Sound Bites

CMJ 2008: Saturday Picks

Cheeseburger, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 10.24.2008

OK, people we can do this. One last day. Luckily there is so much good (and often free) stuff to see it's an excellent motivator. For me at least. I've been doing so much I haven't gotten around to posting but I've got a growing Flickr set you can check out and I shot video at The Dears show. (They've still got it, new line-up and all.) Anyway, here are today's worthy shows...

Brooklyn Vegan presents Rival Schools, Women, Lightspeed Champion, Marnie Stern and a zillion others @ Knitting Factory 12 - 10PM, FREE (more info)

Crashin' In presents Johnny Foreigner, Cut Off Your Hands, The Muslims, Sky Larkin and a zillion others @ Public Assembly, 4PM - 4AM, $10 (more info)

Daytrotter presents Cut Off Your Hands, Bad Veins, Wye Oak, The End of the world, Luke Temple and Laura Gibson @ Glasslands Gallery (more info)

A Place to Bury Strangers / Crystal Antlers / Vivian Girls / Marnie Stern / All The Saints / Little Jackie / Lord T. and Eloise @ Bowery Ballroom $13 (more info)

Fanfarlo, Marching Band, Kirsten Ketsjer @ Fat Baby, 8 - 10PM, $10

School of Seven Bells and Matthew Dear's Big Hand @ Le Poisson Rogue

I SAY: The Crashin' In party has so many great bands it's rediculous, so you could just stay there. But I will probably head to Brooklyn Vegan's party at Knitting Factory to see Little Boots who I love, then back to Williamsburg to catch Sky Larkin at 4pm. And I would stay put if it wasn't for Fanfarlo at Fat Baby (8PM) who i highly, highly recommend you go see. They were the best band I saw at SXSW and are in America recording their debut album. It's their only U.S. show for the forseeable time, so go. Fat Baby is tiny, by the way so in a year you can say I saw them when.

Also, the After the Jump Fest BBQ that was supposed to happen today at The Yard has been cancelled. Bummer.

Some MP3s...

MP3: Fanfarlo - You Are One of the Few Outsiders That Understand Us 

MP3: Sky Larkin - Molten 

MP3: Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be

MP3: Johnny Foreigner - Our Bipolar Friends 

And here's that Dears footage I shot at Hiro on Thursday of them doing "Demons":

CMJ 2008: Friday Picks

I slept a little late today and have yet to get out of the house, so straight to the zillion worthwhile evening shows...

Roisin Murphy @ Mansion, "9:30PM sharp"

New York Noise 5th Anniversary Party w/ Vivian Girls / Woods / Takka Takka / Cut Off Your Hands / The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart / Picture Picture @ Cake Shop, 7PM - 1AM

Mint Records showcase with Hot Panda / The Awkward Stage / Vancougar / Novillero / The Pack A.D. @ Fat Baby, 7P - 11PM

Dungen / The Muslims / Marissa Nadler / TK Webb & The Visions and FREE late night party with Cheeseburger and Children @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

The Rosebuds, The Ladybug Transistor and Crystal Stilts with "Singing DJ Jens Lekman" @ The Bell House, 9PM - 1AM

I SAY: I'm going to head to the L.E.S. for a stop by the Mint showcase if for nothing else than to pick up the lastest issue of their fanzine, A Fresh Breath of Mint. I highly reccomend seeing Novilero who are on at 9:30. As Fat Baby's right around the corner from Cake Shop, perhaps seeing Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be in the cards but I've got a date with Roisin Murphy and am dying to see what kind of stage show she's got. Though the thought of going all the way to Chelsea to Mansion, what I'm sure will be a entirely cheesy velvet-rope, bottle service type of establishment, is a turnoff. Then maybe Late of the Pier at Irving Plaza and back to Williamsburg where I will probably be hitting Music Hall of Williamsburg for the fourth straight night to see Cheeseburger. It's a free show, they're showing the new episode of Superjail (created by Cheeseburger guitarist Christy Karakas) and free cheeseburgers outside courtesy of Le Gamin. Of course there's also maybe the nicest venue in the Five Borroughs, The Bell House, tonight with two great locals (Ladybug and Crystal Stilts), the always awesome Rosebuds and "Singing DJ Jens Lekman," though expect more DJing than singing -- but he's a great selector.

Some MP3s...

MP3: Roisin Murphy - Overpowered 

MP3: Roisin Murphy - So Into You

MP3: Novillero - The Hypothesist 

CMJ 2008: Thursday Picks

Mexico City's Los Fancy Free at Fader Fort, 10.22.2008

DAYTIME
Brooklyn Vegan presents: Pretty & Nice / 1Twi the Humble Feather (upstairs) / Eagle Seagull (downstairs) / James Jackson Toth (upstairs) /  The Muslims (downstairs) / Shad (upstairs) / Japanese Motors (downstairs) /  Peasant (upstairs) / Friendly Fires (downstairs) / Sharon Van Etten (upstairs) / Crystal Antlers (downstairs) / Pwrfl POWER (upstairs) / Sebastien Grainger / (downstairs) / Wye Oak (upstairs) / Phosphorescent (upstairs) @ Pianos 12 - 6PM FREE

NYC Taper presents Bearsuit / Bloodsugars / Bridges & Powerlines / Best Friends Forever / Sharon Van Etten / The Loom / Naked Hearts @ Cake Shop FREE

Gothamist presents Twi the Humble Feather / Bad Veins / Marnie Stern / Fatula / Reggie Watts / Donovan Quinn / Cotton Jones @ The Bell House

EVENING
The Dears @ Hiro Ballroom 

Tobacco (From Black Moth Super Rainbow!)  /

Crystal

Stilts / Cause Co-Motion / Au / Duchess Says /

Bell

Stars Like Fleas / The Pity Party / Pwrfl Power / Fight Bite / Donovan Quinn & The 13th Month / The Physics Of Meaning @ Pianos 8PM - 2AM

On The Moon Music showcase with Ovum / Artanker Convoy / The End of the World / Dirty on Purpose / Coin Under Tongue / Violent Bullshit / Cheeseburger / French Miami / Purse Snatchers / Neckbeard Telecaster / The Ettes / Howlies @ Death By Audio 8PM - 2AM. $5

NME showcase with Chief  / Johnny Foreigner  / Kuroma  / Little Boots  / Passion Pit  / HeartsRevolution / The Whip @ The Annex 8PM - 1AM

I SAY: I should already be at Brooklyn Vegan's showcase as we speak (full disclosure: I write from BV as you may know) but I am poky and letting my phone recharge. See the Muslims if you can. And Friendly Fires. Actually, if you're a Brooklynite, today would be a great to to visit The Bell House. As for tonight, I'm going to check out how the new Dears lineup compares to the last one (who were so so good) and then probably head straight to Death by Audio. But the Pianos lineup is great too. So many choices. As for that NME showcase, leave after Little Boots because it's gonna get insanely packed for Passion Pit. And you don't want to see The Whip, believe me.

Late of the Pier | Music Hall of Williamsburg | 10.22.2008

I was somewhat skeptical that Late of the Pier could pull of the genuine weirdness of their awesome, insane debut album, Fantasy Black Channel, in the live setting. I was trying to describe them to a friend I ran into at the show and gave them my standard spiel: "Part Gary Numan, part Flash Gordon soundtrack, part Warren G, part Metal." But pull it off they did, and played it all live sans laptops. These are youngsters but they rock like pros, pulling off the guitar heroics, the funky parts, everything. And we danced to it. Even more than the Klaxons, Late of the Pier seem to truly come from outer space. But they make it seem like the most natural thing on earth. MP3: Late of the Pier - The Bears are Coming

Late of the Pier play Irving Plaza on Friday... with Soulwax! Go, go, go. Fantasy Black Channel gets an American release in January.

CMJ 2008: Women | Cake Shop | 10.21.2008

I realized, about two songs into watching them, I realized I'd seen Women before. Maybe it was at SXSW or Glasslands, can't remember exactly where, but I'd definitely watched them play -- the singer was dressed exactly the same way. I think I didn't make the connection because Women are so much better live than on record. The album, while good, is a little too drenched in Animal Collective-style reverb, while onstage (or in Cake Shop's case, the floor) they hit pretty hard.

The Canadian band were playing at about 4PM, the first of about ten shows they're doing during CMJ -- most of them day parties. Singer Patrick Flegel remarked, "I'm not quite used to the afternoon thing, it feels very dark down here." Cake Shop does have a "always 2AM" feel to it, but Women's music is pretty dark, brittle and almost post-punky goth, with some amazing interplay between Flegel and second guitarist Christopher Reimer's instruments. There's also some '60s pysch-pop elements as well -- "Black Rice" has a definite Brian Wilson vibe to it. Some people I talked to didn't like the vocals (the only thing with reverb on it today) but I thought they fit Women's sound perfectly. I left very impressed.

MP3: Women - Black Rice (Buy)

Catch them this week if you can. Here's where they'll be:

OCT 22 3:45P TERRORBIRD PARTY - CAKE SHOP NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 22 9:00P PASTE MAG PARTY - RED BULL SPACE NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 22 11:00P SUBBACULTCHA! SHOWCASE - CAKE SHOP NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 23 9:00P MYOPENBAR.COM PARTY - DON PEDRO’S BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

OCT 24 9:00P TODD P NYC / GROUND CONTROL PARTY - DANBRO STUDIOS BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

OCT 25 1:00P BOWERY PRESENTS PARTY - PIANOS NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 25 3:00P AFTER THE JUMP PARTY - THE YARD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 25 6:00P BROOKLYN VEGAN PARTY - THE KNITTING FACTORY NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OCT 25 9:00P R5 PROMOTIONS AND PAST PARTY - GLASSLANDS BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

CMJ 2008: Wednesday Picks

Women at Cake Shop, 10.21.2008

DAY PARTIES

Earfarm presents Takka Takka; Sam Champion / Project Jenny, Project Jan / Drink Up Buttercup / Sister Suvi / Howlies @ Pianos 12 - 6PM

School of Seven Bells, Marnie Stern / Women / Tobacco / Faunts / Shugo Takumaru / Starfucker / Rainbow Arabia / Frontier Ruckus @ Cake Shop

Gothamist House w/ Emmy the Great / Gabriel Kahane / Bell / Nat Baldwin / Physics of Meaning / Pattern is Movement / Extra Life @ The Bell House

NIGHTIME SHOWS

Elk City / Faunts / Mahogany / The Whitsundays @ The Village Underground 9PM - 1AM

Late Of The Pier / The Whip / Ki:Theory / Nickel Eye (Featuring Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes) / As Tall As Lions @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Scouting for Girls, Friendly Fires, Dirty Fuzz, Radio Luxembourg, Virgin Passages @ The Annex 8PM - Midnight

After the Jump Fest w/ My Teenage Stride / The Pains of Being Pure at Heart / Ringo Deathstarr / and about 17 other bands @ Knitting Factory 8PM 

I SAY: As much as I LOVE the Bell House, you basically have to dedicate yourself to staying there, 'cause it's kind of in the middle of nowhere Brooklyn. That said, it's a great lineup and easily the best, nicest, most comfortable, awesomest place that's hosting day parties this year. But for the indie ADD rest of us, it's better just to flit around the Lower East Side between Pianos and Cake Shop. I highly recommend catching Women, Faunts, Drink Up Buttercup, School of Seven Bells and Sam Champion

As for the nighttime shows, Canada's the Whitsundays make their only CMJ appearance tonight at the Friendly Fire Recordings showcase, where they play with Faunts -- Paul Arnusch plays in both bands. Mahogany, who are also on that show, are pretty great too. If you could only go one place, though, head to the Knit. Three floors, lots of great distortion-pop (Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Ringo Deathstarr) and a lot of NYC's best bands. But I will not be missing Late of the Pier's US debut at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Their record is kind of brilliantly insane -- part synth pop, part Queen, part metal. So curious as to see what it'll be like live.

Some MP3s...

MP3: Faunts - M4
MP3: Whitsundays - It Must Be Me
MP3: School of Seven Bells - Prince of Peace
MP3: Late of the Pier - The Bears are Coming

CMJ 2008: Tuesday Picks

Well here we are again for CMJ time with more chances to see the bands you're ambivilent about than ever before. Seriously, if you do not see The Muslims (who are awesome) or Women or Marnie Stern this week it's because you're out of town or not leaving the house. Plus: loads of free day parties with free alcohol (the kind of alcohol you would only drink for free) to make it even easier. Go ahead, call in sick and go stroll down Ludlow and see some Pitchfork-approved bands.

Here are my picks for Tuesday...with asterixes by the bands I might actually be watching.

DAY SHOWS
The Music Slut Party w/ A Brief Smile, Rumspringa, Au, Pattern Is Movement, Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears, Chairlift, Holy Moly, The Shackeltons, Emmy The Great, Said The Whale, Lissy Trullie, PWRFL Power @ Pianos, Noon - 6PM, FREE (More Info)

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Bagels n' Beer Party w/ Oxford Colapse, Women, Dan Friel, Bridges and Powerlines, The Antlers, The Secret Life of Sofia, Hot Lava, Brownwater, Matt Wilson, Kilgore Trout is Dead, Princeton, The Lisps @ Cake Shop, Noon - 6PM, FREE (More Info)

EVENING SHOWS
Brooklyn Vegan Presents: Singing DJ Jens Lekman / Passion Pit / Ponytail / Shearwater / The Sammies / Emmy The Great / The Phenomenal Handclap Band | Music Hall of Williamsburg, 7PM - 2AM, $15 (More Info)

Club NME presents Apache Beat / Chairlift / Violens / Amazing Baby @ The Annex 8 - 11PM, $$??

The Naked And Famous / Bang Bang Eche / Cut Off Your Hands / The Ruby Suns / The Ettes / Fresh Kills / Gringo Star / The High Wire / Radio Luxembourg @ The Delancey, 7PM - 2AM, $$??

The Big Takeover Tour feat. Life and Times / Julie Ocean / Springhouse / Magnetic Morning @ Southpaw, 8:30PM - 12:30AM, $12

LATE NIGHT
Stereogum Party feat. Crystal Stilts, Ponytail, Marnie Stern and Gang Gang Dance @ Studio@Webster Hall, Midnight - 4AM, FREE w/ RSVP (which is now closed)

I SAY: If you're going to the day shows, both the Music Slut's and PTST's are on the same block so there's no reason you can't flit between the two. Despite some super-buzzy bands, Tuesday day is too early in the week for giant crowds -- these should be mellow-ish events, at least compared to the rest of the week.

As for the evening shows, if you're from out-of-town, you might want to check out Club NME, as I like all those bands, Violens and Amazing Baby in particular. But the Annex show is pretty inticing -- a string of Kiwi bands, then Georgia's Gringo Starr, dreamy Brits the High Wire and quirky Wesh rockers Radio Luxembourg.  

Me, I will be at the Brooklyn Vegan showcase for most of the night -- anxious to see Emmy the Great again and "singing DJ Jens Lekman" and The Phenomenal Handclap Band -- before I try and make it to see Radio Luxembourg, then if I have any energy left will head over to the Stereogum show. I can't say I'm a fan of Ponytail, but love Crystal Stilts (their full-length debut will be in my Top 5 of 2008) and Gang Gang Dance (I went to school with their signer) and am anxious to finally see Marnie Stern, not to mention this new space at Webster Hall.

Some MP3s...

MP3: The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Testimony 

MP3: Oxford Colapse - Young Love Delivers 

MP3: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead 

MP3: Crystal Stilts - The Dazzled 

MP3: Chairlift - Evident Utensil 

MP3: Radio Luxembourg - Scooter 

MP3: Gang Gang Dance - First Communion