Seal? On ice?! Brought to you by Musselman’s Applesauce?!?! These three things combined are too awesome to put in words. Sadly it will be a one-night only presentation in DC.

Regular blogging is about to resume.

This probably isn’t up everyone’s alley but I discovered an awkwardly hilarious series of interviews that take place in downtown Buffalo during a Thursday in the Square about lettuce.

Some of downtown’s finest characters are found and asked a series of questions about lettuce. Good times.

Some notes in my own musical world…

Favorite band (one of the many who come to Toronto and Rochester but not Buffalo) Bloc Party finished their North American tour and is now in Europe. They released a brand new track just recently titled ‘Flux’. A band prone to infuse dance sounds into their rock music, ‘Flux’ is all dance…pretty good too…very ‘Euro’ sounding. The video is nothing beyond a tribute to the Power Rangers (wtf?!)

The Spill Canvas was at Club Infinity tonight as they tour their new album “Sorry I’m Fine”. Lead singer has the most emo lyrics ever in his 1st
two albums…he doesn’t write like he wants to hang himself anymore but ‘Connect the Dots’ has some super intense lyrics. Real nice sound. Not into the genre for the most part but they’re good…remind me of my emo days. Ha.

Nada Surf is the 4th of my 5 favorite active bands to release an album this year. Well…not yet BUT you can download (for free!) their 1st single off the album due out in mid-November on their myspace. Typical Nada Surf sound…and that is a very good thing.

The National is one of the few of what I would deem as ’sophisticated rock groups’ that ACTUALLY came to Buffalo. It was in early October on an exam night. I missed it. They’re huge in DC for some reason. Very Interpol-like if you listen to those guys (who also released an album this year).

And honestly, if you haven’t listened to Radiohead’s new album get out from your cave and do so.

One last note. My ska friends over at Magic Goat have made it big time! Kind of…you can buy their debut album on iTunes. Support SUNY musicians!

Guster performed at UB last night. I listened to them really quick one time in high school and it bored me so I never listened to them again. At the urging of friends I went to SpringFest and realized that…um that’s the genre I usually listen to nowadays. I’ve been listening to this song all night. Enjoy.

Whenever someone thinks of the skyline of Buffalo, the Lake Erie view comes to mind, but its a very boring look at the skyline if you ask me. The HSBC tower sticks out like a sore thumb, dwarfing everything else while being far away from it all. You usually just notice the four main skyscrapers (City Hall, Main Place, Liberty, HSBC) and thats that.

THe view from the East side of Buffalo however-is stunning. I remember the 1st time my dad drove me downtown on the 33 and I felt an incredible sense of awe looking at the crazy variety of buildings downtown had, all clumped together in a tight cluster. The Key Towers seem just slightly shorter than the HSBC tower, and City Hall is much more humble in stature from the angle. The Rand building gets more recognition too.

This isn’t quite from the 33, its from a parking garage by Roswell Park but I intend on going up the hill on Goodell Street when the skies become clearer to take the best shot of Buffalo.

In NYC a pretty interesting exhibit is going on for anyone into the intellectually rebellious period of architecture in the late 60’s through the 70’s. A series of various low budget architecture magazine covers are on exhibit on Kenmare Street in Little Italy.
As someone who wasn’t alive for this period it’s pretty cool to see that not too long ago there was a rather decent movement of architects who wanted to break free from the cliches that surround their field. Perhaps someday, architects will stop obessing over glass and metal and find a new form of archtiecture. A good review in the NYTimes today furthering the point.

PS: I’m in love with the magazine cover above.

I’m a sucker for some really good 80’s synthesized, wierd hair/t-shirt wearing, punk. Somehow I never knew about The Smiths until last week and they pretty much epitomize everything I could ever want out of an 80’s band.
Much better than a lot of the stuff that is out there nowadays. No whiny or super-emo lyrics either and that is a big plus in my book.

And if you’re dissapointed that today’s post has nothing to do with Buffalo well then here…The Smiths are from Manchester, home of Bashar Issa. So there.

I’m kind of pushing it with this post because quite frankly it has nothing to do with Buffalo but I feel the need to express.
My favorite band, post-punkers “Bloc Party” from London released their sophmore album “A Weekend in the City” and its a beautiful assortment of tunes that put together a perfectly ordered track list that tell of an intense weekend in…well…the city.
So for you Buffalo urbanites out there…give it a shot. Doesn’t quite sound like a night on Chippewa, maybe more a chaotic, drunk night followed by an awkward and maybe even upsetting morning in Allentown or Elmwood.

Play the new single and some oldies (but goodies) here

Now its not in stores until February but….yeeeeah UB has a really awesome downloading program [innocent face].

Whoa I did it! I gave a new release of a post punk band from England a Buffalo twist, deeming it appropriate for your consumption!