Scrolling back through our past posts on local favorites Unwelcome Guests, it's hard not to notice a recurring theme: nobody is quite sure how to place them. On the surface, it seems like it shouldn't be so hard. Guitars, bass, drums, vocals: this is the stuff of bands since Buddy Holly. But where one person hears the Buzzcocks, another hears the Gin Blossoms. Personally, the first thing I thought when I started listening to their new album, Wavering, was Jawbreaker, and even then, I'm not sure exactly why. Whatever the reason, Unwelcome Guests are the musical equivalent of that thing from Harry Potter that shows you whatever you want to see.

This is a good thing. It makes Wavering one of those rare albums that could, potentially, please everybody, at least everybody into rock music (Luke Bryan fans, go home). It mostly sheds the occasional country vibe found on Unwelcome Guests' first full-length, Don't Go Swimming, doubling down on the punk and the rock.

Unwelcome Guests have always been skilled songwriters and arrangers. On Don't Go Swimming, it's obvious that a great deal of thought went in to every single note, build-up and breakdown. But Wavering is on a whole new level. For one thing, the band is tighter than ever, and not afraid to showcase their musicianship when the situation calls for it. For another, it's clear that every single track was meticulously planned and executed so that the listener would never have the chance to get bored. Unwelcome Guests put the work in on Wavering, and it shows. Where other bands might have taken one good idea and tried to stretch it across an entire song, Unwelcome Guests give every flourish the attention it deserves before moving right on to the next one. Not only does that keep the listening experience fresh, but it rewards repeat listening as well. 

The album opener, "Aerostatic," kicks off with a snare hit right to your skull, the kind designed to get an audience out of their heads and onto their feet. "Aerostatic," and two tracks that immediately follow, "Everything New" and "Clouds," are both melodic punk songs in the vein of great bands like Jawbreaker and Hüsker Dü. "Kick The Beams" sports some of the best guitar work on the album, building on an imperial-sounding guitar line reminiscent of bands like Ozma or Queen. Album midpoint "Flood" sees the band touching on their country-punk roots, but the tracks that follow are closer to straight-up riffy rock. "Cautions Will Be The Death Of Me" is a catchy love song, but maybe the album's low point (or maybe I'm just a cold, cold bastard who can't get down with sincere expressions of adoration and appreciation). But things pick up quick, closing out with the energetic, Superchunky sounds of "Can't Get Past" and "Slippery Strings."

Despite the fact that Unwelcome Guests draws on and displays influences from a ton of different bands, the production on Wavering keeps things consistent. No matter what great bands might come to mind throughout, Unwelcome Guests always sound like themselves, first and foremost. The album was recorded and mixed all over, including The Slave Pit, home of Gwar, and it sounds great. 

Unwelcome Guests are out on tour in support of Wavering, right now, so it might be a while before you can catch them live and pick up a copy at a show. They just finished up a string of dates with labelmates Sundowners, the last one being a spot on the Dirt Cult Records showcase at SXSW on Saturday. So if you'd like a real live physical copy of Wavering, support your local record store (I know that Black Dots has it, and that Spiral Scratch should soon), or order a copy straight from the label here. 

Buffalo's Unwelcome Guests are prepping the release of the Jonn Angelo produced Wavering, set to drop earlier next month, and the band just premiered the album's opening track, "Aerostatic," on its bandcamp page yesterday. After a slow start to the year in Buffalo music, at least compared to last year, the crunchy, dive bar ready "Aerostatic" already feels like one of the better songs of 2014 here in the city. We have been hard to find comparisons to the band's sound here at the buffaBLOG offices, with bands like the Buzzcocks, the Hold Steady, Gin Blossoms, the Replacements, and even fellow Buffalo act Failures' Union all thrown in the mix, but we still can't decide. Maybe you can. Anyways, Wavering is set to drop on March 11th. You may listen to "Aerostatic" below.

Tomorrow marks the 2nd installment of the Leonard Oakes Steampunk Festival in Medina. I'm still not exactly sure what Steampunk is, even after I attended the fest last year, but I will say that it's an absolute blast and that Steampunk Cider is probably the greatest alcoholic beverage not named "beer" (Mike's is pretty great too.... I'll just leave my man credentials at the door).

In preparation for the party tomorrow, there's a show tonight. Boiler 54 (115 West Center St.), a new-ish venue in Medina will host two pretty excellent bands, Unwelcome Guests, who have a folk-country-ish take on punk rock (listen below) and the Stamplickers, party punk at its best. Do yourself a favor and head to Medina tonight to catch the action (8pm).

Some of my favorite bands are those that are beyond classification. You can't compare them to other groups, nor do they fit in those nice, neat packages that are so often ascribed for mass consumption. Unwelcome Guests is one of those bands. Post-punk, nineties alternative, indie-pop; any of those descriptions would ballpark it, yet still fall short of the mark. Listen to the excellent "Don't Go Swimming" below and judge for yourself. Tonight UG will be playing alongside two other bands that defy description, Buffalo's own Vox Humana and Tucson's Seashell Radio. Nietzche's is the place, although I'm not quite sure of the time (9ish? Anybody know?). Party on.

Tonight Sugar City (19 Wadsworth St) will host ex-Plan-It X Records’ Ghost Mice, with support from locals Unwelcome Guests and Bryan Johnson and the Family . Headlining is Cairo, Illinois’ folk punk tag –team, Ghost Mice. They are bringing their politically charged acoustic anthems (think Against Me!, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Japanther) to one of buffaBLOG’s favorite venues in Allentown. You may be familiar with Ghost Mice’s Chris Johnston and Hannah Jones from their numerous pop-punk bands they have played in throughout the years, namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric, and Operation: Cliff Calvin. They are DIY pioneers and have been known to play anywhere from backyards to street corners. This energetic duo two play au natural, never with mics or amps. 


Also on the bill is Bryan Johnson and the Family, who you may remember from their killer set at buffaBLOG’s Christmas party. This upbeat trio will be pumping out their beachy surf jams (think Beach Boys meet Surfer Blood). Last but certainly not least is Buffalo-based Unwelcome Guests, whose raw energy and shout-along alt-country punk choruses will certainly pump the crowd up. It’s an early one, with doors at 6:00pm with a $6 cover.