CMJ 2012 Day One 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:

CMJ 2012 did not start well for QRO.  After all the effort put into another amazing preview, QRO Mag’s webhost decided to do some maintenance, taking down the site and QRO e-mail.  To top that, I’ve had a bad cold-flu for seemingly forever, and CMJ didn’t make it any better.

Paper Garden Records showcase @ Living Room – Ted Chase & Donald Lee

Pree, 2:00pm

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Conveyor, 3:00pm

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But after heading out to pick up CMJ badge & a whole lotta cough drops, still made it for at least one free beer at Living Room for Paper Garden Records’ showcase.  A great, friendly label out there in Brooklyn (and home to Hillstock Festival – QRO 2011 photos), Paper Garden has a great variety of acts that are all worth checking out.

I missed Pree but did catch Conveyor, who just recently released their debut record.  They’re a bit alt-country and a bit alt-surf – but not such a fan of the Buddy Holly glasses & buttoned shirt buttoned up to the top.  Next came Eli Mardock, who had been in Paper Garden’s first-ever signee, Eagull Seagull, but is now going solo.  His trio began their set as bass-keys-drum for a jazz-blues sound, but when Mardock switched to guitar, the outfit got spookier.

Unfortunately, had to leave to try to fix the site, and missed Natureboy – but QRO’s Donald Lee was there for all four of the acts (and all the photos are his).

Eli Mardock, 4:00 pm

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Natureboy, 5:00pm

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WFUV showcase @ Living Room – Ted Chase

Savoir Adore, 7:45pm

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The site finally fixed (it did go down again late at night, but was up again for good by morning), headed out to Living Room again for one of the bands I planned on catching during CMJ – Savoir Adore.  A favorite for years now, they locals are especially a CMJ favorite – QRO has caught them at every CMJ since 2009!

The reason for that is Savoir Adore’s enjoyable sound.  They were sort of a mix of indietronic and alt-country, with male-female dueting vocals, on full-length debut In the Wooded Forest (QRO review), but the new Our Nature – out that day – sees a more cohesive sound, with brightness and a catchy backbeat.  They even had Living Room (QRO venue review) remove a lot of the tables and chairs to get more people in – though also making it harder to see…

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There wasn’t a whole lot to see on Day One (see below), especially in the evening, so decided to take the rest of the night off and rest up for the heavier days to come.

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CMJ showcase @ ZirZamin – Donald Lee

Donald Lee, however, didn’t take the night off, but rather hit up the new ZirZamin for Tatiana Moroz & Therina Bella:

Therina Bella

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Tatiana Moroz

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Also doing Night One was QRO photographer Derek Klevitz, who hit up the Lefse Records showcase at Pianos (QRO venue review) for Field Mouse, Teen Daze, Cemeteries & Black Light Dinner Party, then Fat Baby for Big Scary:

Lefse Records showcase @ Pianos – Derek Klevitz

Field Mouse

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Teen Daze

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Cemeteries

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Black Light Dinner Party

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CMJ showcase @ Fat Baby – Derek Klevitz

Big Scary

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Aquarium Drunkard showcase @ Mercury Lounge – Donald Lee

Donald Lee kept on going, with the Aquarium Drunkard showcase at Mercury Lounge (QRO venue review), and caught Tashaki Miyaki, Rafiq Bhatia, Murals, Foxygen, and Calvin Love:

Calvin Love

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Foxygen

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Murals

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Rafiq Bhatia

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Tashaki Miyaki

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Unfortunately missed:

-Rest of the Paper Garden Records showcase @ Living Room, 12:00pm – 6:00pm.

-Dinowalrus (QRO album review) @ Pianos (upstairs), 6:15pm – 7:00pm.  One only ever goes upstairs at Pianos during CMJ, as the sound, lightning, and view in the small space are terrible.

-Benjamin Gibbard (QRO photos) @ Brownies, 9:00pm – 10:00pm.  Had wanted to see the Death Cab for Cutie (QRO album review) frontman play his new solo record Former Lives (QRO review), out that day, but it was an invite-only showcase for the big-name artist at the small space.

-EULA (QRO photos) and GunFight! (QRO photos) at Legion, 9:00pm to 11:00pm.