Latest Posts

Devreaux Scales – “Fall Forever”

November 20, 2025

Devreaux Scales, aka Matt Lavin and Jeremy Nunes, slammed together “Fall Forever” out of some really spicy guitar work. An urgent guitar pulls at your ear – octave chords are layered thick with chorus tones before dissolving into a bevy of harmonics, acting as the song’s powerful centerpiece behind the understated (but catchy) vocals. As the first cut from the duo’s upcoming album, Drain To Live, we can’t help but get excited for the rest of the swimmy sounds these guys are whipping up.   Check out “Fall Forever” via the YouTube embed below, or, head over to Spotify.    

Stinkus – I love you, trackstar

November 19, 2025

By now, you should recognize Stinkus as a buffaBLOG favorite – we reviewed 23 last year, and have covered multiple singles leading up to their 2nd album this year (!), I love you, trackstar.   Before we get started, I think it’s important to cover the following: Tyler Thompson, Stinkus mastermind, acquired the nickname “Tink.” “Tink” eventually turned into “Tinkus” (as these nicknames tend to do). As a reminder to have fun and to not take the project too seriously, Thompson added an “s” to Tinkus, arriving at the playfully coy “Stinkus.” Thompson is a writer/producer based in LA – with a prolific pedigree, it’s not hard to see why Stinkus slaps so hard… But in all seriousness, Stinkus is Thompson’s project where anything can happen, free from industry notes. That sincerity, realness, and carefree, “have fun” nature comes through beautifully on I love you, trackstar. Now that you know[...]

Vicious Clay – Bleecker Street Revisited

November 14, 2025

There’s something visceral about the music that comes from Vinny Silva – colloquially known as Vicious Clay. The multi-instrumentalist plays all the instruments on the album: drums, bass, guitars, vocals, and percussion, and it’s palpable – the music here is raw and emotional… Truly an artist’s singular vision. Over the course of 10 songs, Silva explores sneering rock ‘n roll sounds, dipping into garage tones; retro rock swagger; and bluesy emotions.   “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album – reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilot’s “Vasoline,” the song begins with a cacophony of swelling sounds before Silva rips a crushing line – “Feels so hopeless in the dark.” The groovy, guitar riffing here feels spindly and spidery, whipping and winding around your eardrums with nimble virtuosity, pairing raw chords with strong, start/stop rhythmic play. “Dark” is a fitting way to start the album, but it is certainly the[...]

Lord Jane – “These Last Few Weeks”

November 13, 2025

Lord Jane is a five-piece hailing from Ireland – their latest single, “These Last Few Weeks” has been devastating us for the last few weeks (in all the best ways). With a wry-but-catchy guitar riff; an explosive, shoegazy chorus; and an ethereal vocal from ostensibly Jane herself, “Weeks” is one of those quietly powerful songs that is assuredly going to elicit some feels.  Sometimes we just have to hear from the artist, as they say it best themselves… See what we mean:   “This song is an apology to ourselves, and the people that care about us, for all the wasted time. It’s about the guilt that follows when the Fog finally lifts. The apologies and excuses that need to be made for missing deadlines, ignoring calls, neglecting responsibilities. The fear of the guilt often plays a role in how long the Fog sticks around for. Sometimes we get comfortable[...]

Soul Bandit – “Supermoon”

November 13, 2025

Soul Bandit is ready to get you going with the hypnotic, ghoul-pop pulse of latest single, “Supermoon.” A simple, modulated refrain of “You are my lucky star” is pounded into your head, overtop of squelching bass synths, glitched-out keyboard leads, and swirling atmospherics… Complete with la-la-la-las to make it a full package. This is perfect for a night drive in your car… Or for dancing like Wednesday Adams in that one scene in Wednesday. It may be closer to Thanksgiving than Halloween, but it’s never too late to be a little bit witchy.   “Supermoon” is on YouTube (below) and Spotify.    

Mark Arabia – HOW WE GOT HERE

November 9, 2025

Mark Arabia‘s debut album has an all-too-common backstory – it was inspired by a breakup… But let’s be real, the best albums always come from pain. There’s no surprises here – Arabia’s latest, the 11-song HOW WE GOT HERE is full of the stuff you would have gone crazy to back in high school (at least if you were in high school when I was). If you’re a high schooler now, I have no idea how to relate to you, but we’re pretty sure you’re gonna like this too. Mark’s stuff is a throwback to the storytelling greats of ’00s pop punk – and whether you decide to hear Blink-182, All Time Low, Owl City, or Machine Gun Kelly in Mark’s sharp and polished songwriting, he’s still entering the pop-punk oeuvre with a strong narrative of his own.   The album kicks off with title track “HOW WE GOT HERE,” and[...]

VEEK – “MOVE.”

November 9, 2025

Sweden’s VEEK has only one mission when you listen to their new song, “MOVE.” See below:   “Stay in the moment.”   With hooks aplenty, gurgling bass drops, and perfect vocal samples, “MOVE.” sets out to do exactly that. This is tailor-made for dancefloor bliss – let the powerful EDM wash over you and take over. It’s minimal, but sounds lush. It’s raw and emotional, but sounds polished. That’s VEEK’s power as a producer, and it will certainly come through when you lose yourself to this one at the club.   “MOVE.” is on Apple Music and Spotify.   VEEK · MOVE.

Gabriel Royce – Traveler

November 1, 2025

Gabriel Royce wrote an album that means something to him.   Inspired by his oldest daughter, Emery (and even featuring the voice of his father), Traveler is the culmination of a decade-long dream. There’s something to be said about a self-produced album like Traveler and the 2am nights that were spent to put out something of this magnitude. Across 12 songs, Royce builds a literal world – or rather a galaxy, parlaying space travel concepts into metaphorical lessons about life. This is truly a love letter to his daughter; an album that comes from a place like that is special.   Album opener “Blastoff” is more of a mantra than a song, but fittingly, starts with the voice of his father and ends with the voice of Emery. It sets the “space” scene perfectly, leading into song two, “Light Up The Sky.” Royce pulls no punches here – an ultra-polished song[...]

Violet UltraRay – “girl in a tree”

October 30, 2025

“I needed to come down from negative tree I was in so wrote this song instead to chill out.”   When Violet UltraRay needs to come down from a proverbial tree, she just writes a song about it. For her second (!) release – we’d say she did a pretty good job. “girl in a tree” is London shoegaze at its finest. Built around a catchy guitar riff, the verses of this song capture your attention instantly… But the payoff is truly in the insanely catchy chorus that explodes with shoegazy goodness. “She said take it easy” is about to be stuck in your head for the next few days.   Check it out via YouTube (below) or Spotify.    

Pagodas – “Blanket Ban”

October 30, 2025

Pagodas is a twee-sounding five-piece that might trip you up with “Blanket Ban.” At first, it’s all Shins-esque plucking – a fun rhythm and sunshine-y energy that pushes forth with a perfect amount of pep, but never truly explodes… That all changes at 1:58, when the band abruptly changes directions for an exceptional outro, pairing blasts of distorted guitar with catchy vocals and neurotic riffing. The result had us replay the song instantly to make sure we heard everything correctly – turns out we did, and that’s why we’re writing about it now.   “Blanket Ban” is out now on In A Box Records. Check it out via the bandcamp embed below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist.   Blanket Ban by Pagodas

Dylan James – “Stylite”

October 30, 2025

Dylan James is just a regular guy (with a name that would further bolster that hypothesis), but there’s nothing ordinary about the blast of energy he just released called “Stylite.” After a 10 year absence from music writing (it happens!), Dylan found himself grieving life happenings by picking up his guitar again. Out poured “Stylite,” a start-stop explosion of indie rock energy full of riffing, rhythmic jauntiness, and Dylan’s passionate vocal delivery. This sounds huge, Dylan… Never put down your guitar again.   Get a good feel for “Stylite” via the bandcamp embed (below) – you can also find it on Spotify.   Stylite by Dylan James

Genoese Speed – “THIN ICE”

October 30, 2025

Genoese Speed wasn’t the plan – but when do the best-laid plans ever work out? Instead GS figurehead Shelby Jean stumbled upon this sound by accident – perhaps best embodied by latest single, “THIN ICE.” Largely guitar-driven, the denizen of Nashville conjures up an icy, indie rock sound – powered significantly by Shelby’s vocals, but making great use of driven guitar, bell-like leads, and lush layers of reverb. Put this on your play list next to Jay Som, Soccer Mommy, and/or Waxahatchee.   “THIN ICE” is available via Soundcloud (below), Spotify, and Apple Music.   Genoese Speed · THIN ICE

zahra – “bloom”

October 30, 2025

What is there to say about an acoustic backbone of a song – like “bloom” by zahra? It’s one of those breathless songs that sucks all the air out of the room (in a good way) – utilizing hush-hush, layered singing (a la Elliott Smith); minimal percussion; and gently-plucked acoustic guitars to great effect. Raised in Rochester, NY (our neighbor!), zahra aims to use unique songwriting tricks to convey emotion with without becoming monotonous – the warm and fuzzy tape-esque production value here certainly adds to that ambiance.   “bloom” is available now on bandcamp (below), Spotify, and Apple Music.   bloom by zahra

mel denisse – “going nowhere”

October 30, 2025

mel denisse gazes so hard at her shoes in new single “going nowhere,” she might burn a hole through the floor. Inspired by a fantasy novel (The Serpent & the Wings of Night to be specific), “going nowhere” dives into themes of survival; feeling invisible; and being an outsider. For those that may resonate with those themes, “going nowhere” is going to be a welcome addition to your melancholy playlist – with an instrumental that encapsulates the feeling of a rainy day, this song sounds like it was recorded underwater with rays of sun beaming down through the salty waves. Perfect on any playlist next to Slowdive, MBV, or anything with sad girl vibes.   “going nowhere” is available on both Spotify and Apple Music.   mel denisse · going nowhere

Doottak – “Glow”

October 25, 2025

Doottak is about to defeat you with the quiet crush of latest single, “Glow.” Sounding like some perfect amalgamation of Pinback and Electric President/Radical Face, “Glow” has those trademark plucky guitars and gentle vocals that you’d expect from a Rob Crow or Ben Cooper composition. This is one of those bedroom-pop songs that feels like it was accidentally and perfectly literally created in Doottak’s bedroom… Bonus: once you’ve let this one sink deep into your soul, give it a re-listen and take in that nimble bassline. *perfection*.   Let “Glow” wash over you by clicking on the incredibly convenient YouTube embed we’ve provided below.