Latest Posts

Every Time I Die Releases Music Video For “Thirst”

May 19, 2014

Local hardcore heroes, Every Time I Die, have released the new music video for their track Thirst,” the first single off the band’s forthcoming album, From Parts Unknown, set to drop on July 1st. Clocking in at a breezy 1:49, the video follows two locals up to no good,one of them being Bobby Griffiths, a local drone musician behind projects like VWLS and Low Prospects, over at Spiral Scratch, Holly Farms, the First Ward, and other spots around the Buffalo city area while making their way to an ETID show. Maybe next time they could just take mass transit. Check out the video for “Thirst” below.

Sleepy Hahas – Dull Days

May 19, 2014

Dull Days, the new LP from Buffalo’s own Sleepy Hahas, is likely to be one of the most diverse, consistently entertaining albums you’ll hear out of WNY this year. The sound is all over the map, as the band explores different styles and genres on each track, from Mudhoney-esque sludge metal to more gentle, acoustic numbers. It never stops being interesting, and the end result is an endlessly fascinating debut from a wildly creative band. If Sleepy Hahas sound had to be pinned down, they are somewhere in the middle of psych rock and sludge metal, with elements of Mudhoney, Queens Of the Stone Age, and 13th Floor Elevators all emerging at various points in the album. This is especially apparent on “I Hate My Body (And It Hates Me Too),” an engaging psychedelic rant that certainly wouldn’t feel out of place on Rated R. But these are not the only[...]

Mac Miller – Faces

May 16, 2014

Mac Miller has taken an unconventional path as an artist. He gained notoriety as pseudo-frat rapper after a couple mixtapes as a late teen, then released an independent that was number 1 on Billboard. With a style that appealed to the mainstream, and a debut album that was panned and looked at as cheesy, a legitimate future in the rap game is something that didn’t seem to be in the stars for Mac. And yet here we are, Mac’s almost a year removed from a critically acclaimed album and on the cusp of a critically acclaimed mixtape. He has scored collaborations with the likes of UGK legend Bun B, kind of-legend/anomaly Jay Electronica, and consensus top 2 rapper on the planet Kendrick Lamar. He’s befriended Kendrick, has a significant friendship with ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, frequently collaborates with rap messiah Earl Sweatshirt, and is becoming one of the most reliable[...]

Conor Oberst’s Upside Down Mountain

May 16, 2014

There’s a mountain in southern France called the Pic de Bugarach. It’s a bit of a geological anomaly because rock samples taken from its peak have actually proven to be older than samples taken from lower elevations, earning it the nickname “Upside Down Mountain.” Geologists have come up with a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, involving “thrust faults” and “horizontal compression,” which I can only vaguely pretend to understand. If you Google Pic de Bugarach, however, you’ll find that others have come up with far more scientifically dubious (but more interesting!) explanations involving aliens, spaceships, and the apocalypse. It shouldn’t be terribly surprising then that Conor Oberst has titled his new album after the nickname for a mountain worshiped by esoteric New Agers. Ever since Bright Eyes released Cassadaga in 2007, Oberst has shown significant interest in spirituality. The lead tracks on the last two Bright Eyes Albums featured cryptic[...]

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon

May 15, 2014

When The Pains of Being Pure at Heart debuted in 2009, the band endeared instantly.  A song like “Young Adult Friction” felt wide-eyed and wistful, vividly realized and alive with youth. The tracks on Days of Abandon, the New York City act’s third album, are aged and exhausted in comparison, sleepy little getaways squatting on acres of sound long occupied by Belle & Sebastian. The record’s stronger second half partly compensates for its listless start. “Eurydice” stands out as a legitimate pop single, full of gentle longing and loss. Yet both Nick Cave and Arcade Fire have performed better art rock takes on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, and the track still suffers from the same aesthetic gutlessness that permeates most of the album. “Until the Sun Explodes” fares better as a brief nova-burst of twee energy. Perhaps a cleaner, more naked production approach makes Days of Abandon feel less rapturous and[...]

Cymbals Eat Guitars – “Jackson”

May 14, 2014

Man, who knew these guys were still around? I am sure I am not the only one who left Cymbals Eat Guitars for dead after the band followed up its incredible Why There Are Mountains with the somewhat disappointing 2011 release, Lenses Alien. The band returned in a big way yesterday by sharing “Jackson,” from forthcoming album, LOSE (8/26). The epic album opener, with its layer upon layer building towards that release and big classic rock guitar lines, could easily have led off WTAM too. Its thats good. And that big pay off at the end? Well worth the 6+ min wait.

Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso

May 14, 2014

There are very few new albums in 2014 that have struck me song by song. The War On Drugs’ Lost In The Dream and Porches’ Lost In The Cosmos are two of those. It pleases me to say that I have found a third. Sylvan Esso, comprised of former acapella-folk singer Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, former bass player for Megafaun, merged together as solo artists to create a work of art. Sanborn brings the vision of an electronic music producer to the front, and Meath works her wide range of crafty vocals. The first track, “Hey Mami,” introduces us to the soundscape of walking in a city. Meath slowly builds on the phrase ‘hey mami’ into an arpeggio, as thick drops of bass plop in while the chorus repeats. Meath’s voice is remniscent of the quality of Feist’s–smooth, elegant, and raw. This song is the feeling of being a woman on the street–it’s[...]

The Black Keys – Turn Blue

May 13, 2014

It’s been a busy week for Patrick Carney. The Black Keys have just released their 8th (can that be right?) studio album, and he’s somehow managed to find time to reignite his old beef with Justin Bieber. While he’s correct in his opinion that Justin Bieber is pretty much the worst type of person the world has ever seen, it’s not his responsibility to make everyone aware of it. His responsibility is to be a sick drummer in one of the better bands we’ve ever heard. If this is a PR move, I think we can all agree that it is pretty shameful. I really, really don’t think it is, but I can’t completely dismiss the idea. Offstage, The Black Keys have always struck me as a bit goofy. I remember watching them as extras in an SNL skit a few years ago and being surprised at how remarkably unfunny[...]

midnight Releases Sensual Single “Adonis”

May 13, 2014

Buffalo-bred, Rochester-raised electro R&B artist, midnight, released his first song in more than a year today, titled “Adonis.” The single is a sip of sorts to midnight’s upcoming reservoir, with collaborations this summer set with buffaBLOG favorites JOYWAVE and Crookers. With comparisons to Maxwell, The Weekend, and How to Dress Well, midnight’s raspy soulful vocals backed by My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-era Kanye productions create both an ethereal and seductive climate. Listen to “Adonis” below.

Zealot Shares “Blanket Fort” Demo

May 13, 2014

For all of the talk this blog has give to Fredonia fuzz trio, Zealot, over the last few months, the band only has one track to its name, the very good debut single “Magic Eye.” The band doubled its catalog size today by releasing a fresh demo titled “Blanket Fort.” The welcome No Age comparisons are going nowhere on this reverb and shout heavy track. Word is the band will be releasing its debut EP some time this summer to keep an eye out. In the mean time, listen to “Blanket Fort” below.

Frigid Giant Drops From My Cold Dead Hands

May 13, 2014

This past weekend, Buffalo rapper Frigid Giant held the release party for his excellent new album From My Cold Dead Hands. Those who attended that show have a vital recording of one of the freshest voices to emerge on the Buffalo hip-hop scene. Throughout its 42-minute running time, From My Cold Dead Hands is packed with witty, conscious lyrics, and well-produced beats with a futuristic sound that points to hip-hop’s next wave. It’s a brilliant record all around. A big part of Frigid Giant’s charm is the ability to mix bravado with self-deprecating humor. While he often boasts about his skills as an MC (he can definitely back these claims up), he also is quite honest when he jokes about sleeping till noon and being broke. Our narrator is aware of his considerable talents and his not shy about his ambitious. But he also acknowledges that for now, as he’s[...]

Jeremy Jermaine Jerome Releases Video for “coexist”

May 12, 2014

It’s been a while since we last heard from Jeremy Jermaine Jerome, a Carolina-raised, Buffalo-rooted abstract emcee (mostly because he has sworn off any-and-all social media). So with this, we were delighted to receive an e-mail from him this morning  which included a link to his latest music video, “coexist.” The video, much like others in JJJ’s repertoire, is an avant-garde piece layered with Jerome’s hushed staccato rapping . In “coexist,” Jerome proves once again his divergent performance art and poems are something to be noticed. This may be a little editorializing, and whatever this is a blog, but JJJ makes the best music videos in Buffalo. Every one is different and it is obvious that the rapper thoroughly thinks through his projects’ locations, props, and scenarios.  Other acts should take notice because we’re becoming a little waned from these repetitive narratives. coexist from ROY Productions on Vimeo.

Joe Mason – Joe Mason

May 12, 2014

As technology has gotten more sophisticated and more accessible, it’s become harder to to nail down a bedroom record. I mean that in the sense that it sounds like it was recorded in someone’s bedroom, not in the sense that you could throw it on and screw. Excepting the people who seek out obsolete technologies, the bedroom record is no longer something you whisper into a four-track recorder while your parents are asleep. You get 255+ tracks, a whole Internet full of sounds and samples and maybe your own apartment. Which is great in its own way. I don’t necessarily agree with the notion that more music getting made is an unmitigated good, but I’ve heard some excellent tunes that never would have gotten produced if the cost of recording were greater than zero dollars. That said, some of the best creative advice I’ve ever heard was to “set limitations[...]

Orations Debut Two-Track EP

May 8, 2014

While you await the next installment of Transmission Dance Party, give a listen to the new project from Jason Draper, one half of Transmission (and bass player for Failures’ Union), called Orations. The four piece outfit dropped a short, two track EP full of driving and hypnotic post-punk on Tuesday. I bet they could easily sneak one of the songs onto the next Transmission set list and no one would miss beat. Keep an eye out for future music from this interesting project, and while you are here, listen to “Early Spring” below.

Le Printemps Readies New Album, Shares Tracks

May 7, 2014

It’s been a while since we last heard from Buffalo expat/Portland transplant Jon Riggie and his project Le Printemps. For those unaware, Riggie was the drummer of 2011 Buffalo buzz band, the birD Day. Le Printemps is probably as opposite of the birD Day as it can get, with jazzy guitars, swung drums, along with a healthy does of south western Americana, almost like a Cass McCombs meets Jose Gonzales. Riggie and crew are prepping the release of their new album, Long Walk Home, which was recorded at Supernatural Sound Studios, a notorious noise factory that has recorded some of the very best west-coast acts including Modest Mouse, the Shins, and Portugal the Man. Le Printemps is clearly in some good company. The band has shared three of the tracks on its soundcloud page, all of which sound like they would be the perfect soundtrack to a drive along the coast.[...]