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Northern Spies Debut Material

January 6, 2015

If you can’t tell by now, this week is going to be a catch up week for all of the super cool stuff that has come out during the end of the year whirlwind. Today’s “Oh man I should have posted about this three weeks ago” song comes from Rochester’s Northern Spies. Formerly performing under the name Blankets, the quartet hasn’t been around for very long, only forming as a band in spring of 2014. In mid-December, Northern Spies got around to sharing their debut three song EP titled Nothing But Static. The just over twelve minute EP is full of soft-spoken hesitant indie rock with power pop hooks that make it stay in your head and never leave. Check out “No Time To Lose,” and stick around for the other two songs.

The Afterbirth Tycoon Releases Purgatory On Parade

January 6, 2015

Power trio, the Afterbirth Tycoon, have been at it for nearly a decade, however in the past year,we have seen more activity from the outfit. Late last spring, the three piece released Late Bloom, a 10 track studio recorded release, and then last week, they hit us with another garage blue nugget in the form of the six track, Purgatory on Parade. The EP was recorded with Matt Smith at his Hi-Lo Studio earlier this summer, and mastered by John Angelo at Slave Pit Studios in Richmond, VA. “Matt is actually going to be moving,” guitarist/vocalist Jason Pitcher says, “so that will be the last session in his barn, but I hope to continue working with him wherever he lands. It’s always a good time working with Matt: no stress, lots of laughs, and I never hesitate to ask his opinion.” For the most part, Purgatory picks up where Late Bloom left off.[...]

Teenage Satan – Teenage Satan II

January 5, 2015

After a brief holiday hiatus, buffaBLOG’s Album of the Week feature is back in business. For the first time since the distant days of 2014, we have selected a local (or quasi-local) album, EP, or collection of songs that we find to be worthy of merit, and posted it up here for your listening pleasure. This week, for the first week of the new year, our collective ears were caught by the lo-fi bedroom folk songs on Teenage Satan’s second self-titled EP. Teenage Satan (aka Dan Bauer) doesn’t fully abandon the electronic nature of his first effort earlier last year, but he does take a bit of a departure on Teenage Satan II in the sense that he unplugs and picks up an acoustic guitar. The result is a little experimental, a little electronic, but decidedly folk-tinged this time around. Favoring humble organ tones over unearthly synths, Teenage Satan II[...]

Space Cubs Releases New Single

January 5, 2015

One of the dilemmas I come across while writing for this blog is to what to categorize each artist in our internal database. For example, Space Cubs was raised in Buffalo, but now calls the backwoods of the south her home. Should I still categorize her “Buffalo” or should this be “New Music?” Should anyone who has ever lived in Buffalo always be considered Buffalo? Regardless, former Buffalo-based spacey electronica songstress, Space Cubs, the performing/writing moniker of Suzanne Lee Bonaficio, released a new single titled “The Eye.” Normally we are on top of these things, but with the year end round-ups, personal responsibilities, and all-around burning out of contributing to a blog, we missed it. “The Eye,” much like others in Space Cubs’ repertoire, is a new age climber topped soothing vocals. What’s different about “The Eye” is that the vocals are a little more R&B tinged, almost like a[...]

Lesionread Drops “Art All Day” Video

December 30, 2014

Other than end of year lists, staff picks, and best of’s, the holidays are a pretty quiet time for buffaBLOG, so Lesionread’s new video “Art All Day”(which dropped last week) might as well have been gift-wrapped. This time we find the avant-electronica wiz doing what he does best– embracing the weird and keeping it fresh. The new track highlights the post-college starving artist days with a literal, danceable, and relatively humorous approach. His presentation is flavorful; the well-edited video watches like something you might catch on an episode of Tim & Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job!, featuring various cameos from other local musicians. Can you spot them amongst the controlled chaos?

Noisey’s “The Rap Monument”

December 19, 2014

After many months of anticipation, one of the most exciting and ambitious rap projects of the year is here. “The Rap Monument,” headed by prodo-wizard Hudson Mohawke and his team, and in conjunction with Noisey and Hennessy, is a 42 minute rap song featuring a slew of 30 rappers. Hennessy’s inclusion is important because you see it about every ten frames, but oh well, it’s liquid gold. This track has something for everyone. HudMo crafted a bombastic, horn-heavy beat that’s emulative of his style in the best way.  He switches it up along the way as to not let it get tiring while everyone gets their shot at delivering the best verse. If you’re looking to listen to a radio giant, Young Thug has his own mini-song in the middle of the track. Industry names like Danny Brown, Pusha T, Killer Mike, and YG have a some great verses. New[...]

Donny Murakami Premieres First Track Off Debut Project

December 17, 2014

Everyone has had a moment where they wish they were someone else, and Rochester rapper/producer Donny Murakami is exploring that feeling in his latest music. “Shock Therapy” plays off of that theme, serving as the lead track on Murakami’s forthcoming project Escapism. Over some driving drums, Donny fantasizes about being a rockstar, porn star, and dope boy, before admitting to himself that he’s a just a broke asshole. Although self-loathing at times, there’s a hunger in Murakami’s voice that shines through confidently amid all the daydreaming. Thematic verses and a catchy hook make for an impressive debut from the Rochesterian. He wishes to be a rock star, but a talented hip hop artist will have to do for now. Stay tuned for more from Donny and be on the lookout for Escapism, slated to drop February 11th.

Panda Bear – “Boy Latin”

December 15, 2014

Panda Bear’s music has always felt like daydreaming, or recapturing that awe struck feeling of childhood. Those deceptively simple repetitions and stoned tempos seem like they could go on forever, and are on full display here. While Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz, and fellow band member Avey Tare’s latest album were too Saturday-morning-cartoons for even their music, the tracks on Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper are great and one of the first releases to look forward to in 2015. “Boys Latin” and its polyphonic lines are like a cubist painting, where everything is broken down into little facets to reveal a bigger picture. Then the next section is the choir boy of one, and the only words you can understand: “Dark clouds resurface again, and a shadow moves in.” In a more just world, this song would be played at FAO Schwarz during every holiday. Watch the video below.

Twin Shadow – “Turn Me Up”

December 10, 2014

When nobody was looking, Twin Shadow (aka George Lewis Jr.) dropped a new track “Turn Me Up” on his Soundcloud page, and whether it’s a prologue to or preview of his upcoming 2015 first major label release, either way it is sizzling. The smoldering, synth driven cut is all about restraint and release, and the sweet aching, yearning heart of Mr. Lewis himself. If it’s any indication, 2015 could be a big year for the recently signed Warner Brothers act. Keep an eye out for Twin Shadow’s third album in early 2015, and in the meantime, enjoy.

T.M.M.C. Releases Powerful Single, “Too Many Eyes in the Crowd”

December 9, 2014

Lost in some of the wild performances this past Friday at the Wooden Waves release show was a powerful and understated set from T.M.M.C. Made up of local heavyweights including Bill Nehill and Dave G, the five piece delivered a moving set to the packed Mohawk Place audience. Earlier this fall, the band finally launched a facebook page, one that included the devastating track “Too Many Eyes in the Crowd.” The song, which was actually released three months ago, recalls Automatic for the People era R.E.M. or maybe even early Counting Crows, and features the always captivating Nehill delivering the absolutely humbling chorus “It takes a long time for a man to realize his welcome is worn out.” Damn. The tune appears to be a part of the band’s forthcoming release, recorded at Matt Smith’s Hi/Lo Studios, so keep an eye out. In the mean time, listen to “Too Many Eyes in[...]

Lesionread Drops New Tracks

December 8, 2014

Earlier this week, local experi-tronic (experimental electronic, duh) artist Lesionread dropped two fresh tracks on his Soundcloud page. The first, a Jon Bap remix of “Neutron Bomb” (appropriately re-titled “Nutron Bomb”), switches it up with a bumbling bass line and Bap’s signature whammed-out jangle guitar chords before slamming into fuzz city during the latter half. This is the first of two Bap remixes that will appear on Lesionread’s upcoming remix tape, slated for a February release. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/179736448″ 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 second track, “Addicted…,” is packing strings, featuring samples of Joe Isom ripping it up on cello. The track’s danceable house(ish) beat and distant synth sounds remind me of something off the soundtrack for Bomberman Hero on N64 (anyone?), and when paired with the cello samples, makes for a flavorful groove. “If I hate it, then why do I keep doing it?” asks Lewis paradoxically, before answering his[...]

Wooden Waves – Wilder Dreams

December 8, 2014

It’s a cliché to say that a band’s latest release shows “signs of maturation.” On one hand, it usually doesn’t mean anything: you’re just saying they’re older than they were yesterday. On the other hand, it makes an incorrect assumption about progress. It implies that the band was one thing yesterday, is something else today and is working towards becoming some perfected version of itself in the future. This kind of assumption might give us a framework for making sense of things, but it’s not actually how reality works. Seeds grow, fruit ripens, but bands? People? They change, but there’s no perfect end point to work towards that is more valuable than the present. Accepting that realization is closer to maturation than the acquisition of any object or the accomplishment of any goal, and the struggle for that acceptance is at the heart of Wooden Waves’ Wilder Dreams (One Percent Press).[...]

Sea Planes Return with “Waterfall” Single

December 7, 2014

Rochester indie electronica band, Sea Planes, dropped a new track last week and on “Waterfall,” the duo has upped the stakes considerably with arena sized grandeur and ambition. If previous tracks “Right Now” and “Young At Heart” alluded to French electronica powerhouse M83, “Waterfall” is full on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, and the result is rousing and gorgeous. The lyrics also contribute to the euphoria in part due to their impassioned determination, and the delightfully post modern real time deconstruction of the song itself. It’s a heady and adrenaline charged brew, and more pure musical goodness from Western New York. Enjoy.

[ez amädi] Channels Salvador Dali on New Track

December 3, 2014

Spanish artist Salvador Dali became famous as a surrealist painter throughout the 1900s, and Buffalo rapper [ez amädi] is summoning his spirit for art of a different medium. “Dali,” the latest track from the Erie County emcee and producer, begins with a Madvillainy-esque, cartoony introduction of the genius who was Dali. Amädi relates himself to the modern-era renaissance man as he weaves his rhymes in and out of a beautifully awkward beat of strings and keys. It’s reflective and almost brooding, as Amädi discusses previous thought trains on his path through his artistry, drawing parallels to the track’s namesake. Peep the track below and hit up [ez amädi]’s Soundcloud for more great music.

JOYWAVE – “Tongues” (Giorgio Moroder Remix)

December 2, 2014

JOYWAVE’s meteoric rise just keeps going, and now it’s getting kind of weird. Now the Rochester NY indie electronica outfit, fresh off their invasion of Brooklyn’s Rough Trade Records, is slated to appear on Giorgio Moroder’s 2015 comeback album 74 Is The New 24. The Italian producer, who is best known for his collaborations with Donna Summer and last seen on Daft Punk’s 2013 blockbuster Random Access Memories, has remixed JW’s runaway hit “Tongues” (featuring another Rochester favorite KOPPS, also back from storming Brooklyn) into something darker and old world gothic. 74 Is The New 24 hits stores in January. Joywave and Kopps meanwhile are everywhere…