Bio

Jay Cowit - Drums, Vocals, Keyboards, Samples
Rob Malko - Bass Guitar, Samples, Keyboards, Vocals
John Blanton - Keyboards/Vocals
Kurt Leege - Guitar

Justin Wood - Live Projectionist


Wounded Buffalo Theory takes a myriad of musical inspirations and creates a layered base of swirling sound to house catchy hooks, endless melody, and provocative lyrics (no love songs!). Since forming in Albany in 2002, the now Brooklyn, NY-based band has dabbled in a variety of musical styles and followed numerous whims; from hard rock guitar rave ups in the style of Neu!, Mogwai, and Neil Young , to more progressive inspirations such as the Flaming Lips, Peter Gabriel, and King Crimson, Wounded Buffalo Theory is always focusing on reinvention. This has never been more the case than on the band's newly released 6th studio album, Diplomatic Immunity (2010, Warlord Records). Using the electronic/dance/edm genres as templates this time around, the band continues its tradition of intelligent songwriting; the album revolves around a cycle of songs dealing with fear, both everyday and irrational, from topics as diverse as dying fame, retirement, space travel, BDSM, and bad DJ's. Musically, the album uses the dance context to deliver a more upbeat sound; layers of live and sampled drums move to the front of the mix, augmented by lush guitar soundscapes, floor-shaking bass lines, and dense vocal matricies that bring out some of the band's more psychedelic tendencies. Without question, Diplomatic Immunity is Wounded Buffalo Theory's most mature and defined release yet; available now at www.woundedbuffalotheory.com.

Formed in 2002 by Cowit (drums/vocals), Malko (bass/vocals/keyboards), John Blanton (guitar/vocals) and Mark Wise (guitar), WBT was spawned from a collective desire to create intelligent, beautiful, raging, and diverse music in both the live setting and in the studio.

WBT's early days saw a penchant for intense live showmanship, often playing 3 hour shows with no break, not repeating setlists at any show, and offering a wide array of originals (and a few ironic covers) that made for a unique gig experience. As the band grew, more emphasis was placed on solid songwriting that would last longer in the listener's mind than the last notes of the live show. The band took it's love for the composition of Neil Young, Led Zepplin, Bob Mould, The Replacements, and Pink Floyd, as well as it's desire to place those sentiments inside the context of it's more complex influences, such as Mogwai, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa, and combined it all into a swirling din of noise, words, and melody that would develop into a patented Buffalo sound.

The band became a trio in 2004, following the departure of Wise, and began a string of well received and exciting shows around the tri-state area, including shows at the Knitting Factory, Mercury Lounge, Tobacco Road, Kenny's Castways and more.

The band also became active as far as studio releases, recording its debut EP, Red, in their home studio with no assistance whatsoever, and releasing it completely independently. Red showcased individual songs in a studio setting that had been staples of the WBT catalogue, and included new sounds and diversity not heard from the band before, including acoustic tracks and the beginnings of the band's great interest in ambient music.

The band's appreciation for the works of Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Manual, and Windy and Carl paved the way for WBT's second official release, Blue, in 2005. Recorded completely live, with no overdubs, the album featured the band's instrumental side, including many strictly ambient works, as well as the band's increasing techno influences.

By this point, the band had grown slightly dismayed at the continued notion of simply not being able to play long enough at shows, so, utilizing a beautiful Andes, NY location, the band organized CabinFest, a yearly festival featuring multiple nights of WBT, plus a bevy of established bands that have become friends with Buffalo over the years. The 2007 edition (Cabinfest 4) featured over 16 acts over 3 nights, as well as a legendary 4 1/2 hour set of music on the second night of festivities.

In 2007, the band recorded and produced Green, a full length LP featuring 8 new songs that rank among the band's best work. Finally getting a chance to take their time and work within the limitless confines of their home studio, the band was able to create a cohesive and lush song cycle, a rock/pop/progressive collection that is drawn equally from the band's songwriting and instrumental prowess.