Blogging New York's CMJ Music Marathon, Day Four
print
email
One of the best things about CMJ is the variety of bands that can be experienced in a single night, and often at a single venue. In just a few hours, one can easily indulge in folk, punk, hip-hop, pop, metal and indie rock.
Mercury Lounge started Friday night (10/24) with a performance by Stillwater, OK, bohemian indie rockers Other Lives . The quintet seamlessly exchanged instruments--keys, guitars and violins. An upright bassist, drummer and bass player added to the visceral, atmospheric tone. A mix of Radiohead somber psychedelia, Jim Morrison contemplation and My Morning Jacket hippie vibe, Other Lives gave a powerful, moving show. The crowd of late 20- to 30-somethings was silenced by the band's captivating, cinematic sounds.
Canadian quintet Mother Mother was next. The swoon-worthy, vocal-driven group is powered by three singers--two females and a male. Their sharp and sexy staccato style was other-worldly, especially since the group made little eye contact with the audience. Instead, they seemed more consumed by the music--making wild hand gestures and starring at the ceiling. The frontman crooned with feminine grace and looked like a combination of Billy Idol and Billy Corgan. It was certainly one of the most unique bands at CMJ so far.
Around the corner and upstairs at Pianos was the Atlanta-based all-girl electronic punk-rock unit the Coathangers . Although they were dressed like trendy American Apparel models and carried reckless attitudes, their whiny off-key vocals and bratty lyrics were almost unbearable. Songs about boobies and boys just seemed a bit cliché and immature, and their musicianship didn't match most of the acts at CMJ.
Downstairs, the band schedule was about an hour behind and entry was strictly guest list only. Maryland's Cotton Jones was finishing off their set of swaggering pop. Afterwards, Rhode Island folk group Death Vessel performed. Frontman Joel Thibodeau's soft, high pitched vocals were complimented by a banjo, upright bass and viola. The official schedule then got switched, putting California's sBach next. The band practically filled up the stage with keyboards, and the drum kit was set up where a lead singer would be. Without vocals, this group's percussion and electronic sounds grew pretty tiresome. It was also hard to take seriously their green, plastic glowing guitar.
Seattle trio The Dutchess and The Duke delivered folk-driven sounds mixed with guitars, maracas and a floor tom. It was a mellow, hippie-minded scene fueled by hokey sing-song vocals and an unplugged Rolling Stones sound. The burly, bearded singer/guitarist was supported by a John Lennon lookalike on percussion and a subtle, no-frills female guitarist. This was one of the most talked-about must-see bands of the night.
Around midnight, Brooklyn trio Oxford Collapse performed their blend of rousing indie punk-pop. The group plowed through an energizing set that enlivened the audience, which, up to this point, had been dealt more calm and spacey tunes. This was proof of how quickly moods can change at CMJ. The final night promises another eclectic mix of sounds.
Read LiveDaily's coverage of CMJ Day One
Read LiveDaily's coverage of CMJ Day Two
- Artist Links:
Oxford Collapse ringtones at ThumbplayAlbum Review: Oxford Collapse, "Bits" (Sub Pop) [August 2008]
Oxford Collapse gets to the point on 'Bits' [August 2008]
The Books book big domestic tour [February 2006]
