Latest Posts

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[...]

Kendrick Lamar – untitled/unmastered.

March 8, 2016

After several rumors surfaced last week regarding a new project, Kendrick Lamar surprise-released a compilation of previously unreleased material in the early hours of Friday morning. untitled unmastered. consists of eight tracks that were recorded during sessions for his 2015 masterpiece To Pimp a Butterfly, but were eventually dropped in favor of other songs. Each song name is simply “untitled” followed by the date it was recorded, spanning 2013-2014. In untitled unmastered. all of the free-form jazz backing and dense lyricism is still present, but without the finely tuned narrative focus that was employed on To Pimp a Butterfly, it plays out like a loose jam session or rehearsal. It has the same inherent feel and inspiration as its predecessor, while at the same time taking on a life of its own by being presented in a new, unhinged context. The content of the album spans an array of subjects, as the[...]

DIIV – Is the Is Are

March 3, 2016

DIIV has acquired quite the reputation among independent music fans over the last couple of years. For both their music and through offstage controversies, like when the bassist of the band, David Ruben Perez, was accused of making bigoted statements on the image board 4Chan. Not to mention since the release of their last album, Oshin, there have been various accusations of singer Zachary Cole Smith and his girlfriend, Sky Ferreira, of being addicted to heroin after their drug-related arrest in 2013. This is the first full-length release from DIIV in four years after receiving mostly positive reviews on their debut. All this aside, Is the Is Are is a double LP clocking in at a little over an hour long, which sort makes it justifiable to the fans who have been patiently awaiting new material from the band. This album is not drastically different from DIIV’s first release, but[...]

Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze Release Impressive EP

March 2, 2016

With nearly every city having a crowded folk scene, it takes a truly special talent to stand out; and that’s why we take the time to bring you, Rochester’s Madeleine McQueen and the Breeze. At the tail end of 2016, when the music blogosphere was busy compiling their top lists of 2015,  McQueen quietly released  her EP titled Entangled. While the sharp songwriting and mesmerizing vocals of her earlier release seem to continue to have grown, it’s the addition of the grand layered arrangements that help it stand out from the work of other local singer-songwriters. Each song from opener “Long Gone” to “SMIC” have sweeping instrumentation that give them an energy and passion often missing from the local folk scene. This is not to miss the excellent songwriting though, with title tracks like “Entangled,” Madeleine finds a way to perfectly sum up the conflicting barrage of emotions that swirl around one when[...]

Joe Mason – I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars

March 1, 2016

With so many colleges concentrated along the 90 from Rochester to Fredonia, intense winters, and a long time epicenter for sonic exploration in Dave Fridmann’s Tarbox Road studio in the woods outside Fredtown, Western New York should totally be a hotbed for modern psychedelic music and for fans of music that makes ears feel WEIRD. Those fans just got something else to feast on in the form of a collaboration between Moody Cosmos and Joe Mason, Mason’s sophomore release I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars. Alternately bright and dark, and joyfully freaky all over, this album is seriously aural cotton candy for your brain. Swinging from outsized kaleidoscopic bursts of sound on jams like “Crazy Legs” and “Wide Eyes” (featuring Moody Cosmos) and “Alright” to the spaced out minimalism of chilled cuts like “Come Back” and “Waiting For The Day,” I Sold My Soul For Five Dollars keeps everything sweet[...]

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I’ve Made

February 29, 2016

Seattle-based hip-hop duo, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, have a lot to say on their sophomore album. This Unruly Mess I’ve Made is a hodgepodge of genres, thoughts and stories. A lot of the tracks do actually hit their mark, while others fall short of the massive hype. Musically, the pair continues their brand of underground-cultivated indie-gospel, with heartfelt piano, dramatic strings and joyous choir. Unfortunately, the lyrical content is all over the map. The record starts off earnestly enough, with a song about Ben Haggerty’s (aka Macklemore’s) disdain for award show culture. But after that it begins to wander through a strange assortment of politically charged, inspiring tunes and quirky joke-rap. The contrast between the two doesn’t quite add up to the overall intellectual statement Haggerty would like it to be, instead creating a frustrating ambivalence toward a record that could have been truly great. The silly tracks actually undermine the[...]

Strange Acres Deliver New Single/Video

February 24, 2016

The music video is not dead. MTV may have done away with them in favor of dramatic hour long  blasts of teenage pregnancy and whatever else, but to the few who keep this underrated art form alive and breathing: I salute you. Salutations to Strange Acres, the mood rock pioneers of East Aurora, who have teamed up with local rock photographer / videographer Andy DeLuca to bring us the video for “Parlor Girls”—the band’s first single since 2013. “Parlor Girls,” recorded at Quiet Country Audio, mixes a fresh, ambient electronica vibe with the almost cinematic-esque mood-setting prowess Strange Acres is known for. Chillingly seductive, dark, and a total midnight simmerer, “Parlor Girls” mashes moodcraft likeness with Zero 7 and Blonde Redhead. The video follows perfect suit, matching the swirling ambience with hazy filters and light effects to create a cohesive and affecting multimedia experience. If you’ve been waiting patiently for new[...]

Hundred Plus Club Releases Debut EP

February 23, 2016

Local garage rockers Hundred Plus Club have just released their debut three-song EP, full of frantic, dance rock. This fresh-faced act recently recorded with Nick Borgosz at World of Noise Studios (Bryan Johnson & Family, M.A.G.S.). We recommend these guys if you would be interested in hearing what Dave Monks (Tokyo Police Club) would sound like as front man of The Rapture or Interpol. You can check out our personal favorite track from Three Songs, “Reversed,” below.

Blue Falcon Release Paranoid Single

February 23, 2016

Rochester power-pop revivalists Blue Falcon just dropped “All Illuminati” and have delivered a sharp, hilarious and infectious take on our current and ongoing infatuation with that mythical secret organization. Whether you’re an old timey conspiracy theorist, a Marvel Comics fan, or puzzled to the point of paranoia by the rapid ascent of Kanye, Lady Gaga, and Justin Beiber, Illuminati-Mania is in full swing and “All Illuminati” takes it apart with driving guitars, groovy dual vocal harmonies, Cars synth lines, and lyrics hitting on the allure and wish fulfillment that underlies every conspiracy theory and this one in particular. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/246880416″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]