If you follow this blog, even remotely, you've picked up on a few things: Praise for the new Daft Punk is unaninimous, Mac's on point with the Just Announceds, Scott is a fantastic writer, and this blog LOVES Young Suns. Like really loves them.

If you haven't heard Young Suns, let me give you a brief introduction. Russian Circles-esque with a touch more melody, not quite Pelican heavy, but certainly treading that slim, sludgy line. Groove for days; the convergent point where metal meets rock meets atmospheric instrumental soundscapes. It's a potent concoction and their mastery of tension-release songwriting cannot be overstated. This music is as thought out as a battle-plan and I mean that in the best way possible.

You can catch Young Suns tonight at Waiting Room with two other Buffalo bands, Scales and Backbiter. Scales are clearly influenced by Young Widows (ok in my book) and Backbiter have this cool hardcore punk/crust/sludge influence (also ok in my book). It's cheap and it's early (6$, 8pm). No better place to party tonight.

Fans of atonal noise and anything avant-garde will get a kick out of this one.  No, but seriously, the anti-harmonists in You You Dark Forest will be hitting the Turnaround with support from Buffalo's finest pop-scorning artists.  This includes sludge/crust band Backbiter and the ever brutal Young Suns.  Rounding out the lineup will be a set from The Patterns.

Young Suns are one of the best instrumental bands Buffalo has to offer.  Seeing that instrumental tag draws immediate connotations to other singer-eschewers like Russian Circles or Explosions in the Sky, but this particular four-piece specializes in crafting heavy, soaring songs that manage to be equally as beautiful as they are powerful.  Full of deep droning baritone guitars, huge drums, and interesting guitar leads, the only thing this band doesn't have is, well, a vocalist.  And that's totally okay.  Luckily, these guys aren't the "I'm going to shred your face with guitar leads until it melts" kind of rockers - they sure know how to write a song...  Check out "Whale Fall" below - we picked it as one of our top 20 local tracks of 2012.

Young Suns have been all over buffaBLOG in the past year - their self-titled album was featured as our Album of the Week a few months ago.  In fact, the only accolade we hadn't given these guys was a slot on one of our infamous parties...until now.  They will be closing out the night this Saturday, March 30th.

Nearly three years to the day of our very first blog post, and what an epic post it was, we here at buffaBLOG are gearing up to celebrate another great year in the books.  To commemorate our three year anniversary, we will be throwing ourselves a birthday party at Duke's (253 Allen St.) on Saturday, March 30th.  Like all of our past shindigs, we have put together an impressive bill of musical acts,  showcasing some of the best bands the Western New York area has to offer.  This year's bill includes sets from Cinnamon Aluminum, Merchants, Joywave (Rochester), Young Suns, along with Space Wolves (DJ Sets).  The fun kicks off at 10pm, with a cover of $5.  We look forward to you joining everyone at the blog for this celebration.

P.S. Make sure to check back in on the blog the week leading up to the show for a special spotlight on each of our performing acts.

Buffalo has a rich history of influential hardcore bands, from Zero Tolerance and Slugfest to Buried Alive and more recently, Every Time I Die. Perhaps the most famous of the bunch is Snapcase, one of the bigger Victory Records acts during Victory's heyday.

Snapcase was always something a bit more than hardcore:  a fusion of heavy music, heavy ideas, and unique enough to represent a sound you could only call its own. When they called it quits a few years back, more than a few tears were shed.

Since that time, the band has played a number of reunion shows, including the excellent opening slot for Dropkick Murphys at the harbor this past summer. Snapcase continues in that tradition tonight and Sunday celebrating (and honoring) Buffalo's soon to be closed Mohawk Place (7pm, $21). It's befitting that a band that represents Buffalo so well will be playing one of the last shows at Buffalo's best venue. Openers tonight include our very own Young Suns and Chae Hawk and Sunday night you can expect some very special guests.

Unfortunately tonight's show is sold out, but there are still a few tickets left for Sunday's show. Seeing as how both nights of the Last Waltz are now sold out, this is your LAST opportunity to see a show at Mohawk if you didn't get tickets to those events. Make this one count. Pay your respects to a great band a great place.

Young Suns is heavy. They are also beautiful. This dichotomy is what makes them an excellent band. The Buffalo four-piece, comprised of guitarists Ryan Higgins and Dan Moscov, bassist Ron Hensberry, and drummer Adam Lilley, play expansive instrumental songs that bring to mind other ambience-rockers in Explosions in the Sky or Russian Circles. Seeing as how they are an instrumental band, the comparisons to other instrumental bands are inevitable, but Young Suns are a unique breed. Their songs would and could work well with a vocalist, they just choose not to have one. Listeners are rewarded with an interesting experience - the opportunity to listen to a passionate collection of songs without the distraction of lyrics.

Their 7-song, self-titled EP is a collection of powerful crescendos and dark ambience, starting off with the discordant "AB AETERNO." Immediately, Young Suns introduces their deep, distorted baritone guitars and huge drums. "AB AETERNO" is a menacing introduction to an album full of similar, brutal but not-too-violent tunes. One of my favorite parts of this album is the abrupt change from "AB AETERNO" to the fast-paced opening riff of "TITANS." I wasn't expecting the one-two punch between the songs, but it helped me realize that Young Suns knows how to keep your mood elevated.

One of my personal favorite tracks on Young Suns is "FROM THE ASHES RISE THE PHOENIX." If I had to pick a song that perfectly describes what Young Suns is all about, this would be the one. Trying to assign a feeling to a wordless song is a challenge I don't often face, but Young Suns are able to stir something up in me. I can't quite put my finger on it so I'll try to put it into some sort of awful metaphor - it's kind of like the background music in scary movies where it wouldn't be the same without it. Young Suns is the background music to my angst - they are able to intensify the way I feel about a particular problem or situation. They don't necessarily tell me how to feel with words, but I do find that their music has the potential to alter moods.

I also have to hand it to Young Suns for not taking the absence of a vocalist as license to let loose and fill their music with a thousand face-melting (no pun intended, Young Suns) riffs. I agree that there is a time and a place for that, but instead, Young Suns treats us to a variety of pleasant guitar riffs and dark moods with an emphasis on ambience. In "CRESYL VIOLET STAIN" for instance - the song is full of riffs, but none that challenge the inherent sense of melody that carries through the entire song. Even when the riffs get pretty heavy, like the infinite delay on the lead guitar at the end of "ROBOT PARADE," everything just sounds impressive and expressive. The lack of self-indulgence on Young Suns is refreshing.

In my personal opinion, I find that instrumental bands have the tendency to "noodle" too much. Before you know it, songs are hitting that drawn-out eight minute mark where you are looking forward to the end of the song instead of living in the moment like the artist was hoping you would. Young Suns songs rarely breach the four-minute mark, so it isn't a chore to sit down and listen to them. What makes things interesting is that there is never an opportunity to sit down and dwell on anything for too long - many times their songs come and go so quickly that they warrant many more listens to truly grasp.

The one time Young Suns does happen to hit the seven minute mark is the incredible "AD INFINITUM." This song has it all. It's one emotionally brilliant breakdown after another. Every time I thought the song was winding down, it crescendoed into another huge wall of sound or some more urgent ambience. That's the power of Young Suns, they can't tell me what to expect with lyrics, so I just listen and let the music speak for itself.

A Place To Bury Strangers is everything good about "experimental" rock. They're noisy and heavy, psychedelic, and atmospheric, all whilst still maintaining a semblance of melody and structure...and this keeps you interested. Because let's face it. Noise for its own sake is boring. Nobody wants to listen to garbled up gobble-de-gook for half an hour. APTBS tow the line between chaos and beauty, and they do so masterfully.

Oh, and they're also known for putting on a helluva show. Just check out some of their youtube clips for better evidence. Tonight the lads from NYC will be at Mohawk Place (8pm, $12) along with Bleeding Rainbow and buffaBLOG fav Young Suns. If your thing is heavy, this is THE show. Get there early and catch Young Suns. Seriously, one of the best bands to come outta Buffalo in awhile.

Looking to hear the best and newest local tunes?  Make sure to tune in to a brand new episode of the WBNY Local Show this evening, broadcasting live from the WBNY Studios at Buffalo State College.  Hosted as always by Michael Moretti, tonight's special guests will be Buffalo's heavy and epic instrumentalists Young Suns.  As with all episodes of the Local Show, Young Suns will play a live set in the WBNY studio before taking over as guest DJs.  If you want to see the band live in person, they will be opening for A Place to Bury Strangers on Friday, Novemeber 16th at Mohawk Place.

Today's episode of the Local Show airs live on 91.3 FM beginning at 7:00pm.  You may also listen live online here.

In their own words, Young Suns are "instrumental, atmospheric, and heavy,"   and they pretty much hit the nail on the head.  The "instrumental" tag draws comparisons to groups like Explosions in the Sky, Russian Circles, or maybe even their Buffalo peers in All of Them Witches.  As for being "atmospheric and heavy," the four piece, comprised of guitarists Ryan Higgins and Dan Moscov, bassist Ron Hensberry, and drummer Adam Lilley, craft expansive songs that manage to be equally as beautiful as they are powerful.  Young Suns' biggest strength is the ability to pull off that mix without ever overwhelming or boring their listeners - a good example is their song "Whale Fall" (below) where an epic beginning turns into an anxious crescendo.  All in all, bands sans vocalists aren't exactly run-of-the-mill, and as for Young Suns, it is interesting to listen to their songs without the distraction of lyrics.

Their next show is this Thursday, October 18, at the Ninth Ward.  They make up 1/3 of the entertainment for the "Underground Zombie Invasion" along with The Merchants and The Etchings.  The show is $5 - Doors are at 7 and the show starts at 8.  Added Bonus: Free zombie makeup for all.

The outer harbor is hosting Edgefest number whatever today, succinctly marginalizing the most promising new venue in the Buffalo area. While I think it's noble that the powers that be enabled the land to be put to the valuable use of convincing 103.3 The Edge they're still a thing, across town there are people working hard to actually support the city's growing music scene.  Today is the final day of the Tralf's three day long Betterdays Independent Music Festival. If you've coughed up the $10 to get in Friday or Saturday night, that means your ticket is still good for tonight. Why would you deny yourself the opportunity to catch some more of the city's best bands on one stage?

Speaking of which, those bands are:

Young Suns
Searching for Dinosaurs
Blue Shift
Fourwalls
Peanut Brittle Satellite

Like the other nights, doors are at 8pm, first band on shortly afterwards. If there are any cookies left at the snack bar, get on that shit.