The CMJ music marathon, which is really going to give the Iditarod a run for its money, absolutely wiped me out. It was an insane week of head bopping, boozing, and absolute madness as I attempted to hold some sense of sanity as my sleep deprived body moved from venue to venue trying to keep up break neck pace of the festival. Despite my brush with insanity, I managed to complete a list of my personal favorite artists that I had the absolute pleasure to see at CMJ 2014.
I might be biased since they were the first band I saw at the festival, and when I mean first band I mean literally 10 minutes after I got off the train when I got into the city. However, it was a wonderful first impression. I was on the rooftop of a gorgeous apartment/recording studio where the beer was flowing, everyone was happy, and I was ecstatic to not be on an NJTransit train anymore. However, CRUISR gave me the first taste of the phenomenal unknowns that I was going to be exposed to this weekend. With such a refined surf rock/pop sound that just makes you want to bop aggressively, CRUISR was a more than adequate start. Plus, they're on Vagrant records and are touring with The 1975 this fall. What more can you ask for?
The first thought in my head when I heard Sampology's set during Sounds Australia's showcase was Disclosure. His sound is shockingly similar to the mix of disco and R&B that not only launched Disclosure, but also Sam Smith into mainstream success. However, what sets Sampology apart is when you dig deeper. While his music is extremely catchy and entertaining on its own merit, it's his AVDJ performances that will give you the extra nudge toward joining his fandom.
You know how I said the first thought that popped into my head when I heard Australian act Samplogy was Disclosure. Well, when I first head Safia I thought of Disclosure with Sam Smith specifically. Lead singer Ben Woolner sounds incredibly similar to Smith and their sound is incredibly similar to Disclosure, so there must be some correlation, right? Wrong. They actually formed around the same time the British duo formed. So, their sound is authentic. They've been making waves down under (I hate myself for that joke), but it's clear that they'll be breaking into the US very soon. Get ready, the Aussies are coming (still hate myself).
If you could learn just one thing from Mitski's performance at The Silent Barn, it's that people absolutely adore her. All you have to do understand that is listen to her music. And the fact that she asked someone to go outside to tell the people smoking to listen to her. She's so graceful in her musicianship and simple in her compositions (most of her songs utilized just 3 or 4 chords and most of the time they were just bar chords), but heartbreaking in her lyrics, especially in standout song “First Love/Late Spring.”
Apparently they're quite popular in the local scene up in Boston, which is shocking considering they are one of the few current bands that hold a true jangle pop/college rock sound. Even better, they've been around for longer than you would have thought. What makes them even more impressive is the fact that for some of them, this is just a side project. They'd got to a 9-5 job during the week and play shows on the nights and weekends. However, by no means does it seem like it's a side project.
You always have to pay attention when you find a band with a healthy pop sound. Wonderful Humans is a duo that I knew about beforehand when I somehow stubbled upon their single “Worth Your While.” They're one of those bands that isn't necessarily doing anything new, their sound has already been claimed by artists like Charli XCX and Grimes, but it doesn't change the fact that they just banged out jam after jam at The Paper Box in BK. Plus, a cover of “Shake it Off” could never hurt, especially when it actually makes that song bearable.
Shar
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