched-up Beyonce sample to Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower” along with an surprisingly fluid segue from Salt-n-Pepa’s “Shoop” to Pixies’ funky, guitar-led track “Hey.” The third part of the release finds Transfer in Jamaica leaning towards a more hip-hop/club music approach with tracks from Disclosure, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Rihanna, and Kanye West making appearances. Speculative Party Vol. 1 offers a pretty comprehensive snapshot of pop music over the[...]

Kendrick Lamar – “i”

September 24, 2014

Yesterday morning, rap’s current co-president (along with Drake) debuted the first single off of his upcoming album. Titled “i,” the track was pretty much all about good-vibes. Centered around a chorus of “I love myself,” Kendrick fires out short verses with a rapid flow, essentially declaring that in order for him to give love to anything (the hood..music..his city) he first has to give love to himself. Content-wise, it’s probably most similar to his song “Real” off of good kid, m.A.A.d city. It’s note-worthy because “Real” was looked at by many as one of the weakest tracks on the album. With “i,” Kendrick departed from his ghetto commentary (well, it’s an underlying theme) in favor of a feel-good track, and there’s plenty of backlash about this track because of that. As far as production goes, Pharrell brought back to relevance the quick-pluck disco-guitar with Daft Punk on “Get Lucky,” and it[...]