Music Reviews

Lilypad Underground and Raincoated Records are at it again, showcasing four of Rochester’s most interesting indie bands recorded directly to a four-track cassette tape. The result is “Spit Takes and Split Tapes, Vol. II,” an endearing split EP offering two songs each from local bands Chores, Comfy, Bad Bloom and Big Nobody. The opening song, […]

New York singer, songwriter and clawhammer banjo player Benny Bleu has announced his debut collection of self-recorded songs, “When I Am a Fossil” due June 5, with a release show at Bop Shop Records on June 6. A decade in the making, Bleu, a geologist by trade, examines the roots of traditional song through his […]

It’s morning. You’re sipping coffee, watching the sun crest over a California canyon. Or, it’s midnight. You’re crushing beers, closing down a bar somewhere on Monroe Avenue. Either way, “Graceland Way,” Rochester-born Mikaela Davis’s latest, would be an apt soundtrack. Davis and company strain melancholy and make-believe through frontier thinking. Orville Peck — your favorite […]

Practice. Study. Repetition. These are the familiar patterns of learning: for a musical instrument, a new language or most other skills. Dreaming. Resting. Feeling. Are these modes the break from that work, or can they also be a part of it?  Those interlocking experiences were on my mind while listening to Jeff Beal’s new album, […]

On “Burn From Both Ends,” the second full-length release from local favorite Pluck, the band’s indie-rock sound rings true. This vibrant collection explores a wide variety of topics and themes. From sickness to relationships to the political state of the world, Pluck’s sophomore album is ready to converse with the listener.  “Sooner” opens the album […]

People mean well. They offer thoughts and prayers, best wishes and Bible verses, but they don’t understand. Sometimes their good intentions end up as judgments. This social consternation is at the heart of local singer-songwriter Annie Wells’ newest single, “Devil’s Gonna Get You,” released in March. The bluesy number was inspired, Wells writes in the […]

This past winter was particularly brutal and seemingly never-ending. One of the only positive takeaways is that it inspired a wildly imaginative new track from Rochester studio project No Glitter. Snowed in after one of the many blizzards suffered by the region, musical polymath Billy Martin challenged himself to capture the chilly isolationist vibes in […]

Four pianists, a cantor and a composer walk into a recording studio. The result? Not a punchline, but a richly varied collection of inventive works that revel in the possibilities of the piano. These pieces are part of a centuries-old tradition of writing preludes and fugues — carefully constructed works exploring interwoven musical lines. What […]

“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 […]