Latest Posts

Neil Young and Promise of the Real – The Monsanto Years

July 1, 2015

Sure, in writing it sounded like a good idea, or at the very least a ballsy and righteous one. Neil Young, one of rock’s most dedicated social and environmental activists, dedicating the space of an entire LP to taking down one of the most controversial corporations in modern America, Monsanto Company, your trusted neighborhood manufacturer of carcinogenic PCBs, genetically-modified farming seeds and various herbicides. But political art – be in poetry, literature or music – is a delicate balancing act, and usually necessitates a less-or-more approach. This is the central problem for Neil Young and Co. on The Monsanto Years: he drives home the same points so heavy-handed and incessantly that his message grows dull and befuddled long before the record’s end. Attempts to clarify his argument – on “A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee” he addresses legislative efforts to have GMO foods labeled, and the company’s responding lawsuits –[...]

Victory For Poland Re-emerges with “Summer Solace”

June 30, 2015

Its been a minute since we heard from former high school all-stars Victory For Poland. A couple summers back, V4P, along with fellow underage acts like Brimstone Blondes and the Cascos, seemed like the next wave of great Buffalo bands. Then college happened. Since then, front man Tylor Colby put out a solo album on LIPS Records and future V4p material seemed less and less of a possibility. That is until late last month. The band announced a self-titled LP was in the works and teased that a single would soon be released. That single, “Summer Solace,” was just dropped last night. First of all, the song is bouncy as hell, and as for Colby, he seems to have developed a snarl similar to that of Joseph D’Agostino (Cymbals Eat Guitars). Plus, those horns give it just a touch of a ska vibe. Give “Summer Solace” a listen below and keep[...]

The Get Money Squad Drops Follow Up Single “Pillow Talk”

June 30, 2015

One of our favorite releases from last summer came from the Get Money Squad. Featuring Quinton Brock and Jon Bap of Network, the act’s short, self-coined “urban surf” EP was the perfect blend of off beat Mac DeMarco meets Shuggie Otis/Bill Withers lo-fi vibes. The group went on to open for Girl Talk at Canalside, but since then have been pretty quiet. With the release of Money Squad’s latest single “Pillow Talk,” though, Brock and crew are back to once again to help soundtrack our latest rust-belt summer. The rather sensual “Pillow Talk,” a track the band describes as a “song for summer lovers,” appears to be the first single off of the Get Money Squad’s forthcoming EP, titled Ruff Buff, and while the group has maintained its lo-fi sounds, Brock now appears to be vocally channeling the Beach Boys and even the soulful side My Morning Jacket (those falsettos[...]

Wavves X Cloud Nothings – No Life For Me

June 30, 2015

If you were up on Sunday night around midnight, you may have been pleasantly surprised by something on the internet. No, it wasn’t an admission from one of your facebook buddies that he was in fact, totally in the wrong about having a confederate flag vanity plate on his Silverado. It was, however, the “surprise” release of the collab album No Life For Me from Cloud Nothings and Wavves. If you were paying attention a while ago, you did know that this project was going to happen. However, the release date was kept a mystery until Sunday night when it appeared on bandcamp (and on iTunes). It won’t have a true physical release, but if you really want a hard copy of it, it will be available on vinyl. Who collects CDs anymore anyways? The album takes a somewhat surprising step back into the lo-fi roots of the two bands.[...]

Space Cubs Shares New Song via Unspeakable Records Comp

June 29, 2015

Former Buffalo ex-pat Space Cubs made her recent return to Buffalo count with the release of her solid debut LP, The Fire and Things Forgotten, early this spring. And just last week, the electro musician dropped her latest tune, the haunting “Pearls,” which is included on the new compilation from her Unspeakable Records label, Unspeakable Records Vol. Two. The comp features contributions from fellow UR artists like BATHHOUSE, Christal Sarah, and Astronautica, and can be listened in full here. Make sure to catch Space Cubs live as she joins Humble Braggers at Hardware next month on Thursday, the 16th, and in the mean time, listen to “Pearls” below ,

Jon Lewis Drops Music Video for “Let It Slide”

June 25, 2015

Rochester singer/songwriter Jon Lewis has released the music video for his new song “Let It Slide.” The highlight of the three shared tracks (so far) from his upcoming album, Panic Rock, “Let It Slide” finds the musician sounding rather Gibbard-esque on the mid-tempo number. Lewis paired the track with clips from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, a cartoon I don’t remember being quite as eerie until just now. Panic Rock is set to drop in mid July. You can stream the album’s first three tracks here and watch the video to “Let It Slide” below. Jon Lewis – Let it Slide from Jon Lewis on Vimeo.

Tomoreaux Releases “Bennington” Single

June 23, 2015

Tomoreaux first caught our interest last year while performing under the name of Yesterday vs. Tomorrow. The pair has just released its latest in the Mark Rothko E.P., a collection of anthemic Muse meets Taking Back Sunday tunes. Since then, the band has grown to a quartet while renaming itself to Tomoreaux. Late last week, the four piece dropped the first single from its yet to be titled album. “Bennington” sticks with the group’s penchant for the grandiose, but now has honed in on an emotive, Explosions in the Sky-esque post rock sound. The band is set to open for Spoon and July Talk at Canalside this Thursday, so if you like what you hear, head down to the water early. In the mean time, check out “Bennington” below.

Pleistocene – Space Trap

June 22, 2015

I probably shouldn’t even be surprised anymore; at this point it’s safe to say that Rochester has officially raised the bar. Our I-90 neighbors have been churning out quality release after quality release, and their latest surge of fresh local music has given no sign of relent. This week we bring your attention to Space Trap, the latest EP from jangle pop superunit Pleistocene. The EP, officially released earlier this month via Cherish Records, finds itself amongst some of the best material in Pleistocene’s growing discography and proves itself worthy of inclusion with a confident bite to back up its bark. For those of you unfamiliar with Pleistocene as anything other than the ice age epoch of mammoths and sabretooths, it’s in your best interest to refamiliarize. The band’s jangly surf pop/shoegaze blend frequents our blog often (their 2014 song “Secular” snagged a top 3 spot on our ‘best of’[...]

Tiny Rhymes Announces A Kinder History EP, Releases “Arrows” Single

June 17, 2015

Our first introduction to Buffalo chamber-folk outfit Tiny Rhymes was a clip of the band performing its wonderful song “Arrows” over at the Unitarian Universalist Church last fall. And now, the band has officially released the song as the lead off single to its upcoming debut EP, A Kinder History. The newly recorded version of “Arrows” is Andrew Bird-esque, full of rich harmonies, lush strings, and whimsical percussion. The 4-track EP (which is currently streaming via Exclaim!) will be available to purchase/download beginning on June 23rd, and you can join the band later next month on Saturday, July 18th, to celebrate the EP’s release over at Pausa Art House on the Allen/Wadsworth bend. Listen to “Arrows” below.

Girlpool – Before The World Was Big

June 16, 2015

Girlpool is as punk rock as it gets. Two girls, at 18, release their first LP and gain a moderate following. No drums, just bleeding heart lyrics that are as honest as it gets with a clean guitar and some simple bass lines. A year later, a second, finely tuned LP drops from the duo and the punk rock continues. Of course, this isn’t the type of punk rock that the Beastie Boys pissed off their parents with. This is the new age of lady-punk that has taken over the indie scene ever since genre prophets Sleater Kinney bursted back earlier this year. Before The World Was Big hits you right in the heart when you hear it. I don’t care if you’re an 18 year old girl ready to ship off to college that has a moderate collection of vinyl she’s trying to find a place for in her[...]

Skirts Premieres First Single from Upcoming Comfy Split EP

June 16, 2015

After another week already full of relentless show announcements (now Built to Spill?!), it seems fitting that we near the end of our day with a post about something else that just won’t quit—Rochester’s 2015 music scene. With excellent and promising releases from artists like OHS, Howlo, Pleistocene, and Harmonica Lewinski (among many others) having dropped or on the horizon for this year, we’re happy to premiere another track worthy of your attention. Rochester garage-pop darlings, Skirts, have just dropped their first track from their upcoming split with Utica-based Comfy (that’s all of them in the photo being friendly), the tape slated for release later this summer on Miscreant/Dadstache. The song, titled “Indian Premier League,” does not disappoint, channeling an upbeat island sound similar to something you might hear from Cults or a chilled-out Vampire Weekend. The progression is fun and catchy, percussion is flavorful, and the vocal harmonies are[...]

Howlo Announces Debut LP, Shares “Bleary”

June 15, 2015

We awoke this morning to the pleasant news that one of our favorite Rochester foursomes, Howlo, is prepping the release of its debut, self-titled LP for late July. Comprised of busy songwriter/producer Ben Morey, Justin Pulver (Europa and the Great Red Spot), Jane Bryant, and Christine Benincasa, the group shared a couple album teases over on its bandcamp page to keep us busy until next month. The first, the newly recorded “Blanka,” was on the band’s short and sweet Attic Tapes EP last spring. Howlo‘s second tease, though, comes in the form of the fantastically dreamy “Bleary,” the first new recording we have heard from the band in over a year. Led by the sweet and tender boy/girl vocals of Morey and Bryant, the song is a melancholy cut of 90’s jangle pop, recalling the likes of Polaris, Flake Music, and early Cloud Nothings. Simply put, “Bleary” is one of my[...]

Humble Braggers – Disposable Friends

June 14, 2015

Buffalo’s summer album of jams might have arrived at this past Saturday’s release show for Disposable Friends, the latest EP from synth-pop darlings Humble Braggers, out now on Admirable Traits Records. With an abundance of delightful hooks, soaring vocals, a full bodied sound, and intensely listenable tunes, Disposable Friends is a terrific salvo from Tom Burtless and company, and an easy pick to be Album of the Week. The funky guitar licks, understated post new wave atmospherics, and the yearning vocals of Burtless gets everything started perfectly on “How It Starts,” the EP’s lead single. Immediately, the synthesis of the various elements and heavy hooks hit you upside the head via your aural system. The ear candy continues with “All Alone,” a plaintive ballad featuring spacey yet restrained synth lines and a clean, melodic guitar that holds it all together. The attention to detail is most impressive. Disposable Friends really lifts off,[...]

Chauncey Tails Links with Ultra Doux for “Otra”

June 10, 2015

Buffalo beatmaker Chauncey Tails has been noted in the past for his strong remix game and his lush, multifaceted production on original tracks. For “Otra,” Tails unites with NYC songstress Ultra Doux for some melancholy electronic R&B. The instrumental features an array of whistles, blips and Chaunce’s signature pitch-shifted vocal samples. The longing of the beat’s sample provides the perfect undertone as Ultra Doux sings hauntingly of regret, drugs, and contemplation. Give it a listen below.

Embers Release New Recordings

June 9, 2015

Last winter, Rochester’s Embers submitted a demo to our inbox that left an impression strong enough for me to listen to over and over again on a flight to Chicago. Embers had some bangers, but seemed to have a lot of different directions it was heading, still developing its sound. Yesterday, the band released a new set of improved live-studio recordings that were quite impressive after jumping back into the studio in late April to rerecord two songs previously released on the Singles demo, “Stop Motion” and “Embrace.” Produced and recorded by University at Rochester student project titled Penguin Records, the recording quality has dramatically improved, highlighting the bands noteworthy 90’s indiemo sound. Check out “Stop Motion” below.