The Buffali
Kerfuffle No. 10
© 2005 The Buffali (899746000913)
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The bombastic indie-pop girl/guy duo features quirky vocal interplay and catchy melodies, singing songs about everything from heartbreak to alien abduction.
tracks
- 1 Yer Late
- 2 True Love
- 3 Sophie
- 4 Peach Lullaby
- 5 Beth Dances the Tango
- 6 Pleitos en Tijuana
- 7 Shittrain
- 8 Awful Hot Baby
- 9 Malayalam
- 10 Big Ol' Bus/Assu-mpti-on
- 11 Alaska Song
- 12 Throw Dirt Over the Fence
- 13 Ducksuck
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The Buffali are a bombastic acoustic indie-pop duo. Featuring quirky vocal interplay and catchy melodies, this irreverent girl/guy outfit sings songs about everything from heartbreak to alien abduction. Their unique songwriting incorporates influences ranging from the Beatles to the Blues, with a healthy dose of country and a quirk reminiscent of the Violent Femmes thrown in. The duo brings an infectious glee to their live show, combining originals with an eclectic mix of covers from hip-hop to oldies. They play acoustic guitar and acoustic bass guitar, and occasionally piano, upright bass and auxiliary percussion.
Since winning the University of Wisconsin-Madison Battle of the Bands in 2004, The Buffali have developed a devoted following, an email list including fans in cities throughout the region and positive reviews in all of Madison's local press. The Buffali celebrated the release of their new album "Kerfuffle No. 10" with a regional CD release tour in June 2005.
The Buffali have shared the stage with Clyde Stubblefield, the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, the Ditty Bops, Those Darn Accordions and Sam Shaber, among others. The duo has performed at Madison's premiere venues including the High Noon Saloon and the UW Memorial Union Terrace, and were the featured band at the 2005 Wisconsin Film Festival. They have played on UW's student radio station WSUM and Madison's community radio station WORT, as well as Wisconsin Public Radio's Higher Ground.
reviews
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The Buffali: Indie pop so wrong, it’s right
author: Matthew R. Perrine/Duluth Budgeteer NewsThe first thing newfound Buffali listeners notice is how strikingly odd the duo is. This is not a statement to be taken lightly — especially considering that yours truly is the proud father of a few hundred CDs that, to the average listener, are utterly “weird.” (Not to totally rip off comedian Kyle Cease in his “Generation Nintendo” bit, but “I don’t understand / What do you mean? / That song’s weird / That’s not a good song” is pretty much the only thing overheard at a party if I’m in control of the jukebox.) Perhaps it’s totally fitting that the group’s full-length debut, “Kerfuffle No. 10,” was conceived and recorded in the college town of Madison, Wis. — or perhaps it’s completely irrelevant, but it’s true, and that’s interesting. Why? If the Buffali can survive in a town known primarily for drunk frat boys (and girls) — and not, as expected, just in some hipster juke joint like Minneapolis, Boulder, Olympia or even Milwaukee — then there’s hope for an entire offbeat scene. Watch out, mom and dad, for the Buffali — and whatever else is climbing up out of the underground — is quirky and as dangerously “deee-ranged” as indie pop can get. And it hits early on “Kerfuffle.” The leadoff track, “Yet Late,” starts out innocently enough with Clare Fehsenfeld and Andrew Yonda harmonizing, sweetly, as if they were auditioning for a Cameron Crowe soundtrack. This gradually dissolves into a domestic spat about tardiness (“Did you ever notice / Yer 40 minutes late and you forgot to call? / My friends all wonder / Why I bother putting up with you at all”) and, nary a few lines later, the “couple” reaches that point in any given argument where both parties must decide: Do we A) give up the grudge and admit mutual stupidity or, B) say a few choice words unsuitable for print? The Buffali, my friends, will always choose “B.” (Come on, “A” is for sad, sappy suckers like U2.) The rest of “Kerfuffle” carries on in much the same eccentric fashion, with increasingly poppy — and fun* — songs like “True Love,” “Sophie” and “Sh*ttrain” to keep the momentum going. *This is important, as the word “fun” has only been used to describe a few other acts, including Minneapolis’ similarly minded Best Friends Forever.
"Energetic and unpretentious."
author: Nancy K. Rost, The B-Side, a publication of Madison SongwritersI'm not sure where to file this CD - pop? experimental? acoustic? comedy? - but I like it. This Madison-based duo has a fresh sound consisting of acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, female and male voices, and not much else. Simplicity works to the Buffali's advantage, allowing the duo's unique character to shine through. Clare Fehsenfeld's personality tends to be out in front no matter what part she's singing. She has a sweet, high voice and a bubbly delivery that occasionally erupts into Lis Harvey-like warbles. She uses an innocent approach to amusing effect on some of the edgier lyrics. The understated Andrew Yonda is a perfect foil for Fehsenfeld. When he does backing vocals, he is so laid-back it takes awhile to realize what a great sense of harmony he has. When he sings lead, you get a taste of his peculiar wit. Several of these songs are written as duets, and it's fun to hear the two trading sung and spoken lines. This works well on Yer Late, with Fehsenfeld's homicidal rage over Yonda's tardiness, and Yonda's slacker response. The Buffali also mix up the vocal interplay with a capella breakdowns, unusual rhythm changes, and a couple mid-song conversations. The lyrics are energetic and unpretentious - chock full of phone booths and quickie marts and guys named Bill and Clyde. There's some clever storytelling here, too, notably on True Love and Beth Dances the Tango. With mostly whimsical songs about things like low-budget travel and random sexual escapades, Kerfuffle No. 10 has a light, young sensibility. (On The Alaska Song, they actually sing "I can't believe our parents didn't try to talk us out of this.") The absurdist spoken-word interludes felt a bit thin to me, though. I would have preferred another track or two with more weight -- perhaps something like their Elvis Costello-ish piano ballad Throw Dirt Over the Fence. I'll be interested in seeing what directions the Buffali take next. Kerfuffle No. 10 was engineered and produced by Mark Whitcomb at DNA Studios.
"A first listen...reveals a surface sweetness, but in reality, the duo likes to
author: The Onion AV ClubA first listen to The Buffali's new Kerfuffle No. 10 reveals a surface sweetness, but in reality, the duo likes to get down and dirty. In fact, the band almost luxuriates in the kind of goofy, heartfelt exclamations that helped Violent Femmes become a sensation for generations of rebellious teens. But beyond acoustic guitar and bass, little else is analogous to the Femmes' rawkus acoustic punk. Instead, The Buffali take cues from vaudeville comedy teams, folk racounteurs, and a dash of indie rock. Andrew Yonda and Clare Fehsenfeld harmonize over scenes of humor and humanity, riffing on interband mishaps, alien landings, and the pitfalls of true love.
"The good humor that flows from whatever they touch is their secret weapon."
author: Tom Laskin, Isthmus, Madison, WIOn Kerfuffle No. 10, the irresistible local folk-pop duo filter old-timey, turn-of-the-last-century tunes through their cracked, neo-hippie sensibility and come up smelling like chocolate-covered rainbows. The boy/girl band's strangely innocent vocal harmonies are an obvious strength, as is a facility with language that allows them to write about getting laid in a "shittrain" without diminishing their cuteness quotient one iota. But the good humor that flows from whatever they touch is their secret weapon. The Buffali are a natural for the jam/college circuit. And if they ever got the opportunity to breeze through "Yer Late" or "Throw Dirt Over the Fence" at Bonnaroo or some other major jam-band event, they'd kill. No doubt about it.