Latest Posts

Vast Robot Armies – “Like A Bug”

September 16, 2023

Vast Robot Armies (VRA) has been kicking around for the good part of a decade and that storied experience shines through on latest single, “Like A Bug.” With heavy nods to the band’s pedigree, friends, and collaborators (Sometimes Why, The Life And Times, Shiner, and Sundiver just to name a few), “Bug” is a cavalcade of dark grungy guitars, plunking electric pianos, and booming drums. Having evolved from a solo project to a full-fledged collaborative band, VRA has run the gamut of different forms and shapes – if “Bug” is any indication of their future trajectory, buffaBLOG will be paying attention. Check out “Like A Bug” via YouTube (below), or stream it on Spotify or Apple Music.

Ravetank – Echoes From Feedback Mountain

September 5, 2023

When you get a heads up that an album you’re about to enjoy is classified as “absurdist noise folk,” you kind of already know what you’re getting yourself into… Or maybe, its more likely that you don’t actually have any possible clue. Either way, the latest LP from Bath, UK-based duo Ravetank is a journey in ambient noise and never ending discord. Ranging from whirring wind sounds and quiet meditations all the way to ear-destroying squalls of feedback and atonal guitar monstrosities, Echoes From Feedback Mountain (EFFM) is certainly a mediation on the fine line between noise and melody. After a full listen to EFFM, you might be surprised to learn that Ravetank is only two people. They recorded the backbone of EFFM live in order to capture the most authentic possible presentation of their sound. From there, they added a series of overdubs, including “bass, some guitar, feedback loops, and contact mic’d[...]

Goalie Fight – “Kids’ Table”

August 30, 2023

Like many Midwest-emo inspired acts (think Modern Baseball; American Football; Football, etc.), Goalie Fight started with a sports-inspired name and gradually started pumping out some tasty riffage. We’re recommending their latest single, “Kids’ Table,” for your listening pleasures. Spindly guitar twinkling here is in the forefront – equally sparkly, mathy, and jangly, it produces a surprisingly driving beat that the drums and bass accompany perfectly. Bringing to mind the wordsmith narratives of The Front Bottoms or the aforementioned Modern Baseball, the mile-a-minute musings here are witty and intriguing, perfect for any basement show-going wallflower. You can find “Kids’ Table” on Spotify and Apple Music as well. On Ice! by Goalie Fight

James Beastly – Junk Values

August 30, 2023

James Beastly. The man, the myth, the legend. One listen through the blistering punk/alternative/slacker/??? vibes of his latest album, Junk Values, and you’ll be thinking the same thing. He’s self-described as “too indie to be punk and too punk to be indie” and we couldn’t have said the words better ourselves. Junk Values is just that eclectic. Either way, James’ iconic personality and unique tastes truly shine through on this collection of ten, genre-defying songs. James evokes wild punkers like WAVVES and FIDLAR (are both of those bands capitalized? Maybe we should start capitalizing JAMES BEASTLY) on album opener “The Arc of Youth.” Proco Rat (TM) guitar tones lay underneath cosmic and psychedelic guitar leads while James takes center stage with his unhinged but still-digestible delivery. This is punk rock for the ages, and James nails the aggressive vibes here perfectly, but it’s just one step on the journey you’re[...]

Personal Style – “False Memories”

August 28, 2023

Personal Style is a three-piece punk band from Buffalo made up of Bryan Johnson, Evan Wachowski, and Stephen Floyd. Their latest jam is a crunched-out indie-punk song they’re calling “False Memories” – with ultra chunky guitar distortion, punchy drum sounds, and nimble bass plunking, the trio brings to mind fellow genre luminaries like Parquet Courts, LVL UP, and Cloud Nothings. Of particular note here is Johnson’s soaring vocals, which he uses perfectly to cut through the angular punk grime with plenty of tasty melodies. “False Memories” was recorded at Mammoth Recording Studio here in Buffalo with Justin Smith and Mike Santillo. Be sure to check it out (as well as song two, “Heartbeat Memorial”) on Bandcamp below. False Memories b/w Heartbeat Memorial by Personal Style

Daniel Ryn – “Boketto”

August 27, 2023

Daniel Ryn brings his genre-bending alt-pop to the masses with latest single, “Boketto.” The song started like many others – a COVID era experiment that came about as an “indie computer” prototype; soon, Daniel transformed the project into what it is today, including a unique live band set up. The song was inspired by rock and grunge but sounds very 2023 to us – here’s what Daniel had to say about it: “My next release ‘Boketto’ is a special one, as it’s the first time I bring the recording home to the label I’m in. We produced this at the label’s studio, what started out as a pop tune gravitated into a rock alternative one. It’s the song that reminds me that I used to like this type of music so much and I’m glad to finally have a rock song again.” You can find “Boketto” on Spotify, Apple Music,[...]

Couch Cult – The Couch Cult EP

August 22, 2023

Couch Cult started the same as many new acts – a passion project that rose, like a phoenix, out of the ashes of the pandemic. This particular trio watched, ostensibly, from a basement window as the world woke up again. This re-awakening of the world inspired their latest album, an almost self-titled affair they’ve entitled The Couch Cult EP. They explore themes of “altered perception, introspection, and the struggle to find authenticity in an ever-changing post-pandemic world,” a common and relatable struggle for those of us still trying to pick up the shattered pieces of a world we’ve been forced to leave behind. The album opens with “Psilo,” a not-so-obvious nod to the psilocybin found in a certain variety of mushrooms. There’s been lots of disassociation post-pandemic, and this song, thematically, hits the nail on the proverbial head. But rather than focus on one’s failures, this song urges the listener[...]

Eversame – “Warm Flower Sided Road”

August 16, 2023

Eversame is a quartet based out of Žilina, Slovakia. Their music spoke to us all the way across the Atlantic for it’s longing mix of shoegaze, emo, and jangle pop – one listen through “Warm Flower Sided Road” will give you an idea of what we mean. Delicate-but-hurt vocals lay overtop a Midwest-emo backbone, complete with acrobatic bass lines and wistful guitar strumming. Mid-song, a crunchy (but still chiming) guitar punctuates the gloom, which absolutely crushes the listener emotionally. Fans of Petal, Tancred, and Sunny Day Real Estate will love this one for sure. You can find “Warm Flower Sided Road” on Bandcamp (below), Spotify, and Apple Music. tell me where the flowers are by Eversame

Unca John – Midlife Crisis Vanity Project

August 15, 2023

Midlife Crisis Vanity Project (MCVP)… Without even writing any words of my own, the title kind of says it all. Unca John is a Baltimore-based singer-songwriter hiding behind his secret identity as an economics professor. He’s emerging out of the shadows to debut his art, the ten-song MCVP. It’s full of classic rock, jangly pop, and retro song structures that have a wholesome exterior disguising a darker depth within. Expect lots of sardonic wordplay and dark humor from Unca John as he navigates a confusing time in his life through disarming song and dance. MCVP opens with the quick-witted pop rock of “How The Hell?” “Hell” also happens to be one of the album’s strongest tracks – pairing cascading, plucky keyboards with crunchy and catchy guitar chords and rhythms. John explores falsetto accompaniments and honeyed harmonies here alongside his tried-and-true songwriting approach. It’s tough to give a true comparison to other artists, but[...]

The Freeloaders – Cheap & Used

August 14, 2023

Pittsburgh-based act The Freeloaders are a band that knows their roots. There’s never a wrong time to acknowledge where you come from, and this quartet certainly does that (and does it well) on their latest LP, Cheap & Used. This ten song collection is full of songs that nod to rock and roll heavyweights like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Neil Young while also channeling 90s guitar rock like Radiohead, Cracker, and the Jayhawks. The Freeloaders have an all too familiar origin story – as childhood friends who grew up playing covers of the aforementioned bands, they cut their teeth perfecting the classics… That is, before the pandemic hit. Whether it was an itch from being stuck at home or just a change of heart, this quartet decided to buckle down and start creating their own songs. Cheap & Used is the result of that burning desire to make art, an[...]

Liquid Pennies – A Wake-Ending

August 13, 2023

St. Petersburg based act Liquid Pennies specialize in an indie-psych sound that toes the oh-so fine line between concise and abstract. After hammering out a new batch of tunes on stage, in between shows, and even on a live radio performance, they’re back with a four-song EP they’ve titled A Wake-Ending, which was recorded with Ryan Boesch of Candor Recording (of The Melvins, Eels, Andrew W.K., The Foo Fighters, and Nora Jones fame). Boesch helped the band encapsulate the fervor of their live sound – something they nailed on this interesting and wild group of new songs. Opening song “Discretion” opens with a whirr of feedback hum before launching into a shoegaze inspired guitar jangle from guitarist Chas Binns. Very quickly, you realize A Wake-Ending is going to be a wild ride, as rolling and rollicking drums from Christian Kovar start rattling the space between your ears. Dylan Carney’s bass acts as[...]

Grrrl Gang – “Blue-Stained Lips”

August 13, 2023

Yogyakarta, Indonesia-based act Grrrl Gang sure knows how to write an upbeat jam – if you don’t believe us, one listen through the summery, punky pop rock of “Blue-Stained Lips” should be enough proof. A pure and lighthearted song about loving and cherishing your significant other (even if they have lips that are stained blue by Curacao), “Lips” brings all us tired millennials back to feelings of puppy love from days long past. Fans of The Go-Gos, The Linda Lindas, or Liz Phair’s poppier canon will find lots to love here. “We were at a party one night, and I drank this blue cocktail, and it left a stain on my lips, making them blue. I thought I looked super ugly, but my boyfriend still thought I was perfect and kissed me, regardless. The line ‘Kiss me on my blue-stained lips’ is a metaphor for him liking me and accepting[...]

Molly Millington – “Foreign Accent”

August 13, 2023

Molly Millington embodies feelings of youth, love, and longing on her latest single, “Foreign Accent.” “Everything sounds better in a foreign accent,” Molly explains, and we can’t help but relate to the romanticizing of someone’s surface-level traits. It’s backed up by a shiny and shimmery indie pop instrumental, complete with jangly tambourines, crisp guitars, and subtle hints of synth. Molly further explains her mindset below: “’Foreign Accent’ is about doing things you usually wouldn’t purely because the way it’s presented is not what you’re used to. For example, saying yes to a marriage proposal because you’re in another country and everything seems more exciting and romantic but then remembering when you get home that you actually don’t believe in marriage and possibly might not even be into men.” You can find “Foreign Accent” on both Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Molly Millington · Foreign Accent

Jet City Sports Club – “Drug Store (Waste My Time)”

August 13, 2023

Sydney’s Jet City Sports Club are back with a brand new indie pop jam called “Drug Store (Waste My Time).” In case you missed our previous features on JCSC (see here and here), “Drug” finds the band continuing to hone their brand of glassy, beach inspired indie pop a la Alvvays or Beach Bunny. Sweet vocal melodies and a driving bass are highlights here, anchored by both crunchy and chorus-laden guitars. About the song, the band explains: “When I started writing this song, It was about always wanting more from a significant other, but it evolved into a sort of longing and desperation to be seen by someone you don’t even really know. Someone who might not even know you exist yet.” Check it out via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Jet City Sports Club · Drug Store (Waste My Time)

War Strings – “All My Little Games”

August 13, 2023

War Strings, aka Andrew Stogel, hit us hard with the jangly heartwrench of latest single, “All My Little Games.” Jangly chords start this one off and stay constant throughout, while nimble basslines, punchy drums, and vocals dripping with sincerity help to keep that gut punch feeling always present. It’s accompanied by a music video that brings a perfect visual to the song – blurry and confusing, like the emotions that are conjured when one listens to “Games.” About the song, War Strings explains: “All My Little Games’ is about reckoning with heartbreak. Realizing the ‘fixes’ cause more pain.” You can find “All My Little Games” on Spotify or YouTube (below).