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[POP PUNK] The Stolen are yet another punk-pop band with emo overtones—this time a five-piece from New Jersey. Their most recent single, “Empty,” dropped late last fall, and a new one, “Chardonnay” is promised soon. But from what we can tell, the Stolen’s best effort thus far is the 2013 EP Adults, which cooks pretty much straight through all five tunes. Plenty of crunchy guitar riffs, the soaring vocals and wordless, wail-along choruses are all standard fare, but the songwriting is a step above.

[INDIE] Let’s face it: Buffalo’s music scene is pretty insular. And that’s not to imply that there isn’t some amazing talent here, because we all know there is. Heaps of it. But the cost of living has spoiled us all—for better or worse. Why venture too far from home when home’s a pretty sweet deal? So when Den of Lions’ Keith Shuskie ended up on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice many of us were left scratching our heads… or twirling our moustaches.

[DREAM POP] A beach house is a space of retreat, conjuring associations of summer, sand, and sun. It’s a place where the smell of salt-breeze and sun-block mingle and where happy families are together in a temporary oasis, only steps away from a private, indoor shelter. Closely shadowing this scene is its own absence—for as anyone over the age of five knows, real life is far more dynamic and seldom as tame as this idyllic portrait.

[INDIE ROCK] Northern Faces is an Albany-bred four-piece outfit with a flair for penning quality tunes that find the perfect balance between infectious pop and bluesy rock grit.

[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] When I think of house music, I certainly don’t think of places like Kentucky. DJ Amtrac has somehow escaped that dance music vacuum to become somebody in the house music world. Specifically, somebody known for his banging remixes for the likes of Treasure Fingers, Duke Dumont, Kaskade, and Kill the Noise. When it comes to his own productions, the 28-year-old producer, real name, Caleb Cornett, isn’t afraid to drop in his own original vocals—a rare occurrence in the house music world.