CMJ Preview: Part 1, Tuesday and Wednesday

CMJ begins tomorrow and I am psyched. Not sure how much of my wish list I can actually fulfill, but here are my desires and recommendations:

TUESDAY:
The Brooklyn Vegan CMJ Showcase at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Doors at 6 pm, show at 7 pm, $15
Lineup is Emmy the Great, The Sammies, SECRET GUEST (woo, secrets!), Ponytail, Passion Pit, Singing DJ Jens Lekman, and The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band.
I'm going for Jens. His trippy and loungey, experiental yet soothing music combined with his pretty, poetic lyrics is weirdly real and wonderful. My favorite lyric by him which he manages to sing with such sincere and beautiful emotion is, "You pick up your asthma inhaler and put it against your lips, oh those lips I loved and I was dreaming of, they're still red and soft, I'm so sorry I couldn't love you enough." More details at: http://www.myspace.com/jenslekmanmusic and http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/10/official_2008_b.html.

Also, Rahim is playing at Death By Audio on the southside of Williamsburg. They're a chilled-out rock group with an awesome vocalist from the New York area, already written up in Spin and Pitchfork. Death By Audio is also pretty cool, as it's mostly a store with a space for shows and promotes a BYOB policy. Rahim: http://www.myspace.com/rahim. DBA: http://www.myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows.

And don't forget The Deli Showcase, held at Hiro Ballroom with Sub Rosa and Chairlift (more on them below). Check out http://www.thedelimagazine.com/cmj-takeover.htm for all the details.


WEDNESDAY:
La Strada, an incredible group complete with a string section and a great lead singer who also plays accordion (and when I say play, I mean somehow rocks out), will honestly leave you speechless and applauding ferociously after just one tune. These guys mix rock with folk, using traditional, "old-world instrumentation" to create unique, modern music. They're playing at the Bell House, a building in Brooklyn used in the 1920s as a printing factory that was recently transformed into a venue. The show is $8, beginning at 7:30 with Princeton. Frances will play next, followed by The Loom and closed out with La Strada at 11 p.m. La Strada: http://www.myspace.com/lastradanyc. The Bell House: http://www.thebellhouseny.com/.

After three shows in a row on Tuesday night, Chairlift is playing yet again for CMJ, at the Fader Party held at Pianos. They're headlining a show with five other bands, including Bumblebeez and The King Left. Doors are at 6 pm and only costs $5. Check out their gothic rock, including the single played on the newest Ipod commerical, at: http://www.myspace.com/chairlift. Pianos full schedule is on their main page at: http://www.pianosnyc.com/.

I'm not sure how much hip hop was booked at last year's CMJ, but this year hosts a significant amount and I'm thrilled. First off, hip hop is great music, created in our very own New York City. Secondly, I strongly promote the idea of crossing genres. It seems like collaboration between artists of different genres can only lead to good outcomes, like the mixing of different cultures and races along with musical styles. So with this in mind, I want to check out Dead Prez and Immortal Technique at Studio B, a cool venue that unfortunately receives a bad rep due to its scenester crowd. The upstairs bar is like a little oasis in the middle of industrial Greenpoint, and the stage area is intimate without being claustorphobic. Dead Prez, a funky, very political duo goes on at 1:15, but I imagine that in true Studio B style, the show will last 'til dawn. Doors are at 6 with the show starting at 7 'cause there are that many DJs and Emcees ready to party down. Studio B's calendar: http://www.clubstudiob.com/calendar.html#topanchor. Dead Prez: http://www.deadprez.com/.

Akudama is also playing one of many shows this week, at The National Underground with five other groups. More about them to come in Part 3, but if you're antsy, their website is here: http://www.endlessrecordings.com/Akudama.php.

As Mr. Ludwig van Beethoven said, "Music is a higher revelation than philosophy. Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual self." So go be all spiritual and sensual this week, and rock your butt off.

More to come...