Special guest at Piano's

First I traipsed over to Piano’s at around 4pm with two friends. It was the Brooklyn Vegan party and the place was packed. (Chorus: Oh CMJ, I have arrived!) I mentioned in a previous post, after a near-deserted Piano’s showcase, that perhaps this a venue that is failing to cater to the bands and even doing them a disservice. I mean on top of the main showroom/stage, the place has an upstairs bar- slash -lounge (often hosting a DJ, band or both), a downstairs bar (that will also occasionally host a DJ), and a kitchen serving both floors with a full-on menu. I thought to myself, “Could Piano’s be over-extending itself?” Well, the answer is, no its not. Piano’s is what you make of it. And, whether or not a lot of people come to see the bands comes down to who’s throwing the event/showcase.

Anyway, I missed Foals – oops— but I did catch The Maccabees for a second time in 24 hours. Ha, ha, ha! That’s a total lie. (Chorus: Oh CMJ, I have arrived!) I stayed for one song, saw a suspiciously familiar character (more on this later! – slash – chorus: Oh CMJ, I have arrived!), then went out to the bar with my boys Shan and Sam, and had myself a hamburger that was deeeee-vine. We shared a table with the esteemed Nicky Digital and two of his friends (chorus: Oh CMJ, I have arrived!) Now as I said, the place was absolutely teeming with people, so a big, bIG, BIG hats off to our waiter, John. This guy didn’t miss a beat and made sure everyone was happy –and all with a smile on his face and a completely relaxed, friendly manner. This guy deserves a raise. A big raise. And a promotion. A big promotion. Hec, John should be running the place. I mean I hate to do this because I’ve worked in many a bar and am well aware of the major stress at times, but I did see two gals behind the bar kind of bickering with one another, all exasperated and what not, which I find to be a big “no no” in front of customers. So again, big up to my boy John for keeping it real and keeping it sweet. Turns out he’s in a band, so check him out: John’s Music here!

The lovely John!

Just in case there's any confusion...


Another highlight in addition to jovial John: there was a DJ playing in the downstairs bar who played a song that’s been plaguing my mind for 3 years since I first and last heard it at TattyBogles (RIP) in London’s Soho, after an Envelopes gig. Now, “If I Ever Feel Better” by Phoenix will be in my life ever-more. Big up yourself, mr DJ man, you is wicked.

Yay DJ!


And the final highlight: I caught up with the lovely Felix from The Maccabees after their set. He was a real “happy chappy” as the say in ol’ Blighty, and rather funny too. You can read about our convo here. (Yeah, its part of that “exclusive” blog I keep going on about.)

I started out on Friday at Soundfix for the Fantatic Promotions Presents event, yet another ad-hoc unofficial event. (Unofficial is quite the theme for me! More on this later.) I spoke to the lovely Tammy Sprinkle who runs the venue, which functions as a bar –slash— recordstore –slash— live-music venue This funky, inviting joint has free shows 7 days a week, year round! Not bad at all.

Anyway I caught the band Afuche -- an utterly captivating, entertaining, fun fun band. This band is a dynamic, eclectic mix of afro-cuban (frontman Ruben is Cuban)and jazz (drummer Keith is a jazz-master), as well as a few other genres of music. Afuche features colourful orchestration by horns, guitar, bass, drums, Wurlitzer and other fun doo-dads. The energy of this group is, to use the British term, gob-smacking! And while Afuche’s performance is at once playful and bold, there is an overall sense that these boys are drawing from a deep, innate, understanding of music. It’s as if the sounds, beats, and Ruben’s sporadic outbursts are born out of some sort of primal, pre-historic musical bedrock. Afuche cites Fela Kuti as an influence if this helps to explain what I’m getting at here.




Afuche is set for great things, no doubt. Its clear their already unique sound is only going to grow more and more, reaching new musical heights. And if anything, this is what sets this band apart from all others I saw at CMJ; in terms of their sound, Afuche has a long way to go before plateauing. Other bands I’ve seen, although very good, seem to have reached their limit, maxing out as it were. Well, not Afuche. This band (probably due to impressive musical sensibilities) has a lot more to give. And I can’t wait to hear where this band takes us next.

ze pictures - not so good. ze band - yes so good...

Afuche is on tour throughout the US until about mid-November, (playing with the likes of Old Time Relijun), so you’ll have hold out ‘till Nov 13th to hear the band play in NYC, at Pianos
For all musicians out there looking to record and not break the bank, Keith Parker (drummer of Afuche) runs a beautiful, state-of-the-art recording studio, The Gallery in Bushwick (“East Williamsburg”), along with his partner Brian Forbes, the musical master-mind behind The Nillaz. The Gallery often holds open house events featuring performances and art installations. Check their website for details on upcoming events and rates for studio sessions (which include in-house, professional sound production and engineering if desired. Artists are also welcome to provide their own sound production/engineering personnel. That’d be stupid though, cuz according to many budding talents currently seeking their services and expertise, these professionally trained guys are the best.)




BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGGING...THE ALMIGHTY BLOG PANEL !!




There was a good showing for the “Almighty Blog” panel moderated by Eliot Van Buskirk, blogger and columnist for The Wire. Joining von Buskirk were panelists Mike Frankel (FreeIndie, founder), Karen Lieberman (BMG Music Entertainment, Senior Director of Global Marketing), Jaan Uhelszki (Rhapsody, Senior Editor), Anthony Voldkin (Hype Machine, Founder) and Mark Willet (Music for Robots, Founder). To uplift text directly from the offical CMJ website, the panel explored “the power to make or break artists that increasingly lies in the hands of influential bloggers. [The discussion] feature[d] some of the world's most respected bloggers as well as representatives of traditional media outlets hashing it out over the legitimacy of blog-power.”

Lieberman of BMG Music Entertainment started off the discussion by explaining that blogging (and the technology encompassing blogging) really speaks to, as well as furthers, the increasing mobility of bands (and all things, for that matter) and the desire for real-time experiences. She noted that blogs have allowed artists to more closely connect with their fans, and vice versa, and that from her experience as senior director of BMG Music Entertainment (wowza!) artists want to blog; on the whole, save a few weirdo-jerks, artists really enjoy (especially while on tour) the immediacy of communicating via written or video blogs.

Also addressed was the question of how to make a “successful” blog. Right off the bat, it was pointed out that ya can’t make diddley squat blogging, a point on which everyone concurred. In terms of music blogs, Willet, founder of Music for Robots, mentioned that publicists are very accessible people who are more than happy to offer info, etc. He added that oftentimes promotion and PR peeps will bombard you with tool and press kits, if asked.

Mike Frankel, founder of FreeIndie, spoke to the idea that blogs inevitably onle serve/reach a niche market/community. To increase one’s audience, he recommended that music bloggers cast their net of observations beyond music, and include other things within the realm of “culture.” Other panelists added, however, that in some ways the beauty of blogging is that you don’t have to please everyone. It was also added that it helps to have Hottt! news and privileged info. Ha, if anyone is reading this or any of my blogs, (are you, internet-land folks…ARE YOU?) you may have noticed how I’ve cheekily put this advice into practice…its all “exclusive this, exclusive that” from me…sheesh, I sound like a tool.)

At this point the buzz word “technauratti” (that’s also a website?) was thrown around – I’m not too sure in what context, but the tone was definitely a snarky, cautionary one! (especially from Anthony Voldkin founder of Hype Machine) It was re-iterated that blogs are like self-contained ecosystems, bubbles unto themselves, that don’t carry much clout; they’re are not cause and effect mechanisms and they don’t really affect what records people are buying, etc.

One interesting topic of discussion was the “blog as label” discussion. Von Buskirk mentioned some fellow under the moniker Catbird (who was actually in the audience) was trying this out. (Read Catbirds interview with Stylus Magazine here) On the one hand it was noted that the combination seemingly makes a lot of sense given that bloggers are in some ways tastemakers. It was also discussed whether or not the union of blog and label presents a conflict of interest. I think the general conclusion on this one was ‘no.’

The blog of the future (of “Web 2.0”) was discussed, especially in terms of how it represents a threat to college radio (hey, anyone know what the ‘C’ and ‘R’ stand for in CMJ?) because of the freedom it allows for file sharing and its non-linear format. The concencus was “not really.” Someone asked about blog pod or videocasts and it was mentioned that until search engines can search for audio (people are in the process of developing this technology) written blogs are still the main way to go. Von Buskirk talked about using widgets, such as interactive polling widgets where readers can vote on a favourite song, etc, that make his blog more “fun.” He also mentioned that limewire has made a facebook application on a lot of pages. Overall von Buskirk emphasized the interactive nature of blogs, and their ability to create an open dialogue and fun banter. He left lots of time for questions, because he pointed out with great wit, it’d be very ironic given this aforementioned nature of blogs, if no time was left for open discussion, responses, and feedback.

Good stuff. Glad I went. I think the panels are the strongest part of CMJ…always really salient topics with a good variety of very insightful panelists. It’s bizarre to me that the rest of the festival, in terms the shows put together, etc, doesn’t take into account or put in to practice the ideas discussed in the panels. More on this in my final, “exclusive” (yadda yadda yadda) blog post!!

Spectacular Bird

First stop of the evening was Union Pool in the’burg to hear David Lerner (ex-member Ted Leo and The Pharmacists) and his new band, Spectacular Bird. The band isn’t all that new, per se; I heard the first rumblings of this band coming from a ramshackle ol’ shed some years ago now, in Tivoli, a town by Bard.

Some of you may know Lerner as the fellow with the curly mop of hair, who works at the record store down N. 6th in Williamsburg, near the American Apparel. The other members in the band are: Quentin, Lou, and Scott.

Within moments of the show, the venue was packed. The whole group has a calm, unassuming air about them. And all I can say is, if anyone is qualified to make honky-tonk, throw-back rock n’ roll, it’s definitely these guys. With strong base lines, and riffs that are at turns sweet and rawkin’, Spectacular Bird is definitely on to a spectacular sound.

More Spectacular Bird in action! Click on this slideshow!

Wanted to see The Dead Trees at Mercury Lounge next, but took a phone call that made me just in time for “No more entry with a badge. Tickets only.” I tried explaining how important I was to the door lady (well, hardly – was more a show of mere desperation) and she, in turn, made me want to weep like a lost, little child. (Hence no hyperlink for Mercury Lounge- ha! I sure got that mean ol' lady back, eh?)

I regrouped and headed off to see Mannequin Men at The Delancey because I (me, me, me) wanted to see what they were like. There was a good turnout to see the band that night. It was a tight set from the rocky, grungy, loud Mannequin Men, who played with some serious intensity. They absolutely looked like pros on stage. From the get go, the group took charge, had control of the set, and carried that momentum through, showing no signs of faltering. Best of all, these guys are hilarious. Go see them play their song “Do you wanna massage,” and you’ll see what I mean.

More Mannequin Men pics!

Normally, I hate to leave a show during the middle of the set, but after such solid start, I knew nothing was going to stop these guys from carrying their succinct rocking of the crowd straight through to the end. Nothing, except maybe a volley of tranquilizer shots or some equally as silly scenario made up by me.

Next up was my British bred’ren (that’s UK slang for ‘homies’) The Maccabees, playing at The Bowery Ballroom. These fellows hail from Brighton, England. As a one-time resident of this young, music-minded seaside town, I can attest to the fact that this place is a veritable hot-bed for talent, churning out great acts such as: The Pipettes, Fujiya Miyagi, British Sea Power, Metronomy, The Strained Assembly, the not-so-good Kooks, Blood Red Shoes, and most recently,Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, a band currently taking the UK by storm. (This list might include a shout out to some of my mates from back home. So sue me.)

Well, The Maccabees definitely wowed NYC, drawing big, happy numbers to the LES venue, and delivering an outstanding set with remarkable ease and panache. If the band was nervous, it certainly didn’t show. On stage, these fellows possess a certain confidence and understated charm that makes them irresistibly endearing to the crowd – there’s absolutely nothing cocky or shy about these guys. Everyone in the band is a natural performer, especially lead singer Orlando, who led the group, with ease, through an impressive set of cleverly arranged songs, including some lovely ballads such as "Toothpaste Kisses." The band has a powerful, unique sound, a sound that, at times, even verges on the point of epic. Orlando’s distinct voice kind of reminds me of that Scottish singer who sang that early 90's hit “…and I would walk 10,000 miles, and I would walk 10,000 more, just to be the man who…”. But in a good way.
(I caught up with Felix from the band the next day to find out about their CMJ experience. Look for details of our chat in a forthcoming post).




More pics of The Maccabees

Rockstar Bar. Whoah. What can I say? It’s a real one-off? That doesn’t even begin to get at the absolute wackiness I witnessed that night. Boy oh boy.

First. Here’s Ross. He played at Rockstar Bar that night. I asked Ross if he’d kindly write down his email in my notebook. The transcript of what he wrote is below:

THIS IS ROSS

AND THIS IS WHAT ROSS WROTE:

"My name is Ross and I've
come a long way since I was
programming synths and sequences
in London. You can email me at
majiq-rupert@hotmail.com. I will destroy your morals at 240
bpm and reduce you to nothing
but a dripping adrenal gland at 60
bpm. My cover of Lady in Red is
better than the original. You should
sleep with me. It'll be better than
that game gear you got on
your 8th birthday. Or the time
you licked a fork in a light socket.
Minimalist. Keepin it real.
In your fuckin face globalpolitics
and abortion. 500.1000. ten.
ZERO.
A life in the day
a day in the night.
Nothing from everything.
Your life in a bottle.
Your mind in a jar.
Ping Pong Ping Pong."

Bring on the music maelstrom! On offer att Rockstar Bar that night: four rocks bands plus all things psychedelic/ noise/ experimental/ electronic from Electroputas (The Social Registry), Rainbowz, and our friend Ross. (All very nice people!)

It was a rowdy night, a night where kids could be kidz, and do outlandish things like… oh I don’t know…scurry off en masse to the water’s edge, only to be herded back to terre firme by the five-oh. It was a “whatever everyone here is on, I want some” kind of night. (Or did I actually hear someone say this?) One of the chaps from Vietnam was there, and while he couldn’t stand more than 15mins of his own band’s CMJ showcase (or at least this was the gist of his tale) he was absolutely gleeful at this waaaaay off-the-radar event, raving that it was one of the best things he’s been to for some time. I heard he stayed for hours.

Tim, from Baltimore-based rock band Hollywood, happens to be a recent graduate from Bard College (Hey! Weird. I went there too. As did, to name only a few, Steely Dan, a Beastie Boy, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre collaborator Sadie Benning, a current member of Devendra Banhart’s entourage and Dan Deacon …well, not really, but he may as well have.) So, anyway, the place was like a who’s who of Bard alum glitterati plus extended family; they really came out of the woodwork for this one. Being ‘cool’ is definitely a part of these kids’ schtick, but not without merit. Bard and Bard-like folk are about being engaged individuals. So, if being ‘cool’ is what you’re after, you better be actively cool to join this crowd. (Nah, just kidding. Someof these kids just are plain-old-posers. You know who you are, aloof-master gendarmes.) But beware: as ever, the current Bard diaspora and its related peoples are drumming up a fiercely powerful, influential, and far-reaching network of creative kids. You know, the next generation of the new revolution?

Lefty from Stalkers with stylist L. Peluso


Some dudes


The bar


Let’s talk about the real rockstar that night at Rockstar Bar — Kathleen Cholewka. She’s cool. She booked Rainbowz and Electroputas, as well as played the role of “awesome bartender.” She also sings in the faux French band, Les Sans Cullotes, has her own band, Discovery, and is co-president of indie record label, InterContinental Ballistic Music (ICBM).

This gal’s a real mover and shaker. When assuming the part of band-booker, Cholewka explained that her aim is to keep it “interesting and fun.” And while some nights are dedicated to one genre of music (hard rock, psych rock, etc), she told me that “often enough we mix it up on purpose or have bands who are all friends with each other so we can get a good showing and have a community of music lovers in one place.” She said that, above all “you have to make your own scene no matter where you are.” Her band and friends’ bands do just that: they get together, organize a night and get great responses from both club-owner and attendees.

I asked her a bit more about Rockstar Bar, itself. She told me the place has been in business for 20 years under various names such as, ‘The Ship’s Mast’, ‘The Mermaid Inn’,’The Local’, and ‘Rocky’s’. The bar is also open during the day and this accounts for “the colourful bunch of regulars” that range from “film crew workers to iron workers to artsy types who don’t work much…” (gotta love that last one, eh?) Back in the 90’s, it was more of a hip hop place, but in the last couple of years, it’s become more of a rock venue at night. However, these days, anything goes for the most part.
“People can kind of do whatever they want at Rockstar Bar,” Cholewka says. From rock shows to movie screenings to birthdays to queer/lesbian dance parties -- you name it -- if you can throw it, you can pretty much do it.

It sort of makes me wonder, like much of my CMJ experience has made me wonder, who needs CMJ when there’s this?

Third stop on the third day was Mo Pitkins. Toronto natives, The Golden Dogs, played upstairs as part of the Yep Roc Records Official CMJ showcase. They were a lively, boisterous, quirky bunch playing ambitious, exciting music. Fun, fun, fun. But, apparently “everyone” knows this band is great, especially live. So nothing new here.

THE GOLDEN DOGS






What “everyone” didn’t know, apparently, was that playing downstairs, completely separate from anything CMJ, was the equally as great NEW YORK HOWL.


PHOTO CREDIT: LUKAS JAMES

These guys are true champions of the NYC live-music scene. And mind you, over the past few years I’ve randomly run into this band playing shows from London to Austen and everywhere in between, (hey, what can I say? I’ve an intense tendency towards the bizarrely coincidental), and while they’re definitely champs in NYC, that certainly doesn’t mean their ‘howlin’’ doesn’t rock just as hard everywhere else they play. Go to a NEW YORK HOWL show and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed outstanding live-experience that’s wild n’ raucous n’ soulful n’ bluesy n’ punk n’ rock n’ all things jumpin’ n’ jiving! Their impromptu show at Mo Pitkins (which the band independently put together as a farewell to the soon-to-be closed venue) was no exception to this guarantee. The night was filled with all sorts of hilarious and entertaining antics I’ve come to expect from these swell showmen. For me, leaving the CMJ riff-raff upstairs and heading downstairs to The NY Howl’s homegrown scene, was like choosing the really great party where everyone was having fun, instead of the pretty good party where no one was having fun. Not exactly a tough decision, eh?


For your records: NEW YORK HOWL are close friends Adam Amram (drums), Brer Brian (organ, guitar, vocals) Andrew Katz, (vocals, guitar, organ), and Stefan Zeniuk (baritone saxophone). I had a quick word with Zeniuk about how the band works. He said that individually, both Katz and Brian write the songs. Zeniuk explained further: “Then they bring 'em in, and we will usually go through them a couple times, and just start making them our own.... sometimes we'll even play a song for the first time on stage. We're all very close, though, so it's a very organic process.”

Well, it sounds good to me, and it clearly sounds good to the band’s insanely dedicated fan-base. Look out for the NEW YORK HOWL's long-awaited second album, coming soon. And for all you lucky duckies in the UK, prepare yourself for the imminent return of the mighty Howl. Also: check out the solo projects of Adam Amram and Brer Brian, as well as Stefan Zeniuk's alternate latin-jazz band, Gato Loco.
Stayed tuned for the exclusive blog in which NY Howl’s Stefan Zeniuk shares, along with MANY others, his thoughts on CMJ.





ALL PHOTOS OF NY HOWL: LUKAS JAMES...(PAID WITH A SOLE MILLER LIGHT FOR HIS PHOTOS!)

I’m sorry but, right now, NO BAND IS COOLER THAN THE SUBJECTS. I left the Indaba/Underrated loft party on Thursday to go see this band play The Pretty Activity Records Showcase at Tank, and let me tell you, these boys cooked up a rock n’ roll hootenanny like none other! OH LORDY! Hollerin’and jokin’ was happening back and forth between band and crowd, all bodies were groovin, and everyone was TRULY enjoying themselves. By the end of the set, the crowd was so involved in the music, they merged with the band and one couldn’t tell the merry-makers from the music-makers. It was like one big happy circus – the most awesome sounding circus you’ll ever hear.

THE SUBJECTS aren’t just making melodic rock n’ roll ditties packed full with energy. Oh no, no, no. There’s more to it than that, much more. There is a power to this band’s sound and performance that is near iconic. (Big word, I know).

Well, it turns out these dudes are making thoughtful, intelligent music. Go figure. I mean one guy I spoke to at the show likened the band to Schumann and Schubert, referencing the culture of 1840’s popular entertainment. I’m not kidding. Seems these crazy revelers got some brains too. And no, this fellow (clearly a die-hard Subjects fan) wasn’t some know-it-all Tartuffe, he was just smart – and pretty dead on with his assessment: Schumann and Schubert were some of the first musicians to create short songs with words, songs that told a story and touched people’s emotions. The Subject's songs definitely do just that: tell stories and touch emotions. And while I wouldn’t necessarily reference music of the 1800’s to describe this band’s music (mainly cuz I ain’t that music- savvy), I would definitely say THE SUBJECTS are creating rock n’ roll that harps back to 60’s rock-jazz music and its now- retro attitude about making music, an attitude that says: above all, let’s create songs to entertain and engage the people.

The band’s focus is centered on their songs. They work damn hard to create songs with contour and they are conscious of each song’s arrangement, spending lots of time writing the different parts together. In other words, this is a band dedicated to the ongoing process of writing and practicing.

Now who’d have thought going back to basics, being intelligent, and sticking to a disciplined approach could be so fun and fresh? Well it is. And, after all their hard work, it’s time for THE SUBJECTS to rake in all the fun. (Lucky for you, these nice guys are gonna let you join in.)

Stay tuned for an exclusive blog in which this band (and MANY MORE such as LO FI FNK and THE MACCABEES) share what they think of CMJ

Next stop that night – a double whammy at Mo Pitkens with THE GOLDEN DOGS and THE NEW YORK HOWL.

I tripped over my calculator and when I picked it up the numbers read like letters.
“But what bands do bands like?” the TI-83 asked.
Thank goodness for our sage machines, I thought to myself.

THE SUBJECTS - Dave, Cobra, Jo Smith and Matty Pickles – share 5 bands they were stoked to see at CMJ 2007:

1. Black Tie Revue
2. Drug Rug
3. Luke Temple
4. Narrator
5. Nashville Pussy

With love from The Subjects

And for your enjoyment, here's a pic of the band as wee little tots, just starting out. Ah bless.

Wednesday continues: I ran into Shock Cinema at the Piano’s Kanine Records Showcase. They were on after Chairlift. I’d met them very briefly before at Vassar College where they played support for a White Rabbits show. Had yet to see them actually play.And I would have liked to stay for their show, but I saw them being interviewed on TV (wowee!) andI figured they were already getting their fair share of support and attention.

Russ, a friend who’d come along to see Chairlift with me, said he had a place for me to check out. He liked Chairlift, but I think watching bands play in a green-lit, smoke-machined room with only ten or so people was a little too soul-crushing.

It was time to conduct a little comparative study on music-listening experiences and head over to Zinc Bar, a spot for jazz and Latin live music.

As far as CMJ goes, Zinc Bar is way off the beaten-track. It’s never been affiliated with the festival - officially, unofficially or otherwise. I deliberated: was going to Zinc erring from my assignment to cover CMJ? I imagined some sort of secret CMJ police finding me and revoking my pass, citing betrayal of festival as my crime. (Ok, that part I made up). In the end, I went with Russ’s suggestion. He's CEO of Manhattan Center Studios so I’m inclined to value his opinion, or at the very least, be intrigued by it. I was ready to do some investigative work outside the CMJ City limits.


HOST / EMCEE, THE WONDERFUL J.C.


SILVANA MALTA AND HER ESTEEMED BAND

No one at Zinc Bar, not even the managers, had even heard of CMJ – “GMC?” No one except the irresistibly charismatic host-slash-emcee, JC. At once elegant and magnetic, JC is full of glamour and grace. He dances with patrons, ensures drinks arrived promptly to your table, and interacts with an overall aura of olden-day celebrity; JC bedazzles.




Zinc Bar maintains such an air of cool sophistication and old world charm, I was convinced I was in a vintage era of entertainment. Decked out in a full tux, JC introduced the set and demanded that the utmost respect and attention be given to the performers. When the music starts, there’s a certain buzz in this downstairs venue; a certain hushed electricity found in any place that’s clearly serious about music. Only the most respected musicians and virtuoso’s come to play Zinc Bar. You wont see such world-renowned artists perform in such an intimate setting nearly anywhere else in the world. I caught Brazilian singer and Grammy-award nominee, Silvana Malta, perform the night I went to Zinc. Known for working only with musicians and producers of high international acclaim, Malta is a world-class performer. At one point, and without any airs, Malta demurely appealled to the audience: “Please. It would be nice for me to be able to hear myself.” There were clearly some newbies in the crowd of regulars, who needed to be reminded of the art of listening and the magic of live performance.

And that is how Zinc thrives. It’s built a strong reputation among distinguished musicians and serious music-listeners as having very high standards and an uncompromising commitment to quality. One of the managers, (who was generally very aloof and reticent to talk about Zinc), explained to me: it’s a place where musicians come to play with other musicians of the same caliber. This has helped Zinc to establish its obscure, yet privileged place in the NYC music scene. She (the manager) very politely made it clear that Zinc is happy doing its understated thing and is not at all concerned with CMJ or interested in being involved with the festival. Meanwhile, this is somewhat against the efforts of host/emcee JC who would like to see the venue more fully integrated within the New York music scene.





From Zinc Bar it was on to Arthur’s Tavern in the Village at the corner of Grove and 7th, another dive-type place with live funk, jazz, blues, and R n’ b music seven days a week. I almost don’t want to write about the place, as it truly is a hidden gem. I’d hate to see it lose the charm of its seeming anonymity, as has happened to Chumley’s around the corner now that it’s hardly a secret anymore.

Arthur’s is a wacky ol’ ramshackle joint that’s been run by a hard-talking, music-lovin chick since she was eighteen. Christmas, Halloween, and Birthday decorations stay up year ‘round amidst the eclectic array of archival signs, knick-knacks, and other paraphernalia. The musicians who play at Arthur’s are veterans of the scene, and include a real bunch of talented characters. You can always expect loony-tune antics between the band and the audience. Above all, you can always expect a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere from Arthur’s. By the time I arrived things had definitely died down a bit. I stayed for a couple songs by a band featuring a blind bassist, and then it was time for bed. Way back in Bushwick. Three more fun-filled days lay ahead.

I can be pretty wild sometimes.

Example: while on my way to see Middle Distance Runner at Fontana’s, I change course and head to Piano’s.

Wild, I know. And that was only the start of what became a rather unconventional, unpredictable CMJ week…

So, Wednesday: I arrived at the Kanine Records Showcase at Piano’s, and realized I just missed Mixel Pixel…darnit (read: that’s one of those bands I hear about all the time, say I like, but have actually never heard). No matter. I’m in time for Chairlift, a Brooklyn trio recommended by my friend Brad from the band This Frontier Needs Heroes. (Now that’s a really good band. Good as in “lots of people other than me -- people who actually know about music -- think they’re really good” good.)

Here's a rendition of the Chairlift gang for your viewing pleasure...



And check out their song "Bruises" on the K9 playlist below:

I notice the over-sized plastic specs and the bizarre woolen vests donned by the band and grow a little wary that this will be one of those “‘B is for Be in a Band from Brooklyn”, style over substance, all-too-familiar type affairs; however, by the second song of Chairlift's set, I was pleasantly surprised. These guys are pretty legit. They have a standout, electronic, melodic, dream-like sound, aided in large part by stunning lead vocals from Caroline. In addition to providing her haunting yet quirky vocals she plays the synth, alongside guitar and percussion, from Aaron and Patrick who make up the other two in the trio.

Honestly, the first couple seconds sounded a bit like whale-sounds.
But wait O ye of little faith!
Soon after the ‘under the sea’ intro – and I’m talking 45 seconds, max - the band fell into a set of beautifully arranged songs, based on sweet yet strong rhythms over-laced with catchy, compelling electronic melodies. The back and forth between the female vocals and the charmingly understated male vocals made me think of a sort of spaced-out, stripped down Belle and Sebastian. One onlooker described the music as “ultra-melodic, restrained pop.” In parts of Europe, Chairlift’s sound might be described as ‘twee.’ The Envelopes, from Sweden, are a good example of a ‘twee’ band. Check them out. They’re awesome.

Most unfortunate thing about the show was the very poor audience turnout – a factor, no doubt, of the endless list of shows, parties, etc. that are constantly on offer throughout CMJ. At first, it was hard to tell if it was the venue (Piano’s) failing to cater to the booked artists, or if it was insufficient promoting by Kanine Records s, the label putting on the showcase. Initially, I tended towards pinning it on the former, as Piano’s always strikes me as too busy being a bar /restaurant/lounge-/hangout spot (spread over two floors) to put much, if any, focus on the live entertainment. However, after further investigation over the next couple days I discovered that the problem of poor audience turn out is rather more complicated, especially in terms of the sources of accountability. More will be written on this quandary in forthcoming posts.

In the meantime, here's an old picture of the creative siblings behind This Frontier Needs Heroes, Brad and Jessica Lauretti (from www.jessicalauretti.com)