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. “Long Way Home” - The Sarandons // Toronto, ON
It’s always fun reading artist bios when going through the submission form, and sometimes the descriptions stand strong enough on their own where not much more needs to be said. The Sarandons are no exception, proclaiming that they are “no longer carving through life’s wreckage with a butter knife,” and that their brand new single instructs how to “rebound from life’s quicksand.”
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2. “Hockey Town” - Stephen Babcock // Buffalo, NY
Stephen came in earlier this week to chat about “Hockey Town” as well as his ties to the Rust Belt, how a combination of talking with peers and listening to Sam Fender inspired him to write the song, and much more (there was even a Scholastic Book Fair shoutout - fellow Millenials, you know what’s up). You can listen to the full interview at btpm.org/the-bridge.
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3. “Addictions” - Jay Aquarious // Buffalo, NY
Fresh off a Wavy Award nomination for Best Live Performance, Jay Aquarious is back with a new double-sided EP titled Distortion & Symmetry. “Addictions” (released as a single alongside the song "Caged Bird") has echoes of some of the artist’s primary influences, including Janet Jackson, TLC, and Toni Braxton. Fun fact: not only is Jay Aquarious a musician, but also a poet, dancer, actor, and performing artist.
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4. “Destroy” - Talking Violet // Windsor, ON
What do you call a mix of shoegaze, grunge, and dream pop? “Dreamo,” of course - at least according to Talking Violet. The band’s latest single focuses on grief, specifically the grief of losing a relationship. TV’s Jillian Goyeau explains, “I was going through changes that I now see as necessary but were incredibly painful at the time. It made me realize how much I had depended on my relationships with others for my identity. I had to slowly relearn who I was—and spent the next few years healing my people-pleasing baseline. It’s still something I work on every day.”
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5. “Rushbird” - Wren Cove // Rochester, NY
A duo who has been described as “a mysterious blend of cello, electronics, and grooves,” Rochester’s Wren Cove has been delving into cinematic soundscapes since 2022. Their debut album, Movement, was released on Oct. 14 and features 11 new songs. This is the opening track.
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6. “You Can’t Make Me Dance” - Gatto Black // Buffalo, NY
Gatto Black is led by Sal Mastrocola, a Buffalo-based songwriter and musician who started the project to “explore the anxious side of hardcore.” The band’s latest release, Sky is Blue, is an incredibly intimate and vulnerable album that chronicles Sal coming out as bisexual and grappling with feelings of shame put on him by faith and societal expectations. I was fortunate enough to chat with him recently about the record, an interview that will be available on our site.
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7. “Either Way” - Dandelion Highway // Toronto, ON
This brand new single from Dandelion Highway was inspired by the lives of Canadian visual artists Christopher and Mary Pratt, a couple who chose to live and work apart in order to pursue their individual artistic passions while staying married. The band goes on to say that the song “is about the journey of art making and that the real success is in the doing.” Couldn’t agree more.
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8. “Pictures In My Head” - Spiria // Buffalo, NY
Although it was released in the summer, I find the music video for this song haunting and a perfect fit for the grey days of autumn. The sibling indie duo will be playing a show alongside The Water Dogs and Socialite on Thursday, Nov. 13, at Amy’s Place in Buffalo. Learn more about that show and many others by checking out the regional music concert calendar at btpm.org/the-bridge.
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9. “Mourning Cloak” - Meagan Aversa // Toronto, ON
Fans of Sydney Sprague, Phoebe Bridgers, or Soccer Mommy: do yourself a favor and check out Meagan Aversa. The artist’s latest album, Blood Moon, was released in June of 2024, and after listening I only hope there’s more music coming in the not-so-distant future.
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10. “Moments in the Sun” - Dotsun Moon // Buffalo, NY
Richard Flierl, AKA Dotsun Moon, grew up on radio, religiously tuning in to such stations as Buff State’s WBNY and Toronto’s CFNY for their music and concert announcements. In time he was inspired to pick up a guitar, and with the influence of such artists as Echo and the Bunnymen, began writing shoegaze and goth-inspired tunes. Over the years he’s collaborated with other WNY artists such as Maria Sebastian and Mary Ognibene, and on Oct. 1, he released his fourth EP, Moments in the Sun.
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11. “The Garden” - Cheap Peach // Buffalo, NY
Cheap Peach has been bouncing around the WNY music scene for a while now, mesmerizing audiences with their layered guitar distortion, heavy driving rhythm section, and “melodic lines rooted in nostalgia with a dash of melodrama.” This single is one of several new offerings that the band recorded earlier this year at Tarbox Studios with Jon Fridmann.
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12. “Sally Brown” - Sallyanndra // Buffalo, NY
Sallyanndra, AKA Sally Schaefer, is probably one of the busiest people in the Buffalo music scene. You may recognize her from her solo work, her duo with Tyler Bagwell (or their group The Travesties, which features fellow BTPM the Bridger Marc Smith), McCarthyizm, or a plethora of other projects she’s been a part of. Her new album, New York State Fiddle & Sound, was entirely self-produced and funded with help from a grant gifted by the New York State Council on the Arts. Every song on the record is thematically related to New York.
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13. “Settle All” - Molly Conrad // Buffalo, NY
Originally from Iowa, Molly traveled around a bit, including touring in western Europe and living in Nashville, before settling down in Buffalo. At present, she plays various gigs around WNY and continues to release new music, including “Settle All,” a song that is sure to ring true for anyone who has pursued something only to fall into a different life path, but then comes to recognize that perhaps that path was in the plan all along. One of my favorite lines is “trade in all your spades on your own / time was never limited in the scope of it all / settle all / settle all against the odds.” Instagram
14. “Dreams” - helmsley // Buffalo, NY
helmsley is the solo project of Brandon Schlia, a creator you may recognize from the many projects he’s part of (does Steak & Cake Records, Headshrinker Studios, or ZUZU Radio ring a bell?) This song is from the third, and latest, installment in the helmsley catalogue: a double album titled Low Positive/High Strangeness. Low Positive features ‘conventional’ pop-rock songwriting ala The Strokes and or Saves the Day, while High Strangeness is an experimental instrumental record meant as a tribute to producer/engineer Kenny Segal. Both albums are interesting and worth the listen, but I chose “Dreams” because it warmed my heart.
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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.
