[ROCK] Got too much time on your hands? 97 Rock is sponsoring the Western New York stop for this package tour as their annual Weenie Roast party, featuring headliners Def Leppard along with Styx and Tesla. Come sail away on a metal-tinged trip down memory lane blended with some proggy, classic rock goodness.
[COUNTRY] Big Dog Daddy’s fans have complained about the Dog’s thirst for booze and how that’s gotten in the way of his ability to sing his notorious good-time anthems during recent tours. But with 40 million albums sold and the most radio-played country song of the 1990s (“Should’ve Been a Cowboy”), the 53-year-old big-hat-blond remains a solid summer shed draw with the commercial country, truck-enthused crew. Recent singles like “Drunk Americans,” “Drinks After Work,” “Beers Ago,” and “I Like Girls That Drink Beer” kind of tell you all you need to know.
[INDIE] Touring in support of their latest EP, Colorize, out in April, New York City’s Gillian has never sounded more assured with its punchy blend of smart power pop and something just slightly sloppier, featuring an alternating co-ed vocal lead. The alternating male/female aesthetic recalls the of Sugarcubes and the B-52’s, but the music itself is more like early Blondie with a scrappy modern twist.
[HIP HOP] Rapper Talib Kweli clearly recognizes that the pen is mightier than the sword. He’s used his words to fight for him on records like Quality, The Beautiful Struggle, and Prisoner of Consciousness, but he’s also used social media platforms as a powerful tool in the fight against injustice. “CVS gets burned down. Every news outlet shows up. Seven black churches burned, one burning right now. Silence,” he tweeted to his over one million followers last week amidst the suspected arson of several black churches in the south.
[METAL] Sweden and the rest of the Nordic countries of Europe have always been a hotbed for metal and hard rock music. Spurring bands like In Flames and Opeth, the region has tended to set trends for anything heavy. Sweden’s Sister Sin and is another great act from the area that’s coming stateside. This Tuesday, July 14, Sister Sin will make an appearance at The Forvm.
[TRIBUTE] If you’re a fan of a regular summertime band here in Western New York, the name Busted Stuff might mean something to you. If you’re not a huge Dave Matthews Band fan though, the reference might be lost. This Friday, July 10, Busted Stuff, a DMB tribute band—named after the song—will perform at Buffalo Iron Works. The group will be the entertainment for the Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center Golf Classic Fundraiser.
[FUNK] The Allman Brothers have one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in all of music, helping in both the jam and Southern rock spectrums. Like the Neville Brothers, who have second-generation musicians now getting into the mix, the Allman Brothers have next of kin coming of age. Tonight, July 8, Devon Allman (Gregg Allman’s son) will take the stage at Buffalo Iron Works.
[ROCK] Creators of the ubiquitous riff to “Smoke on the Water”, Deep Purple is one of the greatest hard rock bands in history.
[HIP HOP] It must be difficult to live in the shadow of one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, but Illa J, brother of the late great J Dilla, has handled it pretty well. Earlier this week he proudly posted a video on Facebook in which Dr. Dre names Dilla as one of his favorite producers of all time.