The onset of Autumn not only ushers in a new school year and cooler weather in NYC, it bestows upon us the musical magic that is CMJ Music Marathon. It is the annual gathering of music nerds and musicians alike to check out some of the best local and not-so local bands. There are literally hundreds of bands playing tons of free or cheap shows so if you live in the NYC area you have no excuse to miss it. Plus, the corporate and not-so corporate sponsors are usually handing out some pretty sweet stuff for free. Last year I got a comfy t-shirt. Who says no to a t-shirt? Anyway, here are Alt Citizen’s picks of some of our favorite artists you can catch at CMJ and where you can see them. Happy CMJ-ing!
Speedy Ortiz
Speedy Ortiz have somehow taken the most formulaic form of indie rock attempted by countless other bands and made it a lot more interesting. Check them out when they play the Panache CMJ showcase on October 17th. If you can’t make that catch them a few days later on the 19th when they play a pretty stacked lineup at Silent Barn.
The History of Apple Pie
I haven’t really heard much from The History of Apple Pie since their record Out Of View was released earlier this year. Apparently, they’ve returned with a new single called “Don’t You Wanna Be Mine?” It serves up some more of the shoegaze noise that made me love them in the first place — but definitely more cleaned up. If I were you, I’d check them out on the 16th when they play at Piano’s with Eternal Summers, Bleeding Rainbow, Joanna Gruesome, and other bands with amazing names.
Night Birds
When I saw Night Birds open for Fucked Up last November all I knew is that I needed more of this. This July, the band released Born to Die in Suburbia, a blistering album packed with hardcore punk that satisfied my need. They play on the 19th with Good Riddance (!!) at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
Real Estate
Could a new album from Real Estate be coming soon? Maybe they’ll play some new songs? Find out for yourself when they play Bowery Ballroom on the 17th.
Riff Raff
So much of Riff Raff’s hype is geared towards his social media presence – namely, his hilarious Vines, the Instagram photos of hot girls and disgustingly expensive jewelry, and his highly entertaining (and occasionally thought-provoking) Twitter – that it seems the Texas-born rapper is now viewed as more of a character than a music artist. And while his unique persona does certainly contribute to his fame, a CMJ appearance seems like an awesomely appropriate way of reminding fans that he’s more than just gold grills and corn-rows. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect since his upcoming album Neon Icon is scheduled to have an October release.
Glasser
Trying to describe the way Glasser sounds is somewhat difficult, and that is probably the reason as to why it’s so good. The music is like a labyrinth of dark layers, loops and sounds, and when set against those deep and affecting vocals, it’s easy to find yourself hypnotized. Here’s to hoping that with her new album (due out on October 8th), another video paying homage to David Lynch and/or Twin Peaks will follow.
Little Daylight
This talented Brooklyn trio got their name from an old fairy tale about a princess who’s cursed to exist in accordance with the cycles of the moon. This particular story is appropriate and rather indicative of their sound, as Little Daylight utilizes both fantasy and darkness. In the last year, they’ve made some great remixes, opened for Charli XCX and put out a totally addicting EP, Tunnel Vision. Should they continue at this rate, we can expect that 2014 will be a big year for them — and their fans.