Latest Posts

Tonight: SLUGS

August 10, 2017

Rochester by way of Los Angeles trippy as hell slackrock outfit SLUGS will be laying down their enigmatic vibes tonight  when they return to Mohawk Place. Founded by brother-sister combo Marissa and James Longstreet, the two were staples in the Rochester music scene, performing under their electro-pop project High Drags. SLUGS is a bit of a change in pace from the hyper pop earlier workings, but still on par in substance. Also on the bill are Slowcooker along with tuneful post punkers Passed Out and garage rock duo Space Is Haunted. Doors are at 7pm and cover is $6. Bedroom Attempts by SLUGS

Tonight: Coca-Cola Death Squad

April 20, 2017

Coca-Cola Death Squad, the Buffalo-bred, St Louis-based brainchild of percussionist Cameron Rogers, makes a homecoming appearance at Sugar City tonight. The unique musical project, which harnesses the prowess of two drummers simultaneously, ditches standard time signatures for highly-textured polyrhythms, beats, and sounds. Equal parts mathy, noisy, and downright shamanistic, the drum duo is touring in support of its newest release Brain Power II, which melds all that aforementioned madness into a concise 7 tracks. Rounding out the all local(ish) bill is fuzzy lo-fi duo Space is Haunted and and experimental improv act Rat v Cat v Bat. Additionally, vegan-friendly black bean soup will be available free of charge, while supplies last. Music, soup, and friendship? See you there. Doors at 7pm, $5 suggested donation.

Tonight: Wild Pink

March 23, 2017

Wild Pink’s recent self-titled full length (out via Tiny Engines) is a slow burner. Though the instrumentation is warm, sincere and steady, It’s the poignant details in the lyrics that catch you by the collar and force you to press your ear into singer John Ross’ earnest murmur a bit more. For as sleepy as the record sounds, it includes incredibly romantic and energized images of mundanity, loneliness, freedoms of  youth versus the constraint and perplexity faced as an adult. It is a sprawling soundscape that seeps in like watercolor. Catch Wild Pink along with Candy Ambulance, Award Show and Space Is Haunted at Sewing Soul Studios. Show at 8pm. $5 for the touring bands.

Space is Haunted Drop Full Album Contact

December 14, 2016

Buffalo-based low-fi post-punk duo, Space Is Haunted’s new record, Contact is an energetic barrage of crunchy guitar and ephemeral vocals that are all held up by consistently solid drumming. The duo is made up of primary guitarist and vocalist, Jamie Levy and drummer and vocalist, Katie Quider. Contact was released on local independent label, Drug Party in early December. Those familiar with Space Is Haunted through their local gigs and their two previous releases will notice some songs from the past that have found themselves on Contact, namely “Gone” and “On an Ocean,” from past releases Space is Haunted and For Science respectively. The new renditions of these tracks are tighter, more focused, with an extra bit of polish but still showcase the same drive and combination of elements that make the band so enjoyable to listen to. The group has grown and become more experienced but without having to[...]

Tonight: Green Slime

December 10, 2016

Tonight, Milkies on Elmwood will be hosting a short, sweet show showcasing three local acts.  Freshly formed fuzzed out rock two piece, Green Slime, are on the bill, and are sure to rip through plenty of tracks of their great Self Titled release, which came out this September.  Also featured on the bill are lo fi punk two piece, Space is Haunted, fresh off of the release of a new album, titled Contact.   The show will be rounded out by indie psych act Chevron Bloom. Doors open at 8pm and admission is only $5.  Small price to pay for a stacked gig.

Tonight: Alpha Hopper LP Release Show

August 27, 2016

Dreamland is most defintely going to be the place to be tonight.   Everyone’s favorite post punk freakers, Alpha Hopper, are finally releasing their LP tonight, and to celebrate, are having a stacked release show at Dreamland.  It is pretty tough to describe Alpha Hoppers unique sound, so you’re probably better off getting to the show and seeing for yourself.  The new full length, Last Chance Power Drive, is getting a physical vinyl release as well, which should be for sale at the show. The show will feature support from local heavy hitters, Space is Haunted, Trinkt, and Gun Candy. Doors open at Dreamland at 7pm, and with only a $5 cover, I can’t find a a better reason for you to go and celebrate what is sure to be one of the best Buffalo releases this year.

Tonight: Bethlehem Steel

June 4, 2016

Following a tour van mishap that led the band to cancel its most recent hometown appearance, Brooklyn-based trio Bethlehem Steel will finally make it back to its origin city of (as their bandname may suggest) Buffalo tonight. Sharing cues from Rochester-based fuzz rock contemporaries Pleistocene, the BFF bands are the local(ish) pioneers of their crafted genres. Have a listen to a track from B-Steel’s excellent Docking EP below, released in November via Miscreant Records. Tonight’s NY-centric bill at Mohawk Place includes Bethlehem Steel, lo-fi punk locals Space is Haunted, Slowcooker, and B-Steel citymates Stringer. Get there right around 8pm to catch them all–these bands are bringing more than just volume. $7.

Tonight: Drug Party Tapes 5 Year Anniversary Show

May 27, 2016

Over the course of the past five years, local DIY cassette label, Drug Party Tapes, has put out some absolutely essential releases from some incredible Buffalo bands.  In celebration of the first five, an all local show for the ages will be happening at Mohawk Place tonight, exclusively featuring bands somehow affiliated with the label.   All in attendance will be treated to sets from Scajaquada Creeps, Space is Haunted, Hot Tip, Mallwalkers, Big Suze, and the Utah Jazz.  This gig is stacked from start to end, so you’ll want to be on time for this one. Doors are set to open at 8pm, and music will probably kick off shortly after.  For only five bucks, this is a dream gig. As an added bonus, if you’re under 18, you get in for free if you bring along a legal guardian.

Tonight: Eskimeaux

October 9, 2015

Eskimeaux is conscientious music for the attentive listener. Started as a solo effort by Gabrielle Smith, the project has recently evolved into a four piece outfit on the road. The band’s latest full length release, O.K., has been held in high regard by major publications like Stereogum, Pitchfork, and NPR, to name a few. Stark honesty is littered throughout, but it’s dressed up in a silk case. The album really does a good job of taking a bare-boned look at what it’s like to feel scared, unsure and alone in a quiet, humble way. It also successfully breaks the mold of traditional, soft-toned indie singer-songwriter type music in terms of instrumentation. There’s a real clarity to the heavily layered songs, and one that brings the whole collection to a much more poppy level. It’s less lo-fi bedroom rock, more crystal clear, heartfelt stuff that’s carefully constructed. I have a hard time imagining Eskimeaux playing anywhere else in[...]

Tonight: Newish Star

September 24, 2015

After a summer long slew of free shows that featured the likes of Governess, Dreambeaches, Sonny Baker, Kharlos, and more, Queen City Cartel’s bi-monthly showcase in the back room of Hardware is coming to an end (just for the season, though, so don’t be sad). For the final bill of the summer series, QCC welcomes the sharp pop/punk West Side trio, Newish Star. Since debuting in the spring of 2013, the three piece has already amassed a deep catalog, one that included two new releases this year alone, of clever, over-before-you-know-it nuggets. If you missed Newish Star’s nearly washed out set at the once again soaked Music Is Art festival a couple weeks back, tonight’s gig should be considerably more dry. Opening for NS will be the raucous, lo-fi punk pair Space is Haunted. Like all QCC showcases this summer, tonight’s finale is free of charge. Music begins at 10pm.[...]

Tonight: Difficult Night

July 2, 2015

Mohawk Place will host an all-locals show tonight to enjoy this long Buffalo Fourth of July weekend with some American music. Hometown mainstays Difficult Night plays rock and roll that falls somewhere between Violent Femmes and either the White Stripes or the Goo Goo Dolls, maybe some Springsteen. Lifemusik Mit Andre is making his way downtown with his experimental home recording sound, while the gritty and spooky girls of Space is Haunted thankfully have taken a break from their summer hiatus. Finally, Peter Kirsch, kinda weird and kinda dance-y, rounds out the night. Doors are at 8pm and for $5, you can kick off, or continue, your weekend.

Tonight: Richard Album

April 5, 2015

Last time Richard Album came through town, a bunch of people crowded into the living room of the Jungle Gym. I think he was wearing black lipstick, and maybe a tie. There were candles and the lights were low, but Richard was up and down the aisle of people acting charming and sincere like a vulnerable lounge singer. Maybe my memory is filling in some blanks, but that’s the impression I got. Now he’s coming back for a repeat performance and I hope it’s just like that. His music is a bit punky, a bit surfy, occasionally a bit Ariel Pinky in its aesthetic and its earnestness, but more likable. He’ll be joined by surf-rockers Space Wolves, new two-piece Getting Dressed and established two-piece Space is Haunted, who will also be releasing a tape at the show. Doors at 6pm, show at 7pm, $5 for the touring band. Facebook event[...]

Tonight: The Lopez

March 20, 2015

Tonight should be a rowdy one for Buffalo’s growing DIY scene with two legit out-of-towners plugging in their amps in The Northrup’s basement. PIttsburgh-based duo, The Lopez, is set to head to play headline, if that’s the proper term for a tiny basement show. Self-coined as “snot rock,”  The Lopez’ playful keyboards, fuzzy guitars, and a bouncy drum machine concoct a fun sound that fits somewhere in the middle of a vein diagram of Le Tigre, Sheer Mags, and The Buzzcocks.  Also set to play are Dallas-based punk-group Slimy Member, with local support from feminist-garde Boy Scouts, spooky low-fiers Space is Haunted, and the gripping wails of Jamie and the debt. Get there around 7pm with $5 in your hand to get The Lopez to Cleveland and Slimy Member to Brooklyn.

Tonight: Nausea

February 20, 2015

Tonight, Blanque Check, a local record label, is presenting a night of “music with a darker tinge” at Dreamland (8pm, $5), which seems appropriate given the week of mostly sub-zero temperatures we all just lived through. Nauseau, the solo project of Melbourne based musician, Andrew Dalziell, is headlining. This project takes brooding Bauhaus-esque vocals, slightly discordant and moody guitars and surrounds them with minimal tinny synths. Opening for Nauseau are 3 diverse Buffalo based acts. Space is Haunted is a raucous two piece with churning guitars and strident vocals. Bill and Jamie’s house is another two piece, providing the evening with gut wrenching folk songs. Finally, Brain Drain is spacey slowcore at times reminiscent of Galaxy 500. These 3 acts should further anchor an already solid night of music to warm your frozen souls. If not, standing in a crowd of people should at least help warm up your frozen[...]

Tonight: Francie Moon

December 9, 2014

Tonight, the up-and-coming lo-fi blues rock singer, Francie Moon, makes her way to Buffalo to play Mohawk Place. The young singer/songwriter has yet to release a full-length album but has produced 4 spellbinding EPs that you can find on her bandcamp. With the aesthetic of all the best early lo-fi rockers like Guided by Voices and Slint, and the songwriting of a young P.J. Harvey, this music has absolutely blown me away. Francie Moon is an artist almost destined to greater things and tonight she stops by our neck of the woods to play all the beautiful tunes that have killed me for the past week. She’ll be joined by talented Pennsylvanian artist Shane Palko, whose powerful indie-singer-songwriter sound has been making waves of late in the blogger community. The bill also features local staples Alpha Hopper, Space is Haunted, and Mr. Boneless Doors open at 8pm with a cover of[...]