Latest Posts

Charles Bordeaux Releases Free Of.. EP

February 16, 2016

Buffalo producer/songwriter Charles Bordeaux, formerly known as REverb Rock, recently released a soulful four track EP titled Free Of.., which includes instrumental melodic synth jams as well as downtempo experimental pop with frenetic percussion and emotive vocals. The artist’s abstract style is notably compelling on tracks like “Temple” and “Youth”, where lush arrangements accompany the singer’s introspective lyrics along with immersive vocal samples. The casual instrumental jam “Wax & Wane” centers around an infectious synth progression, paired with static drums and a strong bass groove to make for a jazzy, contemplative feel. Listen to/download Free Of.. below.

YLXR Releases “Covergirl” Remix

December 15, 2015

Buffalo electronic R&B producer YLXR balances maximalist synth and drum sequences with saccharine swells and exuberant vocal sample on his latest remix of the 2009 RuPaul track “Covergirl.” Keeping the bass and drum sounds rooted in the club, the artist patiently builds to the spirited drop that finds the woozy synth melody at its most compelling. With an ability to create interesting progressions from minimal beats to sample-heavy breakdowns, YLXR continues to impress with productions that combine pop sensibility with club music’s exultation. Stream/download “Covergirl” below [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234913496″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Peach releases new album The Fall of Rome

December 3, 2015

Buffalo production duo 桃 [peach] with only a pair of bandcamp releases to their name are responsible for one of the more unique sounds to come out of the local electronic scene. With their latest album The Fall of Rome, the artists explore sounds rooted in vaporwave, house, and electronica while adhering to the ancient Roman theme with track titles like “Julius Caesar,” “The Ides of March,” and “Fall of the Republic.” Opening with the downtempo, glitchy “Ode to a New Age,” Peach complements fiery drums with lush chords and dark atmospherics while the more house-oriented “Julius Caesar” brings to mind the work of Toronto duo Crystal Castles with its abrasive textures and frenetic synth leads. Their eclectic production skills lend themselves to more groove-based, mellow tracks as well with “Welcome to Rome” and “Crossing the Rubicon” providing a more subdued tone while maintaining the experimental, scatter-brained approach that characterizes Peach’s sound. Perhaps[...]

Tonight: The Leones with Applennium

November 20, 2015

Headlining their first show in Buffalo, local shoegaze/dream-pop band The Leones are a newly formed duo comprised of singer/songwriter Justin Bachulak and guitarist Dustin Lau, who met at show at Babeville’s 9th Ward while Bachulak was playing with Americana act Crows and Jays. Combining ethereal, contemplative guitar tones with jazzy keys and dark atmospherics, the pair plan to release their debut LP, Ghost In The City early next year after a string of regional tour dates to promote the new material. Tonight, the band will perform at the Studio at Waiting Room along with local indie rock acts Applennium and Hundred Plus Club. Tickets for the all ages show are $8 and can be purchased here. Music starts at 7pm.   [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/183040349″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

common rituals Release Debut EP, form

November 10, 2015

The wistful melodies pervading the music of Rochester Lo-fi/indie pop artist common rituals offer a warm, understated pop sound with alluring instrumentation. form, the musician’s debut EP, includes hazy synth work on tracks like “Spring Break” and “October” which along with spacious percussion make for an immersive listen. The jazzy “Intermission” is reminiscent of French downtempo band Air and provides one of the most atmospheric moments of the release while the acoustic “Maybe (Solar Sky)” leans more towards direct singer/songwriter fare. Listen/download form below.

Fourem Releases New Single, “Newspaper Cape”

November 3, 2015

From the cosmic harp motif that sets off his latest track, “Newspaper Cape,” Buffalo producer Fourem makes his inclinations toward a deeper, pensive sound apparent. Bringing to mind artists like Flying Lotus and Bonobo, the musician born Chris Groves (Applennium) creates an atmospheric build before letting a relaxed groove carry the majority of the track. Merging elements of funk, hip hop, and electronica, Fourem brings in glitchy, experimental sounds among the soulful percussion and bass line to make for an immersive cut that introduces just enough ideas to stay engaging while avoiding becoming overstimulating. With an ability to work with a wide array of compelling sounds, Groves is the kind of artist that can consistently defy listener’s expectations. Listen/download “Newspaper Cape” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/230418645″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

King Midas Releases “Go Get It” Video

October 27, 2015

Buffalo rapper and Loot Boys member King Midas brings vibrant charisma to his latest track “Go Get It,” featuring Mo Lotto and White Boy. The trio of MCs unleash fiery verses over a sinister instrumental from producer TWOCOLD that combined with an infectious hook is one of the most energetic local rap tracks in recent memory. The accompanying clip for the track follows the crew throughout the city and is complete with kaleidoscopic effects and effectively captures the artist’s overall raucous style. Watch “Go Get It” below.  

Damp Child Releases Debut Album Artism

October 20, 2015

Rochester trio Damp Child create lush, contemplative tracks with a stream-of consciousness-style that places emphasis on texture and atmosphere above conventional structure. Their debut release, Artism, features reverb-laden vocals, abstract guitar tones, and a dream-like quality with at times unintelligible lyrics that add to its melancholic aura. Opening track “Ironically Tumescent” is perhaps the record’s closest moment to resembling pop with its warm, infectious melody and resonant acoustic guitar strums. Other pieces like “Schizophrenia,” “Before I Die,” and “Underwater Dolphin Factory” present a post-rock style, as the band pensively and patiently unfurl their soulful, experimental sounds. “Inspector 11” blends glitchy, otherworldly percussive elements with celestial guitar lines and hypnotic vocals, making for one of Artism‘s more immersive moments. Despite their free-form, sketch like nature, the songs on Damp Child’s debut are full of instances where captivating ideas come together in a way that’s equally disorienting and ruminant. Listen/download Artism below. Artism by Damp Child

Tonight: Just Ending Now

October 19, 2015

Buffalo performance and visual artist Jeremy Jermaine Jerome has been consistently pushing genre boundaries throughout his creative career, blending abstract hip hop with electronica and gritty, industrial beats. The eccentric performer has previously brought his unique vision to venues like DNIPRO, Babeville, and Soundlab and will take the stage tonight at Kleinhans for A Grandeur Finale, his final show in Buffalo, to present his most recent project, Just Ending Now. This interactive concert will feature sections of spoken word, visual art, as well as both improvised and rehearsed music from JJJ. Also performing tonight is local ambient/electronic musician Art Lakewood, who will retire his namesake after the show to adopt a new, unnamed alias. Tonight’s show begins at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased for $25 here.   [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/214337077″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: Sage Francis

October 17, 2015

Known for his confessional, wordy lyrics, rapper and spoken word poet Sage Francis has nearly twenty releases to his name since dropping his 2002 debut Personal Journals. As president and founder of Strange Famous Records, he’s put out a series of his own mixtapes along with maintaining a roster of underground hip hop talent. Having performed with similar artists like Atmosphere, Brother Ali, and Aesop Rock, Francis possesses an esoteric style that blends infectious production with thoughtful lyricism. Tonight, the MC will perform at the Studio at Waiting Room along with Buffalo rappers Frigid Giant, SonScotty, Tr38cho. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door or can be purchased here.

Tonight: Mac Miller

October 7, 2015

Coming off of last month’s release of his third studio album, GO:OD AM, Pittsburgh-born rapper Mac Miller has emerged as one of the leading figures in hip hop in recent years, collaborating with artists like Lil B, Ab-Soul, Chief Keef, Schoolboy Q, and Earl Sweatshirt. His recent work has found the MC working through his troubled past, resulting in clear artistic growth and some of the most infectious tracks of his career. Having managed to outgrow the “frat-rap” label of his early releases, Mac has found himself at the center of many discussions about the relationship between race and hip hop today and has remained an unpredictable artist capable of transcending stereotypes. Tonight, the rapper will perform to a sold-out Town Ballroom in Buffalo with support from Los Angeles rapper and Odd Future affiliate Domo Genesis along with quickly rising singer/rapper GoldLink, whose danceable, funky style draws from 90’s r&b as well as golden-era[...]

Jana Hunter of Lower Dens

October 1, 2015

Baltimore’s Lower Dens have carefully balanced experimental, cerebral inclinations with a strong melodic sensibility throughout their career. Their third LP, Escape From Evil, released earlier this year on Ribbon Music, finds the band in full-fledged pop territory, drawing from the sounds of the 80’s to make for a nostalgic, emotionally direct record that finds lead singer/songwriter Jana Hunter comfortably exploring pop themes, her voice featured prominently both sonically and lyrically. We had the chance to speak with Hunter about the new album leading up to Lower Dens’ performance tonight at Mohawk Place. buffaBLOG: Escape From Evil feels more succinct and focused than the band’s previous work, was there anything that inspired a more intimate approach both sonically and lyrically? Jana Hunter: I wouldn’t call it intimate. It’s direct. It’s simple. It has a simple message (for a thing I’d write anyway) about keeping things simple. We’re complicated. Our lives are too complicated. We just want our[...]

Tonight: Sleepy Hahas

September 25, 2015

Buffalo psych rock band Sleepy Hahas has continued to expand on its fuzzy brand of indie rock since releasing the album of the week-earning 2014 LP Dull Days. Back in June, the band put out a single “Deep River,” showing off a slightly more noisy, experimental sound that sits somewhere between the Black Keys blues rock and Tame Impala’s more recent electronic explorations. Tonight, the band will perform at Nietzsche’s, marking the beginning of a two week East Coast tour for the band that includes shows in Brooklyn, Boston, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Also performing tonight are local indie band M.A.G.S., whose impressive Cellophane debut caught our attention back in February and Buffalo-based garage rockers The Tins, as well as the debut performance from the revamped blues-rockers, Deadwolf. Music starts at 9:30pm. ;

Spruke Kickstarts Concept Album Music To Die Alone In Space To

September 14, 2015

Music To Die Alone In Space To, the newest project from Buffalo DJ/electronic producer Spruke, is a wildly imaginative concept album that places its’ listeners at the forefront of a celestial narrative. Narrated by an astronaut who has been untethered from their spaceship and set adrift in space with an hour left to come to terms with their situation, each track conjures a unique frame of mind that follows the narrator’s journey through “different levels of consciousness.” “It’s one of those ideas that just stuck with me since I was a kid and I learned about the laws of motion for the first time,” said the artist. Determined to create a sonic departure from the more energetic forms of music that define his DJ endeavors, Spruke attributes his inspiration to “yearning for a sound where you’re patient and you let things take time to happen, you don’t make a million noises just because[...]

Tonight: Lichens

September 5, 2015

Artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe has a body of work that ranges from acting, film composition, playing in experimental psychedelic rock band Om, as well as a solo modular synth project under the name Lichens. These vocal/electronic explorations bring to mind musicians like Julianna Barwick and Holly Herndon, with intricately layered and droning sounds. Back in 2005, Lowe released his first full length, The Psychic Nature of Being on Kranky Records, and has since put out six LPs under the Linchens project. Tonight, the Brooklyn based musician will perform at Buffalo’s Silo City to help celebrate the life and works of Hollis Frampton, the pioneering avant-garde multimedia artist who finished his career teaching at University at Buffalo. Also performing tonight will be local experimental pop/electronic artist Lesionread, putting on a collaborative noise set with Space Cubs. Music starts at 8pm and the event is free to the public