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Stephen Floyd of One Percent Press

It’s no secret that Buffalo’s DIY community is an absolute force. Between the multitude of local labels and the wide-ranging artists and musicians that work hard to bring their craft to the forefront, the DIY ethic in our city is ever-strengthening. One of the more prominent local labels in the scene is also one of longest-lasting. One Percent Press, a label that celebrates its tenth birthday this year, embraces that very ethic and has released an impressive catalog of comic books, artwork, and music over the years. We picked the brain of OPP co-founder Stephen Floyd–who currently resides in Buffalo–to dig a bit on the origins of the label, their mission statement, as well as a few current and future projects. Dig in. buffaBLOG: One Percent Press has called home to a few different cities. In what ways does your locale influence what you do with the label? Do you scout[...]

Tonight: buffaBLOG 5th Birthday Party

Later tonight at Nietzsche’s, we return to the seen of the crime: our first birthday party. Looking back at the bill from that night, a lot has changed since then. Love Scenes and Arctic Death are no longer active. The birD day moved out to Portland, and the Tins just returned from SXSW. All week long, we have been spotlighting all of our birthday acts, a mix of both seasoned acts and fresh to the scene bands. In case you missed any, now is the time to catch up: Zak Ward M.A.G.S. Difficult Night Comfy Applennium Wooden Waves Music kicks off at 10pm sharp with a cover of $7. Thanks in advance for all of the support over years. We hope to see you all tonight.

Wooden Waves

I’ve seen a lot different ways to describe Wooden Waves. Some may consider them surf rock, others electro-pop.  The band was even nominated as one of the best ska bands in all of Western New York by the highly regarded All WNY Music Awards. I’m the kind of guy that likes to walk my own path, so I would describe them as 90’s indie rock. Regardless of descriptors, Wooden Waves are set to close the night tomorrow night with a fresh batch of tunes from their long awaited Wilder Dreams LP at our five year birthday party at Nietzsche’s tomorrow night. The quintet has been around longer than probably 90% of other Buffalo bands, all-the-while delivering quality triple vocal college-radio jams. All the bands are awesome and get there by 10pm.

Just Announced: buffaBLOG 5th Birthday Party

Just about four years ago, we threw our first birthday party at Nietzsche’s. We only had about six regular writers at the time, and none of us knew the first thing about putting on a show. Half of the musicians we asked to play were underage (something Curt still won’t let me live down), we were clueless on what to pay the  bands (we played them A LOT that night), and really had no idea if anyone would come. We even asked Lloyd Taco, this is before Chris and Pete had a fleet of trucks and were being given $250K by CNBC to open a restaurant, to park outside for food. We practically had to beg people to go out and get tacos. This was before the food trucks really took over Buffalo mind you. That birthday party ended up being amazing, still one of my favorite shows we have[...]

Wooden Waves – Wilder Dreams

It’s a cliché to say that a band’s latest release shows “signs of maturation.” On one hand, it usually doesn’t mean anything: you’re just saying they’re older than they were yesterday. On the other hand, it makes an incorrect assumption about progress. It implies that the band was one thing yesterday, is something else today and is working towards becoming some perfected version of itself in the future. This kind of assumption might give us a framework for making sense of things, but it’s not actually how reality works. Seeds grow, fruit ripens, but bands? People? They change, but there’s no perfect end point to work towards that is more valuable than the present. Accepting that realization is closer to maturation than the acquisition of any object or the accomplishment of any goal, and the struggle for that acceptance is at the heart of Wooden Waves’ Wilder Dreams (One Percent Press).[...]

Tonight: Wooden Waves LP Release Party

Wooden Waves have been around for a few years so I was surprised to see they are just now releasing their debut full length, Wilder Dreams, on December 9th. This is sure to be a welcome addition to winding down year of great Buffalo music. Tonight, they will be celebrating the record’s release on One Percent Press at Mohawk Place. To really make this a party, they have invited a few friends, making for a very strong, all local bill. Starting promptly at 9pm and for the low price of $5(ish), tonight’s bill opens up with indescribable styling and creative mind meld of Little Cake & Jack Topht. As if that was not enough, Mallwalkers and TMMC round out the bill. This promises to be a real humdinger of a night, so you have no excuse for missing this. And, if these bands were not enough, DJ-about-town, Eric Kendall, will be DJing between[...]

Wooden Waves Premieres Music Video for “Big Wheel”

The long wait for Wooden Waves‘ Wilder Dreams is nearly over. The months (years?) in the making record, which saw the final pressings take a detour to somewhere in Europe earlier this spring, will culminate next week, Friday, December 5th, at Mohawk Place as the quintet will celebrate the release of Wilder Dreams (One Percent Press) along with Mallwalkers, Jack Toft, and more. Today, WW premiered the music video for “Big Wheel,” an early stand out track from the upcoming record. Shot by go to Queen City director, Malt Disney, the video finds the five-some exploring the late, great Super Flea grounds for relic video games, rims, and top-of-the-line snowboard gear. This marks the second clip shot at Super Flea this year. Earlier this summer, Malt directed Jack Toft roaming the Super Flea as well for MC’s “Beef on Weck” video. Who knew a place that sold bongs, samurai swords, and a[...]

Tonight: Brimstone Blondes AGE OF CONSENT Release Party

Buffalo Iron Works is where you want to be tonight. Lively garage-rockers Brimstone Blondes will be releasing their debut album, AGE OF CONSENT, tomorrow via Admirable Traits Records, and tonight they will be ripping a righteous release party in celebration of the new record. The Buffalo 4-piece has already dropped the first (chronologically, not sequentially) of the album’s seven tracks, “Social Smokers”—a spastic punch-in-the-gut of a song inspired by “the Coalition of a Smoke-Free City” according to their Facebook page. Tonight’s release show should be pretty wild if the riotous vitality of “Social Smokers” is of any foreshadowing. But wait, there’s more! Joining the Blondes tonight will be local indie monarchs Wooden Waves and Rochester garage punks Harmonica Lewinski, both bands also having teased fresh new material this year. Poised with one of the summer’s best lineups, tonight’s showcase will not disappoint. 18+, doors at 7pm, $10. As an added[...]

Harvest Sum Releases 10th Anniversary Compliation

This past Saturday at Nietzsche’s, long time local label, Harvest Sum, celebrated ten years of music in Buffalo. In conjunction with the anniversary party, which was put on as part of our weekend long Herd Fest, the label released a compilation of previously unreleased, new, and rare tracks from Harvest Sum’s past and present. Featuring cuts from Wooden Waves, Roger Bryan & the Orphans, Fourem, Applennium (who, BTW, may have had the best performance of Saturday night), and more, the 8-track comp is a great way to familiarize yourself with one of Buffalo’s best music treasures, which hopefully will still be running strong in another ten years. You can download the entire compilation over at Harvest Sum’s facebook page. While it’s downloading, check out the stunner of a closing track, “I Hope You’re Well, Brother” from Fourem, below.

Wooden Waves Debut New Track In “It’s Only Sky”

Hey remember last fall when we were really excited about the upcoming Wooden Waves album that was right around the corner? Well, its nearly June and we are still waiting. BUT, that wait is finally nearing its end as just yesterday, the band announced that their Wilder Dreams LP will be released this July via One Percent Press. And wouldn’t you know it, this morning, OPP dropped the album’s first tease in the song “It’s Only Sky.” The single follows the Wooden Wave’s previous established modus operandi – late 90’s style indie rock with dueling male/female vocals led by Ray Fulton as well the pair of Joey and Nikki McIntosh. Listen to “It’s Only Sky” below and keep an eye out for Wilder Dreams this summer. For real this time.