Latest Posts

Lateral – “Phenomenal Realization”

January 17, 2026

Lateral wants you to know they are scrongly… And if you’re a regular reader of our blog, you already know scrongly is kind of our thing. “Phenomenal Realization” is one of those songs that pays homage to the Midwest emo of old (think ’90s or ’00s) while still sounding fresh and fun. Expect lots of guitar energy and emotive vocals to power this banger forth. Here’s a bit more about the deeper meaning behind the song from the band themselves:   “Phenomenal Realization’s lyrics are written about the feeling of leaving a pot boiling on the back burner and the water spilling over, which was a metaphor for my life at the time. I felt like I had all these irons in the fire and i walked away and forgot about them and the water was spilling all over my life.”   Check out “Phenomenal Realization” on YouTube (below) or[...]

The Ten Best Songs from Rochester in 2025

January 16, 2026

2025 felt like a landmark year for Rochester indie music, rivaling any era since buffaBLOG’s inception. We’ve dug through hundreds of songs to hand-pick our absolute favorites of the year. Did we miss that critically acclaimed jam band album or a classical musician’s final bow? Probably. But that’s not really our bag. We chose to focus on the tracks our team truly championed and debated the ones that came out on top. Here is a Spotify playlist we made with all of our picks. Without further ado, here are our favorite ten songs from Rochester in 2025.     10. Harmonica Lewinski – “Rat Race”    Rochester creepsters Harmonica Lewinski started off the year right with their beachy, 60s-era single “Rat Race,” which showcased the band’s punchbowl of surfy guitar riffs, jungle beats, and signature oddness. For a band that’s been around nearly fifteen years, Harmonica Lewinski still has got[...]

big heck – “ALTAR 444”

December 19, 2025

big heck hits us with a big closing song with the capstone track on their latest EP, The Earth! The Heavens! The Sapient Stars!. It’s called “ALTAR 444” and its a lovely and noisy shoegaze-r with a core in art pop, pairing sludged-out guitars with bizarre, synth-y elements and impassioned vocals. There’s even a hint of Deftones energy here, with the whisper-moaned vocals that drip with intensity.   “ALTAR 444” is on both Bandcamp and Spotify.   The Earth! The Heavens! The Sapient Stars! by Big Heck

The Mad Mile – “Wendy Houses”

December 19, 2025

London-based duo The Mad Mile have an impressive pedigree – its two members, Adam Pickering and Matthew Goodbody, have worked together previously in seminal math rock act General Admin. The duo split off to explore new sounds, and the result is captured in latest single, “Wendy Houses.” Dark, angular, and gaze-y, “Wendy Houses” dabbles in post-punk atmospherics with dark vocals, stabby guitar work, and even some distorted keyboards. It’s cool and moody, and that pretty much checks all of our boxes… Not to mention, you can really hear the camaraderie these two have built having worked together for years.   “Wendy Houses” can be previewed via YouTube below, or, found on Spotify.    

Rude Films – “Horseshoe”

December 17, 2025

Rude Films occupies the dank mills of Manchester – those dank vibes have permeated the jaunty post-punk of their latest offering, “Horseshoe.” Ultimately guitar-driven in a discordant-but-melodic way, “Horseshoe” is full of shoegazy washiness, angular riffing, and swirling atmospherics. The crew made a purposeful pivot to a more controlled and refined sound with “Horseshoe,” and while we love the unhinged fuzz of their other work, it certainly tickles the eardrums in a lovely new way.   “Horseshoe” is available via Spotify (below).  

A Days Wait x Color Theory – “Empty Promises”

December 17, 2025

A Days Wait and Color Theory teamed up for a blippy bedroom-pop jam called “Empty Promises.” Color Theory jumped in to reimagine one of A Days Wait’s earliest songs, and the result is something super pleasant on the ears – expect easy-going vocals, a driving bassline, and an electronic backbone that feels organic and heartfelt.   “Empty Promises” is available on Spotify and Apple Music.   Color Theory · Empty Promises

Ayka – “Let Go”

December 16, 2025

Ayka is colloquially known as the moniker of the Norwegian-Turkish musician Ayça Lingaas – her latest, “Let Go,” bridges the gap between Wet Leg’s effervescence and In-Rainbows-era Radiohead’s organic indie drive. Powered by squiggly guitars, bells, super tight drums, and Ayka’s glassy-eyed delivery, there’s something here for all the various indie-heads out there. Here’s a little bit more about the song from Ayka herself:   “The song is about being on the brink of letting something go and imagining the aftermath – but still staying for a little while – just to see how things unfold and maybe a reason to stay arises? ‘It’s not me, it’s you!'”   “Let Go” is available via YouTube (below), or Spotify.    

Fires of Cheektowaga – “Slowburn”

December 16, 2025

We sincerely hope Cheektowaga, NY isn’t on fire – the Walden Galleria Mall is struggling enough already. But we are sincerely captivated with the psyched-out shoegaze coming from Toronto-based act Fires of Cheektowaga. Expect plenty of MBV energy with a hint of The Dandy Warhols – tasty guitar work, wild rhythmic smashes, and enough swirling textures to forego your next acid trip. Simultaneously grungy and beautiful, FoC sure know how to manhandle a guitar.   “Slowburn” is available on Bandcamp (below) or Spotify.   Slowburn – Single Version by Fires of Cheektowaga

West Ferry – Watching the World Run By

December 15, 2025

West Ferry have been not-so-quietly building an oeuvre of passionate, emo-tinged indie punk for 15 years. They’re back with another three-song EP, Watching the World Run By, which finds the band pushing their sound even further, playing around with Midwest emo riffing, folk-tinged punk, and raw emotive passion.   Opening track “Ralph” is as Midwest as it comes – a twinkling guitar riff is the star of the show here, setting the scene for hard-hitting lyrics. Lines like “I’m gonna break every rule so you react / gonna count down every minute till you get back / gonna act like I don’t hear you call my name / gonna clean your plate, gonna keep you SAFE!” are spit out with defiance and a voice-breaking intensity – reminiscent of Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes, but a bit more aligned with the high-intensity punk of Desaparecidos. Keep your ears peeled around the 2:10[...]

Jared Bill – Unknown Country

December 14, 2025

This ain’t Jared Bill‘s first rodeo… At least on buffaBLOG. The international man of mystery is back with another batch of interesting and captivating songs, their deeper meanings often inscrutable, but certainly never boring. The album is called Unknown Country – a 10 song collection of whatever the hell Jared wants, set off by his trademark deep country baritone. We’re gonna go ahead and say that Unknown Country is the perfect name for this album, because it is. Jared’s always going to keep you guessing – and laughing – while you make your way through these songs about Appalachia, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and… Jai Alai?   You might be expecting flat out country music from Jared, but opening song “The Cruise” is closer to a 1980s-era post punk jam. Electronic disco drums and plucky guitars power this one forward, with, of course, Jared’s trademark baritone. In case you’re questioning the absurdity that might[...]

Teaboi – “nostalgiaquest”

December 7, 2025

Teaboi aims to create music for “all the people in the early 2000s who grew up on typing in address bars on their laptop as their primary form of entertainment…” And honestly, we’re the exact target demographic.   “nostalgiaquest” sounds like the loop behind your favorite, long-lost Newgrounds.com Flash game, or maybe the soundtrack to some long-lost AMV featuring Goku or Vegeta or something… These are all assuredly compliments, as the squiggly, 8-bit inspired tones and earworm melodies that would feel fresh and fun in the latest Sonic the Hedgehog offering certainly bring back those early-internet memories.   “nostalgiaquest” is available now via bandcamp (below), or on Spotify.   4081 players adventuring right now by Teaboi

Jacob the Horse – “666 Chicks”

December 7, 2025

Jacob the Horse throws up the proverbial (or literal, we guess) devil horns on latest single, “666 Chicks.” Imagining a world where women attack men to subjugate and eat them is a wild concept… But “666 Chicks” is a wild song, and this one certainly has the energy to embody that kind of ideology. Expect face-mashing drums, face melting guitars, and a speak/scream vocal that’s witty like The Hold Steady and vitriolic like Viagra Boys. Our favorite line, which we think encapsulates the whole shebang, is the following:   “My grandmother Hannah used to throw Molotov cocktails at Nazis / and I’m paying $10 for coffee / and writing bad poetry / there’s no hope for me”   “666 Chicks” is available on YouTube (below) or on Spotify.    

Alec Craig – “less”

December 7, 2025

Alec Craig is from Grand Rapids, MI. Is that considered Midwest? If the flavors on his latest offering, “less,” are any indication… Then yes, Michigan is considered the Midwest. Expect twinkly, start/stop guitars with jaunty rhythms, harmonics, and lots of widdly-widdly riffs. It’s set off by Alec’s raw and emotive vocals, which, in true Midwest fashion, were all home-recorded. It sounds exactly what you’d be hoping for, and exactly how we explained it… Because we’re professional bloggers, after all. Buffalo is an honorary Midwest town anyway.   “less” can be found on Spotify – embedded below.  

Very Nice Person – “Underwater”

December 3, 2025

The world needs more very nice people, and if Very Nice Person are anything like their namesake, then we’re happy to shine a light their way. Beyond being incredible human beings (we hope), they also happen to write excellent music, which (finally) brings us to the topic of this blog, their new single “Underwater.” Starting out as blips and bloops, the song eventually blooms into a blown-out indietronica earworm that Portugal. The Man probably wishes they wrote first. The Malibu-based duo count Aphex Twin, Phoenix, and Bjork in their list of influences too, which we find apropos.   “Underwater” is also available on Spotify.    

Not Your Babe – “Katie”

December 3, 2025

Not Your Babe is a love song from one sister to another… Full disclosure – I don’t have a sister, but I do have a brother, and I can imagine if this song was called “Jake” that I would probably feel extra connected to this one. But, semantics aside, “Katie” is a stunner from this Redding, CA, Cam-Tyler-led act. Full of fun and punchy energy with a beachy flavor you’d expect from a CA act (even though Redding is ostensibly in the exact center of the state). Expect plenty of twangy guitars and an inspired vocal from Tyler that hits the nail on the head by encapsulating the nuances of having a sibling relationship once you’re both all grown up.   You can find “Katie” below (bandcamp) or on Spotify.   Not Your Babe by Not Your Babe