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. “Ice Tea” - Skye Wallace // Toronto, ON
This song was on my Top Tracks of 2025 list, and I still think it’s super cool. The best I’ve been able to describe it is to “imagine Nirvana mixed with PJ Harvey… with a banjo,” and I stand by that even now. You can catch Skye live at Burdock Music Hall on September 23rd.
2. “Selfish One” - Bebe and Oona // Toronto, ON
Sister band Bebe and Oona are back with a brand new single and a new phase of their career. Apparently they crossed paths with Jim Creeggan (bass player of a band you may have heard of called Barenaked Ladies), and he invited them to his studio to cut this track. It sounds stellar, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Bebe and Oona go from here.
3. “you only listen” - Passed Out // Buffalo, NY
Passed Out may have been a band for over ten years by the time their 2025 album, I just don’t feel like myself anymore, was released, but in some ways it feels like they’re just getting started. This record marked their first release with Harvest Sum Recordings, and I imagine it will appeal to those who are fans of Conor Oberst, Okkervil River, or Songs:Ohia.
4. “Cut Me Open (Count the Rings)” - Paper Tigers // Fredonia, NY
Paper Tigers are one of my favorite WNY discoveries of this past year. From Fredonia, the band blends noise rock, dream pop, emo, and shoegaze into a hypnotic sound. You can catch them live at Milkies on Elmwood at 6 PM as part of Day 4 of Milkfestockapalooza on September 27th.
5. “Worst Night of Your Life” - Estyr // Toronto, ON
Estyr is more than just an artist; she’s also the scorer of an award-winning documentary short. Her doc about her family’s journey from Toronto to the Philippines, In the Morning Sun, won the 2026 SXSW Jury Award.
6. “Two Balloons” - Grizzly Coast // Toronto, ON
This track is taken from Staying Power, Grizzly Coast’s debut album that acted as a “testament to [her] journey as an artist, embodying her commitment to authenticity and honoring the power of trusting oneself in the face of uncertainty.” It’s been too long since this quirky love song graced the The Bridge airwaves.
7. “Concrete” - Roger Bryan & the Orphans // Buffalo, NY
Roger Bryan and the Orphans’ new single is our first taste of their upcoming album, Open Chord Dispatch, due out later this year on Harvest Sum Recordings. The song nicely encapsulates the band’s self-description: “merging classic American songwriting with both grace and recklessness.” You can catch it live at their show on September 25th at Revolver Records in Buffalo.
8. “Until the End” - Whitetails // Buffalo, NY
More new music out of Buffalo! This is the latest single from Whitetails from their upcoming release, Everything Is Changing. The project of singer/songwriter Jonathan Bobowicz, Whitetails creates in the artist’s home studio, The Garden Recording. You can catch the band, along with WNY’s Tough Old Bird, at Jack Rabbit in Buffalo on September 26th.
9. “Howl” - Deer Fang // St. Catharines, ON
I was a big fan of Deer Fang’s latest t-shirt design, one that was inspired by a video of theirs that went viral of a raccoon stealing a bag of ketchup chips at a campfire (head to the band’s social media to watch it - it is just as funny and cute as it sounds). This song is from their latest record, Forest For the Trees.
10. “Keeping Going (And Don’t Forget)” - Shad & 14 KT // Toronto, ON
Called “one of Canada’s most revered rappers” and described as “a peerless wordsmith who embodies hip hop’s power to entertain and educate,” Shad has been featured on NPR, Rolling Stone, Fader, and more. This song comes from the EP Reel Speakers, a collaboration between the artist and 14KT.
11. “Running Man” - Red Sun 1981 // Buffalo, NY
Red Sun 1981 is the project of Jeff Kandefer, a Buffalo artist who is also the founder of My Daydream Records, a label that specializes in “atmospheric, dreamy music.” His Running Man EP features all original music, but if you’re interested in hearing his take on The Police, you can also check out a cover of “Walking On the Moon.”
12. “Slip It Away” - Lonestar Sailing // Buffalo, NY
I’ve been a fan of Lonestar Sailing since I first heard their song, “Spirits Are Lifted,” competing in the Artvoice BOOM (Battle of Original Music, in case you were wondering) Competition back in 2014. The band’s 2022 album, Sad Bones, was one of my favorites of that year, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the times ahead.
13. “Don’t Stop” - ackzz // Toronto, ON
If you’ve been a longtime listener of the program, then you know that ackzz has been submitting since its inception and has regularly sent a new song almost every single month. I also know that Artemisio, the artist behind ackzz, tunes in, which is always appreciated. I thought it would be fun to revisit the first track that he ever sent for airplay.
14. “killing time” - trick pinky // Buffalo, NY
Self-described as “corporate by day, indie musician by every time after that,” trick pinky draws inspiration from such artists as Pixies and Beabadoobee.
15. “Fake” - Mister Thank You // Buffalo, NY
“Make no mistake, real life is a deep fake.” In an era where we are constantly left questioning what’s real and what’s not (and when much of the time what’s real seems fake), I think we can all relate to this song by WNY’s Mister Thank You.
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.
