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 […]
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Posted inArts & Entertainment
Muck Duck Studio spreads its wings with a new event space in NOTA
Take a walk with Casey Arthur. Descend the stairs at 100 College Ave. and meet the artist and founder of Muck Duck Studio, who is standing in a feathered hat. Then step into a 7,000 square-foot space where soon, Arthur said, couches will host first dates in which paintbrushes and chamomile tea break the ice. […]
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REVIEW | ‘Devil’s Gonna Get You’ by Annie Wells
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 […]
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REVIEW | ‘The Snow Globe Is Forever and a Day’ by No Glitter
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 […]
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REVIEW | ‘Preludes and Fugues for Piano’ by David S. Lefkowitz
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 […]
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A new posthumous collection adds dimensions to poet Lucille Clifton’s profound catalog
Though she died in 2010, Lucille Clifton remains one of the most consequential poets in American literature. It requires only a few lines to understand her power. Clifton, a Buffalo native who spent years in Baltimore, chose clear, distilled language to articulate her meanings. “(T)hey ask me to remember,” she wrote in a 1987 poem, […]
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Using a hot sauce IV and a broken table to process grief
Sports fans often feel like their team’s stakes are life or death. Even the vocabulary of “die-hards” reinforces this, and as any Buffalo Bills fan can affirm, elimination from the playoffs initiates a period of actual grief. It is in this way that sports fandom and personal experiences of loss — through illness and even […]
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REVIEW | ‘Part of My Charm’ by Ali Lou and the Sugar Boys
“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 […]
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Two musical family duos reflect on the creative ties that bind
The core of any musically solid band is the rhythm section: drums and bass. The musicians work to build a foundation supporting the melodies that dance on top. They must lock into the same groove and communicate, often just with their eyes or a nod, when to pick up or slow down the tempo. Matt […]
Posted inMusic Reviews
REVIEW | ‘The Somnambulist’ by Sastrugi
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. […]
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RPO’s 2026-27 season includes Chuck Mangione tribute, Fringe collab, Piano Festival and more
Before they ever actually met, Chuck Mangione brought Jeff Tyzik to Rochester. All it took was hearing his music. “Somebody sent me a Chuck Mangione recording, and when I listened to that, I was inspired by his music enough to want to come to Rochester and study at the Eastman School [of Music] where he […]
