The Hovelists - Buffalo, NY

The Hovelists 7i EP music review.
The first track is a instrumental that sounded like Radiohead in the very beginning. A rather ominous sounding guitar line comes in providing melody. More guitars come in, some in harmony, some not, creating a schizo/psychedelic sound. Quite disconcerting, but still cool and unique.
Next up is "Poltergiest". The backing track has a unique sound that had me wondering, how did they get those cool sounds?... The tempo is laid back and cool guitar sounds swirl in and out of the mix. The vocals have a 90's timbre.
"Nineteen Ninety Five" has a vocal that is full of angst and emotion. The guitar solo sounds great and the rhythm guitar could've been a bit more upfront in the mix, like the solo, adding even more power to the melody.
"Gone Without Goodbye" starts off with a rather catchy lead guitar line. The verses have a retro new wave sound and the chorus' pick up with a pop punk sound. This song would be perfect for college radio. The outro repeats the catchy six string melody, sounding much like a 70's pop rock anthem.
"Mess thats Made" has a laid back groove much like Dinosuar Jr.
"Chapter and Verse" is another chaotic, guitar-based instrumental that would sound great on a horror film soundtrack.
"Deeper Into The Hold" could be described as a psychedelicized version of NIN. The vocals are backtracked and distorted over a hypnotized slow guitar groove. Lyrics come in and out of the mix further drawing you into the music. The song sounds like it could and will go on forever but it abruptly ends.
Believe it or not all the great sounds on the EP come from the talented minds of a self-described "alternative rock duo". These guys do a great job at recording multiple tracks and turning them into well composed songs that any fan of the "alternative" music genre would enjoy.

The Hovelists are an alternative rock duo based in Olean, NY, south of Buffalo. The Hovelists were formed in 2012, comprised of Chris Curcio (vocal/guitar) and Rich Nothem (vocal/bass.) For performances, they regularly use electronic drums and loops as percussion but they have also worked with several local drummers. The Hovelists most recent accomplishment is the completion of the 7i EP, that was  released through Tunecore on August 25th.

Rich and Chris first met in 2006 while in relationships with each others' sisters. They first started jamming together in 2007. Previous to The Hovelists they worked in a number of local Alternative/Punk Rock bands including The Electric Sheep, Canaries in the Coal Mine, and The Filters. All of those names were inspired by Sci-Fi literature. That includes The Hovelists which is a reference to a Philip K. Dick novel “The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch”.

Since their inception, The Hovelists have recorded and released seven EP's in total. All of them were recorded and produced in Chris's basement. The DIY recordings range in sound from alternative/punk rock to experimental/post-rock tracks. The 6 song EP's all follow the same format. Four standard rock/pop songs encased by two instrumentals. The lyrical content covers topics such as personal demons ,social issues and stream of consciousness. The most recent recording If You Don't EP (2014) earned a favorable response from listeners. The title track “It Just Came to Me” received airtime on some of the local college radio stations.

Rich and Chris are currently performing regionally to promote the new recording. They are also busy writing and recording for a new series of two track EP's that will be released monthly starting in January of 2016.

Check out all of The Hovelists music on their website http://www.thehovelists.com/

Special thanks to Chris and The Hovelists.

 

Wood Bois - Buffalo, NY

Wood Bois "Sex Playlist" EP review
"Razor Scooterz" kicks off the keyboard heavy music. A vocal heavy mix and tongue in cheek lyrical content pair up with a solid melody. You'll find yourself singing along with the catchy chorus after the 1st listen. Great up-tempo starter song to kick off the EP.
"The Sparkles" instantly reminded me of The Cure. I am a big fan of The Cure so I dug the song. The music has a true 80's feel and the lyrics quote the best of The Cure. The Sparkles sounds like a great band name or a talented TV show band.
"Can You Feel It? (No)" starts off with a cool keyboard melody and a vocal that reminded me of Depeche Mode. The Fran Drescher soundbyte really cracked me up. The song turns into a rap for a minute and goes out with a wall of rising vocals.
"Meth Girl" contains a great middle section full of crazy noises, almost like a real girl on meth!
I wanted to hear a crazy female voice somewhere on the closing track.
Maybe the legendary Franny Drescher will add some vocals on the next Wood Bois CD, that would be awesome!

Wanting to hear more Wood Bois music, I instantly clicked on the Super Flea EP recognizing the photo from the legendary Cheektowaga hotspot. The place where Joe Tell bought alot of records and comic books back in the day.
The Wood Bois combine the best of the new wave with a good dose of the Beastie Boys and write and perform entertaining music laced with plenty of comedic humor.

Wood Bois are a 2-4 piece (depending on the night) comedy synthpop/indie electro group.  We mix 80's style new wave music (for the most part) with humorous lyrics.  Comparisons we've received are "indie goth electro a la The Drums with the joking nature of Flight of the Concords," "an R-rated Weird Al," "Tenacious D with synths," and also "for fans of Soft Cell."
The current lineup of the group is:
Blaine Wood-vocals, samples, keyboards
Julius (pronounced with a lisp) Bois-vocals, samples
Hiding in the Dark Hiding in the Shadows (aka Hit D' Hits)-keyboards, production, sequencing
Shreddy Van Wailin'-guitar, vocals

We recently released our new EP Sex Playlist which you can download for free at our bandcamp site, http://woodbois.bandcamp.com  You can find more information about Wood Bois at www.woodboismusic.com

Thank you Wood Bois!

Pants and the Family - Buffalo, NY

Pants and The Family "You Will Go To A Party Where Strange Customs Prevail" CD review.
Wait a second, I think I've been to a few parties like that...anyway, on with the review.  
"Lots of $ for Jesus, Not Much For Me" starts off with a great keyboard intro and then turns into a Talking Heads-like new wavish song. The singer sounds like the lead singer from 2Rabbit. Kudos to this band for composing music and song titles that sound very unique. I think it's important to note that each song is part of a larger Rock Opera, which is a very admirable undertaking for a local band.
How many local bands do you know of that are creative and confident enough to release a original rock opera? None that I know. Musical comparisons can be made to Green Jelly or Chunkpipe.
"Who Put The Holes In Mr. Wumpy?" is up next, the intro has a thunder tube and some random, classic, sound bites. The lyrics brought a sly smile to my face as the keyboard rose up and down setting the tempo.
"Uncle Charlie's Lap" has a rockin' drum track and a keyboard provides a smooth melody. This song brought back some childhood memories for me. Every family has a favorite Uncle or Aunt, that we all took turns sitting in as kids. It's a family tradition.
"Abandoned Gravy Train Station" has a ominous sounding keyboard track and I want to hear the keys louder in the mix. A cool bass solo takes center stage halfway through the song.
The guitar intro for "Please Ignore The Clown" is a nice touch on a keyboard based soundtrack. The keyboard plays a spooky chord progression over a low key vocal. This song is my favorite on the CD so far, I wanted to hear a little guitar solo using the sound on the track along with all the other great noises on the song.
The psuedo-jazz musical intro for "In Bed with Frogs and Toads" threw me for a loop almost as much as the song title, think about for a second or two...yuch. The song continues on with a up-tempo, keyboard based groove that reminded of an old Joe Jackson song from the 80's.
"Things Were So Much Better (Before Ginger and Mary Ann)" has a 60's psychedelic/garage rock groove. I definitely dug the groovy beat. 
"Mud Flap Prophet" was very new wave and the instrumental breakdown at the end was great.
"Hot Steamy Stank (Blue Plate Special)" has a nice call and return part with male vocalist and the female narrator, it would have been good to hear more vocal interplay between, like a B-52's song.
The title track is a true, psychedelic explosion! The instrumental features Floyd/Primus electrical bass sounds served up with a heavy dose of noise and various vocal things that fade in and out adding to the musical chaos. 
"Twelve Miles East Of Stupid" continues along the same vein but has a Pink Floyd vocal sound and tempo.
The melodies and sounds on "Why Drive When You Can Stay Home" reminded me of 70's progressive rock. The keyboards sound huge and hypnotizing along with the distorted bass. The vocal lines break up the big keyboard parts.
"You Will Go To A Party Where Strange Customs Prevail" closes out with "All The Houses Have Mean Faces". This song closes out the CD on a high note with a song that conveys an uplifting mood with it's uptempo rhythm. A honest comparison can be made to the Flamings Lips.
You Will Go To A Party Where Strange Customs Prevail is a great musical effort by a band of highly talented musicians.
Special Thanks goes out to Marc and the entire Pants and The Family band.
 

Awolnation

AWOLNATION HIT THE CHARTS WITH RUN

BAND NOTCHES HIGHEST EVER DEBUT CHART POSITIONS

LANDING ATOP THE BILLBOARD 200 AT #17,

INDEPENDENT ALBUMS #2, ALTERNATIVE ALBUMS #3,

TOP ROCK ALBUMS #4, DIGITAL ALBUMS #6

TOP ALBUM SALES #9 AND CURRENT ALBUMS #9

Los Angeles, CA - March 26, 2015 - AWOLNATION hit the ground running for the release of their new studio album Run notching their highest debut chart positions ever landing atop the Billboard 200 at #17, followed by Top 5 chart debuts on Independent Albums #2, Alternative Albums #3, Top Rock Albums #4, alongside Top 10 chart entrances on the Digital Albums #6, Top Album Sales #9 and Current Albums #9 charts. Coming off one of the most electric and buzzed about live performances at the SXSW music festival, the band officially kick-off their North American Run Tour 2015 on May 28^th. Tickets are on sale now and going fast with several dates already adding second shows. The summer headlining tour will include stops at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, Summerfest, Bottlerock Music Festival, and more. A confirmed tour itinerary is listed below with additional dates to be announced. Ticket and pre-sale info is available at AWOLNATIONmusic.com

Currently on tour in Europe playing to sold out crowds, the band returns to the U.S. for a televised live performance on Conan (TBS 11:00pm/10:00pm central) Tuesday, April 7^th, followed by a round of select festival dates this spring. Continuing to climb the charts, the debut single "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)" has exploded into the Top 5 at alternative radio where it currently sits at #3.  

Following a whirlwind two-year world tour in support of Megalithic Symphony, AWOLNATION withdrew into the depths of the California coastline to construct the sophomore effort. A culmination of the years following the release of the debut album, the 14-track Run, was written, performed and produced entirely by musical architect Aaron Bruno. The end result is a finely tuned musical masterwork that is at times, and all at once, sprawling, atmospheric, exuberant, earnest and refined with moments of a signature aggressive unease. CraveOnline stated, "these sounds are designed to stick in your head, and they succeed in their purpose, gorgeously," with Alternative Press calling Run "the first AWOLNATION album of the rest of your life." 

Released in 2011, the band's gold-certified debut album Megalithic Symphony was an alternative music revelation that became an astonishing success resonating with fans around the world. The album holds a number of long-running Billboard chart positions including 146 weeks on the Independent Albums chart, 111 weeks on the Billboard Top200, 105 weeks on the Top Rock Albums chart and has topped the Heatseekers Albums chart several times over. Their hit single "Sail," a redefining global anthem, is certified 6X Platinumin the U.S., and is the second longest charting song in the Billboard Hot 100's 55-year history amassing hundreds of millions of video views and streaming plays online while charting around the world. Following the success of "Sail," the band would go on to have two more Top 10 charting alternative singles, "Not Your Fault" and "Kill Your Heroes," having sold over a million downloads combined. Since the release of their debut, AWOLNATION has performed countless shows to millions of fans across the globe.

                 
AWOLNation is a fave of Jotell.

Chunkpipe - Buffalo NY

Anybody who missed the 10/11/14 show missed a good one! Lots of people, lots of chunk debris and tons of fun! Don't miss the next Chunkathon on 3/14/15!

http://www.chunkpipe.com/

    Thank You Mike! http://www.chunkpipe.com/










http://www.chunkpipe.com/

This blogpost is dedicated to Jeff and his brother, Mike Borycki.

2Rabbit - Buffalo, NY

2Rabbit Prey CD Review

2Rabbit play groovy garage rock with plenty of pyschedelic grace and conviction. The singer on the first song, Lines From Jim, reminded me of Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip at times, I dig the distorted bass sound and the lead guitar accompaniment. Irresponsibility Rag sounds like early 80's punk rock/new wave to me, the singer manages to channel Devo/Talking Heads on this jam. The next song, Bust A Tooth definitely has a cool psychedelic groove, the upfront bass sound on this track is great and the vocal effects complete the surrealistic sound. Grass is Grass has an ethereal sound. The feel is slow and intoxicating leaving plenty of open spaces for an atmospheric, digitally delayed guitar solo. Mon Ocle sounds like a mash up of Nirvana and Black Sabbath served up with a psychedelic twist. Mad Bad Stupid has plenty of punk rock attitude and rock guitar flavor all rolled into one. Terrify Tissue is driven by a solid bass line and Shantastic reminded of Led Zeppelin's "In The Light" upon the first listen. Get It, Peggy! is a bastardized, punk rock version of Peggy Sue with a lot less twang. Beauties has a laid back, sinister Velvet Underground sound. A Deal Is Struck closes out Prey is rockin' style.

2Rabbit performance schedule

July 17: Pleasant Valley Tavern, Lockport NY

July 25: Evening Star Concert Hall, Niagara Falls NY

Thank you, Marc!

Whiskey Reverb - Nathan Bates Rejects The Illuminati

Whiskey Reverb Soul Vibration Tour dates 2015

Whiskey Reverb's latest and greatest musical release is Nathan Bates Rejects The Illuminati.
I am reviewing this CD to support Whiskey Reverb, one of the best original bands from the current Buffalo, NY music scene.

First I must comment on the title of the CD, Nathan Bates Rejects The Illuminati, the title made me think "Who is this Nathan Bates guy and why did he reject the Illuminati?" so I googled Nathan Bates and there really is no world famous Nathan Bates to speak off. Maybe it's an offhand reference to Norman Bates? The title made me think how did Whiskey Reverb come up with this title and why did they use the title? The title piqued my interest and made me want to hear the music to find out what Whiskey Reverb is all about. I'm sure there is a great story behind the cool, hip CD title.

Onto the music, the CD starts off with a very cool prelude called Shake The Cage. The piano sounds, provided by Wade Benford, are very melancholy and the backwards guitar fades in right at the perfect moment.

Shake The Cage continues on into a funky, steady flowing rock tune with a ton of great sound effects throw into the musical palette to keep the listener's ears engaged. A cool indian sound featuring a sitar introduces a rockin' guitar solo played by Mike Cassidy. There seems to be a positive message flowing throughout the song. My interpretation is that if you want to change your life you need to shake things up a bit and break out of your daily routine. Shake The Cage sets the tone and the mood for the rest of the music to follow.

Something Good is a strong and positive song that starts off with the droning sound of an A note. The songs' sound is reminiscent of a great Coldplay or Oasis song with some Whiskey Reverb juice thrown into the mix. Jim Candytree sounds great and he takes this one out with a awesome vocal outro.

Thank U sounds like a soundtrack for a party, with a intro by A2J and a sweet chorus sang by Megan Brown. Thank U is a uplifting song you should play when you want to have a good time, better yet cue this song up when you are havin' a party to lift it up that much higher.

Dreamsong is exactly as the title suggests, an ethereal, soft flowing song that features Megan Brown on lead vocals. Dreamsong has the sound and feel of a song that can easily carry you away into a different state of mind if you let it. A dreamy song featuring a beautiful voice.

Nathan Bates Rejects The Illuminati is proving to be a diverse soundscape full of different musical genres and talented singers mixed into one cohesive unit, the band has proven to bunch of highly talented individuals halfway through the CD.

Between The Veil is up next, this song is carried by a uptempo acoustic guitar groove and a great lead vocal by Jim Candytree. Mike Cassidy adds some color to the groove, strumming an electric guitar into the mix. This is a strong, uptempo rocker. The rhythm section of Scotty Harrington and Tony Bales lay down a solid groove with Tony Bales throwing in some quick bass lines to help push the song along.

The Way We Live sounds like it has the potential to be a great rap song. The rhythm section sounds as if they're holding back but the groove is still tight. I can hear a stronger rhythm track that could make The Way We Live an awesome rap song with A2J grabbing the spotlight with his words. The tempo twists around as the song morphs into a unique mix of original samples and a erotic gasp brings a lead guitar solo in. The Way We Live is a unique song, it takes a few listens to "get" the groove. Great performances by A2J, Megan and Mike are highlighted on this experimental track.

Letters is a straight forward, acoustic rock song driven by the vocals of Jim Candytree and the keyboards of Wade Benford. After a tasty guitar solo by Mike Cassidy a double vocal by Jim and Megan takes this song out.

The final song, Keep It Movin' (EDM Remix) is sure to get you dancin'. This song would sound just awesome in a crowded dance club on a Saturday night dance marathon.

Congratulations Whiskey Reverb! 
http://www.whiskeyreverb.com/

"Now that the cat is out of the bag, we (Whiskey Reverb) are proud to announce that we have officially signed on our first distribution contract with Projekt/Warner Bros. and a publishing deal with Seireenien/BMI. We are so excited for the opportunity to spread our music to a worldwide audience and feed that SoulFire. "

Buffalo Music Award winners and Tudor Lounge favorites, Whiskey Reverb are climbing the rock 'n roll ladder to success.
Whiskey Reverb can best described as "Psychedelic, sexy, funk rock from heaven" and they come highly recommended by JoTell.
With their recent Facebook announcement (goto https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whiskey-Reverb/262004595188) it's a fact that Whiskey Reverb have parlayed their back-to-back Hard Rock Buffalo Rising winnings (2012 & 2013) to even more juicy success...
W.R. combine a myriad of great musical influences, excellent musicianship and awesome stage presence into a complete rockin' party everytime they grace a stage. Good looks W.R.!

Now, just for you, here's Whiskey Reverb's "World's Greatest Hits"

FutureSight from 2012

Serendipity from 2012.

The Tyranny of The Mainstream SoulFire Volume I from 2011.

and Proverbs Bi-Polar & The Body Electric from 2010.

http://www.whiskeyreverb.com/

W.R. says "Thank You" for your support!

Special thanks goes out to Jim and Whiskey Reverb.

Wolf - Buffalo, NY

3/21 Wolf CD Release Show at Mohawk Place. 
Wolf is going to be joined by The Demos, Mink and Johnny Nobody. 
Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/516211561851433/
Wolf Facebook http://facebook.com/musicbywolf 
Check out the new Wolf single on Bandcamp http://musicbywolf.bandcamp.com/
Soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/musicbywolf
Wolf homepage http://musicbywolf.com/
Thank you Chelsea and Wolf.

Sara Elizabeth - Buffalo, NY "On The Rise"

Sara Elizabeth "On The Rise" CD cover art.

www.saraelizabethmusic.com

Before I start the review I want to Thank Sara for submitting her new CD for review. Thank You Very Much Sara!

Now for the CD review...
Sara's strong vocal talents, unique lyrical phrasing and song writing skills are immediately evident as soon as "I Think I Better" begins. The lyrics reflect a young and positive outlook on life. Sarah's strong vocal performance overshadows the rhythm section on this song.
The second track, "He Smells Of Summer", is one of my favorites on Sara's CD debut release. The tempo, feeling and sound are completely different from the first song, revealing Sara's diverse musical talents and strong songwriting abilities. Her musical talent defies her young age.
The percussive eggshaker track carries this song along with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar. The eggshaker is a very cool, unique touch and the banjo playing is great. The vocals begin with a breathy, mellow sound that match the lyrical content. The emphasis on "wind" is a unique touch. The vocals continue along into a almost pleading shout then go back down after a musical interlude. I hear a distorted guitar track carrying the musical break along in my head or maybe a punchy bass track.
True to form "Willow Tree" has a feeling and sound different from the first two songs. I like this song even more than "He Smells Of Summer". The ukulele intro is refreshing and easy on my over-driven ears. The bongo and tambourine performance is excellent, they accompany the vocals and mandolin perfectly. The upright bass track is great as well. The vocals have a breathy, seductive quality that is easy on the ears. Sara has a very listenable and melodic singing voice. Sara's natural singing talent really shines through on "Willow Tree". This is my favorite song on Sara's CD.
The fourth song, "Today I'm OK" is a happy and uplifting song. Once again the vocal performance is outstanding. Again I have to comment on the listenable quality of Sara's singing voice. Sara's positive lyrics and engaging voice grabs your listening attention and keeps your ear focused on the song and melody. This song had me envisioning a girl dancing in my head and then I found myself looking at the sky. The bass track is a little busy which takes away from the melody.
"For You" is a piano driven track, which demonstrates Sara's talent at playing and composing on many different types of instruments. Once again this track proves Sara's diverse talents defy her age. The guitar/piano intro is great. The guitar figure during the chorus takes the focus away from the piano melody a bit, the guitar figure would make a great solo during the song. Overall "For You" is a great, melodic track.
The 6th track, "Carry Me Away" is yet another type of musical soundscape. The rhythm section has a calypso feel during the verse. The feel of this song is bouncy and jumpy. The drums are solid and they sound great, best percussion performance on "On The Rise".
"Knock Knocking" is an excellent and fun song. The music sounds like a classic, nursery rhyme and it's playful, child-like lyric is interesting. The lyrics sound like Sara may be reliving a few childhood memories through this song. Skipping along to the rhythm is highly recommended!
"Optophobia" first caught my attention because of the interesting song title. I looked up the meaning of the song title on the interwebs almost immediately. Most of the songs contained on "On The Rise" are positive in sound and lyric, this song, however is not. That doesn't mean it's not as good as the other tracks or bad in any way. The stark contrast is why I like this song so much. This song is very cool and quirky with it's odd noises and dark, piano filled soundscape. The vocal performance on this song is great, the vocal effect at 3:17 is a very nice touch but it's barely noticeable. My super hearing caught the effect after a few very focused listens.
I must say that (sometimes) I wish the sun wasn't so....bright.
The title track, "On The Rise" is a uplifting, positive song is sound and feeling. A perfect song for a young singer/songwriter who is definitely on the rise. Music can take people places and Sara's musical talents will take her places if she continues to grow and cultivate her many great talents through original music CD releases like "On The Rise". The vocal harmonies and mandolin playing on this particular song are excellent.
"And That's All" is a great song. I don't know if this song was specifically created to close out Sara's "On The Rise" CD but it is a great choice. The lyrics are interesting and entertaining and the vocal performance is once again, great. The sound and feel of the song is vibrant and happy.

Sara's debut release "On The Rise" is a great start to a promising music career. The rhythm section tracks on "On The Rise" could be mixed a little more prominently at times but overall "On The Rise" is a great sounding debut from a highly talented, young artist.

Once again I'd like toThank Sara for submitting her CD for review.
CD credits are as follows: Sara Elizabeth, Lead Vocals, Acoustic/Electric Guitars, Banjo, Ukulele, Piano, Mandolin and Sound Programming. Anthony Rideout, Electric and Upright Bass. Joe Thomas, Drums, Eggshaker, Congas, Tambourine and Body Percussion and Chris Jacobs, Sound Programming and Effects.
All songs written, arranged and copyrighted by Sara Elizabeth Genco. Produced and engineered by Sara Elizabeth Genco and Chris Jacobs. Recorded at SUNY and Buffalo Slee Hall Recording Studio. CD Photography by David Genco. Album art by Sara Elizabeth Genco.
Goto www.saraelizabethmusic.com to find out more about Sara, her music and how you can pick up your very own copy of "On The Rise".

   

Lightning Bolt

Thrill Jockey Records very own Lightning Bolt is coming through Buffalo in April. The band will be performing at Mohawk Place on 4/15.
Lightning Bolt are touring in support of their new album Fantasy Empire. This is their first album in five years and their first truly studio-produced album, more closely approximating the experience of seeing them perform live than ever before.

The two-man outfit of Brian Gibson (bass) and Brian Chippendale (drums & vocals) have been putting on their legendarily raucous live shows for twenty years; seeing the band perform live is an experience every Lightning Bolt fan lives for.
Lightning Bolt puts on a pretty crazy performance that's not to be missed: Brian Chippendale usually wears a crazy knit mask and Lightning Bolt they has be known to play shows on the floor in the crowd.
Here’s a link to an great interview the band did with Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/hear-lightning-bolts-first-recording-in-six-years-the-metal-east-20150210

Thank You, Allie!