Brooklyn Vegan Announces Its FREE Fri. & Sat. CMJ Day Parties (with Free Booze!)

The Brooklyn Vegan CMJ day parties are back this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16th and 17th, to send the music marathon off with a bang. Once again, BV is combining killer lineups with free booze (Bell's beer on both days, samosas on Saturday, depending on when you get there and while supplies last). Read about 2014's BV CMJ day parties.

You'll notice that a number of the bands we mentioned in our CMJ 2015 post are playing the BV day parties. (Including the popular Car Seat Headrest which, as BV notes, happens to have its new album "Teens of Style" streaming at NPR Music.) Both parties are at Baby's All Right, 184 Broadway in Brooklyn. Friday's BV show runs from Noon to 7 p.m., while Saturday's shindig stretches the day party concept by going from noontime into the night and ending at the stroke of the following morning.

Friday's set times:

12:15 Long Beard
1:00 The Album Leaf
2:00 Ezra Furman
2:45 Car Seat Headrest
3:30 Yung
4:15 Superheaven
5:15 Makthaverskan
6:00 Porches

Saturday's set times: 

11:00 a.m. - Doors
11:29 FREE SAMOSAS BEGIN
11:30 Murals
12:00 FREE KEG OF BELL's BREWERY BEER BEGINS
12:15 Petal
1:00 Martin Courtney of Real Estate
1:45 Methyl Ethel
2:30 The Gotobeds
3:15 Shopping
4:00 Dilly Dally
4:45 Stealing Sheep
5:30 The So So Glos
6:15 Wildhoney
7:00 Frankie Cosmos
7:45 Jessica Lea Mayfield
8:30 Meat Wave
9:15 The Lemon Twigs
10:00 Mothers
10:45 Lilys

2015 CMJ Music Marathon Now Underway in NYC! Ideas on Who to See

See below for recommendations on what to see at CMJ 2015.

The five-day live-music extravaganza known as CMJ is on again! The annual CMJ Music Marathon, now in its 35th year, started today and runs through this Saturday, Oct. 17th. Besides multiple official showcases each night in a range of venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn, there are day parties as well at some of the same venues, sometimes starting as early as 11 a.m. Plus there are numerous unofficial shows.

So what should you see? Begin by going to the CMJ Music Marathon website. Then download the official CMJ mobile app, available for iOS and Android. With the app, you can listen to bands, read their bios, connect with their social-media accounts, and, of course, discover where they're playing at CMJ. Wondering which bands you'll like? The app's "Recommender" feature connects with your Facebook account to suggest artists that might be right up your alley.

Speaking of recommendations, here are some suggestions from the music blogosphere on who to catch:

• CMJ staff picks
• The Oh My Rockness guide to official CMJ 2015 shows
• OMR's 15 bands to see at CMJ (with Spotify playlist)
• L.A. radio station KCRW's seven amazing bands to catch (with Spotify playlist)
• England's influential magazine NME tells you the 15 bands playing CMJ that everyone's going to be talking about

Some of the names that show up on a number of must-see acts: Protomartyr, Car Seat Headrest, Diet Cig, The Big Moon, Methyl Ethel, The Gotobeds, Dilly Dally, Perfect Pussy, and Hooton Tennis Club, to name a handful.



Among the events we're looking forward to seeing:

• The Outlaw Roadshow, put together by Ryan Spaulding (of RSLblog.com) and Adam Duritz (of Counting Crows), which runs Thursday through Saturday at Bowery Electric (doors at 6 p.m.) See what we wrote before last year's CMJ Outlaw Roadshow
• the Kiam Records showcase Wednesday at Brooklyn's Union Pool, featuring label-mates including Jennifer O'Connor, Amy Bezunartea, and Tim Foljahn, staring at 6:30 p.m. See a recent New York Times article on Amy Bezunartea
• The Unblinking Ear show with The Gotobeds, Spray Paint, and other acts, MC'd by WFMU DJ Pat Byrne, also at Union Pool, on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

Cake Shop (on Ludlow St.) has plenty of CMJ gigs; see their full calendar. (Diet Cig plays there Wednesday; Car Seat Headrest and Hooton Tennis Club on Thursday.)

Rest up, bring your earplugs, and get ready for as much live music as you can possibly handle.

2014 CMJ Update: Outlaw Roadshow Begins Today; BV Saturday Lineup Announced

CMJ rolls onto its third day (and night), and here are a couple of updates (see our first CMJ 2014 post here). The Outlaw Roadshow, created by blogger Ryan Spaulding and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, is back this year and its three-day run of free gigs begins tonight at 7 p.m. at Bowery Electric (the venue for all three shows). Check the link, for you might still be able to RSVP for the shows (but make sure to get there early even if you do get confirmation).

The Outlaw Roadshow begins tonight at CMJ. See details below.

Tonight's Outlaw Roadshow lineup features Hollis Brown, Matt Sucich, Christian MacNeil & Seamonsters, Lily & the Parlour Tricks, Dan Blakeslee, and more. See the Bowery Electric website for more info.

Besides being free and having some good talent, the Outlaw Roadshow has this year's best CMJ poster hands down, in our opinion.

Brooklyn Vegan has now posted the lineup for its free Saturday day party. And the headliners are none other  than the NJ-based metro area punk favorites, Titus Andronicus. (See the full line-up on the poster below, and RSVP here.) Oh, and there's free beer, rum, and tattoos, BV notes. Sounds good to us. Both the Friday and Saturday shows are at Baby's All Right.

2014 CMJ Music Marathon Starts Today! Tips on What to See

See tips below on the best bands to see at CMJ 2014.

Prepare for live-music overload: the five days of the CMJ Music Marathon starts in just a few hours, Tuesday, Oct. 21st. That means hundreds of bands will be playing all over New York City. And you can see a lot of them for free (note: you may have to RSVP for many free shows, and then show up early because even with an RSVP the gigs are first come, first serve). And there are lots of unofficial shows, as well.

If you've got a flexible schedule and can make it to the daytime showcases, so much the better.

To dive into the massive number of acts, take a look at the official CMJ schedule (and download their free Oct. 2014 mixtape, featuring tunes from Purling Hiss, Young Magic, Matthew Dear, and more). For a more manageable, curated look at what's worth seeing, check these links (we've added more as we've come across them):

• The Oh My Rockness guide to official CMJ shows, list of 14 bands to see, and free shows during CMJ
• Flavorpill's "10 CMJ showcases you don't want to miss"
• NME's "16 bands you can't afford to miss at CMJ 2014"
• Time Out New York's "10 acts to see at this year's CMJ"
• Brooklyn Vegan takes a local perspective with "10 NYC artists to see at CMJ this week" (and see BV's own five shows at CMJ)

Here's a sampling of just a few of the showcases and other events going on during CMJ (which runs from the 21st to the 25th):
* No Sleep till CMJ II unofficial showcase from No Sleep Records & Brooklyn Vegan (Oct. 21st, 6 p.m.) at The Paper Box, Brooklyn with John Nolan, '68, Chris Farren, Run Forever, & more
* Bowery Presents day party (Saturday, Oct. 25th) at Piano's with The Wytches, Circa Waves, Water Liars, DMAs, & more
* Conscious Coupling showcase by Father/Daughter Records and Miscreant Records (Friday, Oct. 24th, 2 p.m.) at Silent Barn, Brooklyn with Comfy, Flagland, Girlpool, Bent Shapes, Leapling, & more
* Brooklyn Vegan free day parties (Oct. 24th & 25th, 12 Noon) at Baby's All Right, Brooklyn with Twin Peaks, Single Mothers, Protomartyr, & more (on Friday; Saturday lineup to come)

Rest up, check these lists and the CMJ website, and prepare for a great five days of live-music bingeing!

2013 CMJ Music Marathon - Picks On What to See

UPDATE for 2014: See our write-up on the good stuff to see at CMJ 2014!

* * * * * * * * * * *
Yes, we're a couple of days late here, but the almost-24-hours-a-day extravaganza known as the CMJ Music Marathon is once again upon us.

It's on, now! See CMJ recommendations & more below.

For all the music showcases, panels, and other events, see the official CMJ schedule. You can also find some recommendations here:

• KCRW presents a list of its 10 bands to see at CMJ
• MySocialList's guide to CMJ
• The Oh My Rockness guide to CMJ

Among the acts playing tonight, Oct. 17th: Body Parts at Piano's Upstairs, Tift Merritt and Over the Rhine at the Highline Ballroom, The Head and the Heart at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Real Estate at Bowery Ballroom, and Diane Birch at Gramercy Theatre.

KEXP is once again doing live broadcasts from CMJ in the daytime (Friday is the last one), and the shows are free and open to all ages. And you can stream tracks from CMJ 2013 artists at CMJ Radio.  (Also, don't forget to check out the free download of the latest CMJ mixtape.)

The CMJ Music Marathon runs through Saturday, Oct. 19th (actually, into the wee hours of Sunday morning). Check the CMJ schedule and get out and enjoy the abundance of live music in town this week!

Photos: Local H, Hounds Below, & The Life and Times at CMJ

The no-frills venue Union Square Ballroom was host to an appropriately straightforward night of rock late Wednesday for the Slimstyle Records showcase featuring Local H, The Hounds Below, and The Life and Times. The Hounds Below, which just released its debut album, was sandwiched in between two veteran acts.

Local H kicked off the Slimstyle showcase Wednesday at CMJ Union.

Local H, which now consists of the duo of founder Scott Lucas (guitar and vocals) and Brian St. Clair (drums), has been around in various configurations for a quarter century. Their latest album, "Hallelujah! I'm A Bum," is their first since 2008. Like any guitar-and-drums rock duo, this Chicago-based band is bound to bring comparisons to The Black Keys. And like their midwestern compatriots, Local H rocks hard, has catchy songs, and makes a full sound that is hard to believe is coming from just two people.

The Hounds Below, a quartet out of Michigan led by former Von Bondies frontman Jason Stollsteimer, is supporting its first album, "You Light Me Up in the Dark," which came out earlier this month. (Listen to "You Light Me Up in the Dark" online at the A/V Club.)

The Life and Times, which has been around about a decade, is a trio from Kansas City led by Allen Epley. They've got more than a half dozen albums and EPs out including their latest, "No One Loves You Like I Do," which was released in January. They'll be playing a number of dates with Local H in October and November.

Local H:

The Hounds Below:

The Life and Times:

CMJ Rolls On: Free Song Downloads, Recommendations, & More

CMJ 2012 is underway in full force Wednesday, with the second day kicking off early with Daughter playing at a KEXP show at 10:30 a.m. See the complete schedule for CMJ (which runs through the 21st), and click the "Showcase" button on the right-hand side to see the music events.

Better late than never, the Village Voice is out with its dozen don't-miss acts for CMJ 2012 (including Savages, above, playing Glasslands tonight).

And Spinner is offering a free download of 30 songs on its CMJ 2012 Mixtape, featuring Bear Hands, Eleanor Friedberger, Dum Dum Girls, Levek, and Miracles of Modern Science. (They say they'll be issuing a second part of the mixtape later.) [Update: here's the second part of the mixtape download.]

What's worth seeing on the CMJ schedule for tonight? Here are some of the gigs Pitckfork is recommending:

• Flying Lotus, Death Grips, and Buke and Gase at the NPR Music/WNYC Soundcheck showcase (Le Poisson Rouge)
• Dum Dum Girls, Savages, Icona Pop, IO Echo, and Port St. Willow at the Stereogum/Popgun showcase (Glasslands)
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Indians at the Hype Machine showcase (Brooklyn Bowl)

Entry to these will be in high demand, so you'll want to get there early, or be prepared to stand in line for some time.  If you're interested in some good music in a more low-key atmosphere, check out the lineup of north-of-the-border acts at the Canadian Blast show at Arlene's Grocery (starting at 8 p.m.), including Two Hours Traffic and Elephant Stone:

Two Hours Traffic kicks off the Canadian Blast show.

Get out there and enjoy some live music!

CMJ 2012 Begins Tuesday: Listen to the Bands; Get Suggestions of What to See

The CMJ Music Marathon starts Tuesday, Oct. 16th, giving music fans a wealth of gigs (and impossible choices in trying to choose between them). And many of the showcases are free or cheap. If you have specific bands in mind you want to see or are just feeling adventurous, you can dive headlong into the CMJ schedule.

If you'd prefer some guidance and suggestions on what to see, here's a roundup of suggestions from a variety of music sources, including ways to listen to songs by the artists. (List will be updated as more recommendations are found.)

* MySocialist.com has a day-by-day list of CMJ shows, including its own showcases and day parties. Also see their list of free shows

* If you've got Spotify, check out their playlist of what they see as the 100 artists that are performing at CMJ, including DIIV, Mountain Goats, Dum Dum Girls, Metz, Doldrums, and many more

* Brooklyn Vegan doesn't have a CMJ section per se, but you'll find plenty of coverage in its several-time-daily posts. BV is also sponsoring two free day parties on Friday and Saturday (which are not part of CMJ), the 19th and 20th, at Public Assembly in Brooklyn

* NPR Music is running a continuous stream of music by CMJ artists, recommended by staff at 11 different radio stations. They're also sponsoring a CMJ showcase on Wednesday night with Flying Lotus, Death Grips, and Buke & Gase, which you can watch live online. WFUV will host a show with Savoir Adoir, Indians, Little Green Cars, and Wax Poetic on Tuesday at 7 p.m.; the station will broadcast it live on air at 90.7 FM

* The New York Times suggests "Six Hopefuls Worth Watching," including the all-female British band Savages, the punk trio Merchandise, and the 21-year-old rapper Angel Haze

* New York Magazine's CMJ guide includes recommendations such as Angel Haze, Little Green Cars, and Pissed Jeans

UPDATES, Oct. 16th:
* Pitchfork's day-by-day recommendations for CMJ 2012

* David Greenwald (Rawkblog) has an article in Billboard on 10 acts to watch at CMJ; among them: Ghostface Killah, Sky Ferreira, and Kimbra

Two showcases I'm planning on checking out: Slimstyle Records on Wednesday with Local H,  The Hounds Below, and The Life and Times (at Union Square Ballroom, 27 Union Square West), and Kiam Records/Comedy Minus One on Friday (Left Field, 87 Ludlow St.).

The latter includes Tim Foljahn, Ma'am, the Karl Hendricks Trio, and Rebecca Gates (formerly of The Spinanes), and headlined the excellent singer-songwriter Jennifer O'Connor, who also happens to be the head of Kiam. (I did a brief mention of O'Connor and Foljahn when I saw them earlier this year.)

What are you checking out at CMJ this year? Who are your must-see acts? Leave your comments below and let us know!

Music Notes: CMJ Announces More Acts; Amanda Palmer Seeking Musicians; Pussy Riot to Go Free?; & More

Here's a collection of musical tidbits from far and wide:

* CMJ has announced a second round of artists for its 2012 music schedule (Oct. 16th - 20th), including AraabMUZIK, Savages, and Hey Rosetta!. Bands already announced include Mountain Goats, DIIV, and The Walkmen, among many others.



* Amanda Palmer attracted much derision when she called for musicians to come play on stage with her during her current tour—despite raising more than $1 million through Kickstarter for her current album (which is streaming online this week). Palmer insists that it would be too expensive to hire the string quartet, horns, etc. for the tour, and notes that participating musicians will get the experience of playing before her enthusiastic fans, and getting "beer and hugs." And hey, no one's forcing musicians to play with Palmer.

* Could Pussy Riot go free soon? Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that the three imprisoned members of the punk rock performance group should be let out of jail, and there are hints that this could happen after their appeal comes up on Oct. 1st. (via Spinner)

* Bonnaroo has announced the dates of its 2013 festival. The long-running Manchester, Tennessee shindig will take place June 13th - 16th. (via Consequence of Sound)

* Madonna has announced a second Madison Square Garden show, which will take place on Tues., Nov. 13th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Fri., Sept. 14th at 10 a.m. Her Nov. 12th show is sold out, although sometimes extra tickets are placed on sale later.

* Canada's CBC Music has announced several new online streams in the continuing upgrade of its music website, which was totally revamped and relaunched several months ago. There's a stream of new-wave music that went live today, with songs hand picked by DJ and talk-show host Jian Ghomesi, and new offerings devoted to electronic dance music (EDM) and other genres as well as specialty streams dedicated to k.d. Lang and one-hit wonders.



* Finally, Brooklyn band Leda (fronted by Amy Klein, formerly of Titus Andronicus) released a new video (above) on Klein's Tumblr yesterday. It's a live performance of a song called "You Are the One," and Klein says more videos are coming. Based on the the tunes I've heard from Leda so far, I'm looking forward to hearing their debut album, whenever it comes.

Review: Wild Flag Plays Bowery Ballroom (Photos)

Wild Flag: Rebecca Cole, Mary Timony, Carrie Brownstein (not visible: Janet Weiss on drums).

The CMJ Music Marathon kicked off at Noon yesterday, but for me it began at about 9:30 p.m. when Eleanor Friedberger took the stage at Bowery Ballroom. She and her band played a fine set of catchy tunes, a good warm-up for the main event, Wild Flag.

I've long been a fan of Sleater-Kinney and of Mary Timony's various musical efforts (Helium and her own band), so I already liked the songs on their self-titled debut album—which sound like, well, a blend of S-K and Helium. The good news is that Wild Flag has all the energy and excitement that made Sleater-Kinney one of my all-time favorite acts to see live (not surprising, since Wild Flag features two members of S-K).

Eleanor Friedberger at Bowery Ballroom last night.

Eleanor Friedberger and band.

Mary Timony, with Janet Weiss in background.

Carrie Brownstein in a more restrained moment.

 Carrie Brownstein jumped all over the stage as in her S-K days, with her now-familiar windmill guitar flourishes and leg kicks. Her Sleater-Kinney bandmate, drummer Janet Weiss, was as always notable for her solid, powerful playing. I'd never seen Mary Timony live before, but she matched Brownstein for guitar chops and energy, though in a less flamboyant style.

One of the downsides of seeing a brand-new band on its first tour is that it doesn't have a large catalog of its own songs to play. Wild Flag played most if not all of its debut album, including extended versions of "Glass Tambourine" and of "Racehorse" (which ended the regular set). The band chose covers of two '70s punk classics for its encore: Television's "See No Evil" and Patti Smith's "Ask the Angels."

It's an odd coincidence perhaps that Wild Flag is staging its first full-fledged tour during CMJ this year, and a year ago the third member of Sleater-Kinney, Corin Tucker, made her first tour with her new band at last year's CMJ.

Having played three shows in the NYC area in four days (Bell House, Maxwell's, and now Bowery Ballroom),  Wild Flag continues its inaugural tour in Europe. It will return to tour the U.S. in spring 2012. (See the latest Wild Flag tour schedule.)

2011 CMJ Music Marathon Kicks Off Today

Yes, it does! The 2011 CMJ Music Marathon kicks off at noon.

That annual unwieldy explosion of live music known as the CMJ Music Marathon kicks off today, and in all there will be more than 1,000 bands playing between now and the end of the festival on Oct. 22nd. How to find out what to see amid all those offerings? One way is to check out the picks of various critics and publications (see some selections after the photo), and decide what sounds interesting to you (and which gigs you can get to, dashing between various far-flung venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn).

If you want to just plunge into the massive listings, see the CMJ Music home page here, view the CMJ daily music showcase schedule, or search the CMJ site for artists, venues, or tags. You can also get an official CMJ 2011 smartphone app. And don't forget to download CMJ's 19-song sampler playlist.

Puerto Rico's Davila 666 (shown here at 4 Knots) plays the Knitting Factory Wed.

Here are some guides to help you choose what to see at CMJ:

• Spin offers "30 Can't-Miss Acts at CMJ 2011" (annoyingly presented in one-band-per-webpage format). Among their picks: Pujol, King Krule, Davila 666, Jacuzzi Boys, Machine Gun Kelly, and Stepkids. (Download Spin's free 20-track CMJ 2011 mixtape)
  
  
• NPR Music offers a stream of selections from this year's CMJ bands, with songs by acts including Balkans, Capybara, Davila 666, Dum Dum Girls, Neon Indian, Peelander-Z, Portual. The Man, Shonen Knife, We are Augustines, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and Wild Flag.
  
  
• Brooklyn Vegan will have frequently updated coverage of CMJ 2011; currently you can checkout its picks for the daytime Tuesday shows (most, if not all, are free). Brooklyn Vegan is also sponsoring its own CMJ showcase once again.
  
  
• TimeOut New York has a CMJ 2011 guide with tips on how to get the most out of the festival, staff picks for the best shows to see, and photos from the gigs.
  
  
• NYCGO.com offers its own day-by-day list of recommended CMJ acts, along with a guide to CMJ venues throughout the City. Among its choices: Shonen Knife, Titus Andronicus, and Wild Flag (all playing tonight), as well as The Wombats, Metronomy, CSS, and Dum Dum Girls.

As for me, I'll be taking in Wild Flag and Eleanor Friedberger tonight at Bowery Ballroom and just winging it after that. I'm hoping to see The Duke Spirit in a daytime show tomorrow, and at least one show on the 22nd: CSS, Peelander-Z, or Shonen Knife.

If you're going to CMJ 2011, what acts are you going to see?

Saturday: Highlights for the CMJ Music Marathon's Busy Final Night

Above: John Paul Pitts and the rest of Surfer Blood play a CMJ showcase at Bowery Ballroom Saturday night. Photo: Nishkid64

The CMJ Music Marathon has come down to its final day (and very long night); here are some highlights of shows taking place late this afternoon and tonight. (In non-CMJ musical events, Muse plays Nassau Coliseum, with Metric opening.)

For details on the performers and venues, check the official CMJ music schedule for today or the Oh My Rockness schedule.

* Surfer Blood, Neon Indian, DOM, Wild Nothing, Lower Dens, Lia Ices, Lord Huron, Fake Problems, Braids, Ma Mentor, The Static Jacks - Bowery Ballroom, 5 p.m.

* Maddy Wyatt, Care Bears on Fire, Moss, Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters, Quintus - Bowery Poetry Club, 6 p.m.

* Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, None More Black, Teenage Bottlerocket, Smoke or Fire, Dead To Me, The Flatliners, Cobra Skulls - Music Hall of Williamsburg, 6:30 p.m.

* School of Seven Bells, Asobi Seksu, Cults, Big Freedia, French Horn Rebellion, Bikini, Royal Bangs, Superhumanoids, Dominique Young Unique, The Chain Gang of 1974, The Good Natured, Delicate Steve - Santos House Party, 7 p.m.

* The Corin Tucker Band, Screaming Females, Hungry Ghost - Maxwell's, Hoboken, 7:30 p.m.

* Xeno & Oaklander, Braids, Gobble Gobble, Buke and Gass, L'Atra, Acrylics, The Tony Castles - Cameo Gallery, 8 p.m.

* First Aid Kit, The Loom - Joe's Pub, 11:30 p.m.

Canadian Bands a Big Presence 2010 CMJ Music Fest

As a big fan of Canadian indie music, I'm glad to see a big turnout of bands from up north at events like this week's CMJ Music Festival. Brooklyn Vegan said it all in its headline yesterday: "Canadian invasion @ CMJ 2010." Invasion may be a strong word, but the always-notable Canadian presence at the jam-packed five-day New York City festival may be stronger than ever. (The CMJ Music Fest began Oct. 19th and ends on the 23rd.)

The largest assembly of Canadian talent in one place at once will be the M for Montreal CMJ showcase at Arlene's Grocery on the Lower East Side on Thursday, Oct. 21st. Here's the lineup:

7 p.m.: The Luyas
8 p.m.: Uncle Bad Touch
9 p.m.: PS I Love You
10 p.m.: Random Recipe
11 p.m.: Red Mass
12 a.m.: The Pack A.D
1 a.m.: Radio Radio

Besides the M for Montreal showcase, there are plenty of other gigs featuring Canadian acts at the CMJ Festival. The Brooklyn Vegan article notes many of them (including Woodhands playing Friday night and Two Hours Traffic on Saturday). And Dan Mangan plays the Mercury Lounge at 7 p.m.

Speaking of Thursday, there are plenty of other interesting acts playing that day, and night. Among the many, many performers on Thursday's CMJ schedule:
1:30 p.m.: Walter Parks at Gallery Bar
7:30 p.m.: Oberhofer at Public Assembly
8 p.m.: Eisley at Gramercy Theatre
8 p.m.: John Vanderslice at Mercury Lounge
8:30 p.m.: Susan Cowsill Band at Maxwell's, Hoboken

2010 CMJ Music Marathon is Underway

The annual festival of musical overload known as the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is underway in NYC and environs. The festival, which began Tuesday and runs through Saturday, Oct. 23rd, will feature performances more than 1,200 bands in that time, as well as movies, workshops, panels, etc.

You can check the CMJ Music Marathon schedule here, but a warning: it's huge and daunting, with gigs beginning in the morning and going late into the night (and next morning). The New York Times has a humorous flow chart of what to see at CMJ, which nonetheless has some useful information.

Paste Magazine has an A-to-Z guide to CMJ, choosing one favorite act from each letter of the alphabet. It may not yield the best group of bands to see, but it does narrow down the choices.

Among the acts playing CMJ on Wednesday: Kelsey, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Rich Aucoin, The Fleshtones, Sharon Etten, Sonya Kitchell, Willie Nile, and Bear Hands.

CMJ Wrapup: What Were the Highlights of CMJ 2009?

The five days of frenzy known as CMJ 2009 have ended in New York, and the music critics and bloggers are weighing in on what what notable about this year's indie rock fest.

(Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to any CMJ events this year. Oh well, sometimes the timing just doesn't work out.)

The New York Times says there was no one standout at this year's CMJ, as there was when R.E.M. and Arcade Fire made their names. But the paper gave a lot of ink to Florida's Surfer Blood, and also liked New York bands Cymbals Eat Guitars and The Antlers, among other bands.

Alisa Ali of The Alternate Side, the fine alt/indie channel of Fordham University's radio station WFUV, liked The Shackeltons as well as Drink Up Buttercup, Real Estate, Apache Beat, and Local Natives. Her article has videos from the latter two.

The latest edition of NPR Music's All Songs Considered features several live songs from CMJ, as well the entire show performed by Patrick Watson. Show host Bob Boilen raved about Watson, as I wrote on the Canadian music blog North by East West (www.nxew.ca), calling him "hands down the best performer all week. His band was stellar."

Fortunately, Patrick Watson's show was recorded and is now available as a free podcast download (it can also be streamed online). To download the concert, you may have to use iTunes or a similar program.

2009 WFMU Record Fair - This Weekend!

As if you weren't already suffering from musical overload with the CMJ Music Marathon in full swing, this weekend is another annual Fall attraction for New York-area rock fans: the WFMU Record Fair.

Once again the "free-form station of the nation" in Jersey City will put on its extravaganza of vinyl (including LPs, 45s, and 12"s), CDs, DVDs, and even VHS tapes. There will also be special WFMU records on sale for a dollar, and a number of live music events as well.

The fair will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 W. 18th St. (between 6th & 7th Avenues). One-day admission is $7, or you can buy an early-bird admission for $25 that gets you in a few hours early on Friday and allows you unlimited entry the entire weekend. And, of course, it gives you first crack at the merchandise, including rare and hard-to-find items.

If you're ready to take a break from the live music in the clubs for CMJ, head on over to the WFMU Record Fair and pick up some choice recordings to take home.

2009 CMJ Music Marathon is Here: Prepare for Overload

Tomorrow begins the annual festival of wall-to-wall musical overload, otherwise known as the CMJ Music Marathon (though it includes film as well). From October 20th to 24th, dozens and dozens of bands from all over the world will descend upon NYC and environs to play gigs, and folks in the music biz will attend panels on subjects ranging from reimbursement in a digital world to the future of intellectual property.

For me, it's all about the music. You can find an alphabetical listing of all the CMJ bands here (though in a non-user-friendly format). Another option is to look at the showcases by day page or, to scan the massive a day-by-day listing of all CMJ showcase events at all venues.

To make it easier to manage all this, several pages on the CMJ Web site give you the opportunity to create your own custom schedule of events you want to attend.

A few of the better known (to me) acts include Au Revoir Simone, The Black Hollies, The Bongos, Clare and the Reasons, Dawn Landes, Deer Tick, The Fleshtones, Immaculate Machine, Japandroids, Ted Leo + The Pharmacists, and even Busta Rhymes (playing a gig at B.B. King's).

There's also an act called Dangerous, an "all-metal tribute to Michael Jackson." Not sure what to make of that one.

CMJ is offering a free 15-song sampler of songs from bands playing the marathon, and InSound is offering its own 15-song free music sampler as well.

Rest up tonight, for tomorrow the CMJ extravaganza begins!

2008 CMJ Music Marathon - Artists and Panels Announced

It's as much of an autumn ritual in New York City as as falling leaves and the Greenwich Village Halloween parade: it's the annual CMJ Music Marathon! The artists and panel discussions have been announced for the 2008 edition of CMJ Music and Film Marathon (as it's officially known).

This year's CMJ Marathon takes place October 21st to 25th.

The Marathon is an abundance of riches: more than 1,000 different artists performing in 65 different venues over five days. Some of the artists included Coheed and Cambria, George Clinton and the Gangsters of Love (w/ special guests RZA, Shavo Odadjian, El Debarge), Broken Social Scene, the Del McCoury Band, Deerhoof, Donavon Frankenreiter, Minus the Bear, The Dears, and the rising Swedish singer Lykke Li. And many, many more. Check the CMJ Marathon artists' page for the complete listing.

Besides all these live music performances, there are panel discussions and films. You can find out more information about the performances and when and where they're playing at the CMJ Music Marathon Web site, www.cmj.com/marathon. There you can find out about buying passes for the entire festival (if you're daring) or buying individual tickets to any of the gigs.

You can also get a free taste of the artists from 2008 CMJ Music Marathon, and previous years, with an exclusive download of 28 tracks by some of the featured artists. (I haven't yet been able to get it to work, though.) And the Web site features a music player that streams songs from various artists taking part in this year's Marathon.

Sometimes too much of a good thing really is a good thing.

CMJ Music Marathon Ready to Descend Upon NYC

If you're an indie music fan, you'd better start catching up on your sleep now. From October 16th to 20th the annual CMJ Music Marathon is coming to town, cramming about a month's worth or regular concertgoing into five days.

I couldn't even begin to name the many bands, from Eisley and Mates of State to British Sea Power, ....And They Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Band of Horses, M.I.A., St Vincent, the Meat Puppets, Funky Homosapien, and many more. I think there are upwards of 100 performers playing out during the Marathon. See the Web site for details on who's playing where, and to stream songs from some of the artists.

To try to make sense of it all, and find the shows that you most want to see, the site includes pull-down menus that let you display the showcases by date, by band, or by venue. Brooklyn Vegan, probably the best NYC music blog, will undoubtedly have extensive coverage of CMJ that you'll want to check out (in addition to sponsoring a few showcases of its own at the Marathon).

Also, the good folks at Flavorpill have put together a handy guide to what they consider the best picks at CMJ. If you see something that interests you, pounce. Most of the shows are in small venues and some have already sold out.

Rest up, everyone.