above: EAR FARM’s CMJ Music Marathon 2008 slideshow

If a comparison needs to be made between Austin’s South by Southwest and New York’s CMJ Music Marathon, let it begin and end with the simple fact that SXSW is the far superior music festival/conference experience. All of Austin shuts down and welcomes the yearly Spring extravaganza, most New Yorkers don’t even know what “a CMJ” is… and rightfully so. The trade show portion of the festival looked like a sparsely populated small-town high school career day; the majority of the bands playing this year’s music marathon are not exactly “headline” material, and certainly not anything out of the ordinary here in a city that sees multiple high quality shows at multiple venues on a nightly basis. If there was anything remotely extraordinary, or “special”, about this year’s CMJ Music Marathon, it was mostly present in the shows that happened during CMJ week that were not actually “part” of CMJ. Badges? (insert classic quote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) Not sure they’re even worth the cost of materials required to make them…

above: Ponytail annihilates the BrooklynVegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg

CMJ DAY 1 - 21 October 2008
First things first: compared to last year, the line situation at CMJ registration was much better this time around. Not that certain lines weren’t long, but at the very least there were plenty of volunteers guiding folks in the right direction. First, retrieve the badge. Then, head across the street to pickup the CMJ goodies bag (not good, nearly empty) and peruse the trade show (also not good, nearly empty). From there it was, as Jon Pareles put it in the NY Times, all about the blogs. The Pop Tarts Suck Toasted show was a winner during the first day, thanks largely to EAR FARM favorites The Secret Life of Sofia (MP3: “Outside”), whose hushed rock punctuations were made all the more intimate in the close quarters of Cake Shop. The Music Slut’s day party next door at Pianos provided a welcome escape from Cake Shop claustrophobia; a hopping back and forth formula that proved highly popular for many of the CMJ attendees this year as the week went on. As the daylight of CMJ Day 1 waned, another music blog’s concert (BrooklynVegan) brought fans out to the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn for a lineup featuring highlight sets from Shearwater, Passion Pit, and above all others, Ponytail (MP3: “Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came From An Angel)”).

above: Drink Up Buttercup joins the audience for an encore at the EAR FARM show at Pianos

CMJ DAY 2 - 22 October 2008
Wednesday afternoon into the evening was all about Pianos and the EAR FARM CMJ Day Party; understatement alert: it was a fine way to kill an afternoon. Whether it was the unexpected perfection in which each bands’ sets segued seamlessly from one another (for real, like a playlist), the overall caliber of performances (incredible), or the audience’s general enthusiasm and excitement (palpable!), it was an unforgettable day. Big, huge, enormous thanks to Howlies (MP3: “Chimera”), Sister Suvi, Drink Up Buttercup (MP3: “Young Ladies”), Project Jenny, Project Jan, Sam Champion (MP3: “Be Mine Everyone”), and Takka Takka as well as everyone who came out to spend the day with us. We could go on detailing the finer points of each set – and it would certainly be worthwhile - but in the interests of keeping the recap moving will instead direct you to some more objective third-party coverage from Popdose, Obsession Collection, QRO Magazine, Uncensored Interview, and Maryanne Ventrice.

above: Women energizes the audience at the Red Bull Space

After Pianos it was time to catch up with several other bands tickling the tastebuds of musical tastemakers. The winners of the evening’s offerings were Women (MP3: “Black Rice”), whose casual grace and unfussy delivery of many tunes from their self-titled debut (plus a beautifully languid ballad not featured on the album) were pitch-perfect. Yes, there’s been much talk about this band of late – particularly in relation to their endless spate of CMJ shows and snowballing hype that’s resulted – but goddamn if they don’t deserve all/most of it. Their ridiculously restrained and measured version of “Upstairs” at the Red Bull Space Wednesday night felt like they dosed the energy drink-addled crowd with a combative dose of thorazine; it was subversive bliss and a high point of the entire week.

And now for the downer: the evening’s big disappointment was certainly Sebastien Grangier & The Mountains. Yes, we all think it was pretty cool that you were in a much ballyhooed band a while back, but that does not excuse you from resurfacing with some half-assed “party’ songs that sound like they were written on spec for the upcoming Chevy Silverado campaign. Don’t hate the messenger.

above: Reggie Watts delivers the goods at the Bell House

CMJ DAY 3 - 23 October 2008
Many great lineups were there for the taking/seeing/recording/ogling on Thursday. Unfortunately we couldn’t make it to most of them due to panel discussions and performance obligations, though Mike did hightail it over to the Bell House in time to see Reggie Watts (MP3: “Piece” by Reggie Watts And Yungchen Lhamo) absolutely slay the sparse Gothamist House crowd assembled there. A mix of lighthearted emcee, demented maestro, pop-culture cuisinart, human beatbox, karaoke machine, and insanely talented singer, Watts delivered a mind-boggling one-man show that captivated in a way that few full-scale theater productions could even touch. He’s just dripping genius, simple as that. In the evening, more Bell House, and some great sets from The Silent League, The Jealous Girlfriends, and Sam Champion; a second, much needed, dose of one of EAR FARM’s favorite NYC fixtures in as many days.

above: Starfucker at the Knitting Factory

CMJ DAY 4 - 24 October 2008
Overall, Friday’s plan of attack seemed to encompass as many of those extemporaneous CMJ “lounges” as possible. The exception to this was the Knitting Factory, which hosted an excellent collection of Portland musicians (and the best cup of coffee ever) that included Blind Pilot and Starfucker (MP3: “German Love”). The latter of these was borderline revelatory, overcoming their unfortunate choice of band name by delivering a schizophrenic set that caromed between ’60s pop, synth freakouts, Chromeo-meets-Frampton vocoder jams, double drumset attacks, and interpretative dance. Think MGMT (with actual talent!).

above: Crystal Antlers light up the FADER Fort

Crystal Antlers (MP3: “A Thousand Eyes”), however, became Friday’s biggest surprise. We at EF are always wary of hype, as are many other indie rock listeners, often to the extent that we sometimes put up an unnecessary layer of hype-armor to deflect ourselves from its harmful emissions. So it was perhaps with a combative stance that the crowd watched Crystal Antlers set up shop at the garish environs of the FADER Fort (extemporaneous CMJ lounge of the day #1). And within about 90 seconds of Jonny Bell’s guttural screams and propulsive basslines, percussionist Damian Edwards’ marching-band-on-acid bongo abuse and Andrew King’s expressive and perfectly on-point lead guitar lines, the hype-shield was beyond down… To put it another way, with so many intriguing options out there on Friday evening, EAR FARM was so impressed with Crystal Antlers that we headed directly over to the Red Bull Space (extemporaneous CMJ lounge of the day #2) later that night to see them do it all over again amidst the specter of many scowling and perplexed faces.

above: the audience and National Chorale symphony file in to Avery Fisher Hall

Elsewhere on Friday night, Lincoln Center’s opening night gala provided an all-too-alluring detour from the dirty downtown dives; unfortunately, the acoustics at Avery Fisher Hall (notoriously terrible) turned out to be less than desirable. In fact, they’re likely the worst of any such music hall in the city; paling in comparison to the larger Metropolitan Opera House, the outstanding Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn’s venerable Howard Gilman Opera House, the world famous Radio City Music Hall… heck, even Lit Lounge sounds better (okay, maybe not). The point is, what could have been an outright mind-blowing performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by The National Chorale (conducted by Martin Josman) was brought down to very normal levels of outstanding simply because the acoustics in the hall did not allow for the sheer power of Beethoven’s masterpiece to overwhelm the audience as it should. When the first notes of the second movement hit, they hit with a whimper. When the “inner symphony” of the fourth movement reached its climactic moments, the moments fell flat. The performance, particularly from the choir and solo vocalists, was outstanding. Simply having a chance to hear one of mankind’s great achievements performed live, a real treat. However, the acoustics of Avery Fisher Hall; quite simply, an embarrassment.

above: El Jezel dazzles at the Delancey

CMJ DAY 5 - 25 October 2008
In any race, particularly a marathon, the “last mile is the hardest mile…” and that is especially true when dealing with a concert marathon. As innocuous as seeing 30 some odd shows in five days might seem, it’s actually rather taxing on the senses. Exhaustion sets in, and the final day of the CMJ Music Marathon was heavy on the exhaustion. Of course, that never stopped EAR FARM from gettin’ busy. Saturday was all about one thing… one non-CMJ thing; er, performer. Billy Bragg! Alone, on a stage, just the man, a guitar, and an amp. Or two. Perfection. But first, the StereoactiveNYC showcase provided an early draw at the Delancey where El Jezel (MP3: “Do You Love Me Now”), The Art of Shooting, and a makeshift Mancino supergroup (featuring members of Die Romantik, Moser’s Gambit, and Addison Groove Project) lit up the basement venue with the sound of home cooking. It’s nice to be around friends, and that’s precisely what this showcase provided before a three mile dash in the rain to the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center.

above: The Watson Twins join Billy Bragg for the encore Saturday night at the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center

The Grand Ballroom is on the seventh floor of the same building that houses the Hammerstein Ballroom. It’s a fine performance space, not outstanding in any manner positive or negative, but slightly difficult to access (one elevator). The audience that filled up about half of the room was one hundred percent there for an evening with Billy Bragg (MP3: “Sing Their Souls Back Home”), and all that that entails. Such as: a one man with a guitar performance that owes much to protest singers of the past (something like Woody Gutherie mixed with Joe Strummer), stories behind songs and the best stage banter in music today, more than a heavy dose of left wing politics, and interaction with the crowd that ranges from casual and personal to confrontational. At one point, a member of the audience shouted something that suggested a return to war in Northern Ireland to which Bragg interrupted himself and snapped back “that war is over my friend, there were democratically held elections and the war is over. If you have a problem with the peace there you should form a political party and take it to the people. Otherwise, keep your hatred to yourself, the people of Ireland have spoken.” The moment was tense but handled with the trademark candor and ease with which Bragg has long been known for. He deftly switched gears and played a few of his lighter songs (including a fine acoustic rendition of 1991’s “Sexuality”) before giving way to an encore that included backup work from openers The Watson Twins and heavy doses of crowd-driven sing-a-longs. In a week full of posturing and pretension it was a refreshingly stripped down and human concert. The best of the week; and yet, not part of CMJ’s Music Marathon.

Next year: “We don’t need no badges!”

EAR FARM CMJ Music Marathon 2008 Photo Galleries
Hot Lava @ Cakeshop
The Antlers @ Cakeshop
Ponytail @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Shearwater @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Howlies @ Pianos
Sister Suvi @ Pianos
Drink Up Buttercup @ Pianos
Project Jenny, Project Jan @ Pianos
Sam Champion @ Pianos
Takka Takka @ Pianos
The Rumble Strips @ Red Bull Space
Women @ Red Bull Space
Pale Young Gentlemen @ Rehab
Sebastien Grangier & The Mountains @ Mercury Lounge
Reggie Watts @ The Bell House
Blind Pilot @ Mercury Lounge
The Silent League @ the Bell House
Mancino @ Bell House and the Delancey
Goes Cube @ the Delancey
Blind Pilot @ Knitting Factory
Starfucker @ Knitting Factory
Crystal Antlers & Ponytail @ FADER Fort
The Boat People & Portastatic @ Red Bull Space
Marissa Nadler & The Muslims @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
The Subjects @ Red Bull Space
Dungen @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Crystal Antlers @ Red Bull Space
El Jezel @ the Delancey
The Art of Shooting @ the Delancey
Billy Bragg @ the Manhattan Center

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*above slideshow created with Admarket’s.