It's that time of year again. The leaves are crunching beneath our oxfords, the air is crisp, our friends are busily planning their cleverer-than-last-year's Halloween getup, and CMJ is just around the corner (Oct. 20-24). As any New York City resident below 14th Street may know, CMJ lineups can be indescribably daunting in their sheer volume. You told your friend you'd meet her at Spike Hill around 11 to see Bear Hands, but you instead got caught up in a whirlwind of Bushwick warehouses, and the rest you can't quite remember.
So, as has become our custom before the year's biggest music festivals, we at Prefix took it upon ourselves to make things easier for you. We've waded through the morass of big names, no-names and buzz bands to filter out what we think will be most worth the hassle to check out.
Bilal with Blu & Exile
Why you should care: Hip-hop/R&B artist Bilal fell in with New York's "in" crowd when the creators of Moyo Entertainment, Fa and Damu Mtume, approached him in a Philly barbershop and said "Baby, I'm gonna make you a star." Ever since then, Bilal has risen in the ranks, trading tunes with the likes of Erikah Badu, Jill Scott, Mos Def and more. Bilal can be found this CMJ playing Crash Mansion with fellow hip-hop artists Exile and Blu.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theonlybilal
Broadcast
Why you should care: Drawing historic comparisons to analog and sample driven bands such as the United States of America and Stereolab, Broadcast have built a long career on sorting oddly arranged pop melodies and matching them with synthy, electronic backgrounds. They're one of the few big bands on this year's CMJ roster, but we're not complaining.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/broadcastuk
J. Cole
Why you should care: Rapper and producer J.Cole is perhaps best known (for the moment) as the first artist to be signed to Jay Z's Roc label. J.Cole's meticulous productions skills shine through his carefully written lyrics, with each track telling its own story. J.Cole is a welcome escape for hip-hop fans attending an overwhelmingly indie-rock festival.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jcolemusic
Evan Dando
Why you should care: Why wouldn't you care?
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thelemonheads
Deer Tick
Why you should care: Gravel-voiced Deer Tick frontman John McCauley has got the blues, and he plays them oh-so-well. Just off the cusp of their sophomore effort, Born on Flag Day, Deer Tick is a CMJ veteran, and no stranger to NYC's concert halls. Just this past year, McCauley was proposing to his Those Darlins girlfriend on stage in Prospect Park, playing alongside indie veteran Jenny Lewis and playing the last NYC Knitting Factory show ever on New Year's Eve 2009. Needless to say, McCauley is a working musician in every sense of the word.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/deertick
Fanfarlo
Why you should care: Having built a reputation up from scratch on sheer Internet hype, London-born Fanfarlo is one of those "on the brink" bands that have the potential to blow up at CMJ. Playing a total of four showcases (including one sponsored by Brooklyn Vegan), Fanfarlo will likely win fans over with gentle yet powerful melodies that recall such indie staples as the Arcade Fire, Sea Wolf and Broken Social Scene.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/fanfarlo
Japandroids
Why you should care: Japandroids have already gained the approval of fans and critics because of their disjointed song structures and ironic/vintage emo-punk vocals. Now all they need is another year at CMJ to keep their buzz afloat. Fans of No Age (and former AFI fans -- we know you're out there) are sure to get down with these Vancouver natives.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/japandroids
Rain Machine
Why you should care: TV on the Radio haters can rejoice in Rain Machine. Kyp Malone's edgy, volatile and jazzy solo effort seems to revel in everything TVOTR lacks. Malone reportedly worked as a solo artist long before TVOTR took off, and as Rain Machine, his work has never sounded more vibrant and rich.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rainmachinemusic
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Why you should care: Speaking of gravel-voiced, Shilpa Ray is one of those unexpected entities in music, having honed her craft in the artist-centric portion of Brooklyn. Playing alongside her gaggle of male musicians, Shilpa Ray can always be found center stage, furiously pumping her accordion, and howling out in husky Ida Maria-esque vocals. An entertaining show for all, we'd say.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shilparay
Jason Trachtenburg
Why you should care: Not all weirdos come wrapped with handfuls of facial hair and pot bellies. Jason Trachtenburg has been riding the anti-folk rails for about 20 years now, beginning in New York's LES and ending up in the Pacific Northwest. Trachtenburg has performed solo, with his wife and 6-year-old daughter as the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, and with Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the United States of America. If Trachtenburg's silly-willy melodies about toothpaste and sweater vests don't win you over, his awkward-as-hell stage banter and impromptu poetry probably will.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/slideshowplayers
The xx
Why you should care: Cool-as-hell minimalist foursome the XX mimic the Blow in their simplistic, uncomplicated melodies, but unlike the Blow's warm and fuzzy nature, the XX take things a step further by infusing cold electronics over their vocals. The result is an oddly appealing take on futuristic pop and dance. You don't really know why you're enjoying the XX so much, but heck if that music doesn't make you want to take a brisk, determined walk through the city. Watch out for the XX's set with School of Seven Bells at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday, Oct. 23.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thexx
And you can't go wrong with these bands, either: Antlers, The Capstan Shafts, Darlings, Das Racist, Dent May, Pissed Jeans, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, School of Seven Bells, Screaming Females, Suckers, Telepathe, and Wild Yaks. For a customizable schedule, click here.
