CMJ 2014 – Day Four Recap

FADER Fort & more ruled Friday night at CMJ '14....
CMJ

CMJ 2014 - Day Four Recap

Another year, another CMJ. New York’s multi-venue music industry festival has had its ups and downs, but in 2014 seems to be on an upswing, with a slew of big shows to go with the millions of struggling bands at tiny places, Tuesday-to-Saturday, October 21st to 25th:

 

 

CMJ Panel @ Kimmel Center

Beautiful Noise Panel

Beautiful Noise Panel

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

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Breakthru Radio showcase @ Cake Shop

Dinosaur Feathers

Dinosaur Feathers

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

 

Monomyth

Monomyth

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

 

DOTT

DOTT

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

 

Flowers

Flowers

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

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Planetary Group/Dutch Impact/Eurosonic Noorderslag showcase @ Pianos

Dune Rats

Dune Rats

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

Dune Rats

Dune Rats

Click image for full gallery – Bashira Webb

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CMJ party @ Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 1

The Field Effect

The Field Effect

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

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Papercup Records showcase @ Lit Lounge

Needle Points

Needle Points

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

 

Gal Pals

Gal Pals

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

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CMJ showcase @ Hammerstein Ballroom

First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit

Click image for full gallery – Ken Grand-Pierre

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Deli Mag showcase @ Pianos

Girlpool

Girlpool

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

Girlpool

Girlpool

Click image for full gallery – Bashira Webb

 

Vandana Jain

Vandana Jain

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

WALTZ

WALTZ

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

WALTZ

WALTZ

Click image for full gallery – Bashira Webb

 

altopalo

altopalo

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

Fascinator

Fascinator

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

Bo Ningen

Bo Ningen

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

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FADER Fort @ Converse Rubber Tracks

SPOOKYLAND

SPOOKYLAND

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

If you don’t know where to go at CMJ, always a good choice is FADER Fort (especially if you’ve got a Press or VIP wristband and can skip the GA line…). This evening had a special headliner and special guest (see below), whose crowd meant that SPOOKYLAND’s garage-rock didn’t exactly fit.

 

Adult Jazz

Adult Jazz

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

‘Adult’ in being an acquired taste, Adult Jazz had jazz and choral elements for still an interesting sound, playing to a packed Converse Rubber Tracks

 

George Maple

George Maple

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

Not a man but (definitely) a woman, George Maple’s sultry songstress was more suited for the FADER Fort audience this evening.

 

TOPS

TOPS

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

Nice indie-female sound (if that doesn’t sound sexist – is there an ‘indie-male sound’?), TOPS had indie with just the right hints of electro and/or pop.

 

Sir Michael Rocks

Sir Michael Rocks

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

Finally some hip-hop came on at what should have been a hip-hop/R&B dedicated showcase, considering the crowd for the headliner (see below), and they were definitely into Sir Michael Rocks, who jokingly asked for an Ebola doctor.

 

Nick Catchdubs

Nick Catchdubs

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

In the back half of the evening, all-star DJ Nick Catchdubs took over between-song spinning – ‘star’ being literal in this case, as he was wearing a shirt that made him look like The Star-Spangled Kid.

 

Willow Smith

Willow Smith

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

This biggest surprise/outlier on the CMJ schedule this year (admittedly at an unofficial show) was Willow Smith – yes, daughter of Will Smith & Jada Pinkett-Smith, the preteen who did the “Whip Your Hair” song (and not the one in After Earth). At FADER Fort, however, there was no hair to be whipped (though closed with a revamped version of the song), with Willow doing a jazz-songstress thing like everyone’s favorite influence, Nina Simone (though couldn’t have alcohol-soaked wisdom of most established jazz singers).

Willow was joined at one point by SZA, and another by her brother Jaden (the one in After Earth), with fellow famous teen Kendall Jenner – not surprising that FADER Fort seemed to stop letting in people at all by this point.

 

Cam’ron

Cam’ron

Click image for full gallery – Ted Chase

For some reason, people actually left after Willow Smith, despite it (finally) getting out who the ‘special guest’ was – rapper Cam’ron. FADER kept that secret for a long time, but it did seem that his fans heard and were there in force, as he owned the headlining slot.

Yes, there was a fight after the end of one song, but security sorted it out in a matter of seconds.

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CMJ showcase @ Legion

The Black Back

The Black Back

Click image for full gallery – Donald Lee

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Capeshok showcase @ Cake Shop

Lace Curtains

Lace Curtains

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

 

Weird Womb

Weird Womb

Click image for full gallery – Derek Klevitz

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Other notes:

-It may not be good for one’s liver when bartenders at pop-up place like FADER Fort recognize you, but does get you your drink faster – always remember to tip, even at open bars.

 

Unfortunately missed:

-Fort Lean (QRO photos at a festival) @ Living Room, 3:10 PM – 4:00 PM. Chance to check out new, now-in Brooklyn Living Room (QRO venue review of old Manhattan location).

-James (QRO spotlight on) @ Rough Trade NYC (QRO venue review), 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM. Acoustic performance of songs from new album, La Petit Mort (QRO review) – so once again not playing “Laid”…

-Caveman (QRO album review) @ Cameo (QRO venue review), 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM.

 

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