Read More The College Music Journal’s (CMJ) annual showcase of rising talent in both music and film is a veritable wet dream for musicians and pop culture nerds alike.
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CMJ Music Marathon Wrap-Up Day 2: Part II
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Lovely Hearts Club showcase continued…
Let’s get right to it. Swear and Shake is a newly-formed band based out of New York. When I say ‘new’ I mean really new; like, still covered in afterbirth ‘new.’ The band debuted in 2010 and released their first full album, Maple Ridge, a year later. Within that period, they earned mega praise from notable sources including Newsday and The Deli, not to mention countless gigs at prime NY real estate like Arlene’s Grocery and the Knitting Factory. Not bad for a band trying to make good in a city of 8 million.
I’m glad I didn’t have this information on hand when I saw Swear and Shake perform, because often prior knowledge taints the experience. I was impressed by the band’s easy rapport, even more so after learning of their late bloom. While I wouldn’t call the music innovative—they don’t do weird things with electronics or whip out a didgeridoo on stage—I’d be hard-pressed to label them as ‘sweet,’ which is generally my sentiment when it comes to boy-girl folk pop. At its roots, the music fits comfortably within the boundaries of folk pop, yet perhaps it’s Kari Spieler’s smoky, wise-beyond-her-years voice that keeps her band this-side of twee. “Johnnie” sounded great live—at once heartbreaking and familiar; I especially love the lyrics “You could be the stronger man, to sleep between these sheets. But never with your lips sewn shut, I can only do so much.” Preach it, sister. Listen to a live recording of “The Promise” here.
Only in New York is a folk band followed by a super-hipindie pop outfit. Fellow NYers Snowmine were certainly the wild cards of the night. Looking like they were fresh off the plane from 1980s Berlin (post-Wall of course), these guys oozed cool. I felt cooler in their presence, which is a sad sort of reality. And okay, they’re not just a band of pretty faces; judging by the complexity of the live show, I’d say they are also major tech geeks. Frontman Grayson Sanders calls himself a “new-classical composer.” It’s difficult to type that out and not loathe his being, but actually, the title fits. The songs on Laminate Pet Animal contain intricacies that were probably not discovered by strumming a guitar in the coffee shop. Snowmine are very much 21st century musicians in that they mix multi-genre beats with stylized niches like electronica, funk/dance, tribal, classical; the result is highly schizophrenic, but they pull it off (listen to the fabulous “Beast in Air, Beast in Water” for example). Live, this was quite a spectacle to behold. Armed with a giant keyboard/mixer thing, Sanders, resembling something of a soundman gone rogue, dazzled the audience with his deft hands and psychedelic white-boy soul. Listen to a live recording of “Hologram” here.
Finally, closing the show, were our friends in Team Genius. I’ve been following this band since their inception more than three years ago, but since they rarely tour and never respond to invitations for chili night at my house, this was the first time I saw them play live. What I love about these guys and gals is that they are truly skilled at the art of writing pop music, even if they pretend to be a clown-car full of buffoonery. Their latest EP, Pop Songs, contains a Ronald Reagan shout-out but is otherwise a mature effort. I think. Let’s just say, if they were only concerned with producing bouncy, synth-heavy dance tracks without attention to lyrics or meaning, they would be the J. Geils Band and have a downloadable ringtone. Of course, the music they make is always fun, and the Lovely Hearts showcase was a fitting venue to flaunt the positive group aura. “Ronald Reagan’s Cousin” was a proper party on stage; Drew Hermiller‘s falsetto on “Take Me Home” (from their self-titled 2008 release) was a proper balls outoccasion. Listen to a live cover of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” here (Chad on vocals!).
As my time at CMJ came to an end, I realized I knew exactly what Joey Tempest felt when he boldly declared to the world of Swedish glam rock: “We’re leaving together, but still it’s farewell. And maybe we’ll come back to earth, who can tell?” I think he was saying “don’t be sad, college music fans. There’s always next year.”
Let’s get right to it. Swear and Shake is a newly-formed band based out of New York. When I say ‘new’ I mean really new; like, still covered in afterbirth ‘new.’ The band debuted in 2010 and released their first full album, Maple Ridge, a year later. Within that period, they earned mega praise from notable sources including Newsday and The Deli, not to mention countless gigs at prime NY real estate like Arlene’s Grocery and the Knitting Factory. Not bad for a band trying to make good in a city of 8 million.
Only in New York is a folk band followed by a super-hipindie pop outfit. Fellow NYers Snowmine were certainly the wild cards of the night. Looking like they were fresh off the plane from 1980s Berlin (post-Wall of course), these guys oozed cool. I felt cooler in their presence, which is a sad sort of reality. And okay, they’re not just a band of pretty faces; judging by the complexity of the live show, I’d say they are also major tech geeks. Frontman Grayson Sanders calls himself a “new-classical composer.” It’s difficult to type that out and not loathe his being, but actually, the title fits. The songs on Laminate Pet Animal contain intricacies that were probably not discovered by strumming a guitar in the coffee shop. Snowmine are very much 21st century musicians in that they mix multi-genre beats with stylized niches like electronica, funk/dance, tribal, classical; the result is highly schizophrenic, but they pull it off (listen to the fabulous “Beast in Air, Beast in Water” for example). Live, this was quite a spectacle to behold. Armed with a giant keyboard/mixer thing, Sanders, resembling something of a soundman gone rogue, dazzled the audience with his deft hands and psychedelic white-boy soul. Listen to a live recording of “Hologram” here.
Read More “Take Me Home” is absolutely tits: snappy electro-funk-meets-downtown dance dive, as realized by a hip suburban jazz choir.
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As my time at CMJ came to an end, I realized I knew exactly what Joey Tempest felt when he boldly declared to the world of Swedish glam rock: “We’re leaving together, but still it’s farewell. And maybe we’ll come back to earth, who can tell?” I think he was saying “don’t be sad, college music fans. There’s always next year.”
(Editor's note: Read about Warren Zevon's song here: Songs About Werewolves.)
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