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Tonight: The Multiple Cat

November 6, 2015

The angular pop mainstays in The Multiple Cat (IA) will make their way through Buffalo tonight on a musically diverse bill presented by Queen City Cartel. As a band, The Multiple Cat has stood the test of time as the ever-evolving project has spanned a nearly 20 year timeframe. Some of their latest material—see “Magic That Doesn’t Work,” below—finds a happy medium between indie rock and alt-country, feel-good tambourine vibes a-rumblin’. Make your way down to The Gypsy Parlor tonight to bask, dance, and maybe bask some more. In the name of true eclecticism, local support tonight will be provided by wild garage punk trio Kharlos and soaring psyche rockers Deadwolf, both acts having released fresh material this year. The party starts at 10pm for a cool $5.

Tonight: Cash Cash and Tritonal

November 5, 2015

After Dark Entertainment and Factory Nightlife welcome Cash Cash and Tritonal to Town Ballroom as the Untouchable Tour hits Buffalo tonight, Thursday, Nov. 5. With the release of their most recent collab, “Untouchable,” the two groups joined forces for a North American tour. Both Cash Cash and Tritonal are no strangers to the Queen City with their last show in town at LiFT nightclub this past March. The American DJ duo Tritonal was on MTV Clubland’s Artists To Watch In 2013 and has been widely successful ever since. Their worldwide fanbase has grown so large that they have titled themselves “Tritonians.” Cash Cash, the brotherly collaborative, originated in 2007. They have evolved to be one of the hottest groups in dance music, with their most popular hit “Take Me Home” dominating the charts their success has only skyrocketed. Both DJ duos have played at festivals and nightclubs around the world alongside some of EDM’s biggest producers. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/204218148″[...]

Tonight: Lydia Loveless

November 5, 2015

There’s an emerging consensus that holds that Columbus, Ohio native Lydia Loveless can do no wrong. A singer/songwriter of uncommon clarity, grit, and conviction, she seems to defiantly hold the very promise and potential of American music in her hands. Having just stuffed the sophomore slump in the trunk of her car and on the road behind her just released Somewhere Else, Loveless returns to the Sportsmen’s Tavern stage tonight along with Toronto alt-country trio Elliot Brood. Tickets are $17 and doors open at 7pm.

Tonight: Dave Rawlings Machine

November 5, 2015

Dave Rawlings Machine takes over Babeville’s Asbury Hall tonight to support the band’s new release, Nashville Obsolete. The album is the latest entry in the impressive repertoire of Rawlings and his longtime collaborator and partner, Gillian Welch. Their seventh album in nearly 20 years of collaboration, Nashville Obsolete highlights the duo’s highly acclaimed and decorated musicianship, with contributions from other great names in Americana music, including Willie Watson and the Punch Brothers’ Paul Kowert. Tonight, expect to be floored by Rawlings’ preternatural guitar playing and Welch’s lovely vocals. This is a show not to be missed. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm. Tickets are still available for $35 at the door.

Tonight: Futurebirds

November 3, 2015

Athens, Georgia’s Futurebirds bring their laid back and stoned out brand of country rock to Mohawk Place tonight along with Burlington roots rockers Waylon Speed and local folk rockers Hokan. In town promoting their latest release, Hotel Parties, Futurebirds are a riot of chiming, cascading guitars and sweet harmonies, and for fans of Brooklyn it-band Phosphorescent, this is a can’t miss. Vermont’s own Waylon Speed, meanwhile, is straight ahead, ecstatic American roots music that’s a transcendent tonic for your clapping hands, dancing bones, and world weary soul. Tickets are $12, doors are at 7pm and Hokan gets the show started right around 8pm.

Tonight: Damian

November 2, 2015

Mondays are usually fairly sleepy in Buffalo, so many local singer-songwriters head on down to Nietzsche’s in order to try new material, collaborate with other musicians, or grab a fairly-priced PBR. However, this week at Nietzsche’s is a little different from the rest. This week is the debut and farewell performance of mumbly introspective local songwriter, Damian. We’ve covered a lot of Damian’s solo work and various group efforts over the past five plus years. His album, You Don’t Need It, has over 100 plays on our office computer, and we even dubbed his song “I My Own,” as the best song out of Buffalo in 2014. I guess tonight will be Damian’s Buffalo-residency swan song. It’s no doubt that he will be back, playing intimate semi-frazzled and endearing performances, it will just take a bit. Come to Nietzsche’s starting at 8pm to catch one of Buffalo’s best songwriters. Free dollars.

Tonight: Sufjan Stevens

October 30, 2015

It’s rare enough for an artist to produce an album revered as a masterpiece once in their career. And to do it twice is nothing short of remarkable. But that’s exactly the kind of artist Buffalo will welcome to tonight as eclectic singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens will take the stage at the UB’s Center for the Arts. While Sufjan already had a host of great releases behind him (including 2004’s excellent Seven Swans), it wasn’t until 2005, with the release of Illinois, the second album in his now defunct “50 States Project,” that he truly broke through. The album was a sweeping baroque pop masterpiece, a stunning humanist collage built from history, folklore, and personal experience. It rightly received mass acclaim and produced a chart entry by way of lead single, “Chicago.” And while Stevens has continued to produce beautiful work over the years, including The BQE, his inspired Christmas double album, Silver &[...]

Tonight: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

October 29, 2015

Fresh off the May release of their fifth studio album Bright Days, Rochester’s favorite live reggae jam band, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will be returning to Buffalo’s The Tralf tonight. While Bright Days was mostly an exercise in finely crafted, laid-back roots-rock, the band’s usual live sound is a funky, low-end heavy mix of jam-band rock and dub reggae. It’ll be anybody’s guess which style they decide to bring to tonight’s show. My hope is a little of both. Bright Days is an amazingly natural-sounding, with the Eagles-esque soft rock of tunes like “Trust In Time” and the country ballad “Humboldt County Gold.” You’d think they took more influence from the Band than the Wailers. Still, it’s things like the electronic-tinged reggae rhythms of “Missing You More,” the funky wah wah bass of “Love You More” and the 420-friendly lyrics of “Mr. Cop” that the band is best known for. Opening[...]

Tonight: The Bones of J.R. Jones

October 27, 2015

J.R. Linabury, the one-man creative force behind the era-bending blues tunes of solo project The Bones of J.R. Jones, will take the iconic stage of Mohawk Place later tonight. “Solo” is a word that only goes so far when describing the project; Linabury may be the only body on stage during performances, but somehow he doesnt appear alone. He transcends the one man/one guitar stigma, crafting swirling folk songs using guitar, banjo, hi-hat, and bass drum in a commendably simultaneous fashion. The whole package is astonishingly honest, and shatters the boundaries and limiting capabilities of “solo” projects as they’re typically defined. Joining J.R. on tonight’s bill are the harmony kings in local psyche act Deadwolf and the soulful musings of Jacob Peter (Humble Braggers, Dreambeaches), also of Buffalo. Doors open promptly at 7pm with a $5 cover.

Tonight: Darklands

October 27, 2015

Darklands throws a little bit of everything your way. There’s a fuzz-driven foundation, indie pop vocal lines to latch onto, that same magnitude of sound that a post-rock band might project, and an overall shoegazey blend. The Providence, RI band’s recent five song EP, St Thaddeus, dishes it all out equally. “Hope,” the nearly eight minute long closer to the EP is my favorite song off the release. It manages to have a somewhat lackadaisical attitude that a band like Ovlov carried (RIP), but it’s still melodic enough for you to stay tuned in. It erupts into an enormous, dreamy jam toward the end that I can only imagine will be badass in a live setting. The three piece plays with Twin Foxes, another Providence based band, tonight at The Tree House (ask a punk). Local support is offered by Avocado Boys (ft. members of Newish Star, Softlines, and Rosy)[...]

Tonight: Young Empires

October 24, 2015

Buffalo plays host to our Canadian neighbors with the synth-pop jams of Toronto’s Young Empires this evening. The trio has made waves in Canada in recent years with its unique blend of indie rock, synthpop, and Latin American percussion. The band found further success when lead single, “Rain of Gold,” was included in FIFA 13 leading to a UK chart run. Nw fresh off the release of the eagerly-awaited debut album, The Gates, the three piece has arrived in Buffalo with a fresh batch of funky jams. Young Empires have earned much acclaim for their sensational live shows and should provide tonight’s Waiting Room crowd with nothing short of one hell of a dance party. And Joining Young Empires will be  Wild Things, American Low, and Humble Braggers so be sure to get down there early. Tickets are $12 and doors to Waiting Room’s Studio open at 6pm.

Tonight: Neon Indian

October 23, 2015

After about four years of silence caused partially by a stolen laptop, Neon Indian’s Vega Intl. Night School is one of this year’s surprises. Vega Intl. sounds like something you might hear in a restaurant in Blade Runner. A solid record oscillating between atmospheric synth tunes akin to music from Italians Do It Better and the aggressive tight groove of album highlight “Slumlord.”    Tonight, Neon Indian returns to Buffalo for the first time since a great show at Soundlab a few years ago. Playing at the Tralf, the group will be joined by Explorer Tapes and local electro-spectacle performer, Lesionread. Doors open at 7pm tonight and tickets can still be purchased for $19.

Tonight: Title Fight

October 23, 2015

For the second stop on their Fall 2015 headlining tour, Wilkes-Barre emo stalwarts Title Fight will be slinging their melodic post-hardcore bliss from the stage of the Studio at Waiting Room tonight. The band’s latest release, February’s Hyperview, takes on a guitar-driven, shoegaze-ish approach—something of a departure from the quartet’s hard-hitting pop-punk of yesteryear. Call it what you will (indie crossover, anyone?), Hyperview hits home in all the right places; expect to hear these tracks tonight. Joining Title Fight on their autumnal adventure is the infinitely eclectic songwriter Alex G, his latest effort Beach Music spanning genres like it’s nobody’s business. Much of it falls into an inimitably glassy vein of indie rock, like a transfixed Elliott Smith with cool kid riffs and spellbound vibes. Check out the new video for “Kicker” below and get there on time to catch this uniquely satiating act. Hometown heroes The Traditional will be[...]

Tonight: Black Milk

October 23, 2015

Detroit rapper/producer Black Milk has proven to be one of his city’s most formidable hip hop artists over the last decade or so. Heavily influenced by A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Motor City beat legend J Dilla, Black Milk brings his soulful beats and rhymes to Mohawk Place tonight with live band Nat Turner. Milk is a frequent collaborator with the city’s best, including songs with Slum Village, Royce Da 5’9,” Elzhi, and the 2011 project with Danny Brown titled The Black & Brown EP. Last year he dropped his sixth album, If There’s Hell Below, with notable indie hip hop label Fat Beats. Filled with more of Milk’s smooth jazz sounds, Hell Below includes features from Cali’s Blu and Houston legend Bun B. Milk’s tracklist should include many songs from the record, and all his tracks will be complimented by the energy of the live band.[...]

The Front Bottoms

October 22, 2015

The Front Bottoms carry the unique ability to put listeners through the emotional wringer and have them come out on the other side embracing a limitlessly carefree attitude. Through charm, wit, innuendo, pointed imagery and melodies that nest themselves neatly in your ears for a seemingly infinite amount of time, this four piece has been able to use that ability to develop into a captivating indie-pop force. The band’s recent full length release, Back On Top, is somewhat of a power statement. It’s undoubtedly different than previous releases but it still retains the same characteristics mentioned above. Even people who initially expressed reservation toward the album have come to love it in some way — in almost an exclusive, “this album was written for me” type of way. Tunes like “West Virginia” and “Cough It Out” showcase the creative risks the band is taking instrumentally and melodically, but there’s still this inherent somber hopefulness[...]