The Scene is BTPM The Bridge’s regional music show hosted by Chelsea O of Stress Dolls. It features all artists who are currently based in Western New York and Southern Ontario and airs from 10-11 AM every Sunday. Check out this week’s playlist below, and click the song links to learn more about these artists and their music!
1. “Gravedigger” - Millo // Rochester, NY
Today’s playlist is ~spooky~ in preparation for Halloween on Friday, so I figured we’d kick it off with this dreamy, immersive track titled “Gravedigger.” Millo (pronounced “my-low”) creates music that is the “hum of forgotten moments; the glow of late-night drives; the cavernous silence of deserted malls; the pure static between stations.” Poetic, and a little ominous.
2. “Ghost, Almost” - asalone // Buffalo, NY
This boppy track by asalone has a seemingly dark underbelly once you read the lyrics. The protagonist appears to be on the tipping point of death, considering the great unknown, but leaving the listener unsure if they actually cross the void (lines like “laid a dime upon my eye,” and “I’m stagnant, glowing green” particularly stand out).
3. “PSYCHODRAMA” - Kennedy Von Kat // Niagara Falls, ON
Kennedy’s music is built for this time of year - she literally has a song titled “EDWARD SCISSORHANDS” (the only reason I didn’t play it is because it has swearing, and unfortunately, we can’t mess around with that on the radio waves). And I just looked at her Instagram bio and found the following: “I make spooky music for Halloween lovers.” We’re on the same page.
4. “Better Days” - Good Monster // Buffalo, NY
The very beginning of this song lightly reminds me of The Dandy Warhols’ “We Used to Be Friends,” and it’s not completely dissimilar as it progresses - both are catchy rock tunes rooted in poppy hooks. Fans of The Hives, Dandy Warhols, or The Kinks: pay attention to this band.
5. “Ghost in the Graveyard” - Divine Fallacy // Rochester, NY
Does a song title get any more spooky than “Ghost in the Graveyard”? I think not. It also reminds me of that game that we used to play as kids that shared the same name… perhaps this is an homage to that? The cover artwork for this is also mad creepy and Halloween-esque perfection.
6. “Casper” - Laila // Toronto, ON
Here’s a pop song to lighten the mood - or does it? “He likes me better in the darkness/ It’s kinda tragic but I can take what I can find” and “Sometimes he holds me when I’m crying/ Sometimes he disappears with no reason why” suggest some trouble in paradise. But, then again, that may just be what you have to expect if you decide to date a ghost? *Cue super cheesy joke about taking ‘ghosting’ to a whole other level*
7. “If I’m Being Haunted” - Chores // Rochester, NY
This heartbreaker from Chores comes on soft and sparse before exploding at the end. “But every single photograph/ Has begun to fade/ And I hate that I have to remember you this way,” and the main hook, “I can hear your voice on the radio/ Singing along with songs that you will never know/ And I fear the day that the signal fades away,” are poignant descriptors of loss and hit particularly hard.
8. “Ghost of the Hour” - Jupiter Radio Theater // Buffalo, NY
Jupiter Radio Theater is the brainchild of Alex J. Weinstein, a songwriter whose music portrays a sense of adventure and storytelling. Their album, On the Air, was released earlier this year and brings to mind such classic artists as David Bowie. If you like this, there are 16 more tracks to sink your teeth into.
9. “Monster” - Lonely Little Kitsch // St. Catharines, ON
A straight-up pop-rocker, this song gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Those little “ah ah ah”s and the hook “I become a monster” are just so catchy. Listen for yourself.
10. “SLEEVES” - GHOSTFORM // Toronto, ON
When Merv xx Gotti, the vocalist of GHOSTFORM, was in the studio a couple of weeks ago, I told him that this band reminds me of artists such as 30 Seconds to Mars and Spitalfield. I can attest that if you love that 2000s alt-rock sound, you will most likely love this as well. GHOSTFORM has new music coming out in November.
11. “Into the Night” - The Spin Wires // Buffalo, NY
Where are my werewolf lovers at? This one is for you. Released as a Halloween single back in 2022, it sports such lines as “a silver bullet can’t stop me now” and “I’ve got a full moon at my side.”
12. “In The Ground” - Romcom Victims // Buffalo, NY
This song sounds so sugary sweet, but take a closer listen and it’s BRUTAL. Not only is there a refrain of “I hate you” (ouch), but the bridge states, “Never wanna see you/ Unless you’re in the ground/ Wait til nightfall/ I’ll come around/ Do yourself a favor/ And don’t hold your breath”... yikes.
13. “Ghost” - Julie Title // Toronto, ON
This moody acoustic track received the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Arts Council and Folk Music Ontario back in 2021. It’s easy to see why - not to be punny, but both the vocal and the guitar work are beautifully haunting.
14. “Haunted” - Harley Olivia // Toronto, ON
Harley is influenced by the likes of Paramore, Halestorm, and Garbage, whose influences you can hear all over this track. I also hear a little bit of P!nk in the vocal delivery, and there’s a creepy bell toll sound effect in the second verse that is quite spooky. Fun fact: Harley was once a flight attendant before “trading the skies for stages.”
15. “I Gave You the Knife” - Silver Reeds // Toronto, ON
Simply put: I love this song. This is off the 2023 album, What to Leave Behind, but Silver Reeds released a single recently and will be putting out a new EP before the year ends. I look forward to listening.
16. “Ghostwriter” - Stress Dolls // Buffalo, NY
Although I recognize that the term ‘ghostwriter’ isn’t inherently spooky, my friend Bran Schlia directed a very eerie film noir music video for this song that was filmed at the Harvester Center, a now-closed multi-purpose building in Batavia. The character I play was also slightly inspired by Christina Ricci in the 1995 film Casper, so all things considered, I feel like this qualifies.
A Spotify playlist is available to stream here, but we encourage you to purchase these artists’ downloads, CDs, or vinyl; buy their merch; or go see a show.
If you’re an artist who is currently based in Western New York or Southern Ontario and are interested in submitting your music for consideration, fill out our submission form here.