Preview: CMJ 2013
15 Oct 2013 — Ashley Canino
The 2013 CMJ Music Marathon is upon us. You have probably already glanced at the absurdly long list of participating artists and venues over on CMJ's site and, in turn, given up completely on navigating showcases. Here is a manageable guide to my must-see, Brooklyn-based picks (and their picks) for this year's festival.
Genre: Gothspell folk
Most excited to play with... Eastern Hollows
Most excited to see... First glance at the full schedule looming...
Best CMJ memory... "This will be my first CMJ fest."
Look for Clouty's upcoming EP to drop at the end of 2013, the follow up to The Dark Side of the Room.
Showcase(s):
BestNewBands.com @ Bar Matchless - 557 Manhattan Avenue, Tuesday @ 8
Genre: Shoegaze, Brit, dreampop
Most excited to play with... they don't play favorites
Most excited to see... The Dismemberment Plan
Best CMJ memory... Gull at XPO929 at CMJ 2012
Their eponymous debut full length will be out soon on vinyl in the UK, and for digital download everywhere.
Showcase(s):
BestNewBands.com @ Bar Matchless - 557 Manhattan Avenue, Tuesday @ 8
Genre: Post grunge
Most excited to play with... Radical Dads
Most excited to see... The Dismemberment Plan
Best CMJ memory... "Performance wise, who remembers but last year it was really cold and Leslie made the mistake of wearing a dress with nothing underneath it so we went to the closest store with and bought a three-pack of boxer briefs and shared them. It was cute. Actually, that may not have happened."
Haybaby released their first EP Superpresent! for digital download on October 2nd.
Showcase(s):
BestNewBands.com @ The Flat - 308 Hooper St, Friday @ 8
Genre: Garage pop
Most excited to play with... Radical Dads, Caged Animals, Sharkmuffin, Crazy Pills
Most excited to see... "...The Meaning of Life, Surfing, Lost Boy?, Zula, the list goes on"
Best CMJ memory... "Tarra from Sharkmuffin smashing her guitar. Also we played CMJ after having only played 3 shows total on a mini tour in Virginia and Maryland in the 3 days leading up to the first day of CMJ so it was a memorable time in our band history. "
Showcase(s):
Campers' Rule Records @ Muchmore's - 2 Havemeyer Street - Tuesday @ 7:30
Genre... "folk twinged frantic polyrhythmic tribal mandolin freakout"
Most excited to play with... "The entire lineup of our showcase with Team Clermont/Hometapes is incredible. Laser Background, Celestial Shore & Pattern is Movement."
Most excited to see... Arms
Look for Jitterbug out on 7" vinyl in November 2013.
Showcase(s):
Campers' Rule Records @ Muchmore's - 2 Havemeyer Street - Tuesday @ 7:30
Team Clermont @ Union Pool - 484 Union Avenue - Wednesday @ 7
Genre: Psychedelic disco
Most excited to play with... Heavenly Beat
Most excited to see... Foxes in Fiction, Julia Brown, Braid
Best CMJ memory... "This is gonna be my first year ever playing CMJ! i'm playing more shows this week than i have so far as SAINT PEPSI actually!"
Showcase(s):
Crack in the Road, Disco Naivete, and Unrecorded @ Pianos - 158 Ludlow, Wednesday @ 8
Pigeons and Planes, Popgun @ Glasslands - 289 Kent Avenue, Friday @ 8
Genre: Death disco
Most excited to play with... Haybaby
Most excited to see... Wet Paint
Best CMJ memory... "Seeing The Stepkids for the first time at Piano's in 2011 was interesting because of the way they were able to create their own atmosphere so well in a setting like that."
Showcase(s):
BestNewBands.com @ The Flat - 308 Hooper St, Friday @ 8