Showing posts with label Aaron and the Burrs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron and the Burrs. Show all posts
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Tonight: PUNK N' TOTS Mid-Winter Beach Party



Buffalo is notorious for its confusing weather, and weather confused citizens.  While visiting Californians may still be shivering in their long underwear tonight, Broadway Joe's will be soaking in the glorious 46 degree weather with a beach party, complete with punk n' tots.

Mayday! will be performing, and their heavy hitting B-52's esque track "Blood Bath" could be this event's party anthem. With such delicious song titles as "Shark Sandwich" and "Illegal Alien vs. Child Predator," they're sure to give an electrifying performance, so you best wear a swimsuit made of rubber.

 The reverb drenched tones of Aaron and the Burrs will propel attendees they ride the waves and surf the crowd. Embrace the ocean of thrashing instrumental surf rock.

 The Televisionaries out of Rochester will round off the set with dirty, gritty surf punk.

 Start the weekend tonight with music to break down sandcastles to.  Admission is a cheap five bucks, and cheaper if you show up in beachwear attire and don't skimp on the sun lotion.

 Doors at 9PM, Surf's up at 10.






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Tonight: Big Ups, Aaron & the Burrs, and Space Wolves


You can continue the grand tradition of getting hammered in a basement with free beer and free cookies this evening at independent record store Black Dots, but only if you want to deal with the hassle of three great bands sharing the same space with you.

Big Ups are on tour from Brooklyn, NY and should be ready to punk your beautiful faces off after thoroughly inspecting their van for any Williamsburg hipsters hiding in their seat cushions.

Local surf rock homies Aaron & the Burrs and Space Wolves are also expected to be in attendance, but as I am taking Space Wolves at their word and literally expecting a pack of wolves from the distant edge of our galaxy to play this show, we can't assume anything. I don't know what the nearest spacefaring analog to a beat-to-shit tour van is, but it's probably not making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

Doors are at 6pm and that gives you a solid two hours to stock up on fantastic records to boast about in front of your dearest friends. The suggested donation is a piddly $5, so feel free to help Big Ups fill their gas tank as much or as little as you want. If you're mathematically inclined, you may even decide to make a game of it, calculating exactly how much they'd need to only get so far from here that their van hits empty at the precise moment they pass by a decrepit farmhouse, in the middle of nowhere, full of bloodthirsty cannibal rapists.

It's almost Halloween, after all.




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Album of the Week: Aaron & the Burrs - Aaron & the Burrs II


What is there left to say about Space Wolves that we haven't already said?  If you are a loyal reader of our humble blog, you should know that the men in Space Wolves craft surfy indie-pop with occasional (okay, more than just occasional) bursts of pop glory.  Between the two of them, guitarist/bassist Nick Reynolds and drummer Chris Scamurra have enough ambition, determination and, well...  some combination of insanity and brilliance to conquer every corner of the surf genre.  Enter Aaron & the Burrs.

Aaron & The Burrs II is an eight-song instrumental album that embodies everything that surf music should be.  Make no mistake, this isn't an album by the Beach Boys - if you're looking for that, Space Wolves is probably your best bet.  But here, Aaron & the Burrs have eschewed any sort of pop-mindset.  Without the emotional distraction of lyrics, these guys have constructed an outlet for themselves to create unadulterated surf magic.

The closest these guys come to Space Wolves territory is probably the album opener "Sinking the Scorpion" or even the closing track, "Thunder on the Dneiper."  "Dneiper" has a monster chorus riff (hint - :12) that's a shining example of the pop genius that's hidden deep beneath their cool surf exterior.

 The trouble with reviewing instrumental albums is you don't always know exactly what the songs are about.  Aaron & the Burrs II is no exception - when it comes to the subjects of these songs, your best guess is mine...  But, and I know have said this before, bands sans-vocalists like the Burrs (and fellow Buffalonians Young Suns/All of Them Witches/etc.) allow the instrumentation to shine through (obviously).  Take the blistering riff in the 26-second-long "Narcosis Addicts," or even the impressive tremolo picking in a song like "An Ill-Natured Wind."  Worth noting is Reynolds' nimble fret work on songs like "The Descent," full of precise slides, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs.  The drums are never far behind, laying down smooth surf beats that Reynolds rides all the way to the pits of whatever Buffalo/hell hybrid these guys are trying to create.

Speaking of hell, my personal favorite song on this album is the twisted-surf of "Forward to Hell."  At the risk of making an awful metaphor, this song makes me feel like I'm riding some sort of hellish lava-wave on my way to Buffa-hell.  But even when Aaron & the Burrs aren't whipping out impressive instrumental leads or leading the charge on the way to the abyss, they are still capable of putting together a cogent song.  "Rising Sun" is probably the "gentlest" moment on this album, but still packs an enjoyable beachy punch.

I guess when it comes down to it, we buffaBLOGGERS just can't get enough of the Reynolds/Scamurra team.  I have heard some rumors of some more extravagant side projects from the Space Wolves dudes...  Sounds promising.



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