Polyvinyl Records Showcase @ CMJ, Bell House, NY- October 23, 2009

Polyvinyl Records is undoubtably one of the best indie labels out there today, if not of all time. With a roster that includes everyone from Of Montreal to Headlights, they held a stellar showcase at the Bell House during CMJ where every performer seemed to be more brilliant than the one before. The venue, which was packed to near capcity, was one of the must sees on Friday night.

I arrived just as the band Owen, also known as one of Mike Kinsella’s many projects, was about to hit the stage and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have heard both good and bad things about their live performance, but I never thought I would experience what I did. Owen played none of their own songs but instead performed nearly all of the Oasis album, (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory (Epic), which was a confusing yet brilliant surprise. Not all of the fans in the crowd were pleased with this fact, but Kinsella and company couldn’t care less as they laughed it off saying “Hey, it took a long time to learn these songs!” There was no end in sight to their madness and they pulled it off well.

Up next was Aloha frontman, Cale Parks who was showcasing his solo work. Taking a far different approach from what he does with his band, Parks stuck to playing digital drums and singing, bringing a very interesting performance to the stage. One ongoing trend of CMJ this year seemed to be the use of digital drums though Parks mastered them like no one else did at the festival.

Also to take the stage was James Husband, the glam drummer from Of Montreal. Husband is currently showcasing his new solo project, joined by Dottie Alexander and Davey Pierce also from Of Montreal. This was one of the first of his solo performances and he did it like an old pro. A stretch from the glitz and glitter of his regular gig, he brought a bit of retro, garage and twee to the stage, and though most people would not have expected it from him, it fits him like a glove.

I stayed just long enough to catch Headlights who displayed a variety of tracks from their newest album,Wildlife (Polyvinyl). With three shows in two days at CMJ, Headlights lit up the stage with their male and female counterpart vocals. They come off sweet and sugary on their albums but onstage they unleash the lions, and the crowd seemed to like it. Singer Erin Fein’s voice is heavenly and it fills the room, taking the songs to a whole new level live.

In all, it was a fantastic night of music. Polyvinyl has proven itself to be a label that can stand the test of time, as we wait in excitement for more good things to come.

Secondhand Sunday: Robbers on High Street “Crown Victoria”

CMJ is in town this week and we can’t be more excited. 1,200 bands, 100s of venues, total overload. Sorry we were sort of sparse in content last week. We’ve been setting up some awesome (yes awesome!) interviews and performances with some amazing bands. Be sure to check back for updates! Today’s Secondhand Sunday comes from a band we’re excited about seeing at CMJ, Robbers on High Street. One of the greatest bands that the city has to offer. Off of Grand Animals we bring you “Crown Victoria.” An artsy little video that is pretty awesome if you ask us! Robbers will be playing this Thursday at 8pm at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Nice!

Sin Fan Bous to Tour with Mum

Relatively speaking, Iceland isn’t exactly a breeding ground for notable new music. But among the few underground acts emerging from the island country is experimental pop act Sin Fang Bous, who seems to be on a mission to change that.

Bous, whose real name is Sindi Mar Sigfusson,will be making his North American tour debut in October with Mum,  in support of his debut album Clangour (Morr Music). The tour which runs for about two weeks, makes a stop at CMJ on the 24th at Le Poisson Rouge. Clangour is filled with beautiful sounds, both musically and vocally, that will capture you at first listen. Sigfusson also plays in Seabear, making this is his first solo album.

Listen to Sin Fang Bous’ first single, ”Catch the Light”

Sin Fang Bous On Tour with Múm

10/21 Somerville, MA (US) – The Somerville Theatre (w / Múm)
10/22 Philadelphia (US) – First Unitarian (w / Múm)
10/23 Washington DC (US) – Black Cat (w / Múm)
10/24 New York (US) – Le Poisson Rouge (w / Múm)
10/26 Montreal (CA) – Le National (w / Múm)
10/27 Toronto (CA) – Phoenix Concert Theatre (w / Múm)
10/28 Chicago (US) – Logan Square (w / Múm)
10/29 Minneapolis (US) – McGuire Theater (w / Múm)
11/01 Calgary (CA) – Marquee Room (w / Múm)
11/02 Vancouver (CA) – Richards on Richards (w / Múm)
11/03 Seattle (US) – Showbox at the Market (w / Múm)
11/04 Portland (US) – Aladdin Theater (w / Múm)
11/05 San Francisco, CA (US) – The Independent (w / Múm)
11/06 Los Angeles (US) – El Rey Theatre (w / Múm)
11/07 Santa Ana (US) – Yost Theatre (w / Múm)

CMJ Marathon Shares More Bands With the World….

After an eternity of waiting for more CMJ bands to be announced, CMJ leaked the news on about 150 other bands that will be playing this afternoon.  The lineup is filled with unknowns and buzz bands, just how we like it. Polyvinyl and Park the Van are both doing showcases as far as we know. Polyvinyl will have Headlights, James Husband from Of Montreal, Cale Parks and Japandroids. Park the Van has the Spinto Band, and well we got really excited and didn’t get to read any further. The marathon will also feature some new kids on the block (no not those new kids on the block) like Cymbals Eat Guitars , Princeton and the Depreciation Guild. Oddly it also features a couple old timers like Sister Hazel and Vertical Horizon. Really? We’re not sure how we feel about those choices. After all it’s supposed to be about new emerging bands, not 1995’s leftovers. Below is the list released so far, and kids it’s only going to get better from here. We highlighted our favorites and must sees, we suggest you do the same.

A Million Years – Acrylics – Adam and Dave’s Bloodline – Adam Matta – Adam Tensta – Adventure – Alex Gopher – Alexandra Hope – All Day Holiday – Aloha – Amber Rubarth – Amy Kuney – An Albatross – AnamanaguchiThe Antlers – April Smith and the Great Picture Show – Atlas SoundBear Hands – Beat Radio – BELL – Benjamin Wagner – Benji Cossa – Bermuda – Big Takeover – Birds of Avalon – Black Hollies – Black Taxi – Blacklist – Blood Warrior – Bloodsugars – Body Language – Bonerama – Break Science feat. Adam Deitch – Brit and the Calvary – Broadcast – Brother Josephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra – The Budos Band – Cale Parks – Calypso – Casino vs Japan – Choir of Young Believers – Chris Barron & Friends – Chris Kasper – Christopher Denny – Clare and the Reasons – Claymation Velociraptor – Clinton Curtis – Cobra Skulls – Corridor – Crystal Antlers Cymbals Eat Guitars – Dada Life – Danger – Dan Torres – Dang-It Bobby’s – Daniel Pujol – Dark Meat – Dark Room Notes – Darshan – Darwin Deez – Das Racist – Deer Tick – Denney and the Jets – Dent May – The Depreciation Guild – DeScribe – Diane Birch – Dick Prall – The Dig – Dinowalrus – Disciplines – Diwon – Dizzy Gillespie™ Alumni All-Stars – DJ Jonathan Toubin – DJ Odd Nosdam – Dolorean – Drawlings – Dred Scott Trio – Drink Up Buttercup – Drug Rug – Dum Dum Girls – ear pwr – ECHOecho – Electro Morocco – EOTO – Eprhyme – Ethan Lipton – Every Avenue – Excepter – Eyehategod – Fanfarlo – Felix Cartel – Fervor – Fieros – Fionn O Lochlainn – First Aid Kit – Flexions – Floating Action – Fool’s Gold – Foreign Echange – Frat Dad – Free Energy – French Horn Rebellion LIVE – French Miami – FUCT – The Fumes – Furcast – Generationals – Gentleman Reg – Gigi Fouquet – Goat Whore – Golden Boots – Golden Triangle – Grammar Debate – Great Republic of Rough and Ready – Greg Davis – Guyora Kats – Hank and Cupcakes – HarlemHeadlights – Heath Brandon – Heavy Cream – Heavy Weather – Hecuba – Helado Negro – Hesta Prynn – Hey Champ DJ – Higgins – The High Strung – Higher Giant – The Hi-Risers – Hockey – Holiday Shores – Hollerado – Hollis Brown – Holy Sons – Home and Garden – Hospital Bombers – Hot Panda – HotChaCha – Ian Axel – Ian Thomas – Immaculate Machine – Inlets – Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley – Ivana XL – J. Dash – Jaguar Club – James Husband – James Maddock – Janel and Anthony – Janelle MonaeJapandroids – Javelin – JBM – Jeff Taylor – JEFF The Brotherhood – Jess King – Joey Cape (Lagwagon) and Jon Snodgrass (Drag The River) – Jonny Hirsch – Josh Mease – Julius C – Jupiter One – Kaiser Cartel – K-Holes – Kosha Dillz – Kria Brekkan – LA Riots – La Strada – Las Rubias Del Norte – Laura Marling – Laura Warshauer – Lemon Bell – Leslie Mendelson – Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez – Lia Ices – Like Bells – Lisa Bianco – Local Natives – Lost In The Trees – Lovvers – Lynch (ft. Jim Loughlin of moe.) – Marcus Johnson – Margaret Cho – Marianna Falusi – Math the Band – Mere – Michael Daves – Michal Towber – Mickey Factz – Midnight Juggernauts – The Mieka Canon – Mighty Five DJ – Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – The Minutes – Miz Metro – Modern Science – Modern Skirts – The Moi Non Plus – Mon Khmer – Montag – The Moore Brothers – Mr. Move – Múm – Mumford & Sons – Mutlu – Mystery of Two – The Naked Hearts – Nate Campany – Nathan Corsi Band – Natural Child – The Neanderthals – New Villager – Ninjasonik – NLX – Obits – The Octagon – Owen – The Pack A.D. – Paleo – Papa – The Paparazzi – Patrick Watson – Pela – Pepi Ginsberg – Pete & J – Pig Destroyer – Pill Wonder – Pissed Jeans – Pitbull – Pocketknife – The Polyamorous Affair – Portugal. The Man – Princeton – Puba – Ravens & Chimes – Red Wire Black Wire – Richard Julian – Right On Dynamite – Rings – Rob Roy – Rumspringa – Saul Williams – Savoir Adore – School of Seven Bells – Screaming Females – Sean Bones – Selmanaires – Shaky Hands – Shayna Zaid and The Catch – Shout Out Out Out Out – Signer – Silver Starling – Sin Fang Bous – Sissy Wish – Sister Hazel – Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds – Slow Club – So Many Wizards – So So Glos – Social Hero – Sonya Kitchell – Souljah – Space Capone – Speech Debelle – The Spinto Band – Squaaks – The Stalkers – The Star Department – Stationary Set – Still Flyin’ – Still Life Still – Strong Intention – Subplots – Suckers – Sugar & Gold – Super Extra Bonus Party – Superdrag – Superhuman Happiness – The Surrender – Sxip Shirey – Takka Takka – Tall Tall Trees – Taylor Barton with GE Smith – Teenage Bottlerocket – Telepathe – The Temper Trap – Terry Poison – Tickley Feather – Timber Timbre – The Title Tracks – The Toby Lightman – Tommie Sunshine – Toro y Moi – The Trashmen – Trouble Andrew –True Womanhood – Twi The Humble Feather – Two Man Gentlemen Band – The Uglysuit – U-God – Underwater People – Unnatural Helpers – The Unsacred Hearts – UUVVWWZ – Val Emmich – Vega – Vertical Horizon – Very Best – Via Tania – VIKING – Wallpaper – Warpaint – We Are Country Mice – We Are Enfant Terrible – We Are The World – We Should Be Dead – The Wheel – White Tie Affair – Wild Light – Wild Yaks – Wiyos – The xx – Y-Love – Yes Giantess – Zac Brown Band – Zaza – Zeus – Zs – Z-Trip – Zuri Star – ZzZ

The Drums ‘Let’s Go Surfing’

How have I gone the whole summer without hearing The Drums ‘Let’s Go Surfing’? The infectious band from Brooklyn who started to earn a buzz after CMJ 2008 are breaking out even more outside of the New York area. The band will be playing Insound’s 10th Year Anniversary party with Cymbals Eats Guitar on Thursday night in Brooklyn, and the band is also slated to played CMJ on October 21st at Santo’s House Party. ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ is by far the catchiest song I’ve heard in a while and it will surely have you hooked.  Jonathan Pierce and Adam Kessler also played in the short lived band, Elkland, who released one album on Columbia before splitting up. The Drums seem to be going further than Elkland ever has….and we like it.

The Drums  release their first EP on September 15th.

Check out The Drums on MYSPACE

Watch The Drums ‘Let’s Go Surfing’