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Tonight: Made Violent

May 5, 2017

Buffalo’s own garage rock masters Made Violent don’t get to play the Queen City very often, but when they do it is a big deal, both for fans and the band themselves. Tonight the trio will be headlining the Studio at Waiting Room. The show  comes just days after the release of the video for their new single “Basement Ghost” which will be released on a 7″ vinyl with the B-side being “More Ways Than One”.  Also on the bill tonight will be Ugly Sun and Sixties Future. Doors open at 7pm, tickets are $13 at the door.

Acid Dad at Studio at Waiting Room (4/2/17)

April 6, 2017

On April 2nd, New York City’s Acid Dad brought the seductive swagger of their gritty garage rock sound to the Studio at Waiting Room for a night of debauchery. Along for the ride were Brooklyn’s Honduras, who kept the spirit of ’77 alive with their unbridled take on downtown punk, earning their stripes from rock ’n’ roll’s true believers. Representing Buffalo’s local scene that evening,  Deadwolf’s psychedelic stomp and Ugly Sun’s bare-knuckle riffs set the stage for the main event. Check out the photos below. Deadwolf Ugly Sun Honduras Acid Dad

Tonight: Acid Dad

April 2, 2017

Tonight the Waiting Room hosts a downstate vs upstate New York battle of the bands when NYC’s Acid Dad and Brooklyn post punks Honduras share a bill with local fellas Ugly Sun and Deadwolf. Actually, it’s not a battle of the bands at all; everybody’s cool and there’s no cash prizes or bragging rights on the line (or are there?), and the real winners are local fans of garage and psychedelic rock down to kick it out on a Sunday night with these fine bands. NYC power trio Acid Dad specialize in the kind of sleezy garage rock usually ideal for getaway driving in vintage cars and/or driving on dark roads with the headlights off under the influence. Brooklyn’s Honduras meanwhile have been generating buzz in all the right places thanks to a raw garage rock that mainlines that 70’s downtown punk sound to satisfying effect. Local openers are both blog[...]

Ugly Sun Drop Latest Single “Marble Eye”

March 23, 2017

Buffalo garage rock power trio Ugly Sun are back with their latest single “Marble Eye,” and it’s a thrilling burst of triumphant goodness. For a band keen to keep things on the rough and wild side, the deploying of both discordant and mightily sweet harmonies behind John Crook’s plaintive wail and those epic riffs takes this whole enterprise to a higher level and almost flirts with beauty. In a city with a growing list of rock bands you can believe in, you can add Ugly Sun to the list. They’ll be playing the just announced Made Violent show at the Studio At The Waiting Room with Sixties Future May 5th, with tickets going on sale this Friday.

Tonight: Cooler

February 16, 2017

Tonight’s show, presented by our good pals at The Public, seems like a no-brainer in terms of quality. Between Cooler, The Slums and Ugly Sun, each band on the bill are local pioneers in their own right, respectably carving out their own pocket within the indie, fuzz-rock and post-punk worlds and consistently putting out thoughtful, well produced material. Cooler’s most recent full length release, Phantom Phuzz, re-affirmed the high standard that all three of these bands set for themselves. The album is a feel-good listen. It’s not super complex or difficult to digest, but it’s exceptionally catchy and radiates honest feelings. This band possesses an incredible amount of charm, which isn’t something I usually associate with fuzz-rock, but they manage to translate that charm pretty darn well from their recorded material to their live shows. Get to Nietzsche’s tonight at 8:30pm. $5 entry.

Ugly Sun Releases New Video, “Pretty One”

January 17, 2017

Buffalo garage rockers Ugly Sun are back with another excellent video, this time for their irresistible latest single “Pretty One.” Directed by Neil Maciejewski and edited by Made Violent collaborator Andy DeLuca, “Pretty One” features some beautiful lo-fi digital photography and local ingenue Whitney Smith to go along perfectly with the the single’s tasty post industrial garage riffs and stellar vocal harmonies that have already become the band’s signature sound. They might have made their debut last fall, but with jams and videos like “Pretty Sun,” 2017 could be Ugly Sun’s year.

Tonight: Little Baltimore Christmas Extravanza

December 17, 2016

Tonight get your groove on  while keeping Christmas weird at Little Baltimore’s Christmas Extravaganza featuring The Curls. The dreamy Chicago indie dance pop outfit (think Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Talking Heads) will be joined by garage pop duo Suburbs, the cranked up Strokes goodness of Ugly Suns, Brimstone Blondes frontman Matthew Danger Lippman, with a DJ set by Allen Nieves to wrap it all up nice. Show starts at 8pm, bring $3 for the visiting Curls along with Christmas cookies, beer and what have you.

Ugly Sun Shares Debut Music Video

November 1, 2016

Ugly Sun is off to a good start – we last checked in with them when they sent us their rowdy debut single, “Mock Me Out.” In case you live under a rock, this power trio has been a part of several well-respected local bands (including Nelson-Type, Arctic Death, Father Baron, and Mandy K). They are certainly keeping up the momentum with their new music video for “Burned Alive.” Ugly Sun’s sound recalls the recent wave of lo-fi garage rock bands like FIDLAR and Wavves but with a more expansive dynamic and melodic sound. It’s wildly infectious and had a wonderful manic energy to it that’s utterly winning. The video for “Burned Alive,” features frenetic editing and images of indulgence and reckless abandon perfectly capture the youthful spirit of the band’s music. This is a fresh arrival on the WNY music scene but on the basis of their latest release,[...]

Tonight: Gringo Star

August 28, 2016

It’s the Wild West meets the wonderful ocean. Deep, dark, and cavernous, yet dirty and mustard yellow. Previews of the new Gringo Star album The Sides and In Between are as amusing as they are unique. “Rotten,” Magic,” and “Get Closer” demonstrate versatility and three different sides of the band. Whether Gringo Star is gritty, keeping it light, or playful (listen carefully to the mix and lyrics of “Get Closer”), Gringo Star shines true. Catch the group headlining at Studio at the Waiting Room with support from Ugly Sun, Feverbox, and One Way to Nowhere. Doors are at 7pm, with the show starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 and the show is all ages (more details here). For soundalikes, see Bosco Rogers and Cage the Elephant. Otherwise, preview Gringo Star’s new album below and warp here for tasteful merchandise.

Ugly Sun Releases Debut Single “Mock Me Out”

August 5, 2016

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Arctic Death frontman John Crook. Since the band’s split in mid 2011, the members have held tenure in an impressive run of great Buffalo bands, including, but not limited to: Nelson-Type, Crooks, and Father Baron. Ugly Sun is Crook’s new project, rounded out by longtime collaborators Trey Hollowood and Harrison Crook. The trio released their debut EP, Cherokee, earlier this month. Recorded with Jay Zubricky at GCR, their new single, “Mock Me Out,” is a sunny and articulate take on alternative rock. The song highlights Crook’s distinctive drawl and the band’s use of big, beautiful guitars and lush harmonies. Ugly Sun is sure to be a fixture in the local scene this fall. You might also be able to catch them on tour throughout October. Till then, you can stream “Mock Me Out” below via Soundcloud. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/272590516″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]