CMJ 2010, Days 3-5: Go out with a bang

October 21-23, 2010, in New York City

By Catherine McCarthy
Published: October 25th, 2010 | 8:00pm

The second half of CMJ Music Marathon 2010 had countless official and unofficial events in New York’s most seasoned venues and improvised pop-up spaces with acts that have been at it for years and those performing live for the first time this autumn. Critics will say this year’s events were either too corporate or not sponsored heavily enough, too overwrought or not well-planned. But for every fault to be found there was something to please even the most jaded music fan, including breakout performances that will shape what we’re listening to in 2011.

Day 3: When the going gets tough, keep going
The jam-packed roster at dubFrequency and the Hype Machine’s I <3 NY showcase was enough to hold our attention for an entire evening. It began with Washington, DC’s the Dance Party whipping up the packed venue into a sweaty mess. Lead singer Mick Coogan’s trademark hyper-manic stage presence brought up the energy level of the room filled with a sheer crush of people. Australia’s the Crayon Fields took the stage earlier than planned to accommodate their second performance later on that evening at another showcase. Their brand of jangly sentimental mope-rock is a hot commodity, apparently. Next up was Brooklyn’s own Kordan, a dream-pop trio who just released their first full-length, The Longing (Last Bummer). The technical problems that plagued Backstage Bar’s stage that evening began with Kordan’s set, at first drowning out any of the beautiful co-ed vocals from Arthur Eisele and Liz Reboyras that typify their songs. The problems continued for Danish dance pop chanteuse Nanna Øland Fabricius, who performs as Oh Land. While the delays of the evening had already put set times for a 9-hour showcase two hours behind schedule, Oh Land had to cut her set short simply because the stage’s set up could not accommodate the desired effects from her drum machines and keyboards, but she managed to play what she deemed an “improvised remix” of her infectious single, “Sun of a Gun.”

San Francisco’s Blackbird Blackbird took to the stage next, excited for their first time in New York. The excitement was short-lived, however, when a prolonged soundcheck left Mikey Sanders and Frank Midnight struggling with ear-splitting feedback and missing notes, leaving song after song half-finished and ragged. It was a shame, as they put together danceable, dreamy songs that emulate the fuzzed out vocals of Washed Out with the glitchy beats of the Knife. And so, Blackbird Blackbird’s set was also cut short, but the 87 Stick Up Kids burst forth to save the day and the quickly spiraling mood of an audience collectively frustrated. Their loud, in-your-face “glam-crunk hip-hop” was a welcome relief of technical freedom, just three guys (the Deacon, Nashville, and Squish) and their mics with a turntable (manned by DJ Rockwell).

They prepped the crowd for an incredible set that came next from Baltimore’s Rye Rye. Only 19, she already had a club hit with the Blaqstarr collaboration “Shake It to the Ground” at age 16. Her debut album has been delayed for two years, but when Go! Pop! Bang! (N.E.E.T./Interscope) comes out early next year, she’ll be getting the recognition she deserves. After touring as an opener for M.I.A., Rye Rye embarks this week on a U.S. tour with South African rave-rappers Die Antwoord. Her performing chops served her well last night as she made her frenetic dance moves complete with back up dancers and rapid-fire lyrics the high point of the evening. Things slowed down for L.A.’s vacation pop duo Kisses, with Jesse Kivel on guitar and vocals and Zinzi Edmundson joining him with her keyboard and pretty voice. Another set cut short and another shame as they seemed to overcome the troubles that hampered earlier acts to play a brief but lovely set of guilty-pleasure synth pop. All in all, the acts did what they could with the hand they were dealt and came out on top of the pop pileup.

CMJ 2010, Day 4: Afternoon delight
Distiller’s showcase at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory on Friday afternoon was a welcome rarity in the CMJ landscape: the afternoon showcase. By their nature they are often filled with those who are there to see a specific band rather than a casual fan looking for a free distraction in the evening hours. Distiller put together a solid lineup for the afternoon that wasn’t as rapid-fire as some other showcases that allot for fifteen minutes of stage time, max. Boston’s the Hush Now kicked things off with their Northeastern brand of radio-ready rock in the vein of the Hold Steady and the National, minus the distinctive vocals of Craig Finn or the baritone of Matt Berninger. A changing lineup has shifted the band’s sound away from the darker fare of the Cure and My Bloody Valentine to a poppy, power chord-heavy style that translates well to live performances.

Perhaps the most buzzed-about act of the day was S. Carey, the moniker under which Sean Carey, the drummer of Bon Iver, and his friends perform. Like Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, S. Carey has assembled a mix of strings and percussion that allows for quietly orchestral pieces that meander and sway and sound as natural as a group of old friends playing in a living room. S. Carey leads the band on keyboard and vocals but doesn’t give up his drumming roots, making sure to work in a joint jam with his drummer, and the supporting members get inventive with handclaps and vocals in addition to adding lush arrangements with upright bass and violin. A standout performance of “In the Dirt” left the audience in awed silence at the beauty and fragility of the band’s intricate cohesion.

Just as the showcase was about to skip over an absent John O., aka Diamond Rings, he appeared in a blaze of glory. Told he now only had time for three songs, Diamond Rings made it count. Draping a unicorn flag from his MIDI keyboard, Diamond Rings leapt to action with gold-clad legs and a flair for ostentation. Powering through three songs, including the first single from his debut, Special Affections (Secret City; out today), “You and Me,” Diamond Rings crouched low and jumped towards the rafters. After S. Carey’s beautiful yet subdued set, Diamond Rings was a shot in the arm of adrenaline, a perfectly timed jolt of aural caffeine. His DIY brand of glam-rock is perfectly suited to his Bowie-esque growl and boisterous stage presence.

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers have been gaining momentum as a cult-favorite in New York but stand poised to bring their gypsy punk sound to the masses—a sound that’s hard to understand but easy to appreciate. With a rage-filled howl akin to Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz and the low and luscious range of Ella Fitzgerald, Ray leads her band with forceful precision, keeping the beat with her harmonium while never neglecting to shout out lyrics that address anger and venereal diseases. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers were unlike any of the dozens of bands seen so far at CMJ—a happy return to rock and punk roots, eschewing electronic augmentation in favor of an old-school bellowed instrument and good old-fashioned guitar and drum grit, highlighting a unique female vocalist with potential wide appeal.

Folk poppers Cotton Jones, formerly the Cotton Jones Basket Ride, wrapped up the afternoon showcase. The Maryland quintet combines the vocals of Page France’s Michael Nau and keyboardist Whitney McGraw, Nau’s vocals and mystically sweet songwriting style dead ringers for those of My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James. The band’s powerful performance of “Somehow to Keep It Going” on Friday could have come from a live My Morning Jacket recording. Nau’s vocals are beautifully paired with McGraw’s for a rambling folk rock odyssey through visions of pastoral landscapes. Their set was a celebratory finish to an afternoon of strong, stylistically varying performances.

Day 5: Leave them wanting more
Saturday closed out this year’s CMJ with a bang. In the most recent incarnation of New York’s outpost of the Fader Fort, a slew of artists took the stage throughout the afternoon, including Brooklyn’s Tanlines and San Francisco’s Dominant Legs. Tanlines brought the dance party to the Fort early in the day with their drum machine and guitar combo synth pop. Better known for their remixes, the band has toured with other experimental acts like Yeasayer and HEALTH, but stand out with their enigmatic stage presence. Dominant Legs is more subdued, the loud but thoughtful brainchild of Ryan William Lynch. Initially a solo project, Hannah Hunt’s vocals and keys with Rene Solomon’s drums make for a full sound that’s like Belle & Sebastian’s keyboard-heavy The Life Pursuit (Matador) with the shaky vocals of Brian Wilson.

The California sunshine continued on at Public Assembly in Brooklyn that night. While Kanye West was busy being the surprise headliner at Pitchfork’s #Offline festival down the street at Brooklyn Bowl, up-and-comers were shaking the roof off of Assembly, overtaking both the front and back room stages, often concurrently. Philadelphia’s Fixed and Making Time parties made a special CMJ appearance with a lineup that celebrated what’s coming around the bend.

Kisses

Performing live for just under two months, Los Angeles’s Kisses triumphed after Thursday’s technical failure-fraught show when they took to Public Assembly’s main stage. The drums sounded spot on instead of overbearing, and Edmundson and Kivel’s vocals were sharp and clear, the way they should be. They could be faulted for relying on backing tracks, but it’s easy to give them the benefit of the doubt as they feel out their live performance style for a small body of work that was probably composed on a computer in a bedroom, not during a jam session. Their sunny pop lit up the interior, a stark contrast to the darkness blanketing the back room, as Gold Panda’s throbbing bass kept an audience mostly paralyzed in place except for an undulating sway that overtook the crowd. The British experimental artist was dimly lit by stray beams from a projector illuminating the curtain behind him, furthering the mysterious reputation of this prolific artist. So entrancing was Gold Panda’s set that the flourish of an end came as a bit of a shock for those so wrapped up in his enveloping, eclectic sound. It’s hard to determine where each sample Gold Panda incorporates is coming from, but he puts them together so skillfully that the mind is allowed to surrender that natural curiosity and wander freely through his glitch-happy world.

The electronic experimentation continued with Matthew Dear’s ghastly stage show, an exercise in macabre electronica full of excruciatingly beautiful songs that build with an anticipated happy release that never materializes. Later, James Murphy’s proteges Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel closed out the night, and effectively CMJ with a post-3 a.m. Holy Ghost! set. The duo played with accompaniment during an exhausting roster of CMJ appearances, allowing for explosive live energy. Anyone who has heard 2008’s “Hold On” should know Holy Ghost!’s live performances are just as relentlessly fun and anxiously eager as the sentiment contained in that one single. The room was a delicious frenzy of flailing limbs as the men of Holy Ghost! did what they do best: create a guilty pleasure dance party that’s at once smart and escapist.

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Want more CMJ coverage? Check out our other articles here:

CMJ 2010, Day 1: Jean Grae dominates the dudes in a hip-hop battle

CMJ 2010, Day 2: Braids is one band to watch

CMJ 2010, Day 2: Better late than never

CMJ 2010, Day 2: The Drums bring style and swagger to NYC as they shimmy and shake

CMJ 2010, Day 4: Big Freedia brings some much-needed Bounce to NYC

CMJ 2010, Days 3-5: Go out with a bang