Cream Premiere: Buffalo Rodeo’s ‘Butterfly Knife’ [Fresh Track]

Buffalo Rodeo is the next best thing to a local band, hailing from the same Bowling Green, Ky., rock scene as Cage the Elephant. A couple years back, Buffalo Rodeo was describing itself as “progressive indie rock,” implying an affinity for shape-shifting, Byzantine song structures that was never all that evident. In the quintet’s current self-description, “prog” is out and “psychedelic” is in — and that’s more like it.

All but one of the half-dozen songs on the group’s bewitching new EP, 123 Water, clock in well under four minutes. What’s more, the members don’t waste any time arriving at willowy, mesmeric melodic hooks, cocooning their coed vocals in a haze of reverb. It’s not for nothing that the opening track is titled “Lana Del Rey” — she’s got a dramatic way of veiling her hooks too.

Tomorrow night, the band plays a Nashville EP release show for 123 Water at The High Watt — Kansas Bible Company and Twiggs open. In advance of the gig, we’re premiering the killer 123 cut “Butterfly Knife.” No, it’s not a PUJOL cover, but, with static-y, simmering guitar, bass, organ (and even snare drum) tones, a bevy of vocal hooks and a driving groove, the song rocks nonetheless. Hear for yourself below.