The Albrights

WICU Erie News shout-out about the January 12, 2013 show at the Crooked i in Erie PA. The Albrights played with Falling Hollywood. - Shout-out by Ben Speggen

WICU Erie News shout-out about the January 12, 2013 show at the Crooked i in Erie PA. The Albrights played with Falling Hollywood. - Shout-out by Ben Speggen

That’s right, the two bands will be playing at the crooked i at 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12. By now we hope that you’re familiar with Falling Hollywood, one of the local favorites whose album “Set the Table” made it onto the Erie Reader’s Top 10 Albums of the Year and was the Reader’s local album of the year. The Albrights, however, might not be as familiar to you as the hometown Hollywood, but that should change soon.

The quartet, which has played with bands like Everclear, Eve 6, and Fountains of Wayne, has been a Buffalo staple over the past few years, sealing their status in the city with their blend of rock, blues, power-pop, with dashes of ragtime, and more. When it came to how the band developed its signature sound, bassist Matt Crane attributed it to a melting pot of individual influences.

“We all offer our musical backgrounds to our instruments,” Crane said. “I play like the music that I listened to, the other guys play come from what they grew up to. Instead of fighting that and saying that we have to start sounding like this kind of a band, we just sort of play and let it happen organically.” - Erie Reader: Alex Bieler

"Last year was a break out year for pop rock four-piece the Albrights. The band ran with the success of their highly impressive 2011 Buzz Records debut, Ask, Tell. releasing a hilarious music video for their single "You Don't Love Me," headlining a slew of local shows, and opening for a handful of national acts including their year ending performance with Everclear and Eve 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe." - Cory Perla

"Last year was a break out year for pop rock four-piece the Albrights. The band ran with the success of their highly impressive 2011 Buzz Records debut, Ask, Tell. releasing a hilarious music video for their single "You Don't Love Me," headlining a slew of local shows, and opening for a handful of national acts including their year ending performance with Everclear and Eve 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe." - Cory Perla

In “You Don’t Love Me,” both song and video pack a mean punch – the video’s vindictive, violent, yet ultimately vulnerable characters masterfully mirror the ominous mood of the song, as Joe Donohue’s brooding piano and pyrotechnic vocals lay a lowdown path that Brandon Barry’s guitar slashes through while bassist Matthew Crane anchors with a dark march. - www.thegoodneighborhood.com

Now this is a huge break for one of Buffalo’s favorite local bands.

This past July, Nick At Nite premiered “Hollywood Heights,” a new family drama that contains large doses of romance and deceit, fame and heartbreak, success and secrets.

The series, which is on every weeknight at 9 p.m., tells parallel story-lines of Eddie (Cody Longo), a young musician whose dreams have been lost within his celebrity life and the abrupt launch to stardom of Loren (Brittany Underwood), a shy, independent and intelligent high school senior who dreamed of becoming a songwriter.

At 9 p.m. on July 30, the show will have a Buffalo flair when The Albrights single, “Good Woman” is featured in a musical slot on the show. The song will play after the show’s opening credits.

Awarded Best Original Act at the 2012 Artvoice Awards, The Albrights have a soulful and versatile sound and have begun small tours around the nation to promote their debut album, “Ask, Tell.”

Be sure to tune in to check out some local Queen City music this coming Monday on Nick at Nite. - Buffalo.com

Every few years, there is band that pops up on the radar of every local music fiend, and in 2011 (and into 2012), that band was the Albrights. The Buffalo foursome—Joseph Donohue III, Brandon Barry, Matthew Crane, and Dustin Herzberger—have a sound that feels utterly fresh; a listen to the jaunty “Hard Times” is all it takes for the band’s blues-rock swirl to draw you in. It’s as catchy and lyrically strong as any locally produced song in years, and it’s also quite funny (“Three cheers to Bernie Madoff / Hope prison folk are friendly”). They’ve already developed a local following, scored some awards, played South by Southwest, and released the fine debut, Ask, Tell. There’s a good chance the Albrights are playing near you, very soon. See them now, while you can still snag a ticket. - Buffalo Spree magazine

Every few years, there is band that pops up on the radar of every local music fiend, and in 2011 (and into 2012), that band was the Albrights. The Buffalo foursome—Joseph Donohue III, Brandon Barry, Matthew Crane, and Dustin Herzberger—have a sound that feels utterly fresh; a listen to the jaunty “Hard Times” is all it takes for the band’s blues-rock swirl to draw you in. It’s as catchy and lyrically strong as any locally produced song in years, and it’s also quite funny (“Three cheers to Bernie Madoff / Hope prison folk are friendly”). They’ve already developed a local following, scored some awards, played South by Southwest, and released the fine debut, Ask, Tell. There’s a good chance the Albrights are playing near you, very soon. See them now, while you can still snag a ticket. - Buffalo Spree magazine

the Albrights, opened the evening's festivities with a killer set that surely seemed to be earning the four-piece some new fans. The group -- vocalist/guitarist Brandon Barry, keyboardist/vocalist Joe Donohue, bassist Matt Crane and drummer Dustin Herzberger -- has crafted an interesting blend of indie-rock and power-pop, one that is marked by some seriously soulful vocals and killer harmonies.

It's a tough gig, handling that opening slot, as people slowly trickle in, most of them unfamiliar with the material being presented to them. But the Albrights -- fresh back from a well-received showing at this year's South by Southwest Festival, where the band played a showcase and an impromptu sidewalk acoustic show -- rose to the occasion. Working the crowd like seasoned pros despite their tender age median, the group floored the assembled with "Wasting My Time," an ebullient slab of gritty pop, and tugged at heart strings with the caffeinated ballad "You Don't Love Me." - Jeff Miers, Pop Music Critic at The Buffalo News

the Albrights, opened the evening's festivities with a killer set that surely seemed to be earning the four-piece some new fans. The group -- vocalist/guitarist Brandon Barry, keyboardist/vocalist Joe Donohue, bassist Matt Crane and drummer Dustin Herzberger -- has crafted an interesting blend of indie-rock and power-pop, one that is marked by some seriously soulful vocals and killer harmonies.

It's a tough gig, handling that opening slot, as people slowly trickle in, most of them unfamiliar with the material being presented to them. But the Albrights -- fresh back from a well-received showing at this year's South by Southwest Festival, where the band played a showcase and an impromptu sidewalk acoustic show -- rose to the occasion. Working the crowd like seasoned pros despite their tender age median, the group floored the assembled with "Wasting My Time," an ebullient slab of gritty pop, and tugged at heart strings with the caffeinated ballad "You Don't Love Me." - Jeff Miers, Pop Music Critic at The Buffalo News

"Voted Buffalo's Best Original Music Act 2012" - Artvoice

"Voted Buffalo's Best Original Music Act 2012" - Artvoice

"The Albrights found this media to be advantageous as they found part of their street performance on Fuse Television. Along with television media, Austin found itself swamped by magazine editors, label representatives and tech salesman- all to the benefit of the bands lucky enough to make their way down south." - www.ubspectrum.com

"One of Buffalo's most Buzz-worthy bands" - Buffalo.com

Smart, jam-infested power-pop and funk from the delightful Albrights. - Gusto

I really like what this band has to offer; they're a rock band with a really heavy blues influence. - Rock it Out Blog

Some bands are content to come up with a formula, a sound, and allow it to become their prison, always writing to that format. Just two tracks into The Albrights samples it becomes clear that these guys break that mold with a vengeance. "Good Woman" sounds like something you'd find on a Black Keys record, then "Strike Out" comes out swinging with strings and an almost progressive feel, sounding nothing like what you just heard, while still being fantastic. You'd almost think it was two different bands. All of this variety comes from their appreciation of all types of music, and the divergent styles of the two primary songwriters. And it also made it a challenge when putting the finishing touches on the lineup. - Galaxy CDS

Fresh from their well-received stint as the house band in MusicalFare’s recent production of Oliver!, the quartet of Joe Donahue III, Brandon Barry, Matthew Crane, and Aaron Odden gets a chance to show off its own material on this debut CD. There’s an unmistakable, slightly disconcerting split in the material: the tracks Barry writes and sings (including opening number “Hard Times,” a spiffy anthem for Buffalo) have a rootsy, rock-and-roll-y feel with a working-class social consciousness, while Donahue’s angsty love songs play on his vocal similarity to Michael Jackson (not an influence one often hears in Buffalo indie bands). The result often feels like two different groups in one, but it makes sense somehow, and it certainly gives the group a distinct (if multiple) personality. Give the album a listen now, then discover for yourself how well the combination works live when they hit Nietzsche’s (248 Allen St., 886-8539) on December 30. - Buffalo Spree Magazine

It makes sense for a band like doesn’t sound quite like any other to act accordingly. At first listen, the Albrights’ sound is absolutely accessible – hook-heavy, taut and raucous; but as it sets in, the pitch-perfect harmony of singer/songwriters Brandon Barry and Joe Donohue develops a deeper sound with a pop heart and a blues soul, as somehow the two artists reveal strikingly similar influences despite completely different approaches to songwriting, all punctuated by the pummeling rhythm section of bassist Matt Crane and Dustin Herzberger. With such strong songs and relentless energy, they’re capable of giving the kind of live show that captivates a crowd into a fun frenzy, and for that and their overall affability, the Albrights are attracting a fanatical following. - The Good Neighborhood

A Cozy Winter Living Room Special ! - Artvoice TV/Cory Perla

Its Business Time for The Albrights - Buffalo.com

Know what else sounds pretty sweet? The Albrights, one of Buffalo’s most prominent up-and-coming bands. - Buffalo.com

Know what else sounds pretty sweet? The Albrights, one of Buffalo’s most prominent up-and-coming bands. - Buffalo.com

Featuring over-the-top characterizations and an extremely well done adaptation of the music by musician-cast members, Brandon Barry, Matthew Crane, and Joe Donohue III, (The Albrights band) Mr. Donohue is also the Musical Director for this production.


These guys are super-talented, and may be remembered from last season's hit THE FURIES OF MOTHER JONES at Subversive Theatre. Their work on "Food, Glorious Food" and "Boy for Sale" set the standard for this re-imagined musical. True to the lyrics these re-worked, ballad-style versions nevertheless put the Twist in OLIVER ! The classic story fits snugly into the dark underbelly of the Great Depression, the exploitation of men, women and children. The intimate folk music takes us there. - Buffalorising.com

If you’re a fan of Turin Brakes, get ‘Ask,Tell’. Opener ‘Hard Times’ has a Paul Simon rolling, rocking acoustic rumble. A real foot tapper. Well crafted and sweetly performed, you’ll soon learn to love ‘You Don’t Love Me’ and spend a good few minutes on ‘Wasting My Time’. This is one for the car stereo in the summer. Let the neighbours hear how happy you are. Everything is right, everything is Albright. If you ask me, there’s not enough harmonic, melodic pop in the world. For those Saturday mornings, like the one outside my window now, you can do no worse than bopping around the lounge, dressed in just your underpants, doing jazz hands… damn, there’s those neighbours, pointing and laughing again. I’ll direct them to the website below to explain all. - Leicester Bangs UK

We make a conscious effort to only support our local economy by choosing to frequent local restaurants and cafes such as Sweet_ness 7. Sweet_ness 7 offers a great meeting place where the coffee is always hot and the staff is always friendly. While enjoying your latte or espresso there is a good chance you’ll run into a few unexpected people. Anybody from State Senators to the Buffalo Sabres and all your other favorite local artists, musicians, doers, thinkers, and come to think of it, most anyone trying to improve our city in one way or another. The Albrights are all about local. We’ve even borrowed our band name from one of Buffalo’s biggest Art galleries! - BuffaloFirst

We make a conscious effort to only support our local economy by choosing to frequent local restaurants and cafes such as Sweet_ness 7. Sweet_ness 7 offers a great meeting place where the coffee is always hot and the staff is always friendly. While enjoying your latte or espresso there is a good chance you’ll run into a few unexpected people. Anybody from State Senators to the Buffalo Sabres and all your other favorite local artists, musicians, doers, thinkers, and come to think of it, most anyone trying to improve our city in one way or another. The Albrights are all about local. We’ve even borrowed our band name from one of Buffalo’s biggest Art galleries! - BuffaloFirst

Local indie rock band The Albrights will release their debut full length album, Ask, Tell, this Saturday at the Pearl Street Grill. We caught up with four piece group to talk about how the band got started and what went into making their new album, which will be released on their own label, Buzz Records.

- Artvoice

I talked to local indie rock band the Albrights about their upcoming album Ask, Tell, out this week. Check out a couple of photos from the interview and watch the whole thing here. Proceeds from their album release show, this Saturday (June 25) at the Pearl Street Grill, will go toward the Give For Greatness campaign. Photos by Nate Sapp.

- Artvoice

I talked to local indie rock band the Albrights about their upcoming album Ask, Tell, out this week. Check out a couple of photos from the interview and watch the whole thing here. Proceeds from their album release show, this Saturday (June 25) at the Pearl Street Grill, will go toward the Give For Greatness campaign. Photos by Nate Sapp.

- Artvoice

Speaking about Lional Bart's Musical Oliver! "With music arranged and performed by The Albrights, a Buffalo rock and blues band whose popularity has skyrocketed in the past year" - The Buffalo News

http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/gusto/theater/theater-reviews/article550346.ece - The Gusto

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/gusto/2011/09/oliver-opens-tonight-in-musicalfare-theatre.html - The Buffalo News Gusto

"The Albrights — a much buzzed-about local outfit led by keyboardist/ vocalist Joe Donohue — turned in a killer set of tunes, most of which were culled from its new disc." -Jeff Miers, The Buffalo News - The Buffalo News

http://www.buffalospree.com/Blogs/Talk-about-Arts/Annual-2011/The-Albrights/#.ThUfITpvrDJ.facebook - Buffalo Spree

A recent review of a live Albrights performance by the Buffalo News - The Buffalo News

http://www.thesunnews.net/scene/950-The_Albrights_set_to_rock_Pearl_Street__at_album_release_party.html - The Hamburg Sun News

Today we are happy to bring you our newest foodies The Albrights, a really good local rock band that we think you should know about (if you already didn’t). The Albrights are fellow Buffaloians Brandon Barry (guitar, vocals), Joe Donohue (vocals, piano), Matt Crane (bass), and Aaron Odden (drums). I’m not really good at comparing bands to other bands, but they’re music is amazing when your sitting in a dive bar and drinking a PBR; classic Rock and Roll with a touch of Blues. They’ve released an EP online (back in September of ’09) and will soon by releasing their full length debut album. Check their Facebook page or website for more updates. Last year they made it to the third round of Artvoice’s Battle of the Original Music (BOOM!) and if you were wondering what they look/sound like live, check out a video of them performing here. You can check them playing live reguarly at Mr Goodbar or Nietzche’s, and this upcoming weekend you can catch them perform at the Flurrious festival in Delaware Park.

Brandon and I go way back, all the way to high school actually when we had a pretty successful rap group (…yes, a rap group, haha). So when I was thinking of good musical acts to start asking to be Buffalo Foodies, they were one of the first that I could think of. So here’s some of the places they like to eat and drink in Buffalo….

Where are some of your favorite places to eat in Buffalo?

The Albrights: Some of our favorite places to eat are: Amy’s Place – all of the breakfast food, pancakes especially, “crew’s creations” are really good, Dan Kabobs; Sweet_ness 7 Cafe – breakfast sandwiches with homemade english muffins and morningstar sausage, all-american pancakes, awesome coffee menu, great staff; Lagniappes Cafe - pretty much anything, one of our favorites, gumbo, jambalaya, all of the daily specials, all of the sides (mac and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato fries), pulled pork, etc etc! Betty’s - crafts some of the finest brunch this side of the skyway; Globe Market – home of a personal favorite, the Roast Beef sandwich, daily soups also rock; Merge - amazing food, great staff, great atmosphere; Blue Monk- definitely one our new favorites, great food and beer menu, amazing daily house mac and cheese, duck confit reuben, beef stroganoff; Lexington Co-op - great hot bar and salad bar, sandwiches, baked goods, produce….it’s basically our favorite market. W J Morrissey’s Irish Pub – great traditional Irish fare, fabulous fish fry’s, bangers and mash, corned beef, crab cake hoagie.

Where do you like to grab a drink and hang out on the weekends?

The Albrights: Most members of the Albrights like to tip a few back at the Essex St. Pub. We currently have approx. 5 out of the top ten highest scores on the NON-NUDE photo hunt. Want me to prove it? BEAT THIS is the #1 slot. You can find us there most weekends and some weekdays.

If you had a friend visiting from out of town, where would you take them for a good time around the city?

The Albrights: We would definitely have to start off in Allentown, have some dinner at Lagniappes, catch a show at Nietzsche’s, and then head to Essex for some pints and photo hunt.

Is there anything you wish Buffalo had more of, food wise?

The Albrights: Not really, Buffalo has a pretty diverse food culture with a lot to offer. Food in Buffalo is great!

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We’d like to thank all 4 members of the Albrights for answering our questions. We definitely encourage all of our readers to “like” them on Facebook and find out when/where they are playing next. - Buffalo Eats

This weekend marks the first indiesound event, a showcase of local artists at venues throughout Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood. While most bands will be playing in traditional settings such as bars and pubs, local rockers The Albrights will be performing on the back of the Buffalo Car Share truck as it makes its way throughout the city.

The Albrights are a local band through and through: all four members were born and raised in Buffalo and they all currently live in various places throughout the city. The band officially formed in 2009, but two of its members, Brandon Barry (guitar/vocals) and Joe Donohue (keyboards), began playing together in 2003, after they graduated high school.

The guys come from completely different musical backgrounds and this diversity, they say, has had an impact on their sound. Before a show at Eights on Main on Wednesday night, The Albrights said their music is heavily influenced by The Beatles, punk music, Green Day, (Bob) Dylan, Stones, Madonna, Michael Jackson, 80s pop, Prince, (and) bluegrass. In fact, the first album Donohue bought was Mariah Carey’s “Music Box.” As it turns out, it doesn’t really matter under what genre the band is classified: their music is decidedly awesome.

In regard to their fashion sense, the guys said they don’t really have a specific style. “We’re not trying to define ourselves as some stylish band. We are the band you’ll see in the t-shirt we’ve been wearing for four days,” Barry said. Bassist Matthew Crane, an aspiring visual artist, admitted that on most days he’s likely to be covered in paint or ink and that he doesn’t particularly care about what he looks like - “except for my hair,” he said. “I am extremely vain about my hair.”

When asked if being from the area has had an influence on their style or music, the automatic answer was “Absolutely.” The band was not shy about proclaiming their love for Buffalo – they said the city’s music and art scene is blowing up and that they are glad to be a part of it. Said Donohue, “People are realizing the accessibility and the value [of music] and that’s why I think Buffalo is taking a liking to us so far. They see that we’re not just skimming the surface, or superficial. We’re not trying to take over the scene so we can build up and get out of here. We are from Buffalo.”

Crane agreed: “We’re very much a part of the city as the city is a part of us and our music and our sound.”

The Albrights’ indiesound performance will begin Saturday, May 28 at noon on the Buffalo Car Share truck, followed by a show at The Eights Bistro (888 Main St., Buffalo) at 6 pm. To find out more about the band, visit www.thealbrightsband.com - Buffalo.com

"Between Brandon Barry’s observational lyrics and Joe Donohue’s more introspective approach, the band offers two superb singer/songwriters who harmonize to perfection over the pulsating rhythm section of bassist Matt Crane and drummer Aaron Odden." - Seamus Gallivan - Seamus Gallivan, The Good Neighborhood

The Albrights have a reason to celebrate, and celebrate they will, when they release their new album, Ask, Tell, to the masses at Nietzsche’s, this Saturday (May 21). The Buffalo-based quartet has been a fixture on the music scene for a while now, playing scores of shows in the city and beyond and building a sizeable following in the process. You’d be hard-pressed to find a venue these guys haven’t played at, which only speaks to their growing popularity and reputation as one of Buffalo’s most sought-after acts. With a pop-tinged blend of rock and blues, the Albrights create a highly accessible sound that everyone can appreciate, especially given the musical prowess of each of their members. Lead singer/pianist Joe Donohue knows a catchy line when he sees one, and drives the band with hard-rocking chords and riffs that wander into the realms of classical, jazz, and soul. Brandon Barry brings the heat with searing guitar solos, while the rhythm section, comprised of bassist Matt Crane and drummer Aaron Odden, provide a solid foundation of grooves and beats to complement the band’s pop-rock vibe. From Madonna to the Beatles, Petty and the Jacksons, the Albright’s leave no musical stone unturned, and their predilection to evolve and bring in new influences is just one indication that this band is destined to go places. They’ve been hard at work the past few months perfecting their new album with indie label Buzz Records and are ready to throw a kickass release party with all of their fans and friends. You’ll definitely be hearing a lot more from these guys in the near future, but if you don’t want to wait that long, get to the release party this Saturday to hear what real home-bred music sounds like. —jon wheelock

11pm. Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (886-8539 / nietzsches.com) $5.



Read more: http://artvoice.com/issues/v10n20/see_you_there#ixzz1N9XEWQyZ - Artvoice

"...delivered a different and decidedly younger vibe worth keeping an eye on, with original sets spanning a slew of genres." - The Good Neighborhood