Hell yeah! – after a couple years on the LA punk scene, garnering a crowd of followers abroad for being one of those oh-so-satisfactory bands that’ll sing (=bark) all the stories you want to hear, silly girls, junk food, drugs, beer, more drugs, piss-drunk antics and more straight-up sillies, FIDLAR will be releasing on January 22nd a first self-titled LP, via Mom&Pop records. Anyone unaware of the band could honestly  just read through their song titles and gather what the deal is, i.e some fun-loving r&r, the kind that exists solely to soundtrack reckless exploits, rabid moshpits and messy house parties, not even half pretending to be anything BUT unserious. To preview the album, they debuted a couple of days ago ‘White On White’, second single off FIDLAR, skuzzed-out treat that’ll be joined on the record by tracks like ‘Blackout Stout’, ‘Wake Bake Skate’, as well as ‘Cheap Beer’ (I DRINK CHEAP BEER SO WHAT FUCK YOU, that one, yes), which they released just over a month ago. A lot to look forward to. And if that’s not enough, FIDLAR’s now off on tour and will be playing The Echo with The Shrine on October 26th! 

DETAILS ABOUT THIS SHOW & STREAMING COMPILATION OF ALL FEATURED ARTISTS HERE. 

Those looking for a little escape from the craze of the CMJ week will find an ideal refuge at the East Village’s Sidewalk Cafe, where on Friday, we’ll be showcasing seven local singer/songwriters and anti-folk outfits for a free evening of intimate performances and sharp-tongued poetry. We’ ve got the funny, quirky ones like headliner Mal Blum, Luke Kelly & acolytes, a.k.a Kung Fu Crimewave, with their far-fetched stories, Crazy & The Brains, self-defined party-punk four-piece every bit as frantic as the name suggests, and Ben Pagano who touched at a true contemporary issue in one of his latest releases – yes, hipsters. We’ve got the emotional performances, courtesy of St. Lenox, and Bird to Prey who will be releasing her ‘Saved By The Storm’ album, and finally, we’ve got Go Love, eclectic collective of artists revolving around Ray Brown and whatever/whoever may tickle his fancy. Literally most everything we could file under ‘Anti-Folk’ – that is, expect some acts that may change your perception of this fairly versatile label. In the picture: Crazy & The Brains.

Once in awhile I get to listen to a band so ambitious, so full of ideas… it both drives me crazy with envy, and appreciation for what a fabulous scene we have around here. Plumes’ self-titled LP is a carefully constructed Baroque masterpiece, filled with orchestrated meditations on the peaks and valleys of love. This duo have written life’s epic soundtrack, and their vision can’t be overstated. ‘Hero & Leander’ finds you perched to an epic cinematic moment, ‘Kalimba Mountain Song’ luxuriates in a woodwind dreamscape, and album opener ‘Your Train of Thought, through Tunnels’ begins a journey through this feature film. It’s a large statement, and I’m excited to hear how they might possibly take this over to a live situation. I suggest you park yourself immediately and pop this magic in your ears. Plumes… I don’t know where you came from, but thank you. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Cosmonaut is one of those bands that almost seem too good to be true. When I first listened to them, the first thing I thought was… ok, which one of these guys was in a supergroup and is now starting over fresh? Turns out, these guys are all starting fresh. Just out of school, the quartet sounds like they’ve been at this for years, displaying a maturity in their songwriting far beyond their lean years. Sounding something like Pavement’s slack tied together with Cymbals Eat Guitars’ epic emotionalism, Cosmonaut has ‘hype’ written all over them. Just listen to ‘Hurry Up‘ EP opener ‘Your Knife (My Side)’ and hear what could be the envy of Julian Casablancas, coming through singer John Paul Manley’s tenor. Produced by Kyle “Slick” Johnson (Wavves, Modest Mouse), the band’s debut album is everything you want to hear from a young band in line with age old expectations of how classic rock songs is supposed to sound. Their next show is on Friday October 19th at Legion Bar, with Fast Years, The N’ere Dowells, & others. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) 

Frankly, it was hard not to fall for the bar-fly folk-punk frenzies of Wild Yaks‘ last full-length ’10 Ships (Don’t Die Yet)’; all were far too generous & genuine to be overlooked. Yet for any left on the fence after the first effort, the Brooklyn four-piece is back hitting harder, with a new album, the first single off which they debuted yesterday via Brooklyn Vegan. Title track ‘A Million Years‘ (follow the link), coming at you invasively passionate, pushes hazardous harmonies overflowing with soul through crunching waves of dissonances and ever-changing rhythms, channeling the spirit of their debut in thrice as impactive an output that offers a most inviting glimpse into upcoming album ‘Million Years’ (to be released November 20th via Ernest Jennings Rec. Company). Booked for a couple of CMJ shows next week, the band will be setting off on a series of dates with O’Death and The World Inferno Friendship Society right after the album release, starting on November 23rd in Amityville. – Tracy Mamoun 

People who hold firm that the late 80s/early 90s is the golden era of hip hop, Progressive Era is still providing that timeless style. Tune in for lo-fi beats, gunshot samples, and lyrics covering the range from Public Enemy’s revolutionary raps to Nas’ smooth staccato pontifications. Where many new-schoolers lean on post-rap production trickery, Progressive Era struts over their stripped down beats showcasing strong writing and masterful delivery. They make the type of tracks that’ll have people running up to your car asking who you’re listening to. -=bMC

What started out as an acoustic bedroom project in NYC soon morphed into a full-on group and solidified its presence with feel-good elements of rock and pop. Founders Kevin Olken (lead vocalist/guitarist) and Ariel Loh (producer/synth) draw their musical influences from Radiohead, The Walkmen, Andrew Bird and more. Stone Cold Fox‘s exceptional musicianship grew from a place of deep-seeded knowledge, rooted in the members’ early experimentation with a variety of genres. The group’s debut EP, The Young, is a thematic declaration of nostalgia that reflects on tales of loneliness and of leaving home too soon, an all-too-familiar chapter in life that’s perfectly captured with its emotionally-charged lyrics. Don’t miss Stone Cold Fox’s dreamy, folk-inspired tunes at Union Pool on Friday October 12, where they will be debuting two new songs! The boys will join Shake The Baron and These Animals for a night of good times and great music. (As posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building

New York City’s Savoir Adore has a new album out, the duo’s third, whose overt theme of eros transmits simply enough. Yet first impressions can be deceiving, as we’ll soon learn. Titled Our Nature, the album’s noisy indie-electro sound feels a cleaner, more fully-realized version of the drowsy bedroom synthpop that has dominated Brooklyn dance music for the past five years. Our Nature’s lead single, “Dreamers,” works something like a dialogue between two star-crossed lovers in a romantic dreamscape, the duo singing to eachother as one might expect Orpheus to Eurydice, Abelard to Heloise or, ahem, Sonny to Cher.Yet as The Deli found out in our interview with Savoir Adore, the duo are neither a real-life couple, nor are the lovers in the album’s larger narrative both fully human.The duo played tonight (10.9) at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory, for the release of their album ‘Our Nature’, which is available to pre-order on iTunes, and will officially come out on October 16th. Read Brian Chidester’s interview with Savoir Adore here. 

Port St. Willow, originating in Portland, OR, is the mesmerizing ambient project of songwriter Nick Principe. Evolving solo, Principe has to this date released an EP and a full-length album – both recorded and self-produced in the artist’s hometown – revealing an impressive ability to articulate therapeutic escapades around an expert use of silence. Most striking on the ‘Holiday’ album’s opening track ‘Two Five Five Two’, this aesthetic is developed throughout the record, punctuated in times by subtle dissonances, those more accentuated, or the horns and crystal-clear vocals emerging suddenly from the calm, soothing depths of hypnosis. Now based in Brooklyn, debuting a three-piece line-up this week, Port St Willow will be playing The Deli’s CMJ Mostly Psych show, alongside Foxygen, Snowmine, Young Magic and more, on Friday October 19th at Pianos.

If dance music’s your scene, there’s very little chance that you haven’t come across this yet. Mystery Skulls, based in Dallas, is the most recent project of Los Angeles songwriter Luis Dubuc, which he developed as a follow-up to his previous band The Secret Handshake. Releasing a first EP (titled.. EP, to which you can treat yourself for anything above $1 on his bandcamp page!) last December, he put his new enterprise on the map with five bust-a-move electro-pop cocktails sporting pounding beats and super-groovy synthesiser melodies, taking you flying back to the world of sensual 80s pop standards, with just a little more ‘oomph’ – that is, a touch more bass to get things kicking. Don’t miss Mystery Skulls playing with Portland’s Starfucker at Santa Monica’s Central SAPC on Saturday, October 13th.

Brooklyn’s Fletcher C. Johnson is technically one man and a band all at the same time;  Fletcher C. Johnson is both the name of a trio and the lead singer of said trio. In their/his newest music video for “Messin’ Up My Mind,” cardboard aliens plus ticked off beehived back up singers make for a hilariously DIY experience. This mega catchy retro-tinged rock single was originally released in April as the A-side of the band’s 7".  If you aren’t listening for the infectious tunes, be sure to watch for the healthy dose of absurd, pizza-throwing humor — not surprising at all from a band that describes their sound as, "A guy making trumpet noises with his mouth.” – Corinne Bagish 

Last week, Brooklyn-based trio Apollo Run welcomed their new album, “Here Be Dragons, Vol. III”, a full-length follow up to their two EP’s, “Here Be Dragons Vol. I” and “Vol. II.” Accompanying this release was a new video for track, “The Inevitable Small Rebellions” which not only fans but CMJ were very excited to share. The festival’s website premiered the video to introduce the record and to highlight Apollo Run as an official CMJ artist. Featuring the band on cardboard instruments and children in animal-themed face paint, the song sets the stage for a theatrical video based loosely on George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” The album’s opening track also represents Apollo Run’s affinity for creating layered compositions rather than one-dimensional songs, and “HBD, Vol.III” is no exception. The band is gearing up for a fall tour and will be playing Union Hall on October 10 and CMJ on October 17 at Bowery Electric. – Meijin Bruttomesso