Latest Posts

Glassio – “Heartstrings”

June 29, 2025

Awful pun incoming – we’re thinking the tellingly-named Sam R. Known should be more… well-known. We’re talking specifically about his latest offering via his synthpop project Glassio, a tune he’s calling “Heartstrings.” Perfect for a summer pool party or a windows-down drive through the countryside, “Heartstrings” is infectious, upbeat, and light like a refreshing mimosa (or a freshly-cracked seltzer, if you don’t drink). This one is super catchy and super digestible AND super relatable; as Known puts it:   “[‘Heartstrings’ is] a sun-kissed Indie-Pop goodbye to an era of naivety and innocence.”   Check out the visualizer for “Heartstrings” below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist.  

Plàsi – Camino

June 23, 2025

“Scandinavian clarity and Mediterranean warmth” – a design element that fits oddly well when describing singer/songwriter Plàsi. On his latest EP, Camino, the Greco-Swede explores gentle, acoustic-folk with his trademark vulnerability. Hushed and intimate while simultaneously exploring the genre’s infinite bounds, Camino is an album that encourages you to break free from expectations and societal pressures. Instead, project mastermind Mikael Bitzarakis crafts natural-sounding songs that are the aural embodiment of following your passions and retaining a childlike sense of wonder.   Even when Plàsi is exploring heavy topics, like a rough father/son relationship on album opener “Father’s Eyes,” his music sounds warm and inviting. It speaks to his talent as a writer – exploring these hard-to-breach subjects with an underlying musicianship that makes them feel approachable and normalized. Here’s a little more from Bitzarakis about the powerful message beneath the song:   “… We don’t want to see or learn from our similarities.[...]

Don’t Worry – “This Time”

June 22, 2025

With a name like theirs, do you think Don’t Worry worry about anything? Maybe they worry about SEO.   Now that I got that out… “This Time” is another lovely jam from the Essex-based quartet. Taking inspiration from Smashing Pumpkins and other 90s/00s band of that ilk (not unlike their previous feature here), Don’t Worry squeeze a powerful and emotional lyrical message into this alternative-coded jam. Here’s a little bit about the tune from the band themselves:   “‘This Time’ is a song about learning from bad experiences and making sure you don’t make the same mistakes again. It’s about growing as a person and coming out of a rough period into a better time”   Check out “This Time” via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify.   specialistsubject · This Time

Grave Secrets – “BLUFFSIDE”

June 22, 2025

Sometimes you just need a well-written punk banger to get your blood pumping, and we think the latest from Grave Secrets might scratch that itch for you. In their Bayside-name-dropping new single, “BLUFFSIDE,” the band channels hard-hitting indie punks like PUP while nodding to the genre’s roots (Think Blink-182 or MCR) with catchy na-na-na singalongs. This is full of rip-roaring guitars, ruthlessly catchy melodies, snotty vocals, and even some tempo changes – a subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle?) nuance that you might not typically expect from a punkish act, but it fits oh-so-perfectly here.   Check out the music video for “BLUFFSIDE” below. It’s on Spotify too.  

Nuovo Testamento – “Picture Perfect”

June 18, 2025

Get on your high tops, acid washed jeans, and find one of those purple/turquoise “jazz” cups, because Nuovo Testamento is about to transport you back to the early ’90s dance craze with their latest jam, “Picture Perfect.” With infectious, club-ready beats; bombastic snare hits; and a perfectly effected vocal performance, you could squeeze Nuovo Testamento on any playlist next to hits from La Bouche, SNAP!, or Technotronic. This one is infectious as all get out – the trio seems to be drilling into a yet un-tapped nostalgic sound while still cranking out catchy melodies and danceable rhythms.   Check out “Picture Perfect” via the clandestine YouTube link below, or, add it to your Spotify playlist. Trouble, the EP upon which “Picture Perfect” will inevitably reside, is out July 25th, 2025.  

Zach Tabori – Attack of the Clout Chasers

June 17, 2025

For once, we may have found ourself at a loss for words… But we’re still going to pump out about 400 of them regarding Zach Tabori’s latest offering, Attack of the Clout Chasers. This album is a wild ride – a kaleidoscopic, genre-defying, Zappa-esque grind that’s equal parts progressive experimentalism, sci-fi dystopia, and political satire. Tabori throws listeners head first into this ten-track, 40 minute concept that whirrs with chaotic energies – a meticulously-crafted opus that has a hawk-eyed glare (and eagle-taloned grasp) on today’s modern dystopic existence… And while you think Tabori might be all-Zappa-all-the-time (and we wouldn’t be surprised, seeing as how he’s a member of Dweezil Zappa’s band), he’s got an impressive pedigree, having written for pop luminaires like Téo and Jaden Smith. Are you as bamboozled as we are? It’s ok – Tabori is probably reveling in your wide-eyed stupor.   In what I can only[...]

The Unlimited Stars – Impossible

June 16, 2025

Whip out your black outfits and eyeliner – Texan quartet The Unlimited Stars (TUS) have a new EP out that’s sure to please your inner goth. They’ve named the EP Impossible – four songs (including a live track and a radio edit) that showcase the group’s penchant for ’80s-inspired post-punk that brings The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees to mind while also channeling shoegazers like Slowdive… And while don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, consider this a last hurrah of sorts for this version of TUS – the chameleon-esque band will be switching to a more high-octane industrial/EBM sound in the near future, reflecting their shared love of industrial metal.   The EP kicks off with the title track, “Impossible – LIVE,” a song that has evolved with the band over their four-year tenure. The band purposely worked to capture the je ne sais quoi of their live sound,[...]

Atomic Lights – “Cheated”

June 16, 2025

Atomic Lights released their latest jam on June 6th, a high-energy punk jam called “Cheated.” An ode to getting the “short end of the stick out of life,” this one feels like it could have been on any of the THPS soundtracks. With bass work that feels like Mark Hoppus on Cheshire Cat combined with buzzsaw guitars and blistering punk tempos, this one is sure to bring you back to your late ’90s/early ’00s heyday. This Minneapolis three-piece pumps out an incredible amount of noise for a trio – fans of Lagwagon, Alkaline Trio, and the aforementioned early Blink will dig this a lot.   Check out “Cheated” on YouTube below. You can also find it on Spotify and Apple Music.  

Dotsun Moon – “Save Us”

June 13, 2025

Dotsun Moon flex their new wave muscles on latest single, “Save Us.” The long-term Buffalo staple was highly influenced by M83 and New Order on this new cut, evidenced by the synth-forward instrumental and bolstered by DM’s dreamy guitar work. Project mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Richard Flierl made a big leap on this release, opting to front these songs himself – the result is a moody and gothy conglomeration of post-punk, new wave, and shoegaze that feels fresh and new while nodding toward each influential genre’s forefathers.   “Save Us” is a part of Dotsun Moon’s upcoming LP, Tiger, that comes out on June 27th (and is available for pre-order). Until then, get down to the Blade Runner noir vibes of the music video for “Save Us” below.  

Post Death Soundtrack – IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE

June 8, 2025

What does it mean to release a 90 minute album in 2025? Post Death Soundtrack (PDS) explores that approach on their fifth full-length album, IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE (IAMNIAA). A true exploration of heavy sounds, experimental vibes, and everything and everything in between, IAMNIAA is a wild collection of songs. An amalgamation of a forgotten album from the late aughts and 15ish new offerings, project mastermind Stephen Moore deconstructed what it means to make music in our modern landscape. Throwing caution to the wind and doing what feels right takes a certain amount of chutzpah – here’s a bit about the process from Moore himself:   “This album is in some ways a complete breakdown in audio format. I find it beautiful and powerful to express what often is not acknowledged or communicated. I learned that from Kurt Cobain and I’m very proud of this work.”   It’s not[...]

Ded En – The Gala

June 8, 2025

Ded En has made their doom-filled debut with the five-song EP The Gala. A showcase of brutal guitar atmospherics, this solo act pushes limits of genre by incorporating elements of shoegaze, slowcore, and doom metal into a melancholy meditation. Expect walls of blown-out guitar rhythms, gloopy guitar leads that drip like thick molasses, and through-an-old-phone vocals that chant with a brooding monotone affect. If you’re wondering what it feels like to die (in a good way, if that’s possible), The Gala might be a good place to start.   The album kicks off with an instrumental, “March.” Immediately, we’re introduced to the recurring motifs of Ded En’s sound. Fuzzy bass plunking, triple-Big-Muff (TM) guitar tones, and surprisingly tender drumming… And while the brutality of the guitar tones is the album’s real calling card, the quiet drumming keeps these songs grounded, rooted just as equally in slowcore as doom metal. It’s a[...]

Gatto Black – “You Can’t Make Me Dance”

June 6, 2025

By now you probably know that Gatto Black doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to their highly emotive songwriting – project mastermind Sal Mastrocola confronts the realities of growing up queer AND Catholic on his latest single, “You Can’t Make Me Dance.” Insanely fast drumming, urgent chord progressions, and gritty vocals power this one forward with unmatched energy – perfect for skateboarding or just the simple act of feeling not-so-alone in your self-loathing. Aside from the skate punk, emo, and post-hardcore glory we’ve come to know and love from GB, “You Can’t Make Me Dance” takes aim at the formative traumas that pop up while you’re reconciling your burgeoning identity in an otherwise inhospitable environment. Mastrocola puts it better than we ever could below:   “When I was 14, my religion teacher told me I was going to hell for being bisexual… Years later it came out that he[...]

Far Caspian – “An Outstretched Hand / Rain From Here To Kerry”

June 3, 2025

Far Caspian has become a buffaBLOG regular (see here, and here, and here, and here). By now, you know we appreciate the Irish musician for his expansive take on the genre of indie rock. “An Outstretched Hand / Rain From Here To Kerry” is his latest, and a wonderful addition to his oeuvre – a 5+ minute offering led by a spindly guitar riff that’s both chiming and gripping in nature. Inspired by both a long-night drive and the feeling of wanting to spend all your time consumed with a fresh, new love, “AOH/RFHTK” encapsulates those heartstring-pulling feelings with simmering energies and blood-churning crescendos.   Follow the forbidden YouTube embed (below) to see the video for “An Outstretched Hand / Rain From Here To Kerry,” or, swing by Spotify.  

Cartman – Waves

May 30, 2025

One listen to the new album from Denver-based artist Cartman and you’ll wonder if he’s telling the truth about recording it in a walk-in closet in a guest bedroom. Residing at the vertex between hip hop, indie rock, and pop music, Waves is a collection of breezy, summer-sounding songs that rest heavily on excellent production, acoustic-guitar twinkles, squiggly synths, and Cartman’s past as a hip-hop artist. Expect plenty of earworms, perfect for putting on for your next poolside gathering.   The mysterious and nebulous “Gold” opens this fantastic album – at just about a minute in length, this one is fleeting, but hits hard. Cartman’s flow is smooth and unbothered, gliding over a 3:4 time signature like some sort of modern day waltz. Just when you think it’s about to explode into something beautiful, he launches into song two, “Tonight.” “Tonight” is an archetypal Cartman song – catchy hip-hop-inspired rhythms, twinkly[...]

Glitter Etiquette – CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE

May 29, 2025

Glitter Etiquette (GE) dives deep into synth-forward indietronica bliss on their latest release, CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE. Highly conceptual, the album dives deep into highbrow ideas about socioeconomic and cultural archetypes… And while we’re usually pretty good at parsing out the meaning behind lyrics, in these instances, it’s usually better to hear a snippet from the band’s own words – see below:   “The album contrasts the tranquil, expansive hue of blue (cerulean) with the ominous force of darkness thru the metaphoric red army, portraying a cosmic battle between clarity, empathy, and depth versus aggression, ego, and decay. These colors become metaphors for clashing worldviews: blue as the fading ideal of unity and imagination, with the antithesis showing the toxic acceleration of greed, polarization, and control. Through its swirling textures and lyrical critiques, Cerulean warns of the rise of socioeconomic and cultural archetypes—techno-feudal overlords and their machine counterparts, influencer-worship, manufactured identity—that[...]