Buffalo's rising talent comes together for Femme Fest: A Birthday Jam
The femme forces leading Femme Fest: Blaised Mercedes, Maegan Jones, Danielle Johnson and Emily Scripps
Buffalo’s musical renaissance is a gift that keeps on giving. In the last few years, we’ve seen new festivals and artists sprout throughout the budding community. From hip-hop to alternative to rock to everything in between, the breeding ground for musical creativity in the Queen City continues to reach new heights and the announcement of Femme Fest is evidence of that.
Earlier last month, rising bands Smac!, Tsavo Highway, Blaised & Confused and Diyene joined forces along with special guest Dj Sike to announce their first collaborative show Femme Fest: A Birthday Jam. The event, taking place at Iron Works this month aims to join femme-leading, Buffalo-based bands together for a night to celebrate themselves, new music, and their birthdays ( which all happen to fall in December). With all 4 bands bringing a genre-bending edge to the stage, you’re probably wondering what to expect. We have the lowdown on these fierce up-and-comers!
The Femme Fest show is Friday, December 22, 7PM at Iron Works. Find tickets HERE
Meet Smac!
@smac716
Rising singer-songwriter Maegan Jones and composer-guitarist Oscar Woodrich came together to create Smac! last year as an extension of their solo careers; and to experiment outside of their sound. Performing many singles from Maegan’s 2022 EP Eurydice, this 2-piece will debut new music during Femme Fest. Known for their soulful harmonies and pleasant compositions that dip into funk, rock and pop, the duo is bringing their unique touch to popular contemporary tracks and original works. Frontwoman Maegan says she’s be inspired by “any tune.”
“Rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Freddie Gibbs, and Denzel Curry taught me rhythm. Performers like Beyonce, Victoria Monet, and Janet Jackson taught me how to create quality music while moving my body. Vocalists like LalahHathaway, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye and Samara Joy taught me our voices can change the world one ballad at a time. Soul singers like D'angelo, Erykah Badu, Amy Winehouse, and Anthony Hamilton taught me how to feel. Pop icons like David Bowie, Rihanna, Daft Punk, and Kylie Minogueta taught me continuity. Musical masterminds like Prince, George Benson and Stevie Wonder taught me to never stop learning. And the list will forever go on,” Maegan shared.
Meet Tsavo Highway
@tsavo_highway
This 5-piece jam band formed early last year is known for its intoxicating, groove-based performances. Made up of guitarist Peter Kern, guitarist Christian Dobosiewicz, bassist Brian Calisto, drummer Dan Keegan, and lead vocalist Emily Scripps, the rock and roll group won Best New Band, Best Local Song, and Best Vocalist last year at the All WNY Awards. Their approach of “crafting a sonic landscape filled with intricate melodies and powerful riffs” is what continues to make them a hot commodity and a rising force amongst Buffalo’s jam scene. As lead vocalist, Emily’s passion for music comes from her early musical influences in dance, musicals and church. She also shares that she uses her voice and music to uplift herself.
“Performing, and especially creating help to keep the demons at bay,” Emily explained. “They help to take all of my anxious ridden energy and put it into something that can help myself and hopefully others in navigating their own emotions. I don’t necessarily need something to “keep” my creating and performing going, I truly have to keep doing both.”
Meet Blaised & Confused
@Blaised.and.confused
Singer-songwriter turned rockstar, Blaise Mercedes’ soulful voice, hardcore grit, and stylish edge have gained major attention this year. Fronting their recently formed band, Blaised & Confused, the daring vocalist aims to create music that is boundary-less. Inspired by a range of artists from Pierce the Veil to Esperanza Spalding, Blaise, along with their band - drummer Alex Chambers, saxophonist Cat Poczciwinski, bassist Malachi Fibonacci, and guitarist Oscar Woodrich - is presenting an exciting, non-conformist approach to rock music that continues to attract new listeners. Whether it’s covering the left of music or presenting original works, Blaise’s passionate performances are the start of an exciting journey to share their most authentic self.
“There is no other outlet that is as liberating or intimidating as creating music and performing. In a way, I’m the most honest version of myself when I perform and the most vulnerable when I write. I crave that level of authenticity from myself, otherwise, I get very discombobulated. It helps me to recenter and articulate what's going on in my brain and my heart,” Blaise shared.
Meet Diyene
@diyeneband
This fresh faced band is ready to share their mantra “Good Music Finds A Way” with the world. Forming just this past Spring, Diyene is a soul-fusion band that is bringing experienced musicians together to create fun, heartfelt music. Consisting of guitarist Mike Cassidy, keyboardist Eric Matlock, drummer Marc thomas, bassist Nick Myers, and lead vocalist Danielle A. Johnson, Diyene’s high energy, interactive performances is uniting different facets of the music community together. Frontwoman Danielle is most excited that femme-led bands are working together.
“There is so much about this show that I have dreamed about since its conception and I am so amazed at the wonderful femme-women I have beside me helping me pull this together,” Danielle shared. “I am excited to see some of the people who have become really and truly great friends to me perform at a show that they had a hand in organizing. I am excited to see all of our friends come out and support us. And I guess most of all, I am excited that there is a space for Femme-Led anything to be showcased and highlighted.”
The Femme Fest show is Friday, December 22, 7PM at Iron Works. Find tickets HERE
#BUFFACOLD: Get To Know ILLY ALI
With his influence growing, rapper Illy Ali is stating his claim with his recent project Rosebuds Too. An Eastside Buffalo native who moved to Atlanta in 2008, the rising lyricist has been through a handful of sonic reiterations but finds his footing on the 6-track EP serving as an introduction to who he is now; mature, well-traveled, and telling his story.
“My quest is trying to make music that shows my truest self,” Ali shared.
Initially on the scene back in 2006, Illy Ali’s first contributions to Buffalo hip-hop came through his participation in a young hip-hop crew called ‘Da F.A.M,’ and they released their debut mixtape titled Heart of the City that same year. Their sound, an integration of backpack raps and street lyrics was a dichotomy to the raw, boom-bap movement, which kept them on the fringes of the city’s rising rap community, but that didn’t stop Ali. A graduate of Hutch Tech and Canisius College, Alli moved to Atlanta to pursue music and work as a teacher.
“Moving to Atlanta was a whole ‘nother ball game,” Ali explained. “I started to call myself Sandwich Bag Shawty. Named my first solo mixtape Sandwhich Bag Shawty. We still had CDs then…and I went to AC3 with CDs in a sandwich bag. I started getting marketing ideas.”
An ode to Atlanta’s “Shawty era” integrated with his Buffalo pride, Ali’s work on Sandwich Bag Shawty highlights his duality as a rapper and artist. Besides the constant references to weed and smoking (hence the Sandwich Bag) songs like “Three Ogs,” “Ode to Blo,” and “Friend or Foe” display the street tales of the versatile rhymer, with grand instrumentation. But he keeps the project exciting with party-centered tracks like “Go Green,” “Whip Game” and “Shawty Smoke,” which stretched the boundaries of standard hip-hop production - don’t be surprised to hear his background vocals throughout the project.
A constant collaborator on Sandwich Bag Shawty is Buffalo-based beatmaker Anthymonthetrack. Producing most of Ali’s work, including Ali’s follow-up to his solo debut and the 3rd installment called Sandwich Bag Season, Anthym joined forces with Ali to create a hip-hop duo called The Dignitaries. Creating from 2010 to 2017, The Dignitaries released their own project titled Chess Not Checkers towards the end of the year-showing off their lyrical chops. Standout tracks like “The Beckoning,” “Freaked Out,” and “Book Of The Dead” finds the two going tit for tat throughout the project.
“In 2017 we cracked the code. We had a group of 4 people but…we did a couple songs with just Anthymonthetrack and myself and I knew that was the sound that kind’ve the people wanted…for us to finally just come together and do a project with the two of us was an evolution,” Alli shared.
Also starting their record label called Native Alien, Anthym and Ali continued to work closely. With a fresh rebrand, Ali matured his sound. The rapper strayed from his Sandwich Bag Shawty identity to Rosebuds - signifying his move to a storytelling-centered narrative, which gives major homage to Buffalo.
“I did 3 volumes of Sandwich Bag Shawty with weed symbols on everything and I didn’t want to just put myself in that 4/20 category…there’s more to me, there’s more depth,” Ali explained.
Inspired by his childhood experiences of singing in the city’s church choir called Rosebuds and his interest in love songs, Ali’s 2020 effort deepened his intention. The 6-track EP slows the rapper’s pace, with rich production from smooth strings to simmering 808s. With the themes of love, romance, and good bud on the project, Ali ups the ante - he produced most of Rosebuds and features fellow artists like 7xve The Genius, Tommi Cole, and Fee Love.
“I wanted to kind of give listeners a glimpse into my production,” Ali mentioned.
Expanding his sonic journey with Rosebuds set the tone for his follow-up released last year. Rosebuds Too is poignant, and sharp, but still maintains Illy Ali’s clever edge as a lyricist. His single “Don’t Walk Away From Me” is a culmination of his introspective storytelling, lyricism, and smooth production. Also, take a listen to tracks like “Blood With My Brothers,” and “I Love You.” Always repping Buffalo, Alli’s unique collaborations and approach to his music make him one to watch.
Listen to “Don’t Walk Away From Me” here:
Follow IIly Alli HERE
A.I. THE ANOMALY RELEASES “BONNETS & BANTUS”
“Can I paint?” is what Buffalo-based rhymer A.I. The Anomaly says before the simmering breakdown on her new single, “Bonnet & Bantus.” It’s been a while since we’ve heard that same line. Before, it was on her blowout single “Eastside” in 2019; It’s very fitting here too. The faith-based femcee touts the same high energy and her out-of-the-box lyrical prowess on the Carolinah Blu-produced mid-tempo track where she unravels another layer of her womanhood.
With artistic ease, A.I. touches on grind culture, goals, and staying focused. Connecting the prep of black hair care ( Bonnets protect hair and Bantus preserve the state of the hair) with the mindfulness needed to hustle makes the single an instant motivational anthem she hopes will positively impact her listeners.
“As a woman and an entrepreneur who loves hip-hop, I wanted to be encouraged by what I’m listening to so I wanted to create something that would encourage myself,” she explained. “Also motivate those who move like me, those who are in similar spaces. I also wanted to create something that I could share with my daughter… I’m really trying to uplift women, uplift people in general, no matter where you come from you can do something. You can create the world that you want to create for yourself.”
Adorned with textured sounds from oozing synths to trap-flavored drums - a premier sound profile from the dream team that is Blu and A.I., the song ultimately pushes the message of self-love, personal growth, and determination. Particularly after the bridge, A.I gets more transparent - it almost sounds like she’s speaking directly to her daughter or maybe to her younger self. Lyrics like “Look into my eyes until I find you little girl/ Lost on a road I will find you little girl… No matter where you come from grow something, little girl,” finds the Christian rhymer at one of the most introspective points in the song - and discography so far. For us, this deeply emotional and climatic masterpiece is more proof that the staple lyricist’s creativity has no bounds. Listen to the new song below!