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PHWOAR – Flowers Through the Concrete

Birmingham-based duo PHWOAR come out swinging with a strong mission statement on their debut release, Flowers Through the Concrete. Full of full-fledged rock n roll vibes, you can expect big guitars; tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and spot-on takes on social commentary. Driven heavily by guitars and four-on-the-floor drum bombast, this duo of Paul (guitar/vocals) and Helena (drums/vocals) have crafted a full-throated sound that would sound perfect destroying your eardrums in your favorite dive bar.   The EP opens up with “Reckless” – a glammy and snotty introduction to this energy-packed duo. Buzzsaw guitars blast through your speakers with an impressive fervor, while drums slam along as the perfect accompaniment. There’s a retro quality to these tunes – nodding to 90s alt rock greats (think Spacehog or Garbage) while filtering in a bit more 2010s energy from acts like The Black Keys. Being reckless is what this kind of music is all about –[...]

Why Dogs Why – “Play The Hits”

Why can’t more bands be like Why Dogs Why and just PLAY THE HITS. Tongue-in-cheek statement or not, their latest song of the same name certainly doesn’t sound like something you’d hear on the radio, but we’re in love with it regardless. This Californian quartet tout this jam as their longest composition to date and its a stunning listen all the way through. With a sexy indie rock progression that dabbles just a bit into Midwest emo, we find the band singing “Dance monkey, dance away” as a metaphor for feeling pressured to behave in a certain way. Get into your feels and let this one sink in deep the next time your boss pisses you off.   Sample “Play The Hits” via the YouTube embed below – Spotify and Apple Music are good to go too.  

PUSH – “wexler”

Do you miss Pinback? I know I do (even if they aren’t actually broken up) – and PUSH is scratching that “Penelope” itch with their latest single, “wexler.” The band purposely keeps things raw and intimate with an acoustic guitar backbone and breathy vocals, bolstered by gentle drumming and ghostly sighs of synth. This song is about “solitude, connection, and the weight of memory,” which are the essential ingredients of any existential crisis. If you’re like us and are constantly wavering on the edge of an existential breakdown, turn on “wexler” the next time you’re staring blankly at your ceiling and simply vibe it out. It worked for me!   Find “wexler” on YouTube below (with a helpful lyric visualizer) or on your favorite streaming service – Spotify or Apple Music.  

Red Sun 1981 – “Walking in a Daydream”

Red Sun 1981 may tout themselves as lo-fi dreampop act (and they’d mostly be correct), but we think they’re underselling themselves a little bit with that classification. A listen through their latest single, “Walking in a Daydream,” is the aural equivalent of literally walking in a perfectly-produced daydream. Swirling synths surround you like you’re sinking into a bed while sighing vocals support your woozy head like the fluffiest pillows known to man. All the while, punchy drum machine hits carry the song along at a perfect tempo. There’s plenty of room in Buffalo for refreshing and gauzy synth acts like RS81, so get used to hearing about them.   Get acquainted with this fantastic new song via the bandcamp embed below.   Walking in a Daydream [Single] by Red Sun 1981

Elle Belle – “Train to Kyoto”

Written in an entirely surprising location, Elle Belle put together his latest single, “Train to Kyoto” in the last place you’d expect. That’s right – on a train to Kyoto. Can you believe it? Us either.   That being said, the gentle electronica here is top notch, with a spicy, lightly-autotuned vocal presence. The composition is purposely bare in nature and the song breathes with both digital and organic lungs. Pleasant guitar plunks, gauzy synths, and project mastermind Christopher Pappas’ airy vocals are all highlights – here’s a little more (quite profound) diatribe about the song from Pappas himself:   ‘Train to Kyoto’ is a nearly lyric-less song I wrote while on, well, a train to Kyoto. I recorded a scratch vocal that started with the only lyric I had at the time: ‘I took the train to Kyoto and I never woke up.’ I improvised the rest of the vocals,[...]

SOZI – Bloom

As we enter a much-needed Buffalo summer, it’s time to refresh our playlists with new and exciting music that reverberates that infectious energy – we’d like to direct your attention to the latest from SOZI on her new, four-song EP, BLOOM. Full of airy and infectious alt pop, BLOOM “is all about stepping into a new season of growth and letting go of what’s been holding you back.” If you’ve been stuck indoors for the last six months like we have, this is the perfect way to break out of your shell and embrace the incoming springtime.   “Seconds” kicks off the album with a lighthearted-but-energetic opening. Quick percussion lays the backbone for SOZI’s lilting presence – coming fully into fruition in the super catchy chorus – “How do the seconds turn to minutes? I just can’t keep up.” SOZI continues the profound lyrical content with lines like “these are your best years,[...]

Victims of the New Math – Open Highway

Acting like a vessel for eras past, singer/songwriter Thomas Young has channeled his energies into alternative act Victims of the New Math. With a reverence for ’60s garage rock, ’90s alt rock sensibilities, and a love for Guided By Voices-esque production values, his latest offering is Open Highway, a nine-song collection of lo-fi tunes peppered with upbeat songwriting, big energies, and classic-sounding songs that go down real easy. The album tackles many themes, including: love, frustration, fear, and beauty (what else from a classics-inspired album?), and has rightfully been mastered by Todd Tobias – GBV’s producer and engineer. The result is a sunny-sounding album that respects DIY production roots while valuing good songwriting – a fun and laid-back listen that will appeal to fans of psych rock, indie rock, and the gone-too-soon 1990s.   “ORANGE AND PURPLE SKIES” is the album’s opener and for good reason – it’s one of the LP’s[...]

The Spins – “It’s Me”

The Spins are gearing up to release a new album and they’ve teased the world with their latest single, “It’s Me.” It’s shiny, it’s fun, and most of all… It’s me. Just kidding – it’s actually super catchy. Produced by Ayad Al Adhamy (of Passion Pit fame), this one has omni-relatable appeal, taking that The 1975 shimmer and shine and refining it into this fun little nugget of alt rock glory.   You know the drill – check it out via YouTube (below) or on Spotify.  

Altalune – “Fragments”

It’s been a few years since we last checked in with Altalune, but they’re still out here crushing the indie/emo realm. Their latest song, “Fragments,” channels the more upbeat era of contemporaries Movements and Citizen with its impassioned vocal delivery and chunky (but nimble) instrumental work. The particularly woofy bass tone in this song is ear catching in a delightful way, twisting and turning beneath heart-on-your-sleeve vocals in mind-bending ways. Just like a good emo song should – this one reminds you of the folks in your life who bring you comfort, even when you’re at your lowest.   Check out “Fragments” via the YouTube embed below, or, find it on Spotify and Apple Music.  

Francis Kelly – “Calcium, Unlikely (feat. Morphia Slow)”

As soon as the first vocal notes of “Calcium, Unlikely” wafted into my ears, I said to myself, “That’s that guy from Herbert Walker.” I was right. And then I found $5.   If anything, it’s testament to the unique timbre of Francis Kelly‘s voice on his first foray into solo territory. He’s teamed up with fellow vocalist Morphia Slow for this odd, creepy, and stripped-back slice of folksy Americana. A rambling acoustic guitar fumbles in the background; gently tapped drums carry an uncertain beat; and a moaning organ peeks out between the cracks… It’s all a part of the vibe, but the real appeal here is the duet between Francis and Morphia, who truly nail the dark and dreary vibe embodied here.   Check out “Calcium, Unlikely” via the YouTube embed below.  

Blase – “Middle of Nowhere”

North Carolina multi-instrumentalist Blase is coming at us with the indie-pop pulse of latest single, “Middle of Nowhere.” Leaning heavy into ethereal vibes, “Middle of Nowhere” channels Tame Impala with its far-off vocal presence, bell-tone guitar riffs, and bevy of atmospheric synths. Just barely psyched-out, “MoN” sounds like it’s in between every genre and also every genre at once. Blase’s super pleasant almost-falsetto vocals are the cherry-on-top here, bringing all the elements together into this cloud scraping new single.   Check out “Middle of Nowhere” via the YouTube embed below.  

Safehouse – Collision Course

Safehouse is the songwriting vehicle for Dillon Vetere – a singer/songwriter from West Palm Beach. His latest offering is the twelve-song Collision Course, a punchy and raw nod toward early ’00s pop-punk brattiness. Gone are the atmospheric and ethereal indie vibes from his previous output – Collision Course course-corrects into simple but effective punk rock songwriting. Expect big power chords, straightforward attitude, and nursery-rhyme-melodies from Vetere – Blink 182 is the obvious comparison, but dig a little deeper and you’ll hear hints of nerdcore icon Atom and his Package and/or deeper cut acts like Allister or Fenix TX.   Vetere kicks things off with the surf-inspired “Mockingbird” – chunky, chorus-laden guitar chords stab out swimmy laces of notes overtop a rolling tom beat. The song is delightfully simplistic, letting its easily-digestible parts come together into a catchy and relatable whole. Vetere’s vocal melodies are the true appeal here, cribbing the aforementioned Delonge-method[...]

Alex Northrup – “Mutually Assured Distraction”

Listen, we’re no strangers to unique genres here at the blog, but “bargain-basement psych” is a new one for us… At least that’s the self-described qualifier that Rochester singer/songwriter Alex Northrup gives to his unique brand of chamber pop. “Mutually Assured Distraction” is the first single from Northrup’s upcoming LP, Victory Lapse, and it’s a great highlight of what we can expect from this eclectic songwriter. Tweaked harpsichord madness powers this retro-coded tune, fleshed out with strange organ tones, vintage drum machines, and Northrup’s pleasant tenor. Certainly sounding like a mashup of Goodwill-sourced instruments (in a good way!), “Mutually Assured Distraction” feels like a harbinger of a wildly inventive album to come.   “Mutually Assured Distractionis” out now via Raincoated Records. Check it out via bandcamp below.   Mutually Assured Distraction by Alex Northrup

Bryan Dubay – “Call Your Mother”

Man of many talents/genres Bryan Dubay is back with another song – this one called “Call Your Mother.” Not known to pigeonhole himself into one genre, Bryan’s latest is folk-forward, showcasing sighing steel guitars and acoustic strumming as the buttresses for his pleasant vocal timbre. His influences, think Elliott Smith and Fleet Foxes, come together perfectly here, melding the former’s intimate singer/songwriter presence with the modern-day folksy sensibilities of the latter. “Call Your Mother” is more for an evening spent fireside (since we’re all still freezing up here in Buffalo) rather than a dive bar barnburner, so brew yourself a nice cup of cocoa, bundle up, and enjoy Dubay’s latest this evening.   “Call Your Mother” is available now via your preferred streaming service.  

The Heligoats – Goodness Gracious

The Heligoats are commemorating the 15th anniversary of their album Goodness Gracious, and we’re here to let you know it’s worth celebrating. The work of a lone man and (mostly) his acoustic guitar, The Heligoats is the stage name of Chris Otepka – a vehicle that he uses to convey his jangly brand of indie/alternative/folk. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco, and Conor Oberst, Goodness Gracious is perfect for fans of aughts-era songwriting, singer/songwriter flavors, and powerful lyrics and story telling. Also, is it just me, or does 15 years ago feel like it should be 1995 and not 2010?   Like many musicians, Otepka’s criminally-underrated past bubbles beneath the heartfelt power of the songs found on Goodness Gracious. While the album literally kicks off with cricket noises, “A Guide to the Outdoors” is anything but a snoozefest. Otepka’s endearing vocal delivery channels Jeff Mangum with hints of[...]