I keep trying to tell myself that CMJ wasn't all about seeing Four Tet at Webster Hall--but as the host of Nowlikephotographs, Radio K's instrumental specialty show, it's a pretty tough sell. I was stupidly excited to see one of the artists that got me into instrumental electronic music in the first place, and, on top of that, Four Tet doesn't play in the United States very often (and definitely not in the fly-over Midwest). So, here's how it went down:
Electronic artists John Hopkins (left) and Four Tet (right)
All three electronic musicians that played on Friday were from the UK.Gold Panda started off the show with an energized set of fuzzy, oversized beats and extraterrestrial shimmers. Next up was Jon Hopkins, a bedroom electronica producer who took the crowd by storm with claustrophobic glitch and triumphant synth swells. On his albums, Hopkins' music is chill and only fleetingly plunges into hyperbass, but his set was loud and unstoppably dancey. It was so loud, in fact, that the bass rattled his power supply off of the table it was on--in a moment of confusion, Hopkins' entire sound system died. When his equipment was back in working order, he rewarded the forgiving crowd with the most colossal beat they'd ever heard in their life.
Four Tet closed the showcase bittersweet, with what was essentially an DJed version of his latest album, There is Love in You. It was really cool to hear teased-out versions of his new songs, but being a long-time fan I also craved his experimental, organic work. The best part of his set was the "Angel Echoes"/"Love Cry"-medley, which combined Four Tet's signature, nostalgic vocal-sampling with trance grooves. "Sing" and "She Just Likes to Dance" also translated perfectly to the dance floor. True, I didn't get to hear anything off of Rounds, but I'm glad for the chance to see Four Tet's goofy fro/grin combo, bopping along to the sound of pure bliss.
What better way to start your morning off bright and early with a tour of the fantastic WNYC, New York's equivalent of our own MPR. Our host was Radio K alum Joel Meyer, who now produces the show Soundcheckevery weekday live at 2pm. He showed us the studios for the FM, AM and classical stations and gave us tips for our potential future careers in the world of radio. Afterward we met up with the students at WNYU, New York University's college radio station. If you missed Radio K's live broadcast from CMJ 2009 at the studios of WNYU, check out the sessions now! Phantogram & Ramona Falls (aka Brent Knopf of Menomena).
The FM studio at WNYC
After talking shop a bit, Willie, Dave, and I made our way to the Village Voice showcase at Bowery Electric to see PVT (formerly Pivot), Marnie Stern, and Calibro 35. The 3-piece out of Australia known as PVT played an epic set of beats (with a synth, bass guitar, and intense drums you can't really go wrong).
Australia's PVT
PVT
While waiting for Marnie Stern to take the stage, we wandered over to the Other Music store and were happily surprised by the amount obscure finds we encountered. These included Minneapolis' very own Paul Metzger!
MPLS REPRESENT! We found a Paul Metzger record at Other Music store in New York.
After geeking out over the "new experimental records" section, Marnie Stern took the stage back at the showcase. Damn, grrlfriend has some skills. Accompanied by her band of bassist and drummer, she absolutely stole the show (in my humble opinion). This was not the first time I had witnessed her complete awesomeness. She stopped by Radio K's studios back in November of 2008. (please see below OMG)
Marnie Stern performing in Studio K in November of 2008
Marnie Stern at CMJ 2010
Dave and I ended up at a dive bar that featured a piano player surrounded by a bar and about 20 actors of various ages singing show tunes. So, I am not really one for musicals. Still I never would have found the place myself, and it definitely felt like a more personal side of New York City. It was cozy in its own way and an unexpected end to a day of great music.
After a very late night last week I tumbled out of bed bright and early to have an on-air chat with PeterJon on Rock n Roll Over about CMJ and our New York adventures thus far. After a too-small cup of continental breakfast coffee our Radio K posse trekked to WNYC, the home of Radio K's former Program Director, Joel Meyer. We were given a tour of the beautiful two-year-old studios as well as some classic New York bagels.
This afternoon our merry band split up and I took my first New York subway ride (I was pretty excited and happy that the experience was not as smelly as anticipated) to Chinatown (which smelled as much like fish as anticipated, in a good way), where the Pirate showcase was going on. I was able to see Devotchka, one of my longtime musical crushes, and they did not disappoint. If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to the albums by this gypsy-folk band from Denver you may recognize them from the film Little Miss Sunshine (they provide the music for much of the soundtrack). The quartet consists of the standard fare of guitar and drums, fleshed out by an upright bass, accordion, violin, trumpet, shakers, and vocals that feel like they're in an Eastern European language, even though they're generally completely intelligible English. The whole crowd was smiling by the end, swaying and clapping along.
After Devotchka I made my way back to the Ace Hotel, where KEXP is finishing out their live broadcast for the day. I was able to see The Extra Lens, featuring John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, and indeed that distinctive Mountain Goats vocal twang was apparent. Questlove of the Roots is currently in the middle of a DJ set playing to a crowded room of lounging music lovers. It is both homey and sleek, full of coffee and wine and books and taxidermy. It's a good feeling.
After a delectable veggie burger with black bean spread and curry mayo, Sophie, Genevieve, and I walked over to the small but cozy Cake Shop near the Lower East Side for the Carpark/Paw Tracks showcase. We missed the cake upstairs, but joined the tightly packed crowd in the basement. By the time we got there, both Excepter and Deakin (of Animal Collective fame) had already played. Wish I had seen Excepter because they're supposed to put on some pretty mind-bending live shows (if memory serves correctly, they have put on several shows that lasted over a day long); it was a bummer to miss Deakin as well, though I did catch his show with Prince Rama last month at the Triple Rock Social Club.
Light Pollution came on around 9 with some catchy and extremely loud bursts of synth noise, off-kilter bass and spastic drums. Afterward an unannounced performance from Drawlings, the sister of Animal Collective's Avey Tare surprised the crowd with her disjointed sampling and otherworldly, effects-laden vocals. DJ Avey Tare treated the crowd with traditional Indian music, neo-soul, 60's psychedelia, German dub, and the Silver Apples. Later in the night Prince Rama and Dent May took the stage as well.
Drawlings
-Dave, Radio K DJ and Assistant Music/Program Director
On our first full day at the CMJ Marathon, six wayward Radio Kers saw a nude Australian on the 10th floor of New York University, drumming to a cover of the classic punk-stomper “99 Reasons Why.” The disrobed drummer was part of a band called Philadelphia Grand Jury—The Philly Js for short—and in 10 spirited, pants-less minutes, they gave new meaning to the phrase “naked lunch.” After their set, the conference’s emcee, in an Aussie deadpan-tone, said “You just saw a three-piece turn into a four-piece.”
During a gratis lunch—foccacia sandwiches and ginger ale—The Philly Js performed as part of the Sound Australia showcase, a special-from-the-land-down-under-treat for CMJ guests, panelists, and volunteers. The showcase also featured Crayon Fields, an overeager dream-pop group, and The Jezabels, a pseudo-lounge act not unlike Sharon Van Etten or a greener Yeah Yeah Yeahs (plus others). Although seeing and hearing four Australian band right in a row was cool, what was really impressive was that for the first time ever, non-commercial and college radio stations from Australia and New Zealand were allowed to participate in CMJ charting (ultra-nerdy radio stuff, don’t ask). The important takeaway is that the indestructible web of awesome independent radio stations is growing—and is on the cusp of global domination.
Personally, I was very excited about the Australian showcase—I’ve been following the experimental music scene in New South Wales for a couple of years now, and generally the avant-pop, wonky electronica, and noise born in Australia beats that of the other six continents with an arm tied behind its back. One of the best resources for this sort of music is New Weird Australia, a long-running non-profit radio program based out of Sydney that turned me on to Underlapper, The Townhouses, and (wait for the Minneapolis connection . . . wait for it . . .) red plum & snow, whose version of Prince’s “I would die 4 u” is everything a cover song is supposed to be—respectful of the original, but innovative and compelling. Bouncing from one Australian to another, I eventually met Guy Blackman, the owner of independent Aussie record label Chapter Music and got an artist sampler CD out of the chat. Most of the bands were new to me (save Jonny Telafone) so I’m excited to hear the latest bands throwing the definition of pop music to the South Pacific winds.
But, after that lengthy digression, back to the topic of global domination: Today we intrepid Radio Kers are set to see a number of other international artists—including prog-popsters PVT, another bunch of Aussies, as well as an English-exclusive bill with Four Tet, Jon Hopkins, and current hype-magnet Gold Panda. That doesn’t even take into account the great American bands playing Friday that our music director Jon is going to scamper around and try to see: Sun Airway, Violens, Woven Bones and Lower Dens. OMG.
Have you ever been to New York City? It's crazy here. On any normal day it's bustling with people, a town that never sleeps. During theCMJ music marathonthe lower east side is bustling with a special kind of people... the musicheads who fly in from all over North America (and New Zealand) to spend the long weekend networking, sitting in on panels about the practical aspects of running a well oiled machine of a radio station, and, of course, going to shows out the wazoo.
Thousands of bands make an appearance at CMJ each year, from Four Tet to Lower Dens to Prince Rama to Dark Dark Dark (holla' Minneapolis!). The scheduling is packed so tight that choosing who to see must be done well in advance and you can't always see everything you want to see (practical lessons learned quickly during the first night).
The CMJ College Day was at the top floor of the Kimmel Center at NYU. Here we are super excited for panels and free breakfast!!!
While waiting for free breakfast we noticed an epic ensemble of balloons, circa The Red Balloon.
We decided that before we gave ourselves up to the madness that is the CMJ music marathon, we would hike through yellow taxis and smoking, frothing sewers for some quality coffee. Our walk took us to the Ace Hotel in Manhattan, who plays host to the only public-access Stumptown Coffee shop in New York. Stumptown is based in Portland, OR, and has made a name for itself in the specialty coffee industry. Following a twenty-minute wait in line I ordered my macchiatto, which turned out to be one of the best I have had in a long time (this is saying a lot considering the up-and-coming contingent of specialty coffee shops the twin cities has to offer).
A delicious macchiato at the KEXP broadcast.
Even at the Ace we couldn't escape CMJ, however, as the lobby had been turned into a makeshift venue, hosting the three-day live broadcast for KEXP, the University of Washington owned radio station based out of Seattle, WA. The dimly lit and terribly stylish lobby included sleek leather couches arranged in small squares in front of the "stage," located on floor level in front of bookcases full of books, that gave the whole setup a basement-show-in-your-hip-misfit-sophomore-philosophy-professor's-basement feel. We were unfortunately only able to catch the soundcheck for Revolver before hustling back to the NYU campus for an afternoon of panel discussions at CMJ's College Day, where David Safar (former Radio K Music Director), other students from across the country, and radio industry folks talked about the basics of college radio.
David Safar, former Radio K Music Director and now Associate Music Director at KCMP, moderates a panel about being a music director at a college radio station.
It hasn't been the smoothest trip so far. Between a verbal beating by a burly man with a heavy new york accent who was furious at our insistence on a yellow cab to coming just short of receiving an award (though the nominations for best station & best student run station were amazing!) to discovering that the majority of the shows were inaccessible to the younger contingent of our K-fellowship, we've stayed on our toes the past 36 hours. Despite the setbacks it's been wonderful being in New York where our Minnesota plaid stands out against the black work suits and sleek hipster garb, surrounded by awesome music and people who love it just as much as we do.
