Buffalo Bangers- CD-R and cassette demos

Well, so much for my rule about not writing about bands/records that I'm planning on releasing.  That flew right out the door when I obtained the demos of this amazing Atlanta four piece band, who I have been certifiably obsessed with for the last month or so. Of course, the Buffalo Bangers haven't actually agreed to let me release anything by them yet, but you bet your ass I've been hassling them about it, practically begging them in fact to do a record for PLI.  They of course have remained cool as cucumbers and appear only fleetingly interested, much like any confident/competent artist would act when being madly sought after.  You can't blame them for being smart.
 
So then, I did mention they were a band, but perhaps the significance of this statement was somewhat lost on some of you, so I'll spell it out: bands, in the traditional sense of the word, have become boring if not obsolete.  There I said it.  There are of course always exceptions, but speaking strictly in terms of who's been responsible for making the majority of music that has sounded vital and fresh in the last decade, it has not been bands; especially not rock bands.  Instead, the most interesting sounds of recent times have come mostly from the laptop/drum machine wizards, the weirdo loners, and occasionally from the post-everything, deconstructionist type bands a'la Lightning Bolt, Wolf Eyes, Black Dice, etc.     
 
So then, what's so special about the Buffalo Bangers, most definitely a 'rock' band in every sense of the word, that makes them stand out?  Is it the clean surf style guitars layered over a gloomy goth rock influenced rhythm section?  Perhaps it's the highly dramatic vocal performances which sound something like Kate Pierson of the B-52's channeling Danzig?  Or maybe it's the lyrical content and overall aesthetic of the band, which is reliant upon highly personal astrological and religious imagery.  Actually, it's all of these things.

While the band's center could probably be most closely linked to bands such as Christian Death or Siouxsie & the Banshees, they draw as much influence from disparate artists such as REM and Link Wray as they do from the tradition of goth punk.  The result is a weird amalgamation of styles that's both conventional and unique, and which forces the listener to re-evaluate the significance of the restrictive genre pigeonholes so frequently relied upon to describe artists' sounds.

I guess maybe their sound isn't for everyone; if you're looking strictly for the mondo bizzaro, this may not be your bag. But for anyone interested in the progression of punk and goth rock into new and interesting, yet comfortably familiar territory, this band will certainly hit a nerve.  With any luck, they'll soon have a record out courtesy of yours truly, so keep your eyes peeled.  Until then, check them out on the web here.