Gatto Black , the hardcore/emo project of Buffalo musician Sal Mastrocola , has dropped its debut LP ‘ Sky is Blue . ’ This is a powerful, highly personal and extremely visceral record — one on which Mastrocola courageously lays himself bare. Several years — if not a lifetime in the making — Mastrocola chronicles through his art his struggle with coming to terms with his sexuality — a difficult journey exacerbated by the shame which the Catholic Church and society at large im

Tar Bucket at Area 54 ( Photo by Brandon Finnegan ) Tar Bucket’s Anthony Tanevski said he didn’t go about fixing any theme to the band’s first full-length album. But as he listened to it, he realized each song talked about “struggle, self-destruction and people being terrible to each other.”   “It just immediately clicked in my head,” Tanevski said. “This is ‘Human Nature.’”   Tar Bucket is a two-piece band comprised of drummer Tony P. Worrell and Tanevski on vocals and guit

Halloween may be the season of blood and guts, but in Buffalo the Spooky Season this year also marks the return of Spud & Guts — or to be more exact, ‘Spud & Guts 3 — A Nietzsche’s Halloween Spectacular.’   Founded by Demyia Browning — the popular Buffalo musician who also performs as ‘spud’ — this night of ‘culture and community’ returns to the renowned Allentown music venue this Friday Oct. 24 from 8 p.m (doors) to 2 a.m.   “It's music, visual art, theatre, drag, film, and

Rachelle Toarmino ( Photo provided ) (EDITOR’S NOTE — Rachelle Toarmino is an award-winning poet from Niagara Falls whose latest book, ‘Hell Yeah’ — (which you can order HERE ) — is a collection of poems published by Third Man Books. She is also the author of ‘That Ex’ (2020), as well as several chapbooks including ‘My Science,’ for which she won the 2024 Sixth Finch Chapbook Contest. Her work has appeared in The American Poetry Review, Bennington Review, Literary Hub, Poets.

Twenty-seven years after it was recorded, a live performance from the band, birddog — led by Buffalo resident and musician Bill Santen — has been released.   ‘Live at the Hotel Monte Vista’ — available now on Bandcamp HERE — was recorded in 1998 in Flagstaff, Ariz., sometime during the latter half of a U.S. tour before drummer Glenn Kotche left to play with Wilco, and only shortly after tour-mate, Elliott Smith, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.   Santen,

The making of any album is a massive undertaking. The writing, arrangement, rehearsal, recording, takes and re-takes, mixing and...

Angel Rivera ( Photo by Matt Smith ) Chances are if you’ve been a fan of Buffalo’s punk scene — whether now or at any time over the past...

Science Man ( Photo Matt Smith/1120 Press ) With October starting and the summer’s outdoor show scene winding down, it’s once again time...