Latest Posts

Deleo – “Suppose”

January 12, 2025

Get ready for Deleo to warp your mind with the wavery indie-pop of their latest offering, “Suppose.” Tape aged mellotron is the star of the show here, pairing otherworldly string sounds with thumping bass, clashy drums, and heartbroken male/female vocal harmonies. Fans of Arcade Fire will find lots to sink their teeth into here – this could fit comfortably amid any track on Neon Bible, even though at a fleeting 1:51, it’s over before you know it.   “Suppose” is available on all the familar streaming services – or, follow the YouTube link below to check out their  

Club 8 – “ooo”

January 12, 2025

Club 8 was one of our favorite finds in 2024, including two of our favorite features of the year (see here and here). Happy to report they’re still putting out excellent indie pop tunes at an astonishing rate, and their latest single, “ooo,” may just be their finest yet. Expect the neurotic drumbeats and airy melodies you’ve come to know and love with a hint of extra urgency this time around. An ever-descending chord progression sets the scene for icy guitars leads to shine through too.   You can find “ooo” as well as Club 8’s illustrious catalog on most streaming services, including bandcamp (below), Spotify, and Apple Music.   ooo by Club 8

VIDA – “Jump In Whole”

January 11, 2025

VIDA is an explosive band from Ontario whose latest single, “Jump In Whole” had us reeling from the get go. Opening with discordant jabs of stinging guitar anger, “Jump In Whole” feels like an amalgamation of all your favorite heavy bands – think Drive Like Jehu meets Pile meets Converge. You might be surprised to hear, but “Jump in Whole” is actually a love song… Through the sour chords and throat-shredding screams, VIDA denounces the pressures of Western society on relationships – you might actually hear a message of hope:   “We’re stronger together.”   Peep “Jump In Whole” via the bandcamp embed below. VIDA is also on Spotify, if you want to check out their catalog thus far.     The Nature Of How We Live by VIDA

otsyuda – “resin”

January 11, 2025

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Toronto-based shoegazers otsyuda, but they’ve done it again with their second single, “resin.” Impossibly fuzzy guitars wallop your eardrums with unexplored ferocity, while delicate vocals soar overtop of the chunky instrumentals. Deceivingly upbeat and, dare we say, catchy, “resin” eschews the downtrodden mystery of typical shoegaze for something bombastic and energizing. With wonky guitar solos and bonkers feel changes, this one’s a real emotional roller coaster in the best way.   Check out “resin” via the Bandcamp embed below, or, add it to your favorite shoegazey Spotify jawn.   resin by otsyuda

Goodnight House – “Existence”

January 11, 2025

Goodnight House originates from Portland, Oregon, and is the musical outlet for Joel Lane. Lane creates an incredible amount of noise on his latest offering, “Existence,” a fuzzed-out romp that combines ’90s era fuzz with modern-day indie rock… Think Weezer or Pavement mixed with Speedy Ortiz or Great Grandpa. He creates a conglomerate of emotions – a dark and sardonic take on the world mixed with chunky and energizing music. His dry and wry view on current events might even bring a smile to your face, even if he’s joshing around about some heavy stuff.   Check out “Existence” via Bandcamp below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist.   Existence by Goodnight House

Lucas Player – “More Than You”

January 10, 2025

Lucas Player knows the meaning of sacrifice, and his passion for his craft certainly comes through on his latest single, “More Than You.” A somber, piano-driven ballad, “More Than You” is a juxtaposition of classical influence and modern sensibilities from a former music composition student, falling more in line with bedroom-pop than your favorite symphony. Lucas claims that this song keeps him up at night and we have to admit it’s having the same effect on us – a heartfelt, heartbreaking, and haunting melody that sticks with you.   Check out “More Than You” via Spotify below.  

Five Buffalo Acts We Want to Reunite in 2025

January 7, 2025

We’ve taken the office Christmas tree down and it’s back to business over here at blog headquarters. 2024 had its ups and downs with the local scene. We launched buffaBLOG version 4.0, witnessed the usual band break-ups/venue closings, but also saw the emergence of new artists that we are excited to listen to and share. With that, we’ve brainstormed Buffalo musicians that we would like to see reunite in 2025. We understand some of these may be a pipe dream, but think of this as more of a fantasy draft rather than an open letter.  Don’t get us wrong however, if any of these acts return in 2025, we are taking full credit. (photo via Unlisted Projects)  Jack Toft / Jack Topht Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh don’t you miss Jack Toft? A wishlist for acts we would like to see reunited in 2025 would not be complete without the kookiest rapper of the[...]

Holy Void – All Will Be Revealed in Time

December 31, 2024

Holy Void has one of the best band bios we’ve ever read – it’s only fitting to start out this psych-rock journey with such beautiful prose. See below:   “A psychedelic hexad emerges from the nidus that is Winnipeg, charting sonic dimensions with a fervour that captures the depth and complexity of the human psyche”   A nidus, by the way, is a place where bacteria flourish and thrive… Or the epicenter where something may develop or be fostered (yes, we had to look that up). But we digress, whether their hometown of Winnipeg is a sludge factory or the perfect petri dish, this crew has certainly spent a significant time culturing their latest offering. The album’s roots started way back during the COVID-19 pandemic – a story you’ve probably heard a thousand times by now… But their patience and persistence has paid off – they’re now sitting on a[...]

Pompeya – “Yes”

December 29, 2024

Moscow-based act Pompeya might just have the perfect, post-holiday hangover cure. Their new song, “Yes,” is a blast of tropical, poolside energy, impossibly sunny and upbeat with a bassline built to get your body moving and grooving. If you’re feeling the back-to-work grind extra hard this week, give “Yes” a whirl and feel its rejuvenating beat reverberate through your body… Our bet is you won’t be able to help but dance along.   You can check out “Yes” via Soundcloud (below), or on Pompeya’s Spotify. Pompeya · Yes

Corrine Jasmine – “enough (so, we’re doomed)”

December 24, 2024

NYC-based act Corrine Jasmine hit our inbox with her latest offering, “enough (so, we’re doomed)” and we were taken immediately by its understated and mysterious vibe. Driven mainly by Corrine’s innocent vocals and a driving, consistent bassline, “enough” has lo-fi bedroom-pop feels in the best way. The song is further set off by swirling synth ambiance and spindly guitar work – just enough to keep the song charmingly vague.   Check out “enough (so, we’re doomed)” via the Spotify embed below.  

San Carol – “pay no mind”

December 23, 2024

San Carol has been dubbed the “French King of Shoegaze” and for good reason – his latest single, “pay no mind,” is a transcendent slice of the blissed-out genre. Pairing siren-sound guitar noise with bongos (which, to my knowledge, is atypical of most shoegaze compositions), San Carol weaves a wild, almost 90s-influenced web, equally reminiscent of both Beck and My Bloody Valentine. The chorus is the real payoff here, with a ruthlessly catchy melody that never sacrifices that far-off, mysterious shoegaze vocal we all love so much.   Check out “pay no mind” via the YouTube embed below, or, add it to your shoegaze-y playlist on Spotify.  

Solid Goold – “I Can See You Clearly”

December 22, 2024

Solid Goold, led by none other than titular keyboardist/songwriter/composer Albert Goold, just put out the indie-jazz explosion of “I Can See You Clearly.” With equal tinges of 1980s new wave, jazz fusion, and indie pop showing up in his work, Goold smashes interesting chord shapes and wild key changes into this upbeat and jaunty tune. Expect a breakneck and cerebral lyrical delivery with plenty of chorus-soaked keyboard goodness that will appeal to fans of Huey Lewis, Billy Joel, or even Motion City Soundtrack.   Check out the vintage-themed music video for “I Can See You Clearly” via the YouTube embed below, or, add it to your Spotify playlists.  

Urge Surfer – “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”

December 18, 2024

Buffalo electro-pop duo Urge Surfer are back with their take on a holiday mainstay, the John Lennon & Yoko Ono classic “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” Featuring singer Chelsea O’Donnell’s distinctive voice in the forefront; bandmate Jordan Smith’s tasteful backups; and a bevy of modular synths and percussion; this particular version of “Happy Xmas” is a delightfully fresh take on a well-worn standard. Born out of the innocent desire to just put out a Christmas cover, the duo pumped this out in just about a week, harnessing the ramshackle and jangly energy of the original and giving it a fun, electronic spin.   You can purchase Urge Surfer’s version of “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” via bandcamp (below) for a very reasonable “name your price” rate.   Happy Xmas (War is Over) by Urge Surfer

Photo Credit:: Gabe Becerra

Jordan Buckley of Better Lovers

December 6, 2024

We recently caught up with legendary Buffalo-born guitarist Jordan Buckley to talk about Better Lover‘s new album Highly Irresponsible; making hundreds of pounds of chicken wings at Warped Tour; what Blissmas means to Buffalo; and buying a bar on Chippewa.   Tickets for Blissmas ’24 can be purchased here.   Highly Irresponsible is out now via Sharptone records. Check out our review here.   *This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.   buffaBLOG: Better Lovers has just released their debut album Highly Irresponsible. What was the influence behind the name of the album and how do you think the songs play into the overall concept?   Jordan Buckley: Greg came up with the name – it’s one of those things that felt like “it has a nice ring to it” and looks good on a t-shirt *laughs*. But I like when names are open to interpretation – not[...]

Society of Beggars – Levitator

November 30, 2024

Society of Beggars is a Melbourne-based act who just released their latest album, Levitator, a ten-song offering full of dark and brooding rock tunes. Inspired by a period of grief due to the loss of frontman Yianni and brother Jim Michalopoulos’ father, the band holed up in Birdland Studios with over thirty (!) demos to choose from. They whittled the tracks down into the ten songs you hear on Levitator, and the deep emotions attached shine through in the final product. Here’s a little more from Yianni about what Levitator means to the band:   “When you’re feeling that manic energy that comes with grief, it can be all-consuming… Our drummer Dibi and bassist Zoë Alexa’s friendship and musical connection provided the foundation we needed to create.”   The title-track and intro to the album, “Levitator,” feels like the perfect way to kick off this album. A punctuated guitar riff pounds out[...]