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Tonight: Built to Spill

September 21, 2015

There’s just nothing wrong with Built to Spill. The long running indie band is possibly the best thing to come out of Boise, Idaho besides my penpal and I guess the potato. Town Ballroom will once again host this important act tonight as the group tours for its eighth studio album Untethered Moon, which dropped this past April. As monoliths of indie, BTS still influences many of your modern emo faves. With soothing sounds and lyrics about getting high and first lusts, its easy to understand why they’re still rocking and rolling. Cool Toronto band Crosss will open. Doors are at 7pm and tickets are $25.

Beach House at Town Ballroom (8/21/15)

August 22, 2015

Whenever I’m writing a review of show, I always bumrush the stage to get a pic of the night’s setlist because writing it down in real time is a pain and it takes you out of the all important moment. But there were no setlists to be had last night after Beach House’s mesmerizing return to the Town Ballroom, and I knew I was in real trouble because piecing this show back together in my mind afterward would be nigh impossible. Like the best REM dreams, it feels like Beach House’s set basically just happened; while it obviously had a beginning and an end, between the unidentified new songs and gossamer vibe, everything else in between was beyond time. It was a pleasant sensation to float along with for the duration, but that means no setlist, only fragments. After a bracing but brief opening set by Baltimore garage rock duo[...]

Tonight: Beach House

August 21, 2015

Beach House is a band that wants you to pay attention to more than just their haze-pop sound. The Baltimore duo has been at it for just about 11 years now and they’ve maintained consistent notability throughout. But they’ve also been met with some opposition over, oddly enough, the consistency of their sound and the lack of drastic sonic change over the years. In a 2012 interview with Pitchfork, Alex Scally discloses, “Writing about us, people have said: ‘Do we need another album by this band?’ What the fuck is that? That only matters if you’re just listening to sound…A lot of people listening to music now don’t listen to the songs or lyrics at all. They just go, ‘Good tones…’ and that’s it. But we’re obsessed with songs. Sometimes, I feel like people aren’t listening to our songs, they’re just listening to the sound.” Beach House is heavily identified[...]

Tonight: Social Distortion

August 18, 2015

Social Distortion are legends; punk icons that bridged the gap between alternative rock audiences and mainstream crowds in the 90’s, with their rock-meets-blues-meets-country approach. Never straying from the firm DIY ideals that punk has come to represent, the band has continued to grow and evolve, pulling from a variety of roots-rock traditions, all whilst keeping the music true to themselves and their dignity intact. One of their most commercially and critically successful albums (and let’s be honest, most people’s fave) was their self-titled album released in 1990, the album that truly broke the band. Prior to that, Social Distortion had dabbled with fame here and there. Their classic Mommys Little Monster is essential in any punk collection and Prison Bound offered a unique transition into unchartered rootsy territory. It was the self titled, with hits like “Story of my Life,” “Sick Boy,” “Ball and Chain” and a most excellent version[...]

Tonight: Down

August 10, 2015

Phil Anselmo is a busy, busy man. In addition to running his record label, Housecore Records, and playing in about 20 different bands (seriously), Phil still has the time to tour the world with his main squeeze, Down. Those that remember Phil as the enigmatic frontman for metal legends Pantera often find that same wild spirit festering in Down, albeit a southern-fried, sludgey version. Full of low-end, slow speed chugging, coupled with the sleaziest stoner riffs, Down are the kings of that New Orleans influenced, down-south sound. Tonight (7pm, $26) the kings make their crawling passage through Buffalo, celebrating 20 years of foggy memories and impossibly slow riffage. Town Ballroom holds the key.

Tonight: The Church

August 8, 2015

It is easy to forget that there was a time when independent, or “indie” music as it’s most commonly referred to, actually meant something. In 2015, every website, bandcamp, and band has the “indie” label affixed to its name. You could argue that any band that picks up an instrument and plays original songs is an independent band, in the sense that they are acting independently of whatever else surrounds them, but that would be missing the point. “Independent,” as it was originally conceived, represented music treading new grounds. The term became popular in the 80’s, when groups realized they didn’t have to follow the same old commercial mold. One such band provided one of the finest offerings of this new approach. The Church were an alternative rock band that sprinkled in neo-psychedelic tendencies with haunting riffs, and combined it with progressive flair. Much like their contemporaries Echo and the[...]

Tonight: araabMUZIK

August 7, 2015

The MPC, or music production controller, has become an iconic piece of hardware within hip hop culture since it was first introduced by Japanese company Akai in 1988. By facilitating rapid sampling and drum looping, the instrument lends itself to dynamic live performance as well as studio use. Providence, Rhode Island born producer Abraham Orellana aka araabMUZIK quickly made a name for himself as a virtuoso of the machine, as videos surfaced online showing the artist’s rapid-fire finger drumming and sampling that features elements of electro, dubstep, and trance along with club-ready hip-hop. With the release of his 2011 debut LP, Electronic Dream, the producer offered an infectious hybrid electronica/hip-hop style that earned a spot on Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Albums of 2011” and was praised for its’ energetic take on various classic dance genre’s. The follow up to that record, Dream World, is due out later this year and includes the single[...]

Father John Misty at Town Ballroom (8/1/15)

August 2, 2015

Triumphantly returning to the Town Ballroom stage three years after a now legendary opening performance for Youth Lagoon, Father John Misty delivered a scorching, hot as molten lava headlining set that melted the minds and libidos of the assembled sold out crowd. The show, part of an international tour supporting his 2015 masterpiece I Love You, Honeybear and sandwiched between Lollapalooza and shows in NYC, was an unexpected late addition to an already fine summer of shows, and now stands as one of the finest of the year, and a near religious experience. The opening set from the enigmatic Springtime Carnivore was ideal, and got everything started right with a satisfying mix of Cardigans-esque 60’s pop and Southern moxy. Playing a selection of tunes from her eponymous debut, Springtime Carnivore (aka Greta Morgan) wowed the attentive crowd with expressive, breathless vocals and hazy, jangly guitar riffs that conjured bittersweet sensations[...]

Widowspeak

July 28, 2015

Brooklyn duo Widowspeak have been creating a unique style of shoegaze folk since forming in 2010. Comprised of singer Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas, their easygoing melodies and crawling rhythms make for an ambitious, elegant take on genres like country and dream pop. Their 2011 self-titled debut album was released on Captured Tracks to favorable reviews, earning praise for its alluring vocals which drew comparisons to Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. Lead single “Harsh Realm” was featured in an episode of television series American Horror Story .  All Yours, the pair’s upcoming LP, marks a move to a more groove-oriented sound in addition to swells of strings and the vocal debut of guitarist Robert Earl Thomas. With their serene, reflective songwriting style continuing to incorporate more influences, the band has still retained the melancholic tone that’s been at the forefront of their discography. Tonight, Widowspeak will open for Los Angeles indie folk[...]

Tonight: Lord Huron

July 28, 2015

Following performances from the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel, The Tallest Man On Earth, and Strand of Oaks (among others) over the past few months, Buffalo’s summer folk streak continues full-steam tonight at the Town Ballroom. West coast indie-folk unit Lord Huron will make a stop in Buffalo just before their Strange Trails tour takes them across the border. Michigan-bred but Los Angeles-based, Lord Huron’s crisp and handsome indie-folk is comparable to contemporaries The Lone Bellow or Horse Feathers (also from L.A.), both of which already having made stops in the Nickel City this year (#folkstreak2015). Tonight’s show supports LH’s latest full-length, the excellent Strange Trails, which was released earlier this year via Dead Oceans; I would put my money on hearing a lot of those songs tonight. Side note: if you haven’t already, check out Lord Huron’s collection of captivating music videos, each of them setting a pretty high standard[...]

Tonight: Old Crow Medicine Show

July 24, 2015

Old Crow Medicine Show got its start in the early 2000s, busking on Southern street corners until a lucky encounter with Doc Watson’s daughter put them on the path to stardom. And stardom it is; the band busked itself all the way to the Grand Ole Opry, commercial radio, and more-than-sold-out shows. You have a chance to be a part of the ride tonight, when the band fills the Town Ballroom with its famous tunes and diehard fans. While the band used to focus on bluegrass, its taken a fratboy-country turn as of late, so expect some Tom Petty covers during the show. Doors open at 7:00pm and tickets are $38.

Just Announced: Blitzen Trapper

July 22, 2015

With local shows at the Tralf, Mohawk Place, and Babeville already under its belt, Portland’s Blitzen Trapper will be once again back in Buffalo this fall, this time set for a performance at Town Ballroom on Saturday, October 10th. The former freak-folk Sub Pop act has gradually transitioned into a more classic rock/country-folk outfit over the years, and will see its latest album, All Across This Land, drop this September on Vagrant Records. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, July 24th, at noon for $16 in advance, $19 at the door.

Tonight: Stiff Little Fingers

July 14, 2015

Grandfathers of punk Stiff Little Fingers take over Town Ballroom tonight with hometown band Governess. SLF formed in Ireland back in 1977 and these hooligans put the punk in punk rock. The band broke up in ‘83 but reformed a couple years later, and have been churning out records ever since with varying line-ups. To be honest, when I heard that Stiff Little Fingers was touring, I was surprised because I couldn’t believe they were still on the road after all of these years. the group’s current tour will bring these long time punks to the Ballroom tonight at 7pm. Tickets are $24 at the door. Their first single is still their greatest hit.

Just Announced: Built to Spill

June 17, 2015

Some acts seem to make an annual appearance in Buffalo, including the Queen City on its routing any time it hits the road. of Montreal, The Hip, and recently Diarrhea Planet all seem like safe bets to make a visit to the city if and when a tour is announced. I think Built to Spill has reached that status too. The influential 90’s rockers out of Boise will return to the Town Ballroom (one of the venue’s many 10th anniversary related shows) during the final days of summer on Monday, September 21st, this time running through town in support of its April release and eighth studio album, Untethered Moon. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday, June 19th, at noon for $22 in advance, $25 at the door.

Tonight: Mike Gordon

June 16, 2015

Those who are looking to see something similar to a Phish show tonight, you might be in for a surprise if you’re heading to the Town Ballroom for Mike Gordon, although anyone who knows Phish already knows this. On the other hand, if you are part of the overwhelming majority of those who would rather live in a world without Phish or even jam music in general, you might still qualify as someone who would enjoy tonight’s show. A true master on bass, Gordon has been developing his own style since the early 80’s and over the last decade has spent more time working on his solo career, developing a unique style of folk fused with more contemporary styles to create a very appealing, fun, yet intricate sound that requires the audience to spend equal parts time listening as moving and shaking. His most recent album Overstep features favorites like[...]