The music scene in Western New York/Southern Ontario (meaning Rochester, NY to St. Catherines, Ontario - Toronto is too cosmopolitan to be included) is decidedly heavy, tough, cynical, and more often than not, wearing a black hoodie. Often it is on parole for some minor offense. But this should come as no surprise when you reflect on the socio/economic conditions of a town that has been hemoraging (sp) jobs for the past 30 years, is covered in 3 feet of snow more often than not, and has put up with years of heartbreak by well-meaning professional sports franchises. The important local bands that every unimportant local band wants to be include veteran hardcore mainstays Snapcase, and party-like-a-pretty-boy hardcore outfit Every Time I Die.
Whether they admit it or not, every DIY band in the region could legitimately have the word "core" added to their description, be it "Lockport Spaz-Core" (the late Canary In A Coal Mine), "North Buffalo Bar-Core" (the current Thrill Me), "Great Lakes Psychotic Math-Core" (the completely inhuman Psyopus), or "Southtowns Metal Core" (the strangely successful The Red Death). Granted, these are all definitions that I have come up with, but no one in any of those bands could argue with them. The scene also features more than its share of Ani DiFranco sound-alikes, but considering the man herself is in town fairly often, most smart fans go to the source.
To sum it up:
* All-ages shows at skateparks
* a bottle of Labbatt's in one hand and Molson in the other
* ear plugs are for pussies
* bands that "sing" should probably just go ahead and move to California, like the Goo Goo Dolls and Goldfinger (Yes! They are from Buffalo, though we rarely admit to it)
Whether they admit it or not, every DIY band in the region could legitimately have the word "core" added to their description, be it "Lockport Spaz-Core" (the late Canary In A Coal Mine), "North Buffalo Bar-Core" (the current Thrill Me), "Great Lakes Psychotic Math-Core" (the completely inhuman Psyopus), or "Southtowns Metal Core" (the strangely successful The Red Death). Granted, these are all definitions that I have come up with, but no one in any of those bands could argue with them. The scene also features more than its share of Ani DiFranco sound-alikes, but considering the man herself is in town fairly often, most smart fans go to the source.
To sum it up:
* All-ages shows at skateparks
* a bottle of Labbatt's in one hand and Molson in the other
* ear plugs are for pussies
* bands that "sing" should probably just go ahead and move to California, like the Goo Goo Dolls and Goldfinger (Yes! They are from Buffalo, though we rarely admit to it)