My last day of CMJ was spent in LES. And what a great day to listen to great music! The weather was perfect, which made it easy for hopping around from bar to bar to check out local bands, and the day was young, which meant drink specials and a long night ahead. I first hit up the Delancey day party to hear Brookyn-based folk darling, Anni Rossi. I wrote about Ms. Rossi recently and was really looking forward to see her in action. I’m happy I did – she’s talented and uses her musical gifts to her advantage. Ms. Rossi’s a string queen, and puts on quite the brilliant performance.
I then caught the second half of ArpLine’s set. I have written about these Brooklyn guys too – (thank you Delancey for hooking me up!) and was really digging their music live – the synth sounded really nice in the cozy confines of this grungy space. They seemed like cool dudes and got me pumped up with their upbeat, funky pop sounds. The music whizzes and the guitar gets things really moving amidst the electronic influences. I then saw Savoir Adore play and still loved it the second time around! Check out my Thursday recap for deets on this adorably fun group.
Next up was the Brooklyn quartet, Miracles of Modern Science. These boys definitely know how to handle their instruments: there’s a cello, a violin, a mandolin, and bass. There’s folky, funky movement to their music, emphasis on the strings of course, with a mix of classical, jazz and pop. Overall, what makes them good is how unique they are. Next up was the Living Room to see BK-based North Highlands.
This quintet make free flowing tunes with pretty, folk vocals, nice harmonies and smooth instrumentals that, at certain moments, build into beating crescendos. They sounded great. Later on in the night, I hit up Pianos to see LA-based Young the Giant – see my review on the LA Deli site here.
I then hit up Cake Shop to see the four man group, Woodsman. Their sound is definitely creative, and super psychedelic – a sound that is becoming increasingly attractive to Brooklyn-based DIY kind of bands. Their music is dark and very ambient, shifting between a focus on naturalistic synth and loose guitar. Very innovative. – Alex Vann