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Tonight: Hank & Cupcakes

September 10, 2015

What better way to start a weekend early than with Hank & Cupcakes? The Brooklyn-based duo brings genre creation to the next level with their fresh electro-tinged disco punk rowdiness, and their live show is no joke. Perhaps you caught their high-energy display earlier this year at Rochester’s Bug Jar; the end of the night yielded a sweaty, smiling crowd in varying degrees of undress. Their return to WNY tonight at Nietzsche’s should be no different—a true testament to the duo’s penchant for #partylife. Be there or be boring. Opening slots on tonight’s bill include Scajaquada Creeps, the reigning survivors of last year’s Queen City Music Lottery, and Bryan Johnson & Family, local surf-pop royalty in their own regard. Fun will be in full supply tonight. Doors at 9pm, music starts shortly after. $5 cover.

Stephen Floyd of One Percent Press

September 9, 2015

It’s no secret that Buffalo’s DIY community is an absolute force. Between the multitude of local labels and the wide-ranging artists and musicians that work hard to bring their craft to the forefront, the DIY ethic in our city is ever-strengthening. One of the more prominent local labels in the scene is also one of longest-lasting. One Percent Press, a label that celebrates its tenth birthday this year, embraces that very ethic and has released an impressive catalog of comic books, artwork, and music over the years. We picked the brain of OPP co-founder Stephen Floyd–who currently resides in Buffalo–to dig a bit on the origins of the label, their mission statement, as well as a few current and future projects. Dig in. buffaBLOG: One Percent Press has called home to a few different cities. In what ways does your locale influence what you do with the label? Do you scout[...]

Sonny Baker Releases Full Band EP flesh it out

September 1, 2015

As both a supporter of local music and a Buffalonian (these are mostly safe assumptions to make—you are reading buffaBLOG), what comes to mind upon hearing the name Sonny Baker? Wooden Waves? Lazlo Hollyfeld? A Hotel Nourishing? As an Eden native, I could toss Uberfunk into that list, but that’s a story for another day. The truth is, between his multitude of projects and musical cameos in the projects of others, Sonny Baker really is one of the hardest working musicians in Buffalo.  And hot off the late-August release of his latest solo EP, flesh it out, Baker only strengthens his stake to that claim. Though in this case, there is only so much truth in calling his latest sonic outpourings “solo” work. For flesh it out, Baker has assembled an actual trio, featuring Chris Gangarossa on bass and Ryan Campbell on drums. This in itself is a departure—very rarely[...]

Tonight: A House Safe For Tigers

August 29, 2015

Best thing about Buffalo on a Saturday night? Options. One of tonight’s top picks would bring you to Mohawk Place for the highly-anticipated release party of A House Safe for Tigers, the debut album from the local mellotron supergroup of the same name. If you’re reading this, you may have been vibing out to AHSfT (our most recent Album of the Week) for a few months already; now is your chance to see the album performed in full-band glory. Opening tonight’s festivities are two acts that have been pretty scarce on this year’s live circuit—synthrock revivalists TMMC and a special solo performance from Failures’ Union’s Tony Flaminio. Get there on time to catch everyone. Doors open up at 8pm with an affordable $5 cover. A House Safe For Tigers by A House Safe For Tigers

done. Releases New Singles

August 25, 2015

As we wind down the summer months and students start preparing for their dreaded return to classes, there is a certain influx of cool new music that usually hits us from the college towns. The creative last gasp of summer. Today’s scouring of the interweb yields a late-summer two song ripper from emo-math duo done., who have ties to both Buffalo and New Paltz. The singles bring us the notable “Ghost House,” a mathy and meticulous tribute to the emo revival movement, sharp riffs slinging akin to vets Sunny Day Real Estate or The Appleseed Cast. “Pawns,” the latter of the two tracks, follows in that same vein. Check it out below.

Hieronymus Bogs – The Angel

August 17, 2015

With a name like Hieronymus Bogs, eclecticism is almost expected. The Rochester folk artist and group of musicians that embellish his craft—the appropriately-named Bogs Visionary Orchestra, or BVO—harbor few inhibitions and fully live up to their respective monikers. Bogs’ unique vein of rootsy outsider folk enmeshes poetry and performance, nearly evading traditional classification altogether. The end result is an art form equal parts unconventional and embraceable, a sonic tizzy of spoken-word poetry and folk-tinged orchestration. On his latest release, a nine-track collection of songs and poems titled The Angel (titled after a William Blake poem of the same name), Bogs (and company) keeps the instrumentation delicate and organic while his often interpretive lyrics remain soaked in folklore. The album’s title track introduces the main theme with a tenderly played piano backdrop, Bogs singing longingly over top—“I dreamt a dream, what could it mean?” The very opening line captures the album[...]

Tonight: Mac DeMarco

August 16, 2015

Mac is back! The reigning king of jizz jazz, Mac DeMarco, will make his welcomed return to Buffalo tonight at The Tralf, hopefully this time with full band in tow. Following last year’s excellent Salad Days, the goofball crooner’s latest mini-LP Another One continues his ultrachill slacker rock sounds, but this time draped in full love-song garb. It’s an interesting juxtaposition between love, compassion, and DeMarco’s typical “take-it-sleazy” approach—expect to hear a lot of that tonight. Last year we were graced with swigs of Jameson, crowd surfing, and a ten-minute cover of “Smoke On The Water.” What does the Pepperoni Playboy have in store for us this year? Doors at 7pm, show starts at 8pm—get there early to loosen up with the unconventional synthpop of supporting act Jerry Paper. And from what I could gather on the show’s Facebook event, the show is now a SOLD OUT affair. So if[...]

Mac DeMarco – Another One

August 11, 2015

So the Pepperoni Playboy has done it again. Who is the Pepperoni Playboy, you ask? And what exactly has he done? He is none other than the slacker king of “jizz jazz” (self-proclaimed), Mac DeMarco, and he’s just put out his first release since 2014’s Salad Days. DeMarco brings back his inner goofball on his newest mini-LP Another One, and lays it on thick this time. The new album is polished and tight, and doesn’t stray too far from the jangly wryness of its predecessor. Though it does stray a little. I remember first listening to Salad Days and thinking to myself how brilliant and engaging each of the album’s eleven tracks were, how each song told a different story and how I just wanted to lay in a dirty field somewhere and listen to the album on repeat. It’s an excellent album. Another One falls a bit short of[...]

Howlo – Howlo

August 3, 2015

As many-a musician will attest to, putting out a full-length is hard work. Howlo has been hard at work. That claim goes beyond basic syllogism; the work is plainly evident in the music itself. The Rochester four-piece just put out its s/t full-length debut, 11 tracks of unadulterated feel-good indie pop, and it was worth the wait. Howlo, musically speaking, continues on the catchy indie-rock sentiments of singer/songwriter Ben Morey’s solo material, namely 2013’s aptly-titled Pleasant. Fellow Howlonians Christine Benincasa (bass), Jane Bryant (drums / vox), and Justin Pulver (guitar / vox) round out the sound with inviting male/female harmonies with serious melting power, and song contributions that add to the record’s air of dynamicity. Some of the album’s scrappier moments conjure Pixies comparisons while the vibe-ier, docile tracks call up the soft exactness of Yo La Tengo, but in the grand scheme of things, Howlo is an entity all[...]

Tonight: Passive Aggressives Anonymous

August 1, 2015

As the annual week long Infringement Festival nears its final days, we are left with decisions to make. Where should I spend my Saturday? Which acts and artists warrant my attendance? It’s tough, because there is no way to see every act, every performer, or attend every gallery, exhibition, or display. Well, if music is your bag then allow me to help with the decision making and schedule tinkering. Tonight, Allen Street Consulting (394 Franklin) will host an Infringement gig with buffaBLOG’s stamp of approval. Among tonight’s lineup is Rochester’s primary sardonic croon-rock unit Passive Aggressives Anonymous, making a welcomed Buffalo appearance. PAA’s tongue-in-cheek take on lounge rock is fresh and unique, and no stranger to the pages of our blog. The group just dropped an impressive new single, the impish and dreamy “Many At Once,” check it out below. Tonight’s bill also includes alt-country hometown hero Zak Ward, who[...]

Tonight: Lord Huron

July 28, 2015

Following performances from the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel, The Tallest Man On Earth, and Strand of Oaks (among others) over the past few months, Buffalo’s summer folk streak continues full-steam tonight at the Town Ballroom. West coast indie-folk unit Lord Huron will make a stop in Buffalo just before their Strange Trails tour takes them across the border. Michigan-bred but Los Angeles-based, Lord Huron’s crisp and handsome indie-folk is comparable to contemporaries The Lone Bellow or Horse Feathers (also from L.A.), both of which already having made stops in the Nickel City this year (#folkstreak2015). Tonight’s show supports LH’s latest full-length, the excellent Strange Trails, which was released earlier this year via Dead Oceans; I would put my money on hearing a lot of those songs tonight. Side note: if you haven’t already, check out Lord Huron’s collection of captivating music videos, each of them setting a pretty high standard[...]

The Tallest Man on Earth at Asbury Hall (7/22/15)

July 23, 2015

Having apologized for not being back to Buffalo for five years, Kristian Matsson recalled his last visit at Babeville: “Last time I was here I played in the basement. I haven’t improved as a person,” he paused. “…but I have friends now.” The Swedish songwriter flashed a proud smirk as he caught the members of his backing band in an over-the-shoulder periphery. In addition to his new backing band, Matsson—or The Tallest Man On Earth—brought a particular liveliness to the stage of Asbury Hall this past Wednesday night. With a fresh album on his fingertips, the NC folk outfit Hiss Golden Messenger in support, and the beautiful Asbury Hall packed with adoring fans, Matsson had a few things to be excited about. Opener Hiss Golden Messenger got the night rolling with an impressive set of their folky alt-country mash. I’ll admit to not knowing much about HGM before just a[...]

Hiss Golden Messenger

July 22, 2015

Rare is the bill on which the opening band draws as much (or more, in even rarer cases) anticipation as the main act. Last year’s Band of Horses / Midlake show comes to mind (still sore for missing that), or perhaps the stacked My Morning Jacket / Wilco / Bob Dylan roster at Darien Lake a few years back, if that even counts. Well that aforementioned phenomenon repeats itself tonight at Asbury Hall (for myself, anyway), where Swedish folk top-dog The Tallest Man on Earth will have his stage warmed up (or set ablaze) by the excellent Hiss Golden Messenger, a folk duo out of North Carolina. I use the term ‘folk’ as loosely as I can in this case; HGM—consisting of primary songwriter M.C. Taylor, recording partner Scott Hirsch, and a rotating cast of touring musicians—evades traditional “call ‘em as I hear ‘em” classifications with their soul-warming blend of[...]

Soft Cough – Soft Cough

July 13, 2015

Geneseo’s Soft Cough has been hard at work. Their tunes may be slackish (deliciously so, I might add), but I wouldn’t jump to call them slackers. The garage-pop quartet takes a well-deserved pride in the flourishing Geneseo music scene that they support, and that support does not go unrequited. Over the past year the band has developed quite a following in the college town to which they call home base, following a barrage of house/living room/basement/campus/other shows, many of them self-organized. There is a commendable DIY ethic surrounding these guys, and it is that ethic that shines through and makes their fresh self-titled debut such a charming effort. Now, on to the music. Recorded by the band members themselves in the living room of Mute City (their house), and mixed by Ben Freiman (their drummer), the sound is naturally lo-fi in nature. And lo-fi is as lo-fi does. But let[...]

MD Woods Drops Volume Two of Young & Vain Series

July 7, 2015

“Folk” has gotten a bad rap lately. It’s easy to blame bands like Mumford and Sons and Of Monsters and Men—some of the so-called pioneers of the neo-folk movement—for saturating the genre with their pseudo-inspirational pop-folk tedium, formulaic songs custom-tailored for the mainstream. (Does M&S bashing ever really go out of style?) But mainstream disenchantment aside, folk is just one of those genres I can’t help but hold near and dear to my heart. The truthfulness of a good folk song is a special weakness of mine, and it’s refreshing to know that some artists can still do the ill-fated genre a little justice. With that said, it is my pleasure to introduce Young & Vain Vol. 2, the newest release from Rochester singer-songwriter MD Woods. Building on the warm and earnest foundations of last year’s Vol. 1, Vol. 2 delivers four more solid tracks to Woods’ four-part Young &[...]