New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Don’t miss the InDmusic stage on the Delancey’s roof tonight, starting at 6pm. The Deli’s Rock-Pop stage will start at 7 in the downstairs room. DJs on the main room.
6:00 – 6:25: Juviley
6:30 – 6:55: A-E-I-O-U (Vowels)
7:00 – 7:25: Brett Saxon
7:30 – 7:55: Crawl Babies
8:00 – 8:25: Shayfer James
Two stages and many great bands for the Deli’s final night of CMJ… hope to see you at The Delancey at 7pm!!
ROCK-POP STAGE
The Denzels
Starlight Girls
The Veda Rays
Ghost Ghost
Ambassadors
AVANT INDIE STAGE
The Mast
Sea of Bees (SF)
First stop was NYU’s Kimmel Center for the College Radio Summit, where I understand they had a full day of industry discussions hosted by some fairly big names. I however stayed there long enough just to grab a free lunch and check out the music.
First up was one of Australia’s finer indie imports, Clubfeet. As smooth as Air and harmonious like Hall and Oates, I can understand why they’ve gotten so much ink recently. Kimmel Center’s large 10th Floor Pavilion was the perfect space to host their dreamscape synth pop, but after hearing a couple tunes, it was time to head across the pond to Brooklyn where I could hear some good old-fashioned American bands.
Catching Brooklyn’s Spirit Animal‘s set at Spike Hill was a perfect way to jump back into the race. The funk-ready four-piece gave us lyrics on topics ranging from counting dance steps, to bizarre parenting advice, to frontman Chef Cooper’s (yes, he is a gourmet chef) fear of ants, and all placed strategically on top of massive shakedown grooves. Not as many people are ready to get down this early as I was hoping, but for those making the effort, it was well worth the sweat.
A quick trip down North 6 Street landed me next at Public Assembly’s front room for some more groups and an interesting roast beef concoction called ‘The Smoked Beat.’ Here I saw Montreal based Tops. A four piece rooted firmly in the endless summer, lead singer Jane Penny carries the spirit of The Shirelles and Karen Carpenter together in her cozy vocals and Roland key steadiness. Not afraid to throw in a strong instrumental when the moment called for it, this band cooled things down tremendously from the dance party I’d just left.
Ready to heat things back up, I headed down again to Spike Hill, where Kansas City-based Capybara played their first ever NYC show!
Lead singer Mark Harrison, who sounded somewhat like Wolf Parade singer Spencer Krug, harmonized with his band through driving jams sprinkled with enough delay to make The Edge break out in sweats, and peppered the group’s anthem-ready tunes with keys primed to lift things off the ground. The Beat sandwich from Public Assembly was pretty good, but this group was definitely the main course. Once again at Public Assembly (ok… one more sandwich then I’m done), I once again strolled through the long entrance to the back room, and thought I was listening to a sizable band covering New Order. Miracle Fortress in fact contained only two members, unless of course you count the zillions of roller rink lights transforming the venue to a disco. Essentially a solo project with a drummer added for the festival, Fortress is a testament to the sustaining energy of dance punk; reminding me of The Rapture at times, he let the music control the focus of the event and shoegazed his lyrics through all the right emotions for this micro-genre: the dangers of romance, the power of dance.
Next up was classical guitarist/crooner Christopher Paul Stelling (again at Spike Hill), who finger picked his way through intimate confessionals most of us wouldn’t talk about outside of our bedrooms and Facebook pages. Running solo today, Christopher was the only band he needed. Painful and hopeful at once, Jonathan held the audience enrapt with his stories from the road and stories of the afterlife. He also seemed like he was pretty happy to be performing again in his new hometown of Brooklyn.
Christopher didn’t have to travel here nearly as far as Soft Reeds, who came over from Chicago and gave us some new tunes off their forthcoming record out later this fall. Lead singer Ben Grimes looks somewhat like Joel McHale with a hipster haircut. The three piece resurrected the spirit of Echo and the Bunnymen with high energy wails and uneffected guitars, building a wall of fuzz from Grimes’ nasal vocals and the well-cued string samples from their one absent member stuck home dealing with a legal settlement. He missed a great show!
After Soft Reeds, I figured I might as well round out the day with one more Chicago band. Originally a five piece, not everyone from Unicycle Loves You was able to make it up from the band’s hometown. In fact, this wasn’t the only of the band’s issues. From their kick drum’s wobbly frame, (successfully held up by their first CD) to bassist Nicole Vitale’s cold, these musicians were troopers who still sounded great despite these handicaps. Every song they played today will be released on Valentines Day next year, on a full-length called of all things ironic, "Failure."
So there you have it. Overall, as much as I love NYU and Australia, I was a happy camper seeing music back again in Brooklyn. Thank you to all the bands traveling all this way to make it such a fun day!
Day number two finds me in the Caribbean-themed frat bar Wicked Willy’s. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up here, but I had heard a bunch of artists were playing stripped down sets without their bands, and this wasn’t something you get to see a lot of at CMJ.
First up was Christina LaRocca. A Brooklyn staple with powerhouse pipes. Backed only by partner Satchel Jones, she projects a warm R&B flavor either when singing in French, or when covering classics like ‘Ring of Fire.’
Next to the tiny stage was the funky scientist Netherfriends. Essentially a one-man show, music-nerd Shawn Rosenblatt became the audience and artist at once. He has no problem looping harmonies, beatbox and pads together while still having plenty of time left over to bolt off the stage and throw his weight around on the dancefloor throughout the half hour set. One minute Jamie Lidell, the next Buddy Holly, his band-in-a-box style is unconventional, but won the crowd over with how enthusiastically the Chicago native brought it all together.
After all these solo acts, Lisa Bianco finally brought the first band out of the night. Bianco sings music from the heartland, but her riot spirit comes alive in every runaway train jam. Once upon a time people referred to the NY artist as anti-folk. This spirit comes through at the quieter moments, but for the most part she delivers overdrive to make Neil Young turn his head, stopping any of the usual Sheryl Crow comparisons at the door.
After wishing My new friend Paul congratulations for winning the biggest beer pong trophy I’d ever seen, I was ready for the last band of the night, Automatic Children. Here’s a band where almost every member is a frontman, bouncing lines back and forth from singer to singer and trading riffs from country stomp to sentimental note picking. These guys are long- time favorites of the Deli, and new faves of my own.
After that it was time to find my bed again… Reminded after two days that I actually have a girlfriend I should probably see. Who knew?
Deathrow Tull was supposed to take the stage by midnight. Obviously they were on MCT (that’s emcee time). At about half past 12, the three rappers of Deathrow joined their band onstage and the party began in earnest. Names may have changed, as brokeMC is now Stephen Rawking and Dyalekt is going by W.M.D. DuBois, but the atmosphere remains the same. Wordplay flies over your head like projectiles, songs you know are mashed into hooks you couldn’t imagine, and the live instrumentation keeps everything fresh and undeniably real. (Roll call: Endo Kalrissian on guitar, Every Part of the Buffalo on drums, The Keymaster on, you guess it, keyboards, and Mr. Dough providing the funky bass.) Temple Grindin, if I may say so, busts apart the boys’ club that is the rest of her band. Like Ginger Rogers, she does everything Stephen and W.M.D. do, but backward (like singing hooks) and in heels (she was actually in heels). Towering above her accomplices, Grindin switches from a sweet mo-town croon to spitting harsh rhymes. The floor was shaking with bouncing bodies, and though it was technically Wednesday morning, it felt, like their song, like a "Friday Night." Speaking of Friday nights, catch Deathrow Tull at Sullivan Hall on Friday, October 21, 2011. They go on at midnight. Or sometime around there. -allison levin
Fantastic Deli CMJ show tonight at Pianos on two stages (for second stage links + other Deli events see here). Here’s a compilation of songs from bands playing the main room downstairs.
Little Red (AUS)
And so it begins… the first lap of the CMJ marathon landed me in the East Village last night until 3ish, starting with Long Island band Wild International at Webster Hall. Wild is a group best described as what Panda bear might sound like were he in a punk band. This three piece moved from jangle to thrash in equal measure and even premiered a brand new song, ‘Creeks’, complete with water sound effects and campfire croons. But by far the best thing Wild International might have been guitarist Ryan Camenzuli’s mom, who was really cool and could have been an Animal Collective fan herself – we all need cool and supportive mothers at shows!
Next up was Mainland. Singer Jordan Topf wins the award for wearing the tightest pair of jeans of the night, and his band’s sound was an equal match. Absolutely one of the most enthusiastic of the night’s groups, their dexterous bassist reacted so joyously to each song’s change you’d think he was more their fan than bandmate. Despite their numerous soundchecks, including a couple broken strings, they powered through in no small part to the young lead singers’ boundless energy.
And then came something entirely different… Click Clack Boom are from rural Pennsylvania but I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from this group in NYC. The four piece were high energy and ready at a moments notice to nail a solid riff to their material. I could see them grabbing a drink with the Arctic Monkeys sometime and trading stories of filthy lucre and other such debaucheries. One part storyteller/one part auctioneer, lead singer Nathaniel Hoho gave us such endearing lyrics as “I love this woman, she loved cocaine, but she was fucking all my friends.”
And that was it for Webster Hall. After grabbing a quick slice at South Brooklyn Pizza shared with CMJ artist/East Village insider Emily Greene (playing tonight at Spike Hill!), I hurried over to the No Pulp CMJ show at Arlenes grocery to catch (pictureless) glo-fi torchbearer Adrienne Drake bring the romance. This shoe-gazey songwriter swings a big wall of circuitry at melodrama and makes quirky throwback synths dance-ready. Think Ariel Pink covering The Cure.
Next up was a band competing with Click Clack Boom for the comic book-ready band name of the night: Blip Blip Bleep. This Brooklyn-based power pop trio opened with a song to make me wish to god it was Friday already (though not in a Rebecca Black kinda way). Giving The Pains of Being Pure at Heart a run for their money, this three piece put more sounds into their keyboard-backed anthems than most bands twice their size. This included generous doses of Ableton Live, and I should also mention that their very attractive keyboardist Kayce McGehee had two very well endowed mini-korgs of her own to frame her figure. Their cover of ‘Beat It’ was made all the sexier when she turned it around into a feminist disco anthem.
Finally the evening came to a close with Brooklyn’s Deathrow Tull. Here’s a band that has their thing down, with every moment carefully choreographed to the smallest detail. An incredible exercise in jazz/ hip-hop style democracy you don’t usually find in covers of ‘Let’s Get It On,’ There was an excellent juxtaposition here between the smooth soul of Temple Grindin’s soprano, and Broke and Dyalekt’s hard-edged rhymes. It was a sweaty end to my first lap of CMJ, and I can’t wait to get back out there tonight.
– Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)
Tonight at The Living Room on Ludlow St. it’s Roots Music time! 10 incredibly gifted artists will perform starting at 7, come get your weekly fix of folky tunes!
Full listings of the Deli’s CMJ shows here.
P.S. If you are into Pedal Effects, don’t miss The Deli’s STOMP BOX EXHIBIT at CMJ on Friday and Saturday!!!
7.00 – Union Street Preservation Society
7.35 – Dylan Trees (LA)
At The Delancey on Tuesday 10.18 we’ll have a truly fantastic bill with 9 NYC based electro-pop bands – and it’s going to be free!. 21+ – $8.
Full listings of the Deli’s CMJ shows here. See below for the Dream Pop and Alt Rock stages that same night in the same venue (downstairs).
P.S. If you are into Pedal Effects, don’t miss The Deli’s STOMP BOX EXHIBIT at CMJ on Friday and Saturday!!!
ELECTRO STAGE
7.40 – Illuminator
8.20 – Tiny Victor ies
9.00 – Mitten
9.40 – Computer Magic
10.20 – Psychobuildings
11.00 – Pretty Good Dance Moves
11.40 – Caged Animals
CMJ dreamers and shoegazers shouldn’t miss this ethereal aural parade of NYC based dream pop bands. 21+ – $8.
Full listings of the Deli’s CMJ shows here. See below for the other stages.
P.S. If you are into Pedal Effects, don’t miss The Deli’s Stomp Box Exhibit at CMJ on Friday and Saturday!!!
7.00 – Spanish Prisoners
7.40 – ohnomoon
9.00 – Exitmusic
Those who like their Rock straight and punchy will sure anjoy our Alt Rock CMJ Stage, also at The Delancey immediately after our Dream Pop bill. 21+ – $8. Full listings of the Deli’s CMJ shows here.
P.S. If you are into Guitar Pedal Effects don’t miss The Deli’s Stomp Box Exhibit at CMJ on CMJ Friday and Saturday!!!
9.50 – Lily & The Parlour Tricks
10.40 – Raccoon Fighter
11.20 – Outernational
12.00 – The Nico Blues
12.40 – The Suicide Dolls
Under the moniker Perpetual Ritual, Mitchell Saulsberry sings fragile pop songs that come across as both honest and reserved. Standout track, “Prayers to Invoke You,” features jangling acoustic guitars that evoke the Kinks and Peter Sarstedt and sparse, yet frantic percussion. The vocals are well in front of the music, but still distant and reverb laced. The blown out production should come as no surprise given that Saulsberry plays bass in fellow Seattle lo-fi outfit Grave Babies. The two bands just toured together, including a Brooklyn date opening for Ganglians and Xray Eyeballs. Saulsberry has posted quite a few tracks on his SoundCloud site. I think the most interesting are among the newest, hopefully this is a sign of more to come.
