MANHATTAN, NY—For 35 years, the annual CMJ Music Marathon has been energized by the excitement of discovery. Hundreds of musicians fly into New York City from all over the world hoping for an opportunity to expand their audience. Hundreds of conference participants hope to learn that little extra knowledge that will help establish their career in music. Nearly 100 local venues open their stages to new and barely known artists. For one week, the music industry was aflame by the excitement of discovery in the music capital of the world!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
The Heaters at Elvis Guesthouse
The Heaters from Michigan performed psychedelic shoegaze at Elvis Guesthouse.
Ginette Claudette at Drom
Uptown New Yorker Ginette Claudette and her two musicians performed emotive soft pop slow jams.
Step-Panther at the Cake Shop
Step-Panther flew in from Australia to play lead guitar-loaded garage rock.
Nina Sky at Arlene’s Grocery
Nicole and Natalie Albino were a vocal tag team with their New York-born urban electronica jams.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Ninet Tayeb at Fat Baby
Ninet Tayeb is one of the most famous entertainers in her native Israel, but here she was singing in a small New York club to less than 100 people. The pop singer sang soulfully while her trio rocked hard.
Nikki Hill at Carroll Place
Bred in North Carolina and based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nikki Hill was backed by a jamming trio and offered a gritty spin on roots rock and roll like a gospel singer reinterpreting the Rolling Stones.
Palehound at le Poisson Rouge
Palehound is a trio based in Boston, Massachusetts, and led by guitarist/vocalist Ellen Kempner. She sang softly about her heartbreaks and played noodling leads while the rhythm section gave the songs some muscle.
The Jungle Giants at Berlin
An indie rock quintet from Brisbane, Australia, the Jungle Giants performed speedy, bouncy pop tunes.
Lex Sadler’s Rhythm & Stealth
Born in Australia and based in New York City, Lex Sadler on synthesizers was joined by a powerful drummer (and a trumpeter for one song) for dizzying electronica that was heavy on soundscapes, throbbing bass lines and driving percussion.
Buhu at Niagara
Buhu is a synth-pop trio hailing from Austin, Texas. Juan Pablo Mendez played synths and guitar like it was 1980s Brit-pop, backed by a sturdy rhythm section.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Loose Buttons at the Alphabet Lounge
Based in New York City, Loose Buttons performed good-time pop rock at the Alphabet Lounge.
The Ruen Brothers at East Village Social
Brothers Henry Stansall and Rupert Stansall are from Scunthorpe, England, but were honed in American roots rock like the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison. They mixed these influences with British skiffle in an acoustic set at East Village Social.
Sunbeam Sound Machine at Leftfield
Nick Sowersby led his dreamy quintet, Sunbeam Sound Machine from Melbourne, Australia, through a pillow-soft pop set at Leftfield.
French Horn Rebellion at Pianos
French Horn Rebellion are Robert and David Perlick-Molinari, two brothers born and bred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. Backed by locals vocalists and musicians, they delivered hot beats and 1980s-styled dance music—with an occasional blast of French horn.
