Its the new GooGooDolls single which became availible on iTunes this morning. A new sound for the band with a touch of their harder sounds of the past. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it is their best song ever. Buy it. 99 cents.

A favorite amongst the locals, This Day and Age came to the Icon last night after a few months of writing their new album. It was a very short set (About 8 or 9 songs) but it got the job done as they played some of the favorites from their 1st album “Always Leave the Ground” as well as two new songs-the first one sounds absolutley amazing but its too bad I couldn’t get the song title.
There were three opening acts. The 1st one was “Standard of Living” which put together a very solid set. They were going to play a track called “Audobon Amherst” (which obviously got me excited) but then decided not too. Overall they were extremely catchy and fit the mold of a band like TDA
“New Atlantic” was the next band to take the stage, the vocals were alright but the drums and guitars in the set more than made up for it…a mellow-emo-rock sound that kept the concert going.
“Sherwood” was next up with a lead singer who looked eerily similar to the lead singer of “Switchfoot”. An interesting band-not so much in sound. The backup vocalist looked like he was hitting on the lead singer of TDA earlier in the concert (and the lead singer returned the favor by dedicating a song to him so who knows what that was about) but the best was the keyboard player who looked and acted like Andy Dick on speed.

It was absolutley astonishing-you had to be there to see it. He would randomly break into spontaneous fidgeting, jumping, and screaming that captivated the audience. (More on him later)
“Walking Ashland” was the last act to take the stage-a band that the ladies absolutley loved. The lead singer played keyboard and sang a good set of catchy radio-style songs that should be heard in time. He was very interactive with the crowd during and after the performance. Overall, a very good performance.

So after all those opening acts, TDA took the stage to a anxious local crowd. The set list out of order was…
Long Walk Home, Tomorrow is Waiting, Second Place, Slideshow, History is Falling for Science, The Day We Started, I Remember me, Untitled Track 1, Untitled Track 2
For the last song everything was going as planned until the Andy Dick look-alike charged the stage in a tiny pink tee and short-shorts with a tamborine and lite-sabre in hand. As he danced around stage uncontrollably and took over the crowd (deservedly so) it was impossible to focus on the music. But TDA left the stage with its fans satisfied and excited about their new album due out in August. Until then. they won’t be touring much at all.
Overall, an awesome night at the Icon and it made up for the Gza show big time.

First of all, my Saturday night, Sunday night was a night only Buffalo could provide…but this is for a later post.
Wu-Tang’s GZA (Genius) performed infront of a decent Saturday night crowd at the Icon last night. The gates opened late with dozens of people complaining of hypothermia and the possible freezing of their balls. Eventually the masses were allowed in and the crowd slowly filled in to be entertained first by two men from local record label “Deep Thinka Records” (Based on Hertel Ave). It was decent, but then again, Buffalo lacks in homegrown talent when it comes to rap and hip-hop. After that ADM a group similar to The Roots took the stage for about 40 minutes for a pretty amazing set. An eclectic mix of artsy white musicians and angry, socially conscious black men combined for an addictive combination. The guitar player from ADM was absoultley incredible, it was pretty easy to get lost in his rediculous licks and solos. The drummer was also incredible, toward the end doing a 3 minute solo. Unfournately, their sound doesn’t quite transfer onto their recorded tracks but you can check them out on their myspace

Following them was “Hangar 18″. A rap duo of your typical young black rapper with an overweight white man who looks like he’s 10 years removed from his frat days-but wishes he was still there. Basically their 40 minute set sounded like the same song the entire time with the same words over and over. The obese white man known as “Alaska” was insulted that the crowd was bored to tears with this joke of an act and was anxious for Gza-so he decided to “diss” us by referring to all the guys up front as virgins…we were all very hurt and gathered in each others arms.

Everyone thought Gza was goin to take the stage after the painless and rediculously long set but no…it was time for “Self Scientific” He was actually pretty good but it was getting late and I was getting antsy as well as tired for standing for so long. He peaced out-literally and DJ Muggs got on stage
Muggs worked up the crowd for a bit then Gza took the stage, only to delay more since he needed a handful of towels for the set-not just one so he could wipe down the mic since apparently he has caught colds in the past from so many MCs using the same mic. Since Gza was in the same position as the rest of the crowd-standing around for hours waiting for him he decided to inform us that the wait for the towel was nothing since we had to wait for so long already
Gza worked the crowd well and did a lot of favorites as well as a tribute to late Wu, “Ol’ Dirty Bastard”. He kept complaining about how quiet the mic was and how loud the music was-it eventually reached the point when he decided to just end it and so Gza dipped out and so did the hundreds of followers into the late night Buffalo chill.

Other things of note:

Typically, white people in Buffalo who get up front for hip hop concerts are the most obnoxious people I have ever met. This crowd was particularly annoying. A crew of absolutley trashed obnoxious white guys (some of them apparently served time) felt the need to drag friends from seven feet away through the crowd towards them as well. Three black kids up front were trying to just vibe out to the music but every 2 minutes they got shoved up against the stage.
From now on buffalo+rap show=me standing towards the back.
The Icon is a stickler about underage drinking…that is unless you’re backstage…lots of underage girls absolutley HAMMERED backstage and one of them was the prize of “So Scientific”’s eye.
If you’re a big fan of any artist that performs at the Icon, it’s extremely easy to meet them…extremely. You’ll just need a little patience as well as willingness to see the artist in a not so flattering manner (A bit drunk and on the way into the car of what looks like a lady of the night)

Now the release has been pushed back to April 25 and if you go to googoodolls.com you’ll get a bunch of different pictures and messages from the band members and here is what is believed to be the album cover…

According to this article
“Among the tracks expected to make the final cut are “Give a Little Bit,” “Feel the Silence,” “Tuesday,” “Strange Love,” “Stay With You” and “I Can’t Let Go.”

Rumor also has it that 2nd single should be comin out in a month

PS…apparently i decided to play around with the mouse and have the arrow goin in the woman’s mouth…dont’ worry-thats not part of the album art.

So I have a myspace (feel free to friend me if you’re into that kind of thing) and so usually I get friend requests from 14 year old girls with deep emotional problems…today however, two 16 yr old girls friended me,

but they are not your average teenage girls from Lockport…no no no my friends, they are…
RAPPERS.
yes.
RAPPERS.
Have a listen, you might laugh, or possibly vomit.

This is a post I’ve intened on making a loooong time ago…
It was a beautiful September night in downtown Buffalo, not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse or two…and three of my friends. Waiting at “Theatre” station for our metro home a man came up to us with some purple cases in his hand and told us a story about a man known simply as “K.Dot”. After stories about “K.Dot” and his greatness, I was told that the mixtape that this man made out of his Marine Drive “studio” was being sold for $5. Since I’ve already lost approximately $30 to homeless men in the city over the last year, I decided that it was an okay investment since I’m actually getting something in return. So I bought it and listened to it when I got home. I was pleasantly suprised.
Track one is “League of My Own”, it has a really nice beat and his rhymes aren’t too bad-with Buffalo references thrown in there (I’m a sucker for those). This is by far the best track on the mixtape.
2. “Ain’t Gone Stop” I’ll ignore the gramatical error there…a decent track-this beat has been used in a slightly famous song but I can’t remember which one…the lyrics are pretty cliche in this one.
3. “Money On My Mind” Another famous beat he uses…lyrics are pretty cliche again but the beat saves this track
4. “By Any Means” Can’t stand this track.
5. “Ladies” Belongs in every club in Buffalo…its nice…and his verses are pretty damn clever in this track
6. “Like This” another famous beat used on this track…not bad but doesn’t stand out too much…the beat makes it pretty good though
7. “Hear Me Out” Meh…not much here
8. “Dangerous” hate. this song.
9. “Get Live” Terrible beat…okay flow
10.”Young Souljahs” Pretty nice beat, in fact its a real nice beat, deeper than any other track here, he says in this track “I’m feelin a little conceited here” before he flows…but I think he was looking for a synonym for “sentimental”…oh well.
11.”What U Think” Another famous beat (used in the movie “Hitch”)…voice doesn’t match the beat at all…but its not too bad.
12.”Go K.” Eh…not that great, flow is off, beat is mediocre.
13.”Recognize” Terrible beat.
14.”K.W.T.A.” Nice “Bonus Track” the beat is really nice but the flow is pretty off.

Basically, my friend and I decided he just rapped into a recording device and the dude from Marine Drive put beats over it, making him sound worse than he actually is. Well, I paid $5 for a cultural experience I guess. But overall its not that bad, in fact, it was a pleasant suprise, but we won’t see him on BET or MTV Jams anytime soon.

On a cool evening in the City of Good Neighbors, people of all genders and cliques lined up outside of the Town Ballroom in downtown Buffalo at 5 o’clock in the evening in hopes of witnessing an amazing performance. For some people it was yet another trip to see these two bands, but for some it was their first and most memorable time seeing them. At 7 the doors opened and the thousands crowded inside the extravagant Town Ballroom in downtown Buffalo. The anticipation kept on building throughout the night as two underground bands came on first, yet they earned the respect of the Buffalonians in the crowd. Mosh pits emerged and crowd surfers took the stage (almost literally). The first band was a metal/goth band from England. Decked out in tats, the English band rocked Buffalo and made many new fans. After about a twenty five minute wait the next underground band, Eighteen Visions took the stage swearing at the fans and trying to pump them up. The fans responded by even more moshpits, more crowdsurfers and many more cheers as they axniously awaited the two headliners. After a spectacular and talented perfromance by the Eighteen Visions, the crowd was just waiting for the big bands. About 45 minutes went by until finally CKY came out to chants of “CKY! CKY! CKY!” Deron Miller (rythym guitarist/vocals), Chad Ginsburg (lead guitarist/background vocals), Matt Deis (bass/background vocals) and Jess Margers (drums (and not to mention brother of badass Bam Margera)) came out and started rocking Buffalo. They opened with Escape From Hellview and played Frenetic Amnesic, 96 Quite Bitter Beings, The Human Dive In High Fi, Attached at the Hip, My Promiscuous Daughter, Sporadic Movement and ended with Disengage the Simulator. The people went nuts as Deron tossed his guitar picks into the crowd, Jess chucked a few drum sticks into the crowd as he had backups ready. After they finished their finale, the crowd was ecstatic with the adrenaline still pumping because the night was not over yet. About half an hour later, the people were becoming restless so finally at midnight, the headliner Avenged Sevenfold (A7X) took center stage continuing their “City of Evil” tour. As the band opened up with The Beast and the Harlot, the crowd was insane. Practically the whole floor was decorated with sweaty fans packed like sardines crowd surfing and mosh pitting. The band also played Burn it Down, The Wicked End, To End The Rapture, We Came Out at Night, Forgotten Faces and then to the crowds dismay they had to end the show and they ended it with their current rock hit which currently sits 7th on the billboard top 50 rock songs, Bat Country. After the 7 minute long song the cheers lasted for minutes and the crowd was exhausted but had a great time. They all got their money’s worth. After the bands completed their performances they stuck around the ballroom for a while at merchandise areas signing autographs for true fanatics. Needless to say Buffalo’s Town Ballroom was rocked hardcore and for many fans February 2nd will never be forgotten.

The Spill Canvas show on Monday, January 30th was nothing less of spectacular, but why expect anything less when it comes to The Spill Canvas? Getting to the doors early at the Icon is a must for any show I will go to in the future. Getting there earlier assures you place directly in the first row in front of the stage. This also requires you to stand through all the opening bands too of course, which could be either a good or bad thing, depending on the bands. The first band, Sleepaway, was your typical rock/indie/alternative band. Unfortunely, the microphone was turned down and it was hard to heard the lyrics to the songs, but the music was still very good. Then when As Tall as Lions came on the crowd came alive. Their style was more of an ambient/indie type. There were many fans in the crowd who knew the songs already. The best song was “The Carousel” hands down, with even a guest appearance by Nick Thomas, lead singer of The Spill Canvas, singing a few lines towards the end of the song. Lastly Hit the Lights completely riled up the crowd and caused unnecessary anarchy momentarily. They a generic emo/punk genre styled band, just like many of the others that are slowly becoming more popular today with many of the younger generations. Being in the front helps you to avoid all of pushing and shoving. That was one part of the night I would have done without. Then finally, after waiting for more or less three hours, The Spill Canvas came onto the stage. They started out with “Lust A Prima Vista”, which stoked the crowd immediately for what was left to come. Another song that stood out was “Staplegunned”, not a personal favorite of mine, but it was amazing live, especially since they finished off the song with a clip of “The Tide”. Out of the whole entire night “Self-Conclusion” was my personal favorite song on the set list. This is such an intense song, which very emotional lyrics, and when it’s sung live, it is overwhelming. I aboslutely loved it. They wrapped up the night with “The Night Will Go as Follows”. Then they did the cliché “leave-the-stage-make-the-crowd-want-more-and-eventually-come-back” stunt, and performed “Polygraph, Right Now”. They finished up the night in fashion and left the crowd elated and psyched for the next amazing performance to come.

Ah yes, the highly coveted and first ever “All Things Buffalo: Music Award”. There have been a decent amount of good local releases this year but this year, the competition ended before this blog was even up and running. The first ever winner is [drumroll]…

Ani Difranco-”Knuckle Down”
A great album from start to finish and since I never had the chance to subject all of you to a review of this album, here goes!
1. “Knuckle Down” A very catchy, upbeat song with a little attitude mixed in, gets a little repetitive but boy was this one catchy
2. “Studying Stones” A dramatic and emotional song, you can really feel the emotions of Ani in this song about her childhood
3. “Manhole” My favorite, Ani’s cutting words do great in this song with some great guitar in it. Another song that you’ll enjoy having stuck in your head.
4. “Sunday Morning” Kind of has a mid-90’s mellow rock-chick sound to it…very catchy and once again, her lyrics enhance/compliment the music greatly
5. “Modulation”-Even though this isn’t my favorite, it has a good, catchy melody…sounds like the kind of song that sounds good live but just doesnt come accross as well in an album
6. “Seeing Eye Dog”-Don’t like this song. Sometimes she feels the need to vocalize in a wierd psuedo-manly voice
7. “Lag Time”-Washes out the taste of the last song completely! Maybe the second best song on this album. You can really feel this one. The melody is beyond solid with good lyrics to accompany it
8. “Parameters”-A spoken word piece, interesting lyrics although for somereason she sounds a little self-righteous in it…but the music in the back is very nice and regardless of the rhetoric-the words are powerful and flow well
9. “Callous”-A dramatic and catchy tune, as usual, deep lyrics to accompany some nice guitar
10. “Parradigim”-An allright trackm, the rythym isnt very solid compared to the other songs
11. “Minerva”-In my opinion maybe the weakest track on the album…gets pretty monotonous.
12. “Recoil”-Great way to end the album…classic Ani at her best with deep lyrics and some extremely catchy guitar (a reccuring theme to say the least)

So it gets 4.5 out of 5 stars..a great album with six or seven songs i can listen to everyday without getting tired of it. Ani comes out with an album a year so expect another release despite her arthritic problem in her wrist that cancelled a majority of her summer tour…so thats it for 2005 for us here at “All Things Buffalo”. Thanks to you out there who check our site daily despite our infrequent updates (which we got/will get better at, I promise!) So good luck to you in 2006 and most of all, good luck to Buffalo in 2006, God knows we need it!

The biggest band out of our city has been doing quite well latley.
As their newest single “Better Days”

climbs the charts, they won an RMA for best band of 2005

and rumor has it that their new album will be titled “Let Love In” due out in mid-February with a tour starting in Buffalo!
Good times!