by Jon Krol | Aug 7, 2016 | Preview
In 2009, Bethany Cosentino burst onto the indie rock scene as one-half of Best Coast, a hauntingly romantic homage to all things heartbreak, weed and cats. Irony-free, Bethany’s heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics, coupled with the amazing instrumentation of Bobb Bruno,...
by Jon Krol | Jul 16, 2016 | Preview, Uncategorized
Good Bad, Not Evil. It’s the title of one of the Black Lips most popular albums and a pretty good descriptor of the band as a whole. Crass, juvenile, mischievous; they’re the kids in high school that failed every class, weren’t allowed to attend...
by Jon Krol | May 7, 2016 | Preview
Tonight, one of indie rock’s most celebrated “it” bands will be gracing the stage at the Waiting Room (Studio). Jeff the Brotherhood has been a consistent highlight of the scene for the past few years. Their assorted mix of sounds, ranging from punk...
by Jon Krol | Apr 29, 2016 | Preview, Uncategorized
In the year 2016, no band quite embodies the spirits of the ’50’s like Reverend Horton Heat. With an obsession for Buddy Holly meets Chuck Berry style rock’n’roll, stand up bass slides, flame colored everything, and rollicking rockabilly licks...
by Jon Krol | Mar 31, 2016 | Preview, Uncategorized
Much could be said about Kurt Vile; He is seen at once as indie’s Dylan, a lone troubadour with a unique voice; he co-founded indie darlings, The War on Drugs, he has released some of the most iconic, unclassifiable albums in recent years. I prefer to think of...
by Jon Krol | Mar 27, 2016 | Preview, Uncategorized
The concept of people dressed as McDonalds fast food characters playing Black Sabbath songs, whilst condemning the wrongs of the fast food industry, shouldn’t work. It’s so over the top; so patently ridiculous, that if I was to tell you there was such a...
by Jon Krol | Mar 18, 2016 | Road Trip
In the metalcore sphere, bands are a dime a dozen. One here, one there; most of whom are indecipherable from one another. Formula; intro, fast part, chorus, fast part, scream, breakdown to fade. Unearth, pioneers of the movement and stylistic shred wizards are the...
by Jon Krol | Mar 7, 2016 | Preview
Carcass is a name that bears a lot of weight in the metal community. One of the pioneers of technical melodic death metal and grind, the band hit their stride most infamously with their seminal album, Heartwork; a daring display of brutality and harmonized chaos....
by Jon Krol | Feb 26, 2016 | Preview
Buffalo has a long, rich history of solid hardcore bands from Zero Tolerance, Slugfest and Envy to Every Time I Die, and Buried Alive. There’s countless more I could name, but it would be a lesson in futility. There must be something in the water here. One of...
by Jon Krol | Feb 18, 2016 | Preview
Several names pop up when you hear the term “straight edge” and have been involved in the hardcore scene for some years. The go-to’s are, of course, Minor Threat, who infamously coined the term, as well as Earth Crisis, the band that popularized the...
by Jon Krol | Dec 20, 2015 | Preview
2015 was something of a banner year for Every Time I Die, Buffalo’s favorite sons. In addition to the usual, relentless pace of touring, and international travels (this band really, REALLY loves being on the road), band members found time to expand on their...
by Jon Krol | Nov 15, 2015 | Preview
H20 has got that P.M.A. The legendary NYC hardcore punk band, known for their high energy anthems, pile-on singalongs, and absolutely bananas live shows, have been kicking around for over 20 years, spreading the gospel of “positive mental attitude”...
by Jon Krol | Nov 8, 2015 | Preview
On a rainy Tuesday night I’m talking music with Jonny Two Bags, guitarist for the legendary punk band Social Distortion. He is about to embark on tour in support of his debut album, Salvation Town. Jonny speaks humbly about the recording process, discussing the...
by Jon Krol | Oct 18, 2015 | Preview
I’m going out on a limb and putting my metal credibility on the line here with this next statement. Unearth is the single greatest metalcore band that has ever existed. Follow me on this one. Devastating breakdowns. Check. Dual guitar attacks that will haunt...
by Jon Krol | Oct 1, 2015 | Road Trip
Tonight, Norma Jean are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the group’s landmark album O’God the Aftermath at the California Brew House in Rochester (402 W. Ridge Rd). To say the album was pivotal in the metalcore landscape would be an understatement....