As much as we here at buffaBLOG love to write about bands from the Queen City; every once in a while we do take time out of our hectic schedules from dropping obscure references, and shotgunning PBR’s to talk about bands from Rochester. Today is one of those days, and Harmonica Lewinski is one of those bands. Chocked full of fuzz, distortion, ghostly guitar riffs, and echoed vocals, Lewinski’s latest release, Twerk Jerky, is a must have for any garage band enthusiast. They manage to channel Link Wray and the Sonics with true garage-punk elements. Afterall, how can you not love a band with members who go by handles like Captain Trash, Wild Hanes Stains Richards, Hooter McTooter, The Musical Linn Linn, Harold "Docks" (raw dawg n' it) Jenkins, and Dirty Sanchez? Then again what would you expect from a band who met “in the basement of a gay club, in Rochester, NY loaded with pussy, ass, drugs and alcohol?” This is according to bassist Jeremiah Richards (who we can assume is also Wild Hanes Stains Richards).  

The garage punk band from Rochester with the clever name will be playing buffaBLOG’s 4th Birthday Party at Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar on Saturday, March 29th. Richards commented on the show saying, “We’re excited to play in Buffalo for the first time at the buffaBLOG birthday party! I guess we’re a party band so maybe that's why they asked us. It's at DBGB's, that's all we know.”  Also on the bill will be Mr. Boneless, Alex Berkley & The Atlanta Falcons, Real People, and Chauncey Tails. Show starts at 10pm. $5 at the door. 

In the winter of 2008, I was a despondent college sophomore with bad hair trapped in a major I didn't care about. The one thing keeping me grounded was the opportunity to digest some new music on my 35 minute commute to school every day. Over the course of the season, I tried many albums and failed many times... but two of my selections caught me at the right place at the right time and have had a very important place in my life ever since - one of them was Band of Horses' Cease to Begin and the other was Lydia's Illuminate.

Somehow the winter of 2008 was five years ago, but every time I hear Illuminte, I get a huge wave of nostalgia and start thinking of those times when I was a student driving my car through the dirty snowbanks and crammed pedestrian crossings at UB. Both albums had huge, reverb-soaked guitars and a singer with a high, gentle voice. There was something "wintery" about those albums, and it was soothing to think that, even though I was having a rough season, there was still some sort of beauty to be found.

When I found out Lydia was going on a tour where they would play Illuminate start to finish, I knew I owed it to myself and to them to make the trek out to Rochester to see them play. The show is tonight at the Bug Jar - doors are at 6:00pm and it's $15/$17.

When Rochester's Joywave asks "how do you feel?," they really want to know. Using an interactive online concept where listeners can hashtag both the band name and song title to express in words what the song made them see, the band created an evolving stream of images to go with the four song EP that dropped yesterday. "Happy visualizing" is how the band puts it, and when you combine the visual and the audio, it makes for a listening experience that forces you to focus on the music, instead of the things you do when you should be actively listening to an album.

Streaming an album online usually means that the album is one of 20 open tabs you're kinda, sorta focused on while you update your Twitter bio and lurk your ex on Instagram and finally get around to paying that parking ticket you got six weeks ago, but this one forces the music into the foreground and it makes for a fresh listening and viewing experience. The album is only a day old, and already there are flashing images and words of the visions it evokes on the internet. To quote Jay and Ye, that shit cray.

The album, for all its brevity, is bountiful with sound. The first single, "In Clover," was released earlier this month and is the club/getting ready to go to the club jam you didn't know you needed in your life until it was there. It's electronica in the best way possible: slinky, synthy, and just a little bit arrogant, and while it gives "Tongues," a killer KOPPS-featured track some serious competition for best dance song, it's the crashing, smashing drumbeats that "Tongues" opens with that make it the winning song. It's one of those rare songs where you know there are words, but it doesn't matter what they are because you're too busy stomping the yard to even hear them. Shamelessly dancing in my car is a daily activity, and this song is my new favorite one to get down to on the commute to work.

Overall, the Cultco released album is a banger. Literally. SO many drums. Like, layers and layers of drums and bass and cymbals and I know I've said this about Joywave albums before, but their music is the exact soundtrack Patrick Bateman would play to kill an unsuspecting hooker in a ritzy Manhattan apartment. It's that 80s electropop vibe that keeps me wanting more from these guys, who, by the way, are currently holding it down at SXSW. You can stream the entire How Do You Feel EP below.

Looking for the perfect track to play 10 times in a row while getting ready to go out with your friends? Joywave's new single, "In Clover," is it. Super saturated in electronica, major lazer tag vibes, and drums that are probably made out of giant Diet Coke cans, it's a hype-y, dance-y, shake ya ass (but watch yourself) track that I cannot stop listening to.

Before the Rochester-based band head west for SXSW, you should head to Bug Jar tonight for their last pre-tour show. Featuring KOPPS, FOWLS, and Hawker M. James, the $10/12 at the door show is worth every cent. Doors are at 8/music at 9 (BJT aka Bug Jar Time). Stay late as the band will be previewing "In Clover" as well as the rest of their new EP, How Do You Feel, following the night's performances

Buffalo friends and fans, make the short drive to the 585 and catch this show.

With it being a slow Thursday night here in Buffalo, it should be noted that a really good show is going down in Rochester tonight. Brooklyn's Caveman, who you may remember played Babeville's Ninth Ward a couple years back, will be making an under the radar appearance at the Bug Jar this evening, giving you an excuse to get out of Buffalo for the night. The five piece is still touring in support of its very impressive, self titled sophomore release, which saw the band expand on its Eastern-tinged psych rock (think early Yeasayer, sort of) and layered harmonies with moody and atmospheric synths

Following the show will be Rochester party DJ crew Cultr Club, whose members this evening include David Lee Rad of CRUSHES and Patricia from KOPPS, all of whom are alumni of past buffaBLOG parties. 

Tickets for tonight's show will be available at the door. Music kicks off at 8:30pm sharp with Cultr Club taking over at 11pm. And Happy Birthday Patricia.

Upon first listen to Ontario Girls, I knew Rochester's Pleistocene was a shoo-in for an Album of the Week nod. I was pleasantly surprised at just how uplifting Ontario Girls could be - I think as a whole, it really brightened up my week. The Weezer-tinged shoegazers specialize in catchy, female (and occasionally male) fronted jams full of crunchy guitars and squiggly keyboards. Besides Weezer, pleistocene has a fuzzy jangle that brings to mind Ozma or Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer... Maybe even a hint of Metric or Wavves. 

I might be speaking too soon, but Ontario Girls is one hell of a release, and I'm predicting a year-end sweep (or at least a few more-than-pleasant comments). Pleistocene has penned some great songs here that, for lack of a more eloquent phrase, are just a really good time. "Big Bang" is a raucous introduction, building a hyper catchy tune off of a bouncy, electric piano. "Cream and Citrus" follows suit, making use of droning background synths and gain-saturated vocals.

Pleistocene are no one-trick-ponies though - for every delightfully straightforward track like "Butter," we are rewarded with something a little different like the ethereal "Talk to Me." The oddest moments on this album come from "Hit the Books" and "Finer Things" which, to pleistocene's credit, don't seem to fit into any discernible genre.  The guitar line in "Finer Things" alone was intriguing enough to make me crane my head to get my ear closer to the speakers. Once I realized how ridiculous I must have looked, I realized how exciting Pleistocene can be. 

Even though the band is capable of writing simple pop songs, the refreshing (and downright surprising) thing about Pleistocene is their ability to push the boundaries of pop music. "Finer Things" might not get attention from the radio in the way that "Big Bang" might, but the plethora of strange sounds and intriguing effects are enough to catch any person's ear in just the right way.

Lastly, "The Band" finds Pleistocene channeling Wolf Parade with just a touch of cynicism. That being said, it's no secret that pop bands are a dime a dozen... And with the recent explosion of great new shoegaze and emo bands, it's a welcome experience to stumble upon a band like Pleistocene who knows how to mold pop music into an interesting format. I am usually biased since I live in Buffalo and all, but I have to say, Rochester and Pleistocene have set the bar pretty high this time.

The end is in sight for our 12 Days of Christmas series here at buffaBLOG. Today, on Christmas Eve (one of my very favorite days), we go back to Rochester for a selection from the alt-folk group Shiv Hurrah. Their darkly optimistic "I Don't Hate Christmas" features harmonies that recall the Jonathan Meiburg days of Okkervil River and could easily be nuzzled onto one of the band's Golden Opportunities mix tapes had they decided to tackle some holidays tunes. Even the biggest Scrooge can get down with this one.

We are quite fond of recording studio Quiet Country Audio and their live session series here at the blog. In Rochester, our sister city to the east, there is a similar type of series that you should be checking out. Genesee Live, a music webseries founded in September of 2012, has been releasing interviews, full-length performances, and other videos from Rochester acts all year long. The web series recorded and released their first live show back in February, featuring a performance from Maybird's lead singer Josh Netsky at the Bug Jar. Past installments have included showcases from some Rochester's best acts, including Mikaela Davis, holiday party artist SPORTS, and our personal favorite in the series so far, Harmonica Lewinski. All past features can be viewed here.

Yesterday, Genesee Live released their 10th installment in their performance series, a December taping from Cottage Jefferson, who placed at #8 in our favorite Rochester songs of 2013, at the Lovin' Cup. You may watch the full clip below.

9) Skirts - "Death of the Author"
2013 was an interesting year for Skirts. First, a distinguished author claimed copyright infringement on their former band name, Meanagers, threatening legal action if they did not change it. Secondly, they were signed to upstart Rochester label, Dadstache Records. At some point they also went from a three to a five piece. Since then, the band has recorded and released a slew of songs, most notably the upbeat garage track, "Death of the Author." Skirts is fronted by Hayden Ford, whose vocals and song writing style is something worth your attention. We're definitely looking forward to more songs and perhaps even more members in 2014. - MJM 



8) Cottage Jefferson - "Follow Through"
I must admit, I was a little late on the Cottage Jefferson train. If it wasn't for my lack of an auxiliary input, a six state road trip, and 30 blank CD-Rs, I may have never given I Don't Believe Anything's ten songs the time or attention they deserve. "Follow Through" is a three minute even, self-reflective, bare bones mellowed out indie rock tune complete with jangly guitars, introspective lyrics, and a line that will drive your family mad for roughly 18 hours ("Michael, what do you mean all you need is a follow through?"). Fans of Spoon's accessibility with Dylan Baldi's (Cloud Nothings) delivery would love Cottage Jefferson.  - MJM

Listen to "Follow Through" here.
 
7) Crushes - "Love Is Lost"
2013 saw the debut of Crushes, a synth-pop duo comprised of Buffalo born vocalist Laura "LuLu" Robinson and producer David McGinnis aka David Lee Rad. The pair's single "Love is Lost" is a cut of tense, electro pop led by Robinson's sultry vocals, and a track that could easily have been placed onto the Drive soundtrack without thinking twice. The song's dark, late night vibe makes comparisons to Chromatics almost too easy. Fans of Niki & the Dove or the Italians Do It Better cast of synth driven acts would be best served to take note of Crushes. - MPM




6) Keeler - "Shoot The Jay"
Keeler's debut autumnal release, Too Old to Believe in Ghosts, is, pound for pound, one of the most impressive releases out of Rochester in 2013. TOTBIG's explosive first track, "Shoot The Jay," packs a punch with glory era emo composition coupled with lead singer, Sam LiButti's, manically gripping vocals. "Shoot The Jay" encompasses that fall feeling' everything is dying, 98% of things suck, and it's really cold out (comparatively to summer). There's probably some grim metaphor in there I am not reading enough into. Regardless, fans of Cap' n Jazz, Algernon Cadwallader, or Their They're There would love Keeler's lo-fi combo of grizzled innocence and visceral shout-singing. - MJM



5) High Drags - "The Bad Ones" (ft. Edgar Sandoval)
Brother/Sister duo, High Drags (James & Marissa Longstreet), is not a newcomer to the Rochester scene. Although now half of the project lives in LA, High Drags has found time to release a three song Valentine's Day EP titled The V-Mixtape. The song that resonated with us the most was the EP's second track, "The Bad Ones," which begins with some rambling about hitchhiking to University with mere pennies, and then proceeds to tell the fictitious (?) love story of Dylan and Francis. "The Bad Ones" features Marissa's whisperingly sweet vocals along with James' strolling electro-pop backing and making this track a definite for the Rochester top ten. Fans of a distortionless Sleigh Bells or even Lily Allen would dig this. - MJM



4) Seaplanes - "Lip Gloss"
We frequently refer to bandcamp as the blog's best friend as we find tons of the new regional music that makes up so much of our daily content via the music streaming site. "Lip Gloss," the first recorded song from the new wavy rock group Sea Planes, hit the site early last spring, and immediately left us longing for the summer vibes bursting from the sunny single. "Lip Gloss" employs laid back first wave British Invasion type vocals and a sugary melody filled with fuzzy riffs reminiscent of a Los Campesinos! that remembered to take their ritalin. Fans of Rouge Wave, Grandaddy, and the Weakerthans should keep an eye on the four piece as we expect big things in 2014. - MPM



3) People Can Be More Awesome - "Cleaner Than Before"
Rochester’s People Can Be More Awesome really impressed us with “Cleaner than Before.”  The song has infectious layering highlighting the band’s knack for both genuineness and descriptors. “Cleaner than Before” is a drum machine backed indie tune (think Front Bottoms meets Motion City Soundtrack) that, on the surface, seems to focus mostly on partying and having a good time. But, this six-piece is hiding a secret romanticism and are actually more enamored with the potential of falling in love than the party itself. Recorded at Redbooth Recordings with Brian Moore, the sextet only has a couple of songs to date, but with “Cleaner than Before,” the band has proven to have a talent for writing songs that linger in your ears. - MJM



2) Taking Meds - "Jim Jones"
Originating as the side project for 3/5ths of Rochester punkers, Such Gold, Taking Meds made their internet debut last January with a three-song sampler aptly titled Demo. Taking Meds is not as aggressive as Such Gold, sounding more reminiscent of late 90s/early 2000s acts like Hey Mercedes, Hot Rod Circuit, and other earnest sounding indie-leaning, early emo acts. “Jim Jones” is a curt 1 minute and 50 second angular guitar laden jam that has all the things we love in a song: a title about a cult leader, killer hooks, punchy vocals, and the ability to somehow find itself played 42 times on iTUNES. - MJM



1) JOYWAVE - "Tongues" (ft. Patricia Petrone of KOPPS)
Without a doubt the best song in both catchiness and popularity is “Tongues,” by Rochester’s JOYWAVE. “Tongues” dominated Hype Machine’s top internet countdown multiple times, was remixed by electro-Midas’ RCA and was even featured on Sirius XMU. This alone is a remarkable feat that I’m almost positive, based on zero research, no other Western NY band has accomplished this year. The track starts out with KOPPS’ Patricia Petrone sampled “Boo Da Dum Dum Bah OOMP” quickly going into lead singer Daniel Armbruster’s falsetto narrative about his whirlwind weekends with Rochester artists, musicians, and mostly dreamers. With word on the street JOYWAVE has new material in 2014, could it be possible that the band dominates next years’ top ten for the third time? - MJM

Destroid (Excision, Downlink and KJ Sawka) were scheduled to perform at Rochester's Main Street Armory this Thursday, Dec. 5, until it was mysteriously cancelled. Apparently, the artists weren't informed about the reasoning. Mike Marshall, of MNM Presents, took the reins and the event has now been moved to Buffalo's very own Town Ballroom.

The artists voiced their irritation via the realm.

The promoters in Rochester have cancelled Thursday's show. No one knows why or why they didn't bother to tell us. This is complete BS
— Excision (@Excision) December 4, 2013

We'll all be flying to there along with our 10 person crew.Full Sound and Lighting rig will be there. Hopefully we can figure something out.
— Excision (@Excision) December 4, 2013

Thanks to Marshall, their resilience did not go unappreciated, and fans now may only have to take a quick Metro ride or cab downtown for the show. Rochester folks will have to make the trip.

All tickets (which were $35 online) for the Rochester event will be refunded. Flavorus Fan Club tickets will be refunded the difference and can be used at the show. Tickets purchased through other means (ie. the box office) will be refunded at some point, but a new ticket must be purchased for the Ballroom event; cover is now $20.

 

Tonight the buffaBLOG magic bus is making another trip to the eastern end of our Tor-Buff-Chester megalopolis to welcome Vampire Weekend back to Western New York after a 3 year absence. Once again playing the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York City's Vampire Weekend are back, touring behind their excellent Modern Vampires In The City 2013 release which saw them transcend the literate Afropop that defined their 2008 eponymous debut and evolve into a worldly and baroque yet fun genre wholly unto themselves. Joining them is NYC darkwave/dreampop duo MS MR, whose bold sounds will be familiar to Canadian radio listeners who've seemingly heard "Hurricane" twice a day for the last few months. Amazingly, tickets are still available, and doors open at the Armory at 7 PM. See you there.