[COUNTRY] Back before Austin, Texas blew up as the progressive oasis and arts capitol of the Lone Star State, Marcia Ball was the front gal for a band called Freda and the Firedogs. Their 1972 debut remains a snapshot of a Southern American culture unadorned by pretenses—a time when a woman singing about sending a guy to “Fist City” if he gets too fresh was considered feminism. It took six years for Ball to release her solo debut, Circuit Queen, and she’s been at it ever since.
[ROCK] With album titles like Higher Power and Master Volume, one can assume The Dirty Nil are dead set on making some noise. And they achieve that goal often with filthy hard rock licks, driving power rock rhythms, and instantly contagious hooks. The three-piece alternative rock band from Hamilton, Ontario come to visit this Friday, February 8 at the Rec Room with local support from Parade Chic and SMUG.
[SOUL] Soul Night is back just in time to find a date for Valentine’s Day. This time around DJs Handsome Dan, Haüsfly, and Pat K will be spinning nostalgic jams from the glory days of soul. Expect plenty of classic hits and some deeper obscure cuts too, both of should be enough to keep folks dancing all night. Not only will you get a huge amount of soul music for your dollar, but you’ll also be happy to know that this fun dance party is a fundraiser for the DIY art space located at 1239 Niagara Street.
[FUNK] “Horns, synths, drums,” is what it boils down to for Brasstracks, the future funk duo from New York City. Their latest record, For Those Who Know Pt. 1 ratchets up their jazzy, electronic-tinged funk sound—inviting Robert Glasper along for a good chunk of it. Catch Brasstracks live at the Town Ballroom on Monday, February 4 with support from Kemba and Pall.
[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Robert Delong is an outsider as far as the electronic music scene goes. Though his live sets are packed with house and dubstep beats, he often performs with a live band and also plays drums, keyboards, and sings during his beat-heavy performances. The Los Angeles-based musician comes off as more of a pop star and multi-instrumentalist than your typical big-stage EDM act, though his music still takes on many of the characteristics with with looping melodies, huge bass drops and buzzing electronic synths.
[INDIE] Post-rock duo El Ten Eleven return to Buffalo for a show at Buffalo Iron Works on Thursday, February 14. The duo, drummer Tim Fogarty and guitarist Kristian Dunn, return to Buffalo in support of their latest album, Banker’s Hill, which was released in August. Their distinct style not only comes out through their sound—a mix of electronics, guitar loops, and mechanical drums—but in the way they deliver it, with Dunn on a double neck guitar and Fogarty behind a humungous drum kit.
Earler this month, The Public asked a broad swath of associates and acquaintances to offer predictions for 2019. This is the response we received from our friends at the First Amendment Club, a provate association active in local politics and community improvement:
In India, they were known as “Jaadya Aani Radya” (“Stout and Worrywart”). The Danes called them “Gøg og Gokke” (“Wacky and Pompous”). They were equally beloved in Poland as “Flip and Flap” and in Germany as “Dick und Doof” (“Chubby and Dumb”). For the Italians, they were “Cric e Croc.” There’s probably an untranslatable idiom that had Sweden and Norway call them “Helan och Halvan” (“The Whole and the Half”).
[INDIE] If you’re looking to take in a weekend of local music, this is the line up for you. A combination of veteran and rising indie rock bands fill out this solid line up, presented by Yace Booking, at Nietzsche’s on Friday, January 25. The Sonny Baker Band take the top slot alongside indie rock band The Eaves, newcomers TVMTN, and The Shallows.