Events

Punk-pop? Pop-punk? Emo? Whatever term you prefer, the idea was to put a melodic, digital spin on the classically agro-punk ideal, offering a precision makeover that captured the collective imaginations of aughties teens. While punk purists bristled, emo splintered into sub-genres with varying degrees of intertwining mosh and melody. Having just released How to Live Without Blood, (Anchor Eighty Four), Buffalo-based emo quartet The Traditional is pumped for an upcoming CD release gig at Studio at The Waiting Room this Saturday, January 24. Vocalist/bassist and key songwriter Anthony Musior says the band is proud of the progression evident in the quality of the new songs. He took a few minutes from his erratic sleep schedule (he works an overnight gig at a warehouse) to answer some questions for us.

Are we ripe for a punk-pop revival?
I dunno man, I’ve never really thought of us as a pop-punk thing… to us, it’s just emotional punk. But yes, it does seem like there’s a full swing revival coming through.

What’s your favorite band from the emo/punk-pop heyday and why?
I was always a Brand New dude. I just really love the angsty delivery. Their debut, Your Favorite Weapon is so mean—so angsty. Listening to them got me into writing songs the way I do… I’m always into their records.

What’s the best thing about Buffalo’s music scene?
That’s easy: it’s how many great bands there are. I’ve been playing around Buffalo for a long time, I’m from West Seneca, and this is the best I’ve even seen it. I’m really loving Head North and Cedar Kites right now. I love that they’re both taking a style of music and just making it super their own, not just recycling the same crap.

What’s the worst thing about Buffalo’s music scene?
I guess when I was a kid, it felt really competitive, which is lame. Now we’re losing some of our favorite venues, which can be really irritating. I really love upstairs at The Waiting Room—it’s smaller, more intimate but has a great vibe.

What’s traditional about The Traditional?
Absolutely nothing, which is what makes the name so cool to us. We’d just finished drinking a lot… like, quite a lot. And the slogan on the side of the case of Ying Ling said ‘traditional lager,’ so that’s where it came from.