A few weeks ago, we gave you the ultimate playlist for the 2013 Buffalo Bills. Now, with hockey season just around the corner, buffaBLOG proudly presents the 2013-14 Sabres Soundtrack - songs you can listen to as you're riding to and back from the arena, wondering why Ryan Miller still hasn't been traded.

Depeche Mode - "Suffer Well"

To General Manager Darcy Regier, who memorably claimed that the Sabres rebuilding "may require some suffering." For fans hoping to see the team their two-year playoff drought, his words weren't exactly encouraging.

Rolling Stones - "No Expectations"

Of course, Regier is certainly not the only one to express this sentiment. Just about every prominent hockey writer in the country thinks the Sabres are in for a rough campaign. Buffalo News writers John Vogl, Mike Harrington, and Bucky Gleason all have the Sabres missing the playoffs, and none of them pick them to finish higher than 12th in the conference. The Sabres might not be doomed just yet, but no one seems to be expecting much from them this year.

Pink Floyd - "Money"

To Vile Leino, who really needs to start living up to that $27 million contract he signed in 2011. In his first season in Buffalo, he was practically invisible, and last year, injuries limited him to just nine games. Leino isn't too popular at that this point, but if he become a solid contributor, he could win back some of the fans who have turned on him.

Counting Crows - "Hanginaround"

To Drew Stafford, who is just kind of...hangin' around at this point.

LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"

To Tyler Myers, the player most desperately in need of a comeback. After winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie, Myers' play has declined with each passing year, and the fans our running out of patience. Hopefully, right now Myers is shadowboxing, and jamming to some old school LL, getting ready to remind us why we loved him in the first place.

John Denver - "Leaving On a Jet Plane"

To Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller, the two longest-tenured Sabres, and subject of trade rumors for some time now. It's been speculated that both will be moved near the trade deadline, but one can't help wondering how that might change based on the team's performance. If 2009-10 Miller comes back, and the team is playoff contention, it's pretty unlikely that they move, but if the team is as bad as most experts expect them to be, don't be shocked to see Miller and Vanek out the door.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "The Waiting"

To backup goalie Jhonas Enroth, who probably thought he'd get a chance to start by now. In May and June, there was loads of talk that Miller would be moved in the summer, clearing the way for the Enroth era. Instead, the Sabres couldn't find an offer they were willing to take and #30 is the primary man behind the pipes until further notice. Your day will come, Jhonas.

John Sebastian - "Welcome Back"

To Henrik Tallinder , who makes his triumphant return to Buffalo this year after a stint with the Devils. Tallinder may not be the same player he was during his peak years with the Sabres, but his experience could be beneficial to a very young group of defensement.

Mott The Hoople - "All The Young Dudes"

To all the young dudes on this team! The Sabres are definitely in the midst of a youth movement, as practically half their roster was born in the 90s. Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson will be expected to be major contributors, while Marcus Foligno has looked good in stretches, and could thrive in his first full-length season. After not doing a whole lot lat year, Mikhail Grigorenko should be major improvements. So yeah...lot of young dudes there.

The Kinks - "Apeman"

To Patrick Kaleta, because he's an apeman. He's an ape man, he's an ape ape man, oh he's an apeman.

Nena - "99 Luftballoons"

To newly-minted captain Christian Ehrhoff because....he's German? Yeah, that'll work.

Nas ft. Puff Daddy - "Hate Me Now"

To Head Coach Ron Rolston, because, well, a lot of people seem to hate him. It's not really his fault. Lindy Ruff left a huge impression on this city, and his replacement is bound to face a lot of scrutiny. However, it's worth noting that the team performed better under Rolston than under Ruff last year, so perhaps we should give a fair shake.

I've got a lot on my chest today, a lot of stuff not big enough to justify individual posts, so it's Odds and Sods time:

• Happy Dyngus Day. I almost wish I wasn't going to Rochester to see Of Monsters And Men tonight because this year's Dyngus Day celebration looks to be the best yet as Buffalo complete's it's annual Mardis Gras/St Patrick's Day/Dyngus Day hat trick of ethnic/Catholic celebrations in grand fashion. Only in Buffalo folks, do you really get all three. Kudos to us.

• The eagle has landed, the bird is in the hand, and congratulations are in order as it was announced last week that the NFTA will indeed be going into the summer concert business with Funtime Productions on the outer harbor. No acts or dates have been announced but tentative ticket prices have been reported to be between $30 and $100 for VIP tickets, and with some names already being thrown around (Gov't Mule, The Black Keys), buffaBLOG will definitely be all over this.

• Alas, another Sabres season has ended in shame, anger, and recrimination, and I'd be remiss if I didn't single out #Sabretunes for more scorn because really, I absolutely feel like they let us down too. Sabres games should be fun and cool, and John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and Foreigner are not cool in the least, and neither is pandering to squares. Do they pander to squares in Austin Texas or Portland Oregon? As reported in last week's Artvoice- hells no. Just like the Sabres on ice performance this year, what came over the PA at their games (with the exception of Arcade Fire before games and Black Keys after Sabres goals) should not and cannot be repeated next season. 

• We're less than a month out from the sold out M83 show at the Town Ballroom. Just wanted to say that again. The wait is almost over.

OK, a month ago I tried to be positive about the music situation at Sabres games because I wanted to be positive; I wanted to be a glass half fill kind of guy. But then I went to the game Wednesday night... and that positivity got chucked out the window because the music was atrocious. I was stunned by the rubbish they were playing. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (yes- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band). Phil Collins. Wang Chung. Motley Crue.... twice. It was shocking. It was godawful. Other than the Arcade Fire that kicks the game off and the Black Keys after Sabres goals I used to joke that the music at the FNC was programmed by a fourteen year old girl, but now, I am convinced it's programmed by a middle aged white guy in a denim jacket. 

Ok, so originally I was going to totally bag on the music choices of the Sabres and their event staff. Some of their choices for what gets played at Sabres games are terrible, no question, and yes I've had to seriously  wonder what the fourteen year old girl tasked with making those decisions was thinking. But the situation isn't all grim down at the FNC, and if buffaBLOG is anything it's positive, and I want to be positive about this.


Why? For two reasons: 1) they're using Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" before the game and The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy" after Sabres goals, and 2) it's not all their fault. Of course using Arcade Fire and The Black Keys goes a long way, but the real problem is #Sabretunes and us Sabres fans. Twitter users, check out #Sabretunes .... and prepare to be disgusted. I'm not going to name names, but that Twitter hash-tag is a wasteland. No wonder it's 98.5 rubbish and hair metal with the occasional decent song thrown in to give us hope. The Sabres are soliciting suggestions and we're not helping them out.


That's where we come in as music fans. We've got to step it up and send #Sabretunes some decent suggestions, or re-Tweet the decent suggestions somebody else has already offered to build up some critical mass for those suggestions. But lets not get crazy folks. Taste and discretion folks are important. A gradual shift is the key.


Here's a few suggestions of my own for #Sabretunes:

1. Stick with the Black Keys after Sabres goals and that Arcade Fire before the game. This is good stuff.
2. Use more soul music. Soul music is always good, and you can dance to it.
3. Enough of the hair metal. Break out of the time warp. The only acceptable hair metal is The Darkness, which they do play occasionally at games. They need to keep that going.
4. There's a large Canadian contingent at Sabres games so why not play more Canadian rock? In addition to the Hip, how about Arkells and Tokyo Police Club?
5. Ditch the "Sweet Caroline", at the very least during Carolina Hurricanes games.
6. M83.
7. And "The Hockey Song" has to get played at every game. Every game.

It falls to us, Sabres fans and lovers of good music to get that train back on the tracks. It has to be done, and it will be done.