Buffalo Killers, at the very least, seem to hail from another time, which makes them perfect for right now. This four piece Ohio-based band adheres to that old balls-to-the-wall rock and roll credo when music was all about style and substance as well as simply piling on the heavy.
It's not surprising, given that brothers Zach (bass/vocals) and Anthony (guitar/vocals) were weaned on their parent's killer rock collection, which included artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Led Zeppelin and most likely some Skynyrd for just a little bit of southern drawl.
Oh, and did we neglect to mention Neil Young?
"Our dad's favorite artist of all time is Neil Young. Our household was mostly Neil 24-7. Even when [Young's '82 album] Trans came out, our dad was all about it. Neil on the stereo; Neil on guitar. That's what we were raised on," says guitarist/vocalist Andy Gabbard in an email interview.
"Our dad also once suggested we start a band like Blue Cheer," he adds.
That would explain the heavy tone, muted fuzz and progressive harmonies that yields something fresh and new among today's "trying to be more indie and stranger than you" sound permeating the music scene. Something about the sound attracted the likes of Black Keys Dan Auerbach, who produced their second album, and The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, who heaped massive praise upon the band before taking them out on tour.
"With Heavy Reverie, we wanted to make a straight forward, heavy, catchy, upbeat, no bullshit, good-from-start-to-finish album," Gabbard says. "We're not a classic rock band. We are a present rock band. There's nothing classic about a band nobody's heard of. We didn't sit down and say, 'Hey, let's be this!' We just do our thing. People can call it whatever they want because you have to be labeled something, so people can decide whether they like you or hate you."
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Again, there's plenty to like with Buffalo Killers, namely that straight-up musicality played with an attitude that puts music first.
"We're just four guys. We play live in the studio. We have our own flavor because we don't fake it. ... We're all about performance and energy. If it feels good, it sounds good," Gabbard says. "People are sick of the generic crap with no heart. We just do our thing and the more people that tune in to what we're doing makes us very happy."
Buffalo Killers are scheduled to play The Western in Scottsdale on Monday, May 19.
Find any show in Metro Phoenix via our extensive online concert calendar.
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