Showing posts with label settlers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label settlers. Show all posts
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Buffalo Band Abroad: Lesionread and Kristachuwan - Episode I


Jumpy Mexican bean, Shawn Lewis a.k.a. Lesionread (above), and Chris Svoboda a.k.a Kristachuwan, blowing through a sax (below) played Shit Mansion last night to an enthusiastic crowd. Portland, Oregon/native Buffalonian Settlers (below) opened up the scene with some surfy, chillwave solo guitar and vocals, as performed by MAXWELL! Sounds like a musical, but I just call him Maxwell, because real people don't normally introduce themselves by first and last name.
Kristachuwan
The energy was as intoxicating as the audience was intoxicated, with the crunching of beer cans underfoot, cigarettes being lit from a homemade wine bottle candle holder, and a dancing red body-suited man named Phil.

They're already off to a nostalgic kickoff for a two week, partially mapped tour that zig-zags the eastern board. L and K are on the road now, journeying to Bodymore, Murderland (Baltimore, Maryland, for the unhip) for their upcoming show tomorrow at Club K with "Bollywave" artist Ami Dang.  
Settlers.
Wish the guys luck on an adventure of a galactic lifetime, follow their Twitter tag #LK2013, and this series for DEETS!






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Tonight: Lesionread/ Kristachuwan Tour Kickoff Show w/ Settlers


Touring is a sort of litmus test for any local band or performer, and a sort of milestone for the municipal scene that supports them. Kristachuwan (the solo project of former Cinnamon Aluminum sax/effects guy Chris Svoboda) and Lesionread (the alias of electronic producer/art star Shawn Lewis) are kicking off on a two-week stint, and they're throwing a going away party tonight at Shit Mansion. Kristachuwan makes some deep, dark glitch/psych beats, and I don't think I could really describe Lesionread without using a complex series of algorithms and vertiginous symbols, or maybe a just a can of silly string (check out our incoherent interview with him here).

Both artists share a propensity for being art-damaged and weird – and damaged art factors heavily into their sound, style, performances, promotion, and even their approach to comporting themselves as human-ish beings. To quote a cryptic message I received from Lesionread:

“all the merch is gunna be cheap and profits go towards our gas tank

which is gunna get obliterated

and after the tour we will be destroying all the merch we haven't sold

to make sure that the artifacts documenting the tour will be true

in their essence of someone else wanting them to live on.”

Come out to the kick-off show tonight (the shoe-gazey two-piece Settlers will also be performing) to wish these fellas well, pick up some merch while you can, and enjoy some confounding but ultimately fun music/art, then follow the tag #LK2013 for updates, photos, and videos from the road.





steve gordon
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Tonight: Jack Topht, 100% Black, Dog, and Settlers


I've never been to the Jungle Gym before, but I could only imagine that the place could be some sort of venue simulation designed after the classic apparatus of fun that it gets its namesake from. Performers could balance on metal beams as show goers plummet into wood chips and get bruised, then run back screaming for more. But that would be ridiculous.

Then again, so is Jack Topht.

The man loves to do rap. And beers, and sex and art, and many other things he'd like to share his love for with you. He's a better rapper than you. He's also a self-proclaimed local folk hero. Probably because he actually is. Jack Topht's lyrics are relevant and irreverent at the same time. With an open mind and a sense of humor, you'll enjoy his set. If not, it's likely you haven't lived in Buffalo long enough.

Dog will be on guard to provide the experimental music portion of the night, and will surely deliver on an unusual, interesting musical experience. Dissonant punkers 100% Black are straight out of Binghampton, and will open your mind by shooting beams of high powered feedback through your cranium. Hopefully you're into that sort of thing. 

Picture the seemingly ancient memory of a summer night partying on the beach. Settlers orchestrate the soundtrack for such a scene, and they do it well. Their music may cause you to indulge in a little nostalgia, but without being forced or obvious. 

With a line-up like this, you should feel like you're on a playground.

The show starts around 9:30  at The Jungle Gym.



~ Photo by Nate Peracciny

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buffaBLOG's Best Buffalo Tracks of 2012: 20 - 11



We gave you a little tease yesterday of some Buffalo tunes that have locked themselves into a pretty constant rotation for us here at the blog.  Today, though, is real talk.  Twenty of the finest Queen City songs that 2012 had to offer are ready for your listening ears.  We will start today off with songs 20-11.  Check back in tomorrow for the Top 10.  



#20.  Sea Snake Vs. - "Dink Donk"

 Rising from the rubble left by former local acts, Baby Blue Bird and Chateau Terrace, Sea Snake Vs. first emerged in the summer of 2011, making their debut performance at the Infringement Festival.  Despite the potential, the band would meet a similar fate. While a proper full length release never saw the light of day, the trio turned five piece rock outfit managed to release a couple killer tunes in their short existence.  “Dink Donk” sounds like a perfect marriage of the darker sides My Morning Jacket and the National, combining the driving rhythm section of J. Daniel and Christopher Joseph along with Alexander Reid’s brooding vocals.




#19. Early Attic – “Patterns”

After a fairly quiet 2012 on the internet front, Early Attic released the single, "Patterns," in the final quarter. The band has gone through some personnel change-ups within the last year, but that has not stopped their creative output. The single off their forthcoming album (that MIGHT come out in 2012), “Patterns,” is a testament to the band’s both staying power and ability to pump out one hell of a catchy chorus.

#18. On Beta - "Crackin' Up"

Continuing the tradition of great Harvestsum releases, There's Blood in Your Heart, the debut album from On Beta, wasn't your normal debut.  The piano rock trio was full of veterans from the Buffalo scene (all members are featured or former players in Johnny Nobody, the Backpeddlars, and the Old Sweethearts) and that seasoned confidence can be heard all over the LP, but no more so than in  "Crackin' Up."  The song builds on a tense sense of urgency, featuring great harmonies from the grizzled, soulful voice of Mark Nosowicz, to the always reliable Andy Vaeth (Harvestsum's secret weapon in my opinion and a damn fine beat), proving that piano pop can have a swagger of its own. 




#17. Love Scenes - "Enigmatic" 

Buffalo’s electro-pop staple, Love Scenes, released their second full-length album, Blissed Out Youth, this past summer, just in time for the buffaBLOG restraining order to be lifted.  Blissed Out Youth was positively received not only by Buffalonians, but the band has been rapidly gaining fans in Brazil. Without a doubt, the most impressive and take home worthy track of this album is “Enigmatic.” This track features Leah Loefke’s sweet and ghostly vocals combined guitarist/programmer TJ Grace’s hypnotic electro-pop instrumentals (Freezepop, Crystal Castles), which make this track a must-have for the best of 2012.



#16. Quinton Brock - "Bros" 

University at Buffalo’s resident emcee, Quinton Brock, has a flow that is bigger than his relatively small frame. In 2012, Brock released his debut full-length, Light Mayonnaise, produced by former Sleepy Hahas bassist, Derek Sullivan.  The lead single off the album, "Bros," is a tale about Brock's interactions with the university's...bros. Brock could easily be thrown on the next OFWGKTA mixtape, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened. MAN FUCK THEM BROS.


#15. Merchants - "Moth" 

2012 saw the departure and eventual return of Merchants. Boy are we glad those plans to move to Alaska and work on a tourist train didn't really pan out. Before their exodus from Buffalo, the band was a three-piece grunge act relegated a dark corner of Nietzsche's with zero internet presence or recordings. Fast forward to December 2012  and the band has a demo, a semi-active Facebook/Twitter, a gig with The Growlers under their belt and an additional member, keyboardist Steve Gordon.  Merchants are resurrecting grunge in Buffalo, singing songs about depression, whiskey, and well, other things. What is exceptional about Merchants is their ability to "Real Estate" themselves up once in a while. "Moth" sticks out because it's one of the first songs we've heard from this foursome at buffaBLOG and still holds a firm place in our heart and iTUNES playlists. 




#14. Settlers - "Sky Kings" 

Born on the dirty basement floor of DIY space, The Jungle Gym, Settlers were one of the bands that instantly clicked with us.  The band's sound could best be described as noisey, driving, lo-fi rock and roll a la No Age. This scuzz rock tagteam consists of current Buffalo expats, Maxwell Scott (bass) and Daniel Gomez (drums). "Sky Kings" was the first song released by the band via a trippy youtube video made up of clips from a 70's hang gliding doc titled Playground in the Sky and needs to be on this list. Also, we're pretty sure Maxwell Scott is the only three-stringed bass player in Western New York. 





#13.  Signo Vinces - "Hot Time"

This is the official start of bands associated with Buffalo’s indie hit machine and mastermind behind Steak and Cake Records, Brandon Schilia. Signo Vinces consists of Schilia and Love Scenes songstress, Leah Loefke. The band started out as a recording project recording covers and throwing them on bandcamp, but the duo's electro-pop project has grown to a four-piece live performance. Their track "Hot Time" is a must-have for any best of Buffalo 2012 countdown. 




#12. Young Suns  - "Whale Fall"

If the world ends tomorrow, I know I will die barricaded in my apartment with Young Suns' "Whale Fall" blaring out of my dying computer speakers because most likely the power grid will fail before it all goes down. In 2012, we saw the debut of post-hardcore instrumentalists, Young Suns and boy are they tight. Garnering influences from Russian Circles, Every Time I Die, and Explosions in the Sky, this post-apocalyptic rock quartet is on it's way to becoming one of Buffalo's chief exports. 
#11. Cemeteries - "The Wilderness"

 Goth Pop.  Dark Dream Pop.  Whatever you want to call it, Kyle J. Reigle’s Cemeteries released one of the most impressive albums to come out of Buffalo in some time. Released on Lefse Records, The Wilderness was a collection of atmospheric and mood filled pieces that easily could have scored one of the horror flicks Reigle oh so loves.  On the album’s ray of light title track, though, the shimmer and shine break through for a song that would sound right in place on any great John Hughes' film.  Had Red House Painters and Wild Nothing ever gotten together, this is what it would sound like.




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Tonight: Bees, Dirt Eyes, Settlers, and Jack Toft

Tonight, kick off the summer with some of Buffalo's best unheard of bands. The Jungle Gym, a DIY house who have been putting on some great shows and parties this year, will be hosting  Bees as they kick off their tour. Appearing with Bees will be Dirt Eyes, Settlers, and Jack Toft. All four acts are great, chaotic fun and there will be free pizza and $2 beers. This show is free, begins at 9pm, and promises to be a great start to your long weekend (we all know you will be phoning it in tomorrow).



Michael Torsell





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Listen to the new track from the Settlers




The enigmatic Settlers is a two-person band consisting of Maxwell Carl Scott and Dan Gomez, who perform droning, feedback laden epic jams. To date, they have only released 2 songs, but have been playing shows for a few months now. Your next chance to see them will be Thursday, May 24, with Bees, Jack Toft, and Dirt Eyes.   

This week, Settlers released another fantastic track, “White Out.” While more uptempo than their last release, “Sky Kings,” “White Out” still features the same successful formula of melodic guitar riffs amidst a swell of feedback and drums. I think there are vocals somewhere as well. Either way, this new song is well worth a listen, or eight. 

As I said, Settlers will be playing at the Jungle Gym (357 Breckenridge Avenue) on May 24 with Bees, Jack Toft, and Dirt Eyes. This will be a chance to see some really cool bands for free. According to the facebook event page, there will even be pizza. 


Michael Torsell
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Tonight: Moon Hooch w/ Settlers

Tonight the Ninth Ward (341 Delaware Ave) hosts the awesome lineup of NYC’s Moon Hooch and local noise duo, Settlers. Moon Hooch is a three piece dance band consisting of two saxophonists and a drummer. The band’s horns are reminiscent of The Budos Band with the percussion of !!!. This trio (Mike Wilbur, Wenzl McGowen, and James Muschler) met at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan. Moon Hooch started out as a street act, hustling in the subways and parks for spare change. After solidifying their name (formerly Moon Juice) the band quickly gained popularity in part to their impromptu subway dance parties. If you can get New Yorkers dancing in public at rush hour, that says something. Currently the band is in the midst of a six-month sold out residency in Brooklyn’s famed Knitting Factory. Opening is the fuzzy Buffalo-based tag-team Settlers (Maxwell Scott and Daniel Gomez). Doors open at 8:00pm and there is an $8 cover. michael moretti
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Tonight: All of Them Witches w/ Settlers

Tonight Buffalo State College will host arguably two of the most buzzed about up-and-coming bands, All of Them Witches and Settlers, in a fantastic double-header for free in the Campbell Student Union’s Fireside Lounge. All Of Them Witches are in the midst of making their first college radio debut with a national campaign targeting 300 of the best CMJ 200 stations. This duo’s mathy two-guitared licks along with Cameron Rogers’ insanely complicated drum beats (think Hella, By The End Of Tonight, or anything put out on Temporary Residence in the past 5 years) make them one of Buffalo’s must-see, this-close-to-making-it, buzz bands. Also performing is the scuzzed-out duo, Settlers. These guys have quickly made a name for themselves in Buffalo, mostly due to their constant opening spot at the DIY space The Jungle Gym. The band’s fuzzy, low-fi sound with Maxwell Scott’s haunting vocals (think No Age or Fair Ohs) is almost beyond and bigger than Buffalo. Their single “Sky Kings” had an impressive 700 views on YouTube within one week of uploading. Doors are at 9pm and the bands will start right on time, none of that waiting 45 minutes business.



michael moretti
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Artist Spotlight: Settlers



Heads up to the Vault's facebook page(and fellow buffaBLOGGER Michael who technically probably told me about the group about three months ago) for turning my attention to this new band.  Local noise rock drum & bass duo Settlers have caught my ear, with their gritty, No Age esque sound.  Comprised of Amherst kids Daniel Gomez and Max Scott, the two have just a handful of shows under their belt, mostly performing at the Jungle Gym, a DIY space over on Breckenridge, where they also recorded their first track, "Sky Kings"  While Max and Daniel do not have much in the recorded department as of now, the two of them plan to head to NYC to lay down some more tunes in the near future.  In the mean time, "Sky Kings" can be downloaded for free at the duo's bandcamp page, or check out the video they set to the track, made up of clips from a 70's hang gliding doc titled Playground in the Sky.


mac mcguire
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