Emmy The Great, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Passion Pit, Friendly Fires
TUESDAY October 21st The Brooklyn Vegan Showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg
This might be one of those shows where people with CMJ badges are left out in the cold, while ticket-holders get in first, which is one of the things no one ever, ever tells you about before you plunk down $500 for a badge. It’ll be a long night in Williamsburg, with the U.K.’s Emmy the Great kicking things off with peppy, largely acoustic indie-pop. Then you’ve got lo-fi, laid-back country from North Carolina’s the Sammies, the much-buzzed-about Passion Pit and their smart, dancey electro-pop, and Ponytail, a Baltimore band that’s been making waves among fans of High Places, Dan Deacon and other bands that will do permanent damage unless you bring your earplugs. All that, PLUS a special guest, whose identity we can’t even begin to guess. Oh, and between bands, you’ll be treated to sets by Jens Lekman, who’s being billed as a “singing DJ.” There’s too much love, indeed.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Friendly Fires, Lykke Li at Bowery Ballroom
It’s odd, we think, that one of the biggest shows of this year’s Marathon, featuring Lykke Li, an artist CMJ has used repeatedly on promotional items and in press releases, is taking place on Tuesday — exactly one night (if not two) before anyone actually arrives in New York for the festivities. It could work to your advantage, though: gaining admittance will be a lot easier than it should have been. Lykke Li brings her playful, minimalist pop, which will no doubt cause American music fans to wonder what has gone so horribly wrong with our domestic pop stars, who have somehow managed to miss out on the “less is more” memo. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (Seriously, dude, can we just call you Miles Robinson from here on out?) is among the most promising of all the young buck acoustic troubadours currently making the rounds, churning out haunting, melodically rich indie-folk for fans of Richard Buckner, with the multi-layered texture of Grizzly Bear.
Team Robespierre, HR (from Bad Brains), Goes Cube at Crash Mansion
Wait, there’s an upstairs at Crash Mansion? Or is it maybe the downstairs we didn’t know about? Not important, really. Or at least not nearly as important as the relentless auditory attack that’s going to be waged for four-odd hours tonight. Brooklyn’s Goes Cube have been doing their blistering, D.C.-influenced post-hardcore thing for a few years now, but not nearly as long as your man HR, formerly of Bad Brains, has been at it. First known as one of the more enigmatic frontmen in all of punk rock, HR has mellowed a bit over the years, shifting gears multiple times. Still, it would be silly to pass up a chance to see one of the true originals of American rock music — especially when he’s sharing a bill with Team Robespierre, a band whose praises we’ve sung repeatedly over the past year, thanks to their wildly energetic live shows and their pummeling, upbeat, electro-heavy indie rock. You might think you’re too old for this kind of stuff, but you’re not.
!!!Avoid At All Costs: Most Things
Well, truth be told, it’s Tuesday night, and you should try your best to avoid almost everything else going on tonight. If you’re just getting into town, might we recommend finding a bar with outdoor seating, where you can enjoy the beautiful fall weather and watch people scurry around, trying to find a decent show to go to? If you’re not just getting into town, might we recommend finding a bar with outdoor seating, where you can enjoy the beautiful fall weather and watch people scurry around, trying to find a decent show to go to?
WEDNESDAY October 22nd Wild Sweet Orange and Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos at Bowery Ballroom
Here we have a night of intelligent, hyper-sensy music for people fond of bringing their dates to libraries and quoting Rilke in their Facebook profiles. Did we say there was anything wrong with that? Alabama-based acoustic outfit Wild Sweet Orange had us at their weepy story-song ‘Ten Dead Dogs’, in which Preston Lovinggood (See? He belongs in a novel) croons in your ear like an affectionate alley cat. They’ll share the bill with compatible Midwestern headliners Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos. Their latest, simultaneous-release albums Animal! and Not Animal feature dozens of little atmospheric indie-pop gems — each one prettier than the last. They will make you want to dance in your stylish winter scarf, all shy and blushing and aw shucks! Plus, Love As Laughter, Audrye Sessions, Shugo Tokumaru and Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons.
As Tall As Lions at Canal Room
If you are the sort of person who owns every single B-side and unfinished demo recorded by the late Jeff Buckley, there’s a strong possibility you’ll enter into a torrential sonic love affair with Long Islanders As Tall As Lions. There. We said it. Daniel Nigro’s open-throated, Buckley-esque belts and wails actually make us clutch at the place our heart would be if it hadn’t been replaced with a locked strongbox filled with dirt and lifeless twigs, hah hah. Chris Martin is so jealous! Check for goose bumps if they play the gorgeous ‘Ghost of York’, the centerpiece of ATAL’s criminally underrated eponymous sophomore disc of dreamy pop-rock. With Sara Solovay, 2AM Club and the Howlies.
Beach House at (Le) Poisson Rouge
It all depends on how you take your dream-pop. The Buckley doppelganger doesn’t do it for you? Well, perhaps the ambient baby of Mazzy Star and Nico will. Case in point: When Victoria Legrand asks “Would you be my long-time?” on Devotion’s ‘Heart of Chambers,’ our minds drift into a dark, sad place, consuming us with the urge to knit and mourn our misspent youth. Fresh off a summer tour in Australia and New Zealand, the Baltimore duo appear to have some new winter-frosted, organ-infused hymns to debut, just so we all have something else to weep to! Variety is very important. And Beach House cares. Part of the Car Park/Paw Tracks Showcase, with Ecstatic Sunshine and others.
Chairlift at Pianos
Buzz buzz buzz go the blog-hype bees! Isn’t this great? The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Colorado trio’s first full-length Does You Inspire You contains a number of creepy tracks good for a prolonged stay in a haunted house: get out your Ouija board and light a single candle, ya’ll, because this is some space-noir, female-fronted (another Nico worshipper!) electronica that will maybe probably assist in your witchy post-CMJ Festival spirit-raising. Or, you know, you could just blankly stare at Chairlift from behind fifty coats of black mascara and enjoy the show.
!!!Avoid At All Costs: Coheed & Cambria at Terminal 5
Coheed & Cambria are playing a four-night CMJ residency of sorts that somehow already sold out, and tonight is part two of the in “Neverender Evening.” This means ticket holders will start to get real comfortable with the whole, um, scene. And yes indeed, it’s all-ages! Expect truckloads of wisp-thin emo kidlets from New Jersey to be dropped off by their well-meaning parents, who are guaranteed to whisper-shout things like “Honey, don’t jump in the slam pit, it’s bad for your asthma!” Let the Youngs have their fun and cringe over it later; no reason for you to make what will be retrospective sufferings any worse than they’re already destined to be.
The Muslims, Juliana Hatfield, Cause Co-Motion!
THURSDAY October 23rd The Muslims at Mercury Lounge
The Muslims hark back to a time when indie-rock bands played songs with only three chords, when their members were too cool to show emotion, and when Franz Ferdinand was hellbent on making music that girls could dance to — before Arcade Fire came around and everybody forgot about dancing and became preoccupied with getting people to cry/pray/question the meaning of life. In other words, 2001, it’s good to have you back. You too, 1977. But what the Muslims have on the garage rockers of yesteryear is a bit of perspective. Watch their video for ‘Extinction’. Amidst all the catchy hooks and riffs, there seems to be a knowing, self-aware wink.
Capstan Shafts at Arlene’s Grocery
While we rarely pass on an opportunity to tell you that you should go see the Pains of Being Pure at Heart or My Teenage Stride, we’d like to draw your attention to their opening band, Jeff Mangum’s long-lost brother (we’re convinced). Under the disguise of the Capstan Shafts, Dean Wells has been romancing a love affair with his four-track recorder and folksy guitars, churning out 24 albums of quintessential lo-fi gems in the past five years alone. We looked up “genius” in our magical music dictionary, and there was a picture of him. Tonight’s show, one of his first outside of Vermont, reminds us that tucked away in any unassuming sleepy town, there could be an un-blogged-about musician that needs to be heard. Until justice is served, the Capstan Shafts will be our little secret.
Juliana Hatfield at Housing Works
It’s no secret that you spend an awful lot of time going to see brand new bands during CMJ, bands that haven’t released more than a few songs but who’ve been popping up left and right over at The Hype Machine. And you shouldn’t be ashamed, either. But we also recommend taking a moment to step away from all that and go see someone who’s been around the block once or twice. Or, in this case, more than twice. Juliana Hatfield, who we guess is basically classic rock at this point, known for her stint as a Big Deal during the Reality Bites era, is back with a new record, and here’s the weird thing: it’s really good — the kind of record we hope Tegan & Sara make in 15 years, or, actually, the kind of record we hope Jenny Lewis makes, like, tomorrow.
Cause Co-Motion!, PWRFL Power, Crystal Stilts and Bell at Pianos
Jesus, Cause Co-Motion!, look at what you’re making us do. Not only are we playing along with you as you employ your gimmicky, out-of-place punctuation, but we’re actually recommending you, too. It’s a big step for us, and we have only your twitchy, stripped down post-punk to thank. And, Christ, look at this… we’re doing it again with PWRFL Power, whose dreamy, acoustic singer-songwriter stuff reminds us of some messed up, wonderful combination of Nicolai Dunger and early Ben Lee. On top of that, you’ve got the hazy, blaring psych-folk of Crystal Stilts, who you’ll want to see at least once during the Marathon. And don’t miss Bell, either, who sounds so much like Björk it’s actually creepy.
!!!Avoid At All Costs: Jay Reatard at Maxwell’s
We’re quite fond of Mr. Reatard (heh), but seriously, people. Of all the nights to up and go to Hoboken? Tonight is not the night.
FRIDAY October 24th Broken Social Scene and Land of Talk at Brooklyn Masonic Temple
We sorta wish we could set the clocks back to 2002 and keep Broken Social Scene from “breaking out,” only so people would show up to this one having no idea how awesome it’s going to be. But even still, once Kevin Drew rallies the troops and the 700 people onstage begin to claw their way through beautifully woozy chamber pop, it’s likely you’ll be somewhat blindsided by the vigor of it all. It’s been a good while since they’ve delivered an actual BSS record (none of that “BSS Presents” nonsense) — one where perfect pop songs become scrambled and shuffled into elaborate reincarnations — and people might’ve forgotten, you know? And it should be enough to overlook the sound-quality issues at that huge, majestic structure that, as much as it kills us to say it, probably shouldn’t double as a concert venue. To top it off, there’s the added bonus of guessing which band members are going to show. Feist? Emily Haines? Amy Millan? Meh, it doesn’t really matter. You probably aren’t going to get in.
Vivian Girls, Takka Takka, Phosphorescent and more at Cake Shop
Fuuuuuck. Look at all them bands: King Darves, Castanets, Phosphorescent, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Takka Takka, Woods, Vivian Girls… we could go on all day. From 3pm to midnight, Cake Shop hosts a barrage of indie rock, in every conceivable form, from folk to shoegaze to twee. It’s all looking pretty good, although we’d be remiss not to highlight a few acts that have got us particularly riled up. Vivian Girls’ muffled, shuffled girl-group-rooted punk and Phosphorescent’s heartbreaking, focused folk is a good place to start. Whether Takka Takka is channeling every benchmark band from 80s college radio or streamlining their approach through electro-based instruments, like they did on this summer’s Migration, we could listen for days. And Woods delivers a psychedelic twist on feedback-ridden campfire songs. Oh, dear reader, there’s no way you were going to make it uptown to catch your cousin’s girlfriend’s band within an hour anyway, so you might as well stay put at Cake Shop and soak it all in.
The Ruby Suns, Oxford Collapse, Death Vessel, Pretty & Nice and more at Pianos
Opting for a considerably smaller venue than their usual Bowery Ballroom spectacle, some might assume that Sub Pop was taking it easy this year. But, nope. Not with this lineup. Here they’ve teamed up with sister label Hardly Art and Suicide Squeeze to properly represent Seattle. Boston’s Pretty & Nice kicks things off prettily and nicely by saddling skewed songs marked by jerky, post-punk guitars against tunes awash in Of Montreal-like psychedelic pastiche. Cotton Jones, featuring Michael Nau of the absurdly underrated, now-defunct Page France, and Death Vessel follow with gentle, wafting folk that never becomes boring. It’s a stark contrast to what’s to come later in the night, though. As it gets darker, you’ll get drunker, and the music will get louder, faster. The latter you’ll owe to Oxford Collapse and their knack for piling every 90s indie-rock influence into two-minute lightning-speed anthems. Our favorite song on their latest album, BITS, changes within the hour — there’s just too many to choose from. And so goes the story of CMJ.
The Mae-Shi at Knitting Factory Main Space
When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll want to make sure you’re wearing light, cotton-based clothing (it breathes) and have drunk plenty of water, because once the Mae-Shi lurch into their balls-to-the-wall set of electro-punk, you’re going to get very, very sweaty. If you listen carefully to the 33 tracks (in 42 minutes!) that make up their 2004 release, Terrorbird, you may be able to sniff out a melody here and there, but most are overshadowed by Ezra Buchla’s glass shard of a voice. With the slightly less abrasive Jonathan Gray taking over vocal duties on their latest effort, the band presents a heap of sugary, caffeinated, life-affirming anthems. As the workhorses of the DIY punk scene in southern California, they’ve set themselves up as leaders of this new youth revolution that seems to be happening there. A group of L.A. kids who seem genuinely enamored with life? (Their merchandise is emblazoned with the words, “I’m glad you’re alive.”) We’re totally jumping on board and then showering.
!!! Avoid at all costs: Saves the Day at Highline Ballroom
Lordy Lord, there was a time and a place (2001 in Roslyn, Long Island, to be exact!) when we were totally freaking because some of the members of Saves the Day were at a graduation party hosted by some girl we barely knew. We didn’t talk to any of them. And chances are, most of them aren’t in the Princeton, NJ-based band anymore, anyway: it looks like Chris Conley is the only original band member still trying to keep Saves the Day alive. Maybe he should move on, do something different, or go solo, perhaps? Because the thing is, we adored Saves the Day back in the day. Except the songs haven’t really aged all that well. So it seems silly to waste an evening on some not-quite-retro emo-pop-punk at the Highline Ballroom when, quite frankly, there’s just better shit to see and do. We still love ‘Freakish’, though.
Rosebuds, Wye Oak, Luke Temple, Delta Spirit
SATURDAY October 25th Rosebuds, Oakley Hall, Broken West, Wye Oak, Music Tapes and Portastatic at Mercury Lounge
Whether it’s SXSW or CMJ, you can always count on the good people at Merge Records to host one of the better showcases of the festival, and this year is no different. No, Spoon’s not playing, and neither is Arcade Fire, because then the world would explode, but there’s still more than enough to warrant a trip down to Houston Street. The Rosebuds just released another delectable record full of dreamy, married-couple indie-pop, as did Wye Oak, but they might not be married — it’s more like pop music for people who just started dating. And Broken West is about to put out another disc of endearingly straightforward power-pop, for fans of Sloan and Big Star. You’ve also got a performance from label-head Mac MacCaughan’s Portastatic, who are fresh off the release of a two-disc rarities collection, and who will probably play Superchunk songs if you ask nicely. On top of all that, there’s Brooklyn’s own Oakley Hall, whose elegant, dramatic country-rock people like, though not nearly as much as we think they should, plus Music Tapes, a project from Julian Koester, who played a big role in Neutral Milk Hotel. No, they’re not playing. Maybe next year. But probably not.
Delta Spirit, Justin Townes Earle, Luke Temple at Red Bull Space
Confession time: We’ve been sleeping on Delta Spirit, and we apologize, to them and to you. They’re a San Diego-based five-piece, and their new LP, Ode To Sunshine, is absolutely killing us, in much the same way Vietnam’s last record did, or, more recently the way the last Felice Brothers record did. It’s unmistakably informed by west-coast country-rock, with an airiness that makes us wish we’d caught on while the summer was still in full swing. But there’s also something darker at play, a kind of grimy soulfulness courtesy Matt Vasquez’s vocals, which seem to get progressively raspier as each song unfolds. It’s exactly the kind of cathartic rock music we — and we hope you — are in constant search of. Joining them on the bill, you’ve got Justin Townes Earle, son of you-know-who, who sounds an awful lot like you-know-who, and whose middle name we can only assume is a tribute to, uh, you-know-who.
L Magazine Bands You Need To Hear at Everywhere, All Night, Sometimes Together
As some of you may recall, each April, we publish an issue in which we run a feature called “8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear.” We thoroughly enjoy compiling it, but more than anything, we enjoy watching what happens to the bands over the years. Tonight, a whole bunch of ‘em are playing, and since we can’t recommend one over any other, we’ll tell you about all of ‘em: Violens is spreading their sunny, 60s garage-pop love at, er, Love; Twi the Humble Feather is doing the smart-guy post-rock thing at the Living Room; High Places will be playing their quirky, disjointed pop songs to a packed-in crowd at Mercury Lounge. Over at Union Hall, you’ve got not one, not two, but THREE of our favorites: The glossy, impeccable pop of the Mugs, the grizzled 70s Velvets-esque rock of the Favourite Sons and the glorious, high-energy, countryish musings of Motel Motel. And La Strada plays our own L Mag party at Mason Dixon.
!!!Avoid At All Costs: Joan Osborne at the Highline Ballroom
We suppose this goes without saying, but you should probably not waste an entire night of CMJ, or of the rest of your life, come to think of it, seeing a one-hit wonder from the Lilith Fair era.
