Latest Posts

Plain Brown Envelopes – Love In A Plain Brown Envelope

March 21, 2016

Alright Buffalo, let’s slow it down a bit. This week’s AOTW comes from a fresh collaboration between songwriter Bill Nehill (TMMC, Poison Arrows) and arranger Katie Quider (Space Is Haunted, The Patterns). The new project, titled Plain Brown Envelopes, channels low-tempo dark folk vibes, Nehill’s brooding songwriting conjuring Jeff Mangum in his darker moments and at a significantly lessened BPM. Quider’s backup vocals and arrangements provide a ghostly edge to the gothic-tinged folk project, whose eight-track debut Love In A Plain Brown Envelope offers a deceptively powerful collection of tracks perfect for the last gasp of a long winter. At the core of Plain Brown Envelopes sits the enduring songwriting of Bill Nehill. The craft is juxtaposed nicely with elements of both stoicism and desperation, tonalities spread throughout the album like a hand of fanned-out playing cards. The strange thing about this album is the fact that it was recorded[...]

BIG FRED Shares Single Off <3pals<3

March 16, 2016

Incoming! It’s no secret that Rochester’s local music scene is teeming with top-qual bands of all genres (personally, I like to call Roc city the “indie rock capital of the state”); best make room for one more. Meet BIG FRED, one of the scene’s fresher additions. Composed of Conor McCann (guitar/bass/vox) and Dylan Vaisey (drums), the duo’s fuzzy, spastic sonic creations are nothing short of interesting. Lead single “Worm” mixes a Pedro the Lion-like lyrical longing with an explosiveness akin to the ever-inventive Wolf Parade. It sounds like throwing a firecracker at a beehive and the subsequent ‘get-the-fuck-outta-there’ that follows—fun-and-games right into life-or-death. The rest of the five-track debut, titled <3pals<3, follows suit with intermittent blasts of sludgy fuzz (the band’s self-coined “trash pop” classification makes almost too much sense), spastic and creative rhythms, and healthy portions of wonderfully janky riffage throughout. Cassettes are available here via the Poughkeepsie-based Sad[...]

Tonight: Marian McLaughlin

March 3, 2016

Equal parts chamber-folk songstress and classically-charged eccentric, DC musician Marian McLaughlin will make her way to Buffalo’s Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight for the first stop on her string of East Coast tour dates. The thing about Marian is—unless you’re already familiar with her unique musicianship—chances are slim that I’ll be able to accurately describe her craft with words alone. Think… Joanna Newsom-esque vocal explorations over a backdrop of intricate classical guitar pickings and orchestra-tinged string arrangements (by collaborator and double bassist Ethan Foote). Her cathedral folk offerings are already entrancing to begin with, but in the intimate confines of the Ninth Ward? A rare treat. A wildly suitable match is found in Buffalo’s buzzing indie folk quintet Tiny Rhymes (whose Katie Weissman doubles as McLaughlin’s touring cellist) to open tonight’s show. Doors open at 7pm with a $10 admission, storytelling vibes in full force.

Difficult Night – In a Blackhole at the Listening of Distant Harpers in the Dim Gloam of Evening

February 29, 2016

Difficult Night is somewhat of an anomaly.  An anomaly in the fact that the unique Buffalo quartet is fundamentally unclassifiable. The oft-coined “slacker rock” designation only goes so far, “indie rock” is an even broader cop out. Classifications (or lack thereof) aside, I can concretely say that the band does what they want, a project unburdened by the shackles of expectation. Their latest album, In a Blackhole at the Listening of Distant Harpers in the Dim Gloam of Evening (inhales), lays foundation on that sentiment, making the collection of songs deliciously raw and unapologetically soaked in truth. Blackhole seems to shine brightest in its elements of observation and introspection. “I used to believe in signs / before I knew how to read ‘em,” sings Shane Meyer on midtempo number “Turn My Back,” track two of the 9-track album. Many of the songs feel like face-to-face conversations with Meyer, an unfiltered[...]

Attic Abasement Drops First Single of Forthcoming LP

February 17, 2016

Preceding a highly-anticipated LP release via Father / Daughter Records, Rochester DIY rockers Attic Abasement have given the masses a taste of said LP—titled Dream News—with “Guarantee Jesus,” the first single of the record. Sauntering through jangly chord progressions, bumbling bass lines, and the passionate sounds of AA centerpoint Mike Rheinheimer (holy shit @ 1:16, 2:15), the track is without question an extension of Attic Abasement’s aching indie rock aesthetic—music for the rest of us. The sounds have matured a bit from the lower-fi recordings of previous albums, but all of that unassuming charm remains. You’ll find “Guarantee Jesus” streaming below, and preorders for the new album are available now via Father / Daughter. Dream News hits shelves on 5/27/16. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/246094758″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Fig Mints Reveal First Single From Forthcoming Split

February 11, 2016

In preparation for another well-anticipated split release via Dadstache Records, the Rochester tape label has graced us with a single on the forthcoming cassette from The Fig Mints (ongoing lo-fi indie rock project of ex-Comfy guitarist Bobby Rogan) / The Real Burnouts (Utica’s premiere psychedelic bedroom warriors). The track, titled “And So On” and delivered from The Fig Mints’ side of the tape, cashes in on the joys of lo-fi fuzz, bearing resemblance the likes of Sebadoh and Violent Femmes. The song leaves behind some of the bedroom vibes of The Fig Mints’ earlier material, but the indie charm still flows forth, blue and true. Screeching guitars, handclaps, and tambourine—what more could you ask for? The split, titled “Revitalized Parts / Halo Lacerations” drops on 3/25, and preorders for the tape are now active over at Dadstache. Slam play below to stream The Fig Mints’ “And So On,” and keep[...]

Skirts – What Do You Wanna Do?

February 4, 2016

So, break’s over. January saw some fantastic releases, and although our blog activity may have waned through the month, that doesn’t mean we weren’t paying attention. One of those releases happened to be What Do You Wanna Do?, the new record from Rochester surf-poppers Skirts. We’ve been patiently waiting on this one since the quintet premiered the album’s lead single “Swimming” last summer by way of a live session at Rochester’s 1809 studios. The band also made their Buffalo debut at Nietzsche’s last fall, having played an electrifying set that included a couple of these tracks. WDYWD? polishes Skirts’ heart-throb beach pop formula into a catchy collection of songs with a particular focus on album cohesion and its tightly-knit arrangements. A single spin through the album yields a bit of fuzziness in the chest, a warmth most welcome in chilly February. You get tracks like the slow-burning “Golden Era,” which[...]

Tomoreaux – At Peace, Overlook

February 1, 2016

Welcome back, readers! This week marks the return of buffaBLOG’s Album of the Week series—our weekly dose of recommended local music that we find to be worthy of commendation. We here at buffaBLOG have primarily covered Buffalo and Rochester over the past 6 years, and while both music scenes are brimming with talent worthy of mention, this year we will be expanding our coverage to include bands that call home to the farther reaches of the state. So with the new year, and our broadened range of coverage, the Album of the Week slot becomes the best of the best of the best of local music. With that said, it seems only fitting that the first Album of the Week of 2016 comes at you right from the snowy confines of good ol’ Buffalo. Enter At Peace, Overlook, the debut release from post-rock shoegazers Tomoreaux. The album—though only 8 tracks[...]

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[...]

Jacob Peter & Shauna Presto Team Up for “Wander”

December 22, 2015

‘Tis the season for merriment and friendship, and in the spirit of such togetherness (and apparently in my case, cheesy intros), we have a nice collaboration for you before the year comes to a close. Solo musician Jacob Peter has been all over the music scene lately, from the lush synthscapes of Humble Braggers to the axe-in-lap simplicity of his bluesy solo material. This time around finds Peter arranging and producing a track written and sung by buffaBLOG’s own Shauna Presto. In essence, the song, titled “Wander,” is a true collaboration; elements of both artists are easily discernable within the work, but not without an obvious symbiosis. Whimsical mandolin and Presto’s smoky-sweet vocals open the track, initially conjuring vibes of Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and the wilderness simplicity of Eddie Vedder’s solo material. Peter’s influence arrives later in the song with an evolving eclecticism in the instrumentation and[...]

Tonight: Comfy

December 18, 2015

Comfy visits Buffalo tonight for the third and final time this year, and if either of the Utica garage pop outfit’s other Buffalo shows are any testament to their ability to get the dance floor churning, it will be a banger once more. Gritty folk act Mr. Boneless and Mothers will also be gracing the stage of Dreamland tonight, where the show is set to take place. The show begins at 8pm (21 and up only please), and while the Facebook event lists no cover charge, it’d be a good idea to bring some cash for either a surprise cover (worth it), or some bomb merch. Pillowhugger by Comfy

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 10-1

December 17, 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. Earlier this week we posted our five close calls and our first half of the top 20.  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 below are the blog’s favorite songs of 2015. 10. Tiny Rhymes – “Arrows” Tiny Rhymes‘ ”Arrows” is an incredibly cherishable tune. It approaches the listener with a coy but welcoming softness, making it feel like a delicate gem that only you are privy to. Atop prime musicianship, singer Sharon Mok’s[...]

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 5 Close Calls

December 14, 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 as the blog are our favorite songs of 2015. Here are five great songs ALMOST made our top 20. The Slums – “Plain Pine Box”  The Slums always deliver the perfect thrash song but “Plain Pine Box” might be the most perfect yet. “You can call me first and final nail in a plain pine box, I said I’d keep you separate but I guess[...]

Top 20 Rochester Tracks: 10-1

December 10, 2015

It’s that time of the year again where we rack our brain, scan our playlists, and check all of our posts for all of the songs that we’ve covered from the 585 from the past year. It seems like just yesterday we were jamming out to Kitty Snowpants and discussing when JOYWAVE was going to break (spoiler: they did). This is our fourth year of tracking our favorite songs of the year out of Rochester. Now, I am sure there are amazing songs that we’ve brushed over or haven’t even heard coming out of the city. This list is subjective obviously, this is a blog. Regardless, I think Rochester’s scene this year has been the strongest it has been ever, pumping out consistent jams which is giving Buffalo a run for its money. On Tuesday, we posted our first half (20-11) of our favorite tunes. Here are our top ten songs[...]

Gypsy Freight – I’ll hold this close

November 30, 2015

Ariel Piazza is not your run-of-the-mill college rock musician. Writing and performing under the pseudonym Gypsy Freight, Piazza paints emotional sonic portraits in a vein of ambient folk all her own. Her newest release, a full length titled ‘I’ll hold this close, ‘ bleeds with emotionalism, twelve tracks of ethereal folk atmospheric music worth swimming in. The thing about Gypsy Freight is that it’s not far off from what you’d expect if you were to imagine what the project sounds like based on name alone. That’s not to say the tracks aren’t striking (because they are), but the fact that many of the songs sound as if they were recorded in a halfway-haunted grand cathedral is remarkably suiting. Piazza’s voice is both sweet and powerful; this prowess is especially prominent in tracks like “I don’t know what I’m doing but I’m okay” and “building homes,” her Daughter-esque delivery riding the dark[...]