Latest Posts

Stinkus – I love you, trackstar

November 19, 2025 Nick Sessanna

By now, you should recognize Stinkus as a buffaBLOG favorite – we reviewed 23 last year, and have covered multiple singles leading up to their 2nd album this year (!), I love you, trackstar. Before we get started, I think it’s important to cover the following: Tyler Thompson, Stinkus mastermind, acquired the nickname “Tink.” “Tink” eventually turned into “Tinkus” (as these nicknames tend to do). As a reminder to have fun and to not take the project too seriously, Thompson added an “s” to Tinkus, arriving at the playfully coy “Stinkus.” Thompson is a writer/producer based in LA – with a prolific pedigree, it’s not hard to see why Stinkus slaps so hard… But in all seriousness, Stinkus is Thompson’s project where anything can happen, free from industry notes. That sincerity, realness, and carefree, “have fun” nature comes through beautifully on I love you, trackstar. Now that you know[...]

Stinkus – “Plastic Blue”

October 3, 2025 Nick Sessanna

Our friend Stinkus (aka Tyler Thompson) is a frequent contributor to the blog. You shouldn’t be too surprised – we’re about to tell you about how much we like “Plastic Blue,” too. Thompson wrote it “about a day with my fiancé from the perspective of my thoughts and not my actions,” and then mentions that they were “weird times,” but those odd, poignant experiences often return the most hard-hitting work. “Plastic Blue” continues Stinkus’ trend of literate indie/emo in the vein of Oso Oso, The Hotelier, and/or Slaughter Beach, Dog – let yourself get sucked in by the sticky hooks; you’ll end up sticking around for the dank emotions. “Plastic Blue” is available now. Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube (below).

Stinkus – “Holy Virgin”

September 6, 2025 Nick Sessanna

Stinkus is a buffaBLOG hall-of-famer (featured here and here), and we’re happy to be on the Stinkus train again. Latest single, “Holy Virgin,” picks up with Stinkus left off, finding him crafting more of the melody-minded, stream-of-consciousness indie/emo that might appeal to fans of Slaughter Beach, Dog or those whose favorite album was Home, Like No Place is There 10 years ago (and probably still is). Stinkus wrote this song about walking his dog around his neighborhood and seeing all his neighbors – just as effervescent as always. Lock in for the bouncing bass rhythm, but stick around for Stinkus’ uncanny hook-crafting skills set to off-beat lyrics. “Holy Virgin” is available on YouTube (below) and Spotify.

Stinkus – “Falling in Love”

July 10, 2024 Chris Miller

“Falling in Love” is the latest from Tyler Thompson, known by his stage name Stinkus, and the first follow-up after his earlier 2024 album that we reviewed here. Musically, this song is so unbelievably relaxing and as you may have guessed…very much a love song. Acoustic guitar reigns supreme here with little licks of the ‘lectric geetar, along with a no nonsense drum beat – putting this very much in the slacker rock/bedroom pop realm. Fans of Alex G or MJ Lenderman would find a lot to enjoy with “Falling in Love”, as well as Pinegrove aficionados; a one trick pony he is not! There was also another artist named in the credits, an Ocean LeClair, who I assume provided the more feminine sounding lyrics (unless Stinkus just has an insane vocal range). So I suppose if you enjoyed her parts, be sure to give her a listen too! You[...]

Stinkus – 23

March 29, 2024 Nick Sessanna

Stinkus (aka Tyler Thompson) is gearing up to release their first true body of solo work, a magnum opus of hazy bedroom-pop-meets-slacker-rock called 23. Having previously had success with their other bands WILD and girlhouse (and some stints producing for other bands like Smallpools, The Mowgli’s, Timothy Edward Carpenter, and Jon Bryant), Stinkus is no stranger to songwriting. If you’re like me, you may have incorrectly assumed that 23 was a reference to Stinkus’ age. In actuality, Stinkus’ inspiration for this album came after a split with their fiancé of seven (7) years. And while Stinkus is surely tapped into the zeitgeist of warmly-produced-indie-folk-with-quirky-lyrics that fits in so well now in 2024, their songcraft dives so much deeper. There are plenty of metaphors referencing mental illness, drug abuse, and the like… But at its heart, especially musically, 23 is just Stinkus finally being Stinkus. And it rips. “I am” introduces the[...]