CMJ 2012 Day Three Recap

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cmj12d3.jpg" alt="CMJ 2012 Day Three Recap" /><i>FADER</i> and <i>SPIN</i> made for another great CMJ Thursday. ...
CMJ 2012 Day Three Recap
CMJ 2012 Day Three Recap

At first glance, CMJ 2012 looked to continue the long, sad tradition of CMJ not being what it once was, with a dearth of big-name acts.  But do you go to CMJ to see big-name acts?  No, it’s for catching the million-and-one up-and-coming indie outfits out there (and it only seems like most of them are from Brooklyn), as well as showcases by labels, site, PR companies, magazines, and anyone else who feels like putting one on.  Plus the free drinks.  And there was much to be found, Tuesday to Saturday, October 16th to 20th:

 

 

Thursday has always been sort of a ‘hidden gem’ of CMJ, or other festivals of the same ilk like SXSW (QRO Thursday recap).  It’s late enough in the week that everyone’s shown up or taken the day off, and early enough that no one’s left yet.  There’s enough going on that you’ve got something to see, but not so much that you’re missing anything.

And, for me, it was all about parties from FADER and SPIN magazines.

 

But first up in the day for QRO’s Matthew Ismael Ruiz was a pair of radio broadcasts: first DIIV and Little Green Cars on KEXP, then Slug Guts on WNYU:

 

KEXP showcase @ CMJ Union – Matthew Ismael Ruiz

DIIV

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Little Green Cars

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WNYU broadcast – Matthew Ismael Ruiz

Slug Guts

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CMJ showcase @ Terminal 5 – Couirey Eckmayer

Meanwhile, QRO’s Couirey Eckmayer caught the biggest showcase of CMJ 2012: Brooklyn’s own The Walkmen at Terminal 5 (QRO venue review), along with Dum Dum Girls and Daughter:

 

Daughter

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Dum Dum Girls

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The Walkmen

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FADER Fort – Ted Chase

CITIZENS!, 7:10pm

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I finally made it out rather late, but early enough for the second day of FADER Fort.  Opening the Fort up on Thursday was France’s CITIZENS!.  Their indie-pop was enjoyable, if not overwhelming what was a less packed FADER Fort.

 

Children of the Night, 7:45pm

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But a surprise success was Queens’ own hip-hop trio Children of the Night.  First off, they repeatedly got the crowd to move closer (after seeing the giant space between the crowd and the stage that CITIZENS!’s singer jumped into during their set).  They were authentic and engaging, skilled but also having fun with it, akin maybe to Das Racist (QRO album review).  Later on in their set, they brought out their Queens collective, World’s Fair, who challenged the crowd to rock a decibel meter, and introduced them to the ‘money dance’.  And when the Children went into the crowd for the final number, it was a close-up, thick crowd.

 

Sinkane, 8:30pm

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One of the buzziest artists of CMJ 2012 going in was Sinkane – possibly over-buzzed?  He gets a lot of attention because he’s from Sudan and his work with Yeasayer (QRO interview) – even played a CMJ pre-party with other friends of Yeasayer, Tanlines (QRO live review).  Sinkane’s alt-dark tropicalia reminded of Yeasayer & Tanlines, though with a lack of showmanship more akin to Tanlines than the much more exciting Yeasayer (QRO live review).

 

Unicorn Kid, 10:00pm

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Stuck around at FADER Fort for the next act, which turned out to be DJ Unicorn Kid .

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Matthew Ismael Ruiz took in The Canon Logic at Rockwood Music Hall (QRO venue review), then headed over to Mercury Lounge (QRO venue review) for Eleanor Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces (QRO photos):

 

CMJ showcase @ Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 – Matthew Ismael Ruiz

The Canon Logic

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Merge showcase @ Mercury Lounge – Matthew Ismael Ruiz

Eleanor Friedberger

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CMJ showcase @ Irving Plaza – Derek Klevitz

Meanwhile, QRO’s Derek Klevitz went to Irving Plaza (QRO venue review) for a special show on the CMJ schedule, Wu-Tang Clan member GZA doing the group’s seminal Liquid Swords.  He also caught openers Killer Mike and longtime QRO favorite Bear Hands:

 

Killer Mike

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Bear Hands

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GZA

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SPIN Magazine party @ Firehouse – Ted Chase

Chromeo (DJ set), 10:20pm

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Left a DJ set at FADER Fort (see above) for a DJ set at Firehouse, the SPIN Magazine party.  Last two years SPIN has had their CMJ party at Firehouse, and while the acts were great (Local Natives & Titus Andronicus in 2010 – QRO recap; Crystal Castles & The Rapture last year – QRO recap), Firehouse wasn’t.  It was too small for the crowds who wanted to make it in (missed The Rapture last year, waiting on line), too partitioned and smoky to see the stage, and both years there was an enormous line for the bathroom.  And this year, it wasn’t even bands but DJs.

Yet it worked – and not just because they still had the free drinks.  Being on a Thursday, not Saturday like the two prior years, meant less of a crowd and that you weren’t missing other things to be there.  The DJs also meant less of a crowd – and virtually no line for the bathroom.  But if you’re gonna have DJ sets, have them from the likes of MNDR (who I unfortunately missed – would have much rather seen her DJ set than Unicorn Kid’s – see above) and definitely Chromeo -O-O.  Not only did they know their tunes and how to spin them, but the well-dressed pair also knew how to flirt with the ladies up front who were lovin’ them.

 

AraabMUZIK, 11:00pm

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Closing out the night at Firehouse was a more serious spinner in AraabMUZIK.  He knew how to throw down the beats, but the audience was pretty hammered by this point – the sign of a good party…

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Unfortunately missed:

-Mac McCaughan @ Mercury Lounge, 8:00pm – 9:00pm.  Would have liked to have caught the Superchunk (QRO live review) frontman/Merge Records founder at his own label’s showcase.

-Hooray For Earth (QRO spotlight on) @ Brooklyn Bowl (QRO venue review), 8:30pm – 9:30pm.  QRO favorite bringing new material.

-MNDR (QRO live review) DJ set @ Firehouse, 9:00pm – 10:00pm.

-Alyson Greenfield (QRO photos) @ Spike Hill (QRO venue review), 9:00pm – 10:00pm.  Last year Alyson Greenfield had my favorite CMJ showcase (QRO recap).

-CHAPPO (QRO photos) @ Party Xpo, 10:20pm – 11:00pm.

-King Tuff (QRO album review) @ Knitting Factory (QRO venue review), 11:20pm – 12:10am.

-Twin Tigers (QRO album review) @ Pianos (upstairs) (QRO venue review), 11:30pm – 12:15am.

-Letting Up Despite Great Faults (QRO spotlight on) @ The Delancey, 12:00am – 12:50am.  It’s not CMJ without missing someone you want to see because they’re playing worst venue in the city, The Delancey.

 

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Concert Reviews
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