Anybody who's been a part of the Buffalo punk rock scene in the last few years should be familiar with Feral Kid Records. The label's been putting out strong releases by great local bands (Rochester included) and have, by and large, helped build the scene, all whilst maintaining the DIY ethic that has helped the community grow. Aaron and the Burrs (listen below) Able Danger, Plates, Brown Sugar, Mayday!, Human Touch, Rational Animals...the list goes on and on. Great bands. Fast music. Raw spirit.

You can now check out many of Feral Kid's finest releases, thanks to the new bandcamp format. It's extremely user friendly and makes access easier than you can imagine. Take a minute or 60 to check out the catalog HERE. And keep up with more releases by the finest punk rock and indie label Buffalo has to offer.

By the way, check out Bad People and Utah Jazz (two bands associated with Feral Kid) at the Bird Haus tonight, along with Bucket Flush. It's Utah Jazz' tape release.

Western New York has no shortage of great recording studios. If your thing is metal, head on down to Watchmen, if it's rock'n'roll, Hi Lo produces local diamonds, and if you're of the alternative rock persuasion and love it live there's no better place than Quiet Country Audio.

Add Mammoth Recording Studio to that list. Run by Joe Orlando of Mother Red, the Frame Up and countless other bands, the studio is getting some much deserved recognition and respect. Just check out Joe Folmar's awesome track "Movement" recorded live and filmed at the studio for proof.

Mammoth officially opens in February and from what I hear Joe has some tricks of his sleeve. Garrett Klahn ring any bells?

In the meantime whet your appetite by checking out Mammoth's facebook page and keep up to date with the studio's happenings. Great things to come.

Ok. So this isn't exactly music-related, but I think it's important to recognize nonetheless. Buffalo has a vibrant arts and music scene. When it comes to nightclub entertainment I think we're further along the curve than most mid-sized cities. In the comedy arena, however, we've been severely lacking. Outside of the weekly stand-up showcases at Nietszsche's and Mister Goodbar, Buffalo hasn't had much of a scene (unless you're willing to travel to the Niagara Falls Casinos and shell out the big bills for top acts).

Enter Helium Comedy Club, a new club downtown right by the arena (30 Mississippi St.). Helium opened a couple weeks ago and I wanted to give mention to them because A. We need more comedy in our lives and B. the level of talent they're pulling is second to none. Just take a look at the comedians scheduled to appear and you'd be hard pressed to disagree with me. Upcoming appearances by Jim Norton, Rich Vos, Tammy Pescatelli, Rob Schneider, DL Hughley and Brian Posehn; these are serious heavies on the circuit. To find out more about the club (hours, directions, etc.) go to their website.

Jim Norton is scheduled to appear 12/28-12/31 and if you're a fan of insult humor or the politically incorrect I suggest you stop by (and if you don't know what he's about listen to him below).

I got an e-mail awhile back from Bazillion Points Books, asking me if I'd be interested in checking out their new book: WE GOT POWER!: Hardcore Punk Scenes from 1980's Southern California, and I was instantly down. This period of time is extremely fascinating to me where some of my all-time faves, including Black Flag and the Adolescents, came out.

Essentially, the book is a fanzine compilation from the early days which also includes photos galore and written content from the people who were there, including Henry Rollins, Keith Morris, and Dez Cadena. Some of the stories are hilarious while others are very telling about that time and place. If punk rock history is your thing and you're in love with that era as much as I am, buy yourself an early Xmas present and head over to Bazillion Points.

Our friends over at Quiet Country Audio, or QCA to fellow impatient writers, have posted a new session for emo-tinged pop-punk upstarts, I Can See Mountains. As many of you know by now, QCA is responsible for live recorded sessions as well as some pretty awesome video output. I'm a big fan of this series and you should be too... Check out their session here!

Western New Yorkers sometimes take for granted that which is in our own backyard. It's not hard. Despite the fact that we are a small area geographically, it seems there's always a plethora of things to do. Whether it's a concert, a local film, or even a new venue or bar, it's hard to keep up with all things creative around here.

Case in point:  Quiet Country Audio; an unassuming studio that has hosted some of Buffalo's best bands, including Failures Union, Roger Bryan and the Orphans, Pentimento and Kid Gorgeous along with great out-of-towners like Diamond Youth.

The studio is located in the upper level of a beautiful home in Alden; as the name implies this is the country and man, is it quiet out there. I spent an afternoon at QCA last week to get a feel of what the place was all about and sit in on a recording session with Diamond Youth, a Baltimore-based band. Quiet Country Audio's mission is to "promote artists through high quality live audio and video."  Instead of just recording sessions scratch track by tedious scratch track, what you're hearing is essentially a live recording. While the bands play, they are being photographed, filmed and documented. It's a staple of the Quiet Country Audio experience.

The atmosphere at QCA can only be described as welcoming. It's small and comfortable, and the host(engineer and filmer) Paul Besch was nothing but accommodating as was fellow engineer and photographe, Mike Sobieraj(drummer of Roger Bryan & the Orphans). Alot of studio's feel cold and are anxiety-producing. Musicians want to get in and out as quickly as possible. The laid back nature of QCA made it a much more comfortable recording experience.

Of course it helps when you have a band that's as professional and awesome as Diamond Youth. I enjoyed their hardcore influenced brand of alternative rock and they seemed like pretty humble guys too which is always good when you're in closed quarters with a group of strangers.

Quiet Country Audio is essentially a DIY enterprise. All the more reason why you should support them. Bands take note: This is a legit place to record! Do yourself a favor and visit their website, bandcamp, or email them at quietcountryaudio@gmail.com.

A little while ago, I posted about the awesomeness that is One Percent Press. One of the bands associated with the label that I shamefully neglected to mention was Red Delicious, an awesome alternative-indie trio, featuring members of such great locals as Failures Union and Mallwalkers. The songs are catchy as hell and bring me back to a time when all I seemed to listen to was Husker Du, Gin Blossoms, and the Replacements. Not that they necessarily sound like any of these bands. They're doing their own thing for sure. I especially dig the male/female interplay between vocals. Anyways, their self titled debut release, a 5 song cassette, was just released and I highly suggest you check it out. You can get the album for free here or go check out their bandcamp page. The album is also available at Spiral Scratch for $5 if you want a physical copy to call your own. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what you hear.

How did I not know about One Percent Press? Some of Buffalo's best indie, alternative and punk rock bands have released albums on this label and they even release comics! I blame myself. Anyways, it would do you best to head over to their website or bandcamp and see what they have to offer. My recommendations: White Whale, a fantastic, uber melodic punk band thats been milling around these parts for a couple years (listen to a track below), Buffalo's answer to the Gin Blossoms, Failures Union or Tin Armor, an alternative band whose sound they can only call their own. Support your DIY artists and supports the local scene. And while you're at it buy a comic book. One Percent Press.

If you're a fan of hardcore, punk rock and all that falls between I heavily suggest you check out Bill Page's Podcast “Buffalo Style”. Bills been reppin' this music for years now; a die-hard advocate, supporter, and major player on the scene with influential bands such as Lockjaw, Wrong the Oppressor and the Red Badge. This podcast showcases the very best in new and old HC; the way it was meant to be played. He'll even squeeze in some essential hip-hop from time to time and that's alright with me. You can check out the jams here.

A few days' ago I stopped into Music Matters. A friend had recommended it to me after describing their collection of metal vinyl as "insane". As one who cannot pass up on "insane" metal I decided to check it out and I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised. The shop had a nice assortment of used cd's, vinyl and dvds as well as a few albums you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Hardly limited to metal, I walked away with a Jeff Buckley DVD set as well as an independent documentary, ironically entitled Need that Record! about the death of the independent music stores. The shop itself is small and comfortable and the owner couldn't have been cooler. Good vibes all around. I should say that there are two shops, one in Niagara Falls (527 Cayuga Dr) and one in North Tonawanda (248 Meadow Dr). I visited the NT location and it was a little tricky to find. If you're going to head out there, and I strongly suggest you do, look for a house. If you're a music junkie or are looking for a new place to vibe out on music, this is a good place to be.

Attention Buffalo: There's a new game in town. A few days ago the Quiet Country Audio site went live with a bang. QCA is a studio out in Alden run by Paul Besch, which hosts live video sessions (similiar to Daytrotter and From the Basement). Thus far, some real legit bands have been featured in this series including Two Cow Garage, Sleepy Hahas, Pentimento, On Beta and Roger Bryan. If you're a fan of any of these bands, and you should be, check out the new site and watch some of the vidz or hear the sessions at QCA's bandcamp page. I have a feeling we're going to be hearing quite a bit from QCA in the future.