Avi Buffalo

When I first listened to this album, I was convinced that the members this band was probably in their late 20s or early 30s and have probably had a few releases under smaller labels. The singer's voice sounded pretty young, though. I was pretty shocked to find out the singer and guitarist was only 19. His songwriting is extremely mature. He's definitely not just about power chords. He's got some great jazz riffs and also has a great sense of melody. In my opinion this is one of the best indie rock releases since "Hissing Fauna." Avi Buffalo may be young, but he's definitely the real deal and I look forward to a long and interesting career in his future.

Someone recently told me about this band very nonchalantly so i decided to check them out- i was intrigued by what i heard so i bought the album and gave it a whirl. I was immediately reminded why i love music so much, this is one of those rare albums (in the vein of animal collective's MPP, the Shins 'wincing the night away', and death cabs 'plans') that makes you feel like you're hearing different and better songs each time you listen to it. Obviously the first two songs are the most accessible at first listen, but tracks like 'jessica', 'five little sluts', and 'remember last time' just absolutely entrench themselves into your head and don't leave. I have recently found myself trying not to listen to this cd because i'm worried i'll overplay it too quickly as it is the only thing i want to hear now! Just get it you won't regret it.

My hard drive crashed about a month ago. All my music, college application essays, schoolwork, everything. Gone. Of everything that was lost, I'm missing this album the most at the moment. I really wish you could re-download things from amazon that you've already bought, even if just a few times a la iTunes.Where's my "dirty mind?" I'm nothing without "Jessica." I feel lost without my "five little sluts" to "summer c..." okay okay I'll stop.Anyway, this an extremely talented band with a great falsetto singer. They're much more than "What's it in for?" on Sub Pop's 2010 sampler.

So cute and sweet. I'm not surprised that they never made it big. But this is a really nice record with some swingin' tracks.

This CD impressed me. I will listen to more of their music. It is a CD that has me feeling there is hope that young people can make music that is not aimed at making themselves stars.

Decent album.

I first heard their "What's in it for?" on BBC radio 1's Zane Lowe's show. I love their musice immediately. Very mellow, very comfortable song. Easy listening. Then I searched them on You Tube, found a couple of their videos. Most of their songs are as good as "What's in it for?"I pre-ordered this CD here. Just received it right now. The first song I play of course is "What's in it for?". LOVE IT. It is worth the wait.

When precocious Long Beach young `uns Avi Buffalo released their anticipated debut earlier this year, they had all the prerequisites for their own hype machine: hot single(s), Pitchfork approval, a fairly surprising rating on Metacritic (82!). I listened to one song, judged them as an early Shins knock-off and promptly forgot about them. That's the problem with hype - too much of it and you go into the listen expecting something utterly mind-blowing, something that will live up to an almost mythic status all this blogosphere talk builds up yet rarely matches. Avi Buffalo is not mind-blowing, nor is it even one of the best debuts I've heard this year. Simply put, it's great, solid indie-pop music, music that merely portends the arrival of a band that has more potential than most their age and some pretty slick songwriting chops.I really wanted to give this a higher rating, particularly after hearing gems like opener "Truth Sets In" or "Coaxed," songs that replicate the gentle flow of (yes) early Shins or debut-album Noah and the Whale. It's twee without being overly cute, something hard to do when your band is besieged everywhere they go by the constant addendum "but they're only 19!!!" Excellently-named vocalist Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg sounds just like a dozen other indie-pop vocalists, having mastered the art of the high-pitched, fragile whisper and the occasional faux falsetto, but it's the songwriting that elevates Avi Buffalo from the also-rans. "What's In It For?" is a fantastic pop single, marrying a beautiful melody to a stick-in-your-head hook and the kind of instant accessibility that future MTV-show soundtracks are made of. That's not a knock on the band's obvious penchant for writing songs everyone is interested in nowadays, but a testament to how well the songs click. It helps that Isenberg is actually quite the guitar player, making the unexpected fretwork on tunes like "Jessica" and "Remember Last Time" the highlights rather than the strong pop foundations the songs are built on. Even when the solos go on a bit too long, as they do most egregiously on the 7-and-a-half-minute "Remember Last Time," Isenberg's jangly guitar work is pleasant enough to forgive the youthful wankery.But then there's songs like the lackluster "Can't I Know" or the way too much of the latter half of the album bleeds together, something that can't really be avoided when Avi Buffalo stick strictly to their inoffensive guitar-pop formula throughout. While "Where's Your Dirty Mind" and "One Last" are good songs in their own right, it's obvious that Avi Buffalo is a front-loaded record, with the best melodies ending with "Summer Cum." That last is another divisive issue with the band, being the clearest example of Isenberg's juvenile lyrical bent. But hey, he's young, and although in the future he might try a more diplomatic approach to describing adolescent love, it's nonetheless impressive that Isenberg can turn sheet stains into one of the sweeter love songs of the year. Avi Buffalo wear their musical influences on their sleeves (Built To Spill, the aforementioned Shins, Elephant 6, etc. etc.), and their lyrical direction is more Superbad than J.D. Salinger, but it's charming without being cloying, poppy without being overly sugary. Most importantly, it's the kind of debut that leaves you thrilled for what the future may bring, and that's something special.

Quite wisely, Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg opted to shorten his moniker for the stage, and, along with three equally young bandmates and his crackling falsetto that more than recalls Wayne Coyne in places, Avi Buffalo is the concise result. With Arin Fazio and Sheridan Riley rounding out the ranks, these three also include one Rebecca Coleman with whom vocals are shared, and if the stories are true, much more in the past. The eyebrow-raising lyrics to the twee "Summer Cum" would seem to confirm it: "I got lost in your summer cum / leave all your stains with me".Coming on sweetly like Jenny Lewis, Coleman's country-tinged additions bathe the band's self-titled debut in an enviable summeriness. And it's a congruous haze, as the band call Long Beach, California home. Therefore, the waves of West Coast melody that really make the album come as little surprise. Blissful guitar solos such as those that ring out on the lengthy "Remember Last Time" add necessary character and backbone to the pleasantness, as otherwise more aimless offerings such as the fluttery "Coaxed" may have dominated.Zahner-Isenberg's chosen band name perhaps makes more sense as "What's In It For?" starts to plays out amid echo-y backing vocals. With the lingering embrace of a lost Neil Young track, it suggests a depth of schooling in and admiration for his material, maybe so much so as to even extend as far back as his Buffalo Springfield days. It seems the comparisons never stop either, as the tender, indie DNA of Mercury Rev becomes apparent in the fine strands of Avi Buffalo's make-up. This is perhaps best heard on the beautifully shuffling duet "One Last".Ultimately, Sub Pop know a good thing when they hear it and rightly they snapped up likeable unit-shifters The Shins when they had the chance. They say that lightening doesn't strike twice, but it seems to have done so in their Seattle stables, electrifying both bands with similarly gorgeous melody. The label readily concede to thinking they've a major talent on their hands in Zahner-Isenberg, and on this form they may be right.

Das Album läuft nun inzwischen seit doch schon ein paar Jahren immer wieder entweder auf Vinyl, CD oder Laptop zuhause und ich muss sagen, dass ich es immer noch nicht leid bin zu hören.Die Kompositionen des Albums sind sehr schön anzuhören und werden von der speziellen Gesangstimme von Avi Zahner-Isenberg getragen. Vergleiche lassen sich beispielweise zu The Shins oder Arcade Fire ziehen. Die Gitarre ist immer prägend, jedoch nicht dominierend mit wenig Verzehrung. Die Texte wirken auch nicht wie lauter Plattitüden aneinander gereiht, sondern unterstreichen die oftmals eher ruhige und nachdenkliche bis melancholische Musik. Eine meiner Lieblingszeilen ist hier: "Your lips taste like little pieces of bacon". Welche schöne erfrischende Art die Schönheit von Lippen zu beschreiben ;) Zu finden ist diese Zeile auf Track 2 "What's it in for". Generell ist dieses mein klarer Favorit auf der Scheibe, gerade weil dort die Besonderheit der Stimme durchkommt, welche manche als quäkend beschreiben würden, meiner Ansicht jedoch genau passend ist für die Musik mit leicht angezehrter Gitarre und dem ruhigen Schlagzeugspiel.Abschließend bleibt nur zu sagen, dass ich allen dieses Album empfehle, die sich auf ein Album einlassen können und Musik nicht nach dem ersten mal hören beurteilen. Das Album braucht sicherlich etwas Zeit um zu gefallen, doch wenn dieser Punkt erstmal erreicht ist, bleibt es im Herzen wie ein alter Freund.

Regalo apprezzato ! Anche ascoltato ! Acquisto consigliato !

Si no conoces a Avi Buffalo no pierdas más el tiempo, ve a Youtube o Spotify o donde sea y escúchalos. Eso sí guárdate ésta página porque vas a querer volver a ella para pedir esta obra maestra. Uno de mis discos favoritos de la última década sin duda alguna en una gran edición y a un precio increíble. Estás tardando.

Cette album est sublime pour son côté pop lyrique qui fait penser à tout cette nouvelle vague de groupe comme Local Natives, The Shins, Fleet Foxes... Leur single "What'S In It For ", que ce soit le clips et la musique, est une merveille. Encore un bon groupe pop qui nous plonge dans le bonheur, le rêve, l'évasion. Il en faut dans ce monde de brut !