Latest Posts

Essy – “Thinking About You”

November 22, 2025

Essy is a master songwriter, having written for a bunch of artist on major labels… But we’re highlighting her personal single right now, “Thinking About You.” This is synthpop at its finest – gauzy and easy-going with lyrics about love and regret. It’s the title track of Essy’s new EP not too hot//not too cold and it’s not hard to see why. Give this one a chance, the mysterious verses have a wonderful pull, bursting into a pop-soaked chorus that’s catchy as all get out.   “Thinking About You” is available via YouTube (embedded below) and on Spotify.    

Club 8 – “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate”

November 20, 2025

What could we even have left to say about perpetual buffaBLOG staples, Club 8? The band is so, so good at writing simple and accessible indie pop with an ethereal touch – they certainly haven’t reinvented the wheel on “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate,” and frankly, that’s why we keep coming back for more. At a brisk 1:39, the song comes and goes before you know it, but not before packing it with a punchy snare, twinkling guitars, and just-barely-ghostly vocals that sit in a sweet spot in the mix.   “Another Faux Pas in the Cathedral of Hate” is available on Bandcamp (below), or Spotify/Apple Music.   Another Faux Pas In The Cathedral Of Hate by Club 8

Night Talks – “Shadows On The Run”

November 20, 2025

LA-based band Night Talks keep it sleek and polished on their latest alt rock banger, “Shadows On The Run.” Inspired simply by a relationship that’s run it’s course, “Shadows On The Run” plays with crispy production and powerhouse vocals to build something that would fit comfortably on a shelf next to Paramore, LCD Soundsystem, or The Killers. We wouldn’t be surprised if we heard this one on The Edge (or Sirius XMU for you satellite heads)… So give it a listen now and tell everyone you heard of it on buffaBLOG before it was cool.   “Shadows On The Run” is available now – try Spotify or Apple Music.   Night Talks · Shadows On The Run

Kouskous Heaven – “Thinker Bell”

November 20, 2025

Eat your heart out, Disney Adults. Likewise for fans of small balls of crushed durum wheat semolina tossed with flour. Kouskous Heaven is here to blow your friggin mind – “Thinker Bell” is their latest offering, and it’s… insane. Math rock is the name of the game here – guitars and basses and drums obliterate the senses, offset by an absolutely stunning (and oddly, soothing) vocal. Almost like a Midwestern Emo Primus existed specifically in the year 1995. I refuse to elaborate on that statement any further.   Needless to say, Kouskous Heaven is one hell of a band and this song is surely going to turn some heads. Spotify embed below.  

Devreaux Scales – “Fall Forever”

November 20, 2025

Devreaux Scales, aka Matt Lavin and Jeremy Nunes, slammed together “Fall Forever” out of some really spicy guitar work. An urgent guitar pulls at your ear – octave chords are layered thick with chorus tones before dissolving into a bevy of harmonics, acting as the song’s powerful centerpiece behind the understated (but catchy) vocals. As the first cut from the duo’s upcoming album, Drain To Live, we can’t help but get excited for the rest of the swimmy sounds these guys are whipping up.   Check out “Fall Forever” via the YouTube embed below, or, head over to Spotify.    

Stinkus – I love you, trackstar

November 19, 2025

By now, you should recognize Stinkus as a buffaBLOG favorite – we reviewed 23 last year, and have covered multiple singles leading up to their 2nd album this year (!), I love you, trackstar.   Before we get started, I think it’s important to cover the following: Tyler Thompson, Stinkus mastermind, acquired the nickname “Tink.” “Tink” eventually turned into “Tinkus” (as these nicknames tend to do). As a reminder to have fun and to not take the project too seriously, Thompson added an “s” to Tinkus, arriving at the playfully coy “Stinkus.” Thompson is a writer/producer based in LA – with a prolific pedigree, it’s not hard to see why Stinkus slaps so hard… But in all seriousness, Stinkus is Thompson’s project where anything can happen, free from industry notes. That sincerity, realness, and carefree, “have fun” nature comes through beautifully on I love you, trackstar. Now that you know[...]

Vicious Clay – Bleecker Street Revisited

November 14, 2025

There’s something visceral about the music that comes from Vinny Silva – colloquially known as Vicious Clay. The multi-instrumentalist plays all the instruments on the album: drums, bass, guitars, vocals, and percussion, and it’s palpable – the music here is raw and emotional… Truly an artist’s singular vision. Over the course of 10 songs, Silva explores sneering rock ‘n roll sounds, dipping into garage tones; retro rock swagger; and bluesy emotions.   “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album – reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilot’s “Vasoline,” the song begins with a cacophony of swelling sounds before Silva rips a crushing line – “Feels so hopeless in the dark.” The groovy, guitar riffing here feels spindly and spidery, whipping and winding around your eardrums with nimble virtuosity, pairing raw chords with strong, start/stop rhythmic play. “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album, but it is certainly the[...]

Lord Jane – “These Last Few Weeks”

November 13, 2025

Lord Jane is a five-piece hailing from Ireland – their latest single, “These Last Few Weeks” has been devastating us for the last few weeks (in all the best ways). With a wry-but-catchy guitar riff; an explosive, shoegazy chorus; and an ethereal vocal from ostensibly Jane herself, “Weeks” is one of those quietly powerful songs that is assuredly going to elicit some feels.  Sometimes we just have to hear from the artist, as they say it best themselves… See what we mean:   “This song is an apology to ourselves, and the people that care about us, for all the wasted time. It’s about the guilt that follows when the Fog finally lifts. The apologies and excuses that need to be made for missing deadlines, ignoring calls, neglecting responsibilities. The fear of the guilt often plays a role in how long the Fog sticks around for. Sometimes we get comfortable[...]

Soul Bandit – “Supermoon”

November 13, 2025

Soul Bandit is ready to get you going with the hypnotic, ghoul-pop pulse of latest single, “Supermoon.” A simple, modulated refrain of “You are my lucky star” is pounded into your head, overtop of squelching bass synths, glitched-out keyboard leads, and swirling atmospherics… Complete with la-la-la-las to make it a full package. This is perfect for a night drive in your car… Or for dancing like Wednesday Adams in that one scene in Wednesday. It may be closer to Thanksgiving than Halloween, but it’s never too late to be a little bit witchy.   “Supermoon” is on YouTube (below) and Spotify.    

Mark Arabia – HOW WE GOT HERE

November 9, 2025

Mark Arabia‘s debut album has an all-too-common backstory – it was inspired by a breakup… But let’s be real, the best albums always come from pain. There’s no surprises here – Arabia’s latest, the 11-song HOW WE GOT HERE is full of the stuff you would have gone crazy to back in high school (at least if you were in high school when I was). If you’re a high schooler now, I have no idea how to relate to you, but we’re pretty sure you’re gonna like this too. Mark’s stuff is a throwback to the storytelling greats of ’00s pop punk – and whether you decide to hear Blink-182, All Time Low, Owl City, or Machine Gun Kelly in Mark’s sharp and polished songwriting, he’s still entering the pop-punk oeuvre with a strong narrative of his own.   The album kicks off with title track “HOW WE GOT HERE,” and[...]

VEEK – “MOVE.”

November 9, 2025

Sweden’s VEEK has only one mission when you listen to their new song, “MOVE.” See below:   “Stay in the moment.”   With hooks aplenty, gurgling bass drops, and perfect vocal samples, “MOVE.” sets out to do exactly that. This is tailor-made for dancefloor bliss – let the powerful EDM wash over you and take over. It’s minimal, but sounds lush. It’s raw and emotional, but sounds polished. That’s VEEK’s power as a producer, and it will certainly come through when you lose yourself to this one at the club.   “MOVE.” is on Apple Music and Spotify.   VEEK · MOVE.

Gabriel Royce – Traveler

November 1, 2025

Gabriel Royce wrote an album that means something to him.   Inspired by his oldest daughter, Emery (and even featuring the voice of his father), Traveler is the culmination of a decade-long dream. There’s something to be said about a self-produced album like Traveler and the 2am nights that were spent to put out something of this magnitude. Across 12 songs, Royce builds a literal world – or rather a galaxy, parlaying space travel concepts into metaphorical lessons about life. This is truly a love letter to his daughter; an album that comes from a place like that is special.   Album opener “Blastoff” is more of a mantra than a song, but fittingly, starts with the voice of his father and ends with the voice of Emery. It sets the “space” scene perfectly, leading into song two, “Light Up The Sky.” Royce pulls no punches here – an ultra-polished song[...]

Violet UltraRay – “girl in a tree”

October 30, 2025

“I needed to come down from negative tree I was in so wrote this song instead to chill out.”   When Violet UltraRay needs to come down from a proverbial tree, she just writes a song about it. For her second (!) release – we’d say she did a pretty good job. “girl in a tree” is London shoegaze at its finest. Built around a catchy guitar riff, the verses of this song capture your attention instantly… But the payoff is truly in the insanely catchy chorus that explodes with shoegazy goodness. “She said take it easy” is about to be stuck in your head for the next few days.   Check it out via YouTube (below) or Spotify.    

Pagodas – “Blanket Ban”

October 30, 2025

Pagodas is a twee-sounding five-piece that might trip you up with “Blanket Ban.” At first, it’s all Shins-esque plucking – a fun rhythm and sunshine-y energy that pushes forth with a perfect amount of pep, but never truly explodes… That all changes at 1:58, when the band abruptly changes directions for an exceptional outro, pairing blasts of distorted guitar with catchy vocals and neurotic riffing. The result had us replay the song instantly to make sure we heard everything correctly – turns out we did, and that’s why we’re writing about it now.   “Blanket Ban” is out now on In A Box Records. Check it out via the bandcamp embed below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist.   Blanket Ban by Pagodas

Dylan James – “Stylite”

October 30, 2025

Dylan James is just a regular guy (with a name that would further bolster that hypothesis), but there’s nothing ordinary about the blast of energy he just released called “Stylite.” After a 10 year absence from music writing (it happens!), Dylan found himself grieving life happenings by picking up his guitar again. Out poured “Stylite,” a start-stop explosion of indie rock energy full of riffing, rhythmic jauntiness, and Dylan’s passionate vocal delivery. This sounds huge, Dylan… Never put down your guitar again.   Get a good feel for “Stylite” via the bandcamp embed (below) – you can also find it on Spotify.   Stylite by Dylan James