Latest Posts

Motel Raphaël – “Like A Balloon”

July 12, 2016

Motel Raphaël is a young band from Montreal led by Clara Legault, Maya Malkin and Emily Skahan. Since their inception in 2012, the band has been quickly rising through Montreal’s independent scene at an astronomical rate, mostly thanks to their penchant for crafting catchy indie pop. “Like A Balloon” is a great place to start, championing perfect harmonies, subtle guitar jangle, and lots of well-timed pauses. Fans of Tegan and Sara, Alvvays, or First Aid Kit would dig Motel Raphaël‘s canon. Swing by the band’s Bandcamp and download some of their irresistible indie-pop. Till then, watch the video for “Like A Balloon” below.

Garrett Klahn (ex-Texas Is The Reason) Releases Debut Single

February 19, 2016

For anyone familiar with earnest, 90s indie rock, you may recognize Garrett Klahn from seminal emo band Texas is the Reason. Fun fact: Klahn is originally from Buffalo and still has strong ties to the Queen City. Recently, Klahn holed up in a Main St. studio with a bunch of veteran Buffalo musicians to cut a new album. The result is a 10-song, self-titled effort that will be released via Rise Records. Klahn is currently streaming his debut single, “Are We Alright?.” Klahn’s brand of simmering indie rock is atypical from Rise’s heavier reputation, emphasizing his smooth baritone drawl over chill, synth-textured indie rock. Klahn is slated to return to Buffalo to play a few solo shows soon – until then, you can preorder the album via iTunes or MerchNow. Have yourself a listen to “Are We Alright?” by clicking below.

Staff Picks

December 22, 2015

To cap off our Best of 2015 coverage, we asked a handful of our staff writers to submit their favorite albums and songs of the year. Make sure to follow all of the blog’s year in review coverage throughout the month of December Cliff Parks Favorite Album Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear I don’t want to go with this album, it was my Album of the Year So Far earlier this summer and I loved the latest from Tame Impala, CHVRCHES, and Neon Indian, but with America currently cracking up, Father John Misty’s sophomore album is album of 2015 now more than ever. Between the ascent of candidate Trump and our nation’s mounting multiple existential crises, Josh Tilman’s ode to love, manhood, and getting hitched to that special someone so you can ride out the American apocalypse together seems right on time, all the time lately. It[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 20-11

December 15, 2015

It’s that time of year again, where we re-think and dissect every local song that we’ve come across organically or via submission. This is our fourth year counting down our top songs and this year, like every other year, has been difficult to whittle down. Like we always remind people, this list is subjective and not the end-all be all. I am sure there are amazing local songs that aren’t on our radar,  but from what we have heard, we as a group have determined blog’s favorite songs of 2015. Yesterday we posted our five songs that ALMOST made the cut.  Here is the top half of our annual top 20 countdown, 20-11. 20. Lesionread – “Addicted” Lesionread (Shawn Lewis) has had a big year. Between the release of the experimental artist’s excellent Greatest Hits! Volume 1, touring it across the country, and slew of local shows (one of which opening for[...]

Tonight: All Them Witches

December 10, 2015

Psychedelic rockers All Them Witches are passing through Buffalo today. The Nashville quartet are quickly becoming front-runners in the underground heavy rock scene, seeing as how they masterfully blend blues, sludge, and stoner rock into long, droning songs. RIYL The Black Angels, Kyuss, or Pink Floyd. Support tonight comes from New Madrid and Rochester stoner rock group (and perfect fit for this particular bill), King Buffalo. Tickets are $12, doors are at 7:00pm, and music starts at 8:15. Clarification: you should not confuse All Them Witches with Buffalo-based mathy duo All of Them Witches, although that would have made for a pretty awesome lineup.

Prince Daddy & The Hyena – Adult Summers

December 1, 2015

Prince Daddy & The Hyena has me baffled. They’ve just put out something truly unique, an almost unclassifiable sounding new EP called Adult Summers. My attempt at classification: take equal parts Andrew W.K. and The Hotelier, and toss in a dash of The Locust. One of their songs even sounds like Atom and his Package. Either way, their music is fast, loud, and weird… In a good way. A very good way. Amidst the aggression, there’s a cavalcade (yes, a cavalcade) of really impressive and beautiful guitar work, not to mention the myriad of other creative noises peppered into the mix. At any rate, Prince Daddy & co. are pushing the limits of whatever genre they’re defying. In order to truly describe this band, you’ll probably just need to use the word “party.” If it’s not apparent by their irreverent approach to musicianship, Prince Daddy & the Hyena are a release from Broken World[...]

Tonight: Knuckle Puck

November 19, 2015

Get ready to pogo and mosh and potentially even feel a little sad tonight! If you like pop punk, the Waiting Room is the place to be tonight. The premiere, pizza-guzzling pop punkers in Knuckle Puck are headed to Buffalo tonight, along with a strong bill of supporters. Fellow bands include the fellow pop-punkers in Seaway, the omnipresent Sorority Noise, and Buffalo’s very own Head North. Doors are at 6pm tonight and tickets are $16. Russ would be proud, fellas (other Mighty Ducks references are encouraged).

Bethlehem Steel – Docking

November 9, 2015

This isn’t the first time we’re writing about Bethlehem Steel (BS), so by now, Becca Ryskalczyk’s move to Brooklyn has been well-publicized. We like to take care of our own, even when they move out of town after all. In case you’re unfamiliar, Becca was Buffalo-born and educated at SUNY Fredonia. You may have caught her several years ago on a solo trek across the US with fellow Buffalonians A Hotel Nourishing. Either way, we consider Becca an honorable Buffalonian, even as she’s busy making waves in the Brooklyn independent scene. Docking is the new EP (out via Brooklyn’s Miscreant Records) from this talented three-piece. Though they’ve always had a knack for fuzzy indie-pop (see “Guts” from their last EP, Grow Up), BS has really stepped up their fuzz game on Docking. Opening track “One Giant Fuck Machine” is a poppy, apt introduction to this EP, showcasing the groups’ loosely-wound, borderline lo-fi tunes. Most notable is Becca’s[...]

Super Defense Releases Debut EP

October 28, 2015

If you were lucky enough to catch Geneseo’s Soft Cough at our Yace showcase earlier this month, you should give Syracuse’s Super Defense a spin. Super Defense is a lo-fi, DIY project showcasing jangly fuzz-pop for fans of Japandroids, Wavves, or Cloud Nothings. This EP also marks the first release from Syracuse-based tape label, Ghoul Tapes, which buffaBLOG will surely be keeping their eye on. Until Ghoul Tapes’ next release, enjoy some Super Defense below. P.S. The albino deer’s name is Fritz.

Alleys Release New Live Session

October 20, 2015

Alleys are some of Buffalo’s most prominent twinkle daddies (aka emo dudes who utilize “sparkly,” tap-heavy guitar parts). Needles to say, the twinkle skill of groups’ members are demonstrated quite clearly in their new Chrome Session video, featuring footage that was captured at their show at Chrome Industries in Minneapolis. Mysterious guitarist Alex Ryan’s tapping is particularly hypnotizing, emphasized further by drummer Sebastian Cichon’s nimble drum work. Also, despite officially being a two piece, this video features the integral bass work of Tom Bryant. If you don’t have a full 28 minutes to spare, I recommend the particularly hooky song at 24:15 to start. Check out the riffage below.

Tonight: Meat Wave

October 14, 2015

Tonight might turn out to be quite a raucous Wednesday… Actually, I take that back. Tonight’s officially gonna get pretty rowdy. The Dirty Nil and Meat Wave will be stopping through the Waiting Room tonight; both bands will be slinging their brand of loud, aggressive, indie-punk. If you would like a comparison, both bands are contemporaries of METZ, Pissed Jeans, Single Mothers, or even Cloud Nothings. Opening the show are the Rochester-based post-hardcore/screamo dudes in DRUSE and the Fredonia-based alt-rockers in Ellsworth. Tickets are $12 and doors open at 6pm.

Misconstruity Preps Comeback Album

October 7, 2015

Misconstruity were one Buffalo’s premiere post-hardcore/emo bands of the early 2000s, having opened for the likes of Brand New, Coheed and Cambria, The Weakerthans, and many more. After almost a decade of inactivity (band members have since gone on to play in Wooden Waves and Atlanta Falcons, among others), the band reunited in late 2013 and has been gradually recording its newest offering chè vuoi? with longtime pal and contributor Jay Zubricky. Misconstruity also sprung for the Paul Leavitt treatment (Yellowcard, Pentimento, The Dangerous Summer). So far, we’ve only been treated to two of the new tracks from chè vuoi?. Check out one of the new jams below. RIYL: Jimmy Eat World, American Football, Early Foo Fighters.  

California Cousins – George’s Bridge

October 2, 2015

Rochester emos California Cousins are no stranger to buffaBLOG. We’ve been following them and theirs since the dissolution of Keeler last year. Luckily, Cali Cousins are still hanging around, blessing us with a new EP full of noodly emo jams that they’ve christened George’s Bridge. I’m sure you can all reminisce of a time where you and your high school friends jumped off an old derelict bridge or had a clandestine rendezvous by a graffiti-laden abandoned structure. California Cousins tug on your nostalgic heartstrings in that way (and boy am I a sucker for some good emo jams). “Soft Earth” kicks off this EP with some twinkly guitar riffs reminiscent of Snowing, Del Paxton, or Tiny Moving Parts. Guitarist Christian Ortiz is a twinkle daddy for sure (it’s a Facebook group for twinkly guitar-riff lovers, so get your mind out of the gutter). Drummer Juan Ortiz skillfully weaves his rhythms in between  Christian[...]

Tonight: Comfy

October 2, 2015

Yace Booking is having one hell of a weekend. After the “Golf Pop” extravaganza at Dreamland tonight, please head straight to Nietzsche’s for an incredible lineup showcasing Utica buzz-magnets Comfy. Comfy specializes in that special sort of self-deprecating indie rock; think a lo-fi version of Weezer’s Blue Album with all the shredding and ooh-oohs you can stomach. Support tonight comes from Modest Mousy newcomers Passed Out, Sonny Baker’s solo project, and the Geneseo-based Comfy contemporaries in Soft Cough. Doors are at 9pm, music starts at 10pm. Bring $5 and be sure to tip your bartender.

Tonight: Worriers

September 23, 2015

Straight out of Brooklyn, Worriers have been blazing across the country in true punk glory. Half sprechgesang (a la Hold Steady, use a dictionary!), half spitfire-punk, this band is leading the pack with socially conscious lyrics and songs that feel like a sucker punch to the face. Unsurprisingly, Worrier’s newest release, Imaginary Life, was produced by the legendary Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! fame. Worriers will fit right in at Sugar City this evening. Green Dreams and the Patterns are slotted for support. The show is only $6 and it starts at 7pm.