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DAY 4, Part II: Spectacular Bird, Mannequin Men, The Maccabees, Sons And Daughters, and Muscles

Abby Deering — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:00:02 -0000

Spectacular Bird

First stop of the evening was Union Pool in the’burg to hear David Lerner (ex-member Ted Leo and The Pharmacists) and his new band, Spectacular Bird. The band isn’t all that new, per se; I heard the first rumblings of this band coming from a ramshackle ol’ shed some years ago now, in Tivoli, a town by Bard.

Some of you may know Lerner as the fellow with the curly mop of hair, who works at the record store down N. 6th in Williamsburg, near the American Apparel. The other members in the band are: Quentin, Lou, and Scott.

Within moments of the show, the venue was packed. The whole group has a calm, unassuming air about them. And all I can say is, if anyone is qualified to make honky-tonk, throw-back rock n’ roll, it’s definitely these guys. With strong base lines, and riffs that are at turns sweet and rawkin’, Spectacular Bird is definitely on to a spectacular sound.

More Spectacular Bird in action! Click on this slideshow!

Wanted to see The Dead Trees at Mercury Lounge next, but took a phone call that made me just in time for “No more entry with a badge. Tickets only.” I tried explaining how important I was to the door lady (well, hardly – was more a show of mere desperation) and she, in turn, made me want to weep like a lost, little child. (Hence no hyperlink for Mercury Lounge- ha! I sure got that mean ol' lady back, eh?)

I regrouped and headed off to see Mannequin Men at The Delancey because I (me, me, me) wanted to see what they were like. There was a good turnout to see the band that night. It was a tight set from the rocky, grungy, loud Mannequin Men, who played with some serious intensity. They absolutely looked like pros on stage. From the get go, the group took charge, had control of the set, and carried that momentum through, showing no signs of faltering. Best of all, these guys are hilarious. Go see them play their song “Do you wanna massage,” and you’ll see what I mean.

More Mannequin Men pics!

Normally, I hate to leave a show during the middle of the set, but after such solid start, I knew nothing was going to stop these guys from carrying their succinct rocking of the crowd straight through to the end. Nothing, except maybe a volley of tranquilizer shots or some equally as silly scenario made up by me.

Next up was my British bred’ren (that’s UK slang for ‘homies’) The Maccabees, playing at The Bowery Ballroom. These fellows hail from Brighton, England. As a one-time resident of this young, music-minded seaside town, I can attest to the fact that this place is a veritable hot-bed for talent, churning out great acts such as: The Pipettes, Fujiya Miyagi, British Sea Power, Metronomy, The Strained Assembly, the not-so-good Kooks, Blood Red Shoes, and most recently,Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, a band currently taking the UK by storm. (This list might include a shout out to some of my mates from back home. So sue me.)

Well, The Maccabees definitely wowed NYC, drawing big, happy numbers to the LES venue, and delivering an outstanding set with remarkable ease and panache. If the band was nervous, it certainly didn’t show. On stage, these fellows possess a certain confidence and understated charm that makes them irresistibly endearing to the crowd – there’s absolutely nothing cocky or shy about these guys. Everyone in the band is a natural performer, especially lead singer Orlando, who led the group, with ease, through an impressive set of cleverly arranged songs, including some lovely ballads such as "Toothpaste Kisses." The band has a powerful, unique sound, a sound that, at times, even verges on the point of epic. Orlando’s distinct voice kind of reminds me of that Scottish singer who sang that early 90's hit “…and I would walk 10,000 miles, and I would walk 10,000 more, just to be the man who…”. But in a good way.
(I caught up with Felix from the band the next day to find out about their CMJ experience. Look for details of our chat in a forthcoming post).

More pics of The Maccabees

I stuck around for a bit of Sons And Daughters, another UK act, on after The Maccabees. I was told I’d like them. I did. They definitely had a ‘swinging 60’s’ vibe about them, but it was definitely believable. And, if you’re going to do something whole-heartedly retro, all I ask is that you can pull it off – Sons And Daughters definitely did.

More Sons & Daughters pics!

On my way out, I ran into Paul and Freddie, two long lost acquaintances from London – a nice surprise indeed. (I know these cats through old friends of mine, a set of tongue-in-cheek, troublesome, Welsh twins who, amongst other endeavours, currently play in The Magnificent Shimmering Beasts). Paul plays in the band Winters back in the UK, however it was his ‘day job’ as Foals tour manager that brought him to CMJ this year. One could say he rode a pretty hot ticket over here; the US seems to be loving Foals right now. Freddie is one of the chillest people you’ll ever meet – a genuinely nice gal. She had a couple days off before her band (Art Brut, she’s bassist) started their US Tour, so she was in New York to enjoy the city and check out CMJ. They told me Eddie Argos (singer of Art Brut) was performing with his and Keith TOTP's side band, The Art Goblins, the following night at The Williamsburg Hall of Music. I showed off my badge, chatted for a bit, then said my goodbyes, explaining that I’d heard my fair share of throw-back, retro-ish music and was now in search of future sounds.

Well, where else to find future sounds, but the Modular party, right? I head over to 200 Orchard, and when I saw a smattering of neon, I figured I found the place. I was just in time to see Muscles play. I didn’t stay for UK act, The New Young Pony Club , much as I like them. To be honest, the scene was pretty dismal at Modular. It was depressing to go to a ‘party’ thrown by the allegedly ultra-hip and then have it be such a flop. The faces in the crowd looked dark and sullen without the Flash! Flash! of lastnightsparty, nickydigital, cobrasnake, etc, etc. Man, it was utterly heartbreaking to see all the party-photo heroes perk right up as soon as I pulled out my dinky little camera to take pics for this blog. Maybe I was there at the wrong time, I don’t know. Anyway, I like Muscles and I’m glad I heard them (him?) play. Their music smacked of the future more than anything else I’d heard so far.

Muscles and the kids at Modular trying to have a good time

Was gonna finish off the night at Studio B for some MSTRKRFT (spelling?) but, alas, couldn’t find it in me to go. Some of my friends were there and they reported back that the show was “Crazy fun!” So there you go, straight from the horse’s…

DAY 3 THE FINAL CHAPTER: "Far, far away from CMJ to Babylon Brooklyn where Rockstars come out to play, there was..." (featuring: psychedelia, noise, transcript love notes, Hollywood, a dude from Vietnam, Lefty from Stalkers, Lions and Tigers folk, and incest of the liberal arts variety)

Abby Deering — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:49:21 -0000

Rockstar Bar. Whoah. What can I say? It’s a real one-off? That doesn’t even begin to get at the absolute wackiness I witnessed that night. Boy oh boy.

First. Here’s Ross. He played at Rockstar Bar that night. I asked Ross if he’d kindly write down his email in my notebook. The transcript of what he wrote is below:

THIS IS ROSS

AND THIS IS WHAT ROSS WROTE:

"My name is Ross and I've
come a long way since I was
programming synths and sequences
in London. You can email me at
majiq-rupert@hotmail.com. I will destroy your morals at 240
bpm and reduce you to nothing
but a dripping adrenal gland at 60
bpm. My cover of Lady in Red is
better than the original. You should
sleep with me. It'll be better than
that game gear you got on
your 8th birthday. Or the time
you licked a fork in a light socket.
Minimalist. Keepin it real.
In your fuckin face globalpolitics
and abortion. 500.1000. ten. ZERO. A life in the day
a day in the night.
Nothing from everything.
Your life in a bottle.
Your mind in a jar.
Ping Pong Ping Pong."

Bring on the music maelstrom! On offer att Rockstar Bar that night: four rocks bands plus all things psychedelic/ noise/ experimental/ electronic from Electroputas (The Social Registry), Rainbowz, and our friend Ross. (All very nice people!)

It was a rowdy night, a night where kids could be kidz, and do outlandish things like… oh I don’t know…scurry off en masse to the water’s edge, only to be herded back to terre firme by the five-oh. It was a “whatever everyone here is on, I want some” kind of night. (Or did I actually hear someone say this?) One of the chaps from Vietnam was there, and while he couldn’t stand more than 15mins of his own band’s CMJ showcase (or at least this was the gist of his tale) he was absolutely gleeful at this waaaaay off-the-radar event, raving that it was one of the best things he’s been to for some time. I heard he stayed for hours.

Tim, from Baltimore-based rock band Hollywood, happens to be a recent graduate from Bard College and the place was like a who’s who of Bard alum glitterati plus extended family; they really came out of the woodwork for this one. Being ‘cool’ is definitely a part of these kids’ schtick, but not without merit. Bard and Bard-like folk are about being engaged individuals. So, if being ‘cool’ is what you’re after, you better be actively cool to join this crowd. (Nah, just kidding. Some kids just are plain-old-posers. You know who you are, aloof-master gendarmes.) But beware: as ever, the current Bard diaspora and its related peoples are drumming up a fiercely powerful, influential, and far-reaching network of creative kids. You know, the next generation of the new revolution? Whatever.

Lefty from Stalkers with stylist L. Peluso

Some dudes

The bar

Let’s talk about the real rockstar that night at Rockstar Bar — Kathleen Cholewka. She’s cool. She booked Rainbowz and Electroputas, as well as played the role of “awesome bartender.” She she also sings in the faux French band, Les Sans Cullotes, has her own band, Discovery, and is co-president of indie record label, InterContinental Ballistic Music (ICBM).

This gal’s a real mover and shaker. When assuming the part of band-booker, Cholewka explained that her aim is to keep it “interesting and fun.” And while some nights are dedicated to one genre of music (hard rock, psych rock, etc), she told me that “often enough we mix it up on purpose or have bands who are all friends with each other so we can get a good showing and have a community of music lovers in one place.” She said that, above all “you have to make your own scene no matter where you are.” Her band and friends’ bands do just that: they get together, organize a night and get great responses from both club-owner and attendees.

I asked her a bit more about Rockstar Bar, itself. She told me the place has been in business for 20 years under various names such as, ‘The Ship’s Mast’, ‘The Mermaid Inn’,’The Local’, and ‘Rocky’s’. The bar is also open during the day and this accounts for “the colourful bunch of regulars” that range from “film crew workers to iron workers to artsy types who don’t work much…” (gotta love that last one, eh?) Back in the 90’s, it was more of a hip hop place, but in the last couple of years, it’s become more of a rock venue at night. However, these days, anything goes for the most part.
“People can kind of do whatever they want at Rockstar Bar,” Cholewka says. From rock shows to movie screenings to birthdays to queer/lesbian dance parties -- you name it -- if you can throw it, you can pretty much do it.

It sort of makes me wonder, like much of my CMJ experience has made me wonder, who needs CMJ when there’s this?

Day 3 pt III Double Whammy at MO PITKENS (soon to be R.I.P!) with THE GOLDEN DOGS and THE NEW YORK HOWL.

Abby Deering — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:23:40 -0000

Third stop on the third day was Mo Pitkins. Toronto natives, The Golden Dogs, played upstairs as part of the Yep Roc Records Official CMJ showcase. They were a lively, boisterous, quirky bunch playing ambitious, exciting music. Fun, fun, fun. But, apparently “everyone” knows this band is great, especially live. So nothing new here.

THE GOLDEN DOGS

What “everyone” didn’t know, apparently, was that playing downstairs, completely separate from anything CMJ, was the equally as great NEW YORK HOWL.

PHOTO CREDIT: LUKAS JAMES

These guys are true champions of the NYC live-music scene. And mind you, over the past few years I’ve randomly run into this band playing shows from London to Austen and everywhere in between, (hey, what can I say? I’ve an intense tendency towards the bizarrely coincidental), and while they’re definitely champs in NYC, that certainly doesn’t mean their ‘howlin’’ doesn’t rock just as hard everywhere else they play. Go to a NEW YORK HOWL show and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed outstanding live-experience that’s wild n’ raucous n’ soulful n’ bluesy n’ punk n’ rock n’ all things jumpin’ n’ jiving! Their impromptu show at Mo Pitkins (which the band independently put together as a farewell to the soon-to-be closed venue) was no exception to this guarantee. The night was filled with all sorts of hilarious and entertaining antics I’ve come to expect from these swell showmen. For me, leaving the CMJ riff-raff upstairs and heading downstairs to The NY Howl’s homegrown scene, was like choosing the really great party where everyone was having fun, instead of the pretty good party where no one was having fun. Not exactly a tough decision, eh?

For your records: NEW YORK HOWL are close friends Adam Amram (drums), Brer Brian (organ, guitar, vocals) Andrew Katz, (vocals, guitar, organ), and Stefan Zeniuk (baritone saxophone). I had a quick word with Zeniuk about how the band works. He said that individually, both Katz and Brian write the songs. Zeniuk explained further: “Then they bring 'em in, and we will usually go through them a couple times, and just start making them our own.... sometimes we'll even play a song for the first time on stage. We're all very close, though, so it's a very organic process.”

Well, it sounds good to me, and it clearly sounds good to the band’s insanely dedicated fan-base. Look out for the NEW YORK HOWL's long-awaited second album, coming soon. And for all you lucky duckies in the UK, prepare yourself for the imminent return of the mighty Howl. Also: check out the solo projects of Adam Amram and Brer Brian, as well as Stefan Zeniuk's alternate latin-jazz band, Gato Loco.
Stayed tuned for the exclusive blog in which NY Howl’s Stefan Zeniuk shares, along with MANY others, his thoughts on CMJ.

ALL PHOTOS OF NY HOWL: LUKAS JAMES...(PAID WITH A SOLE MILLER LIGHT FOR HIS PHOTOS!)

Day 3 pt II: EXCLUSIVE!!! Guitarist for WHITE RABBITS, Alex Even, tells me his fave CMJ band is THE SUBJECTS. I go to THE PRETTY ACTIVITY RECORDS showcase and see why (plus The End of the World)

Abby Deering — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:22:12 -0000

I’m sorry but, right now, NO BAND IS COOLER THAN THE SUBJECTS. I left the Indaba/Underrated loft party on Thursday to go see this band play The Pretty Activity Records Showcase at Tank, and let me tell you, these boys cooked up a rock n’ roll hootenanny like none other! OH LORDY! Hollerin’and jokin’ was happening back and forth between band and crowd, all bodies were groovin, and everyone was TRULY enjoying themselves. By the end of the set, the crowd was so involved in the music, they merged with the band and one couldn’t tell the merry-makers from the music-makers. It was like one big happy circus – the most awesome sounding circus you’ll ever hear.

THE SUBJECTS aren’t just making melodic rock n’ roll ditties packed full with energy. Oh no, no, no. There’s more to it than that, much more. There is a power to this band’s sound and performance that is near iconic. (Big word, I know).

Well, it turns out these dudes are making thoughtful, intelligent music. Go figure. I mean one guy I spoke to at the show likened the band to Schumann and Schubert, referencing the culture of 1840’s popular entertainment. I’m not kidding. Seems these crazy revelers got some brains too. And no, this fellow (clearly a die-hard Subjects fan) wasn’t some know-it-all Tartuffe, he was just smart – and pretty dead on with his assessment: Schumann and Schubert were some of the first musicians to create short songs with words, songs that told a story and touched people’s emotions. The Subject's songs definitely do just that: tell stories and touch emotions. And while I wouldn’t necessarily reference music of the 1800’s to describe this band’s music (mainly cuz I ain’t that music- savvy), I would definitely say THE SUBJECTS are creating rock n’ roll that harps back to 60’s rock-jazz music and its now- retro attitude about making music, an attitude that says: above all, let’s create songs to entertain and engage the people.

The band’s focus is centered on their songs. They work damn hard to create songs with contour and they are conscious of each song’s arrangement, spending lots of time writing the different parts together. In other words, this is a band dedicated to the ongoing process of writing and practicing.

Now who’d have thought going back to basics, being intelligent, and sticking to a disciplined approach could be so fun and fresh? Well it is. And, after all their hard work, it’s time for THE SUBJECTS to rake in all the fun. (Lucky for you, these nice guys are gonna let you join in.)

Stay tuned for an exclusive blog in which this band (and MANY MORE such as LO FI FNK and THE MACCABEES) share what they think of CMJ

Next stop that night – a double whammy at Mo Pitkens with THE GOLDEN DOGS and THE NEW YORK HOWL.

Reckless Sons & Down the Line - Lion's Den, CMJ Day 5

BrooklynRocks NYC Music Blog — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:54:38 -0000

Here are my pictures from the last night of CMJ -- it was a great couple of days!

I wanted to catch the local band Reckless Sons as they have been getting a bit of a buzz and got to the Lion's Den in time to see the full set from Chicago's Down The Line. Down The Line drew a good-sized crowd and most of the audience seemed to be very familiar/singing along with the music.

While the members of Down the Line were solid musicians, I am really not into their style of music so I don't think I can give an adequate critique. I found their music similar to Blues Traveler and the many jam-bands that used to play Wetlands. They really seemed to connect with the audience so, if you are into this style of music, you would probably enjoy Down the Line. The band released its third full-length CD, "For All You Break", earlier this year and the disc is available from CD Baby and the band's website.

Reckless Sons were much more my speed and put on a great show! The band has a sort of an 80's root-rock sound with a touch of punk thrown in the mix. Like Down the Line, Reckless Sons made a strong connection with the audience and had the crowd dancing (and sending shots up to the stage as it was the drummer's b-day). The band has a three song demo which they were passing out at the show which shows a lot of potential.

Reckless Sons has two upcoming show next month:
- November 10th @ Lion's Den (All ages)
- November 16th @ Club Midway

Chris Bathgate - Cake Shop, CMJ Day 4, October 19, 2007

BrooklynRocks NYC Music Blog — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 03:32:23 -0000

I got to the Cake Shop late this night and unfortunately missed Cotton Jones Basket Ride. I really enjoyed Chris Bathgate's set though. This was my first time seeing him play and it was a pretty mellow set. Chris has a new CD out entitled "A Cork Tale Wake" and he is coming back to NYC in December for a couple of shows.

December 7 - The Creek and The Cave, Queens

December 8 - Dominies Hoek, Long Island City

Park The Van Showcase (Peekers, Tulsa, The Capital Years) - CMJ Day 4 @ Piano's

BrooklynRocks NYC Music Blog — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:49:01 -0000

It is good to have friends who know how to recover a hard drive. I picked up a disc this morning with my pictures from Days 4 & 5. So...here are my pictures from Day 4.

I started Friday night at Park the Van's showcase at Piano's. The first band that I caught were The Peekers. The band is a six-piece unit from Shreveport, Louisiana and they have a low-fi sound which emphasizes the band members' killer vocal harmonies. All the members seem to sing and play multiple instruments which added to the fun of the performance.

Tulsa had a huge buzz around them and I heard a number of people saying earlier in the week that they wanted to make a point of catching Tulsa's set. Tulsa is also getting a buzz in the industry as, this month, Tulsa has been both a "Fricke Pick" (Rolling Stone) and Spin.com's "Artist of the Day". As expected, Tulsa played a great set. The band has a new CD out, "I Was Submerged", which was released earlier this month.

Tulsa is back in town on November 13th for a show at the Mercury Lounge.

The Capitol Years were the last band that I caught and they were a good way to round out the showcase. (I think there was one more act that played but I left to catch Cotton Jones Basket Ride at the Cake Shop). For anyone who hasn't caught The Capitol Years, the band has a full sound similar to Tulsa but they go in a different direction with their sound. Tulsa is more of a shoe-gazing band (re: early Jesus and Mary Chain) while The Capitol Years seem to take inspiration from bands like The Byrds and Guided By Voices. If you haven't heard The Capitol Year, the band has posted their first two releases on their website as free downloads.

Band on Band action - THE SUBJECTS give their Top Picks for CMJ

Abby Deering — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:18:26 -0000

I tripped over my calculator and when I picked it up the numbers read like letters.
“But what bands do bands like?” the TI-83 asked.
Thank goodness for our sage machines, I thought to myself.

THE SUBJECTS - Dave, Cobra, Jo Smith and Matty Pickles – share 5 bands they were stoked to see at CMJ 2007:

1. Black Tie Revue
2. Drug Rug
3. Luke Temple
4. Narrator
5. Nashville Pussy

With love from The Subjects

And for your enjoyment, here's a pic of the band as wee little tots, just starting out. Ah bless.

[F]UNOFFICIAL: Fun Unofficial CMJ Loft Party with IndabaMusic.com and Underrated Magazine – FEATURING THE JAGUAR CLUB || Oct 17TH

Abby Deering — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:55:49 -0000

Wild Wednesday: In this blog we shall discuss CHAIRLIFTing to hidden gems and minerals such as ZINC (PART II)

Abby Deering — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:48:14 -0000

Wednesday continues: I ran into Shock Cinema at the Piano’s Kanine Records Showcase. They were on after Chairlift. I’d met them very briefly before at Vassar College where they played support for a White Rabbits show. Had yet to see them actually play.And I would have liked to stay for their show, but I saw them being interviewed on TV (wowee!) andI figured they were already getting their fair share of support and attention.

Russ, a friend who’d come along to see Chairlift with me, said he had a place for me to check out. He liked Chairlift, but I think watching bands play in a green-lit, smoke-machined room with only ten or so people was a little too soul-crushing.

It was time to conduct a little comparative study on music-listening experiences and head over to Zinc Bar, a spot for jazz and Latin live music.

As far as CMJ goes, Zinc Bar is way off the beaten-track. It’s never been affiliated with the festival - officially, unofficially or otherwise. I deliberated: was going to Zinc erring from my assignment to cover CMJ? I imagined some sort of secret CMJ police finding me and revoking my pass, citing betrayal of festival as my crime. (Ok, that part I made up). In the end, I went with Russ’s suggestion. He's CEO of Manhattan Center Studios so I’m inclined to value his opinion, or at the very least, be intrigued by it. I was ready to do some investigative work outside the CMJ City limits.

HOST / EMCEE, THE WONDERFUL J.C.

SILVANA MALTA AND HER ESTEEMED BAND

No one at Zinc Bar, not even the managers, had even heard of CMJ – “GMC?” No one except the irresistibly charismatic host-slash-emcee, JC. At once elegant and magnetic, JC is full of glamour and grace. He dances with patrons, ensures drinks arrived promptly to your table, and interacts with an overall aura of olden-day celebrity; JC bedazzles.

Zinc Bar maintains such an air of cool sophistication and old world charm, I was convinced I was in a vintage era of entertainment. Decked out in a full tux, JC introduced the set and demanded that the utmost respect and attention be given to the performers. When the music starts, there’s a certain buzz in this downstairs venue; a certain hushed electricity found in any place that’s clearly serious about music. Only the most respected musicians and virtuoso’s come to play Zinc Bar. You wont see such world-renowned artists perform in such an intimate setting nearly anywhere else in the world. I caught Brazilian singer and Grammy-award nominee, Silvana Malta, perform the night I went to Zinc. Known for working only with musicians and producers of high international acclaim, Malta is a world-class performer. At one point, and without any airs, Malta demurely appealled to the audience: “Please. It would be nice for me to be able to hear myself.” There were clearly some newbies in the crowd of regulars, who needed to be reminded of the art of listening and the magic of live performance.

And that is how Zinc thrives. It’s built a strong reputation among distinguished musicians and serious music-listeners as having very high standards and an uncompromising commitment to quality. One of the managers, (who was generally very aloof and reticent to talk about Zinc), explained to me: it’s a place where musicians come to play with other musicians of the same caliber. This has helped Zinc to establish its obscure, yet privileged place in the NYC music scene. She (the manager) very politely made it clear that Zinc is happy doing its understated thing and is not at all concerned with CMJ or interested in being involved with the festival. Meanwhile, this is somewhat against the efforts of host/emcee JC who would like to see the venue more fully integrated within the New York music scene.

From Zinc Bar it was on to Arthur’s Tavern in the Village at the corner of Grove and 7th, another dive-type place with live funk, jazz, blues, and R n’ b music seven days a week. I almost don’t want to write about the place, as it truly is a hidden gem. I’d hate to see it lose the charm of its seeming anonymity, as has happened to Chumley’s around the corner now that it’s hardly a secret anymore.

Arthur’s is a wacky ol’ ramshackle joint that’s been run by a hard-talking, music-lovin chick since she was eighteen. Christmas, Halloween, and Birthday decorations stay up year ‘round amidst the eclectic array of archival signs, knick-knacks, and other paraphernalia. The musicians who play at Arthur’s are veterans of the scene, and include a real bunch of talented characters. You can always expect loony-tune antics between the band and the audience. Above all, you can always expect a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere from Arthur’s. By the time I arrived things had definitely died down a bit. I stayed for a couple songs by a band featuring a blind bassist, and then it was time for bed. Way back in Bushwick. Three more fun-filled days lay ahead.

Wild Wednesday: In this blog we shall discuss CHAIRLIFTing to hidden gems and minerals such as ZINC (PART I)

Abby Deering — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:09:22 -0000

I can be pretty wild sometimes.

Example: while on my way to see Middle Distance Runner at Fontana’s, I change course and head to Piano’s.

Wild, I know. And that was only the start of what became a rather unconventional, unpredictable CMJ week…

So, Wednesday: I arrived at the Kanine Records Showcase at Piano’s, and realized I just missed Mixel Pixel…darnit (read: that’s one of those bands I hear about all the time, say I like, but have actually never heard). No matter. I’m in time for Chairlift, a Brooklyn trio recommended by my friend Brad from the band This Frontier Needs Heroes. (Now that’s a really good band. Good as in “lots of people other than me (people who actually know about music)think they’re really good” good.)

Here's a rendition of the Chairlift gang for your viewing pleasure...

And check out their song "Bruises" on the K9 playlist below:

I notice the over-sized plastic specs and the bizarre woolen vests donned by the band and grow a little wary that this will be one of those “‘B is for Be in a Band from Brooklyn”, style over substance, all-too-familiar type affairs; however, by the second song of Chairlift's set, I was pleasantly surprised. These guys are pretty legit. They have a standout, electronic, melodic, dream-like sound, aided in large part by stunning lead vocals from Caroline. In addition to providing her haunting yet quirky vocals she plays the synth, alongside guitar and percussion, from Aaron and Patrick who make up the other two in the trio.

Honestly, the first couple seconds sounded a bit like whale-sounds.
But wait O ye of little faith!
Soon after the ‘under the sea’ intro – and I’m talking 45 seconds, max - the band fell into a set of beautifully arranged songs, based on sweet yet strong rhythms over-laced with catchy, compelling electronic melodies. The back and forth between the female vocals and the charmingly understated male vocals made me think of a sort of spaced-out, stripped down Belle and Sebastian. One onlooker described the music as “ultra-melodic, restrained pop.” In parts of Europe, Chairlift’s sound might be described as ‘twee.’ The Envelopes, from Sweden, are a good example of a ‘twee’ band. Check them out. They’re awesome.

Most unfortunate thing about the show was the very poor audience turnout – a factor, no doubt, of the endless list of shows, parties, etc. that are constantly on offer throughout CMJ. At first, it was hard to tell if it was the venue (Piano’s) failing to cater to the booked artists, or if it was insufficient promoting by Kanine Records s, the label putting on the showcase. Initially, I tended towards pinning it on the former, as Piano’s always strikes me as too busy being a bar /restaurant/lounge-/hangout spot (spread over two floors) to put much, if any, focus on the live entertainment. However, after further investigation over the next couple days I discovered that the problem of poor audience turn out is rather more complicated, especially in terms of the sources of accountability. More will be written on this quandary in forthcoming posts.

In the meantime, here's an old picture of the creative siblings behind This Frontier Needs Heroes, Brad and Jessica Lauretti (from www.jessicalauretti.com)

The Little Girls & Nikki Corvette and the Stingrays - CMJ Day 2, Southpaw, Brooklyn, 10-17-07

BrooklynRocks NYC Music Blog — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:55:52 -0000

Unless I can recover the pictures from Day 4 & 5 from my crashed computer, this is going to be my last CMJ post. Many thanks to Imeem for offering the opportunity for me to cover CMJ.

I ended the night on Wednesday at the Ramo Records showcase at Southpaw in Brooklyn. It was a fun selection of garage and early 80's new wave bands on the bill. I hoping to catch Miss Georgia Peach, who recently did a cool record with garage legend Scott Morgan, as her band features Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys from Nashville Pussy. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the club, the band was just finishing their set.

For having been "gone" 20 years, The Little Girls sounded great. The Little Girls hit it big in the early 80's on alternative radio with their song and MTV video "How to Pick Up Girls" and they had an EP out on PVC in 1983. After this, the band faded from sight. I was doing some research on the band after catching their show and it looks like three of the original members (Caron Maso - guitar, vocals, Michele Maso - vocals and Kip Brown - guitar,vocals) reunited in 2004. The band has a new CD coming out on Ramo Records and Ramo issued a "lost in the vaults" EP earlier this year that the band recorded in 1985

Nikki Corvette & the Stingrays followed The Little Girls. This is the same Nikki from Nikki and the Corvettes who recorded a new-wave gem for Bomp in 1980. Nikki put together The Stingrays in 2000 after she hit cult status with Bomp's reissue of the Corvettes' debut CD. The Stingrays' have a new CD coming out on Dollar Records.

Fools Gold Showcase @ Hiro Ballroom 10.17.07

dubFrequency — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:12:04 -0000

Follow up to the night of A-Trak's showcase...

Great performances by all!!!

Creme de la Imeem CMJ Showcase Cool Kids

dubFrequency — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:27:21 -0000

Here are the Cool Kids performing the songs Gold and a Pager, Mikey Rocks, Black Mags, Pump Up the Volume @ the Creme de la Imeem CMJ Showcase...

Care Bears on Fire & Hot IQs @ CMJ/Tijuana Gift Shop Party - Club Midway

BrooklynRocks NYC Music Blog — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:29:13 -0000

A hard drive failure set me back a few days but...at least I had uploaded a number of pictures to Imeem prior to this happening.

I am going to back up to Day 2 of CMJ which was last Wednesday. After catching The Meat Puppets at Brooklyn Vegan's party at Piano's, I headed over to Alphabet City to check out Club Midway and the bands playing the Tijuana Gift Shop Party.

I caught the end of the Care Bears on Fire's set. The band always puts on a solid live show and sounded real good at Midway. For anyone who hasn't checked out the band, they play Ramones/Lookout Records era Green Day style punk/pop. The band's debut CD, I Stole Your Animal, was released about a month ago and the debut video (below) for "Everybody Else" got 100K plays the first week it was released on MySpace.

For whatever reason, I couldn't get a decent picture of all three band members at once. I kept missing the drummer (Izzy) so I took one shot of her individually.

The Care Bears are playing an all ages show at Southpaw on November 9th. The band is playing with Mink, who are a fabulous live act, and tickets are only $10.

The Care Bears are a tough act to follow but I really enjoyed the Hot IQs set. They have an interesting sound that is a bit hard to describe -- it is sort of like Merge Records meets Franz Ferdinard or The Young Knives. I don't know what these guys sound like in the studio but they are an insanely compelling live act. The band is back in Colorado but they are definately worth checking out next time they come through town.

Here is a video of the band playing live at Midwest Music Summit that was recorded last year.