Any association with Seattle-based label Sub-Pop automatically makes you a buzz band in the indie scene. It’s a fact, and this Saturday, the label’s CMJ showcase lived up to the hype.
For anyone who has never been to the Bowery’s Crash Mansion, it is a close substitute for a basement made for house parties, and the bands that performed there on Friday night reflected this quality.
On the last night of CMJ, Spoon and The Ponys rocked Roseland Ballroom.
What can be said of Justice that hasn’t already been mentioned in blogs?
There’s something inherently lame about watching people play music on their laptops, but Justice had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Their live set included an intense light show, and even though they constantly flashed blinding white lights directly into the crowd, the audience didn’t even flinch and just kept dancing.
For one night only, local label Def Jux supplied thoughtful, independent rhymers and DJs that almost made one forget the pallid hip-hop scene these days. The night was jam packed with seven official acts, including a set from Def Jux label founder El-P.
The Fun DJs
DJs Rok One and Eamon Harkin are the regulars at Studio B’s weekly Friday FUN Parties, but they opened to a mostly empty dance floor. Initially, their electronic beeps and bloops were mere background music for head-bobbing purposes than a concentrated rave soundtrack, but a medium-sized crowd eventually formed in front. The only recognizable sample of their mostly instrumental set was LCD Soundsystem’s “Get Innocuous,” whose female voice was scattered and distorted. The percussion became more frantic as the male voice entered the mix, making it a notable moment in a decent, but unremarkable, set.
http://www.myspace.com/funatstudiob
New Zealand pop ensemble the Brunettes charmed the Soundfix crowd. Singer Jonathan Bree was positioned on the floor, but assured the crowd it was “not because I am trying to put myself as the leader this establishment,” but due to the fact that there was not enough room onstage for the band’s six members. Although he traded lead vocals with Heather Mansfield, it really was a group effort. On “Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth,” the entire band chanted “B-A-B-Y,” stretching their arms together and apart to form A’s and Y’s. They incorporated an impressive number of instruments, including trumpet, wood block, xylophone and triangle, which made for a pleasantly varied sound. The band introduction encapsulated the egalitarian quirkiness of the group, as Mansfield pseudo-rapped each band member’s name to a 4/4 beat as the audience cheered. The only downside of the set was that it was too short, as is the nature of in-store performances.
Click here for more of the Brunettes, and check out some more pictures from the show after the jump.
At Southpaw, a small bar and venue in Brooklyn, about twenty-five people stood around a tiny stage from which ominous drum beats emerged and the black curtains were pulled back to reveal Be Your Own Pet-offshoot Turbo Fruits. Once fully revealed, the band plowed through a few of their short, spunky songs, reminding the audience that it is possible to include some aspects of folk music in punk. The band played their tracks as they were meant to be heard: fast, loud and soulful.
Last Thursday night at Highline Ballroom, many concertgoers were left wondering who exactly planned the schizophrenic six-and-a-half hour showcase. Although quite a few devoted fans wondered if they made the right decision to arrive at the venue so early, the night was not a waste to those willing to wallow in the unexpected and endure the occasional inconsistencies in genre.
Hailing from
Mute Math singer Paul Meany is a consummate showman. As the night progressed, his antics became more and more pronounced. During the set, he struck a pose while standing on top of a piano onstage, did handstands and, for his final act, a few somersaults. The full crowd eagerly devoured his moves and demonstrated incredible enthusiasm throughout the set. Unfortunately, his vocals were not nearly as interesting as they were essentially a rehash of every other pop-punk heartthrob’s delivery. The band was most compelling when they broke away from sing-along tracks and shifted towards experimental instrumentals that allowed the bass and percussion to shine. Although visually impressive, the band lacks in the music department.
Click here to hear some tunes from Mute Math.
At the first ever Canadian Blast CMJ showcase, Cadence Weapon brought his 8-bit hip-hop the pint-sized stage at Fat Baby’s. Before beginning his fourth show during the CMJ marathon, he took a lap around the stuffy and cramped basement venue to talk to eager fans and label heads while his right-hand man, DJ Weasel, set up the turntables. Cadence Weapon, otherwise known as Rollie Pemberton, nonchalantly mounted the stage after the Canadian Blast spokesman made a declaration that Pemberton had single-handedly put
Anna Ternheim, a native of
Check out her MySpace page to hear some tracks and see some more pics from the show after the jump.
Yeasayer
Yeasayer began their set with a focus on ethereal synths, but their organic four part harmonies were what really made a lasting impression. Frontman Chris Keating’s soulful falsetto and the band’s tribal rhythms were similar to that of fellow Brooklynites TV on the Radio, and their avant-garde qualities did not cripple their accessibility. Keating seemed taken aback by the full crowd in attendance, joking “If you don’t have a badge, can you please leave?” He later paused to check a text message (allegedly from his mom) while his band mates simply looked on. Regardless of his onstage faux pas, the band put on an incredibly refreshing performance.
Click here to check out some tunes by Yeasayer.
It is difficult to identify what one factor made the Kill Rock Stars showcase on Wednesday night at Blender Theater so engaging. Whether it was the blatancy of the bands’ theatricality or the continuously increasing volume over the four-hour set, Kill Rock Stars was certainly doing something right in choosing the bands that performed.
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