The 4-piece hip hop sensation Type Relevant hit the studio this summer and came out with one of the best Buffalo hip hop albums I have heard thus far writing for buffaBLOG. Pure Speculation, a title Type Relevant front man Brian Herlihy says was inspired by the darker side of the music industry, the side of all business, image, and preconceived notions about what hip hop artists are suppose to sound or act like, is an album seasoned with multi-genre flair. The guys bring together jazz, bluesy rhythms, rock, and Latin-influenced sounds to produce a global flavor I have yet to hear from any other Buffalo hip hop artist. Surprising tempo changes and skillfully rendered lyrics, such as in "Mint Chips" make no track boring. Classical instrumentation such as in "Breaking Through," featuring cellist Charlie Bennet, add to the group's multi-instrumentalist appeal. Each track contains an inspiring message, especially for those looking to break into the music industry. "Elevate" contains a simple but right-on message, "Elevate to a higher level." Be yourself, get to where you want to be with hard work, and things will fall into place. The milky vocals in "This Road" provided by songstress Rachel Palumbo provides judt enough sexy feminine edge. Herlihy freestyles like a quick change artist; his lyrics are fast and to the point, because extra verbage is unecessary when rhyming what you feel. The album's phenomenally done. Make sure you give it a listen.
As members of the Hutchinson Tech High School Jazz Band, drummer John Hunter and guitarist Brian Herlihy made music the only way they knew how, by shaking up the status quo. “We did our own thing, created our own scene,” said Brian “Relevant” Herlihy. Years later, after several transitions and a much fuller ensemble—bassist Eric Stachewicz and guitarist and key player Stefan Wajda joined the group in 2012—Type Relevant is the healthiest it's ever been, and ready to make their long-awaited comeback with a rejuvenated sound and spirit. The predominant freestyle hip hop group and 2009 Artvoice BOOM award winners will debut their first full-length project in 11 years, titled Pure Speculation, at their album release party tonight at Nietzsche's. “Pure Speculation is the scrutiny that every artist and band must endure,” Herlihy said. “A lot of the times a venue won’t book us because we are labeled a hip hop act. This is a small example of pure speculation.” An explosion of hip hop, jazz, funk and soul, the album will leave nothing and everything to the imagination, hints Herlihy.”The album consists of variation. Each track is different from the next. Expect in-depth lyrics, soulful choruses and unique instrumentation.” The highly anticipated project will be celebrated with a slew of guest performances, including Buffalo MC and producer Shuteyes, who will be backed by DJ Charlie the Butcher, four-man hip hop collective Prime Example and experimental hip hop concoction Milkfat. According to Herlihy, the party serves as a reward for a year’s worth of laboring away in the studio with his bandmates. “We’re just ready to show what we got.” The party begins at 10 pm. The event is 21+ and cover is $5.
It was a rainy and blustery Tuesday night out in downtown Buffalo, but the weather didn't dictate musical impulses inside. White, translucent curtains hung from the doorway, lending the small and lively space an ethereal feel. When pulled back, the curtains revealed a room where magic was already in the making. The musicians were in the zone, the studio was blazing (in every sense of the word)and there was plenty of creative juice to go around (including enough Sam Adams Alpine Spring Ale to keep the party popping). The little unnamed recording studio at the corner of Ellicott and E. Huron is where the hip hop powerhouse There Goes the Neighborhood, composed of live hip hop band Type Relevant and local emcee Keith Concept, announced their inception. Although a newly established partnership, the musicians and their friendships go way back in Buffalo hip hop history. Guitar player and emcee Brian Herlihy (Relevant) and drummer John Hunter (TypeNice) who have been jamming for quite some time together, had the idea of creating a live, jazz-infused hip hop band about 11 years ago. Key player Stefan Wajda taught Herlihy how to play the guitar 19 years ago, and joined in their endeavor just last year. Brian and Stefan's friend of 19 years, Eric Stachewicz, who jammed with Stefan in the Dave Matthew's Tribute band, also jumped on board as bass player in 2012. “We just kind of faded into it at some point,” Stefan said of Type Relevant's organicness.
Eric gently gripped his bass and prepared his fingers for an impromptu jam session. “Let’s make some magical juices happen,” he said while in the studio. And just like that, he took the lead by strumming a melody so theatric, yet at the same time so serene-sounding you would have thought it was something out of a classic Spanish telenovela. Stefan began playing a beautiful bluesy chord progression on the keys to accompany the flamenco-styled bass playing and Brian brought out the hip hop heartbeat of a snare and high hat as he repetitively tapped away on the beat machine. The final element was added as Keith Concept entered the session with a Buffalo-based freestyle, and the rhythm sailed away with his words. From the moment he met Type Relevant in 2003, Keith instantly gravitated toward their sound. Years later, the emcee was inspired after attending a Machine Gun Kelly and Tech N9NE concert where the main acts were performing with live bands, and so he initiated the collaboration in early 2012. “It blew my mind,” he said of his concert-going experience. “So I contacted Type Relevant and said listen…I want to be a part of this.” There Goes the Neighborhood was finally formed, ready to share its organically blended creativity with the world.
And its humor. While Brian played a track on the computer, Keith, a goofball at heart, busted through the doorway with entertaining commentary and occasionally chimed in to relive the glory of his heydays through storytelling rants. “I wrote this joint,” Keith joked, stealing all the credit. “Sure you did,” the guys said together sarcastically on cue. Concept laughed, “It’s an on-running joke…We talk shit to each other all day through text message and through Facebook.” Time flies when you’ve having fun with old chums, and that quality time spent together has allowed the guys to become familiar with one another’s diverse musical backgrounds. Time has also afforded them the luxury of developing a cohesiveness of unparalleled strength. “I met Keith not long after I started going to Brian’s studio with Eric, so Brian and Keith were really the first people associated with a hip hop scene that I have ever worked with,” Wajda, who studied jazz and classical music at Villamaria college, said. Stachewicz joined Type Relevant as a member of the punk metal band Chester Copperpot and learned to quickly adjust to playing different bass lines. ”I definitely had to tighten up my playing and restrict myself from going off (on the bass),” Eric said, whose eclectic musical palate includes everything from blue grass to experimental funk. “Playing with them has made me more melody-aware…You got to have that basic real deep groove to work off of.”
A deep groove, of course, needs feeling behind it. The majority of lyrical inspirations for the group’s tracks, Brian said, are derived from family. “I transition music to my words. It’s about feel and energy. I talk about family, I talk about my kids a lot, as opposed to being really metaphorical and battle-style like a lot of other emcees,” the family man revealed, whose youngest son Isaac is a drummer and whose other son Alex has been spinning on his head since he was two. “I started playing (instruments) before I started writing. I’m coming from the perspective of a musician rather than an emcee (in my lyrics).” A lot of ideas for the new album, tentatively set for release in late spring/early summer, are thrown around during improvisational jam sessions at the studio. It’s a process of music making that comes naturally to the guys, Stefan said, because “we’ve all been schooled musically in some fashion.” There Goes the Neighborhood is a melting pot of artistic brilliance because of the diversity of their experiences. Stefan himself is a guitar and piano teacher at Vida Studios in West Seneca, and Eric attended UB for music performance. Brian is a sound engineer by nature and Keith is a self-taught emcee that has been in the game longer than Shaq. Keith still finds the partnership ironic, but believes the intermingling of musical flavors makes There Goes the Neighborhood the powerhouse that it is. “It’s kind of funny that we all actually do make music together, because if you look at it from the outside looking in, you’d be like, ‘There’s no way that any of these dudes would be in the same room with each other, as far as our music,” he confesses.
But it works. And talent helps, too. Keith has rocked with the best of them throughout his career, sharing the limelight with hip hop power players like Ghostface Killah, Dilated Peoples and Kool G Rap. As the winners of the Artvoice BOOM award in 2009, Type Relevant made their presence known as Buffalo’s best live hip hop group, and perhaps the only live hip hop group still going strong after 11 years of making music together. “We were just in the zone,” Brian said while reliving their winning performance at Nietzsche's. “We had the hip hop community behind us. They really helped us out. I think people were really together during that time.” The group’s gusto will surely continue to unify the hip hop community in Buffalo and propel them into a bright future. All for one, one for all and there goes the neighborhood…
Ask any Buffalo MC and they’ll tell you the heart of a true hip hop scene pulsates deep within its city’s walls. If you listen closely, you can hear it. If you’re looking carefully, you’ll know where to find it.
But one thing you must know is that the scene isn’t necessarily opposed to a change of scenery itself. And tonight, Buffalo hip hop (and a few other varieties) is invading the ‘burbs.
ADDICTED TO HIP HOP, presented by Sickboy Productionz, will feature a delicious buffet of Buffalo’s finest hip hop acts performing in Amherst. They’re getting shuffled throughout the night to keep fans on their toes and ears satisfied.
“Acts will play two songs and jump on and off stage switching the whole night…think of it as an iPod on shuffle playing music from each performer,” said Mark Miller, president of Sickboy Productionz, who will perform under the stage name Emcee M.D. tonight.
The wildly talented hip hop collective Prime Example will also be tearing up the stage this evening with their anthem-driven sounds. Expect some classic material mixed in with new tracks off their latest EP, Modern Marvels, and energetic, live jams with member Steve Syracuse going hard on the drums and bass.
Joining them in the lineup are the soulfully splendid Type Relevant, a group prepared to electrify fans with their skilled musicianship and jazz-rooted style, the ferocious Hi-Lo and the hip hop group Free At It.
Akron native Emcee M.D., who’s known for his Andy Milonakis, Beastie Boys-esque rap style and persona as well as his humorous but meaningful viral music videos, will also be gracing the stage. In a space invader suit. And probably with a few more tricks up his sleeve.
It may get weird up in here, folks. Brace yourselves.
This eclectic gang is going to serve up bars and hooks you’ll pound down harder than a Bud Light and provide an interesting experience you’ll definitely be able to make the most of. Word on the street is that some of them are dishing out freshly baked mixtapes, too.
The show is 18+ and starts tonight at 9:30 pm at The Forvm located in the Maple Ridge Plaza. Tickets are $10 at the door.
“Expect the unexpected,” Miller said.
Go for the hell of it. Go because you give a damn. Go to support local music.
Oh, and if you truly support local music, comment on this post, we enjoy the feedback from you lovely people.
Boasting itself as Buffalo's biggest 4/20 party, The Great American Smokeout will take place tomorrow at Broadway Joe's beginning at 4pm in the afternoon. The event will be an all-day affair featuring the talents of many local bands. The most notables of the big lineup are local hip-hop fusion group Type Relevant, and indie funk jamband Whiskey Reverb. Big Basha is the only DJ on the bill, scheduled to close-off the long night. There will be food -and- BBQ (hence the "smokeout" monicker), even the fire spinning troupe Funkafire (likely in the backyard). Still not quite sure why bars throw parties for 4/20; not like you'd be allowed to medicate inside. It's more about meeting up with friends, checking out some local stoner rock, and enjoying some munchies and beers. Check out the sounds of Whiskey Reverb below. The party is in the heights at Broadway Joe's 3051 Main St. Buffalo, NY. 4p-4a $5/21+ $3/18+
Many folks say the night before Thanksgiving is the biggest party night of the year. Maybe it’s because we’re eager to start over-indulging, or maybe it’s just that Thanksgiving eve doesn’t come loaded with family obligations the way other holidays do. Whatever the cause may be, Nietzsche’s plans to tap into that party spirit tonight with its “Thanksgiving Eve Turkey Jam.”
Starting at 9pm, you can get your fill of great music for only $5. The main stage will host the likes of Type Relevant, Rhubarb, Universe Shark, On the Sly, and Ramforinkus, while Shapes of States and Will Folk for Food hold down the front stage.
If you’re out reveling on Allen Street tonight, stop into Nietzsche’s and feast your ears on some terrific turkey tunes.
Are you into a wide variety of music styles? are you free tonight? Well, I've got a show downtown you should consider attending.
Opening the night will be Buffalo's own Effective Resolution, they're a newly formed band that claims to be a genre-blending mix of hip-hop, R&B, rock, and reggae. Surprisingly, that's a pretty fair description of their sound if a song like "Fell So Far" is any indication. That song features a wide variety of live instrumentation and cool sampled effects of what sounds like thunder and a... woodpecker at one point? The keys are triumphant and the groove reminds me of something from the realm of 70s prog music.
Jazz and hip-hop have always been intertwined as rapping over jazz inspired beats is a huge part of hip-hop's origins. Headlining tonight @ Slyboots, Buffalo's own Type Relevant collaborates with Canadian-Born Jazz trumpeter Brownman. Both acts will share the stage and act as the other's backing band. It will be a headlining act of local Hip-Hop flavor with authentic jazz instrumentation and improvisation. Fans of truly live Hip-Hop should look no further. It will be a posse-night with many MCs and musicians sharing the stage to create something truly unique. Guest MCs include: Dr. Ooo, Mad Dukez, and Tommy Too.
Slyboots is located @350 Ellicott street (near the electric Tower). Admission is $10 at the door and the show begins at 10PM.
Rolling in the deep are Buffalo’s talented artists. This weekend is studded with events and parties that will stage their talents, and offer you the opportunity to get out and spend some quality party time with friends. Use buffaBLOG and this week’s Drum Machine Report to help map out the itinerary and you cannot go wrong.
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since the first ever Prom of the Dead (fundraiser for Torn Space Theater) held at the Dnipro Ukrainian Home. Last October this event was the talk of the town, and word is heavy on the street that it’s gonna pop off again this year on Saturday night. The DJs this year will delve a lille bit more into the modern realm. They’ve added PROJEX and DJ LOPRO into the mix of art, rock, and zombie themed weirdness. The idea was to add a little oomph to the dancefloor areas of this already raucous party and play some more of the things we may have heard at our proms, rather than our parents’ proms. This event promises to be one of the funnest parties of the year! So go. I’ll be emceeing the night, and if you want a massive double high-five, I’ll be happy to oblige.
thursday 10/20
+frosty tone+
LIVE EXPOSURE
10p-4a
21+
DBGB’S
253 allen st. Buffalo, NY
Buffalo hip-hop fusion group TYPE RELEVANT will be featured at this week’s Live Exposure along with local DJs LOONEY TUNES and THE VERDICT.
friday 10/21
mnm presents:
EOTO
8p-1230a
$15/All ages
TOWN BALLROOM
681 main st. Buffalo, NY
So if it wasn’t for the Disco Biscuits, I would have never gotten into Electronic and Dance music years ago. I may still be listening to some noodle-y String Cheese! Bleh. J/K. Sorry I had to joke while making that point, because the evolution of music is just what Michael Travis and Jason Hann are trying to push with EOTO. Combining the fun party elements of a DJ set with live instrumentation. And their success can be measured by selling-out shows and getting great reviews from performances all over. It also helps that they are genuinely nice guys. Check them out at the Town Ballroom with Buffalo DJ, BIG BASHA, who needs little intro. If you know, you know, BIG BASHA’s sets are fire.
I’m really really excited for this. Last year I attended Roctoberfest at the 464 Gallery and boy oh boy was it cool. This year’s edition, called MONSTER will be an expansion on that idea. A collaborative mixed media event with art, music, and video installations. Three exploratory floors of fun and oddities with music and art in a spooky state of congruency. Check out the full list of artists HERE.
nuskool pirates presents:
VDJ CB SHAW
10p-4a
$7/18+ $5/21+men Free/21+women
BAYOU
79 w. chippewa st. Buffalo, NY
VDJ CB SHAW along side resident DJ SUNGLASSES MIKE and performer KELLI CROSSLEY
IGLOO MUSIC at EMPIRE
11-4
21+
EMPIRE GRILL
1435 hertel ave. Buffalo, NY
i ❤ ⌂ ♫
PETER PIZZUTELLI:TRAKBENDERS:PAUL KUENZI:CHUCK ABBOTT
Making an stop in Buffalo will be producer and DJ, WILL BAILEY. The well-rounded individual will roll into town, hot on the new styles including Moombahton and Booty House. Local support with be provided by 3PO, LOONEY TUNES, ILL BILLY, AQUAFRESH, EMJAY BIGGZ, DR. SEB, LADY ATRAM, and SNAX.
www.waxmuseumradio.com 3PO:ACTIVE8 tune in for sets and interviews. Your City, Your sound.
A toast for the city! Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Hide your face so the world will never find you. A false face is one you want to remember, so pose pretty for the cameras boys and girls. This night is for you. Much Love.
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