19) Victory for Poland - "Save Yourself From Me"
V4P might be the youngest band on the top 20, but "Save Yourself From Me" shows an astounding amount of songwriting skill from a group of high school age musicians. Featuring a slew of horns, fiddles, and a guest appearance from Brimstone Blondes frontman Matthew Danger Lippman, "Save Yourself From Me" is saturated with all sorts of genres, including psych rock, ska, and even some folk, all with a "can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it" flavor of  "that could only be from the UK." We buffaBLOGGERS have been mourning the loss of many of our favorite high school aged bands this year but luckily, Victory for Poland is still around. - NAS



18) Strange Acres - "Faith"
Strange Acres’ crawling “Faith” was arguably the most gripping track off of the band’s impressive debut self titled full length. A Harvest Sum super group of sorts, Strange Acres (featuring former members of Sleeping Kings of Iona and current members of Orphans) began as the score to an imaginary film, but the band eventually evolved beyond their original “cinematica” concept. The album's first track, “Faith,” accentuates the sultry songstress Molly Grace’s, chillingly dreary delivery as well as highlights her personal struggle with religion. Fans of chilled out electro (Fever Ray, Portishead), will dig this. - MJM



17) Andy Vaeth  - "Never Make a Sound"
As a member of Johnny Nobody, the Old Sweethearts, On Beta, and the Backpeddlers, Andy Vaeth has been entrenched in the Buffalo music scene for over a decade. For someone involved in so many projects, it was a welcome surprise when he released his solo EP, Sad Synthetic Sounds, via Steak & Cake Records. Vaeth, whose voice has long been one of Buffalo's secret weapons, sounds as fragile as ever on the gorgeous, alt-country tinged "Never Make a Sound." The track is a bare bones tune featuring the singer and his trusty acoustic guitar. Little touches like the layered vocals during the chorus, subtle electronic melody, and the digital drum beat remind you that this is a Steak & Cake release after all, but Vaeth, as always, manages to convey emotions through three and a half minutes better than almost anyone in Buffalo. - MPM



16) Cross Stitch - "Worst Dancer in the Room"
I have a confession. I get a lot of music sent to me via the internet and as a “music journalist” I would be bankrupt if I bought every digital release I liked. I am the guy that types “0” in the pay what you want option on bandcamp. Now that I got that off my chest, I enjoyed Cross Stitch’s debut six-song EP, The Early Years (Drug Party Tapes), so much that I bought it. Cross Stitch is an all-girl feminist punk band that sounds like a punkier Marnie Stern in a basement with Sleater-Kinney undertones. “Worst Dancer in the Room,” is the fifth track on their EP, a slow-to-start crescendo-ing diddy about the fear of being alone. - MJM



15) Space Wolves - "Too Short"
You would think that the lo-fi surf rock that comes from Space Wolves would be happy-go-lucky or at the very least, irreverent. Sometimes it is – some of their best songs are about buying cigarettes on the Res or driving out of state. That’s not quite the case with “Too Short”… not even close actually. After a burst of pipeline guitar, Nick Reynolds and Chris Scamurra launch into an intelligent, albeit self-deprecating song about being, well, just not quite good enough. “Too Short” is about that little voice in all of us that reminds us of all the insecurities  we secretly hope no one else notices.But at the end of the day, this is why buffaBLOG loves Space Wolves so much - we can count on them for both genuine emotion or a song about buying cheap cigarettes. Now that’s a balance I can relate to. - NAS



14) Mallwalkers - "Going Downtown"
If I were to make a video compilation of memories from summer 2013, Mallwalkers’ “Going Downtown” would be the soundtrack provided my memories were summed up in roughly three minutes. For those unaware, Mallwalkers is a super-group of sorts, featuring a few Buffalo’s major players in the rock and roll scene (Biff, Dan Carosa, Stephen Floyd, Tony Flaminio). They could best be described as an 11-piece punchy funk-punk band, complete with a horn section and interpretive dancer. “Going Downtown,” was the first single off the band’s August release, Shake Off The Rust, where singers Carosa and Jaime Rowitsch sing of gathering the masses in downtown Buffalo like punk rock pied pipers. - MJM



13) Lancer - "Elephant in the Corner"
Rarely does an album make me want to cuff my arm around my buddy’s neck and scream lyrics from a band, let alone a local band, in their face. Lancer’s Don is Rich EP is full of such moments, with “Elephant in the Corner” being the most outstanding on an already very strong EP. Lead singer Victor Castillo gravely vocals and delivery of “Elephant in the Corner's” chorus make me excited to see how this band will grow in 2014. Lancer does not make songs, they make pop-punk anthems. - MJM
 

12) Camp Counselors - "Charyou"
Haunting. OK, I got that word out of the way mostly because its the easiest/laziest description one could give to "Charyou," the standout track from Huntress, Cemeteries mastermind Kyle J. Reigle's side project Camp Counselors. "Charyou" leads off with an unnerving, throbbing beat that gives way to Reigle's airy vocals. Out of nowhere, (well specifically the 2:05 mark) "Charyou" transforms into a cut of atmospheric witchhouse. The sense of dread that Reigle loves to deliver lingers over the entire tune, never allowing you to get too comfortable. Fans of The xx, Atoms for Peace, Timber Timbre, and modern Radiohead, this is for you. - MPM



11) Applennium - "Island"
Applennium might be one of Buffalo’s most understated and underrated bands. If you think this is a point worth arguing, you should first listen to the dreamy groove of “Island.” Singer Stacey Stoll’s hushed delivery is flawless, reminiscent of Still Corners or even Karen O if she took a Xanax or something. On top of this, they’ve filled the background of “Island” with distant vocals that range from a haunting moan to a “tribal” howl. I can really appreciate when a band takes the time to fill out the background of a song. So, yes, this song isn’t quite a face-melting barnburner, but it is the perfect song to put on when you want to chill out and melt into your bed. - NAS




Check out songs 10 - 1 here.

It's that time of year again. The Adam Mickiewicz Polish Library and Dramatic Circle, otherwise known as the Polish Library (612 Fillmore Ave.), will be hosting the fourth Annual Buffalo Decency Rally, showcasing the best in local punk rock, hardcore and indie, on two separate floors. The absolute cream of the crop in terms of creativity, power, heart, and attitude will be on display and I am way psyched. If the past few years are any indication, this will be one memorable and wild night. Plus it's cheap ($5) so you have no reason not to go.

Heres a list of the bands and the set times. Get there at 5:30 sharp to catch all the acts.

SPERM..............................6:00 (Up)

REAL PEOPLE.....................6:30 (Down)

CROSS STITCH...............7:00 (Up)

CAGES...............................7:30 (Down)

V.O.C.................................8:00 (Up)

ACHILLEA...........................8:30 (Down)

RESIST CONTROL................9:00 (Up)

MALLWALKERS....................9:30 (Down)

UTAH JAZZ..........................10:00 (Up)

JOHNS.................................10:30 (Down)

ABLE DANGER......................11:00 (Up)

MAYDAY!.............................11:30 (Down)

DREAM JOURNAL....................12:00 (Up)

SUN BLACK SMOKE...............12:30 (Down)

FLOOD DRINKER...................1:00 (Up)

ANCIENTS OF EARTH.............1:30 (Down)

Do you like partying? How about boats? I like both. Know what's even better? Party Boat... The fun-in-the-sun, beachtastic garage band playing tonight at the Jungle Gym! Lo-fi at its loneliest, these dream surfers are currently on tour with bluesy psych-droners, Linear North, and it's a pleasure to have em in town tonight. Cross Stitch is also on the bill... maybe one more. Get to the Jungle Gym at 9 and stay til close. 6 dollarinos.

The sheer percentage of guys to girls in the music world is staggering. What we indie kids need is some bad bitches to tell everyone what's what, and thanks to Northampton, MA's Potty Mouth, we girls have someone to look up to. Blending sounds of the late '80s and early '90s with post-punk and suck-my-vag music types, Potty Mouth marches forth with distorted and surfy guitars, a bored to yelping vocal team, and a skippy drum kit. This outfit is comprised of Abby [lead vocals and rhythm guitar], Ally [bass], Phoebe [lead guitar], and Victoria [drums]. Now listening to their recent releases, I am saddened to have missed them at The Glitterbox, especially after being updated by Josh Smith, the owner of Black Dots Records of their show. The poster looked like this.

Check Potty Mouth out at pottymouth.bandcamp.com

Mac, our fearless editor, threw a tape on my desk. "Listen to this. It's pretty phat."

"Fat?" I said, "like it won't fit into my Walkman?"

"As if! Dude, I mean, like, gnarly. Hey, I'm going to the mall for a slice of 'za. Wanna come with?"

"Nah," I said, a sense of déjà vu creeping into my brain. "I'm actually not feeling so great. I think I'll take the afternoon off."

"Whatever, man. That tape is hella fly, though. Let me know what you think."

I had to get the hell out of there.

I grabbed the tape and hurried out the door. My black Chevy Cavalier, the one with the rust hole in the trunk clear to the street, was parked on the curb. I hopped in a sped off, trying to shake the uncanny feeling that had taken over my head.

I started jonesing for Bagel Bites.

"Music," I thought, "music will help." I jammed Mac's tape into the deck. Cross Stitch. It was good. Bikini Kill good. Like the Breeders and the Kelly Deal 6000, but with less slow artnoise and more rock. Like Archers of Loaf met up with Throwing Muses and Sleater-Kinney to make beautiful, off-kilter, not-quite-punk indie rock. "Pretty dope," I thought.

I was really getting into the tunes when the tape deck started eating the cassette. "Shit," I swore to myself and pulled the tape and a tangle of ribbon out of the stereo. "Not again!" I looked up in time to see a Zubaz-wearing doofus drinking a Crystal Pepsi get crushed under the grill of my car. Shit.

Not again.

It was my recurring '90s nightmare, right down to the mercy killing of a man wearing terrible pants. Only this time it came with a bitchin' soundtrack.



To be honest with you, I've got a hazy view of the '90s. For one thing, I was too young and lived too deep in the hinterlands of the Southern Tier to really engage the broader culture and trends. For most of the decade, I was an awkward, red-faced turd with a mullet doing my best to drown out the "sizzlin' country" and holy rollers that pervaded the radio waves. To that end, I'd throw one of my parents' Def Leppard or Guns N' Roses tapes into my yellow and neon-blue knockoff Walkman ("Color Tunes") and endure.

It wasn't until I left for college that I discovered what I'd been missing. College radio and indie rock opened my eyes and ears to a world beyond hair metal and honkey tonk bullshit. It was like leaving my tiny world for another planet. The mother ship had finally come.

Cross Stitch takes me back. Not necessarily to the '90s, when Riot Grrrl was in full swing and bands like Sonic Youth were making guitar noise for shaggy, flanneled hipsters. That just wasn't me. But I love the sound from that era. And Cross Stitch would have been very much at home. They sound like one of those secret bands we only find out about when an older brother or sister or a super-cool crush puts them on a mix tape and clues us in. They've borrowed the mantle of pree-2000 indie and they wear it proudly.

There's a definite feminist vibe running through these tracks, but it seems more, I don't know, mature? Nuanced? Back then, Bikini Kill et al. were the vanguard of third-wave feminism with a "fuck you, I'm a woman, and I rock" attitude. Which was fine at the time. Cross Stitch seem less aggressive, but no less girl-positive. The fact that they've labeled themselves "craftcore" (a tag they share with but one other artist on Bandcamp) suggests that, this time around, the party line is closer to: "If I want to wear a skirt and crochet a tea cozy, that's my business. Now, fuck you, let's rock!"

There's a certain amount of irony here. I can't tell if the whole craft thing is tongue-in-cheek. I'm sure part of it is. I look at Cross Stitch the way I look at modern Sitch 'n' Bitch or Steotch: maybe you're being ironic with this whole girly, arts and crafts business, but you've got to spend a lot of time and genuinely enjoy your work - just a little - to get Jabba the Hutt's needlework jowls to look just right. 

You can find Buffalo's best craftrock quartet on Bandcamp and Facebook. Check out their self-titled below. My only complaint is that their six-track digital EP is too damn short. I want more Cross Stitch, and I want it 20 years ago. Preferably on cassette.