Lazyrus happens when you pair spoken word influences with shrilling guitar melodies and alternative rock roots into a weirdly experimental and exhilarating chorus of sound. Buffalo slam poet Thomas "Lazyrus" Panzarella and Erie, PA producer Nick Price are the mad men behind this cohesive and kinetic rap rock machine. Each brings to the table elements of expertise that fit comfortably into this marriage of punk and hip hop. Panzarella has frequented local mics and poetry slams, including the city's more recent monthly-run competition, the Pure Ink Poetry Slam, for almost a decade. He has won twelve head-to-head slam competitions and was a member of the city's National Slam Team in 2008. The singer songwriter has worked with several Buffalo-based acts and names including Bogustice Tundra Kidz, Wise Mecca, and Taariq Abdul Salaam. His partner, sound engineer Nick Price, a digital media arts graduate of Canisius College, has assisted in the mixing for high profile artists such as Ciara and Nas and in 2005, began his own multimedia company, Northstar Media.

After joining forces in 2010, Lazyrus released their first project, 13, which caught on to international airwaves and earned them overseas acclaim. 2012 saw the independent release of N.O.M, an album which included the video for their debut single, "IRock." The video was filmed by ThreeGloves Productions in Erie, PA in a vacant space above The Crooked Eye Bar. Technical rigging and lighting transformed the buried treasure of a basement cave into a warehouse of artistic impulses pawing at the soul. What keeps this duo current is their ever-evolving mode of being and unbiased attitude toward experimenting with different sounds and emotions. Panzarella's lyrics project images of wild metal head mayhem in one song, and in a different song, they emit aromas of an acoustic jazz set in a coffee shop. The team is currently working on their next album, which I'm sure will be nothing short of spectacular.

Boy bands are like Furbies. At one point we may have forgotten about them, but they’re so gosh darn cute that they somehow found a comeback within the fluffy fringes of pop culture. And with comebacks come reinvention. Through an edgy and refreshing blend of in your face, poppy punk-driven anthems, high energy drum rhythms, and killer acoustic prowess, the Buffalo-based pop-punk band Faith and Fiction reworks the “boy band” label to their advantage.

After releasing their first single “Cloud Nine” in April of 2012, followed by their first EP, For Glory, the rambunctious 4 piece, whose musical style they brand as a combination of pop punk giants Brand New and All Time Low, got their first (albeit modest) taste of fame. While they garnered a growing presence of YouTube followers online and a larger fan base at shows, the real cloud nine didn’t seem too distant. ”We definitely had some momentum, but there were also a lot of things that we had to work out,” guitarist Michael Montante said. A year later and with a little more experience under their belt, the guys are determined to do things better this time around with their second EP, Kids in the Clouds, set for release this summer. “The EP we’re putting out is really going to be the base of whatever we do in the future from here on out,” Montante said. “We’re taking our time and trying to do it right.”

Shedding a tear on stage will almost always get you laid…said no member of Faith and Fiction ever. But, boy bands do have to have a sensitive side, and the group has definitely had their fair share of heartbreak. “You Stole My Sweater,” the first leak off of Kids in the Clouds, deals with this dreaded reality through angelic vocals, haunting melodies, and a hopeful outlook. “I thought it was a unique name because it’s the idea that someone took this part of you that you can’t get back,” said lead vocalist Timothy MacDonald of the track’s title.

For more on the young heartthrobs from Buffalo, check out their YouTube channel.

Local hard rockers His Name Was Yesterday have performed alongside the most popular names in metalcore, pumping up enthusiastic audiences throughout the United States. Two LPs into a developing career, the band have returned from a short hiatus to offer up more uncompromising yet uplifting metal anthems. buffaBLOG was fortunate enough to interview His Name Was Yesterday’s dynamic lead singer, John Green, amidst the rush of the holiday season.


JG: Definitely. I record all the vocals for our new stuff at home in my studio [in Alabama] and send them to our producer in Buffalo. We’ve got quite a few new songs in the works. But I don’t think we’re going to do an album. I think we would rather release them as singles. Releasing singles is just way more cost-effective and the best way to interact with our fans. We’re modeling this strategy after bands from the fifties. Making an album is such a long, extremely expensive process. We just want to write songs, release songs, and get them out there for everyone to hear. By putting tracks out on hisnamewasyesterday.bandcamp, fans can choose how much they want to pay. If they want to get it for free, they can get it for free. If they want to pay fifty cents or three thousand dollars, great. (laughs)




JG: Absolutely, absolutely. We’ve all been through some of the roughest times together as a band, and we’ve all been through rough things individually. Without each other, I don’t think any of us would have made it through absolute hell. It brought us closer and made us more of a band, the stuff we’ve experienced and had to deal with. We couldn’t have done it without the support of each other.

JG: I auditioned for STEMM a long time ago and I didn’t make the cut, but Steve Crowl, STEMM’s bassist at the time, said he knew of a band looking for a vocalist. He connected me with Mikey Kauffman, our drummer. And it all began through a Myspace message. I think I still have the message actually.




JG: We’re so happy to be back. We took a year off and everyone thought we were breaking up. We even thought we were breaking up. After a year of stepping back though, we all missed this too much. And we are definitely back. We will be releasing new music. We are happy and honored to be a part of the Buffalo music scene and you can look forward to much more to come from us.

Inlite. The band, comprised of Jordan Dixson, Griffin Smith, Nick Kelly and Josh Little, was formed in Grand Island when the four members were only in high school. Although unsigned, their very clear talent will hopefully bring this Buffalo group the recognition they deserve.

Inlite's self-proclaimed influences include bands such as The Killers and Muse, after seeing their show at Mohawk Place during the Marie Antoinette CD release on March 9 it was clear to me that the group definitely translates a similar sound. California-esque, the group brought a feel to the dimly lit venue that traveled to a somewhat timeless place. Blending alternative rock from the late 1980s and early 90s, their clear and polished vocals along with consistently well-articulated instrumentals embellish their strive towards post punk rock and new wave.

It would be unfair to Morrissey to say that Inlite's vocals are anywhere near the level of The Smiths; however, in hearing them live there was a slight impression of "This Charming Man."

Inlite is definitely worth a listen and if you do get the chance to see them live, I doubt you'll walk away with a complaint. They're lively and clearly diligent musicians and after learning that they have been friends since a young age, it is clear that their bond and comfort with one another helped to make their performance seem almost second nature.




Check em' out! They're on twitter, facebook and there's also the band's official website.

Their EP For Future Reference can be listened to here.