It might not seem like it at first, but Buffalo has had a pretty cool music scene for some time. Psychedelic rockers Mercury Rev, death metal legends Cannibal Corpse, mathcore trailblazers Every Time I Die, and indie punks Lemuria all hail from The Queen City. When you delve into what’s happening in the underground, you’ll find even more awesome bands that call Buffalo home. Take Newish Star for example — a punk act with driving riffs, mean hooks, and incredibly infectious lyrics.
Their third release of 2015 so far, You Missed Everything – Part 1 was released by the trio this past Sunday. It is the first half of a two-part album with the latter portion due out later this year. Each song off of the six-track EP is fairly short, but that’ll just give you more time to listen to it over and over again. Interestingly it was recorded at the print shop bassist Eric “Biff” Bifaro works at, making the whole project pretty friggin’ DIY. Then again, when you’re an independent underground band DIY ethics and improvising is key.
Less than a minute long but packing a punch, “Newish Violence” starts it off in energizing fashion with Jordan Nittoli’s emphasis on guitar and Josh Gruder’s lighting fast skills on drums. Building up to louder and louder proportions with each minute, “Captured Clip” has a catchy chorus that’s bound to stick in your head. There’s also the sound of a keyboard being played courtesy of Tony Flamino, adding another dimension to the song. Concluding Part 1 is “Facilitate”, another catchy one about living in the moment that has Nittoli bringing a unique array of chord progressions on his six sting. Bifaro also provides a distinct amount of distortion and fuzz throughout the entire recording.
Newish Star are going to be gearing up for a tour in November, let’s hope they hit up some of the magical music venues in New England so we can all see them live and get electrified. Until then, stream You Missed Everything-Part 1 from Newish Star below:
