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Top 20 Rochester Tracks: 20 – 11

November 26, 2014

One of the blog’s major goals for 2014 was to cover more material out of our neighbors to the east in Rochester. In the past two years, we had done a top ten songs out of the 585, but this year, we decided to double our recognition to top 20 songs out of Rochester. Honestly, we could have probably done a top 30, but we decided to contain it to 20 so we didn’t lose you in our droning on about how awesome Rochester’s music scene is. Without further ado, here are buffaBLOG’s top 20 tracks out of Rochester in 2014. 20. Louis Bijoux – “Owe Ya” Starting off our third annual countdown of buffaBLOG’s top songs out of Rochester is weirdo-pop outfit, Louis BIjoux with the track “Owe Ya.”  Combine Kevin Barnes flamboyance with Robert Smith-y goth leanings and the free-wheeling aspects of Ariel Pink, and you have “Owe[...]

Tonight: buffaBLOG Rochester Showcase

November 22, 2014

With #Snowvember loosening its grip on the Buffalo area, we are busting out of the city for the night and zeroing in on the Bug Jar for the blog’s first Rochester showcase. For tonight’s show, we are flipping the script. Normally, we invite a Rochester act into town to with a join the stage with some of Buffalo’s best, but for this evening, we are bringing the 716’s punk funk army and one of the Queen City’s finest, Mallwalkers, along to join a bill of the cream of the crop of Rochester local music. If you missed any of our week long look at tonight’s bill, take a minute to catch up below: The Absolutes Buffalo Sex Change Mallwalkers Harmonica Lewinksi Also, keeping the party going in between sets will be DJ Tight Mike, host of our weekly buffaBLOG Podcast. Expect a nice mix of indie and electro, in addition[...]

Buffalo Sex Change

November 19, 2014

I like Rochester. It’s a nice place. There’s a bunch of bands from there that I really, really like. I’ve been to a lot of really good shows in and around Rochacha, a term I say with love. Being in Western New York, their food is good (once you get further east on the 90 it gets dodgier). So yeah, I’m a little stoked for the show this Saturday at the Bug Jar. One of the bands I’m keen to check out live is Rochester lo-fi garage rock duo Buffalo Sex Change. These guys, Clayton Eddy and Phil Pierce, are bringing it in from way out there with a skeevy, raw sound that’s ideal for petty crime like shoplifting meat by sticking it down your pants, sniffing glue, lewd conduct, driving recklessly, and spicing up an already stocked bill. The pair will be batting second in our lineup Saturday night, following[...]

Jackson Cavalier & The Fevertones Drop Devil’s Undertow EP

November 19, 2014

Quietly last night, rollicking Rochester folk outfit, Jackson Cavalier & The Fevertones, dropped its latest, two song EP, Devil’s Undertow, its first new material in nearly a year. The band has been pretty low key over the last year, working on new songs while keeping busy with live gigs. If you are new to the alt-country quartet, think Deer Tick and go from there. Locally, bands like Pine Fever and Mr. Boneless would pair nicely with the Fevertones. Also, listen carefully and tell me you don’t hear a touch of Iggy Pop’s “Passenger” in the EP’s title cut. Gravelly vocals, peppy harmonica and strings, and a toe tapping beat make “Devil’s Undertow” a very late edition to my list of favorite Rochester tracks of the year. Check it out below.

The Absolutes

November 18, 2014

It may come to no surprise that buffaBLOG has a show this Saturday in Rochester due to the all-encompassing Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram teases. If this is the first post you’ve ever read on this website and have never visited our social media accounts, Hi. We put together a nice show on Saturday at the Bug Jar in Rochester with four bands and a DJ. As a matter of fact, I will tell you about one of the bands right now. Set to start Saturday night off with a bang is Rochester-based trio, The Absolutes. A long-time player in the local scene, the band’s retro power pop sound is similar to that of The Zombies, Elvis Costello, or more currently early Apples in Stereo. These garage rockers should be on early, like way earlier than you would expect bands to start on a Saturday night, so make sure you get[...]

Genesee Live Releases Latest Session feat. Attic Abasement

November 11, 2014

Thank goodness for area live video session series on slow blog days like this. Our favorite series out of Rochester, Genesee Live, continues its blistering pace with the release of its latest installment, #18 overall, featuring Attic Abasement. The elusive basement rockers originally caught our attention with a split release with Nod this past spring. For its GL session, the band was filmed at Rochester’s WITR studio at the Rochester Institute of Technology Watch the full session with Attic Abasement below and as always, visit Genesee Live’s tumblr page to catch up on any missed installments.

Talking Under Water Releases Debut Single, “Tossing & Turning”

November 3, 2014

Yesterday afternoon, Rochester alt-rock outfit, Talking Under Water, premiered “Tossing & Turning,” its debut single and title track to its forthcoming new EP. Forming this past summer, the quartet is comprised of front man Dave Chisholm, Alex Patrick of the Absolutes, Stephen Roessner of Pleistocene/Small Signals, and Cayuga Chamber Orchestra cellist Elise Hughey. The four-piece’s “Tossing & Turning” is a theatrical number with a flair for the dramatics, with smokey verses that explode as the song’s bombastic chorus is unleashed. Fans of the Black Keys, Muse, Cage the Elephant, and even Dead Man’s Bones (minus Halloween) should all find something within the track to peak their interest. Tossing & Turning will be released on December 2nd. In the mean time, listen to the single below.

Skirts Debut First Single From Semesters EP

October 28, 2014

Rochester garage-pop act, Skirts (formerly the dorm room outfit Meanagers), dropped the first single from its forthcoming EP, Semesters (Dadstache Records), early this afternoon. Led by a bouncy surf rock lick, “Pink Hair” features a peppy, playful melody and bursting guy/girl vocals from Hayden Ford and Brianna Battista. The single and new EP are follow ups to the great, basement session filmed by Genesee Live this past summer, which you can view here. Listen to “Pink Hair” below and keep an eye out for Semesters later this fall.

Routine Involvements Release Music Video For “UFO”

October 21, 2014

Last week, Rochester-based two-piece, Routine Involvements, released its first music video for the single “UFO.” Featured on the band’s early 2014 release, Future Days (Dadstache Records),  the video for “UFO” is superbly cinematic, displaying the Routine Involvement boys breaking free from their sheltered vision to experience a well-choreographed dance routine to an almost blinding light show. The instrumental song is clear, cohesive, and incredibly driving, almost like Queens of the Stone Age sat down with a Cloud Nothings album prior to going into the studio. The video is a collaboration between Michael Schifino (Director) Aaron Gordon (Director of Photgraphy), and Ciera Carhart (Executive Producer), and without a doubt, it is the most well-produced and expertly directed video we’ve seen from a regional band to date (sans Joywave, but are they even a “local” band anymore?). Routine Involvements “UFO” from Michael Schifino on Vimeo.

Hawker M. James Premieres Glammy New Single, “Some Attention”

October 20, 2014

Hawker M. James, the moniker of Rochester every-man Mike James (Longwave, Demos, Admirers), had his latest single debut this afternoon on Wondering Sound. Produced by electronic musician Joel Ford (Tigercity, Ford & Lopatin), “Some Attention” sees James getting his best Mark Bolan on as the track is full of glam rock chords and in your face synths. The song is set to be included on James’ forthcoming new album (title and release date are unannounced), so in the mean time, rock out to “Some Attention” below and keep an eye out for future Hawker news.

Secret Pizza Releases New Song From Shark Tank Recording Session

October 20, 2014

Over the weekend, one of our favorite 585 acts, driving post-rockers Secret Pizza, released a new track as part of a (mostly) Rochester based compilation, The Shark Tank Sessions, from Brass Palace Recordings. The seven track collection features tracks cut from 4-hour recording sessions, many taking place in the living room and kitchen of Rochester’s Shark Tank. Secret Pizza’s contribution to the compilation, “Not About a Lover,” features drummer Giana Caliolo taking lead on the slow burner, guiding the sprawling introduction into a raucous, shoe-gaze jam. The full collection of recordings from the Shark Tank Sessions can be heard here. In the mean time, listen to “Not About a Lover” below.

Unearth at Rochester’s Montage Music Hall

October 17, 2014

With only a couple weeks away until the release of legendary metalcore outfit, Unearth’s, six full-length release, anticipation is steadily building. It has been several years since the groups last album, Darkness in the Light, and Watchers of Rule is poised to whip the metal community into yet another frenzy. It’s time for the kings to take back the crown…. Quite simply, Unearth are in a league of their own when it comes to metal. Crushing breakdowns, Maiden-esque melodies, and riffs that slink with so much groove and power, you’d be a fool not to jump right into the vortex Theirs is a rival unmatched. And the live shows?? Well that’s the stuff of legend. I’ve seen Unearth a dozen or so times, and they truly are one of the most energetic and exciting live bands going in the scene right now. Tonight, the band finds themselves at Montage Music[...]

New Look High Drags Release Latest Single, “Red White and Blue”

October 14, 2014

Our favorite (former)bi-coastal, brother/sister duo, High Drags, have reemerged this afternoon with their latest single, “Red White and Blue.” Marissa and James Longstreet, High Drags’ founding pair, have recently fleshed out to a five piece and permanently left their Western, NY hometown for the big city lights of Los Angeles. The first single from the new look High Drags is 6+ mins of smooth and sultry synth-pop that recalls Polica and Banks. Listen to “Red White and Blue” below.

Europa & The Great Red Spot – Inside Voices

October 13, 2014

This week brings us yet another Rochester Album of the Week nod. Europa & The Great Red Spot‘s Inside Voices is a wonderfully understated LP full of fuzzy lo-fi gems. Riding mysteriously on a heavy space theme, it might as well be the sound of Europa itself spinning around Jupiter. Album opener “Din” is an immediate highlight. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between TV on the Radio and Local Natives, “Din” is a simmering slow-burner, with beautiful lyrics that touch on love, space, tattoos, and conflicting weather patterns. It’s a fitting introduction for an album full of hazy, lo-fi beauty. Another great dowsing rod for this band is the title track, “Inside Voices” – a six-minute, almost-instrumental epic worth getting lost inside. E&TGRS specialize in songs like these – swirly synths, shy guitars, and a pleasant, washy mix. On the other hand, “Redshift” walks the line of psychedelic – think the[...]

Genesee Live Releases Latest Session feat. Rountine Involvements

October 13, 2014

Late last week, Rochester’s premiere live music session series, Genesee Live, debuted latest installment, this time around, featuring college rock duo, Routine Involvements. The two-piece’s sound ranges from grunge to garage, with shades of shoegaze and 90s alt-rock mixed in for good measure. If Lithium is your satellite radio channel of choice, then Routine Involvements may be up your alley. Watch the full session below, and if you want to catch up on past Genesee Live sessions, visit its tumblr page here.