CMJ Saturday: Sini Anderson and The Roulettes at Bruar Falls

Bruar Falls' unofficial CMJ day show/BBQ (lovely in the garden during the five or so minutes it didn't rain) Saturday. Sini Anderson, formerly of feminist spoken word collective Sister Spit, is up to her old tricks with new friends. Violins literally play, whenever she speaks about her search for a place in the sun.

Portland transplants The Roulettes are back big (frontwoman Rebecca (Keith) Roulette is a poet and also co-hosts the Mixer Reading and Music Series). The four-piece are riot grrls for a less riotous age, their old-fashioned musical grammar taking us back to when groups like The Ronettes were tough and so, so pretty (it's no coincidence that The Roulettes covered Phil Spector), while underneath concealing comically voracious sexual appetites (case in point: "Hot Ticket," below). Disbelief St. and Red Wire Black Wire performed afterward, but no photos, alas (too many $3 Bloody Marys?)

Mp3 - The Roulettes - Hot Ticket

Chikpiks CMJ Day 4 Lightning Recap/Going Crazy Edition

So don't hate The xx for being the Official CMJ Buzz Band (TM), because they're all bunch of sweet, black-clad likely London lads (and birds. Do they still say "birds" in England? Did they ever?) I talked with Oliver and Romy before the show at the Apple Store, which was packed, predictably, with Steve Jobs' Nazi minions prohibiting any kind of photography whatsoever. But Brooklyn Vegan has a bunch of pics from their show at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday that are almost as good. They also play tonight at the Music Hall at 10:40 with School of Seven Bells, and later at Tribeca Grand.

Tonight Grooms play at 7:45 at Littlefield, a show I probably have no chance of making, and there's the Polyvinyl showcase at The Bell House, featuring Motel Motel, Cale Parks, and Japandroids, which is likely to be packed (what isn't likely to be packed?)

Also the Underwater People's showcase is tonight at the Delancey, where lo-fi pop bands Holiday Shores (is this band named after a retirement community in Coral Gables, or what?) and Real Estate are playing, and that I am going to try to catch (I didn't have the same luck with NME at the same venue last night, but that's a long story.)


And then will be heading to Spike Hill (yes, Spike Hill) at 11:10 for Sissy Wish, a Norwegian electro-pop princess whose voice is good for your soul, and whose single "Dwts" is probably #1 right now on the Norwegian music charts, because, what else would be?

Mp3 - Sissy Wish - Dwts

CMJ Wednesday: Broadcast and Atlas Sound at Music Hall of Williamsburg

My entire Wednesday night ended up devoted to this show, and it didn't disappoint for comprehensiveness or novelty. Though Atlas Sound (Deerhunter's Bradford Cox) seemed to be the draw, Broadcast was first on the bill. The English band (a boy-girl duo, now), behind them, projected choppy, vaguely creepy abstract film clips in time with the music, a result of their latest collaboration with graphic designer Julian House (The Focus Group), "Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age." Together it all resembles the soundtrack to a 1970s children's TV show -- from Neptune. The strange and talented songwriter behind Microcastle and the recently released Logos, Cox, when his acoustic guitar string broke halfway through, proved himself a wizard of patter, joking about CMJ coke parties and striking "sensitive" and "rock star" poses for the cameras. He remained upbeat, even when the show had gone way over schedule and the half the hall had walked out. Also, I, meanwhile, still have a bruise on each kneecap from falling down two stairs at the Music Hall. Believe me, it was a long night.

Mp3 - Broadcast and The Focus Group - The Be Colony

Mp3 - Atlas Sound - Criminals (Electronic)

Chikpiks CMJ Day 3 Edition

Damn you, College Music Journal. I don't have enough time to upload anything from last night's show before I have to start touting what's going on today. Sigh. So, but first:

On Chichi212, recap of Tuesday's New Zealand showcase at Red Bull Space, which featured Die Die Die, below.


The xx play at the Soho Apple store at 7 tonight, right after a photo shoot and interview with...me. It's free and I'm not aware that this is an official CMJ show, but of all the buzz bands in town right now, The xx are by far the buzziest, so it's a must-go.


Then, of course, if you're looking for some double-o soul, there's this:

Finnish band Rubik plays at 8 at the Arts and Crafts showcase at Union Pool. I missed out on them last night, but I have it on good authority that it was a huge, huge mistake.


Lastly, this has nothing to do with CMJ, but over at the Village Voice, Rob Harvilla has written a Pulitzer-worthy essay on how, despite what the mainstream publications tell you, "Brooklyn hipsterism," is not a movement, of any sort. In fact, it's hardly even a thing, like, at all. Thank you, Rob.

Mp3 - The xx - Basic Space

CMJ Tuesday: Sian Alice Group at The Knitting Factory

So in case you didn't know, The Knitting Factory is my new favorite Brooklyn venue (and not only because of its proximity to the G train, I promise), and seeing Sian Alice Group, a band freaky-hippie Brits with a flute, at The Social Registry showcase was a great way to chill out at the end of the night. Hell, even the bouncers, in contrast to wherever else I'd been, seemed jolly and rotund rather than enormous and threatening.

Mp3 - Sian Alice Group - Through Air Over Water

CMJ begins, I follow (Chikpiks CMJ Day 1 Edition)

So...so Grooms are just The Muggabears with a different name.


This is one of the many, many fun facts you can learn at this year's CMJ Music Marathon, which begins today. Grooms, in fact, are playing right now, at the Pop Tarts showcase at Cake Shop, along with, among others, Surfer Blood, Small Black, and Holiday Shores, all tinted various shades of pop. However, don't fret if you don't happen to be there, because Grooms will also be playing tonight at Death by Audio. And again tomorrow. And again on Friday. And finally, on Saturday, at the After the Jump party at Brooklyn Bowl. But that's just CMJ.

Deerhunter side project Atlas Sound plays tonight at 10 at (Le) Poisson Rouge.


Gritty, Kings of Leon-influenced rockers Black Taxi also plays tonight at 10:45 at Arlene's Grocery.


The Social Registry showcase is tonight at the Knitting Factory, headlined by British psychedelic experimentalists Sian Alice Group at midnight.


To be sure, I'm dubious about the effectiveness of CMJ passes for actually gaining admission to CMJ shows, considering that larger ones like Atlas Sound already sold out to the norms ages ago. However, they certainly are useful for partying with a bunch of New Zealanders at the opening night soiree at Red Bull Space. Pity the girl with the press pass.

Mp3 - Black Taxi - Head on a Pike