Music Reviews

“Part of My Charm,” the latest release from local folk group Ali Lou and the Sugar Boys, is just what Rochester needs this time of year. This collection of tracks evokes feelings reminiscent of warm summer days, offering a welcome respite from how brutally cold this winter was. Alison Lindsey and her reposeful voice greet […]

With its detached vocals and cold, precise rhythms, post-punk music is often confrontational. Not a lot of warm fuzzies to be found. But Sastrugi, the local band fronted by Matt Treadwell, confronts with a little boogie in its boots. The group’s new EP, “The Somnambulist,” may frighten away casual listeners with its spelling bee-caliber title. […]

Skylar Sarkis of the Rochester alt-rock band Taking Meds has returned focus to his solo project Growing Stone. Released on January 30, the EP “Ugly II” is subtle yet disarming. The 20-plus minutes of music spread out over six tracks on “Ugly II” mirror the structure of its predecessor “Ugly,” released over seven years ago. […]

Rochester musician Eli Flynn established himself in the local music scene as a member of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and through his own collaborative, Eli Flynn and the Everymen. His talents extend beyond the stage and into the classroom, where he works as a music therapist at The Hochstein School. Inspired by stories of […]

Here’s an album to turn on when you’re looking for something bright and fun in the midst of winter — whether you’re embracing the season’s chilly energy or trying to combat its gloom.  From the first note of Jeff Tyzik’s “Jazz Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Ensemble,” there’s brightness, bounce, lift and energy. In […]

Indie artist Shep Treasure’s second full-length album, “Blanket,” feels like taking a walk after a blizzard, leaving the house for a world sheathed in layers of pearl grey and reflected sunlight. Sabrina Nichols, the primary creative force behind the band’s name, wrote “Blanket” after moving back to her native Rochester from Brooklyn. Nichols takes charge […]

“Before the Dawn,” the sophomore album from Fairport native Claudia Hoyser, is an ethereal dive into modern Americana and country. Hoyser’s unique voice and emotional vulnerability create something new and fresh, sultry and sweet. For fans of indie and country, this LP is sure to turn heads. While exploring themes like growth and healing, “Before […]

Year-end lists condition people like me to think that there must be One Best Album to rule over all others. This is simply not true. My favorite 2025 music was made by several diverse artists that I love equally: ambient instrumentalist Walt McClements, New York City band Geese, local improvisational duo Wren Cove — more […]

Where can we put our rage when it becomes too heavy? Where shall we get the release our emotions crave? Local emocore band Comfort Object provides a safe space for those who are fed up with these questions on its latest release, “Pinnacle Hill,” making the case that music is a hobby to some and […]

Though goals and results drive modern society, it’s only after struggle and pain that we learn the journey is the destination. Local singer-songwriter Katy Martin’s latest solo album, “Are We There Yet,” captures this wisdom in eight indie folk songs that play with bright, twee sounds while tackling an ever-present heaviness. Martin, half of the […]

Is physical media dead? Or is it having a comeback? If the latter is the case, let’s have more unusual physical forms, like the guitar-shaped USB drive on which you can find the Suen-Kam Guitar Duo’s debut album, “Between Strings.” Guitarists Shiuen-Huang Suen and Kenneth Kam met through the Eastman School of Music as graduate […]

Until recently, Rochester band The Thriffs went by a more typical tag: The Thrifts. But due to the existence of another band of the same name, this moody yet energetic quartet modified its name. The change-up suits the music, a rare blend of insular post-punk infused with blasts of extroverted personality. On The Thriffs’ debut […]