Beer and Bagels – CMJ Had Begun

Within two minutes of cruising into my first showcase (arranged by Pop Tarts Suck Toasted blogger Patrick) I saw a guy with a bagel in one hand and beer in the other – now that is the way to kick off CMJ here in NYC! 

Last year, it took a little while to find some quality bands but this year, I saw them right off the bat – the first was Secret Life of Sofia, a Brooklyn band with three-part harmonies and a darkness and depth that is dynamic instead of depressing. When I saw New York Times music writer Jon Pareles in the room for Emmy the Great (a showcase sponsored by the Music Slut blog), I knew I had stumbled onto something interesting. She sang sweetly and her lyrics were interesting enough that I wanted to know the real stories behind them. I stayed on for Said the Whale, a Canadian band that was quite impressive – indie rock without the typical trappings on indie rock.

After a quick caffeine fix, I stumbled upon Princeton, who we met up with as part of our CMJ preview. Their drummer had taken the train and was running late so they used a drum machine – the show must go on, right? Still, they did a new song AND a cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Of all the shows I’ve seen so far, this is the one where the crowd was literally begging them to keep going after they stopped. The Kivel twins, Matt and Jesse, bantered and argued like brothers do, but it was all part of the fun (and the drummer made it for the last half.)

I had the pleasure of interviewing Cheeseburger (like the Sex Pistols on the Sunset Strip with a bit of AC/DC – at least three people got thrown out for unruly behavior during their show), Atlanta’s Gringo Star, and Miniature Tigers, who were super lovely and have a great new album. Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls headlined the CMJ Artist Lounge KCRW is co-sponsoring, mixing 60’s girl group styles and punk.  Overall, a solid day with much more to come.

My jet lag is starting to take it’s toll so that’s it for now!

RR