Latest Posts

JOHNS – Grift Marks

March 30, 2015

The melodic dissonance of JOHNS’ new album, Grift Marks (released this past Saturday via Peterwalkee Records), comes from a dark, post-industrialized corner of the world. Imagine Joy Division’s Ian Curtis growing up in the rust belt. Still, every track, every note on the newest release demonstrates a high level of precision. JOHNS may conduct a pathos of unbridled terror, but it is with great care, rather than sloppy angst, that quintet does this. Multiple guitars from John Toohill and Nick Gordon leave their trademark scrape on the surface of every song, but with delicate harmony rather than chaotic noise. The dueling leads in “Wasteland,” for instance, intertwine to create a pallet for the track’s chanting, gang vocals. The guitar and bass hits in the chorus of “Erase Them” hit so hard because of the band’s attention to melody and countermelody. While uniform in mood and composition, each track employs a[...]

Buffalo Sex Change – Buffalo Sex Change

August 11, 2014

When I first heard of Rochester garage post-punk band Buffalo Sex Change and their self-titled, debut album, my initial reaction was mostly just trying to figure out their highly specific and provocative name. Fairly early into the album, however, I was having a hard time imagining the two-piece being referred to as anything else. With a gritty lo-fi drums, androgynous sounding vocals, and a distorted guitar sound that can only be described as dark and dirty, the band explores music rooted in a liminal phase, never quite clear of itself. And yet, the general mood of the record comes off confident, as if the members are aware of and quite comfortable with their own liminality. With only two members, BSS does well with filling in the space of sound, particularly with Phil Pierce’s guitar playing, which switches from Buddy Holly licks  in “Gender Unknown” to early Jesus & Mary Chain/Kevin[...]

Tonight: Ghost Dads

August 6, 2014

Get your dancing shoes ready for some weirdly awesome punk rock. Tonight at 6pm, a smattering of bands will take the stage at Spiral Scratch Records, ranging from surf-jam to hardcore, in support of Pennsylvania’s Ghost Dads. Hailing from Kutztown, Ghost Dads bring the funk to punk music, most recently in their newest EP, Next to the Water Heater. Dream Journal plays out exactly as their name suggests, with stream-of-consciousness lyrical imagery alongside a backdrop of punk-infused power chords. Taking a bit of a sidestep from the rest, Aaron & the Burrs are an instrumental surf rock revival band with a jazzy flair. These guys groove hard, so expect plenty of dance-friendly extended guitar jams. Kharlos (feat. members of Merchants and Space Wolves) will also be playing their first show tonight, so be sure to give them plenty of love as well. $5 at the door, beer and vegan cookies included.

Cages – Vivipary

July 24, 2014

Under the tag of “punk” on bandcamp, but self-described as a “cohesive and undefinable act,” Buffalo-based Cages exists outside of any typical structure or classification. The group consists of vocalist Nola Ranallo, guitarist David Bailey, and now bassist Patrick Bolger, but until recently, Cages has had no major release. Their previously unreleased 2012 album Vivipary has just made it’s debut through Black Dots record shop, however, and it is considered by the band to be their their “most defining output to date.” Void of any specific form of style, Vivipary draws more upon the experimentation of tonal harmonies, shared primarily by the guitar and vocals. Immediately from the start, Ranallo’s vocals stand out as highly expressive, sometimes exploding into shrill cries, other times resolving in low end atypical melodies that fade in and out of the mix. The harmonies present in many of the tracks (particularly “Into Germination”) personally bring[...]

Teenage Satan Releases Debut EP

July 22, 2014

It’s difficult to pin down the sound of Teenage Satan’s self-titled EP, which places dissonant vocal melodies over a mixed bag of distorted guitars and synths, but the sound is hauntingly dreamy. Daniel Bauer, the sole player behind the release, bares his raw instrumental and vocal style, which works well with the lyrical content as well. Due to the increase in Buffalo DIY labels such as Steak & Cake Records, the city has seen a rise in experimental bedroom projects such as these, thankfully bringing a new brand of non-commercialized independent artists to the forefront. Despite the dense landscape of weird psychedelic sounds that fills each of these songs, there is clear attention to detail in terms of representing the record’s overall feeling of bummed out frustration (I’m homesick and I’m sick of home/ I’m wallowin’). Bauer’s vocals bring this out in a surprising way, though, bringing to mind early[...]

Tonight: Fat Creeps

July 15, 2014

This evening, Spiral Scratch will be home to an explosion of garage rock and good vibes. The ever-charming Fat Creeps (Boston) will be headlining, with supporting acts The Lentils (Vermont), as well as Buffalo groups Space Wolves and JOHNS. Space Wolves will be opening the set promptly at 7pm. The tour is in support of Fat Creep’s new album, Must Be Nice, an array of indie infused gritty surf rock. From Space Wolves’ short, peppy rock to JOHNS’ darker neo-new wave, these bands come from the same musical family, but all are all diverse enough to put together a really interesting show. $6 at the tour for the touring bands. Photo Credit – Joe Difazio

Sia – 1000 Forms of Fear

July 8, 2014

Australian-born singer/songwriter Sia Furler is probably one of the most popular and influential artists in pop music today, although you’ve probably never heard of her name, nor even seen her face. But with pipes like Mariah Carey and a collaborative resume that ranges from Christina Aguilera to Eminem, Sia is certainly no Adele. Sia’s previous releases, filled with quirky yet soulful tunes, have peaked in the low 50’s on the Billboard top 200. Her latest album, 1000 Forms of Fear, however, shows Sia at her most pop-oriented and anthemic yet. Sia couldn’t have chosen a better opener to the album than “Chandelier.” Starting with a light jazzy verse, the song soon transitions into the best pop chorus this year for sure. Sia belts more than she ever has, pushing her range to new heights. This is a song that will easily make it onto KISS 98.5, but is also a[...]

Tonight: Lydia Lunch

June 30, 2014

After nearly 30 years, art-rock/jazz noir connoisseur Lydia Lunch will be performing in Buffalo’s Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center tonight at 8pm. She will be joined by opening acts equally experimental, Weasel Walter, Bob Bert, and Tim Dahl. Lunch was originally a pioneer of the no-wave movement, but has since moved across a multitude of genres too vast to list, inspiring a spectrum of emerging bands and artists over the years. Lunch employs these different styles for a wonderfully bizarre live performance, one not usually present in the pop or avant-garde scene. Tickets are $20, not a steep price when the result is having your mind blown. BLACK JUJU – Lydia Lunch – Retrovirus from Dominika M on Vimeo.

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 2

June 27, 2014

Today’s brings you round 2 of our staff picks for favorite songs and albums at 2014’s half way point. If you missed yesterday’s part 1 of submissions, you may read it here. Sarah Machajewski Album: Neil Young  – A Letter Home We should all be thanking Neil Young for putting out a new album. We should be thanking him doubly for making it an album of covers.  We should be thanking him three times as much for the album’s gritty phonographic sound that stands out in an age of digitized, computer-created music. But maybe that’s what Neil Young does best. His loner tendencies have led to some innovative, cutting-edge music. Yet this album doesn’t forge new paths, but revisits old ones. Young selected 12 songs that have meant something to him at some point in his career, taking from greats such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, and The Everly Brothers. They[...]

Total Control – Typical System

June 24, 2014

Just when the world thought it had enough modern 80’s synth-rock reincarnations to sort through, Australia’s Total Control releases Typical System, an album that churns out all the goth-rock nuances in all the right places. But with any genre-replicating album, it matters more what the band does to update the style, rather than what they do to pay homage to it. With that being said, Typical System is a good listen, however hampered by a lack of innovation. Speaking of what Total Control does to sway from their 80’s inspirations, the most prominent difference is in the album’s production. Instead of toting reverb soaked drums and overly compressed instruments, the band utilizes a more modern mix style, bringing the vocals and guitar to the forefront while keeping the backbeat and groove more secondary. This results in making the songs sound more present and reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s more plug-and-play records.[...]

Local Onlys Drop Mt. Wister EP

June 19, 2014

Jacob Smolinski is one busy man. In addition to leading the charming yet now disbanded group, The Cascos, he is involved with numerous bands, side projects and his own independent record label, Lips Records. Unlike his other bands, however, which seem to exist from the sheer fun of playing and recording, Local Onlys stands out as Smolinski’s most serious and polished endeavor into songwriting. Their new EP, Mt. Wister, shows the band at their most mature yet, but luckily still sports their preppy tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. What struck me the most from the EP is the band’s range of different styles, moving comfortably from quiet acoustic ballad (“Komono”) to fast punk rock (“Ode to an RA”) while still maintaining Smolinski’s signature jumpy pop sound. After only a little less than a year since the band’s formation, it is refreshing to note the other members influence on the songs, particularly[...]

Fucked Up – Glass Boys

June 10, 2014

In their new release, Glass Boys, Canadian hardcore punk outfit Fucked Up demonstrates their knack for tasteful anthemic punk rock, albeit in a more modest way than usual. This time around, the band looked to more self-reflective and moody elements to join their usual philosophically charged aggression. One thing listeners need to know before listening to Glass Boys is that, conceptually speaking, it is not anything close to David Comes to Life, their complex, punk rock opera that explores a love story through multiple perspectives and meta-narratives. In comparison, this record is the proverbial sidekick or henchman murmuring, “Yeah, what he said!,” echoing the previous record’s ideas of frustration with apprehension against society’s ills. However, this album should be praised through its particular use of song structure and instrumentation, which give it a brooding yet deeply energetic style. Whereas most hardcore punk music thrives off of bursts of high energy[...]

Ben Frost – A U R O R A

June 3, 2014

With his new album, A U R O R A, electronic musician/composer Ben Frost sheds a new light on the genre, merging experimental minimalism with a modern rock sensibility. Finding a middle ground between artificial sound and live instrumentation, the record stands alone as a piece of art while providing a crossover sound sure to attract punk rockers and trance listeners alike. Mixing the best elements of both electronic and rock music is not an easy task, and few artists have managed to do so without delving into the unforgiveable realm of dubstep. Frost chooses to use mostly electronic instruments with anthemic rock song structures, but does so in a way that sounds natural. The result is something is best described as electronic post-rock, with melancholy buildups into climatic chaos. Frost aligns a different noise or instrument to their post-rock equivalent, sounding as if Explosions in The Sky were being[...]

The Roots – …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin

May 27, 2014

For a legendary hip-hop band with nearly three decades of legendary albums, it is only natural for The Roots to eventually hit a wall in terms of creative output. With mostly underwhelming production style, their new record …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is not much more than a hurried concept album with vague moments of continuity. A good representative for the album is the track “Never,” a dreary jazz beat accompanied by Patty Crash’s shrill voice. The song follows a gradual buildup as the instruments become busier, only to be cut off quickly before reaching any sort of climax. This is the atmosphere for most of the album, the music and verses sounding just below the brink of their full potential. With an average song length of 2-3 minutes, it appears there is not enough time given to address the album’s complex issues of teenage angst in an unprivileged[...]