Trick Or Treat!!! Dent May 7" Give Away!

In the past few weeks I have been ranting and raving about the coming of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele! This band is truly awesome and I can't wait for his debut full length to come out early next year! Until then we will have to settle for what's available digitally or on his Myspace or, if you're the lucky winner of this contest, on 7" record! The 7" features Dent's first single "Meet Me In the Garden" as well as the lovely B-side "Oh, Paris". As with all 7" this was made in a pretty rare pressing though I'm not sure of the exact number. I'd guess like less then 500 though.

All you need to do to win is send me an e-mail with the Subject: Dent May Contest and you will be entered to win! I will e-mail one winner at random at about this time next Friday (Nov. 7th)! Please enter by 7pm on Thursday in order to be entered to win!

Thanks all, good luck, and Happy Halloween!!!!
Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele - "Meet Me in the Garden"
Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele - "When You Were Mine"

Ingrid Michaelson @ CSI (videos)

CMJ Recapped!!!

That's it folks! That Lightspeed Champion review marks the end of my CMJ coverage! Thank the lord! I'll see you all next year for that insanity all over again, or perhaps in a few months at SXSW!!! Normal posting resumes for real on Monday!!!!

CMJ Recap: Lightspeed Champion @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn Vegan Showcase)

The last minute addition of Lightspeed Champion to the BV showcase took this show from "can't miss" to "best lineup of CMJ" in a heartbeat and the result was a freaking packed stage area in front of the former Test Icicle. It also led to one of the weirdest drum sets in recent memory as his drummer spent most of the set cymbal-less. Weird, but also strangely awesome at the same time. Anyhow, Lightspeed was fantastic reaching into a large bag of covers and playing some awesome old school tunes and a couple of his original tracks as well. I kind of expected him to play a bit longer for some reason but unfortunately it was CMJ and the short sets are the freaking norm. Sigh, I shall catch him again next time and probably more of his tunes and some drums with cymbals.

CMJ Recap: The Mae Shi @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn Vegan Showcase)

I've been itching to see The Mae Shi all year, yet for some reason our schedules never quite worked out the way I had hoped they would. That all changed on Saturday when I finally saw The Mae Shi at the Knit's Old Office. Talk about an experience, jam everyone into that low-ceiling bearing room and throw a punk band in front of them and see what happens. Well The Mae Shi went f-ing nuts up on stage! Blazing their music out of the sound system and prancing about the stage like a bunch of crazed seals at feeding time. Thanks to wireless instruments they also pranced about the audience, climbed on the couches, and basically ran amok in the basement. It was awesome, such a fun show to see and one that I will catch again sooner then later.

CMJ Recap: Women @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn Vegan Showcase)

I Started my week off by seeing Women perform at my own show and I got to wrap up the week by seeing them one more time at Vegan's showcase, and yet I'm a bit surprised and a little disappointed that I didn't see them more considering they played a dozen shows in the week they spent in New York. Despite the ridiculous amount of playing they had been doing the group of Albertans seemed quite fresh when I caught up with them before their set and on stage they seem like their still having fun playing the songs that adorn their self-titled debut album. Of course a lot of it is more of the somber, serious manner so they don't goof off too much on stage, preferring to leave the talking to the music which is just fine by me. Even with a very similar set list to the one I saw at Cake Shop on Tuesday the band was intriguing and genuinely entertaining live, of course that all owes to the fantastic music and their remarkable ability to turn songs into whole emotional experiences. This is a wonderful band and I believe that come next album they will be one of the best around.

CMJ Recap: Marnie Stern @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn Vegan Showcase)

Having seen the finger tapping queen on a couple of occasions so far I pretty much knew what to expect from Marnie Stern and whoever her band of merry men would happen to be, what I was there to see were the new songs played out before my eyes by her tiny, long fingers on that perfectly crafted neck. God, it makes me wet just thinking about it! What I hadn't expected was that former members of Parts & Labor (drummer Jim Sykes) and U.S. Maple (guitarist Mark Shippy) behind her! Shit those guys can play and even though Sykes coped to ding his "best Zach Hill impression" he wailed on those skins. But let's all be honest here, the focus of a Marnie Stern show is not on who is backing her but the supreme finger tapper of the universe herself! With her last album shooting her to indie-stardom and her latest album making sure that she reigns on the place was pretty crowded for Ms. Stern but not quite overflowing. Still, Marnie puts on one heckuva show and killed it by opening with two songs of her first album before transitioning to the new stuff. Comparatively, Marnie nailed the older stuff while she is still working out the newer stuff in a live setting. The same happened for the early shows for Broken Arm so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before tunes from both albums are coming out with supreme clarity.

CMJ Recap: Shout Out Out Out Out @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn Vegan Showcase)

After four days of seeing dozens of bands, drinking hundreds of beers, and sleeping scant hours after it all I had a bit of a late start on Saturday afternoon forcing me to miss a couple of bands that started all the hoopla at Brooklyn Vegan's showcase but I did get there in time for Canada's Shout Out Out Out Out (acronym SOOOO...). The band took a while getting set up, that many electronics do need to get plugged in correctly, but once things got going they were a very good dance-rock band. The only problem was that at 3 in the afternoon not too many in the crowd were quite ready to get their dance on and with a large contingent of Marnie fans waiting I think they were more ready for the rock then the dance part. Luckily Shout Out Out Out Out also bring their fair share of the rock to the party as well. With two drummers, and a slew of other instruments and synths coming at you at a 100mph it's tough to focus on one thing, which why normally people get down. On Saturday it just wasn't that kind of show, but next time they come to town I'm getting down with a crowd that's out to see them!

This Week's Tour News

Who: Marnie Stern
When: November 28th + 29th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg + Santo's Party House
More Dates
Should You Go: Any chance you have to see the finger tapping goddess known as Marnie Stern must be taken at all costs! Simply put she is one of the finest musicians out there today and her songs are pure magic. Do not miss these shows!
Listen: Marnie Stern - "Don't Stop Believin'" (via Stereogum)

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Who: The Killers
When: January 25th
Where: Madison Square Garden
More Dates
Should You Go: I saw The Killers once when they played on Staten Island as part of the Across the Narrows festival that happened a few years back. This was pretty much about the same time that I lost all interest in The Killers and their music. I don't think I'll be attending this one, not even out of nostalgia.
Listen: The Killers - "Human"

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Who: Bon Iver
When: December 10th + 11th
Where: Town Hall
More Dates
Should You Go: Bon Iver is a fantastic musical talent and Town Hall is pretty much the perfect setting to see one of those in. Generally, if you hate talking at shows, crowds, movement, and like to just sit there and watch music like you're supposed to then this is the type of show you wanna attend.
Listen: Bon Iver - "Flume"

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Who: Bob Dylan
When: November 21st
Where: United Palace Theater
More Dates
Should You Go: Dylan = Legend, should be on your must see list if you haven't already!
Listen: Bob Dylan - "Someday Baby"

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Who: Love Is All
When: December 7th
Where: Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Should You Go: God I'm dying to see Love Is All so I think instead of celebrating the bombing of Pearl Harbor for like the 100th time I'll sneak away to see these guys and their fantastic pop tunes.
Listen: Love Is All - "So Far Away"

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Who: Wu-Tang Clan
When: December 23rd
Where: Hammerstein Ballroom
More Dates
Should You Go: Staten Island represent!
Listen: Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."

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Who: Tapes n' Tapes
When: February 25th + 26th
Where: Bowery Ballroom + Music Hall of Williamsburg
More Dates
Should You Go: I remember back three Pitchfork Festivals ago when Aziz Ansari introduced Tapes n' Tapes at the show that day. I wonder if Aziz even listens to these guys any more or if sold his copy of their album back to Other Music yet?
Listen: Tapes n' Tapes - "Cowbell"

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Who: Vic Chestnutt, Elf Power, and the Amorphous Strums
When: January 23rd
Where: Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Should You Go: Putting these three together was like a no brainer! It's such a cool match up and it works really freaking well. If you like the whole E6 thing you'll be there.
Listen: Vic Chesnutt, Elf Power, and the Amorphous Strums - "And How"

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Who: The Black Keys
When: February 6th
Where: Terminal 5
More Dates
Should You Go: Can anyone tell me when The Black Keys got big enough to play Terminal 5? Well, at least they deserve it more then the three nights of Vampire Weekend we'll get later in November.
Listen: The Black Keys - "Psychotic Girl"

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Who: Frida Hyvonen
When: November 11th + 12th
Where: Living Room + Church of Sweden
More Dates
Should You Go: All you need to know about Frida are the words - Swedish, pop, chanteuse.
Listen: Frida Hyvonen - "You Never Got Me Right"

CMJ Recap: Sub Pop/Hardly Art/ Suicide Squeeze Showcase @ Pianos

Pretty & Nice: Somewhere in between the @Seaport show that preceeds this recap and this very show I drank a shit ton of beer and saw some bands that I'm not really remembering too well right now. All I know is wound up at a lot of overly crowded places before I wondered into Pianos and stood on a couch to see the awesomeness that is Pretty & Nice! Playing as part of the Sub Pop/Hardly Art/Suicide Squeeze showcase, the Boston 4-piece played some old school style punk songs and the crowd treated the upstairs of Pianos like it was CBGB's or some shit. The floor boards were creaking under the force of that many people moving and the band just egged them on with song after song of pummeling riffs and pounding rhythms. I absolutely loved this band and was so refreshed by their set that I stuck out the marathon for a few more hours despite wanting to go home only a few minutes before they came on!

The Coathangers: Pretty & Nice were the perfect warm-up act for The Coathangers. Put a punk gang of four boys ahead of the 4 gorgeous women that make up garage revivalists The Coathangers...brilliant! Also brilliant was the idea to stick this band in a room that could hardly contain the enthusiasm of the band let alone that of the band and the people there to watch. No this was the type of show that was tailor made for something special, and it was special! These ladies absolutely let it hang out, showing they have more balls then most of the guy bands that had been playing all week. They flat out kicked ass and I'm pretty sure they could have kicked my ass. Between them and Pretty & Nice I think I have found my new favorite bands!

CMJ Recap: Bearsuit & More @ @Seaport

I decided to start my fourth day at the marathon at a place that was hosting a familiar face, the faces of Bearsuit. Since their set had so thoroughly wooed me the night before I figured seeing them again would only add to the infatuation and I was sure sure right about that. Playing almost the same set as the day before the band played tight and true and sounded okay despite a mostly shoddy sound system. It was another fun set from one of my favorite bands of the marathon.





Kirsten Ketsjer: Before Bearsuit ever took the stage I caught two other acts, the first being Kirsten Ketsjer who I heard a ton about during the early days of the marathon but had yet to catch. Her set suffered a bit here due to some of the same sound problems that would soon plague Bearsuit, but overall it was definitely a pretty cool sound. I'm gonna be honest and let you know that I skipped out for some Wendy's during this 'cause I was starving but I definitely need to catch it again!

CMJ Recap: Day 3's Other Bands

Skeletonbreath @ Cake Shop (Ernest Jenning Showcase): I don't know how I caught this band, I think I was just in the right place at the right time, but Skeletonbreath are an impressive three piece. Playing instrumental, progressive music led by an insane violinist generally isn't the way to the Top 40 charts, but then I don't think a band called Skeletonbreath care much about something like that. What they did seem to care about was thrashing about on stage like mademen for 25-minutes while audience members in the first and second standing rows did more of the same. It was a wild, short, fast paced ride and one I'd definitely like to take again!





Charles Burst @ Cake Shop (Ernest Jenning Showcase): One of the great things about CMJ is hanging with friends that share a similar affinity for music that you do. This year I had the pleasure of spending most of the week with my buddy Bryan from After the Jump, Subinev, and a million other projects, and he all but dragged me to go see Charles Burst. I gotta hand it to him he was totally right about Burst, who gets more kudos for what he does behind the boards, but who can flat out rock in front of a crowd.


Black Hollies @ Cake Shop (Ernest Jenning Showcase): The one down point of my entire 3rd day was the late night, and running late, set of the Black Hollies. Their late start and end time were the reason I didn't stick around for Ninjasonik later in the night, and honestly their set provided little more then straight ahead rock tunes for the bored indie sect. It's nothing special even if they are solid musicians.




Best Fwends @ Cake Shop (Friction + Fuck Yeah After Party): Best Fwends were the last act I caught on the third night so the image of their inflated insect being tossed all over the tiny room in Cake Shop was definitely one of the lasting images of CMJ for me. Beyond the stage props, Best Fwends are a band that you need to be in a mood for, you need to be willing to move to some ridiculousness and buy into the shtick that they guys are selling. If you're buying they're great, if you're not they are amusing, and if you hate everything about shtick and fun in music then you'd probably be at some lame ass show on the other side of town.




Passion Pit @ Fader Fort: So crowded! Caught two songs. Will forget this set and remember the awesome one they did a few weeks back at Mercury Lounge. The end.

CMJ Recap: Force Field PR Showcase @ Pianos

Bell: Bell was first up at the Force Field PR showcase Thursday evening at Pianos, and her beautiful songs made for quite the opening act. Playing as just a two piece, with her and her drummer Bell shone as the starlet in training that she certainly is. Right from the start, when she hit the stage with a real live keytar, you knew you were in for an experience and sure enough that is what she gave. Her set was rife with her poignant, lovely indie pop tunes and it set a marker for what was to come.





Cause Co-Motion: In her review of Cause Co-Motion's set on Thursday night, Pitchfork's Jessica Suarez included a little bit that went like this, "But the band also had the most audience members dancing along with them-- one guy in the front kept his hands straight in the air, as if he were being held up.", that guy was me and I'm almost ashamed to admit it except that hell I had fun being that guy at this show! Cause Co-Motion do that kind of thing to people, they incite fun and dance and enjoyment into a music scene that normally seems pretty much devoid of the stuff. So who cares if I got pointed out on Pitchfork, or that I stepped on some toes as I bounced through the middle of the room attempting to get more people to dance (sorry if I caught you!), I had a blast doing it and it was obvious that Cause Co-Motion had a blast playing their tunes for us!

CMJ Recap: Bearsuit & More @ Cake Shop (NYCTaper Showcase)

Over at the NYCTaper show at Cake Shop things were a bit more spacious and evenly distributed then they were at Pianos. While Vegan generally packs his CMJ lineups as tight as possible, NYCTaper decided to keep it to a minimum and spread the bands out and give them more time to reach their audiences. The approach definitely worked for me as the easy going set times seemed to make the bands and fans more comfortable then at any other show I caught this week. Downstairs in the main room Bearsuit took the stage, complete with capes and the adorable British charm.

The band launched into a quick introduction before declaring that their opening song needed a bit of audience participation, a ballsy move but one that immediately hooked anyone in the audience that shouted along as they were asked to do. As we shouted the intro the band prepared to launch into their song, and boom we were off the races! Bearsuit barely took a break during their half hour long set, letting out song after song, breaking just enough for a little clever banter and for some band members to switch instruments. The sharp as a knife twee the band offered up were more then enough reason to fall in love with this band, but on stage they absolutely shine with the excitement of sharing their sounds with the crowd and it shows with each and every note played.

Bearsuit are not a band that should be ignored as they have been for far too long here in the U.S., instead we should embrace them as our new twee fetish and learn to live with them because we're hoping they'll stick around a long time in these parts.






Sharon Van Etten: While the bigger, louder bands were tearing up the downstairs stage some of the quieter, more acoustic folks were gently strumming the coffee shop the way they should be strummed! Sharon Van Etten was the only act I caught up stairs, but here straight ahead singer/songwriter fare is lush with beautiful, smart songwriting and a voice that word would not be able to do justice to. Throw in her radiant beauty as she shyly sings her songs on stage and you have the makings of an indie boy's wet dream! Her set seemed a bit brief to me (I jumped in somewhere in the middle) but she definitely caught my eye and my ear on that afternoon.
(Also keep you eye out for live recordings of these sets as well as sets from The Bloodsugars, Bridges and Powerlines, and more that should be popping up shortly on NYCTaper!)

CMJ Recap: Brooklyn Vegan Showcase @ Pianos

Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains: I was running a bit late after the late night before and I didn't get myself to Brooklyn Vegan's day show until the last two bands were about to hit the stage. Lucky for me one of them was Sebastien Grainger, the ex-Death from Above member, that I was dying to see this week. Unfortunately I wound up crushed behind the back bar so I didn't get too great a vantage point or a sound point to take in his new songs, which I love, and they came out of the over pumped PA sounding a little jumbled together. I'm gonna chalk that up to technical problems and my personal vantage point and make it a point to get to Sebastien's next New York show at Union Hall, on time!


Wye Oak: With the crowd pressing me further and further back downstairs I decided to make a hasty escape to the upstairs land where Wye Oak were hitting the smaller stage. Upstairs was just as packed (density wise anyway) but I got a decent enough spot to see this winsome duo doing their thing. The songs are so simple and sedated, yet lovely in their simplicity. Both members have this cutesy southern charm about them and it really comes through in their music. I only caught half a set, but it was enough for me to realize that these two are the real deal and that Wye Oak is definitely a band I need to check out more of.

Top 10: Bands I Saw During CMJ (That I'd Never Seen Before)

10. Wye Oak; I caught maybe half of Wye Oak's set at Brooklyn Vegan's day showcase at Pianos and I was pretty angry with myself that I didn't make it upstairs earlier in the set. Their tunes are perfectly written, allowing for their musical skills to shine through brightly while giving plenty of room for the vocals and lyrics that is the basis for everything. It's a really sweet pairing of musicians and I love their set.
Wye Oak - "I Don't Feel Young"

9. The Mae Shi; I've been meaning to catch The Mae Shi for quite some time now, but for whatever reason I just hadn't managed to do so before this week. Well, that need was put to rest during their energetic set at Vegan's second unofficial show this time at the Knit. Having taken over all three floors, The Mae Shi were forced to the Old Office do to a schedule conflict and honestly they killed it in the smaller space. Their set was rambunctious and fun, even if there weren't nearly enough people dancing along with the four boys in the band.
The Mae Shi - "Run to Your Grave"

8. The Beets; Despite some technical problems with their bass line The Beets put on one heck of a performance! They killed it as part of the official After the Jump showcase, ripping off tune after tune once all the technical problems were squashed. If possible see this band in a dive bar and try not to get hooked on them as much as you are hooked on the beer in your hand!
The Beets - "Happy But On My Way"

7. Dan Friel; Dan Friel played a single CMJ showcase this past week as his full-time band, Parts & Labor, had to hit the road on a national tour this week as well. But on Tuesday at my show at Cake Shop Dan showed his unbelieveale ability to splice snippets of sound and create beautiful glowing collages of songs. It's an impressive skill and one that was aurally stunning on Tuesday. Songs like "Buzzards" and "Ghost Town Part 1" were just as haunting live as they are pressed on wax and are something that any music fan should be able to enjoy.
Dan Friel - "Buzzards"

6. Pretty & Nice; The recent Hardly Arts signees hardly live up to their name as a band. They aren't all that pretty and they certainly aren't that nice, what they are is a band that can get a party going with hard driven, old school punk rock songs that shake the floor and force you to move your feet. After the show I threw the band a complement and one member proceeded to get me to try and join the band! They should just go ahead and change their name to "Pretty Fun" right now!
Pretty & Nice - "Tora Tora Tora"

5. Women; Women were one of two bands that I saw twice this week (at least playing, I saw the band about a hundred times all over the city) and both times they brought their A-game to the stage. Hard, angular guitars drive this band's sound and it's a crafty and awesome sound piping from the speakers at all times. They barely take a break during their sets as the songs just crank out one after the other, and despite playing 13 different shows this week the band never once seemed too tired to perform.
Women - "January 8th"

4. Bearsuit; Breezy twee from another too cute for words English band, Bearsuit had the bloggers and hipsters actually dancing both times I caught them. Their tunes are impossible to resist, from the shout along intro on "Jupiter! Shout!" to the titty references in "Foxy Boxer", the band is just too adorable to not fall for. I would have seen this ban a dozen more times during the week if I were given the chance to!
Bearsuit - "Foxy Boxer"

3. The Muslims; The Muslims were one of those bands playing double digit shows and riding a wave of hype into the CMJ Marathon, and I have to say after catching their late night set at Cake Shop on Day 2 that they were well worth all the hype that was spewed on them! This band play some of the best garage rocky songs out there right now! It's hard driven, fast paced, and bound to get your blood boiling, and even though some of it may sound a bit familiar it's some fantastic songwriting that set these boys apart from any other indie-rock band.
The Muslims - "Nightlife"

2. The Coathangers; For all the hype about the Vivian Girls going into the festival, the best all women band I saw all week was The Coathangers. Where Vivian Girls were a little lethargic and unemotional on stage, The Coathangers left everything on the stage seeming like a female version of their Atlanta brethren The Black Lips. They are ferocious when they are standing in front of you with their instruments blazing, and their seeming attitude of "we don't give a fuck" make them seem like one of those old timey punk bands your parents tell you all about. This was the real deal and I absolutely cannot wait to catch them again!
The Coathangers - "Parking Lot"

1. Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele; My single favorite set of 2008's marathon was the one Dent May put on at (le) poisson rouge! If it weren't the only set of his week here I would have followed him around the city like a lost puppy dog, instead I listened intently, danced around a bit, and had an absolute blast listening to his uke aided songs. With a full backing band the sound is lively and upbeat and he filled out his set with a couple of sweet covers. All in all it was a great performance and one that leads me to believe we'll be talking about Dent May quite a bit when his album hits in 2009!
Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele - "When You Were Mine"

Blast from the Past: Led Zeppelin's IV

For most of 2008 the rumors have been swirling around England and the possibility of a Led Zeppelin "reunion". I say "reunion" because of course there is one member missing from the original lineup, though the band admirably gave John Bonham's job behind the skins to his son for their one-off reunion gig early this summer. Now the story has turned and John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Jason Bonham appear to have decided to go ahead with a full blown reunion tour sans Robert Plant, which in my very humble opinion is a big mistake!

The recent onslaught of reunion tours of course has proved to be a truly lucrative market, bands like The Who, My Bloody Valentine, The Police, Mission of Burma, and many many more have found that not only are their fans eager to see the band in it's original form, they have garnered new younger fans that have devoured their records from the comforts of their homes and are desperate to see the bands perform in front of them. Of course the aforementioned bands all have their original lineups in tact with the exception of The Who who have toured behind the strength of their remaining members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, for ages now. People seem to be a little more forgiving of The Who's continued tours thanks to the sad truth that half their original lineup have passed on and that Townshend is pretty much the brains behind the band and Daltrey is the face of the band. Led Zeppelin on the other hand are choosing to go forward in this endeavor with one of their main components choosing to sit on the sidelines.

Without Robert Plant Led Zeppelin would not be Led Zeppelin. His distinctive yowl has been a vital part of the success of the band and without him crooning tunes like "Stairway to Heaven" and "Going to California" will be little more then cover versions of their songs. It's a farce if you believe this to be a true reunion tour without Plant taking the front of their stage, and the band should be ridiculed into submission or until Plant relents and decides to join his former band mates on tour.

Like a lot of you I'd be really excited to see a full fledged Led Zeppelin reunion with the seed of John Bonham helming the drums, but I'm not willing to sacrifice on the fact that John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant all need to be on that stage for me to see this tour. Otherwise we're really just standing in front of some Rock Band version of what Led Zeppelin oughta be.

Oh, right this is supposed to be about Led Zeppelin's IV. The album rocks. But you knew that already!
Led Zeppelin - "The Battle of Evermore"
Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"
Led Zeppelin - "Going to California"
Led Zeppelin - "When the Levee Breaks"

CMJ Recap: The Muslims @ Cake Shop (1928 Recordings Showcase)

As you may have read in my "Buzzworthy" post this morning, I have found a great fondness for The Muslims and their garage rock aesthetic thanks to seeing them at this late night show. I'm not even sure what time they came on, it must have been like 2am, but the band was in full force when they hit Cake Shop in the early hours of Wednesday morning! The four members of this band absolutely know how to play and even though the club wasn't packed to capacity it was still a pretty tight fit watching one of the most hyped bands of the week play when little else was going on. The set was well worth any sweat poured out or any discomfort from the crowd, and though my memory is a little hazy (too many free beers), I know I loved every minute of it before I bailed out to catch the 3:30am ferry back to Staten Island! I can't wait for them to come back to New York, 'cause I'm gonna be rocking out hard to every single note!

CMJ Recap: Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele @ (le) poisson rouge (Carpark/Paw Tracks Showcase)

Out of all the acts I saw last week, Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele may just have been my favorite set. I walked in right as he was starting and he and his band proceeded to lull me into their clutches with their hypnotic, upbeat songs. Part singer/songwriter, part quirky musician, Dent May knows his way around his uke and he doesn't hold anything back. The strumming is fun, and his backing band does a magnificent job of accompanying it with some steady rhythms and beats that you could totally get down to. But what sets Dent apart from the rest of the ukulele toting pack is his ability to write songs that are heartfelt and humorous and immediately appealing. It helps that his crooning voice come out lovely at all turns as well. Absolutely loved his act and his album is already one of my most anticipated albums of 2009!

Note: I also caught Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez at this show and he was solid though unspectacular. Wish I would have stayed for Kria Brekken but bounced to the LES for Muslims!

CMJ Recap: Takka Takka @ Red Bull/KCRW Space

It seems like I have ripped on Takka Takka at every turn possible for a very long time. I know it's mean to have such a hatred for a band, and they never did anything personal to me, I just revolted against their blog hype and their music. Hell, I went so far as to tell two of the band's members that hated their band in person. Yeah, those are the lengths I went to. So how the hell did I wind up at Red Bull Space when Takka Takka was playing on Wednesday night? Well the answer is simple, by accident! I had no idea the band was going to be playing that night and I was stopping in to see what was happening while grabbing a free drink or to while on my way to (le) poisson rouge.

Anyway, what I'm trying to explain to you is that for years I've hated this band yet something in their set on Wednesday made me stop and think for a moment about why I had ever hated them. And then once I got over that thought I actually started to like what I was hearing. The dark, moody music, the gusto with which they play, just the abilities of the musicians in the band had me floored and a bit baffled and by the end I had to go up to the band and apologize for all the years of hatred and anomosity. Seems I owe these dudes another listen and I think I'll be starting with their most recent record, most of which they played the other night!

CMJ Recap: After the Jump Showcase @ Knitting Factory

After the Jump threw their second ever official CMJ show this past week, and though I had almost nothing to do with the planning for it this year I went out for the first half of the night to support the gang and see some of the bands they wrangled up this year. Kicking off the night in the main space were a band called Starfucker. I did not see this act based solely on their name, and from the varied opinions I have gotten on their set I believe I was wrong to miss it.

While Starfucker were playing in the main space The Beets were letting go way down in the Old Office. This three piece band knows there way around a lo-fi, rock tune and despite some early technical problems they put on a truly awesome set. That's one of their tunes up above so you can see that the front guy plays this ratty old acoustic guitar that's been adapted for electric sounds and effects pedals and whatnot. It gives some ridiculous sounds and I thoroughly enjoyed the band's set!




As The Beets were playing downstairs Best Friends Forever were playing in the Tap Room on floor above and one floor below Starfucker. I only caught a couple songs from their set but it was some crazy sounding, though definitely intriguing music. I will have to devote a little more time to them next chance I get!

Following The Beets in the Old Office were our last minute replacements That Fleeting World. They took over for a deathly ill Inlets and proceeded to rock the fuck out of their sudden CMJ opportunity. They make some straight up solid punk like sounds that I really enjoyed. (Full Disclosure: a member of this band is in After the Jump)




That was it for my After the Jump evening but other people caught sets by a ton of other acts and can be read at a lot of the links marked After the Jump to the right of this post! Check 'em out people!

CMJ Recap: Chairlift @ Fader Fort

To kick off Day 2 I headed to the Levi's Fader Fort, home of free beer, shoddy sound systems, free SoCo, solid art from Mr. Brainwash, and some of the most over hyped band in the whole blog universe! The day started off with those folks from the current iPod Nano commercial Chairlift! The Fort was already pretty packed by the time the band came on, some of us were well lubed from the free Bass Ale, and most were ready to hear that one tune that we just can't erase from out brains. Of course a Fader Fort week would not be one that was run on time so about 15-minutes late (not bad for them) Chairlift took the stage, ironed out some technical kinks, and finally broke into their tunes.

Now I have not been fully wooed over by the band yet. "Bruises" is a solid song and their set at the After the Jump fest was definitely a highlight but on this day the band seemed to lack energy and just rushed through the whole of their six (or seven) song set. It was over and done with before I could even formulate a solid opinion about the band and I was left a little disappointed by the overall feel of the set.

Now too short I understand from a CMJ set, but the lack of energy, the mild flaws and mistakes coming from the band, the lack of any real emotion in performing the songs was just a total bummer. They did play "Bruises" though and it's just as catchy live as it is on record, but last I check bands play whole sets not just single songs when they hit a stage, and it might be time for Chairlift to expand on what they do on there.

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: The Muslims
Location: San Diego, CA
elbo.ws Ranking: N/A
Thoughts: The Muslims were one of the bands that really stood out to me at CMJ this year. Their brand of garage rock sounds immediately familiar, because let's face it we've heard a similar sound once or twice before, but their ability to craft a song and then turn it loose on an unsuspecting crowd is a thing of beauty. Now I've only just begun checking out this band, but the tunes I've taken from the web have the kind of frenetic energy that infects whole scenes and thrusts bands from the small time to large venues with lots of sweaty people around them. Now I'm not saying they're going to bring back garage rock once again, or that a Strokes like ascension is imminent, not saying that at all (because garage rock is here to stay, see Black Lips, Jay Reatard, King Khan & whoever, etc.) what I am saying is that this is an impressive band despite a sound that may be familiar they overcome it with absolute desire and energy to match every note they play. This is some great stuff and I'm hoping we see a lot more of The Muslims from here on out!
Verdict: Buzzworthy!!!
Listen: The Muslims - "Bright Side"
The Muslims - "Nightlife"

Tuesday's Recommended Release(s)

Considering how long it's been since Microcastle leaked onto the internets, I'm a little floored that it is only reaching store shelves this week. You would think they would have rushed it out, especially if they wanted to build on the strength of last year's releases Cryptograms and Fluoprescent Grey EP. But instead the label and the band held back and only know can you buy it on plastic or wax depending on your preferences. Of course, most of us have had it piping into our ears for a while and pretty much know what the deal is here.

Simply put, on Microcastle, Deerhunter try and embrace their inner garage rock fan while still maintaining their foothold as one of the finer purveyors of shoegaze in all the land. Somehow the combination of competing sounds winds up working out well throughout the album as the quiet, quiet, loud development of the individual tracks and of the album works to build the listeners ears into the sound. Of course, for all the talk of 50's and 60's garage rock front Deerhunter Bradford Cox has been spewing lately you may have though we were going to get some Beatles meets Beach Boys knock off, but no the band maintains their abilities to fuzz out a song and reverb the shit out of the vocals in drawing out the music to their own whims.

No matter what you think of the combination or of what they were trying to sell you on this album, you can't deny that Deerhunter have put forth a masterpiece of an album here, building on every inch of promise put forth by last year's albums and in some respects exceeding it. The band have hand crafted a damn fine album, but we've known that for months.
Deerhunter - "Agoraphobia"
Deerhunter - "Nothing Ever Happened"

What we've known for a slightly shorter period of time is that Microcastle would be accompanied by a second disc known as Weird Era Cont.. This disc is particularly exciting to me as the band takes that promise of garage rock a bit further with some more melody and a lot more drum and guitar driven songs. Of course this too hit the internets early thanks to some long winded story that was all over the intertnet a few months ago and which I don't care to rehash right now. Just read Google it if you happened to miss it.

Right now I'd like to talk about the finest piece of music Deerhunter have ever done! Weird Era Cont. actually makes good on all those promises made by Bradford. Right from the very first song, "Backspace Century", Deerhunter welcome us to a new stage of their sound, on that allows cymbals to shine out and lead the rhythms of their sound, while the guitars are allowed to crunch with less effects then normal. Bradford is at his lyrical best throughout this record, and the band soars behind him.

As much as I've enjoyed Microcastle, it's the bonus disc that has gotten the most of my attention. This record has been spinning non-stop since it was ripped from Bradford's hard drive and I don't think I can do it proper justice with my words. Instead I'd suggest you pick them both up (they come as a package you know) and get ready for two of the best records of the year!
Deerhunter - "Vox Celeste"
Deerhunter - "Moon Witch Cartridge"

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Also Released Today:

CMJ Recap: The Rest of Day 1

The Naked and Famous @ The Delancey (New Zealand showcase); Before I even stepped foot inside the venue the place was packed with people anxious to see the best that New Zealand had to offer. And why wouldn't they? With the Ruby Suns slated to play and Rhys Darby MCing the event was definitely a hot ticket on the first night of the marathon. But the sheer size of the swarming crowd was a little much to bear, so after a quick monologue/introduction by Rhys Darby the first band of the night The Naked and Famous took the stage. It was already sweltering, but the band seemed to be just as hot under glaring lights of the stage and took off on their rock n' roll road. It's a bit of a rocky road to tell the truth, but the band definitely have the chops to do something with their music. For most of their set they played their straight up rock music plain and simple, very straight forward, nothing spectacular but nothing offensive. About half way through I became a little overtaken by the crushing crowd and decided to take my CMJ high jinks elsewhere.



Cheeseburger @ Red Bull/KCRW Space; If CMJ had itself a high school yearbook, Cheeseburger would undoubtedly be voted the class of '08's class clown. Mere minutes after being asked not to spill anything on the space's pristine stage and floor the band took the stage and proceeded to spit and spill beer all over the place. But that's not where the antics ceased, no for most of the set the band's front man promised a tune called "Number One Party Song" (or something like that) only to play another Cheeseburger song not named about partying. Despite the lack of the word party in the band's song titles that is exactly what they did, prancing about the stage like madmen all while spewing some solid rock tunes out of their speakers. The crowd ate it up getting all riled and breaking into an ocassional and small mosh pit here and there. Personally I enjoyed the show too, though the music left a little bit to be desired. At times it could be a little too straight and it lacked the personality of some of the other bands at the marathon. Whatever the case they put on an entertaining and fun live show and for that alone they have some immense value in this scene.




Vivian Girls @ Red Bull/KCRW Space; Considering the amount of free Red Bull available at this space you might have presumed the mega-hyped trio of Vivian Girls would have arrived on stage with an abundance of energy, but when you make assumptions like that in this game, well I don't think I need to expunge further then that. Personally I was overly excited to be seeing the girls on the first night of the marathon, figuring I've waited long enough to see them especially when you consider how much I adore their self-titled debut, but the band were a bit lackluster on the sterile stage. The crowd, for their part, did nothing to encourage Vivian Girls on. Standing a good five or six feet from the stage, they could hardly muster any energy on the band and so why would the band go through the trouble of wasting theirs on them? With a ton of other shows waiting for the band later in the week I don't really blame them for holding back on stage and racing through their songs. It was a disappointing set, but I am willing to give them a second chance and catch them again another time.

CMJ Recap: Oxford Collapse @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

Oxford Collapse are the type of band that seemingly never have a bad show. Sure they may hit a wrong chord here, play in the wrong key there, but with their passion and with the crowd presumably going nuts you'll never notice this little mistakes. I'm sure some were present on Tuesday, after all it was hardly an appropriate hour for such a rocking band to take the stage, yet somehow the crowd went mildly bonkers over the band and their music. I say mildly because I've seen shows with Oxford where speakers toppled and ducks flew, so just a few kids bopping up and down doesn't quite count as bonkers but it beats the hell out of most indie crowds that just stand there and watch.

On Tuesday the band mixed things up quite a bit, playing tunes from their brand new record Bits along with some of the older crowd pleasers like "Lady Lawyers". It was an excellent and solid set that even got the notice of the New York Times, so you know we were doing something right on Tuesday to get that kind of recognition.

Oxford were of course the last band of the day though, so that meant my contribution to the CMJ affair was done and I could cut loose and just start having some fun without having to worry about set times or equipment or anything else of that nature! My show was an absolute blast this year, if you stopped by to catch a band I'd like to sincerely thank you! I'd also like to thank all the bands that played, Andy from Cake Shop who was awesome, the sound engineer who kept everything on time all day, the bartenders who got us drunk, and everyone else that had even the slightest of hands in this! It was a rousing success and it wouldn't have been without all of your help.

(P.S. - Dan from NYCTaper was kind enough to record their set and you can download it here!!!)

CMJ Recap: The Lisps @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

For the past five months one of my favorite New York bands, The Lisps, have sat idly by while other bands took over the city. They were taking a short break after recording and playing almost non-stop for the past two years, but still something was missing from our summers and it was a bit disheartening to not have their sunny music ringing in our ears every couple of weeks. At long last though The Lisps have returned to the stage bringing with them some new sci-fi themed songs and and the same reckless enthusiasm that have made them such an endearing act in this scene.

On Tuesday afternoon The Lisps took over the upstairs of the Cake Shop as the last act on that stage and absolutely killed people with their rousing tunes and almost sickening amounts of happiness. On stage Cesar, Sammy, Jeremy, and Eric have a way of transforming a room into something that lives and breathes along with them as they sing the whimsical tunes. People join in clapping and singing along here and there, but obviously the focus is on the band and you can hardly tear your eyes away from them, they are just so magnetic! Banging on a refrigerator, strumming an acoustic guitar, or singing their cheerful melodies this band knows how to win an audience and they did it again on Tuesday.

Like The Antlers and Bridges and Powerlines, The Lisps have played a bunch of my shows before and my relationship with them straddles the line between friend and critic ever so perilously, but believe me when I say you need to catch this band! They are a New York hallmark at this point and they are going to be doing some very cool things in the very near future!

CMJ Recap: Princeton @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

Princeton were so eager to kick start their CMJ that they went on almost half an hour early! It was a little surprising to only catch three of their songs, but the ones that I did catch from their stripped down set were absolute gems. Having to play an acoustic set thanks to the smaller confines of the upstairs area of Cake Shop, Princeton let their songs down to the bases of each and proved that they can write damn catchy tunes, while still echoing just the right amount of pop sensibilities in each one. It seemed the people that were there early enough to see them were thrilled by the set they got and the band seemed happy even though they had jumped the gun a little. Considering the amount of shows that ran late during CMJ I think it's safe to say that this was the only early set of the week, and like the old saying goes the early bird definitely took the cake. Or something like that right?

CMJ Recap: Women @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

One of the main buzz bands for this year's CMJ Music Marathon was the Calgary based quartet known as Women. Over the course of the week the band was slated to play 13 shows (one wound up canceled), and only days before they hit New York they got the Pitchfork "recommended" stamp on their self-titled debut, branding them as a "can't miss" band of the week. It was lucky for me then that I had them first (well technically Friction had them first, two days before the marathon at the same venue) and that the crowd certainly seemed amped to get that notch on their belt immediately. I had to push and squeeze my way to the front to catch their set, but it was all well worth it as those Canadians lived up to all the hype that had been bestowed upon them at the outset.

Right from the get go the four piece of the band alternated songs of quiet melodies and louder angular guitars, creating a cacophony of sound that was beautiful as much as it could be jarring at times. The overwhelming power of their guitars was a thing of beauty and their rhythm section were no slouches either pounding out throbbing beat after throbbing beat. All in all it was one of the most buzzed about performances from the show and it showed that Women were legit and were definitely worth seeing at one of the 12 other shows they were doing later in the week.

CMJ Recap: Dan Friel @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

Having Dan Friel do his only solo show of the marathon at my showcase was a special moment for me. I've been a fan of his and of his band Parts & Labor for quite some time and though we've tried to get him on a couple of our past shows nothing has ever quite synched up until this one and it was a thrill to have him. Dan crafts these ridiculously complex sonic structures that are pieced together bits of synths and electronics and some how the individual parts manage to weave together for some of the coolest songs you will ever hear! It was particularly thrilling to hear "Buzzards" piping through the PA, and I have to admit I was a little concerned that the Cake Shop system wouldn't do Dan's music justice but he pushed on through and played a really excellent set!

CMJ Recap: Bridges and Powerlines @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

For the second year in a row I had Bridges and Powerlines as part of my CMJ showcase and unlike last year when there was about ten people, the room was much fuller for the Brooklyn natives this time around. The band have improved immensely in the year since that last CMJ show, with a fuller sound and more confidence behind their respective instruments, Bridges and Powerlines have progressed to the point where the strong songwriting shines but isn't needed to carry along any weak parts any more. I know some people ran over to Pianos during their set for Pattern Is Movement, but if you stayed put you were treated to a short, sweet, solid set from a band that is only going to get better the more you see them!

CMJ Recap: Kilgore Trout Is Dead @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

(Note: My camera memory had filled up for Kilgore Trout Is Dead so I was not able to grab any video of his performance. But fortunately I have this video taken a few weeks ago at a Martini Red show that I have never posted. If I didn't add this little note, most of you never would have known!)

Kilgore Trout Is Dead have quickly ascended the ranks to become one of my favorite Staten Island acts (maybe there should be a top 10 list!) ever! His ukulele, looped sounds make me want to keep coming back for more, and considering the relative lack of music he has made available that's saying something. At this point one would think I'd be sick of his sonic fusions, but instead I am irresistably attracted to all of it! On Tuesday afternoon, Kilgore was the last of the Staten Island acts to hit the stage and I think he won over more then a few hearts as he strummed and looped, and strummed and looped, and sung his fantastic songs. People seemed to melt as Kilgore played, opening their minds to his worldly sound and it seemed like they were being converted before our very eyes. Almost like a religious experience, his music permeated some souls that day and I'm sure if you give him half a chance he can make a believer out of you as well!

CMJ Recap: The Antlers @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

When I was interviewed the other day by KCRW they asked me who my favorite New York based band was. Without much hesitation I said The Antlers were hands down my favorite band in New York, and that's not to offend any of the other bands I know and adore, it's just shows the amount of admiration I have for The Antlers! Since starting this little site few bands have been featured as many times as The Antlers have and no band has appeared on as many of my lineups as The Antlers. It was kind of a no brainer having them play, they have a fantastic new album that will be coming out sometime in 2009, they are a tremendous live band, and I adore the shit out of them so it just fit. On Tuesday they blew the place up! Ripping tune after tune from their new album and squeezing in some of their classic older tunes, the band absolutely killed it! Highlights of the set were the awesome new song "Two" which is captured in video above and just being able to hear the new songs played live as they were meant to be! It was an amazing set from them and I'll be checking them out as many times as I can till the day I die!

CMJ Recap: Matt Wilson @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

Matt Wilson is a musician with a large resume. Having played in a number of Staten Island bands, and currently playing with more, man has been an instrumental part in the development of the sound and the scene on Staten Island. So it was pretty obvious for me to ask him to play my show on Tuesday and he once again proved his value to our local sound. After filling in on bass with Brownwater, Wilson hit the stage on his own to showcase some of his wonderful solo material as well as to mix in a few classic indie cover tunes. Between the covers and the original songs Wilson filled up his set and got the upstairs stage off to a rolling start. It was stripped down compared to a lot of his current projects, but no less awesome in any way.

CMJ Recap: The Secret Life of Sofia @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Showcase)

The first of a bunch of Brooklyn based acts to hit the Cake Shop stage on Tuesday was The Secret Life of Sofia a band that has gotten their fair share of blog love from the New York music blogs and deservedly so. This band gets better with each passing show and they displayed their considerable music chops on Tuesday afternoon. They set was fast paced and lively with the band barely breaking during their set preferring to let the music do their talking for them. It was by far the sharpest I've seen the band so far and it was a terrific set by the band. If you've yet to catch these locals in action definitely make sure you catch them next time they play out!

CMJ Recap: Hot Lava @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Day Show)

One of the few non-locals on my lineup for the day show this year was Richmond, Virginia's Hot Lava. A fantastic four piece, indie-rock band they make their sound on lush melodies and a rocking sound, but live they transform the music to something a little bit harder, a little faster paced, and definitely something that the folks that got there early could get down to. On Tuesday afternoon a few people were bobbing there heads along as the band got an early start on the CMJ festivities and absolutely killed it with a fresh, 25-minute long set that left me wanting much more from the band. It's the one draw back to CMJ, is that all these bands that you are just being introduced to only get a brief time to show off their chops and it always leaves me yearning for a full set from the band. It totally rings true for Hot Lava and I'm hoping they come north again very soon. For now I'll be left with fond memories of sweet harmonies and lush melodies.

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: Born Ruffians + Plants and Animals @ Mercury Lounge 9:30pm $12
After a week of non-stop show going, drinking, and late nights I won't be hitting too many shows this week as I adjust back to my normal life, but for those of you that did not see 150 bands last week or did and still want more (the first step is admitting you have a problem!) then definitely check out these two solid bands that will be hitting town this week. They're playing a couple of shows but I'm particularly fond of Mercury Lounge.
Born Ruffians - "I Need A Life"
Plants and Animals - "Bye Bye Bye"

Tuesday: Army Navy @ Union Hall 7:30pm $10
It seems that with each passing week the 90's become more and more in style once again and so this band of 90's alterna-rock fits right in with the growing trend. Army Navy are a very very solid band that do their thing with a power and sheen matched by few. It should be a good show, but I'll still be recovering this week.
Army Navy - "Saints"

Wednesday: Ingrid Michaelson @ The College of Staten Island 8pm $?
The lone show I'm recommending this week that I believe I'll be attending is this one with Ingrid Michaelson making her triumphant homecoming to Staten Island. Now I know Ingrid's music isn't normally the type I cover here, but her soulful pop tunes are instantly catchy and you know I have to support the Staten Island musicians, especially the ones that are making it out there in the big old world.
Ingrid Michaelson - "Be OK"

Thursday: The Last Shadow Puppets @ Manhattan Center 8pm $35
Not too much going on with most of the band leaving New York after a week of hopping from club to club, but there are a few high profile shows like this one from the Arctic Monkey side project The Last Shadow Puppets. I have to admit that I am not a fan of the Arctic sound, but this duo makes something completely different and I definitely enjoy it a whole lot more.
The Last Shadow Puppets - "Standing Next to Me"

Friday: Brownwater + Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens @ Martini Red 10pm $5
For you Halloween fix you have no shortage of show going options. You could hit Ryan Adams at the Apollo as my girlfriend will be, you could go do dress up with Matt & Kim, or you could come to Staten Island where two of our best resident party bands will be making sounds for the dressed up crowd to dance to. Brownwater are fresh off a rousing performance at my CMJ Day Show at Cake Shop and should put on a great show with their full ensemble hitting the small stage. Ahab brings the surf rock for you to shake a leg to and we all know that's what we're really looking for on Halloween!
Brownwater - "City On A Glass Table"
Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens - "The Ballad of Johnny Surfelstein"

Saturday: Creaky Boards @ Pianos 8pm $10
Creaky Boards are a New York band that has flown under the radar for far to long. The band makes awesome indie-pop tunes that should be heard far and wide and with the release of their latest album coming soon I think they will finally get some of the notice they rightly deserve. Come check out the new tunes tonight and dance the night away while you're at it.
Creaky Boards - "The Songs I Didn't Write"

Sunday: Pelican @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $13
Why not get some awesome metal into your ears before you head back to work on Monday? This way when your boss asks you some inane question for the millionth time you won't even be able to hear him over the ringing in your ears!
Pelican - "Sirius"

Sunday = Recovery

It's been less then 24-hours since my week of show hoping and free boozing came to a close and I am nowhere near caught up or ready to. I have only begun to write the things you guys will no doubt be reading all week and it's a lot. It's daunting work pouring over hundreds of photos, remembering dozens of bands, and uploading countless videos to the internets but fear not for I will have full coverage of what I saw and what you should be on the lookout for all week long. Regular posting may be shortened but it will be in there as well and from there things continue into craziness.

You can expect a lot from Pop Tarts Suck Toasted in the waning months of 2008 and well into 2009! There will be monthly shows here on Staten Island, there will be year end lists, there will be contests, and interviews, and more new content, and hopefully some surprises to keep me going as well.

Unlike the end of the Pitchfork weekend which left me wondering if my heart was still in this game, this week has been an eye opening and reinvigorating experience that has left me more music hungry then I have been before. That said, I know there are other important things in my life that I must tend to as well so I am putting out an open casting call for music writers and music photographers. Yes, it will start as unpaid work, but I can promise free music, free shows, and hopefully sometime in the near future some paying work for those that dedicate themselves to making Pop Tarts Suck Toasted bigger and better then ever! If you're interested in one of those spots hit the e-mail link to the left and send me a sample of what you can do, a list of your 5 favorite records right now, and a short paragraph of what you'd bring to the table.

For everyone else who will just keep on reading along like always, thanks so much for being part of this and for reading my work it means the world to me to have dedicated readers the world over and I hope you'll like the stuff we're bringing to you soon! I'm off to bed and more recovery sleep but we'll be talking soon!!!

After the Jump Show Canceled!!!!

Today's scheduled After the Jump End of CMJ BBQ has been canceled. With the impending threat of bad weather we had moved the show to the Todd P run venue Market Hotel so we could stay dry and still rock out. Today, 15-minutes ago, we received word that Todd would not be opening the venue today because didn't feel like it of miscommunication from all parties SEE TODD's comments below. This was really fucking shitty to all of the bands and all of the fans that hoped to rock out today. Please accept our sincerest apologies and expect some kind of make-up show sometime in the near future!

(I'd like to apologize to Todd for flying off the handle a little earlier. He honestly had no control over this situation and has done all he could to try and make it work it just wasn't possible. The situation was bad and I made it worse and I'm really sorry about that. Todd's been an awesome part of the scene for a long time and my taking my frustration out on him was unwarranted and unfair to him, to After the Jump, and to anyone else. My bad guys, I gotta keep this Irish temper in check a little better. Thanks for clearing things up Todd.)

CMJ Recap: Day 4 Summary

Best Act: The Coathangers
Vivian who? Yeah that's right folks there's more then one all-girl punk band out there and Atlanta's The Coathangers are way more fierce, way harder, and a lot more fun live. Their set upstairs at Pianos made the floor quake with people stomping along and their drummer is one of the fiercest women I've ever seen behind the skins! Super sweet!
Worst Act: Picture Picture
Who ordered a two piece karaoke act to the Cake Shop? Seriously this band was amazing in how awful they could be! No backing band, just two dudes and a sampler playing corny disco riffs as the shouted over it. Stupid!

Biggest Surprise: Pretty & Nice
Pretty & Nice are more or less and old school punk rock band. They play their songs fast and dirty and make you want to crash into the person next to you. In other words the upstairs of Pianos may not be the best place to catch them, but with the floor wobbling and a few old fashioned souls bouncing around it gave off the feeling of being one of those old timey rock shows that you actually had fun out. This band is sweet and should be heard immediately!

Biggest Disappointment: both Cake Shop and Pianos hitting capacity, and me being a smoker getting caught outside!

Total Beers: no clue, I know I added Anchor Steam to the running tally but that's all.
Total Bands: 9 (first day in single digits, sigh)

CMJ Preview: Day 5!!!

Best Bets: Day Shows
After the Jump Unofficial Showcase @ MARKET HOTEL (venue change!!!), 12pm - 9pm
This is it folks, the final day of CMJ! You have lasted this far through countless bands and hundreds of free beers and now the week is about to come to an end and you are left scrambling to see the bands you missed out on all week! Well don't fret my friends for After the Jump has most of the bands you need to see before you call it a marathon! It's a truly loaded lineup at the MARKET HOTEL with a huge mix of sounds and styles that should be the perfect kickoff to your final few hours.
Schedule:
12:30pm - Fight Bite
Fight Bite - "Emerald Eyes"
1:15pm - High Places
High Places - "From Stardust to Sentience"
2:00pm - The Homosexuals
The Homosexuals - "Let's Celebrate"
2:45pm - Women
Women - "Cameras"
3:30pm - Bearsuit
Bearsuit - "Foxy Boxer"
4:20pm - Passion Pit
Passion Pit - "Better Things"
5:00pm - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "Woodfriend"
5:50pm - Crystal Stilts
Crystal Stilts - "Shattered Shine"
6:30pm - Ruby Suns
Ruby Suns - "Oh, Mojave"

Best Bets: Official Showcases
Bowery Ballroom
For the first time all week I am recommending that you head to Bowery Ballroom, early otherwise you won't get in, to check out a night of outstanding bands. Obviously most of these bands have been buzzed about long before this year's CMJ but that doesn't change the fact that they are some of the finest in the field at what they do. Whether you like noisy shoegaze, finger tapping metal, or some straight up lo-fi punk this bill has a band for you!
Schedule:
10pm - All the Saints
All the Saints - "Sheffield"
11pm - Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern - "Steely"
12am - Vivian Girls
Vivian Girls - "Such A Joke"
1am - Crystal Antlers
Crystal Antlers - "Baby Blue"
2am - A Place to Bury Strangers
A Place to Bury Strangers - "Never Going Down"

Best Bets: After Party
Toyota Matrix Presents @ Antics Warehouse, 10pm - 3am
You final stop on this magical mystery tour will no doubt be your final impression of the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon, so lucky for us that Toyota has put together an excellent after party with DJ's, booze, and The Teenagers! Should be a sweet show and definitely a fine way to end your week of debauchery and music!
?am - The Teenagers
The Teenagers - "French Kiss"

CMJ Recap: Day 3 Summary

Best Act: Cause Co-Motion
So far this week only two bands have made me dance and the most exciting was Cause Co-Motion last night who absolutely killed it. Granted I was about the only one that danced amongst the stuck up crowd at Pianos, but I sincerely tried my best to bounce through the crowd and get everyone going to no avail! Whatever, it was fun and they are a really fun band!

Worst Act: The Black Hollies
Watching The Black Hollies at Cake Shop wasn't the worst experience, but their brand of indie rock is just a little stale and boring for a week with so many awesome bands playing. That andthe fact that they played on for an extra 45-minutes delaying the Friction party were the roots of their demise!

Most Surprising Act: Bearsuit
As I type this the UK band known as Bearsuit are sleeping on my living room floor, and they deserve the night's rest after putting on a dazzling show at the NYCTaper showcase at Cake Shop yesterday. I had no idea what this band would be like but their awesome use of twee and capes made them immediately endearing and they were in fact the other band this week that has gotten me (and two of my fellow bloggers) dancing about like foolish white people! So much fun I think I'll see 'em again today and tomorrow!!!

Biggest Disappointment: I reversed the lineup for the Friction Party and couldn't stay up late enough for Ninjasonik!

Total Beers: 17 (PBR, Rolling Rock, Bass Ale, Langhammer IPA, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Bud, Bud Light, more?)
Total Bands: 11

CMJ Preview: Day 4!!!

Best Bets: Day Show
Gothamist House @ The Bell House, 3pm - 8pm
Gothamist House has been going strong for a couple days now at the brand new Bell House, but as of yet I have not been able to make it out to Brooklyn for a show. Maybe today's the day that happens unless I happen to hit the River to River show instead. We shall see!
Schedule:
3:00pm - The Albertans
The Albertans - "Furniture"
3:45pm - Sky Larkin
Sky Larkin - "Molten"
4:30pm - Wild Sweet Orange
Wild Sweet Orange - "Either/Or"
5:15pm - Travels
Travels - "Isabelle"
6:00pm - Jukebox the Ghost
Jukebox the Ghost - "Good Day"
6:45pm - Fight Bite
Fight Bite - "Emerald Eyes"
7:30pm - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "Woodfriend"

Best Bets: Official Showcase
New York Noise 5th Anniversary Show @ Cake Shop, 7pm - 1am

Schedule:
7:00pm - Picture Picture
8:00pm - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Come Saturday"
9:00pm - Cut Off Your Hands
Cut Off Your Hands - "Happy As Can Be"
10:00pm - Takka Takka
Takka Takka - "Everybody Say"
11:00pm - Woods
Woods - "Twisted Tongue"
12:00am - Vivian Girls
Vivian Girls - "Going Insane"

Best Bet: After Party
Toyota Matrix Presents @ Antics Warehouse, 10pm - 3am

Schedule:
? - Japanese Motors
Japanese Motors - "Spending Days"
? - Black Lips
Black Lips - "O Katrina"

Way Behind....

So two consecutive nights of being out till 4am have left me way behind in posting! I'm doing my best, but as I've been written about in the New York Times now I may be too big for this little dog and pony show. Of course I'm kidding expect me to catch up.....someday.

CMJ Recap: Day 2 Summary

Best Act: Dent May & his Magnificent Ukuelele
Simply put, Dent May's ukuelele truly is magnificent! His set was a sparkling mix of his jangly uke rock and a couple of interesting covers that were wonderful and awesome and just open up your thesaurus and throw in some more adjectives! I loved every minute of it!

Worst Act: None
Seriously yesterday was a solid day of music. I thought about putting Chairlift here for about a second because I was expecting a bit more from them, but ultimately their 5-song set at Fader was strong enough to not take home the bacon.

Most Surprising Act: Takka Takka
Since the inception of this blog I have railed against Takka Takka and their blog adored sound. I have insulted the band to their faces and told pretty much anyone that would listen that they weren't worth the listen. Well that changed last night when the band put on a solid set at the Red Bull space. Their sound has evolved and changed and it's totally something I'd listen to now.

Best Showcase: Carpark/Paw Tracks Showcase @ (le) poisson rouge
I only caught half the acts playing the show, but was wowed by everyone I saw! That includes Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Dent May, Adventure, and Excepter. Nice show!
Total Beers: Lost track
Total Bands: 10

CMJ Preview: Day 3!!!

Best Bets: Day Shows
NYCTaper Showcase @ Cake Shop, 3pm- 7pm
If you've ever checked out the NYCTaper site then you'll know that the man behind it has done a fantastic job recording and cataloging some of the best that the live scene has to offer in New York City. This past summer he did a great job recording sets at the After the Jump Fest and now he's doing his own thing with a nice showcase at Cake Shop. For those not at CMJ I'd suggest hitting up his site next week or sometime after that to hear some awesome sets from the week!
Downstairs Lineup:
3:00pm - Best Friends Forever
Best Friends Forever - "Twins In Love"
4:00pm - Bridges and Powerlines
Bridges and Powerlines - "New Mexico"
5:00pm - Bloodsugars
Bloodsugars - "Uh Oh"
6:00pm - Bearsuit
Bearsuit - "Foxy Boxer"

Upstairs Lineup:
3:30pm - Naked Hearts
Naked Hearts - "Cat & Mouse"
4:30pm - The Loom
The Loom - "Patience for Books"
5:30pm - Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Van Etten - "Damn Right"
Alternatives: Fader Fort, Gothamist House

Best Bets: Official Showcases
Force Field PR Showcase @ Pianos, 8pm- 2am
Force Field PR is constantly sending e-mails about what some of the best bands in the world are doing right now. It's a wonderful company with a huge roster of fabulous bands and tonight you'll get to see a bunch of them showcased as they take over Pianos for the night. Both floors will be rocking with a slew of up-and-comers as you'd expect from a CMJ show. Should be full of somethings you'll come to like over the next few months.
Downstairs Lineup:
9:00pm - Bell
Bell - "Echinacea"
10:00pm - Au
Au - "Are Animals"
11:00pm - Cause Co-Motion!
Cause Co-Motion! - "Which Ways Is Up?"
12:00am - Crystal Stilts
Crystal Stilts - "Prismatic Room"
1:00am - Tobacco
Tobacco - "Street Trash"

Upstairs Lineup:
8:30pm - The Physics of Meaning
The Physics of Meaning - "Aeroplanes and Hurricanes"
9:30pm - Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month
Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month - "Dark Motel"
10:30pm - Fight Bite
Fight Bite - "Emerald Eyes"
11:30pm - Pwrfl Power
Pwrfl Power - "It's Okay"
12:30am - The Pity Party
The Pity Party - "H.O.T.S."
1:30am - Stars Like Fleas
Stars Like Fleas - "I Was Only Dancing"


Best Bets: After Party
Friction + Fuck Yeah After Party @ Cake Shop, 1am - 4am
Two of the coolest party promoters, one of from each coast, have teamed to throw a pretty kick ass after party here. From the east coast you have the boys from Friction who have already put on three excellent October events and will be making it four with this one. Representing the west coast is Fuck Yeah Fest who put on a tour this year that was pretty much out of this world! This is one of those can't miss events of the whole week, believe me on this one!
Lineup:
1:00am - Ninjasonik
Ninjasonik - "Internet Bitch (I'm Fucking Famous)"
2:00am - Crystal Antlers
Crystal Antlers - "Arcturus"
3:00am - Best Fwends
Best Fwends - "Orange Marker"

CMJ Recap: Day 1 Summary

It's taking me forever to upload all my videos from the first day so I'm just gonna scale back and give a summary recap for now so I can go catch some day 2 action! I'll have reviews of everyone I see at some point this week or next so keep stopping by!!!!

Best Act: Women @ Cake Shop
Women absolutely brought it on Day 1 of the CMJ Music Marathon, and even though I am biased because it was my own showcase they really were exceptional yesterday! I have thoroughly enjoyed their self-titled debut but they truly crank up the intensity and the noise when they hit a stage. They play some unbelieveable scales showing off impressive musical abilites throughout their 25-minute set and even the huge music snob Paul Bruno enjoyed their set! You only have 11 more chances to catch them this week, so ummmm run don't walk to their next showcase!

Worst Act: Vivian Girls @ Red Bull Artist's Space
Now I know what you might be saying, "Pat, you love this band and have written about them so much how did you not enjoy them?" and the easy answer to that is that I did enjoy them, but something was a little off on their set. Maybe it was the fact that the hipsterati congregated at the lounge was a little to cool to get down and rock to the girls. Maybe it was because there was no energy from crowd to feed off of. Or maybe it was the fact that Cheeseburger were absolutely thrilling right before them. Whatever the case may be Vivian Girls did not have their A-game last night and gave us a B-plus showing. That said it's still better then a lot of acts and I'll be catching them again this week to hopefully wipe the half-hearted taste from my mouth.

Most Surprising Act: Cheeseburger @ Red Bull Artist's Space
Now I'm not too into their music and last night did not change that, but I will fully support any band that gets a bunch of hipsters moshing and tosses beer all over the place and covers Alice Cooper.

Biggest Disappointment: Studio @ Webster Hall
Just when you had hoped things would change for a venue you abhor you realize that they may have painted and redone some things but not much has changed. Shitty security staff, horrible flashing lights, and absolutely no order led to a debacle at the Stereogum After Party and led to me leaving before I saw any bands.

Best Showcase: Mine, duh.
Total Beers: 10, I started slow (Bud, Budlight, Rolling Rock, some IPA, Spatten, Fredricks...something or other)
Total Bands: 16

CMJ Recap: Brownwater @ Cake Shop (Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Day Show)

Brownwater got the official tag of being the first band to play at note at this year's CMJ Music Marathon. Kicking off the marathon at my own unofficial day show, the Staten Island collective brought their killer brand of alien surf-punk to the Cake Shop stage and killed it for a slowly waking crowd. It was an outstanding set from one of Staten Island's up-and-coming bands, a band that you should probably pay attention to, but won't because they come from Staten Island. Hey, it's cool you're just missing out on one of the most interesting acts in the 5 boroughs right now and you're gonna kick yourself when they become your new favorite band, which they will!!!!

CMJ Preview: Day 2!!!

Best Bets: Day Shows
Fader Fort NYC @ 169 Bowery, 3pm - 9pm
As if one awesome day show weren't enough to fill you up there's a plethora of them going on and none are more popular during CMJ week then the always awesome Fader Fort! This year the location will be 169 Bowery (@ Delancey) and it features some of the buzziest of the buzz bands around. The best parts about Fader? Well, free booze, free swag, and of course the fact that it generally starts later and ends later then any other day show around. This is almost a festival unto itself!
Lineup:
3:00pm - Hollywood Holt
Hollywood Holt - "Caked Up"
3:45pm- The Naked and Famous
The Naked and Famous - "Bells"
4:30pm - Chairlift
Chairlift - "Bruises"
5:15pm - The Muslims
The Muslims - "Extinction"
6:45pm - Crystal Stilts
Crystal Stilts - "The Dazzled"
7:35pm - He Say, She Say
He Say, She Say - "Crash Dummie"
8:20pm - Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains
Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - "Who Do We Care For?"
Alternatives: Gothamist House @ The Bell House (feat. Pattern Is Movement, Extra Life, & more)

Best Bets: Official Showcases
Carpark/Paw Tracks Showcase @ (le) poisson rouge, 7pm - 2am
Two of my favorite labels of the present time have joined forces to present an awesome showcase at one of New York's hip new venues. For one evening Carpark and Paw Tracks will be together at (le) poisson rouge, bringing their robust rosters to the floor in a display that will probably challenge for best lineup of the marathon.
Lineup:
7:00pm - Wzt Hearts
Wzt Hearts - "Hearth Carver"
7:30pm - Rings
Rings - "Mom Dance"
8:00pm - Ecstatic Sunshine
Ecstatic Sunshine - "Swirling Hearts"
8:45pm - Tickley Feather
Tickley Feather - "Natural Natural"
9:30pm - Excepter
Excepter - "Kill People"
10:15pm - Adventure
Adventure - "Battle Cat"
11:00pm - Dent May and his Magnificent Ukuelele
Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele - "When You Were Mine"
11:45pm - Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez - "Pinecone Eyes"
12:30am - Beach House
Beach House - "Gila"
1:15am - Kria Brekken
Avey Tare & Kria Brekken - "Lay Lay Off, Faselam"
Alternatives: After the Jump Showcase @ Knitting Factory

Best Bets: After Party
1928 Recordings Showcase
Yeah, it's gonna be another late night at the CMJ Music Marathon as 1928 Recordings will unleash their roster of bands on the world here. Of course it's not the only showcase for these bands, but let's face it there aren't too many better places to see bands of this ilk. It's gonna be a damn good time, just make sure you load up on the Red Bull for it.
Lineup:
1am - The Browns
The Browns - "For the Saints"
2am - The Muslims
The Muslims - "Beside Myself"
3am - Air Waves
Air Waves - "Shine On"

Pop Tarts & Insound Give Away!!!!

So the good folks at Insound teamed up with Jason Munn of the Small Stakes to create a series of 20 designs for 20 bands, dubbed The Insound 20. Each design was screened on limited edition T-Shirts, Hoodies and Hand-Numbered Posters. The super limited posters were screened once in a run of 200 and after these are gone they won't be reprinted.

I've been chosen by the Insound to give away one poster of the design for the Constantines! It's a pretty awesome design if I have to say so myself, which I don't since you're looking at it and thinking it's awesome! You can enter to win it here and scope out the rest of the work while you're over there and maybe enter to win some other stuff from the other participating sites!!!! Winner will be announced next Tuesday so make sure you enter today!!!!

Enter to Win!!!!

CMJ Preview: Day 1!!!

Best Bets: Day Shows
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Presents: Bagels & Beer @ Cake Shop, 12pm - 6pm
Obviously I'm a little biased with today's Best Bet for CMJ Day Show, but even if it weren't my own show the lineup for Bagels & Beer is just too good to pass up! Stocked with some of the best New York bands and mixed with just the right amount of outside flavor, this show is going to make you wanna rock out, or sit and relax, or dance, or a million other things because it's a beautifully varied and cohesive lineup, and yes I am tooting my own horn but you know it is. Best of all it's free to badge holders and non-badgers alike! So come one, come all and have a sweet as time!
Downstairs Lineup:
12:00pm - Brownwater
Brownwater - "Belushi Eyes"
12:45pm - Hot Lava
Hot Lava - "Mummy Beach"
1:30pm - The Secret Life of Sofia
The Secret Life of Sofia - "Outside"
2:15pm - The Antlers
The Antlers - "Two"
3:00pm - Bridges and Powerlines
Bridges and Powerlines - "The Golden Age"
3:45pm - Dan Friel
Dan Friel - "Buzzards"
4:30pm - Women
Women - "Black Rice"
5:15pm - Oxford Collapse
Oxford Collapse - "Electric Arc"

Upstairs Lineup:
2:00pm - Matt Wilson
Matt Wilson - "Water"
3:00pm - Kilgore Trout Is Dead
Kilgore Trout Is Dead - "Surf Song"
4:00pm - Princeton
Princeton - "The Waves"
5:00pm - The Lisps
The Lisps - "The Familiar Drunk"
Alternate Day Shows: The Music Slut's Showcase @ Pianos (feat. Chairlift, Au, A Brief Smile, & more)

Best Bets: Official Showcases
Brooklyn Vegan Showcase @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, 7pm - 1am
For the past two years Brooklyn Vegan has dominated the CMJ landscape with scores of unofficial day shows and some of the first ever official shows from a music blogger. Well this year Vegan has finally done justice to his name and brought his official showcase to Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg! He'll also have a couple of day shows which will probably show up on this site in the next few days. This lineup is pretty damn stacked though and it may make me leave the bouncing around on the Lower East Side to the comforts of staying in one location all night long.
7:00pm - Emmy the Great
Emmy the Great - "My Party Is Better Then Yours"
7:45pm - The Sammies
The Sammies - "Glisten"
8:30pm - Shearwater
Shearwater - "The Snow Leopard"
9:25pm - Ponytail
Ponytail - "Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came from an Angel)"
10:20pm - Passion Pit
Passion Pit - "Cuddle Fuddle"
11:00pm - Singing DJ Jens Lekman
Jens Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
12:00am - The Phenomenal Handclap Band
The Phenomenal Handclap Band - "Testimony"
Alternative Showcase: Dovecote Showcase @ Rehab (feat. Mason Proper, Tim Williams, & more)

Best Bets: After Party
Stereogum presents Late Night @ CMJ08 @ The Studio at Webster Hall, 12am - 4am
It's an all blog day at CMJ to kick off your week at the marathon as we finish the night at Stereogum's late night party at the new Studio at Webster Hall. I have heard directly from one of Stereogum's editors that this party featuring some awesome, crazy bands is going to be packed so arrive early and hope that you already RSVP'd for the booked up show! It's gonna be a killer, for sure!
Lineup:
12:00am - Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance - "House Jam"
1:00am - Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern - "Roads? Where We're Going We Don't Need Any Roads"
2:00am - Ponytail
Ponytail - "Sky Drool"
3:00am - Crystal Stilts
Crystal Stilts - "Shattered Shine"

Tuesday's Recommended Release

I know not all of my faithful readers are stomping around New York City this week for the CMJ Music Marathon, so I am going to try and provide you guys with some of my regular posts so you can kill part of your work days. No promises but I will do my best! Since you're not at CMJ I might as well turn your attention to one of the artists that is so you can go out and buy his new record and go pretend that you are watching him at some cramped New York City club with a bunch of industry people and music fanatics.

Sebastien Grainger may be better known as the drummer/vocalist from Death from Above 1979 but like his partner, Jesse E. Keeler, Grainger is starting to find his way in the music world post-DFA1979. Earlier this year Grainger relesed an EP sampler by his new project, Sebastien Grangier & the Mountains, and it has quietly built up quite a reputation. Now with the release of their self-titled debut record Grainger has elevated that reputation to a full on buzz which is well deserved considering the way he deftly manages to infuse some DFA style sounds with some folkish heart. It's an impressive accomplishment, but it definitely has some defining moments where it sounds like it could be DFA until it's just not.

I have to keep this short as I do need to get to some shows, but now that this Grangier album is a beautiful piece of music as good as anything Death from Above ever did just very different in a lot of ways. This should definitely be on your shopping list wherever you are this week, make sure you pick up a copy.
Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - "Who Do We Care For?"
Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - "(Are There) Ways To Come Home"

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Also Released Today:

After the Jump Unofficial CMJ Day Party!

When: Saturday, October 25th
Where: The Yard, 388-400 Carroll St., Brooklyn, NY
Time: 12pm - 9pm
Cost: $10

Lineup:
12pm - Fight Bite
1pm - High Places
2pm - the Homosexuals
3pm - Women
4pm - Bearsuit
5pm - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
6pm - Passion Pit
7 pm - Ruby Suns
8pm - Crystal Stilts

After the Jump would like to thank Guru Energy for sponsoring this event!

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: Oxford Collapse

Who: Oxford Collapse
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Slot: 5:15pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work to Come See Them: Since seeing them obliterate Glasslands once a few years ago I have been a devoted fan of Oxford Collapse and have asked them to play just about every show I've ever put on. Yes, they said no each of those times but my persistence has finally paid off and Oxford Collapse will finally be playing a Pop Tarts show! I'm stoked, you should be too as it's not every day you get to see a highly acclaimed, Sub Pop recording artist on a stage as small as the Cake Shops, but hey miracles happen and it is CMJ time after all. Still, you probably won't get many more chances to see this band on that stage, especially when you consider how good their latest release, BITS, is! Come see them it's gonna be a good old time!
Other CMJ Shows: None?
Listen: Oxford Collapse - "A Wedding"
Oxford Collapse - "Electric Arc"

Bagles & Beer Band Profile: Women

Who: Women
Location: Alberta, CA
Slot: 4:30pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work to Come See Them:My original plan for my CMJ party was to have a New York versus the world but apparently my international influence is sorely lacking and I wound up with a New York centric lineup. The only international band I had any luck getting were Women who I am super excited about seeing because I love their self-titled debut that came out last week and which you should all own by now. They are playing a shit ton of shows this week but you should come see them at my show because they have promised it will be their best performance of the week (I am lying)!
(More then) 5 Questions: (Women were supposed to be featured as the regular Wednesday column Questionable Corner, but I suck and did not get them questions in a timely manner so I will be posting the whole interview here. Better late then never, that's my motto.)
PTST: As a band made up of a bunch of guys how did you wind up arriving at the name 'Women' for your band?
Women: We knew we would hate whatever name we came up with a week later. One day Matt just suggested it and we went with it. We liked that it's a word that didn't stand out.

PTST: Was there ever any thought given to a different band name?
Women: We discussed calling it " Ian Russell's Blues Explosion "

PTST: You guys have known each other for a long time, how does that affect the band dynamic?
Women: It's great because we know that we get along, we know how to deal with each other.

PTST: Your self-titled debut just hit store shelves, how are guys finding the initial response?
Women: It's been really surprisingly positive. People will freak out about pretty much anything though. . . . .

PTST: Do you guys feel relieved to finally have the album out, or is the some post partem depression to be over and done with it after pouring so much effort into it?
Women: We are really happy it's done and now we can work on playing live and writing new tracks.

PTST: Was there anything you learned from your experience doing this album that you guys will use in recording in the future? Is there anything on the album that you wish you could go back and change now?
Women: We're at peace with the album. We definitely have a clear idea of how we want to approach the next record after those sessions. We wasted some time figuring out that we needed to record to tape. That being said we're planning on wasting a lot of time. On other things.

PTST: You've planned a pretty extensive tour to support the album, are there any places that you're overly excited to see and play?
Women: 3/4 of us haven't been to Chicago, New York, San Francisco so we're really excited about this tour. Europe will be amazing. We rarely get good shows in Calgary so I'm looking forward to watching bands at CMJ if we have time.

PTST: Do you think you'll get a chance to catch some of the other bands playing the marathon? If so who are you looking to see?
Women: If I can see Aids Wolf and Deerhoof I'll be happy. I want to watch the Beets. Psychic Ills, Mahogany, Vivian Girls, Beach House and DD/MM/YYYY are also on my list of things to check out.

PTST: Back to the album...it seems to have a wide ranging sound to it with a lot of diversity found from song to song. Was there a conscious decision to try to incorporate different sounds throughout the album? Do you guys get bored if everything is too similar to each other?
Women: We're just constantly writing. Some days it's a death track or a television track and other days it's a night driver.

PTST: How did you mange to find such cohesion with so many varied styles on one record?
Women: I'm not sure what happened!

PTST: Where do you guys see Women going from here?
Women: Most places as far as touring goes. We'd like to play in Moscow. Musically, the difference between our ideas and what actually ends up happening is always interesting. . . we won't know until it's done.
Other CMJ Shows: Tues. 10/21 @ Red Bull Space (KCRW Showcase)
Wed. 10/22 @ Cake Shop (Terrorbird Showcase)
Wed. 10/22 @ Cake Shop (Subbacultcha! Showcase)
Thurs. 10/23 @ Don Pedro's (Myopenbar.com Showcase)
Fri. 10/24 @ Todd P's Showcase
Sat. 10/25 @ The Yard (After the Jump Showcase)
Sat. 10/25 @ Glasslands (Paste/R5 Showcase)
Listen: Women - "Black Rice"
Women - "Group Transport Hall"

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: The Lisps

Who: The Lisps
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Slot: 5:00pm, Upstairs
Why You Should Skip Work to See Them: The Lisps were one of the first bands I ever truly latched onto as a result of writing this website, so to see how they've grown over the years is quite a treat to me and I'm honored to have them headlining the upstairs portion of my show. Granted the tight confined of the record shop might be a little cramped for what they're used to, but let's face it they are always bursting at the seams no matter how large their stage is! I haven't seen them in a while though so it's going to be fun to get caught up and to see what new stuff they have in store for us!
5 Questions:
PTST: What is the best thing about playing the CMJ Music Marathon? What is the worst?
The Lisps: 1. eating bagels and cream cheese on stage, wearing fancy clothes in the afternoon, being drunk by 2pm, being surrounded by cake all day
2. having to wake up before noon

PTST: Are there any bands your looking forward to seeing at any of the shows you're playing?
The Lisps: The Antlers and Motel Motel and Princeton

PTST: What do you hope to accomplish by playing the marathon?
The Lisps: Have fun, play some new songs, world domination, sleep with famous people

PTST: Why should people skip work or school to come see you on a Tuesday afternoon?
The Lisps: Because we're more fun than gchat, facebook and online scrabble (not by a lot, but...)

PTST: I know you have been working on crazed sci-fi, rock opera, will we get to see any of that next Tuesday?
The Lisps: It's more of a crazed sci-fi rock MUSICAL, but hmmm. Maybe we'll showcase a song or two. We're very excited about it. It's called FUTURITY. We'll be performing it officially in January at the Zipper Factory.

PTST: What do The Lisps have in store for us for the rest of the year and into 2009?
The Lisps: WELL, we're playing a lot of shows in the next two weeks, trying to get Obama elected and then hitting the road with the Bloodsugars at the beginning of November. Then we're hard at work rehearsing Futurity until January. We're also making new t-shirts, and hopefully recording and playing a lot.
Other CMJ Shows: Wed. 10/22 @ Knitting Factory (After the Jump Showcase)
Listen: The Lisps - "The Familiar Drunk"
The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"

This Week's Tour News

Who: King Khan & BBQ Show
When: November 29th + 30th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg + Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Thoughts: King Khan has been one of those artists that have helped defined 2008 for me. His performances with his Shrines at the South Street Seaport and Pitchfork were two of the best sets I saw all year and my missing him at McCarren made me want to stab myself in the face. This time around he'll be touring with his pal Mark Sultan also known as BBQ Show. I hear this show is just as impressive as anything he does with the Shrines around so I'm thinking advanced purchasing of these tickets is in order!
Listen: King Khan & BBQ Show - "Fish Fight"

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Who: Sebastien Grangier and the Mountains
When: December 2nd + 3rd
Where: Union Hall + Mercury Lounge
More Dates
Thoughts: One of my artists to watch next week at CMJ, Grangier has already announced tour dates beyond and CMJ and a pair of those come up in New York. As of now I'm excited and I will be either more so or not going based on the strength of whatever CMJ performances I happen to catch of his. I'm planning on being more excited, you should be too.
Listen: Sebastien Grangier and the Mountains - "I Hate My Friends"

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Who: Yo La Tengo
When: December 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, + 31st
Where: Maxwell's + Wellmont Theater
More Dates
Thoughts: So I literally just read that all but one of these shows are already sold out. Thus continues my streak of not seeing Yo La Tengo perform at Hanukah. Sigh.
Listen: Yo La Tengo - "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"

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Who: Constantines
When: December 7th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg
More Dates
Thoughts: I honestly don't know enough about the Constantines to have an opinion on the band, but it's been a slow tour announcement week and I know some other people like them so I thought I might share the news with my faithful reader. Now if my faithful readers can take a moment to let me know if I should listen to this band or should I just go on not knowing anything about them and be better for it?
Listen: Constantines - "Hard Feelings"

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: Dan Friel

Who: Dan Friel
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Slot: 3:45pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work To See Him:
5 Questions: Dan Friel is playing a single CMJ showcase as a solo performer and this is it. As if you need more incentive then that to catch the synthetic mastermind behind Parts & Labor, let's just say that his performances are quickly becoming legendary around these parts. After this show Dan will be hightailing it out of the city to tour with his other band so this is your last chance to catch him in the city for a little while. Don't miss it!
PTST:What is the best thing about participating in the CMJ Music Marathon?
DF: Hopefully getting to play for psyched folks from far-flung places on my home turf.

PTST: What's the worst?
DF: The rest of it.

PTST: Are there any bands you're really looking forward to seeing this week?
DF: Parts & Labor leaves on tour that Thursday, so I'll miss most of the shows, but I'm looking forward to seeing Double Dagger on Tuesday night. They're easily one of my favorite bands to see live. myspace.com/doubledaggersucks

PTST: Why should people skip out on work and school to come see you play on a Tuesday afternoon?
DF: Cred

PTST: After this you're going on tour with your other band Parts & Labor, what are your plans for your solo stuff after the marathon?
DF: Spooky Tree Records is going to be releasing a 12" version of a cassette I did a few years ago. That should be out this winter, and I'm excited to have some more vinyl out.

PTST: Is there anything you hope to accomplish by playing the Marathon?
DF: I hope to accomplish fun.

PTST: Which album is better; Parts & Labor's Receivers or your solo album Ghost Town?
DF: The trick is to play them both at the same time. If you do that then Jesus will appear and save you from The Financial Crisis.
Other CMJ Shows: None
Listen: Dan Friel - "Buzzards"
Dan Friel - "Desert Song"

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: Bridges and Powerlines

Who: Bridges and Powerlines
Location: New York, NY
Slot: 3:00pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work To See Them: I have written about and seen Bridges and Powerlines so many times that their music kind of transcends my writing about them now. I mean seriously, what can I tell you about them that I haven't said a hundred times already? Pretty much nothing, but know this each successive time I see this band play is guaranteed to be my new favorite Bridges and Powerlines show, they somehow manage to improve with each performance and that's no small feat for a band that you've seen about a dozen times already. At this point they should be getting stale and over played in my opinion but nothing could be further from the truth!
5 Questions:
PTST: What is the best thing about playing the CMJ Music Marathon? What's the worst?
B&P: As a band that lives in NYC, CMJ is one of the highlights of the year. One my most fun days of 2007 was the afternoon that we played your showcase last year -- a couple of my friends came to the show (which was at around 1pm I think) and we started drinking after we played and watched the next couple of bands and then wandered around the LES going to the free shows (and of course drinking more.) We hit the brooklyn vegan showcase and saw some fantastic bands and then hit the indaba loft to see eagle seagull and then came back to the delancey to catch bad veins and the diggs, and then wandered somewhere else. It was like indie rock disneyland; there's no other time of year when you could do something like that in the middle of the day. I think I was in bed by like 8:30. So the best thing about playing CMJ is feeling like you're a part of all of that --- the chaotic, fun, free-for-all. The worst part about playing is that we'll miss a bunch of shows! and we're certain to get at least a couple of parking tickets.

PTST: Are there any bands you're looking forward to seeing this week?
B&P: I always like going to shows at CMJ where I'll be surprised by some great band I've not heard of. That being said, I'd like to see the Music Tapes, although I don't know when/where they're playing. I'm sure Andrew will be going to Deerhoof and I'll have to hear about how awesome they are for the next 3 months. I'd also love to see any combination of the following: The Forms, Oxford Collapse, The Mae Shi, Rahim and of course all the great bands that we're playing with. We're like 2 years behind when it comes to new bands, so I think ideally I'd like a time machine back to CMJ '06.

PTST: What do you hope to accomplish by playing the marathon?
B&P: Another great thing about living in the same city as the festival, combined with our overall cynicism regarding the state of the business of music, is that we're pretty relaxed about CMJ. We just want to meet some new people and have fun. Bands definitely 'blow up' at CMJ, but almost always those bands have some serious PR muscle behind them (more cynicism I guess) or are at least much cooler than us. I suppose we're also hoping to talk some people into coming to our pianos residency on wednesdays in november (shameless plug.)

PTST: Why should people skip work or school to come see you guys on a Tuesday afternoon?
B&P: reason #1 - We promise to start drinking with you if you come to the show. If you're in school, we promise to do your chemistry homework.
reason #2 - My favorite restaurant, Kuma Inn, is 2 blocks from cakeshop -- hit the poptarts showcase and then go get some great Philipino food.
reason #3 - It's the 1st day of CMJ so Tuesday promises to be our most energetic show.

PTST: Have Bridges and Powerlines been working on anything new lately? Any chance we'll see a new tune Tuesday?
B&P: We're pretty much always writing new songs; I'd like to start recording our next full-length by late winter, but as it stands right now I think we have like 4 or 5 finished new songs for that record and like 10 half written songs that may never see the light of day.
We've got a new song called "this first equation" (changed from its original title 'pitchfork 8.1') that we were playing on our tour in September that we're still working the kinks out of. If we're feeling ginger we'll probably play it Tuesday.

PTST: Do you guys prepare yourselves any differently to play such an early show?
B&P: We always eat lunch. If I keep making references to alcohol I think I'm destined to permanently cast us into some awful rock cliche, but I look at CMJ as 'spring break for bands' so I think a couple of early afternoon beers are acceptable to get the energy going. Fortunately, the basement of cakeshop doesn't have any windows so it'll pretty much feel like the usual showtime.
Other CMJ Shows: Thurs. 10/23 @ Cake Shop (NYCTaper Showcase)
Sat. 10/25 @ Lit Lounge (Flameshovel Showcase)
Listen: Bridges and Powerlines - "Floods and Fields"
Bridges and Powerlines - "The Golden Age"

After the Jump Official CMJ Showcase

When: Wednesday, October 22nd
Where: Knitting Factory
Schedule:
Old Office: ($8/or CMJ Badge)
8 PM the Beets
8 45 the Lisps
9:30 Inlets
10:30 Motel Motel
11:15 Alina Simone
12:00 the Muggabears

Tap: ($10/or CMJ Badge)
8 PM Best Friends Forever
8 45 PM the Depreciation Guild
9 30 PM My Teenage Stride
10:30 A Sunny Day in Glasgow
11:15 the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
12:00 Ringo Deathstarr

Main Stage: ($12/or CMJ Badge)
8 PM Starfucker
8 45 PM Unicycle Loves You
9 30 PM Bad Veins
10:30 Crystal Antlers
11:30 Heloise and the Savoir Faire
12:30 Juvelen

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: Princeton

Who: Princeton
Location: Eagle Rock, CA
Slot: 4:00pm, Upstairs
Why You Should Skip Work To See Them:
5 Questions: Princeton were one of the few bands where I was torn with where to place them in my show. Their sound easily could have fit in the bigger downstairs area, but I have a feeling that forcing them to adjust to fit the smaller, cramped store area is going to lead to a wildly memorable set. Not only that, but this band loves playing music. You can see it on their faces every time they hit the stage and I have a feeling that them playing their first show of the week will bring some pretty huge grins and yield some awesome results!
PTST: What is the best thing about playing the CMJ Music Marathon? What is the worst?
Princeton: The best thing about CMJ is spending time in New York city. There is so much driving in Los Angeles that I feel extremely lucky when I can walk around a place and enjoy it without grinding the day away in a line of traffic. If I had to be more specific though, Other Music is probably my favorite place in New York to visit ... last time I was there I found this really rare and awesome Japanese psych folk record called Melting Glass Box.
The worst thing about CMJ is the awkward nature of the festival itself. It seems as though the festival takes place unbeknownst to many of the local New Yorkers and then people sort of give you shit for wearing your badge around, which hurts my feelings and then ultimately leads to a complete emotional meltdown on my part. I now hide my badge -- a similar concession to the time in 5th grade when I switched from tighty whities to boxers as a precaution against a pretty serious pantsing epidemic that was sweeping the schoolyard. I'm a sucker for peer pressure.

PTST: Are there any bands you're looking forward to seeing at the Pop Tarts show? What about the rest of the week?
Princeton: I'm certainly looking forward to Oxford Collapse ... I heard one of their songs the other day and really enjoyed it. Other than that, The Lisps are a band I've been hearing about for a while now and I think I'll certainly stick around for their set as well.

PTST: What do you hope to accomplish by playing the marathon?
Princeton: Hmmm. It's always nice to get a chance to play your songs in a city with a lot of other musicians that you respect and enjoy. I like the idea of everybody getting together to check each other out.

PTST: Why should people skip work or school to come see you on a Tuesday afternoon?
Princeton: Because school and work happen whether you want them to or not. They are cyclical and most people just wait for the moments or days when they are out of the sort of mechanical environment of these institutions. So I would say, come to our show on Tuesday because there will be no other time in the next few months when you can go to a shop, drink a cup of tea, eat a whoopie pie, purchase an Iggy Pop record and watch a Princeton set all in the same place.

PTST: What is you favorite flavor of Pop Tarts?
Princeton: Definitely brown sugar and cinnamon

PTST: Do you guys have a favorite song to play live?
Princeton: My favorite song to play live is called "Eminent Victorians" because I get to play my guitar very loudly for short segments of time. Jesse likes a song called "Shout it Out" because he can croon and ham it up for the ladies with some carefully timed dance moves
Other CMJ Shows: Tues. 10/21 @ Hiro Ballroom (w/Chairlift)
Wed. 10/22 @ The Bell House
Fri. 10/24 @ Rehab (This Side Up Showcase)
Listen: Princeton - "Ms. Bentwich"
Princeton - "The Waves"

Thursday's Track Reviews

The Good:
Of Montreal - "Smells Like Teen Spirit (live)" (Nirvana cover); By now you've probably heard that Of Montreal covered some Nirvana the other night when they played Roseland Ballroom, but like everyone else on the internet I've quickly become intrigued with a genuine, enthusiastic cover of a classic song. This is brilliant, the way the fans sing-a-long to every word, the way MGMT chimes in, the way Kevin Barnes and company do this song absolute justice! It's a fantastic cover and mad kudos must be given to NYCTaper for capturing the moment.
Grade: B+

The Mountain Goats - "Satanic Messiah"; It's already been a very good year for my adoration of John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats, and now the presents of his songs seem to just keep coming this time in the form of a "pay what you want" digital EP. The EP is solid, though not nearly as engrossing as this year's Heretic Pride. This tune is solid though certainly not the flashiest or finest piece of songwriting Darnielle has ever done. That all said, anything the Goats do is better then about 87% of the rest of the music being put out and merits its place here.
Grade: B

The Notwist - "Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)"; I just couldn't help myself! I have been trying to stray away from all remixes large or small but when I see Panda Bear's name on something I just cannot resist the temptation to listen. After here this re-imagining of The Notwist I doubt you'll be able to pull your ears away either!
Grade: B

The Very Best (feat. The Ruby Suns) - "Birthday" (The Beatles cover); So there's this super popular, super awesome mix tape making the rounds of the internet and it's something I think you all need to hear. There's this artist Esau Mwamwaya, also known as The Very Best, who has put together a series of collaborations and tinkerings of already popular indie songs. It features folks as varied as Architecture in Helsinki, Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., Michael Jackson, and of course the tune with the Ruby Suns above. It's fantastic and you can download it here.
Grade: B+

Track of the Week:


Old School Track of the Week:
Neil Hefti - "Batman Theme"; Mr. Neil Hefti passed away this weekend at the age of 85-years old. Perhaps best known for his compositions for Batman and The Odd Couple, Hefti was a world renowned trumpeter, composer, writer, and theme musician. Personally I'm most fond of his tune for the original Batman series but there are so many great things that he's had a hand in that it would be tough to pick just one to remember him by.
Grade: B+

The Bad:
Pit Er Pat - "Evacuation Days"; I kind of liked the early stuff I heard from Pit Er Pat and so I was very interested to here this new tune off their new album, but after one listen I have to admit I'm not quite as curious as I was. This tune just goes on for too long, repeating itself over and over until the point has been drilled straight through your skull with matching pain. It's not an awful song, but it could have been cut in half.
Grade: C

Fall Out Boy - "What A Catch, Donnie"; Wow, I love how Fall Out Boy reference themselves by including the refrain from "Sugar, I'm Going Down" on this track, but aside from that little humorous bit there's not a whole lot to like here. This is the third track the band has leaked to stoke interest in their upcoming album and based on what we've heard so far there's going to be a wealth of emo boys and girls jumping ship once this record hits stores.
Grade: D-

Video of the Week:

Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"; Cool spinning things and it goes really well with a really solid song. I like!
Grade: B+

Band of the Week: The Beets

You may be thinking from the get go that you already know a lot about The Beets. You remember the words to their breakout hit, "Killer Tofu", you've seen them live with Patti and Doug, hell you've even heard them on the radio, but no I'd hate to break you up like this but that version of The Beets was a fictional band in a cartoon. Yes, "oh we oh killer tofu!" is a kick ass song that I will never forget about, but for today let's focus on the living, breathing, Brooklyn residing version of The Beets. This band is just starting to pick up some attention, and thanks to my buddy Jeff from Merry Swankster I got turned on to them pretty early and have made stopping at their Myspace page a weekly ritual.

On Sunday the band will be upping their profile by playing the launching pad show known as Friction. Scoff all you want bu Friction has launched a shit load of bands to greater prominence and I have no doubt it will do the same for The Beets and their affected version of 1960's garage rock. This is the type of stuff Little Steven plays on his Underground Garage show every Sunday night and I have a feeling that a lot of you tune in to that for at least a little bit to hear some raucous, simplistic, melodic garage rock. If you are that type of person The Beets are for you and you should definitely make it a point to be at the Cake Shop for Friction on Sunday night (they're supporting Women and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart).

If you can't make it to check out the band in person Sunday then stick around for CMJ this week as After the Jump Fest will be hosting them as part of our official showcase at the Knitting Factory on Wednesday. There's a real good chance you're going to hear a lot more about this band in the very near future so make sure you get acquainted now!
The Beets - "Happy But On My Way"
The Beets - "No Blood"
The Beets on Myspace

Bagles & Beer Band Profile: The Antlers

Who: The Antlers
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Slot: 2:15pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work To See Them: The Antlers were the first band ever to step foot on a stage at a show currated by yours truly so it makes sense that I try and attach them to pretty much every bill I do now! It helps that I literally never tire of this bands music, and that their as of yet unreleased new album is one of the most amazing pieces of music I've heard all year. Yes, I am a bit biased when it comes to The Antlers, I count them as friends as well as a band I admire, but I'm pretty sure I'm dead on when I say this band is about to explode!
5 Questions:
PTST: Considering you past experiences, what do you like about the CMJ Music Marathon? What do you hate about it?
The Antlers: We haven't played the proper marathon, just unofficial shows. But I think those are the best part of the marathon. There's always a million bands coming through New York, so CMJ at night is just sort of a condensed clusterfuck version of that. That's definitely cool in its own way, but the free day shows are what set the week apart from usual New York. That's what I think, anyway.

PTST: Are there any bands you're looking forward to seeing at CMJ this year?
The Antlers: I think the Bagels & Beer show is an awesome lineup. Other than that, I've been a little uninformed as far as who's coming this year, so I'm looking at the list now. At first glance: Au, Castanets, Music Tapes, and the Ruby Suns. I'm sad that Gowns aren't coming this year.

PTST: What do you hope to accomplish for the band by playing the marathon?
The Antlers: Rarely do I eat bagels and drink beer at the same time. By playing your show, I aim to change that. Also, shouldn't there be Pop Tarts at this thing?

PTST: There may just be. Why should people skip work or school to comes see you play on a Tuesday afternoon?
The Antlers: Because you hate your job! Also, Cake Shop is great.

PTST: When are you going to release Hospice!!!!
The Antlers: You know I don't have an answer to that yet! If I had to guess, I'd say some time after the economy collapses.
Other CMJ Shows: None
Listen: The Antlers - "Two"
The Antlers - "The Universe Is Going To Catch You"

Bagels & Beer Band Profile: The Secret Life of Sofia

Who: The Secret Life of Sofia
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Slot: 1:30pm, Downstairs
Why You Should Skip Work To See Them: The Secret Life of Sofia are a band that you could probably see without earplugs. It's not that they don't crank up their instruments live it's just that the music never becomes abrasive enough to do any real damage to your ears. It's ethereal and calming, but it also has a way of rocking you that's just right. I know this band hails from Brooklyn and plays around town fairly often, but seriously this is the way you should spend your lunch break otherwise you will be seriously missing out!
5 Questions:
PTST: How do you guys prepare to play a show so early in the day? Is the

start time the one draw back to CMJ?

SLoS: It's not a drawback. We're always prepared: Steve will probably load up on eggs and bacon. Kyle will go for an intense jog. Chris will check the local traffic on his iPhone. Fraser and I will probably go to work in the morning and stare at the clock until about 15 minutes before show time.

PTST: What do you guys like about the CMJ Music Marathon? Anything you absolutely hate about it?

SLoS: The thing we like most about CMJ is all the hot chicks that come out to our shows. The ones in colorful tights and unitards. I don't think there's anything we absolutely hate about CMJ. It's pretty much a perfect system with no flaws that allows undiscovered bands to become exposed to the public and the music industry without being overshadowed by buzzy bands that already have labels, managers and publishing deals