Mohawk Place - 47 E Mohawk St, Buffalo, NY

Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St., Buffalo, NY 

Long established original music venue in an 1896 building.

Beams - Toronto, ON

Beams 

While Beams eagerly awaits their sophomore album record release tour across North America, the inspiration behind the album was not as such. During the writing of the album lead singer/ songwriter Anna Mernieks went down a mental spiral that wreaked havoc on her personal and artistic life. This spiral led to Anna cancelling her wedding with bandmate Mike Duffield, but the crisis encouraged her to deal with her depression while simultaneously sparking the concept of the next record. Two years in the making, teaming up with Ian Gomes (Hooded Fang, Odonis, Odonis), and Peter J. Moore (Neko Case, Cowboy Junkies), Beams will embark on a lengthy tour to Texas and back while showcasing their folk noir melodies from their latest release "Teach Me To Love."

“glorious harmonies and twang-filled acoustics perfectly combine the hustle and bustle of the city with the laid-back atmosphere of the countryside. ” Exclaim! Magazine

“Beams' strength is their restraint, employing just enough singing saw, just enough plucking, just enough mystery in whimsical lyrics.” Now Magazine (NNNN)

“offers such a dizzying array of bouncy arrangements that you'd be hard-pressed to classify it as folk in any strict sense, but it's a giddy, attention-worthy winner no matter what label you stamp on it.” No Depression (USA)

TORONTO, ON - “The lyrics are sad but the music is sweet,” sings Anna Mernieks on the final track of the new Beams album before co-front woman Heather Mazhar comes in for the chorus, their voices combining to strike exactly the bittersweet balance the lyrics describe. It’s a fitting line given that Beams is a band that’s embraced contrasts from the start—even their name has opposing connotations, calling up images of something both solid and permeable, light and dark. With Teach Me To Love, their second full-length album and follow-up to 2015 John McEntire (Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene) 7” The Gutters and the Glass, the band is in full command of their contradictions. Recorded at Toronto’s Union Sound Co by Ian Gomes (Hooded Fang, Odonis Odonis) Teach Me To Love’s ten songs are subtle and spacious in their arrangements, while at the same time Beams’ seven members bring a propulsive energy to everything they play. The results are catchy as hell and full of, not nostalgia, but a longing for something you know you can never have, like always wanting to be in the country when you’re in the city, and the other way around.

Toronto-based Beams have been winning over crowds across North America with their hard to classify sound for the last five years. Led by Mernieks and her banjo, the band is usually called some variation of country or bluegrass, (a natural conclusion to come to, considering there could be a mandolin, lap steel, singing saw and several band members wearing plaid on stage at any given time during a Beams set), but they have a certain Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom-like otherworldliness that’s made them impossible to fit neatly in one category.

Teach Me To Love finds Beams much more at home in the realm of psych folk, a genre whose dual nature manages to encompass the sprawling beauty of these new songs. Mining her experiences and her imagination in equal measure, Mernieks’ lyrics turn the everyday into the unbelievable, blurring reality, but only at its edges. “My Second Time At The Mountains” wonders if you can ever experience a “first” again, whether it’s the awe of seeing mountains for the first time, or the way you loved someone in the beginning. “Apartment In My Head” is a spiralling, sinister tune propelled by Mernieks’ banjo, which plucks prettily as ever but brings with it a sense of deep foreboding, calling to mind acts like fellow Torontonians Timber Timbre, who evoke a similar sonic atmosphere.

“Beams’ strength is their restraint, employing just enough singing saw, just enough plucking, just enough mystery in whimsical lyrics,” Julia LeConte wrote in her four-star review of their 2013 debut album Just Rivers. The arrangements on Teach Me To Love are truly accomplished, a testament to the musicianship of each band member, who are practiced at leaving elbow room for each other in the music, if not in the band van. Brothers Dave and Keith Hamilton on mandolin and singing saw/vibraphone respectively, bring texture and personality, Mike Duffield’s relentlessly excellent drumming, alongside Craig Moffatt on bass, acts as both backbone and pulse, supporting everything while driving it forward, and Martin Crawford’s guitars lift the songs just as high as Mernieks’ and Mazhar’s weightless harmonies.

This latest offering is a versatile, ambitious album that sounds right anywhere, whether it’s first thing in the morning on your subway ride to work, on a late night long distance drive, or live, in a bar, on the dance floor. Because, for all their subtleties and complexities, Beams is also a band that will make you want to dance. 

TOUR DATES:

05/07-13 CMW - Toronto, ON
06/09 Kelly’s - Bracebridge, ON

https://www.facebook.com/beamstheband

https://twitter.com/beamstheband

https://www.instagram.com/beamstheband/

https://beamsbeams.bandcamp.com/

http://beamstheband.com/

Calvin Love - 03.29 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place

Calvin Love - 03.29 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place

Calvin Love is striving to be a demigod of the highway. An artist driven by a vision which seems to haunt and seduce him. That could be the word. Seduction, as opposed to the banal force of production. People make music. The person reading this probably makes music. Or maybe some other kind of art. Who knows. For you, and for me, and For everyone lucky enough to be familiar with Calvin Love is the quintessential artist as inspiration. A person who peers into himself to reveal something about the world that might otherwise go unarmed, or perhaps merely felt and never properly articulated. I see Calvin at an intersection in every city on earth, unmasking the hidden wonder, the past as construed by movies and the archetypes that populate our minds. The hitchhiker. The gentle, supple poet whose aim is to elucidate humanity for the weary denizens of the weary world. He proves that in the form of cartoon darkness there is a reality beyond that which is fully amenable to basic speech, and so must be corralled in a blind faith in a palette. All great artwork depends on a palette, on the choices that one makes in pulling the shades of that palette into one’s control out of a sense of belief that I don't understand.

Watch videos of Calvin practicing. Go see his shows. He is a rare gift that more than so much of what we're forced to consume offers a vision.  

-- Joe McMurray (Walter TV/Mac Demarco)

UPCOMING
03.13 - Memphis, TN @ The High Tone
03.14 - Dallas, TX @ The Crown & Harp
03.15 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda
03.19 - Austin, TX @ Beerland - Panache Hangover Fest
03.21 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
03.23 - Knoxville, TN @ The Open Chord
03.26 - Washington, DC @ DC 9
03.27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
03.28 - Baltimore, MD @ The Metro Gallery

03.29 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place

03.30 - NYC Residency @ Berlin
03.31 - NYC Residency @ Berlin
04.01 - NYC Residency @ Berlin
04.03 - Montreal, QC @ TBA
04.07 - Toronto, ON @ Silver Dollar
04,28 - Beijing, CN @ Sound of The City Festival
05.04 - Shanghai, CN @ Strawberry Music Festival

The Scenics - Toronto, CA

The Scenics // Toronto Proto Punk // Friday, July 8th // 8 PM
@ Mohawk Place // Buffalo, NY // Only $5 Cover @ The Door

The Scenics
w/ The Barksdales, Twin Lions, The Card Cheats, & The Rifts
Friday, July 8th // Doors @ 8 PM // Ages 18+
@ Mohawk Place // 47 E Mohawk St // Buffalo, NY
Only $5.00 Cover @ The Door!

“If a band makes an album and nobody hears it, does it still rock? It sure does. Three decades after the fact, recently reunited Toronto punks The Scenics have finally issued a sophomore disc — this long-lost batch of wiry Television guitars, black Velvets art-rock, Pere Ubu yelping and the freakiest Tommy James cover you’ve ever heard." Daryl Sterdan the Winnipeg Sun

“It wasn't so much that The Scenics were ahead of their time in 1977, it's more that almost everybody else didn't even know what time it was. The Scenics were on top of it though, grabbing the freedom promised by punk's first blush... New York had Talking Heads, and England was blessed with XTC, but here was their equal in Toronto and they never got the necessary push and support. It's fabulous we finally have the evidence, but it's a drag we haven't been able to enjoy it the past 30 years.”
Bob Mersereau, author of the "the Top 100 Canadian Albums"

“Largely unappreciated when they originally existed between 1976-81, these underground icons merged Television’s guitar work, Big Star’s pop prowess, Pere Ubu’s dementia, & the Ramones’ urgency.” Montreal Mirror

"Brainy crackpot art-pop with an ear for off-kilter melody, a headful of magic and twitchy grooves to burn. It's a sin the Scenics have left such a faint mark on punk-rock history... but now we can start to make things right: the reborn cult starts here.” Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

Music Videos:
Do The Wait https://youtu.be/X83_Ew40O1Y
Dark Cave https://youtu.be/DR_4ltuk_rI
I Killed Marx https://youtu.be/kiTTMMTL96c

Red Francis - Chicago, IL

Red Francis by Red Francis CD review
Song A kicks off this CD with a high energy instrumental jam that sounds like alternative surf rock.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/kL5CRdZF8zU
Song B has a slow and steady groove that is carried along very nicely by a killer sounding bass track. The beat is contagious and will have you pounding something along with it by the end of the song. Bassically this song is my fave on Red Francis. Youtube link https://youtu.be/hJtW2D_I7mY
Media Feeding Frenzy seems to be a commentary on the state of today's TV media. A well crafted rock song that is further enhanced during the chorus by some sultry female vocals and a well-blown trumpet.  Check out the fantastic video https://youtu.be/05nI0-v5pg4
Step Into The Moment is another well composed rock song with a strong melodic sense and a crafty chorus further enhanced with a great sounding keyboard track.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/vmHxMWU1_sc
The next track has a rather odd title (7:04 Singer) that I'm sure has some kind of hidden meaning. The instrumental track starts slow and serene but soon the energy picks up as the band begins to rock out.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/NUZtnTAxqFY
Beauty in the Grey is a groove heavy track that flows along very nicely until it ends very abruptly. I would have liked to hear some kind of solo somewhere along the line.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/dQeOeb6JcQM
John the Fool follows along in the same vein as the rest of the songs until the song is punctuated with a well played solo from Jack Kerwin. The energy of the music is lifted up into a urgent crescendo during the solo until the song ends on a high note.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/iBzofojv53U
Curbstomp roars into the ears with unbridled aggression and power. This song is a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the music on the CD. Really enjoyed this track.
Check it out on Youtube https://youtu.be/eNtHUv_Ut5w
Star A War is the clever title for this rockin' song. The intro features the cool sounds of a distorted bass guitar and a edgy guitar keeps the spacy groove goin' strong. One of the best on Red Francis.
Youtube link which lists' the title as Start A War, either way this song rocks https://youtu.be/Q8PPevgBNF8
Welcome To The Prime is driven by a melodic call and return guitar and vocal line. The bass takes over during the chorus becoming a bit busier.
Youtube link https://youtu.be/MfiL4KqGN6w
Anxious and Mortified immediately reminded of a college radio song. This prime mover is one of my favorites on Red Francis. Youtube link https://youtu.be/5fghL1B21pg
Seemingly saving the best for last, Nos Saevire (We Rage), is a 6 1/2 minute opus of rock goodness. Starting off like much of the rest of the CD, a awesome sounding distorted bass carries the song into the first couple of verses'. The song then slows down into a heavier, grinding, guitar driven jam. Once again I would have liked to hear a guitar or bass solo punctuating the music but the song still sounds great with plenty of psychedelic rock aggression and noise. Nos Saevire takes this great CD out in style. Youtube link https://youtu.be/-1upJJU_mPA

Red Francis bandcamp CD liner notes
Music by Michael Glader, Alex Fishback and Brett Fishback. Lyrics by Michael Glader. Engineered, recorded and mixed by Barrett Guzaldo. Music recorded and mixed at Treehouse Records. Mastered by Doug McBride. Mastered at Gravity Studios.

All songs written and produced by Red Francis except for "John The Fool," written by Bo Blodgett and Michael Glader. Background vocals provided by the lovely Viv McConnell and trumpet provided by Mike Jones. Guitar solo in "John the Fool" preformed by Jack Kerwin. All songs mixed and recorded onto tape at Treehouse Records via Barrett Guzaldo. Thank you to Treehouse Records, all of our beautiful friends, our awesome families and our incredibly supportive fans. Thank you all!
Soulful blues rock n roll from Chicago

Red Francis is a rock n' roll group out of Chicago. They've played the Midwest, the West Coast and are checking out the East Coast right on a 3 week tour right now. Red Francis have put out three albums so far and will be recording their fourth studio full-length right when they return to Chicago. Stay updated on everything at www.redfrancis.com
https://redfrancis.bandcamp.com/

Thank You, Red Francis!

Bully - Feels Like CD review

I first heard of Bully through one of their opening bands from their current tour called Heat.
(see show review)
I found a great youtube video of Bully playing the song Trying live on the Conan O'Brien show so I was eager to see the band live. The song that really hooked me into Bully was when I first heard Milkman, which is also on this CD but I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
Feels Like starts off with I Remember. The opening track is chock full of youthful rock energy and ends rather quickly, leaving the listener wanting more. Alicia Bognanno screams through the song but still manages to convey heartfelt emotion and sentiment through the lyrics. Great opening song.
Reason keeps the energy level high and continues along the same vein as I Remember. A melodic lead vocal and guitar line carry the song along into a heavy crescendo.
Too Tough plods along with a heavy groove that immediately hooked me in with it's melodic simplicity. The lyrics seem to be describing the break up of a relationship. The vocals have a come hither quality that is hard to ignore.
Brainfreeze is another up tempo rocker that could be described as punky grunge. Smells like a college radio hit to me.
The first single from Feels Like is the somewhat controversial Trying. The lyrics convey the feeling of a troubled youth who is trying to deal with a uncertain future. Alicia proves why she took the torch from Courtney on this one with a great vocal performance that is full of angst and exciting energy.
Trash features some great guitar noises combined with notes of dissonance to create a heavy sound. The low key to screaming vocals are a perfect topping for the guitar interplay.
Six is a punk rock song. Fast and full of energy and exuberance.
Pictures is another great rocker with a kick ass bass sound and a new wavish chorus.
Milkman is my favorite song on Feels Like. The raw energy that the band exudes is infectious and the music has a aggressive edge that really raises the cool factor of the song. Just as the feeling of the song hits you it's over in a flash.
Feels Like ends with the song Bully. This song is another aggressive rocker that keeps the overall energy of the CD flowing in the right direction. Love the harmonic blending of the bendy guitar notes with the vocals.
I would definitely recommend the Feels Like CD to any college radio, punk rock, grunge or alternative rock music fan.

Bully @ Mohawk Place, Buffalo NY

Bully recently headlined a triple bill @ Mohawk Place in Buffalo NY on 9/26. Bully is winning new fans on each stop of their world wide tour. Bully is touring to promote their debut album "Feels Like". I have to thank lead singer Alicia Bognanno for granting me permission to take photos of the band. I felt I had to ask because I was @ the show covering Heat (see show review). I also had the opportunity to meet and talk to the drummer and the lead guitarist for a few minutes. Bully has a brash and exciting sound that is reminiscent of the best alt/rock of the 90's. Bully rocked Mohawk Place with their quick songs and punk heavy sound. Bully was exciting to watch as they bounced around the stage with youthful exuberance.

Heat @ Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY

Heat played an exciting set of music on 9/26 @ Mohawk Place in Buffalo, NY. The room was packed with lots of twenty-somethings who were ready to rock out with Heat. The Montreal band sounded right and the melodies were tight. The band plays a very unique blend of 90's shoe-gaze and 80's new-wave packed with plenty of rebellious attitude and youthful energy. Singer Susil Sharma manages to sound, sing And look as cool as Lou Reed whilst playing lead guitar on a revved up Rickenbacker. Matthew Fiorentino manipulated an array of foot pedals to enhance his rhythmic guitar playing. His effects driven, guitar sounds seemingly became more interesting and complex as the set went on. Bassist Raphael Bussieres plays with a punchy, over-driven sound. His playing style perfectly compliments and enhances the melodies of each song. Drummer Alex Crow provided the back beat, playing with boundless energy and effortless precision. The band finished off their short, but satisfying set with a wall of psychedelic sounds. Be sure to catch Heat if they hit your town, you won't be disappointed. Check out my review of Heats Rooms EP on this blog.

Special thanks to Evan Taylor and all of the members of Heat.

Heat - Montreal, Canada

Heat is a great, new band from Montreal who are currently on tour supporting another great band, Bully. 

Heat Website

http://www.heat-band.com/

Heat Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/bandheat

Heat: Rooms EP music review

"This Life" kicks off the EP in style. The vocalist really sounds like he's sneering while he's singing. The line right before the guitar solo pretty much sums up the feeling I get from the music and the attitude of a hungry, new band. The 2 guitars blend together on the song to create a melodic sound with a definite punk edge. Great opening track.

"Rooms" has a melodic guitar intro that couples along with a cool lead guitar. Heat uses the 2 guitar setup to create a cohesive and well balanced sound. The melodic bass line is easily heard in the mix. The vocal sound and phrasing remind me of a young Bob Dylan.

"All I Wanna Do" would be a great track to listen to while you and your friends hang out and play records. The lead guitar on this song is awesome. Diggin' the bass sound on this track. 

"4 25" has a fancy, free-flowing groove. The vocals perfectly punctuate the mesmerizing guitar groove.

 "Susifine" is a brash alternative rock song. The bass follows the vocal adding even more depth and melody to the track. This song is my favorite tune on the EP. The sound reflects the urgency of a young band that is on the rise.

The tempo of "Ritual" is quick and chock full of rockin' guitar sounds and harmony vocals. 

"Wild Eyes" immediately reminded me of REM and The Smiths. Heat closes out this EP with a awesome, melodic track.  

The sound of Heat is all at once fresh and familiar. Equally calling to mind the 1970s proto-punk of New York City and the sprawling psychedelia of 90s UK shoegaze, it's a sound that is infused with youthful attitude and is altogether self-assured at it's core. A call to arms to the tune of weaving guitars and baritone crooning, this Montreal 4-piece has been turning heads and catching ears worldwide.

Special thanks to Evan and Heat.

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.

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!

The Stay Lows

The Stay Lows "Signature Bridge" CD Cover

BM Linx "Black Entertainment"

bm linx is a Highly entertaining, Very original and Extremely Talented Rockin' 3-piece band from New York City.
bm linx consists of Tony Diodore (vox, guitar, production) & Andrew Griffiths (drums).
Their latest CD "Black Entertainment" released by Craze Factory Entertainment is a Techno/Dance/Punk/Alternative/Acoustic Rock masterpiece, yup that's right I said Masterpiece, in the world of formula, replicant music their musical direction is a refreshing breath of sonic air.
Check out their website http://www.bmlinx.com/ for tour dates & how to get your copy of "Black Entertainment" & their 1st release "The Portable Genius". They're also on MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, iTunes etc. etc.
bm linxs latest CD "Black Entertainment" is a must have for drivin' 'n cryin, jumping up and down, feeding your ears, etc. etc...all that good, fun stuff.
Special Thanks to bm linx.
They frequently play Mohawk Place so check them out Live and tell 'em JoTell sent ya.

Township from Boston

Township is a 4-piece Rock group that recently hit the famed Mohawk Place on their national tour and performed their asses off.
Township captures all the BEST elements of your favorite 70s arena rock bands, a "NEW Classic" rock band if you will, but leave out the old 'n tired "I heard this song a million times before" WAY, way out of the equation.
Townships live show has all the energy, confidence, power and cock-sure swagger needed to perform their hard hitting, strong original music to win over a crowd. Mix this with enough raw talent to compose and record gothic rock anthems like "St Anthony" & "The Happy Pumpkin" which is a MUST listen if you can grab a hold of their latest CD, my fave trak is Burnin' and you have all the ingredients for a Great rock band.
Township hails from Boston, MA and is currently touring nationwide in support of their latest self-titled CD release, members include: Greg "Millions" Beadle - Lead Drums, Lead Percussion, Kitchen Trash Can Defiler, John "Floyd Pepper" Sheeran - Lead Bass, Cheekbone Cover Model, Matty "Rainbow Charles" Smart - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Accidents in Overalls & Marc "Stevie Raven" Pinansky - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Lead Keys, Man-Boy Unifier.
You can pick up a copy of Townships latest self-titled CD @ Newbury Comics
http://www.newburycomics.com/ and iTunes, other Township releases include Coming Home, Ladywood & Gunnin' thru the Nite.
Check out Township on the internet @ http://www.thefamilytownship.com/
www.myspace.com/thefamilytownship
www.facebook.com/thefamilytownship
www.twitter.com/familytownship
www.sonicbids.com/township
www.reverbnation/township

Chylde "Now It Can Be Told"

Chylde, Buffalo, NY

Chyldes strong music, impressive stage show and rather busy touring schedule is representative of a national act, but amazingly enough, Chylde is based in Buffalo. Chylde recently performed at the famed Mohawk Place headlining an all original 3-band bill of kick ass music.

Chyldes music it best enjoyed with a good mix of volume and a mild THC/alcohol buzz, case in point, when an unknown patron come in from the ultra-secret side door a rather large plume of some wacky, weird smelling smoke entered into the electrified air just as Chylde began their set.

Chyldes latest release Now It Can Be Told is highly recommended to any Hard Rock or Metal fan, come out to see the the boys live and buy a fresh copy.

Check out Chylde on the Internet @

www.facebook.com/pages/CHYLDE

www.twitter.com/chyldemusic

www.myspace.com/chyldemusic

Visit http://www.mohawkplace.com/ for more info on the venue.