Latest Posts

Bryan Johnson and Family – Cool Your Jets

November 10, 2014

Local cult leader, Bryan Johnson (that is why he calls his band ‘Family,’ right?) is one of the hardest working musicians in the city. His band has been a mainstay at local shows for years and with good reason, they are jittery, poppy crowd pleasers. And with the weather quickly cooling, the band has released a last burst of sunshine with its latest EP, Cool Your Jets. Joyful might be the quickest way to describe the bulk of Johnson’s music. Most of the songs on Cool Your Jets move quickly, featuring a bouncy beat and jangling guitars. That beat becomes the driving force behind the EP and really is one of the key features of the band’s unique sound. Impressively, Bryan Johnson and David Hamilton’s guitar playing is equally percussive, driving that bounce forward, and complimenting it well. In step with this is Johnson’s own good natured vocals. The EP evokes scenes of late[...]

T-Pain’s Return to Relevancy

November 7, 2014

What a week it’s been for T-Pain. The premiere hook-man of the late 2000s was the face of the auto-tune era in pop-rap music, but few people knew that there was so much more to this artist. When T-Pain began using auto-tune, it was innovative and creative. As with any fad, at the decline of it’s popularity, auto-tune in pop music was looked at with disdain. We believed (often times correctly) that is was a crutch for those that lacked real talent. There were artists like Kanye West and Bon Iver who received exceptions from this perception, due to their artistic integrity, but T-Pain was thrusted in with the former group. What everyone forgot until seemingly recently was that T-Pain was using auto-tune before nearly everyone else. Auto-tune was popular because of him, but it wasn’t bad because of him. It was bad because people who couldn’t sing tried to[...]

CHVRCHES – “Dead Air”

November 6, 2014

Glasgow electronica wunderkinds, CHVRCHES, continue their rapid conquest of Planet Earth with the release of “Dead Air,” their contribution to the penultimate Hunger Games movie soundtrack. With the have-nots gearing up for war with the fascistic haves of our dystopian future, who better to give voice in song to revolutionary Joan of Arc figure Katniss Everdeen than Lauren Mayberry? The answer is nobody as Lauren Mayberry is clearly growing into the role of feminist icon, giving CHVRCHES a vital edge and value that is definitely on display on this potent single. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack arrives in stores November 17th, while the movie hits theaters on November 21st.

Chief Keef and Gucci Mane – Big Gucci Sosa

November 5, 2014

Big Gucci Sosa proves two things; Gucci is still here, and as shocking as it is, Chief Keef is back. Despite constantly being in and out of an orange jumpsuit, Gucci is consistent as ever on this thing. Keef has seemingly spent the last couple years of falling out of Chicago’s drill scene, instead opting for lean-induced, lazily-composed auto-tuned madness. It appears as though Guwop has talked some sense into young Keith Cozart though, because this album features a Keef spitting some of the hardest verses of his career. Opening track “Semi On Em” leaves no one questioning to the mindset of these two trap artists. “Bitch, I’m Gucci Mane, you heard that I go coco-loco/So much money that my pitbull got a diamond choker” the trap god raps as the beat thumps and the bass bangs. Keef’s introductory verse on the project signals the listener that we are getting the throwback version of the still-young Chicago[...]

Lemuria Shares New Comic Book Paired Track

November 5, 2014

This week, one of Buffalo’s major music exports, Lemuria, debuted their new single titled “Foggy Smoke,” the B-side off a forthcoming 7-inch. The track is set to be paired with its own 40 page comic, Turnstile Comix #3: Lemuria, documenting the band’s eventful tour through Russia years back. With the band set to hit the road with Into It. Over It. later this month, this should be a nice to morsel to tide over Lemuria fans until the trio’s next proper release. Turnstile Comix #3: Lemuria, and the accompanying 7-inch, is set to be released on December 9th. In the mean time, listen to “Foggy Smoke” below.

Gillian – “Out & Out”

November 4, 2014

Over the weekend, we received an e-mail from Brooklyn-based indie-pop quintet, Gillian. Fronted by former Rochester resident, Geoff Bennington, Gillian is almost the total package, a polished sound with incredibly catchy, developed melodies that fans of Broken Social Scene, Sheer Mags, Los Campesinos!, or The Cast of Cheers would love. The band has two shows in Rochester this winter, with the first being Sunday, December 7th at the Bug Jar. The second is January 23rd with two bands we’ve been talking about this week, Bryan Johnson & Family and Talking Under Water. Don’t just listen to “Out & Out.” The whole EP, The Eyes In My Head, is phenomenal.

Father John Misty – “Bored in the USA”

November 4, 2014

Ever since John Tillman stole the show while opening for Youth Lagoon a couple years ago at the Town Ballroom, I have been pining for some new music, and a proper follow up to 2012’s Fear Fun, from the former drummer of Fleet Foxes. Last night, Tillman’s alter ego of Father John Misty took over the Late Show with David Letterman stage with a massive string section to play the ballad, “Bored in the USA,” a cut from his forthcoming new album, I Love You, Honeybear. Tillman once again proves he is one of indie-rock’s best showman, frequently making himself comfortable on his piano as he casually laments on the dejected states of many of today’s post-grads and millennials, something the crowd seemed to eat up by the sounds of the laughter and applause. I Love You, Honeybear is set to drop on Tuesday, February 12th. FJM also announced some tour dates to[...]

Garrett Klahn Returns Home with New Solo Project

November 4, 2014

Garrett Klahn hasn’t lived in Buffalo in nearly 20 years. “I just moved back at the end of the summer.” Klahn says. “My mother is here, so for the past 20 years I’d come home for at least two holidays every year, and for weddings, babies all that normal shit. So I was here a lot.” Klahn is best known for his involvement in a little band from New York City, Texas is the Reason, as well as a multitude of other projects. Klahn is now back in his native city of Buffalo calling the Elmwood Village and Allentown neighborhoods home, which do not resemble the humble districts they once were in his younger days. “The changes are black and white really.” He says of the now bustling Elmwood Village neighborhood. “I left in ’93, and then you didn’t really venture much past Lafayette.” So what brings Klahn back to[...]

Talking Under Water Releases Debut Single, “Tossing & Turning”

November 3, 2014

Yesterday afternoon, Rochester alt-rock outfit, Talking Under Water, premiered “Tossing & Turning,” its debut single and title track to its forthcoming new EP. Forming this past summer, the quartet is comprised of front man Dave Chisholm, Alex Patrick of the Absolutes, Stephen Roessner of Pleistocene/Small Signals, and Cayuga Chamber Orchestra cellist Elise Hughey. The four-piece’s “Tossing & Turning” is a theatrical number with a flair for the dramatics, with smokey verses that explode as the song’s bombastic chorus is unleashed. Fans of the Black Keys, Muse, Cage the Elephant, and even Dead Man’s Bones (minus Halloween) should all find something within the track to peak their interest. Tossing & Turning will be released on December 2nd. In the mean time, listen to the single below.

101010 – We Are The Movie

November 3, 2014

Another month, another farewell album. Listening to an album known to be a band’s last is always a bittersweet experience, and 101010’s We Are The Movie was no different for me. The Buffalo band, having formed in 2012 from the ashes of Americana act Vox Humana, are no longer playing together, but, as a final gesture of good faith, decided to digitally release their swan song album for the fans of their decidedly post-rock loudness. Each of the respective members will be focusing on different projects beyond 101010’s dissolution; keep your ears to the ground. Though the curtain has called for 101010, We Are The Movie satisfies, and should not go unrecognized. Enter our Album of the Week. We Are The Movie explores the various intricacies of post-rock and shoegaze, landing somewhere between the cosmic thickness of 90’s band Hum and the hard-hitting fervor of Chevelle. But the album doesn’t[...]

Nevergreens Releases Latest Cinematic EP, it’s already paradise

November 3, 2014

Local chillwave producer, Matthew Reilly aka Nevergreens, released his latest EP, it’s already paradise, this past weekend. The musician has been quietly dropping cinematic, instrumental scores on bandcamp since early summer. EP opener, “graduation,” is a jubilant track backed by warm synths and live drums, recalling some of M83’s more uplifting pieces from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Stream the entire EP here, and check out “graduation” below.

Brass Pro and the Waterfront Revivalists Offer Try-Outs

November 2, 2014

Wanna join Brass Pro and the Waterfront Revivalists? They are having a “Try-out” PIZZA PARTY tonight  at 7:30pm at  at 1250 Niagara St. Are you asking yourself what Brass Pro and the Waterfront Revivalists are? Well, you can read the statement from the group below to find out the answers. In the words of the “walking rock band” themselves… “We have successfully played two gigs as a rag tag group and we are excited to keep this project going but we need members to really make a bang. If you are curious about joining or have a slight interest in how this group operates, please join us. It won’t be as much of an audition as a meet up to gain more members, talk about what our bands goals, what music we should cover, and what events we should crash. Bring an instrument if you have one. We know some possible rental opportunities and we have a few pieces of[...]

Slap Bracelets – “The Wendigo”

October 30, 2014

New York City based shoegaze duo, Slap Bracelets, is comprised of Debbie Chou (vocals/bass/ keys) and Chris Gersbeck (vocals/guitars/bass/programming). The band has the ability to be both sweet and dreamy (listen to “The Wendigo”), but can also put on the edge to a more raucous classic punk sound. Expect a mix of Depeche Mode, Lower Dens, and Haim, and you are good to go. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114147567″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Baxter Roy Long Releases Acid-Folk Collection, Palms on the setting stone

October 30, 2014

Former Denver resident, Baxter Roy Long, recently moved to Buffalo, and upon settling in, released an 8-track collection of dreamy, yet challenging acid folk, titled Palms on the setting stone. While most of the album was recorded in the Pacific North West, the lone locally recorded song, “Whale calls at night,” may be the most ambient, sounding like early, ethereal Animal Collective or Young Prayer era Panda Bear. You can stream Palms on the setting stone in its entirety over at Long’s bandcamp page. Check out stand out, Collections of Colonies of Bees-esque, “March of Saginaw,” below.

Camp Counselors Releases “Sighs” on Halloween Compilation No. 2: Gatherings

October 30, 2014

Spookytacular WNY expat, Kyle J. Reigle, records under the moniker Camp Counselors and for the second year in a row, released another track to producer’s yet-to-be-created slasher flick. The creepy new single “Sighs” has the same feel as Camp Counselors previous works, pairing well with fog coming from the ground, being unsure you locked your door on a windy night, and irrational fears that Freddy Krueger is actually a real person that wants to kill you. The track is included on Halloween Compilation No. 2: Gatherings, the second annual seasonal collection released via Reigle’s Snowbeast Records label. Gatherings also includes contributions from Teen Daze, Psychic Twin, and Medina native, Seismograph. Listen to the full comp here, and check out “Sighs” below.