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Tonight: Marian McLaughlin

March 3, 2016

Equal parts chamber-folk songstress and classically-charged eccentric, DC musician Marian McLaughlin will make her way to Buffalo’s Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight for the first stop on her string of East Coast tour dates. The thing about Marian is—unless you’re already familiar with her unique musicianship—chances are slim that I’ll be able to accurately describe her craft with words alone. Think… Joanna Newsom-esque vocal explorations over a backdrop of intricate classical guitar pickings and orchestra-tinged string arrangements (by collaborator and double bassist Ethan Foote). Her cathedral folk offerings are already entrancing to begin with, but in the intimate confines of the Ninth Ward? A rare treat. A wildly suitable match is found in Buffalo’s buzzing indie folk quintet Tiny Rhymes (whose Katie Weissman doubles as McLaughlin’s touring cellist) to open tonight’s show. Doors open at 7pm with a $10 admission, storytelling vibes in full force.

Top 20 Buffalo Tracks: 10-1

December 17, 2015

It’s that time of year again, where we re-think and dissect every local song that we’ve come across organically or via submission. This is our fourth year counting down our top songs and this year, like every other year, has been difficult to whittle down. Like we always remind people, this list is subjective and not the end-all be all. Earlier this week we posted our five close calls and our first half of the top 20.  I am sure there are amazing local songs that aren’t on our radar, but from what we have heard, we as a group have determined below are the blog’s favorite songs of 2015. 10. Tiny Rhymes – “Arrows” Tiny Rhymes‘ ”Arrows” is an incredibly cherishable tune. It approaches the listener with a coy but welcoming softness, making it feel like a delicate gem that only you are privy to. Atop prime musicianship, singer Sharon Mok’s[...]

Tonight: Tiny Rhymes

July 18, 2015

Upon investigating the musical genre “chamber folk” that Buffalo-based quartet Tiny Rhymes goes by, I discovered a historical fact: that it is also called the “music of friends.” Indeed, each instrument whispers to each other, creating a delicate hush of fae compositions, led by strong lyrical prowess. A distinct sophistication presents itself in the group’s debut EP, A Kinder History, which recently came out on Forest Park Recordings. The EP is crisp, methodical, and on point; not the raggedy sing-song vibe you’d think of from singer/songwriter acoustic-folk. Besides coming off as a pleasantly acoustical number, the group’s formal choral and musical training shines through. Sharon Mok & Katie Weissman, both core members of the group, have played in a variety of musical outfits from an early age, both professionally and personally. “Arrows,” the first song off the EP, leads in with a crooning, enchanting melody. Throughout the song, Mok’s vocals are spotlighted[...]

Silo Sessions

June 19, 2015

Today is going to be a busy Saturday. If you’re looking to get the most out of your all-access Herd Fest bracelet, your itinerary will take you to Record Theatre in the afternoon, Black Dots in the evening, and the Buffalo bustle of Allen Street to cap off your fat schedule at a number of Allen’s finest watering holes. And if you tough it out and stay up and at ‘em for the final show of the night, you’ll find yourself at Nietzsche’s for the stacked, jacked and packed Silo Sessions showcase. Thanks to weekly videos of Silo Sessions—one of the local music scene’s newest and most unique upstarts—the cavernous natural reverb of Buffalo’s old grain silos has proven to be a valuable sonic entity in one of the city’s coolest new music spots. Since its inception last year, Silo Sessions has recorded over thirty musical performances in the Silos,[...]

Tiny Rhymes Announces A Kinder History EP, Releases “Arrows” Single

June 17, 2015

Our first introduction to Buffalo chamber-folk outfit Tiny Rhymes was a clip of the band performing its wonderful song “Arrows” over at the Unitarian Universalist Church last fall. And now, the band has officially released the song as the lead off single to its upcoming debut EP, A Kinder History. The newly recorded version of “Arrows” is Andrew Bird-esque, full of rich harmonies, lush strings, and whimsical percussion. The 4-track EP (which is currently streaming via Exclaim!) will be available to purchase/download beginning on June 23rd, and you can join the band later next month on Saturday, July 18th, to celebrate the EP’s release over at Pausa Art House on the Allen/Wadsworth bend. Listen to “Arrows” below.

Tonight: Tiny Desk Concert Contest Concert

February 12, 2015

For years, the NPR Tiny Desk series has been home to many artists from T-Pain and Macklemore to Adele and Foster the People. Some of the biggest artists in music today have played in the small cramped studio that NPR calls home. And thanks to NPR’s extensive reach, the search for new fresh talent has made it’s way to Buffalo. Tonight at Mohawk Place, there will be a showcase for Buffalo’s entries in the contest which includes some of Buffalo’s best bands, both young and old, like Parade Chic, the Observers, Applennium and Tiny Rhymes. Will NPR offer a Buffalo band this amazing opportunity to extend its reach? We’ll have to wait to find out. But either way, tonight’s showcase should be an incredible show of Queen City talent. The show at Mohawk Place starts at 8pm and tickets are $5 at the door.

Tonight: Rachel Ries

January 6, 2015

Tonight, take refuge from this frigid January at Mohawk Place (8pm, $5) for a night of warm melodies performed Rachel Ries with local openers Tiny Rhymes and Wolf. Ries’ music mixes folk with something more expansive, reflective of her rural background (Ries is the daughter of Mennonite missionaries and grew up in South Dakota) and current urban home base (Brooklyn). Her songs are earnest and searching. On the Buffalo end of things, we have Tiny Rhymes and Wolf both playing  stripped down versions of their work. All in all this is a great opportunity to catch some great music and emerge from your usual January hibernation before it even starts. The best way to forget how cold it is it is to ignore it completely right? And if that isn’t enough, there will be jam for sale at Ries’ merch table. So, you can do some grocery shopping while you[...]

Tonight: Class Acts w/ Tiny Rhymes, Cadaver Country, and more

December 12, 2014

Dreamland will truly be the land of dreams tonight, if you’re of the indie folk predilection. Local class acts, including Tiny Rhymes and Cadaver Country, are teaming up to offer a night of heartfelt songwriting and emotive and lyrical wisdom. Tiny Rhymes’ full ensemble is assembling for tonight’s performance, which means audience members can look forward to experiencing the band’s three-part vocal harmonies. We can only hope to also catch Cadaver Country’s notorious tambourine of certain doom. The show begins at 7:00 PM at Dreamland, 387 Franklin Street. You can show up for free if you’d like, but it would be cool to heed the event’s $5 suggested donation.

Tonight: Tiny Rhymes & Andy Pothier

December 4, 2014

Tonight Allentown’s hippest low-key venue, Pausa Art House,  is set two host two up and coming acoustic acts coming out of Buffalo. On the bill is indie-folk quartet, Tiny Rhymes, a intricately pleasant act that’s lead by effortlessly gripping vocals. Sharing the stage is Andy Pothier, a local staple and current percussionist for Buffalo folk-stompers Pine Fever. Pothier’s delicate sound will make you want to pull your chair forward so you don’t miss anything. Doors are $7 or $5 if you still have your student ID with an 8pm start. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173536560″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tiny Rhymes Perfoms “Arrows” at Buffalo’s Unitarian Universalist Church

November 5, 2014

Sometimes we miss out on material that we stumble across later and are shocked as to how it was not on our radar before. See Applennium’s amazing track we discovered 7 months after it was initially released. Same goes to say for this next one. Back in September, orchestral folk group, Tiny Rhymes, released a live clip of the song “Arrow” filmed in Buffalo’s Unitarian Universalist Church. The lush instrumentation and layered harmonies recall San Fermin, and may give Buffalo an answer to fellow WNYer Mikaela Davis. You can catch Tiny Rhymes at Mohawk Place this Friday, and in the mean time, watch the live performance of  “Arrows” below.