this week in music

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON 2012: DAY FOUR

Brian Suarez, better known as Allies for Everyone, will be at Ella Lounge on Friday night for a CMJ showcase gig

Multiple venues
October 16-20
www.cmj.com/marathon

Friday is by far the biggest day of this year’s CMJ Music Marathon, with a host of great shows starting in the afternoon and continuing well past midnight. We’ve been limiting our highlights to five bands a day, but we couldn’t stop for Friday, listing eleven must-see groups and one showcase, featuring a bunch of bands that have been featured in twi-ny over the last few years. So we’ll be running all around the Lower East Side and Brooklyn to catch as many of these as we can, and so should you.

Friday, October 19

The Press House and Imagem Music Showcase: Gareth Dunlop (11:30 am), Anna Krantz (12 noon), Shel (1:00), Jilette Johnson (2:00), Zulu Pearls (3:00), Wakey! Wakey! (4:00), French Horn Rebellion (5:00), Rockwood Music Hall

Eternal Summers, Cameo Gallery, 3:30

Turbo Fruits, Piano’s, 4:00

Allies for Everyone, Ella Lounge, 7:00

The Front Bottoms, Santos Party House Basement, 8:00

Anni Rossi, Fontana’s, 8:15

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Marlin Room at Webster Hall, 9:00

Free Energy, Brooklyn Bowl, 10:00

Takka Takka, Grand Victory, 10:00

Turbo Fruits, Public Assembly, 11:10

Zerobridge, Trash, 12 midnight

The Death Set, the Paper Box, 1:00

CMJ VIDEO OF THE DAY: BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD

The brainchild of dreamy popster Mikey Maramag, San Francisco’s Blackbird Blackbird is in town on the heels of the release of its latest EP, the seven-track Boracay Planet (Lavish Habits, October 16, 2012). Featuring five new songs and two remixes by DJ G and Distal, the EP has occasional subtle lyrics that show up in the background of ethereal electronic journeys. Blackbird Blackbird will be playing the Connect: Explorations in Electronic Psychedelia showcase on October 18 at (le) poisson rouge, along with Rioux, Rimar, Maria Minerva, Aimes, and Heathered Pearls.

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON 2012: DAY THREE

The Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger returns to CMJ to play Mercury Lounge (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Multiple venues
October 16-20
www.cmj.com/marathon

With the weekend on the horizon, things are kicking into full gear on Thursday night at the CMJ Music Marathon, with a great mix of bands from all over the indie spectrum. Below are our best bets for October 18.

Agent Ribbons, Spike Hill, 3:00

Tinderbox Music Festival: Beca, Slowdance, Miracles of Modern Science, Alyson Greenfield, Sorne, Hard Nips, Spike Hill, 7:00

Taiwan Music Showcase: Chemical Monkeys, 831, Da Mouth, Union Square Ballroom, 8:00

Shy Around Strangers, the Paper Box, 7:15

Bear Hands, Irving Plaza, 8:00

Felix da Housecat, Union Pool, 8:00

Eleanor Friedberger, Mercury Lounge, 9:30

CMJ VIDEO OF THE DAY: ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS

Chicago quartet Archie Powell & the Exports play infectious garage pop rooted in delightful 1960s and 1970s melodies. On their sophomore full-length, Great Ideas in Action (Good Land, October 16, 2012), the follow-up to 2010’s Skip Work, they deliver eleven sparkling tracks bursting with life. “The lights are on but, babe, nobody’s home / And it looks like I’ll sink like a stone,” singer-guitarist Powell explains on “You Might Be Cruel (Or I Might Be Dumb),” but with songs like this, there should be no sinking for the band, who will be at the Rock Shop on October 17 playing the Let’s Get Messy! CMJ showcase with Laura Stevenson and the Cans, Twin Tigers, Pretty & Nice, Trapper Shoepp & the Shades, Roomrunner, and Fantasy Rainbow. If you miss this gig, you can catch them October 21 at the Lone Wolf and October 23 at Piano’s. In addition, you can check out Great Ideas in Action for free here.

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON 2012: DAY TWO

Touring behind their second full-length, TIGER TALK, Canadian indie rockers Yukon Blonde will be pull into Webster Hall on Wednesday night for CMJ

Multiple venues
October 16-20
www.cmj.com/marathon

The 2012 CMJ Music Marathon continues Wednesday, the second of five days of hundreds of bands from all kinds of genres playing venues all over the city, in addition to panel discussions and conferences on the state of the industry. This year there is no film-festival component, which is too bad, but there are plenty of concerts, and you don’t have to have a badge to get in; the majority of CMJ shows are less than ten bucks for the general public, and badge entry is often limited. There are not as many major acts as there have been in recent years, as the marathon is getting back to its purer, more indie roots, although the legendary Johnny Winter will be at B.B. King’s. Here are our recommendations for Wednesday, October 17.

Let’s Get Messy! Showcase: Fantasy Rainbow (7:30), Trapper Scheopp & the Shades (8:15), Laura Stevenson & the Can (9:00), Roomrunner (9:45), Pretty & Nice (10:30), Archie Powell & the Exports (11:15), Twin Tigers (12 midnight), the Rock Shop

The Demos, the Delancey, 7:45

Yukon Blonde, Webster Hall, 8:00

Hey Rosetta!, Webster Hall, 8:45

Johnny Winter, B.B. King’s, 9:00

The Virgins, Brooklyn Bowl, 10:00

CMJ MUSIC MARATHON 2012: DAY ONE

Dave Wakeling will be playing both acoustic and full-band sets on the opening day of CMJ (photo © Eugene Iglesias)

Multiple venues
October 16-20
www.cmj.com/marathon

The 2012 CMJ Music Marathon begins Tuesday, kicking off five days of hundreds of bands from all kinds of genres playing venues all over the city, in addition to panel discussions and conferences on the state of the industry. There are a few main ways to go about attending CMJ, especially for those who have either gotten a ShowPass ($149), a Student Badge ($325), or a Full Badge ($549). One is to scout out a specific location, say, the Lower East Side or Williamsburg, and then just wander from club to club, checking out groups along the way. Another is to pick one hot showcase and just hang out there all night long. But you don’t have to have a badge to get in; the majority of CMJ shows are less than ten bucks for the general public. There are not as many major acts as there have been in recent years, with the marathon getting back to its purer, more indie roots, although day one features both an acoustic and full-band set by Dave Wakeling and the English Beat, who still put on quite a show. Here are our recommendations for Tuesday, October 16.

Reybee / Mezzoforte / A-Sides Showcase: Dave Wakeling acoustic (5:00), Luther (6:00), Glocca Morra (7:00), No Way Josie (8:00), Wild Adriatic (9:00), Brick + Mortar (10:00), Teen Commandments (11:00), Basement Batman (12 midnight), Spike Hill

The English Beat, B.B. King’s, 9:00

Live Stand-Up featuring Robert Kelly, Joe Derosa, Colin Quinn, Rich Vos, Keith Robinson, Comedy Cellar at the Village Underground, 9:20

The Mountain Goats, Bowery Ballroom, 10:00

The Ettes, Santos Party House Basement, 11:00

Alex Winston, Santos Party House, 11:15

THE PUBLIC THEATER’S BLOCK PARTY AND OPEN HOUSE

Lafayette St. between Astor Pl. & East Fourth St.
Saturday, October 13, free, 12 noon – 5:00
www.publictheater.org

The Public Theater will show off its $40 million renovated home, which includes a restored facade, new terraced steps and glass canopy, an expanded lobby and balcony with a lounge (the Library at the Public), and more, on Saturday with a free block party. Outside there will be live performances by Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess, Sasha Allen, banjo legend Tony Trischka, and Colombian band M.A.K.U. SoundSystem, while inside the Public will offer sneak peaks at several upcoming productions: the New York premiere of Giant, a musical by Sybille Pearson and Michael John LaChiusa based on the Edna Ferber novel; the world premiere of Fun Home, a musical by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron adapted from Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel; the world premiere of Here Lies Love, which features music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and choreography by Annie B-Parsons; and Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s The Total Bent. Inside, food will be available from their new menu designed by Andrew Carmellini, including pizza popcorn and kielbasa sandwiches on a soft pretzel roll, while seven food trucks will be outside, including Gorilla Cheese, Korilla BBQ, the Treats Truck, Solber Pupusas, Valducci’s Pizza, Rickshaw Dumplings, and Go Burger.