Latest Posts

Reel Time Records Drops Split 7″ from the Televisionaries & the Fox Sisters

August 6, 2015

Rochester’s the Televisionaries and the Fox Sisters have unleashed a split 7′ EP of garage punk and psych soul jams on the appropriately named Reel Time Records that is seven minutes of pure reckless, demented bliss. This is real John Waters soundtrack music: classic, prehistoric rebel rock… the mythic, sexualized early rock’n’roll that terrified the Concerned Citizens groups your grandparents belonged to and informed early punk. Fast, loose, and joyfully unhinged, this three song equivalent of vodka, Redbull, and speed is a thrill. Enjoy.

Valor Shines on “The Grove”

August 5, 2015

Buffalo rapper Valor is a fun listen. He flirts between serious and nonsensical, and his sound seems purposefully lo-fi and one-takish. On “The Grove,” Valor rides the beat with a pacing and bounce emulative of something form the New Atlanta scene. It seems unorthodox at times, but always remains where it wants to be. Valor also has somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek subject matter, evident by the opening words of the chorus, “Wake up in the morning and I piss sunshine.” Buffalo producer melisahasagun came through with a great, versatile beat that could be flowed over in numerous ways, and the way Valor chose to attack it has me excited for his beat choices down the road. Give it a listen below.

Wood Bois Release New EP Sex Playlist

August 5, 2015

With the break-up of Buffalo’s beloved goofrock band/art project, Well Worn Boot, the local scene has been void of a talented group of talented musicians that can simultaneously deliver good music and “wait… what did they just say?” Enter Wood Bois, a three-piece electro-goth project featuring Blaine Wood (vocals/keyboards), Julius Bois (vocals/samples) and Hiding in the Dark Hiding in the Shadows (keyboards). I am assuming that’s not his birth name. Anyway, the trio released a new EP this past week, titled Sex Playlist. riding  As far as the subject matter,  it’s all over the gambit. The EP starts off with “Razor Scooterz.” The track is led by a gothy-synth and soon evolves into a song about how much a job sucks and how you can’t wait to just get out of work and ride a Razor Scooter. The second track of the album, “The Sparkles,” could easily be a Cure/The[...]

Cemeteries Release New LP Barrow

August 4, 2015

Former Buffalo resident Kyle J. Reigle has been making spacious, atmospheric music as Cemeteries since 2010 when he released a pair of virtual 7″ singles, Brighter Colors/Living Alone along with a subdued cover of Neon Indian’s “Should Have Taken Acid With You”. The now Portland, Oregon-based project has gone on to include Jonathan Loviero and Kate Davis during live performances since the release of their 2012 debut LP, The Wilderness. Praised for its’ ability to sonically reflect a warm summer night, the sometimes sombre record balanced melancholic tones with optimistic melodies similar to artists like Wild Nothing, Youth Lagoon, Mister Lies, and Foxes in Fiction. From the reverb-laden vocals to the eerie soundscapes reminiscent of vintage horror films, the artist’s progression has allowed these core elements to come across more compelling than ever, with his latest LP, Barrow, representing the most imaginative, intriguing collection in the project’s short discography.  The record’s fictional setting[...]

Thick Winter Blud & I Can See Mountains Merge, Form Super American

August 3, 2015

The run of Thick Winter Blud proved to be a short one as the pop-punk trio, which emerged from the ashes of singer/bassist Mat Cox’s I Can See Mountains, is no more. Instead of disbanding, though, the group merged with a couple members of the fellow defunct Buffalo act to form Super American. The newly branded group reminds us of our favorite shouty, gone-to-soon local act, All Blondes Go to Heaven, along with some up-and-coming nationals like Modern Baseball, Somos, and Front Bottoms. You can get the full story of the four piece’s birth right here by the way. The quartet has promised to drop some new material early this fall, so until then, listen to “Nevermind,” a track the band quietly shared near the end of July, below.

Howlo – Howlo

August 3, 2015

As many-a musician will attest to, putting out a full-length is hard work. Howlo has been hard at work. That claim goes beyond basic syllogism; the work is plainly evident in the music itself. The Rochester four-piece just put out its s/t full-length debut, 11 tracks of unadulterated feel-good indie pop, and it was worth the wait. Howlo, musically speaking, continues on the catchy indie-rock sentiments of singer/songwriter Ben Morey’s solo material, namely 2013’s aptly-titled Pleasant. Fellow Howlonians Christine Benincasa (bass), Jane Bryant (drums / vox), and Justin Pulver (guitar / vox) round out the sound with inviting male/female harmonies with serious melting power, and song contributions that add to the record’s air of dynamicity. Some of the album’s scrappier moments conjure Pixies comparisons while the vibe-ier, docile tracks call up the soft exactness of Yo La Tengo, but in the grand scheme of things, Howlo is an entity all[...]

Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy

July 30, 2015

Believe it or not, if you were at the Titus Andronicus show at the Tralf Music Hall in 2013, you were among the first people in the world to hear tracks off of the band’s latest effort, The Most Lamentable Tragedy. While two years seems like a stretch from the first announcement of an album and its release date, after hearing it all the way through for the first time, it all makes a bit more sense now. This album is not only the band’s most ambitious release to date, but their most uncompromising, mentally engaging, and liveliest. The Jersey outfit really outdid themselves on this one, a tough task after some of their past work, crafting a 29 song, 93 minute “rock opera” of sorts, cited by front man Patrick Stickles as having underlying meanings rooted in manic depression and how it has affected him throughout his life. These[...]

Maybird Debuts Second Single from Turning Into Water

July 29, 2015

The Rochester/Brooklyn based psych rockers in Maybird have debuted the second single from their upcoming EP Turning Into Water, which is set for release in September. The song, titled “Big Sun Explosion,” is both lyrically and musically tight. Starting with a catchy guitar riff paired with high note xylophone, I can’t help but hear major influence from MGMT or Tame Impala with a little John Lennon twist. Lyrically, the Lennon influence really shines, using an attractive rhythm and melody as a foundation for the song’s beautifully written lyrics. In romantic fashion, Josh Netsky’s words serve as a Whitman-esque poem of transcendence with nature. “I saw a sight to see flying away from me, a wall of mirrors projecting it’s disappearance.” Netsky suggests breaking down the barriers of consciousness and seeing life as it truly is, and most importantly observing nature as it is around him. He later confirms that he has found beauty[...]

The Huckleberry Fins – Pipe Dreams

July 27, 2015

Surf rock. It’s becoming harder and harder to avoid the corny blues based riffs and clean reverberating guitars of the brand. So it’s no surprise that our album of the week is a pure surf rock band out of Rochester. The Huckleberry Fins had a release party this past Friday for their debut LP, Pipe Dreams (Dadstache Records), and all I can say about it is this: Pure. Surf. Rock. That’s it. There’s your review. Another hard day of work here at the buffaBLOG office! But seriously. If you don’t have a soft spot for surf rock, you have no idea what is cool, and you probably don’t like to have fun. This album is not for you if that’s the case. It’s almost completely made up of instrumentals. It’s the soundtrack to any cool guy’s life, whether he be driving his hot rod with a hot babe in the passenger[...]

MileHigh Muzik Drops Track Each Day of July

July 24, 2015

Buffalo’s MileHigh Muzik crew has been producing quality, versatile tracks for a minute now. The great thing about MileHigh is that when they release these songs, they do so at a frenetic pace. As a Christmas present to their listeners, MileHigh dropped a new song every day of December in a series entitled #JUUGcember, and six months later they’ve brought it back for July. #JUUGly is the consistent dopeness we saw in December, if not at a higher level. Milehigh’s ability to cross rap subgenres ensures that each track feels fresh, and contributes to a project that touches on so many sounds. There’s the gothic bangers “Replacement” and “Don’t Worry,” which combine melodic verses with cloudy synth lines and heavy sub bass a la Travi$ Scott. The instrumental from MileHigh figurehead M-A on “10 Chains” is somewhere between the work of ATL’s Zaytoven and Erick Arc Elliott of the Flatbush[...]

Motherhouse Drops Early Demo

July 23, 2015

Things have been a little quiet with new music lately as Buffalo paces through summer’s humid dog days, but last night, an intriguing new project hit bandcamp. Motherhouse, a collaborative duo featuring current and past members of acts like the Mordant Sisters, the Actors, and Cross Stitch, dropped a 3-track demo dubbed Sessions during Wednesday’s waning hours. The early material from the band is a haunting, yet soothing collection of ambient no-wave that should appeal to fans of Orenda Fink or Buffalo’s Space Cubs. The pair promises that more music will soon come, so enjoy this appetizer and keep an eye out for additional material in the near future. Listen to “Strong” below.

Pitbull – Dale

July 22, 2015

You hear those three ascending piano notes. You stop what you’re doing and turn your full attention to the wondrous arpeggiation that just tongued your earholes. You hear the same three notes, descend back to where they came from. You start to see spots. You start to sweat. You’re not sure if you’ve just defecated yourself. But you don’t care either way. “Mr. Worldwide” is the first phrase you hear– and then you’re there. You’ve hit nirvana. Then your internet connection cuts out. You spew the following spell of words that garners a small crowd outside of your apartment window– “What the fuck! I just had my moment of inner-most peace and YOU ruined it, Time Warner. YOU are responsible for this sham of a wifi connection that just stopped me from streaming the last three minutes and forty-four seconds of ‘Piensas (Dile la Verdad)’ feat. Gente De Zona, which[...]

Blobs Drop Demo Via More Power Tapes

July 22, 2015

Blobs probably has the best band name in punk right now. Born out of the Buffalo scene and two fourths comprised of the now defunct hardcore outfit Bad People, Blobs makes an impressive impact with its 7-track debut demo, recently released over on local tape label, More Power Tapes. The short and sweet demo is pure punk, highlighting Amelia Martin’s vocals. With members in many other bands (Newish Star, Aaron & the Burrs) in addition to this project, the varying influences come together to reach a broader audience, kind of like hardcore punk for fans of Space Wolves. Catch Blobs at Hoyt House on August 2nd and give the EP a listen below.

Hieronymus Bogs Releases First Single from The Angel

July 21, 2015

Man what is in the water in the Genesee River lately? We have been doing this blog for over five years now, and over last couple, expanding our focus past just Buffalo and into other areas of WNY. With that said, I have never seen such a run of quality new music than we have out of Rochester over these last few months (and more is on the way). One of those acts, which until now has sadly flown under our radar, is folk musician Alex Bogs, who performs under the moniker of Hieronymus Bogs. Yesterday, Bogs released the startling first single from his upcoming new album The Angel. “I Wonder” is a wonderfully haunting mix of Devandre Banhart freak folk, subtle touches of Antony and the Johnsons’ theatricality, and the vulnerability of Buffalo’s own Andy Pothier. The Angel should be a nice addition to what is shaping up to be[...]

Wilco – Star Wars

July 20, 2015

On “Cold Slope,” the 9th song off Wilco’s new album, Star Wars, Jeff Tweedy sings, “Some say you’re never really there, but you still take up space.” That line could be an indictment of the band over the past several years: touring endlessly but producing fewer albums. After a decade of hiring-and-firing, Tweedy and co. have been in cruise control with the same lineup for over 10 years now. What kind of band is Wilco today? They have mostly abandoned their experimental skin (which was really credited to Jay Bennett), and have since been approaching Springsteenian levels with their marathon live shows, pulling from a deep catalog. More and more, after 2009’s Wilco (The Album), which played out like a cheap greatest hits collection, and their last album, the uneven Whole Love, it seemed the band had reached their Grateful Dead moment: their studio albums don’t turn heads anymore, but[...]