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New Look High Drags Release Latest Single, “Red White and Blue”

October 14, 2014

Our favorite (former)bi-coastal, brother/sister duo, High Drags, have reemerged this afternoon with their latest single, “Red White and Blue.” Marissa and James Longstreet, High Drags’ founding pair, have recently fleshed out to a five piece and permanently left their Western, NY hometown for the big city lights of Los Angeles. The first single from the new look High Drags is 6+ mins of smooth and sultry synth-pop that recalls Polica and Banks. Listen to “Red White and Blue” below.

Stars – No One Is Lost

October 14, 2014

While watching the closing minutes of “High Fidelity,” an episode of Degrassi (circa 2006), I found myself entranced by the lyrics of its concluding song: “Live through this and you won’t look back.” After a little digging, I found out the song was “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” by indie-pop band, Stars. Now, nearly ten years later, the Canadian band has released their latest album, No One Is Lost. And though their impact has slightly diminished since then, the quality of their sound has certainly maintained through the decade. In tempo with their typical vibe, No One Is Lost features lots of keyboard, alternating vocals between Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, and of course, some 80’s flare. While the latest Stars album does not necessarily present anything different from previous albums, it proves a valuable steal for both long-time fans and newly acquainted listeners. There is something to be said for their[...]

Falconcat Releases Debut Single Via LIPS Records

October 14, 2014

This morning, Buffalo/Philadelphia based label, LIPS Records, announced the release of the debut album from Falconcat, the new project/moniker of Buffalo musician Tylor Colby (Imperials, Victory for Poland). The forthcoming album, titled Year of the Wooden Horse, is set to drop via LIPS on November 4th. Also this morning, LIPS debuted the album’s first single, “Death of a Patron St.” While the record was inspired by smaller pysch pop projects and folk rock acts, “Death of a Patron St.,” seems to favor the latter influences, ditching the youthful pop sounds of V4P for bouncy, folk stylings that recall stripped down yet uppity Okkervil River or Neutral Milk Hotel. Listen to “Death of a Patron St.” below.

Steve Gunn – Way Out Weather

October 13, 2014

Weather is probably the most common topic brought up amongst strangers. And its broad, unrevealing nature was something Steve Gunn had in mind when putting together his new album, “Way Out Weather. “Way out weather is a common song,” Gunn sings on the album’s opener. The Philadelphia-turned-New York City musician’s previous release, Time Off (2013), was the work of a purist not influenced by the exhausting nature of the city. It featured tumbling travis-picked acoustic guitar accented with light bass and guitar solos that wouldn’t dare wake up a sleeping baby, leaving the spare character of his songs almost wanting to be colored with something more. With his new album, Way Out Weather, they have been. Keys, banjo, and a sweeping pedal steel give a panoramic, widescreen feel to each of the album’s nine songs. Songs like “Wildwood” and “Fiction” bounce along some old country road. These are traditional roots-rock[...]

Europa & The Great Red Spot – Inside Voices

October 13, 2014

This week brings us yet another Rochester Album of the Week nod. Europa & The Great Red Spot‘s Inside Voices is a wonderfully understated LP full of fuzzy lo-fi gems. Riding mysteriously on a heavy space theme, it might as well be the sound of Europa itself spinning around Jupiter. Album opener “Din” is an immediate highlight. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between TV on the Radio and Local Natives, “Din” is a simmering slow-burner, with beautiful lyrics that touch on love, space, tattoos, and conflicting weather patterns. It’s a fitting introduction for an album full of hazy, lo-fi beauty. Another great dowsing rod for this band is the title track, “Inside Voices” – a six-minute, almost-instrumental epic worth getting lost inside. E&TGRS specialize in songs like these – swirly synths, shy guitars, and a pleasant, washy mix. On the other hand, “Redshift” walks the line of psychedelic – think the[...]

October 10th

October 10, 2014

Doc Daneeka Feat. Seven Davis Jr. – “What’s It Gonna Be?” Berlin producer Doc Daneeka scored a major club hit late last year with the infectious “Walk On In” featuring UK artist Ratcatcher. With a command of subtle changes in energy and strong vocal refrain, the artist once again shows his ability to craft memorable tracks on his latest release, “What’s It Gonna Be?,” which features California producer/vocalist Seven Davis Jr. The tune features a tight groove and understated, yet soulful vocals that make for a moody, subtle house feel. Look for the pair’s upcoming EP, From Mine to Mistress, out November 10th via Ten Thousand Yen. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171178688″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Session Victim – “Never Forget” The latest track from German production duo Session Victim, “Never Forget,” is the result of classic, soulful sampling, and raw, organic sounding percussion used to create a timeless atmosphere and an instantly engaging[...]

Edwang and Duce return with some Gold

October 10, 2014

Buffalo producer Edwang is back with another dope collaborative effort with rapper Duce. A few months back, we covered The Duce Bootlegs, a wonderfully enjoyable project of happy hip hop. Their latest release together, Fifty Shades of Gold, switches things up a bit on the way to being another great tape.  Edwang kicks off the tracks with the title track, and a distinctly grimier beat than anything we heard last time ’round. Ed continuously keeps us guessing with his styles behind the beats. “Rumble Pack III” uses some traditional video game bleeps and bloops to create a base for which Duce to cram countless gaming references over a span of three and a half references. The name itself is a shout-out to the device that allowed your N64 controller to vibrate whenever you crashed in Tony Hawk Pro Skater, thereby making the game 20% better than it already was. Duce is particularly on[...]

SHEER MAG – “WHAT YOU WANT”

October 10, 2014

While perusing the calendar for upcoming events in the next couple of weeks this morning, we finally gave South Philly’s SHEER MAG a listen, and are ecstatic we did. It’s been the soundtrack of the office all morning. SHEER MAG is a relatively young band, starting just in February but already creating some interstate buzz. The band’s sound is power-pop all the way, think The Nerves meets King Khan and the Shrines and a dab of Chastity Belt. Mark your calendar for next Saturday (10/18), as the band will be playing an early show at Black Dots in support of NANCY along with local indie-rockers, Softlines.

Foxygen’s …And Star Power

October 10, 2014

Back in the before times (in the long, long ago) I wrote an article about Foxygen’s second album, which was audaciously (and a bit pretentiously) titled We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic. The basic idea there was that Foxygen was channeling the Ghosts of 60’s-Music Past, through an extremely self-aware present-day filter. The songs on that album sounded less like the legions of bands that have only mimicked that sound in the past 50 years and more like a band that had somehow discovered a crate of unused A-sides from 1969, covered them, and basically begged you to ask: “Doesn’t this guy sound a lot like Mick Jagger?” Part of that effect had to do with how Foxygen seemingly refused to discriminate when it came to sounding like any particular band from that era. They’d shift from the Beatles to Dylan to the Stones to Bowie[...]

DJ Pizza Pizza Serves Up “Slice 34”

October 9, 2014

Quickly becoming one of our favorite Buffalo personalities, DJ Pizza Pizza has released his 34th song this morning, aptly titled “Slice 34.” Yung Zza is not only a cut and splicer, but produces organic instrumental tracks a la Madlib or Flying Lotus. “Slice 34” turns it down a bit and seems more reflective in nature rather than previous DJ Pizza Pizza releases, which pair well with slinging shots at 2am in Allentown and saying “SWERVE” on repeat. Check it out below.

Arvid Releases First Song From Forthcoming Album

October 9, 2014

We haven’t heard much from Rochester act, Arvid, since this past spring when he released the 90’s alt-rock tinged album, Old Factory Living. Early this morning, the one man band returned to tease his forthcoming album with a new song titled “Fever Dream.” Moving away from the garage rock sounds of his past work, “Fever Dream” has a dreamy rockabilly feel, recalling early Girls or some of the more accessible yet lo-fi sounds of Ariel Pink. Arvid gave no word on when the album may drop, so in the mean time, listen to the track below.

Vince Staples – Hell Can Wait

October 8, 2014

One thing that can be said about Los Angeles rapper, Vince Staples, for certain is that he does not have a bad verse to his name. Although he is a friend to the Odd Future crew, musically he couldn’t be more different. The 21-year-old has the soul of one of his West Coast gangsta-rap forefathers, notably rapping last year on Earl Sweatshirt’s “Hive” “If this was ’88 I would’ve signed to Ruthless, ‘9-4 woulda had me walking down Death Row,” a nod to some of the most famous, dark labels in hip hop history. Whether it was on either of his Shyne Coldchain mixtapes or last year’s Stolen Youth, a collaboration with Mac Miller’s production pseudonym Larry Fisherman, Staples has consistently brought introspective gangsta rap to his bars. Hell Can Wait continues this style, and this EP is a strong prelude to the debut album that Staples says is coming next year. Buzz for[...]

Newish Star Shares Previously Unreleased Track, “Food Chain”

October 8, 2014

After a fairly busy morning, we thought this today’s content would be suffice enough to take the afternoon off to go grab a Chippy Sandwich down in South Buffalo. Turns out, Newish Star debuted to the internet an unreleased b-side from their original Look Both Ways recording sessions and we decided we couldn’t sleep on it.  Titled “Food Chain,” the track is slowed down a bit from the band’s usually upbeat repertoire, but the crunchy, menacing chords should let the track fit in quite nicely among some of your favorite college rock tunes. Listen to “Food Chain” below.

Bryan Johnson & Family Signs to Admirable Traits, Releases “Dead Fox” Single

October 8, 2014

Local lake-pop act, Bryan Johnson & Family, have announced that their new EP, Cool Your Jets, will be released next month via Admirable Traits, a record label with Buffalo and Brooklyn roots. The album’s first single, “Dead Fox,” just premiered this morning, and BJ & crew absolutely kill it. The guitar and vocals are pristine, the melody as bouncy as expected, and the production is wonderful. The song is a fantastic power-pop jam that refuses to let summer die. Bryan Johnson & Family will be celebrating the release of Cool Your Jets on Thursday, November 6th at the Waiting Room’s newly opened upstairs studio. The $10 cover includes a physcal copy of the EP. Mallwalkers and Del Paxton will be providing support. Listen to “Dead Fox” below.

Danimal Cannon Drops Latest Chip Tunes Single, “Love Live New Fresh”

October 7, 2014

Buffalo’s most popular chiptunes producer, Danimal Cannon, released early this morning his first material in close to ten months. The single “Long Live New Fresh” stays in Cannon’s realm of expertise, with glitchy, gameboy music combined with upbeat tempo’s, providing more of an 8-bit journey rather than a surface level song. Listen below.