John Colpitts, best known for his work as the drummer for Oneida, will be bringing his Man Forever project to the Vault tonight. Colpitts' work in Man Forever seeks to "overwhelm, to investigate the nuances that bloom in the midst of repetitive music and to act as a pure sound experience." In short, Man Forever's performance is sure to be droning, noisy, and engrossing.

Opening for Man Forever are two equally exciting Buffalo acts, Bear Flames and A Hotel Nourishing. Bear Flames creates raucous music that will surely appeal to fans of Sonic Youth. Recently, they have been joined by, Pang's Katherine Goewey, whose fantastic howling vocals is a great addition. Rounding out the evening is A Hotel Nourishing, whose jittery and percussive music,at the border between math rock and post-punk, fits in nicely with the other two acts.

So, stop down to The Vault for a night of music that is as equally engaging as it is loud.

Man Forever! w/Bear Flames and A Hotel Nourishing
The Vault - 702 Main Street
8pm
$8

Last week the pro-local DIY-ers Steak & Cake Records released Sonny Baker’s record Here are those freaks you’ve been asking for. The 5-track collection is the debut effort from Baker, a local storehouse of indie talent as he currently divides his time between three other projects, that being Lazlo Hollyfeld, A Hotel Nourishing, and Wooden Waves, all of which have played a prominent part in WNY music scene in the past few years. That being said, you might want to check out our interview with the musician from yesterday here. 

Here are those freaks is Baker’s indie pop record realized, and it covers a hell of a lot of ground in 5 short tracks. While many of these songs have started out as folk demos via an acoustic guitar and tape player, they have blossomed into multi-instrumental collages of textural songwriting. Front and center is Baker’s crowded, chaotic vocals. His thoughts are sporadic as they are plentifully multi-layered. Intricate splashes of guitar and percussion bubble-up in each track, but the record never loses its froth even as each track is piecemealed into various directions, shaking-up the traditional pop song mundanity of verse and chorus.
“Cripple Fantastic” is an intriguing start to the record with it’s looped guitar fade-in and teeth-chattering snare, and Baker’s voice coats it all in its gradual complexities. It’s hard not to appreciate Baker’s signature fast-paced vocal style. The songs can get a bit labyrinthian, which could result in a difficult listening experience for those with short attention spans looking for a immediately catchy song, but if you pay close attention you’ll notice Baker’s songs are more like developing photographs in a darkroom--they slowly unfurl, and you suddenly see the images coming into focus. 

Another track brimming with detail is “Up to my Chest, Covered In Lead.” With wild guitar riffs amid organ blips, Baker’s vocals sprint a hilly landscape as convoluted instrumentals pant in their attempt to keep up. “Hallucinating, it’s a Steady Moan” gives us a moment to catch our breath, even if it’s a brief two minute cool off. Baker yawns a lo-fi drawl as he sings, “I try to find a heartbeat / Who cares any more,” even as electric guitar riffs start to infiltrate the folk-rock track.
Unlike a lot of failed pop records, Baker’s never gets boring to listen to because he is constantly shifting colors and speed in an attempt at a sonic bouquet that comes very naturally to him. There are certainly comparisons to be made, Born Ruffians and My Morning Jacket to name a few, but there is something so varied about Baker’s style that makes you wonder why he’s not in two or three more bands, if not only to offer a guitar track or two. Much like a drive from Buffalo to Toronto, Sonny Baker’s music covers a vast and densely populated landscape, as it progresses from lo-fi, humble beginnings to vast and uber-developed songs, and even when you’ve arrived at the conclusion of the record, there is still so much more to discover about it. 

Toronto DIY band, Odonis Odonis, will be bringing their bloody garage rock to Mohawk Place tonight. Odonis Odonis' music is gritty, drenched in feedback and loud. The act is touring in support of their upcoming full length Soft Boiled Hard Boiled. Opening tonight will be Derek Prellwitz and math rock/jazz/post-punk fusion act A Hotel Nourishing.

Odonis Odonis w/A Hotel Nourishing and Derek Prellwitz
Mohawk Place
$10
8pm doors

The great thing about Buffalo is that you can consistently go and see great music for under $10. Tonight, head down to The Glitterbox (359 Parkdale) to see an array of  local and Brooklyn bands.

Starting at 7pm, the show features Real People, the math rock of A Hotel Nourishing, the hard and fast stylings of Human Touch, the newly formed Total Overcomers, and Brooklyn's Jawbreakeresque The Marine Electric. This promises to be an exciting show, so be sure to get there on time.

Music starts at 7:00pm and there is a $6 cover charge.

Get ready for an incredible show tonight at Mohawk Place where guitar rockers Aye Karou will be tearing it up along with opening acts, A Hotel Nourishing, Alex Berkley, and Nikki Gordon & The Hall of Fame. The vibrant five-piece group started in 2007 as a Tragically-Hip-gone-Star-Wars-nerd cover band of sorts and eventually (and thankfully) began writing original songs. Come out and enjoy what is sure to be an outstanding array of local talent. The show starts at 9.