CMJ Update: Pretty and Nice Sums it Up

I started my day at the Brooklyn Vegan showcase. It was a no-brainer since that is one of my favorite blogs – even though it primarily covers NYC, I read it daily because I can feel that there is a real ticking heart and soul of a music fan behind each of the posts. It started a little late (I heard something about the sound guy not showing up on time) but I saw three bands I liked – Pretty & Nice, who broke a snare drum halfway through the set, tried to improvise, then begged for a new one. It was a good choice.  Their songs are punk as it is, but the added angst seemed to add something to the end of the set. I jumped upstairs for James Jackson Toth, a great storyteller amidst the rock noise.  The Muslims, another one of CMJ’s buzz bands this year, rocked a packed room at 2pm. The San Diego band is taking advantage of the attention and playing a TON of shows here in NYC.

Our CMJ Artist Lounge showcase kicked off with some Southern rock. Ponderosa continued the trend of great Atlanta bands I’ve seen here in NYC (Dead Confederate last year, Gringo Star this year), with elements of the Allman Brothers and Kings of Leon. Cotton Jones followed with some wonderful bluesy, soulful songs. They could easily be from the West Coast, with echoes of 60’s folk and the Doors, but they’re actually from Maryland. You might remember singer Michael Lau from the band Page France. Either way, keep an ear our for “Chewing Gum,” which Nic has been playing.

RR