Latest Posts

Tonight: Cooler EP Release

November 19, 2016

Phantom Phuzz, the newest six song release from Cooler, comes as a follow up to their hard-hitting EP 1993 released last September. From beginning to end, it’s easy to hear growth in musicality from the local four-piece. The EP opens with a haunting post-rock influenced jam that does its job setting the tone for what follows. Dynamics and harmony between male and female vocals is this EP’s strong suit. The conscious approach to bringing out each lead vocalist’s natural abilities  is evident. I’m a huge fan of Run For Cover Records’ shoegaze all-stars, Pity Sex, who Cooler reminds me a lot of. But in contrast to them, it’s really nice to hear deliberately crisp vocals paired with all the fuzz. It amplifies the melodic hooks and adds a whole new element of charm to each tune. “Days”, the second track on the EP and also my favorite, is the best illustration of this. In celebration[...]

Tonight: The Naturalists

August 12, 2016

The Naturalists have one of the most distinct sounds out there. In the ten or so months since their 6-song EP release, Home Honey, I’m Hi, the band hasn’t slept on expanding and improving that sound, especially with the addition of a second guitarist (Jimmy Dimartino) and two shiny new singles released earlier today. “Wicked Dreams” and “Grown Up” are undoubtedly branded with The Naturalists’ familiar throwback-grunge  sound. Both tracks are as rambunctious as ever, yet totally refined in tone and melody. Not to mention, the new material is just downright fun to listen to. It’s hard to argue with something so amiable. On “Grown Up” vocalist Craig Perno sings about subject matter most of us can relate to — the innate fears and confusions of growing older (grow up and hold back / no sleep ’til we’re dead / making sense of dreaming dementia / make me a witness,[...]

Tonight: Herd Fest Day Two

June 17, 2016

Tonight we launch into the busy portion of Herd Fest with day two of the festival. Tonight programming spans across five venues. Earliest show starts at 8pm at Mohawk Place with gravelly indie rockers via Syracuse, Bridge Under Fire, dreampop synth artist Daniel Robinson, sunny Bryan Johnson and Family, indie-pop act Comfy, industrial goth duo and the heavily anticipated psych set by Ex-Pat. $5 cover. At about 9:30pm, Milkie’s launches into their set programming, with emo revivalists from Rochester (and formerly of Michigan), Charmer. After that are straight rock band The Soft Love, psych-rock act Deadwolf, stripped down indie original Moody Cosmos, and rounding out the night is comedy act Wood Bois. If you are a fan of Flight of the Conchords or The Cure, then you should mark this set down. $5 cover. If you get there before 9:30pm, you might be able to catch WWE Hall of Famer[...]

The Soft Love EP Release Show at Mr. Goodbar (6/4/16)

June 7, 2016

This was the first Buffalo local show I’ve attended in quite some time considering I’ve been on the road so much. I’m glad I went to this because I’m truly stoked in the direction the music scene is heading in right now. I felt like I was in Brooklyn. Check out the photos below to see what I mean. Deadwolf The Naturalists The Soft Love Post and Photos by Andy DeLuca / @shmandeluca

The Naturalists

February 12, 2016

And to start your weekend off in a good way, we present to you the next installment of buffaBLOG Sessions. This time around, with the Naturalists. Craig Perno heads the band with twin brother Travis on the drums, accompanied by bassist Zach Russel. They’ve amassed a decent following in the area with their overtly grungey style that really, truly does take you back into the 90s for at least a couple of minutes. What they lack in flash and gimmicks, they make up for immediately with one of the tightest and most recognizable sounds of the city of Buffalo. This session was filmed last fallat Pizza Amore on Grand Island. “Fortune, Always Turning,” can be found on their latest EP, Home Honey, I’m Hi.  Enjoy!

Tonight: Indie Rock Office Holiday Party

December 10, 2015

Tonight at Mohawk Place hosts a local bill that’s as local and awesome as you can get– Sleepy Hahas, The Naturalists, Aircraft, and Humble Braggers. It’s like Christmas is here early! Or something like that. While these bands really don’t need much of an introduction, we’ll do it anyway. Sleepy Hahas have undergone a couple of lineup changes in the past year, and are poised for the release of a new album on the heels of the “Deep River” single, which has a very cool video to go along with it. The Naturalists are riding high right now on the local attention that they’ve been getting from their latest EP, Home Honey, I’m Hi. If you like grunge, or pizza, give them a listen. (They really like pizza.) Psych garage rock group Aircraft is up next. Their most recent release being an EP, 7 Gems From The Sparkling Void. And[...]

The Naturalists – Home Honey, I’m Hi

November 2, 2015

If you’ve ever seen The Naturalists live, you might know what I mean when I say their live set feels like a party scene straight out of a cult classic 90’s movie. They’re gritty, loud as heck, there’s a lot of fearless guitar riffs and hair being flipped back and forth. This three piece, grunge-soaked Buffalo band is the perfect lovechild of that golden era of 90’s alt-rock and modern, fuzzy garage rock. Lead singer and guitarist Craig Perno has this unique Raine Maida quality to his voice that is equally piercing as it is haunting. He has a solid grasp of when to kick it into high gear and when to hold back for a mysterious, brooding effect. The rest of the band, consisting of Zach Russell on bass and Perno’s twin brother Travis on drums, exudes the same confidence and dark allure when performing. The camaraderie between these[...]

Tonight: Halloween Tribute Party

October 31, 2015

Cover shows are hands down my favorite Halloween tradition. When else can you see all your favorite classic punk bands on the same stage? One year, I got to see Slayer, SSD, the Misfits, and the Ramones together on the same stage and Lifetime, the Lawrence Arms, NOFX, and Descendents in the same weekend. This Halloween at Mohawk Place, you can see the Naturalists as Pavement, Wolf as the Replacements, members of Orations, A House Safe for Tigers and TMMC as Joy Division, and a Governess’ rendition of Turbonegro. The Halloween tribute is $5 if you wear a costume because why wouldn’t you. The punk imposters go on at 8pm. CC Death Squad will play creepily in between sets. Don’t miss your probably only chance to see Pavement and the Replacements.

Tonight: Inlite (Last Show)

August 20, 2015

Bummer! Tonight we say goodbye to a longtime contributor to Buffalo’s canon. The Grand Islanders in Inlite are playing their final show, after close to a decade of existence. The Brit-tinged synth-rawkers are sure to put on a wonderful farewell tonight at Mohawk Place. Fans of Franz Ferdinand, The Bravery, or We are Scientists should get their last taste of this outgoing quartet. Support tonight comes from Sleepy Hahas and The Naturalists – what better of a duo to send Inlite off with? Doors are at 8pm and it’s only $5.

Quiet Country Audio

June 20, 2015

For the second year in a row, our buddies over at Quiet Country Audio have curated a wonderful showcase for our Herd Fest festivities… They have handpicked a collection of acts that have worked in or recorded with QCA. Tonight’s show will feature the garage-pop of MAGS and their close, albeit hardcore-influenced buddies in The Slums. Rounding out the evening are the grungemen in The Soft Love, the alt-rockers The Naturalists, and American Low. Just like the rest of Herd Fest, entrance is free with an official Herd Fest wristband. Otherwise, DBGB’s will be collecting a reasonable $5 for your entrance fee. Tonight’s showcase starts at 10:00pm. See you on Allen.

Tonight: The Demos

June 4, 2015

If a crowded Canalside isn’t your scene tonight, then stick to Allen St for a weekend pre-game bill made up of a trio of WNY rock acts. With a Genesee Live session on the way, in addition to a new EP set to drop sometime this summer, now is as good of a time as any to catch Rochester power pop act, The Demos, as the band is set to visit Nietzsche’s later on this evening. The band has been making a habit of visiting Buffalo lately, but with some new material under its belt ready to be road tested, you might as well start digging through your couch for $3 in change now to cover tonight’s door. Joining The Demos this evening will be The Soft Love and The Naturalists, two acts that will be a part of Quiet Country Audio’s Herd Fest showcase in a couple weeks at[...]

The Naturalists Announce New EP, Premiere “Slip” Single

May 4, 2015

This past week, Buffalo-based grunge trio, The Naturalists, revealed the first single off its forthcoming EP, Home Honey, I’m Hi. The EP’s lead off track and single, “Slip,” was recorded with Paul Besch at ever busy Quiet Country Audio studio. The band’s brand of raucous and brash garage rock would have fit in nicely during the genre’s revival in the early 2000s. Look for the four-track, Home Honey, I’m Hi EP to drop on July 28th. You can catch the trio next at Mohawk Place on May 23rd with The Retinas and Pale Hound. In the mean time, listen to “Slip” below. Photo by Drew Lazelle

Tonight: Mooses

February 26, 2015

Tonight, Fred-town four piece, Mooses. will play the Mohawk with a strong bill of local and non local bands including The Naturalists and The Soft Love from Buffalo and Thick, out of Brooklyn. The blissfully fuzzed out psychedelia of this Fredonia quartet promises to balance out the garage rock of Naturalists and Soft Love and the intense punk of Thick. It’s always a treat when these guys play Buffalo. Doors open at 8pm, music starts at 9pm. Cover is probably around $5

Tonight: White Fence

October 19, 2014

There is something in San Francisco’s water supply that seems to enable a seemingly endless stream of musicians to release an equally endless stream of amazing psychedelic garage rock. Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees spring to mind first but you should not forget the output of White Fence, aka Tim Presley. You may recognize the name of the excellent collaborative record he did with Ty Segall last year. This year, Presley released the excellent Segall produced LP,To the Recently Found Innocent. White Fence’s output is, perhaps, the most accessible of the artists mentioned earlier. Pop rock inflected with just the right amount of grit and strange, To the Recently Found Innocent stands as one of this summer’s most memorable releases. Tonight, he will be brining White Fence to the Tralf to what should be a very good way to spend a Sunday night. Joined by King Gizzard & the[...]