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. “Hysteria” - Cassidy Taylor // Toronto, ON
Growing up, Cassidy was a shy kid who spent a lot of time in her bedroom writing songs. Now, as a singer/songwriter who has been releasing music since 2020, her goal is to connect with others and help them find community through her live shows. Cassidy has been compared to artists such as Gracie Abram and Billie Eilish, which I can hear, but I’m surprised Taylor Swift isn’t mentioned as well. For the pop lovers: this is an artist you should keep tabs on.
2. “Fistful of teeth” - Passed Out // Buffalo, NY
The latest from Passed Out’s upcoming debut album, "I just don’t feel like myself anymore," makes me even more excited for the record’s release. Although a new single, the song has been a regular part of the band’s set for years, and they wrote on social media earlier this week that “to say we’re ‘excited’ would be an understatement.” Passed Out will be hosting their Album Release Show on Friday, Dec. 12, at Milkies on Elmwood. I sat down to chat with Andy Pothier about the show, release, and more - you can listen to that here.
3. “step into christmas” - akloh. // Buffalo, NY
akloh. had a very exciting holiday weekend when THE Elton John shared a video clip of his cover of “step into christmas” on Instagram. The song is one of three cover tracks from akloh.’s Christmas EP, akloh.-ho-ho, a festive release that came out on Nov. 21. When listening, I feel I have fully shed my Grinch-mode and am officially embracing the holidays.
4. “It’s Wintertime Again” - ackzz // Toronto, ON
This is an oldie but a goodie by Toronto’s ackzz (AKA Artemisio Bertone), an artist who submits a new song at least once per month. I took note of the rarity of him sharing a song that he already had sent in the past, but sometimes when something’s good and fits the season you don’t need to do something else.
5. “Teamwork” - Velvet Bethany // Buffalo, NY
Velvet Bethany’s Allison Mitchell writes songs that “travel backwards, forwards, and sideways,” chock full of lyrics inspired by “dreams and nightmares of worlds in between the frames of physical reality.” I’ve been a fan of traversing those worlds as a listener for the past five years, and have always loved catching the band live. They don’t play as often these days, which makes the opportunities to see them all the more special, so consider heading to Mohawk Place tonight, where they’ll be supporting The Bug Club alongside Adelaide.
6. “yr thriving” - Adelaide // Buffalo, NY
Adelaide has been crafting and releasing “tender bops” since 2022, but it wasn’t until recently that they began playing with a full band. You have two potential chances to see them this month: tonight at Mohawk Place at the aforementioned The Bug Club/Velvet Bethany show, or on the 22nd at the Ninth Ward in Babeville. Note: You can keep up with local concert listings by keeping up with the regional concert calendar I curate on our website.
7. “Diner Coffee” - VANCAMP // Toronto, ON
VANCAMP is the musical alias of Calvin Bakelaar, a musician who began songwriting in 2020. Over the next four years he released several singles before dropping his debut album, "Diner Coffee," in September of 2024. The song “delves into the themes of growing up in a small town and not fitting in.”
8. “Residential Military” - OMBIIGIZI // Toronto, ON
Adam Sturgeon and Daniel Monkman of OMBIIGIZI met and bonded over being indigenous musicians interested in creating experimental rock music. That interest was encouraged by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, who agreed to produce a record for them at the famed Bathouse Recording Studio (which, in case you didn’t know, was the personal studio of a little band called The Tragically Hip). The result was OMBIIGIZI’s debut album, "Sewn Back Together."
9. “Christmas Missin’ You” - Evan Moynihan // Lakewood, NY
This new track by Evan Moynihan features Motown-inspired instrumentals paired with “lyrics about Christmastime heartache.” I’ve been really impressed by the holiday songs that have been submitted so far this year, and this track is no exception. As a friendly reminder, we’re still looking for original holiday tunes by regional artists throughout the coming week! Feel free to submit here.
10. “who needs a liver when you’ve got a blue suit?” - Pretty Good State University // Buffalo, NY
I have a bone to pick with PGSU: I feel the need to argue that you do, in fact, need a liver, regardless of your blue suit. Can a blue suit help your body to support metabolism, immunity, digestion, detoxification, etc., etc.? This blurb is much too short to write an entire thesis paper, but I feel my argument has been clearly presented by the previous sentence. I take this very seriously. Side note: you can catch PGSU when they open for the Allfornauts debut show at Mohawk Place on Friday, Dec. 12, alongside Amateur Hockey Club and Violet Blush.
11. “Caged Bird” - Jay Aquarious ft. K-Rob // Buffalo, NY
Described as “sassy, sensual, and spiritual,” Jay Aquarious began recording music at the age of 18. Over the years, he’s stretched his creative wingspan to include modeling, acting, poetry, and more. His latest EP, Distortion & Symmetry, is a double-sided EP: Side A leans afro-futuristic, while Side B is more traditional. The release is “all about ascension and taking his fans further into his journey in music.”
12. “Penciled In” - Tilted Cloud // Buffalo, NY
Every week I scroll through The Scene library and try to pick out an artist who hasn’t been played in a while. This week it’s Tilted Cloud, an alt/rock band out of Buffalo. This song is recommended for fans of 90’s alternative, which I can hear, but it also has elements that feel a little prog-y. I’ll let you listen and see what you think.
13. “I Hope You Feel Terrible” - Boy Jr. // Buffalo, NY
This song is from the album "I Love Getting Dumped!," the precursor to 2025’s "I Hate Getting Dumped!" No matter your feelings on getting dumped, I highly recommend listening to both records + everything else Boy Jr. has to offer. According to the artist, their genre is defined by such terms as “10 bands in a trench coat” (I love this visual), “escape room lite,” and “golden brick wrapped in bubble wrap to the head rock.”
14. “In the Wintertime” - light:box:therapy // Buffalo, NY
light:box:therapy is the moniker of John Telaak, and songwriter/DJ from Buffalo. In the past, he was part of bands such as Sonorous and The Perfect Tragedy, but he’s been recording and releasing music solo since the 2010’s. This song describes looking out a window in none other than the wintertime, and something about some of its chords are reminiscent of “Stop Breathing” by Pavement, at least to me.
15. “Attention” - Talia Schlanger // Toronto, ON
This track is from Talia’s debut album, "Grace for the Going," that came out in early 2024. It’s been said that her approach to songwriting “is the result of a lifetime of deep and broad listening as a music fan with an open heart and hungry ears,” which makes a lot of sense when taking into account that she served as the host of NPR’s World Cafe from 2017 to 2019. Although she’s been relatively quiet in 2025, I have hopes that Talia’s been working on some new material to share with us.
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.
