26 Oct
2011
2011
US Royalty played the KCRW CMJ “It’s A School Night” Showcase last Tuesday at the Bowery Hotel. Check out photos from their set thanks to our photographer Patrick Eves (HippieDeathBed.com)
Archive for the ‘CMJ’ Category
25 Oct
2011
2011
One of the most exciting shows you can go to is a Peelander-Z show. They have outrageous clothes, monsters, hot schoolgirls, and are likely to climb all over the place. On Saturday, they played the Bowery Poetry Club as part of this year’s CMJ Festival. Our photographer Tommy Ottley was there to get some great shots of the band.
Check them out:
24 Oct
2011
2011
Written by Tina Benitez, Photos by Patrick Eves
“I’m a rock ‘n’ roll photographer, which is a strange thing to be,” said Tony Mott. Mott’s shot of the Divinyl’s singer Chissie Amphlett taken during one of the band’s residency shows at Sydney’s Picadilly Hotel in the early ’80s was selected for their tour poster (with a $20 pay off) changing everything for the former hotel chef. Today, Mott has rock stories that could fill a book—and he has. Mott shared tales on the road and in the studio during an exhibit of photos in his new book, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Photography is the New Trainspotting,” Tuesday night at the Red Bull Space.
A photographic journey through 20 years, only a small portion of the Mott’s work was on display, including an “Express Yourself,” cone bra-clad Madonna (1990), Bjork in 1994, a younger Michael Hutchence portrait and David Bowie on stage, both circa 1988, Nick Cave and others flashed on a big screen.
Sponsored by Sounds Australia, the exhibit also included live performances by two Sydney-bred bands, including the aptly-named, Cameras, who just released their debut In Your Room, brought their atmospheric rock with vocalist and keyboardist Eleanor Dunlop evoking a brooding Florence Welch in Stevie Nicks garb. The band moved through a short, five-song set for their first New York show while Guineafowl, whose singer Sam Yeldham was recently shot by Mott on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the CMJ exhibit, closed the evening’s music with some indie pop during another five-song set.
A tour with the Rolling Stones, intimate shots of Janet Jackson, Metallica, Iggy Pop, Nirvana, Stevie Wonder and INXS (list goes on), Mott is still amazed by his career path even three decades later. “I never meant to be a rock photographer,” he said. The photographer’s stories throughout the years spilled out, including the time he opened Ozzy Osbourne’s Sydney hotel window for some light to the astonishment of the metal god, who hadn’t bothered to the look at his view for three days; reviewing photos for hours with the Stones, whose tour was described by Mott as “the rock royalty of rock photography”; Perry Farrell grabbing the photographer’s private parts in a sign of trust prior to a shoot; and Bjork’s strange request to be photographed when the sun was a half-inch from the horizon—something Mott says worked perfectly.
Concluding his trip down memory lane, Mott reminded the CMJ crowd of the insanity of rock photography: “Rock ‘n’ roll is a strange game with strange characters.”
Read more of Tina’s work at http://tinabenitez.wordpress.com/ and check out more of Patrick’s photos at HippieDeathBed.com
Cameras
Guineafowl
Tony Mott w/fans
Tony Mott
19 Oct
2011
2011
In what’s become a “festival” where bloggers and companies are focused on featuring indie/experimental hipster rock bands, it’s difficult to find some good alternative hard rock music at CMJ. This Thursday at the Studio at Webster Hall, the artist management company Fenway Recordings celebrates their 10th anniversary. Not only does Fenway Recordings turn 10 years old but so does the acclaimed post-hardcore alternative rock band Recover’s first album Rodeo & Picasso. Rodeo & Picasso was released in 2001 on Fueled By Ramen Records. Now, with the 10th anniversary of the album, Santiago, Ross, Robert and Dan from the band have decided to make available some segues from R&P that they recorded with Bob Hoag and Rory Phillips for free download.
We know that you’re already set on going to the show just to see Recover but you don’t know about the rest of the Fenway Recordings family and friends playing the show.
Joywave, Secret Music, The Static Jacks, WATERS, The Damn Personals are all playing this show. Oh yeah, the friends we mentioned? WE ARE SCIENTISTS. You get all of this for $15. This all kicks off at 5pm on Thursday October 20th. Don’t miss this show, we’ll be there!
Thursday October 20, 2011
Fenway Recordings Presents: Sessions at CMJ w/
We Are Scientists
Recover
The Damn Personals
WATERS
The Static Jacks
Secret Music
Joywave
Doors: 5pm
Tickets: $15
18 Oct
2011
2011
Cassettes Won’t Listen is the brainchild of Los Angeles-based, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jason Drake. A partner and previous director of marketing for famed indie hip-hop record label, Definitive Jux, Jason relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 2009 to record his latest solo record, EVINSPACEY. A follow up to his 2008 release, Small-Time Machine, CWL’s newest project is a synth/sample-driven record showcasing Jason’s contemplative and melodic vocals while experimenting with dark and otherworldly themes of travel, distance and despondency. Three years in the making, the title is a nod to his newly adopted hometown, his fascination with exploration, observations of broken hope within the city, and of course, those who sit on top.
Catch Cassettes Won’t Listen at CMJ (dates below) and take a listen to the recently released cover of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” (iTunes).
Cassettes Won’t Listen – Ordinary World (Duran Duran Cover) by Cassettes Won’t Listen
10/20 Googies Lounge (upstairs at The Living Room) 12am
10/21 Fontana’s 10pm
Watch “Runtime” Video
18 Oct
2011
2011
For Caveman, the last year and half have been a whirlwind. Formed in New York back in January of 2010, the band has gone from relative unknowns to opening for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, White Rabbits, Here We Go Magic, Cursive, Wye Oak and Yuck in a little under a year. Listening to CoCo Beware, it’s easy to see why the band has garnered so much attention in such a short period of time. Recorded and produced by Nick Stumpf (French Kicks), CoCo Beware (out digitally now, in stores November 15th via Magic Man! / ORG Music) showcases the dreamy chamber pop and multi-part harmonies that have been turning heads at the band’s live shows for the better part of a year.
Catch Caveman at CMJ
10/19(9pm) @ Vice/Noisey – Santos Party House
10/19(12:15am) @ ASCAP – Canal Room
10/20(5pm) @ I Guess I’m Floating – Pianos
10/20(11pm) @ Deli Magazine- Pianos
10/21(11am) @ Fred Perry(invite only) – Stratosphere Sound
10/21(2:30pm) @ KEXP Radio (live broadcast) – Ace Hotel
10/21(4:15pm) @ 6DB Unofficial CMJ Showcase- The Delancey
10/21(10pm) @ Yours Truly – Glasslands Gallery
10/22(2pm) @ Bowery Presents Showcase – Pianos
10/22(4pm) @ Denver Post “Reverb”– Fontanas
18 Oct
2011
2011
We could tell you a story that a want ad lead to NYC music scene vet Greg Nelson joining Gavin Rhodes in forming the band Lightouts but you wouldn’t believe us. We’re not joking, it’s true. Gavin Rhodes was looking for “Robert Smith/Emily Haines” but he received far more when Nelson joined his band. Together, as Lightouts, the duo have drawn comparisons from everyone from The Hold Steady to Surfer Blood. Take a listen to a few songs below and let us know who you think they sound like and come catch them LIVE at our CMJ day party at the Delancey on Friday October 21st at 12:05pm
The Eloise Suite by Lightouts
All I Want / Heroes (LCD Soundsystem / David Bowie Cover) by Lightouts
“Only The Smart Ones” BreakThru Radio
“Only the Smart Ones” by Lightouts – BTR Live Studio [ep52] from BreakThru Radio TV on Vimeo.
18 Oct
2011
2011
Memoryhouse, the duo of Evan Abeele (composer) and Denise Nouvion (vocals), hails from Toronto, Canada. Their music blends the contemporary with the forgotten, the traditional and the technological, the visual and the aural, within the sonographic landscape of pop. The duo’s discography consists of two 7″ singles, “Lately (Deuxieme)” b/w “Lately (Teengirl Fantasy Natural Mix)” on Inflated Records and the “Caregiver” b/w “Heirloom” single on Suicide Squeeze Records, and a self-released, digital-only EP entitled, The Years which was released in February 2010.
The Years earned praise from Stereogum, AOL Spinner, The Line of Best Fit, and Pitchfork, among others. Sub Pop Records just released a fully re-recorded, remixed and re-mastered version of The Years, adding two new tracks entitled “Modern, Normal” and “Quiet America.”
Catch Memoryhouse at CMJ
10/20 DJ Set – CJLO hosted Medium Rotation CMJ Mixer – Solas – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
10/20 – Sub Pop/Hardly Art Showcase – Mercury Lounge – Lame Fest II Eclectic Boogaloo – 10 PM
10/21 – Yours Truly Showcase – Glasslands – 11:00 PM
10/22 – BrooklynVegan Showcase – Public Assembly – 1:00 PM
10/22 – AAM Showcase – Knitting Factory – 3:15 PM
10/22 – MTV Hive ‘Live in NYC’ – The Studio at Webster Hall – 8:15 PM
Memoryhouse – Quiet America by subpop
Memoryhouse // “Lately” from Church and Steak on Vimeo.
18 Oct
2011
2011
Despite being together for over a year, Pittsburgh duo 1, 2, 3 have been raved about by bloggers at last year’s CMJ and this year’s SXSW festivals. The band only had a few 7″ singles out until this summer when they released their first album New Heaven on Frenchkiss Records. 1, 2, 3 consists of long time friends Nic Snyder (vox, guitar & keys) and Josh Sickels (drums). Snyder grew up inspired by a steady diet of Mercury-era Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Bacharach and his all-time favourite, Roy Orbison, but he was lured into writing his own music by his father. A collector of punk 7’s back in the seventies, his dad was also a piano player in Pittsburgh’s monolithic Iron City Houserockers, probably the biggest band to come out of the Three Rivers area in the 1970/80?s. Surrounded by photos of his dad on stage with Springsteen and B.B. King, Snyder was inevitably influenced by Blues and Motown as well.
1,2,3 released their album New Haven on Frenchkiss Records.
Listen to “Work” below and catch them at CMJ at the shows below:
10/18 – Brooklyn Bowl 7pm
10/21 – The Delancey – 6DB Unofficial CMJ Day Showcase 2:30pm
10/22 – Fontana’s – Reverb CMJ Day Party – 12:30pm
10/22 – Knitting Factory – AAM CMJ Celebration – 4:00pm
10/22 – Knitting Factory – Tell All Your Friends Official Showcase – 9:10pm
18 Oct
2011
2011
Chicago’s A Lull is nearly impossible to describe without qualifiers. Equal parts mystical and primal, the music crafted by these five multi-instrumentalists gathers the recognizable traits of a half dozen indie micro-genres, tosses out all but the stem cells, then adds the calculated, percussive verve of a half dozen rhythm sections on top of beautifully crafted songwriting to result in a sound that is as unique as it is memorable. A Lull blurs the lines between the synthesized and organic. The evocative lyrics and vocals of Nigel Evan Dennis are engulfed with music elements that live on the barriers between guitars, electronics, and effects, then (with each member of the band having at one point banged on a drum) covered with endless layers of percussion. Recording the music themselves, the band is not confined to traditional studio techniques or time constraints, and the obsessive attention to detail shows. Employing anything available to create beats, melodies, textures and layers of sound, A Lull’s sonic landscape is experimental in the ways that it takes form, yet at the same time inherently musical.
Catch A Lull at CMJ:
10/18 Pianos 10:15pm
10/19 The Delancey 1pm
10/21 Knitting Factory 8pm
