Philosophy

Proudly hailing from Elizabeth, New Jersey, BuzzUniverse refuses to be defined by a singular musical genre. Having never abandoned their progressive rock roots, BuzzUniverse ambitiously incorporate elements of traditional rock and roll, acoustic folk, South American cantatas, world rhythms and old-school funk into their own distinctive blend of classic rock. Since 2003, BuzzUniverse has been guided by the philosophy that music should have no limits and the world’s musical evolution should be unflinchingly embraced. “We want to expose people to different genres of music,” explains Alex Garay, BuzzUniverse’s frontman and lead guitarist. “We want people to hear bluegrass, funk and New Orleans jazz and realize that the music that comes out of this little band from New Jersey comes from all over the country and all over the world.”

In addition to fronting the band, Garay serves as BuzzUniverse’s main songwriter and creative force. His musical visions are brought to life by the rhythm section of Greg McLoughlin and Dave Migliore, saxophonist Brian Ciufo, violinist Meredith Rachel and vocalist Rosie Lazroe. The recent additions of Rachel and Lazroe reinvigorated an already vital unit, broadening BuzzUniverse’s already vast musical range.

Roots

BuzzUniverse traces their roots back to 1990 when Garay and Migliore played together in Amorphous, a three-chord pseudo-psychedelic band that solidified their interest in the textured, conceptualized world of progressive rock. When that band broke up, the two quickly formed, Catbootz, a short-lived band whose prog-rock spirit lives on in the twists and turns of Living Breathing Magic’s “Catbootz.”

This band that would ultimately become BuzzUniverse had its genesis with Garay and Migliore’s desire to form a different kind of power trio: one with horns. Bassist McLoughlin, a devout prophet of the jamband scene, provided the final part of the triad with Brian Ciufo (who replaced original saxophonist Freddie Moises) supplying the brass. In 2009, Rachel, an accomplished Irish fiddler, began sitting in with the band, her refusal to be bound by traditional conceptions of the violin's place within rock and roll matching BuzzUniverse’s freethinking mindset. That same year, Lazroe’s frequent guest appearances turned into a full time gig with the band, her soulful voice and undeniable charisma on full display on Living Breathing Magic’s “Rock.”

Current

BuzzUniverse’s extensive palate evolved from their prog-rock temperament, jamband leanings, classical training and voracious appetite for all forms of music. “Alex and I came out of that whole 70s thing where you were expected to be diverse” says Migliore. Their latest album, Living Breathing Magic, lives up to the ethos that a band should be able to do a little bit of everything, showcasing the songcraft, vocal harmonies and energy that has delighted live audiences across the country. Colombian born, Garay’s heritage shines through in the infectious beat of “Caballo Viejo” and his budding interest in the Buena Vista Social Club gave birth to the band’s cover of “El Carretero,” which featuring a haunting introduction from Rachel. Living Breathing Magic hits many touchstones: “Another Way” and “You And Me” are straight-forward rock and roll, “Round And Round” explores jamband grooves, “Jive” and “Catbootz” show off a decidedly prog-rock bent, the cover of The Band’s “Evangeline” offers a slice of Americana and “In The Nighttime,” the album’s epic closing number, resurrects the ghosts of the Jersey boardwalk.

Following the release of their 2006 album, birdfishtree, BuzzUniverse received nationwide attention with Sirius/XM JamOn placing “Lovelight Babylon” into heavy rotation. BuzzUniverse won Relix Magazine's national JamOff competition and were nominated for "Best New Groove" at the 2008 Jammy Awards. BuzzUniverse followed these accomplishments with performances at Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, FloydFest and many other prominent music festivals as well as over 15 free concerts throughout New York City. They’ve sold out the NYC Rocks Off Concert Cruise, were one of the first artists to perform at the Brooklyn Bowl and opened for moe. at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey.