You hear a name like Bear Hands and you think what? Cute and cuddly? Or has the ability to gnaw your face off and rip you in two? Well with this particular band, you’re half right on both ends.

            Punk-alt quartet Bear Hands make the nightly New York rounds, finding new venues to rock and new fans to woo. But it all started in 2006, just a couple of Metro North rides away, when singer Dylan Rau, bassist Val Loper, guitarist Ted Feldman, and drummer TJ Orscher decided to birth the band that is Bear Hands. Rau, Orscher, and Loper were well-versed in the punk-angst ways fashioned by Connecticut school boys, but when Rau graduated to the Wesleyan University music scene, he met fellow co-ed, guitarist Ted Feldman, and decided to refine his personal punk flare with the help of his cohorts’ musical inclinations. “I’m trying to rid myself of my more punk tendencies,” Rau says. Rau writes all of the group’s songs and remembers, rather shamefully, the first song he ever wrote when he was 13. A pre-teen emo anthem, I wonder? “Yeah, I’m sure,” he scoffs, rolling his eyes. But even in the group’s four-track outing, Golden EP, you can’t help but get sucked into Bear Hand’s brand of post-punk, laced with dynamic instrumental breaks and Rau’s ‘tudish cadence.

            Rau’s voice does usher the band on stage, but in person he’s quite stoic, low key. In a pleasant way, not in an I’m-too-cool-for-this-interview sort of way. He’s thin, and the presence of his mangled bun atop his head gives him a towering feel. But when we sit on the top floor terrace at The Delancey, he hunches, coils himself into the chair. Cross-legged. Doe-eyed. Already in a humbled position, he states, “I’m really terrible at guitar.” Rau, who shares guitar responsibility with Feldman, has never taken a guitar lesson. “I’m trying to play the guitar less,” he says. This strikes me as ambitionless. “Oh, I have ambition. Just not to get better at guitar,” he quips.

            The band recently flooded CMJ, playing the NME showcase with The Antlers and The xx—of which Rau is a big fan—The Mercury Lounge, and The Bowery Electric. Although they only played five songs, they stole the show from The Antlers, leaving everything on the stage, particularly during “Sickly Brunette,” a track so seeped in badassitude, it begs to be listened to on repeat to get your ass out of bed in the morning. They’re currently putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length LP, Paper (release date TBA), which Rau says is “85 percent done.”

Although Bear Hands remains unsigned, gigs keep popping up all over the globe. The band recently came back from a stint in the UK and around Europe. “We do pretty good in the UK. But Paris, that was a really great show.”  The guys also recently played a November show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with Chairlift and Telepathe. And you can bet they had fun, because in the end, Bear Hands is about fun. It’s about head banging till it hurts and reveling in how good it can be to just be. And that’s where the dichotomy exists. They shred on stage, tats ablaze, faces contorted. But when it comes down to it, they’re just a couple of nice kids from Connecticut that decided to extend their pipe dream. And now, Bushwick-based and Brazil-bound, it all seems possible. Inevitable, even.

Paola Capó-García

Terry Poison feature on heebmagazine.com

I interviewed the Israeli electro-rock band Terry Poison during CMJ last month and the story went up on Heeb Magazine’s Web site a couple days ago. Logistically it was sort of a challenging interview because it was done in person with six people who all have accents. The interview itself wasn’t tough so much as figuring out who said what while I was transcribing. I think I did a pretty good job though and quotes should be matched up with the correct band member! I unfortunately didn’t get to see them play that week but hopefully will in the future because I hear their live shows are pretty nuts.

Terry Poison’s MySpace

Die Die Die is a really cool band hailing all the way from New Zealand.  Check out more of their music HERE

If you don’t know the CMJ music marathon takes place in NYC over the course of a week, at a number of different venues all around the city. Its not exclusive to hip hop music, but rather provides a showcase to new and upcoming artists from all genres. This years CMJ just recently passed, if you didn’t make it out to any of the shows, don’t fret, you can still get you hand on the Official CMJ mixtape. This mixtape however is entirely hip hop, mixed by Boston’s own DJ Statik Selektah & DJ Dutchmaster. Statik even has a go at rhyming on too, but don’t worry it’s not all Statik, the mix features the likes of Snoop Dogg, Skyzoo, Termanology, Royce, Drake, M.O.P., Consequence, Sean Price, Fashawn, Jadakiss, Fabulous + more

click here to download

1. “The Best” Statik feat. Reks, Termanology, JFK & Kali (produced by Statik Selektah)
2. “Crazy” M.O.P. feat Termanology (produced by Statik Selektah)
3. “Dinner Time” Royce Da 5′9 feat. Busta Rhymes (produced by Q Tones)
4. “Take Me To NY” Jadakiss (produced by Street Heat)
5. “The More I Get” Consequence feat. Rick Ross (produced by Statik Selektah & Consequence)
6. “Jaded” Statik Selektah feat. Joe Scudda, Truck North & Diz Giban (produced by Statik Selektah)
7. “Fear” Drake (produced by DJ Khalil)
8. “Never Let Go” Fabulous (produced by DJ Khalil)
9. “Journey” Cormega (produced by Large Professor)
10. “Protocol” Snoop Dogg (produced by Nottz)
11. “Oasis” A.G. & O.C. (produced by Statik Selektah) Dj Dutchmaster Mix…
12. “Intro: Dj Dutchmaster” Bekay & Donny Goines (produced by M-Phazes)
13. “Return Of The Real” Skyzoo (produced by Just Blaze)
14. “Foundation” M.O.P. (produced by M-Phazes)
15. “Little Young” Ace & Edo (produced by M-Phazes)
16. “Move Back” Sha Stimuli (produced by Just Blaze)
17. “Figure Four” Sean Price (produced by Blick)
18. “Life As A Shorty” Fashawn (produced by Exile)
19. “Bold And Arrogant” Emilio Rojas (produced by M-Phazes)
20. “New Money” Royce Da 5′9 (produced by Street Runner)
21. “Play By Play” One Dae feat. Evidence (produced by JBL the Titan)
22. “Bloodsport” Bekay (produced by Shuko)
23. “I Ain’t Trippin” El Da Sensei feat. Ghettosocks & Timbuktu (produced by The Returners)
24. “Trust No One” J The S (produced by DJ Ings)

Sloan—Pretty Together
Murderecords, 2001

Maybe it’s the fact that they are Canadian and American audiences just can’t stomach them, maybe their songwriting is just too saccharine for most American tastes—who knows. Whatever the reason, Sloan will never get what they deserve from America. The press will never acknowledge them (although their 2006 album Never Hear The End Of It did chart on CMJ’s Heatseekers list), the radio won’t play them, and their audience here will always be limited to whoever has the brains to listen to a college radio station every once in awhile. In truth, that’s okay for two reasons: One, it doesn’t make Sloan any less awesome; two, they are HUGE in their home country, so America can just go bugger off, already. Hasn’t everyone already figured out that Canada is a way cooler country than America anyway? They get free health care, their Jagermeister has opiates in it, and one of the best power pop bands of all time is commercially successful there. Seriously, America, take a hint! About the album, though…Pretty Together is one of Sloan’s best, and features all four of the group’s songwriters in top form. Unlike most Sloan records, this one finds the other members giving bassist Chris Murphy a dash for his songwriting cash. Drummer Andrew Scott’s “In the Movies” and “The Great Wall” just might be the two best tunes in his repertoire, and guitarist Patrick Pentland’s “If It Feels Good Do It” has become one of rock’s great morally ambiguous anthems. But most noticeably, guitarist Jay Ferguson really comes into his own on Pretty Together, offering up what is easily one its biggest standouts, the knockout power ballad “Dreaming of You”. Sloan may have reached their plateau with 1999’s Between the Bridges, but Pretty Together was created while they were still hanging around up there.

Super Furry Animals—Rings Around the World
Epic, 2001

This album really scared a lot of rock purists when it came out. When those of us who lived by the 90’s rock credo heard “Sidewalk Serfer Girl” for the first time, it became pretty apparent that everything was about to change. Actually, everything already had changed by that point; we were all just too stubborn to accept it. Rings Around the World helped us to accept it. After the initial scoffing and guffawing wore off, it was impossible to ignore how great this album was—not just how great it was, but how hard to dislike it was. Like a few of the records on this list, it is virtually perfect, though the varied styles of the album make that pretty arguable. One thing is for sure—Rings won’t really sink in until it is viewed on DVD, a rock and roll experience as close to phenomenal as one is likely to get. At the time, it was so phenomenal that SFA decided it had been a little too much, and toned it down halfway to nil for their next release. But, think of it hypothetically—your band makes an album that is revered as a potential “top 5 of the decade” type of record, and in a couple years, you have to follow it up with another? You try it.

Elliott Smith—From a Basement on the Hill
Anti-, 2004

To be straightforward, if ANY other Elliott Smith album had come out between the years of 2000 and 2009, it would have been on the list in place of this one. But, Basement should still be recognized and adored as an imperfect gem that, while unfinished, still retains the feeling of a true entry in the Elliott Smith progression. During sessions for the album, Smith was supposedly teaching himself how to record on the computer, the only recording medium he had yet to master. Aside from the album being compiled posthumously by Smith’s producer and his ex-girlfriend, it’s this wonder-boy-amateur approach that gives Basement its dusty, pastiche-like feel. The acoustic songs are classic nods to Smith’s early years, but the big rock numbers are something else entirely—specifically “Shooting Star”, which teams proggy guitar licks with a gigantic chorus of stumbling drums. Seriously, there have to be at least three drum sets going on at once in there (listen closely). This feeling of extreme density permeates the louder songs, most successfully on the totally junked out “Strung Out Again” and “King’s Crossing”, a wrenching ode to desperation. It might be somewhere behind Brian Wilson’s SMiLE on the aforementioned, forthcoming list of Could-Have-Beens, but Basement is still Elliott Smith, and Elliott Smith still rules.

Back in Austin…NYC was so much fun!

I had a great time hanging out in Alphabet City and hitting the clubs on Avenue A. It was like the good old times when I lived there. There are so many great sounds coming out of NYC, and it’s always great to see my buds. The highlight of my trip was meeting Matt Pinfield at the CMJ music conference. He spun my song Warriors….it was so exciting!

Before heading out to New York, I was able to catch some shows at Austin City Limits. It rained most of the festival and it got very muddy and gross in the field. I was still able to enjoy some pretty great music though. At the top of my list was of course…..the Dead Weather. Jack White playing drums while singing was something to be heard. He is such a well rounded musician and writer. I also was able to catch Passion Pit, Girl Talk, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to name a few. Despite the horrible weather it was a good time!

I have been adding more dates to the tour! Check out the dates on the Shows page of my web site (link below). Bassist Colleen Bonner and drummer Marty Mack will be joining me. I have also been recording again and have started working on a new album. More details on that next time!

If you live in Austin, come check out our show on December 16th at the Red Eyed Fly.
http://www.whitewidowmusic.com

There’s not that many bands that I wait all year long to see, but these guys I did. The last time BBE was in the states to play shows, our new president won. It was a crazy night in NYC. I had their self titled ep and those tracks made me want to see them live. Now, it’s October 2009 a year later, and the band BANG BANG ECHE is ready to rock the crowd at Piano’s for one of many of their gigs during the CMJ Music Marathon going on in NYC. Forget the fact that there two hundred or so other bands I could go see during CMJ. This is the band I have been waiting to see.. There seems to be alot of buzz around the crowd… The show is about to start and the room is to full capacity. With a NEW four song EP about to drop to the college radio crowd, they play new songs like “fist full of dollars” and the song “dirt in the water” which has vocals similar to Aphex Twin and crazy guitar playing. This band is tight.. I mean..jumping around on stage.. one of their most energetic songs is called “Fingers in the Till”..this is when Zach is singing and Charlie rips on the guitar and then all of a sudden they jump off the stage and play to the crowd like they did at Piano’s.

 They also rocked out tunes from their 1st EP like “Time Mismanagement” and “4 to the Floor” Oh, did I forget to say they are from all the way around the world. Yes, they hail from New Zealand. How cool is that? The thing I like about Zach great vocals with his accent is that when he plays certain songs, he has what alot of club DJ’s use for effects. The Kaoss Pad.. oh man, does this come in very handy and sounds so good with his vocals and the way he makes it sound when they are playing live. the Band is headed off to Europe for now, but they will back in the states in the Sping, make sure you make it out to see them live.
-Joe Madonna

Check out Bang Bang Eche on their Myspace

Check out Bang Bang Eche’s Live CMJ Performances!

“Time Mismanagement”

 New Song!
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Prophit performing “Get Lifted” at the Redbull Space in New York City during CMJ along with hype woman of the year NattyMONSTAAA. Props to Melo-X.

As much as this band has been hyped on all the blogs, we still keep finding these gems to highlight along our road to discovery.. this one is from this past month’s CMJ KEXP studio performance and its just too good to let it pass without a mention to our friends on YATM. Enjoy!

First, I know this post is wayyyy overdue. CMJ ended three weeks ago, but I’ve spent those three weeks catching up on real life and uh, going to even more shows because I’m a freak, and writing a lot (for things slightly more important than my blog). The next couple of weeks are super slow on the show front though, and I’m really not complaining.

Anyway, I survived my first CMJ! Hooray! It was a crazy, crazy week, but ultimately a lot of fun and a great experience. I went in not having a badge, so I just planned ahead and got on lists for the non-free shows I wanted to go to…and then all of a sudden I found myself with a badge, but didn’t really end up needing it! My apartment was pretty much a hotel: Four friends stayed here for almost the whole week, and the fellow Michiganders in the awesome band Frontier Ruckus (five band members + two significant others) were here for three nights. One night we had I think 15 people sleeping here including my roommates and me. That is probably never happening again.

Throughout the week I was doing daily write-ups and photos for Under the Radar’s Web site, and I also covered a panel for PompOnline.com (Web site for Pomp & Circumstance magazine) and did an interview for Heeb, which hasn’t run yet. So uh, I was pretty busy.

Stuff I wrote that week:

PRE-CMJ: The Syndicate/Rachael Ray’s The Feedback party + PHOTOS (The Union Line, Fanfarlo, White Denim [pictured])

DAY ONE: Sneak Attack day party/BrooklynVegan showcase + PHOTOS (Laura Marling, The Antlers, Love Language, Think About Life, Javelin, Walter Schreifels Band, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel [pictured])

DAY TWO: Mumford & Sons, Twenty Seven Media showcase, ABC News Amplified showcase + PHOTOS (Sleigh Bells, Phantogram [pictured], Mumford & Sons, Computer Perfection)

Life Lessons from Andrew W.K. (writeup about Andrew W.K.’s CMJ lecture/presentation)

DAY THREE: Quite Scientific Records showcase + PHOTOS (Lightning Love, Chris Bathgate, Frontier Ruckus [pictured])

DAY FOUR: self-titled magazine and Pop Mart Media showcase, Green Label Sound party + PHOTOS (Delorean, Holly Miranda [pictured], Cymbals Eat Guitars, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Amazing Baby, Chromeo)

DAY FIVE AAM Showcase/day party + PHOTOS (Dum Dum Girls [pictured], Headlights, the Dutchess and the Duke, Lightspeed Champion)

Artists I think you should check out NOW:

- Sleigh Bells: I know they hardly have any songs and have probably been a bit over-hyped… but whoa, Alexis Krauss (the singing and dancing half of the band, pictured above) is my new hero.

- Delorean: Freaking awesome dancey music from Spain. Would’ve liked to see a longer set and be in a setting where I didn’t have to take photos and notes because I would have much rather been dancing!

- Mumford & Sons: Gorgeous and fun British folk. Their debut LP is already out in the UK and they’re signed to Glassnote Records for the U.S. release.

- Laura Marling: I adore Laura Marling. She’s 19 years old and blows my mind. She was my No. 1 artist I was looking forward to seeing all week and did not disappoint (also British folk). So charming, such a beautiful voice, great lyrics, just love her. She has an album coming out sometime next year and I’m sooo excited to hear it.

- The Antlers: It honestly took me a little while to get into the Antlers, even though I’ve had their record, Hospice (Frenchkiss), forever, but seeing them live definitely helped that. “Bear” is absolutely one of my favorite songs of the year and live it was phenomenal.

A few others: Dum Dum Girls, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel, The Union Line

It seems like a daily occurrence for my father to watch a program on public television and shake his head at all the musical talent that is somehow slipping under the radar.

“These guys are great!” he’ll say. “Why don’t they play this on the radio instead of all that other crap?”

Of course, I never have a response that will satisfy the injustice that he sees, or hears rather. To him, the underdogs will always be forgotten in the shadows created by the others standing in the limelight.

Maybe he would feel better if I told him about S.E.G.

S.E.G., or Show Entertainment Group, is the two-and-a-half-year-old brain child of Francesco Montagnani.

Montagnani came from Bovolone, Italy to the United States in 2004 leaving behind a family heavily involved in the entertainment industry.  Both his mother and father are involved with acting and subsequently music has always been a big presence in his life.

The idea with S.E.G. was to find the best upcoming bands in New York City and help them to bring their music and their name to the next level.

“The idea to see bands that are no one on stage and help them take their name to a different audience than the one they usually have,” is what helped me to develop the concept, said Montagnani.

The group is always looking for bands with great potential that need someone to foster them. It is not uncommon to see booking agents from the group at shows handing out their cards to exceptional acts.

This idea in itself is nothing out of the ordinary. For years companies have popped up to promote local acts.

What makes S.E.G. different from all the rest is that they actually help bands make money and gain exposure, instead of using their talent for only the benefit of the company.  S.E.G. has no booking fee and gives a large percentage of show profits back to the bands.

Unlike other companies, S.E.G. has deals with the venues they work with. In the past, S.E.G. has been able to arrange door deals as good as 100% profits going to the band after the first 12 bought tickets.

“For a New York [City] standard situation door deal, it’s excellent,” said Mantagnani.

He went on to explain that, if you asked different bands, they would tell you that they only make money after they’ve sold 15 tickets and then they still only get 50% of sales. Other deals involve pre-sales where the band has to sell their own tickets beforehand, sometimes up to 30 tickets, and then they only see a small percentage of the profits after that.

All of these classic scenarios end up costing the bands money to get the exposure they need. It’s not surprising then that so many talented groups are forced to throw in the towel because they can’t afford to pay out-of-pocket to promote their band that isn’t actually bringing in any money.

Originally starting on a small-scale, S.E.G. now works with seven venues across New York City, including Bowery Electric, Parkside Lounge, and Ella Lounge.

The group also gives bands the opportunity to play at larger events such as the New York City AIDS Walk and the cream of the crop get a chance to perform in the S.E.G. showcase during the CMJ Marathon.

Other unique opportunities include in store performances which S.E.G. currently puts on with the clothing store Esprit and Best Buy. These particular shows offer a chance for bands to play live for customers coming in to the stores, expanding their audience to people who might not make it out to late night showcases.

As S.E.G. continues to grow, Montagnani has goals to continue to expand the business. He hopes that in five years or so they will be working with venues all along the east coast and possibly across the country.

Also, the group is a booking, pubic relations, and management group, but they are not currently managing a band.

Montagnani would love to expand the business in this direction, however they haven’t come across anyone yet that they truly feel they want to take on as a fulltime management client.

Until then, S.E.G. is satisfied with the success that they are having with booking and promotion.

Bands that S.E.G. works with, such as The Shells and The Bamboo Shoots, have been nominated for MTV Music Awards. The Bamboo Shoots have also recently been signed to Epic Records. Another artist, Reni Lane, had a song featured during the opening of the ABC Early Morning Show.

Though, none of these deals were set up directly by S.E.G., they still are a testament to the strong ear of the group and their ability to help give bands and artists a leg up in such a huge city.

Also, residents of New York have come to recognize that S.E.G. Presents always has an ear for good music.

Many people will attend S.E.G. Presents showcases because they know that we put good acts together, says Montagnani. They don’t necessarily know any of the bands but they trust that S.E.G. will have something that is going to be great.

For more information about S.E.G. visit their official website or Myspace Page.

You can also find a list of upcoming shows here and read more about what bands working with S.E.G. have to say about their experiences here.

Yeahhh, I know this is a few days late, and you may have already seen it, but whatever… I don’t have a lot of spare time. Deal with it. Here is Spin’s list of 25 artists you should definitely listen to from CMJ. The link will connect you directly to a band named, MyNameIsJohnMichael. I chose to listen to them because Spin compares them to Beirut. Honestly, I don’t hear, but they are still good.

Listen to something new. Music is a beautiful thing to waste.

I hate that I always gets sentimental at the end of posts.

I’ve already written about this group at length over at PI + CS but I love them so much that I wanted to feature them here on All Things Go as well.

Sleigh Bells is what you want to put on when you’ve had a really bad day and need to blast all disruption out of your head. I mean, it’s really flippin’ LOUD MUSIC. Which is exactly why it is awesome. It’s just guitar player Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I am held in such awe of these songs. (How do only TWO people make all that noise? Mystifying.) Anyways, the pair produce this infectious sound that will creep into your brain and reside their for a week minimum.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say a major part of the attraction wasn’t the fact that Alexis Krauss is a total bad-ass frontwoman.

She reminds me of Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather) just a bit, but she is gritter than Mosshart even, as she doesn’t need a Jamie Hince or Jack White. She holds her own thankyouverymuch. Secretly, I wish I were either of these ladies. I harbor hidden desires to hop up on stage and scream into a microphone whilst wearing a leather jacket and smoking from a pack of Marlboro Reds.

MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Crown on the Ground”
MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Infinity Guitars”

xo,
Linds

Ah, CMJ week. We kind of miss it and the great bands we had the pleasure to work with. One of our favorites of the week was Robbers on High Street. Not only did they put on my personal favorite show at CMJ, but somehow we roped Ben Trokan and Dave Sherman into performing for us in an alley/bus washing station in Park Slope, Brooklyn that night. Robbers played two new songs for us including “Watch Me Disappear” which will sure to be placed on the next record. Everytime I watch this video I’m amazed by the fact that Dave did not pass out from blowing into that keyboard.  Enjoy watching one of the greatest indie bands of the past 10 years getting creative on the street.

“Watch Me Disappear”

Another New Robbers on High Street Song!

I’ve already written about this group at length over at PI + CS but I love them so much that I wanted to feature them here on All Things Go as well.

Sleigh Bells is what you want to put on when you’ve had a really bad day and need to blast all disruption out of your head. I mean, it’s really flippin’ LOUD MUSIC. Which is exactly why it is awesome. It’s just guitar player Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I am held in such awe of these songs. (How do only TWO people make all that noise? Mystifying.) Anyways, the pair produce this infectious sound that will creep into your brain and reside their for a week minimum.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say a major part of the attraction wasn’t the fact that Allison Krauss is a total bad-ass frontwoman.

She reminds me of Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather) just a bit, but she is gritter than Mosshart even, as she doesn’t need a Jamie Hince or Jack White. She holds her own thankyouverymuch. Secretly, I wish I were either of these ladies. I harbor hidden desires to hop up on stage and scream into a microphone whilst wearing a leather jacket and smoking from a pack of Marlboro Reds.

MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Crown on the Ground”
MP3: Sleigh Bells – “Infinity Guitars”

xo,
Linds

Theophilus London at Santos, 10.23.09

Wednesday October 23rd belonged to Hype Machine/ Babelgum with their fantastic daytime showcase at Santos Party House with FREE Heineken and glow stick accessories. The line-up consisted of one of our favorite new bands Sleigh Bells, VEGA, Theophilus London and a closing set by Midnight Juggernauts and soundtracked by DJ Alan Wilkis. Spotted at the showcase: M.I.A., Spike Jonze and Paul Dano.

Sleigh Bells were first up on the bill, setting the bar for their predecessors. Sleigh Bells’ Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss are still finalizing their demos and polishing their set, but with their current minimalist iPod, bass and vocal stage dynamic are making some major noise throughout the blogosphere!

Sleigh Bells at Santos, 10.23.09

We saw Sleigh Bells in their true element a few days after their Santos gig at The Market Hotel in Bushwick, the duo really let loose in an awesome punk rock way. We interviewed the band for our exclusive CMJ wrap from Derek’s home/current studio last week, so be sure to check back soon for that insightful feature!

Theophilus London was another artist I’d never seen live or fully familiarized myself with before, but after seeing his animated live set complete with killer dance moves you can count me as one of his fans! We saw Theophilus L. onstage with Sam Sparro and Mark Ronson a few days later at the Fader CMJ party at the ACE Hotel as the super-group Chauffeur. It was the collective band’s debut performance and we’re anxious to see what’s next in store for their project!

The full gallery can be seen HERE.

MP3: Mimo – Running Out (VEGA Italo Dub Mix) or zShare

MP3: Theophilus London – Cold Pillow (Machinedrum Remix) or zShare

Sleigh Bells::

Theophilus London::

VEGA::

Midnight Juggernauts::

A few weeks ago CMJ overtook New York City in one big clusterfuck. My strategy was basically to duck and cover, try to grab a few bands when I could, and get the heck out of the way. (This was after getting turned away at the door of the first Atlas Sound set. Although, I did make the second one.) But now I am desperately regretting this plan, because I missed seeing The Freelance Whales out of sheer ignorance and stupidity.

This group has emerged as one of the true stars of CMJ and while I tend to be weary of over-hyped potential hipsters, they deserve all the praise that is currently raining down. (Also, they are NOT from Brooklyn but from Queens, which we all know is the best borough. Mostly cause it’s the one I inhabit.) How would I describe their sound? It’s pretty much happiness intertwined with a sprinkling of glockenspiel.

While the quintet features amazingly catchy hooks, they manage to steer clear of the typical generic pop-song by richly layering their tunes with a whole variety of instruments; anything from banjo to cello to the aforementioned mallet instrument. Even waterphone!

Listen. Enjoy. Impress your friends with this recommendation.

MP3: Freelance Whales – “Hannah”

xo,
Linds

The main draw for me at Fader Fort at the ACE Hotel in NYC was Florence + The Machine’s 7:15 set but along the way, open bar and wonderful sets by MNDR, Jenny Wilson, The Temper Trap, Chauffeur were an awesome bonus! Full pictures from each set can be seen HERE.

<< MNDR >>

has been building steam over the past couple months through her blog, MySpace, and her frequent party gigs.

Bushwick’s MNDR was a breath of fresh air in the sweaty basement of the ACE Hotel, jumping from keyboards, knob-turning, and moving the crowd with her incredibly fun and tech-no-logic set.

Keep an eye out for MNDR!

MP3: MNDR – C.L.U.B. or zShare

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<< The Temper Trap >>

were essentially CMJ’s headliner, playing some of the biggest showcases of the week and gracing the cover of the CMJ industry newsletter.We saw The Temper Trap Wednesday night at The Music Hall of Williamsburg for the Blue Flowers showcase in the headlining slot once populated by Speech Debelle.

I’m going to be honest in saying that I was not impressed by their set that night, and was quite frankly bored. However, the band I saw onstage at MHOW was not at all the same one smashing the stage at the ACE Hotel.

I think The Temper Trap are more comfortable in a smaller and more intimate setting where they connect with the fans, stepping up their stage presence 150% and feeding off of the energy of the crowd. The crowning moment for me was when lead singer Dougy Mandagi poured bottles of water on the drums to create a geyser effect while Jonathan Aherne swung his bass around like a chainsaw. Now that’s what I call a show!

MP3: The Temper Trap – Science Of Fear (Herve Remix) or zShare

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<< Jenny Wilson >>

was first on my radar as the guest vocalist on The Knife’s infectious You Take My Breath Away from the band’s 2005 album Deep Cuts.

Fellow Swedes Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson (aka The Knife) signed Jenny Wilson to Rabid Records where she released two records: Love and Youth (2005) and this year’s Hardships!

Like Chauffeur and Florence + The Machine, Wilson made her debut performance in New York at Fader Fort’s CMJ party. It was a beautiful debut performance and a great introduction to her electro-orchestra sound complete an ensemble of horns, flutes, keys and percussion.

MP3: Jenny Wilson – Like a Fading Rainbow or zShare

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<< VEGA >>

is Alan Palomo’s third musical identity, the previous being Ghosthustler and the blog staple Neon Indian.

I first caught Vega live at Studio B last spring, and again at Hype Machine/Babelgum’s CMJ showcase before Fader’s party, and the set gets more and more polished each time.

MP3: VEGA – No Reasons or zShare

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<< Chauffeur >>

is the super-power collective of New York’s Thelophilus London, Australia’s Sam Sparro and the Transatlantic Mark Ronson.

I wasn’t quite sure what Chauffeur was upon seeing it listed on the bill, but I was pleasantly surprised to see these three artists from different places (musically and geographically) come together to make something fresh.

The trio played an extremely short set of about 3 songs, but wowed everyone with their cover of Sheila E.’s Glamorous Life. I’m interested to see what’s next!

MP3: Chauffeur – Soles of Fire or zShare

MP3: Sheila E. – The Glamorous Life or zShare

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<< Midnight Juggernauts >>

also played Hype Machine/Babelgum’s CMJ showcase with Vega. The Australian trio played a 6-song set that floated between punk and electronic, sucessfully rousing the sweat-soaked and spritied crowd into a hardcore dancefest.

We chatted with the band earlier that week (check back for the on-camera interview with ‘Sup Magazine) and they were excited to play CMJ, an energy that was pleasantly projected through their live set.

MP3: Midnight Juggernauts – Jump The Gun or zShare

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<< Florence + the Machine

My review of Florence’s acoustic set at Fader Fort can be read here: Florence + The Machine’s NYC Debut: Sweeter Than Heaven + Hotter Than Hell

MP3: Florence + The Machine – Howl or zShare

Savoir Adore might make little to no sense when translated from French, but this New York based band has been doing the complete opposite. While gaining an immense amount of recognition in the indie-rock industry, Savoir Adore plans on gradually expanding its music not only domestically but internationally.The group’s mates Deidre Muro, Paul Hammer and David Perlick-Molinari expose the details of Savoir Adore’s debut album In the Wooded Forest and share their experience of their second year at the CMJ.

What is the translation and meaning of your band’s name?

Deidre:We just sort of jammed together and we had never played together before. We literally made one mp3 recording and wanted to share it with people on Myspace. So, we made a name on the spot to share that mp3, that’s how it started but we found more meaning in it on the way.

Paul: We had just been talking about the French language and Deidre recorded a song with several French words in it and our name roughly translates as to know love, or adoration. Savoir Adore is actually two verbs so it doesn’t literally make sense, but maybe a hundred years from now it will be accepted as a phrase.

The news are that you guys have a new album, what sets it apart from the previous recordings you’ve worked on?

Deidre: We only had one album before this one. It was recorded in one weekend, so we kind of challenged ourselves. As for the new album, we had a more extended approach, we definitely spent more time with it, I guess that’s the main difference.

Are you pleased with the outcome?

Paul: It’s sort of unavoidable, as you record the new songs, it’s unavoidable to discover the new recording methods. We learned a lot through the process. I’m definitely happy with how it turned out, but also now we’re separated from it and we’re recording new stuff.

Can you describe your music-making process?

Deidre: We have a couple of different methods. We’ll be in the same room, Paul will be on the drums while I’m jamming on something else and we sort of hit record and jam.Afterwards, we’ll listen back and pick out different parts. Sometimes, one of us will start an mp3 and forward it to someone else and take it from there.

Paul: Another way to describe the process is to tell you what we don’t do. That being is that we never get together and write a song straight through. The project itself has to do a lot with experimenting with both song writing and recording processes. The EP was basically all the sounds you hear was the first time we ever played them. Everything was written in the room. As for the new album is was more developed; we sent a few tracks back and forth and built upon music we had recorded. As we develop, we’re discovering what works the best. 

Who mostly contributes to the song-writing?

Paul: The song-writing is pretty even. We find ourselves swapping material. Deidre tends to write more lyrics, I tend to write more of the rhythms, and David contributes with melodies.

Do you have any favorite songs from your own recordings?

Deidre: I would say “We Talk like Machines”. 

Paul: I agree.It has become our favorite song on the album. For some reason every time we play it live, it always feels new and refreshing every time.

What bands have you been listening to?

Paul: We both have been listening to Phoenix nonstop.

Aside from the band and the music, what do you spend your time on?

Deidre: I love this question! We both enjoy cooking and eating, I like discovering new recipes and I cook for David all the time.

Paul: I’m more of a meat person. I like roasting meat…None of you guys are vegetarian, right?

 Well, I’m actually a vegetarian.

Paul: I guess I have to rephrase that now(laughs). I definitely enjoy cooking though.

Was there a turning point for Savoir Adore?

Deidre: We didn’t start out as a band, it was very gradual. There was not really a turning point, and I don’t even know if it’s that way now. I mean, we both have left day jobs, but we still do freelance, It’s just a different lifestyle.

 How has your music developed and changed over time?

Deidre: I think it’s a time reflection what we’re currently influenced by. We absorb what we’re into in the moment and incorporate it into music.

Paul: The last two years we’ve learned a lot about playing together. It was interesting to see that the way we recorded and discovered what works for us and what doesn’t. Much of what we have done so far is experimentation. Now we want to approach things more critically, realizing the need for more harmonies.As you work on a project you sort of realized the strengths and weaknesses.

This being your second time playing at the CMJ, would you say you like it? 

Paul: We haven’t been able to see a lot of bands because our schedule revolves around performances. I think it’s been great both years.Every weekend in New York is sort of a mini CMJ. We’re hoping for booking agents to discover our music through our shows.

 Do you have a favorite venue to play at?

 Paul: Music Hall by far! They treat you well, the sound is incredible, and you’re in the middle of Williamsburg.

What’s the band’s next mission?

Deidre: Definitely writing.

Paul: We’re planning on going back to the studio, we’re hoping to expand on where we’ve been releasing our music. Touring is definitely on the agenda, but we want to do it right. This meaning support and someone setting up shows for us. Recording, releasing music in the UK and hopefully going to Europe eventually. I think the world is ready (laughs)!

-Viktorsha Uliyanova

Close your eyes and you’ll see black. Maybe some sparks, some flecks and non-descript shapes. But when members of múm close their eyes they see two-headed talking goats, whimsical planets made of ice, and prancing forest nymphs. They see their music take shape into wondrous things. múm has long been part of the Icelandic ethereal elite (alongside Björk and Sigur Rós), producing beautiful epic noise that matches the mystique of their native land. It’s the sound a haiku would make if it could talk. And in the past 10 years, múm has toured extensively around the world, spreading the joy and sadness of their five albums, countless EPs, and compilation discs. Now they’re embarking on a European tour off the heels of a North American stint, and luckily, we got to talk to founding member Gunnar Örn Tynes prior to playing a show in San Francisco. Here he talks about his band, his roots, and the music you shouldn’t be surprised he listens to.

Modern Mystery: How different is Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know from múm’s other albums?

Gunnar Örn Tynes: I think we always been open to doing different things because we don’t want to get stuck in a groove. But then again, we are always creating music. [Sing Along] is a lot more simple maybe. I think it’s such a linear thing for me, I’m really excited about it and the music we’re doing now.

Out of all the albums spanning your career, would you say one of them is quintessentially múm?

I wouldn’t want to say one is more than the other, it’s very hard to pick your favorite children. But I think we have the same approach to music now, [it’s] just [that] we are very different people.

You tend to have two or three-year gaps between albums, is there a reason for that?

Two years is not really a long time when you think about it. We do an album and then we do all the touring, that usually takes almost a year and then we have a little break. It’s a natural cycle.

 Are you ever not doing music then?

No, not really. I’m constantly working. I do a lot of production and engineering for other people when I’m not working on my own stuff. I’m usually with somebody else in the studio or I kick back and relax. I’m actually reading a very funny Swedish criminal story. I read a lot of different stuff, whatever people recommend.

What kind of music do you listen to? Anything people might be surprised about? 

I hope not. I think it’s very strange when people only like one type of music, when people only like one type of food. I can’t put any limit on what music I like. I listen to classical music, rock and roll, R&B, hip hop, it’s music! I have friends who really like Britney Spears songs, but they can’t acknowledge it because it’s not correct or whatever. I think it’s wrong, suppressing your own feelings.

Are there certain cities you love to play?

We just played in Japan a couple months ago, it’s amazing. It’s a great place to go play and spend some time, very different from anything else. But I just think it’s very nice going around. The interesting thing is meeting the people. People are generally interesting wherever you go.

It’s interesting, you’re fascinated by other cultures, yet Icelandic culture itself is so fascinating, especially because people don’t know very much about it. What was your upbringing like and how did Icelandic culture play a part in your music?

My parents were both working for an airline company. My dad was a captain and my mom was a stewardess, so I was off along with them all around the world on trips. Great fun for me, of course. But in Icelandic culture, [there’s] a lot of music in the traditional culture, a lot of spoken word or rhyme. There’s always been a movement, playing music not to try to make a band that’s going to be next big thing, but it’s always been a very common activity for a lot of people. It’s very collaborative in Iceland.

When did you discover music?

 Very early, I was maybe 10. I started messing around with cassette tapes and doing strange music. I never learned how to play any instruments, I’ve always been more like playing with sounds, or doing something unexpected, like an experiment. Soon after I started doing things on the computer, from there I picked up a new instrument every two years.

You call it “playing with sounds,” and that’s true about múm’s music. It’s very playful, but there’s an inherent sadness. Is that dependent on your mood?

 It’s hard to break down what feelings there are in a song, because there’s usually a lot of everything. It’s a very emotional thing to do. There are aspects of music that can elevate your moods, whichever way you go. I used to love The Cure, for example, and that music is very much sad and it’s up to you to interpret it.

What do you think you’d be if you weren’t a musician?

[It’s] very hard for me to think about it. I would probably be working with sound in one way or the other. If not I might just be a school teacher. But it wouldn’t be a glamorous business. I couldn’t.

múm has been together for over 10 years now. In what direction are you looking to take the band for the next 10 years?

Ten years is a very long time. Anything could happen. Next album could be a hip hop album, I don’t know! I look forward to seeing where the music takes me.

 -Paola Capo-Garcia

Check out Live Photos from múm’s CMJ Show After the Jump

 Bonus: Same label as Grizzly Bear!
-Joe Paolucci

Surfer Blood is one of the fastest rising bands on the scene right now. Blending a bit of 90’s alternative with 60’s surf rock, the band who was hoping they could land one show at CMJ ended up with over 12. I sat down with the band who is John Paul Pitts, Brian Black, Tom Feketethe, Tyler Schwarz and Marcos Marchesani, on their first day of the festival, in the back of their van no less, to get the scoop on one of the hottest  bands around.

How did everyone in the band meet?

JP: The drummer Tyler and myself have been playing together since 2006 — we met in Orlando, Florida. We started playing together and feeling it out. We were working and going to school full time, and we started jamming together as this band called Jabroni Sandwich, which is a retarded name but we were serious at the time. We had a few members come in and out and then I met these two guys (Tom and Brian) at a Diplo Ultra after party in Miami, we all went for the free beer and met each other. They were like “Oh I’ve heard of you guys, I really like you,” and we had heard their band too and was like “We should all jam together sometime and tour.” And I was like, “Well if you’re serious, call us and we’ll do it.” And three days later were already learning the songs and planning a tour.

Tom: It’s strange, because we had heard their songs and really liked it but none of us were really doing anything, I feel that each of us had a member or two in our band that wasn’t really available to do it full time. We’ve been a band for 6 months, but we started  with the idea of we’re going to get this record out and we’re going to tour and that’s it. So that’s what we did and we’re on a tour right now, so it turned out.

How did you come up with the name Surfer Blood?

JP: The same night that we met in the club, Tyler was in the backseat just mumbling stuff under his breath, and we had the music playing really loud and he wanted us to turn it down but no one was really listening to him so he started yelling random things, and Surfer Blood was one of the things he yelled, and we all were cracking up. We were trying to think of names and stuff.

Who are your influences? You sort of have a Weezer meets Beach Boys vibe.

JP: We get Weezer a lot , but I don’t see it as much. I love Pinkerton but it’s not like it’s a bad thing.

Tom: A lot of people tell us they get a nostalgic feel from us, like we remind them of a lot of bands from the 90’s.

JP: We love all those bands, we don’t really mess around with too much electronic stuff. I mean we have Marcos playing keyboards.

Tom: We have another member (Marcos) we just added to do all the keys and do extra percussion on the record, and it works out.

JP: Now the live show has gotten that much better. Our influences, Yo La Tengo is one of my favorite bands, in terms of current bands, Women are great, Holiday Shores is really good. We’ll be playing with them and we’re excited about that.

Brian: There’s this whole group of bands in Athens, GA, this guy Mercer is in a couple of bands, this one called Mouser.

JP: The So So Glos from New York are really good, we’re big fans. Our influences if you can’t tell in the record, are really, really broad. Some of the guitar effects and rhythms. We get really excited about other people’s music and that’s what kind of makes us want to play music. We love so many bands.

Brian: We’re glad there’s other bands out there otherwise we’d be writing the same song over and over again.

You’ve been getting a lot of attention from blogs, online media and general word of mouth. Does your ever growing and fast attention ever surprise you?

JP: Every single day. We’re just so grateful, just the fact that we’re playing 12 shows. Just four months ago we were like “Oh man hopefully we can find a way to get one CMJ show,” and now we’re playing 12.

Tom: I always say this, it doesn’t really hit us until we’re doing it. We’re kind of floating around and then it’s like “Shit it’s really happening.”

JP: Everytime we see a favorable blog entry or review or something we’re just so happy because people can be so brutal. It’s so bizarre to us. It’s really strange how it happened, we played 4 shows in New York, and the first couple were really bad and then we played one that was decent, then I guess a couple people wrote and heard about us and ever since then it’s been steady. I got a message at 9 o’clock in the morning saying “Hey do you guys want to be on the Pitchfork Forecast?” and we thought they were joking or something and we saw it later that day like “Oh wow!”

Is  this your first time playing CMJ?

JP: Yeah, it’s all of our first time playing, none of our previous bands did.

How did you get involved with Kanine Records?

Brian: You know The Drums? They were name dropping us in interviews and stuff, and then there was a show for Insound that they were playing and they told Leo to go see us at Bruar Falls, and Leo came.

Tom: They’re really cool and they’ve been the most helpful people.

Tyler: When I first moved to Orlando, I was playing in this band that I wasn’t really into but I was playing drums for it, and I didn’t even know anyone. And his band was based 45-minutes east of Orlando and we played a bunch of shows together, so they contacted us about 12 months ago asking if they could use one of our songs for DJing, and it wasn’t until we met each other in Gainsville that I was like “Holy shit, you’re that kid Jacob!”

JP: We are really cautious about being lumped into the whole surf rock thing. The only thing really surfy about our band is that we have vocal harmonies, and our guitars sometimes have reverb on them.

Tom: We don’t want to get pigeonhold in that category, we’re going to do other shit. We’re wondering what the next record is going to sound like.

So your first album, Astro Coast is due out in January. Are you more excited  or more nervous about the release?

Tom: It’s been done for a while, and we just want it to be out and available and start working on more stuff.

How does the songwriting process happen within the band?

JP: Well a majority of the songs we already had but people have brought in new dynamics and things have changed. There’s been a lot of tweeking and the live sound sounds very different from the recording sound. It’s a new perspective.

You’re doing a lengthy tour with Japandroids and Art Brut. Is this the longest tour you’ve ever done?

JP: It’s the furthest we’ve ever been for sure, and yes our longest.

Brian: We did like 30 self-booked dates but those were miserable for the most part. Sometimes you go to a city and no one is there. It happened in DC, it was Thomas’ brother and his girlfriend. Even the promoter didn’t show up.

Where do you see Surfer Blood in 5 years?

JP: We still want to be touring and writing, doing exactly what we’re doing now.

Tom: At the end of the day, there’s nothing we’d rather be doing. It’s fun, it’s better than school!  We don’t want to be some sort of hype band.

JP: We kind of want to break the trend that’s been going on. After people stop blogging about them, it’s all over.

CHECK OUT TONS OF SURFER BLOOD PICTURES FROM CMJ 2009 AFTER THE JUMP

Roughly 200 fans cramped into the Apple Soho store on Friday, October 23^rd to get a glimpse of the prolific, Portland-via-Alaska group, Portugal. The Man, as they skimmed the surface of their catalogue for pre-CMJers.

The band kept the mood mellow, employing strings that coupled nicely with John Gourley’s flailing voice, trembling during high notes, hissing like a crooner during low ones.

The set opened with “AKA M80 The Wolf” off of Waiter: “You Vultures!” The audience, which ranged in age, chanted along Gourley, “I am but a man / but a proud, proud man.” And everyone did their best clap during “The Sun”—a tune from the band’s 2009 LP The Satanic Satanist—while Gourley’s lyrics took flesh (“Fixing up to wallow my soul / Because we are all, we are all just lovers”).

But of course, being as prolific as they are, they can’t just have one full-length album a year. The band has already completed another studio recording, American Ghetto (release date TBA), and is currently on a two-month trek around Europe.
-Paola Capo-Garcia