Latest Posts

The Lagoonas – “Color Spectrum”

April 15, 2015

When Admirable Traits Records, a label with roots buried in Buffalo, Brooklyn, and soon to be Nashville, isn’t busy scooping up some of the Queen City’s best up-and-coming acts, the label is busy looking outside of NYS for burgeoning talent. For its latest signing, the AT crew has penned Memphis garage trio, the Lagoonas. “Color Spectrum,” the band’s first single off of its upcoming release, Welcome Home, begins with a piercing guitar line that quickly fades into a lo-fi, grisly fuzz that recalls Ty Segall or early Cloud Nothings. Expect Welcome Home to drop on June 2nd, and in the mean time, listen to “Color Spectrum” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200596177″ params=”color=5f90c1″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Dean Chatham Drops “Walk On, Bye”

April 15, 2015

Buffalo hip hop artist and Black Sol member Dean Chatham seemed polished from the get-go. A few months back, he dropped the Dean’s List EP, an impressive debut project about decision-making and behavior as a dude in a coming-of-age situation at college, featuring contemplative, explorative tracks like “Year II” and “Do the Right Thing,” Chatham brought the smooth jazz-influence to his latest single “Walk On, Bye,” but switched over to another mature theme for his lyrics: a somewhat toxic relationship. Chatham poetically describes the ups and downs of a relationship in which the passion is adherent to the instability of it all. Lurking underneath all the give and take, fights and reconciles, and heated arguments is the understanding that the end-game will work out, something Chatham conveys distinctly on lines like”Write me off nine times? There’ll always be a sequel.” “Walk On, Bye” is an impressive new direction for the burgeoning Buffalo rapper. Chatham[...]

Del Paxton Releases Split on Topshelf Records

April 14, 2015

At long last, Del Paxton‘s split with Gulfer is out on Topshelf Records. Anyone who follows buffaBLOG has surely seen our coverage of Del Paxton (starting when the group clinched the award for #1 local song of 2013 with “Motion Sick”). With only an EP to its name thus far, we’ve been eager to get our hands on some new stuff from the mathy/emo three piece. “Paline” showcases the spiraling guitar that we’ve come to love/expect from Del Paxton. Having been to half a dozen (+) Del Paxton shows, it is a pleasure to finally hear a studio version. In fact, if Death Cab for Cutie had any angst left in them, “Paline” might be the result… I’d like to find the musician who can deny the true joy of bassist Zach Schoedel’s funky riff at the one minute mark. “Bad Batch” starts with one of those impossibly noodly riffs[...]

Tyler, The Creator – Cherry Bomb

April 13, 2015

Say what you will about Tyler, The Creator – his puerile public persona; his real-life destructive stage antics; his stoic, perennially grumpy-sounding delivery – but the dude’s nothing if not eclectic. Much like the sophomore records of fellow Odd Future emcee Earl Sweatshirt, and unlikely OF friend and collab Mac Miller, Tyler unleashes a dizzying, psychedelic smash of sounds on his second album, Cherry Bomb, that’s quite incomparable in rap. It’s no secret the OF Head Honcho has been trying to incorporate jazz influences in his music, and free jazz, neo-soul and funk swirl and percolate on the album’s softer, finer moments. “2 Seater” is a woozy R&B slow burner that could almost bit the bill for a Frank Ocean track, and lead single “Fucking Young” is a lovably campy lovesong backed by a psychedelic soundscape of shimmering strings and ringing synths. But Tyler’s still Tyler, and he counter-balances these prettier[...]

Amateur Radio Club – The Laughing Vulcan and Her Dog

April 13, 2015

Rochester’s got some new digs. Ian Egling, formerly of the band SPORTS, and now performing solo under the moniker Amateur Radio Club, just released his debut late last March. The eight track album, titled The Laughing Vulcan and Her Dog, is heavy on the electro pop stylings and draws influence from the synthy jams of yesteryear; snap judgements conjure Bowie and Depeche Mode. Further critical listens reveal a certain modern charm that, when paired with the unambiguous vintage flair, gives this release a unique sound worth diving into. The Laughing Vulcan and Her Dog is our Album of the Week. Vulcan opens strong with the catchy and intimate “SOMEWHERE SUMMER,” making the most of a cheeky synth line layered with electric piano and bouncy drum beat. The synth solo towards the latter half serves as the sweet icing on an already delicious cake. “On and on, on and on…” sings[...]

Waxahatchee – Ivy Tripp

April 10, 2015

If there’s anything I’ve learned from listening to Waxahatchee’s music, it is that less is more. The acoustic, lo-fi sound that frontwoman Katie Crutchfield brought on her first record, American Weekend, was something very special. Recorded solo by Crutchfield in her bedroom, the lo-fi recording style made the record as a whole seem so humble, yet it managed to be so emotionally piercing. On her first record as Waxahatchee, Crutchfield more so proved herself as an absolutely incredible songwriter, even more so than she did her other projects, P.S Eliot and Swearin’. While both of those bands are great and shine in their own way, it is easy to tell that she really found her footing in Waxahatchee. Following American Weekend, Crutchfield released the band’s second full length, Cerulean Salt. On this record, she introduced a more cleaned up style of recording, prevalent drum sections, and electric guitars, bringing more of[...]

Toro Y Moi – What For?

April 9, 2015

Often characterized as the father of chillwave, Chazwick Bundick, or Toro Y Moi, has released his fourth album, What For? this past Tuesday. With music that’s just as strange as his name, Bundick has pushed all boundaries concerning genre. Since 2008, Bundick has artistically manipulated what we know about music – only to invert it – and the resulting experience has been sublime. Now, he has built somewhat of a cult following, despite each album sounds drastically incomparable to the last. If you’ve heard Causers of This (2010), then you know why Bundick has been credited with beginning the chillwave genre. An intensely dreamy experience, Causers of This is certainly an acquired taste. (I can remember my siblings complaining about how repetitive it was when I played it in the car.) Still, it was weird, and it was memorable – that’s what drew me in. Underneath the Pine (2011) is[...]

The Hamiltones Release Self-Titled, Debut Tape

April 9, 2015

Last Friday evening, another chapter in an ongoing surf rock rivalry was written as the Hamiltones, the foil to fellow Rust Belt surf trio, Aaron & the Burrs, released its debut, self-titled tape. Currently available through More Power Tapes, home to fellow surf acts like Space Wolves and Rochester’s the Televisionaries, the Hamiltones finds members John Toohill (JOHNS, Alpha Hopper), Chris Scamurra (Space Wolves, Kharlos), and Rick Reynolds, estranged brother to Burrs’ member Nicholas Reynolds, continuing what started as a childhood rivalry to what has since evolved into a continuous bout of one-upmanship. The short collection of blisteringly quick surf is sure to light a fire under the debate of which trio reigns (riffs?) supreme. You can download The Hamiltones for free here, and keep an eye out for a possible Burrs’ counter punch in the near future.

Cadaver Country Drops New Track “Not Sleeping (you don’t know)”

April 8, 2015

Yesterday morning, Jacob Verghese, mulit-instrumental of crust folk act Pine Fever, quietly dropped a new song from his on-going solo project, Cadaver Country. Titled “Not Sleeping (you don’t know),” the track finds Verghese once again playing jack of all trades role, handling instrumental duties from banjo to washboard to harmonium. The upbeat toe tapper has a whimsical feel that artists like Andrew Bird and a (potentially) stripped down Dr. Dog do so well. Check out the song below.

slackjaw – friendly pestering

April 6, 2015

You’ve got a friend in slackjaw, and not just because their bandcamp URL says so. The Geneseo quartet’s catchy blend of garage punk and slacker rock has a pleasantly affable vibe to it, an air of innate approachability. Their self-appointed description is “weekend rock,” which I think they wear well. Start with the indie charm of Waxahatchee or Lemuria, add a little Pumpkins-esque crunch, and just a dash of late nineties emo influence, and you’ve got yourself some slackjaw. The band just put out their first release a few short days ago, the wonderful friendly pestering EP, already earning a bit of buzz and some heavy rotation here at the blog. I’m happy to crown friendly pestering buffaBLOG’s Album of the Week. It didn’t take very long to warm up to the songs, suffice to say that’s what the band was going for. Singer Ella Mosco delivers lyrics with an[...]

Death Grips – The Powers That B

April 3, 2015

There are very few bands that have as strong of a cult following as the controversial, experimental hip hop trio, Death Grips. Over its five year life span, DG has put out some incredibly genre defying music, even attracting the ears of one of the biggest names in the world of hip hop (I’m looking at you, Kanye). It seems that with countless cancelled tours and shows, shrouded release dates, and the wild goose chases fans have been led on, that Death Grips has been surrounded in controversy since the beginning. While I will fully admit that this kind of music is most definitely not for everyone, if you go into this with an open mind, it is easy to find the talent that Death Grips possesses. The group’s latest project, and supposedly its last, is the new double album, The Powers That B.  The first part, titled Niggas on[...]

Breach, The Beloved Releases Debut Album

April 2, 2015

Buffalo-based instrumental hip-hop and experimental electronic producer, Romello, recently revealed a new side-project under the name Breach, The Beloved, which features a more lyrical, rock-oriented sound from the young artist. So Far From Parkside begins with a hazy instrumental referencing Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and leads into a collection of twelve tracks with gritty percussion and distorted guitars with a lo-fi psychedelic feel reminiscent of artists like Thundercat, Tame Impala, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Standout tracks from the album include “Desert Dream” with its introspective vibe, reverb-laden guitars, and rubbery bassline along with “Blue Keys,” whose smooth melody and understated vocal delivery offers a mellow, jazzy sound which is an interesting drop in energy towards the end of the release. “Alternative Dreams” shows off the producers instrumental range and songwriting ability with a memorable chorus soulful guitar solo on a record that ultimately provides a glimpse of an intriguing new[...]

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

April 1, 2015

Loss can alter a person. Whether it’s reinvention, recollection, or flat-out despair that hits the hardest, the death of a loved one often times has a profound effect on an individual. In the case of Sufjan Stevens, the feelings resulting from his mother’s death in 2012 became the creative fuel for Carrie & Lowell, his most masterfully put-together musical release to date. However, this claim does not come without its irony. The album, an emotionally-baring open-book chapter of Sufjan’s personal life, is also the artist at his most torn-apart. Detailing childhood feelings and the difficult relationship he had with his late mother, Sufjan lays out his experiences without expectation, covering a wide spectrum of human emotion. Struggling with alcoholism and bipolar disorder before her untimely death to stomach cancer in 2012, Sufjan’s mother Carrie (along with his stepfather Lowell, who now works at the label that put out this very[...]

Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi

March 31, 2015

“I don’t know where to begin,” croons perennially plaintive vocalist Benjamin Gibbard on Kintsugi, the eighth studio album from indie-rock vets Death Cab for Cutie. Indeed, with its synth flourishes and electronic left-turns, it does ring of a band that’s struggling to maintain its identity while still growing musically – albeit one that’s doing it fairly successfully. Kintsugi mostly follows in the electronic-tinged footsteps of its predecessor Codes And Keys, but while maintaining the sense of heart and intimacy that has made the group among the more interesting in indie pop. Gibbard evokes a stark, forbidding landscape with space for relationship conflict in the most straightforward rocker “Black Sun” – a piece which begins with an “I Am The Highway”-like riff that progresses unexpectedly into cascading riffs and an awesomely static-y guitar solo. And on “Ingénue,” he tells of a young woman ignored and under-appreciated over a slow-building, electronica influenced power[...]

Steak & Cake Releases SAMPLER 6 Compilation

March 30, 2015

I remember the first time I met Brandon Schlia, the founder and operator of Steak & Cake Records. We were throwing our first birthday party at Nietzsche’s and he gave me the label’s first sampler compilation, featuring a collection of Fredonia and Buffalo musician friends’ songs. Fast forward to four years later, and the label has released its latest in the series, SAMPLER 6. For this time around, the comp includes some off beat covers, unreleased b-sides, and remixes from S&C acts like FYFE, Inquiring Mind, and Scary Planetary, and most intriguingly, a previously unheard track from Schlia’s former buzz trio, the Malones. Fun Fact: the cover of SAMPLER 6 features a shot from the Buffalo-based cult classic, Buffalo ’66, which just so happens to be playing at the North Park Theatre this Thursday evening at 7pm. Listen to “Green Rock” by the Malones below.