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Five Best…CMJ Performances
Including Yo La Tengo, Screaming Females and more
Screaming Females (Photo: Nadia Chaudhury)
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During CMJ, Encore saw roughly 20 bands, only a small fraction of the 1,300 performing during the five-day festival. But I think it’s been scientifically proven that if you see more than five bands on consecutive nights, you’ll go crazy. Don’t mess with science—or any of the bands listed below (and Pains of Being Pure at Heart, who just missed the cut), ’cause they all made me temporarily forget how seemingly every new band goes reverb crazy.
#5. Wild Nothing at Public Assembly
The only band (well, Jack Tatum’s one-man band) I saw this weekend that I, um, “bought” an album for when I got home. Wild Nothing’s first full-length album, Gemini, is good, although sometimes a little too precious; live, though, largely thanks to the touring band of Tatum, Jeff Haley, Nathan Goodman and Max Brooks, Wild Nothing’s shoegaziness shines, leading to many swaying fans, myself included. I may have “bought” the album, but I’ll make it up to them by seeing the band again the next time they’re in New York.
#4. Screaming Females at Music Hall of Williamsburg
One of the few bands I saw twice this week, Screaming Females didn’t disappoint either performance. Their songs are short, powerful and reminiscence of Sleater-Kinney, if Sleater-Kinney formed in New Jersey. Front woman Marissa Paternoster can play guitar with the best of them, and bassist King Mike and Jarrett Dougherty never missed a beat. I’m also terrified of trying too hard to describe the band after reading an interview with them in The L Magazine. Sublime with Rome is hilarious, though.
#3. Yo La Tengo at Brooklyn Bowl
Seeing a band for free in a Brooklyn bowling alley sounds really depressing, but now that the Bowl is Kanye West-approved, who will appear next? M.I.A.? Already done. How’s about one of rock’s most consistent and influential bands? That happened last week, when Yo La Tengo played a 90 minute set, including “Nothing to Hide” and “Mr. Tough.” During one of their songs, lead singer/guitarist Ira Kaplan jumped off stage, confusing band mates Georgia Hubley and James McNew, until they figured out what he was doing: he had gone to over the bowling lanes. When he came back, his only response, “Gutterball.” Without missing a beat, they got right back to the song. Yeah, they’re good.
#2. Titus Andronicus at Public Assembly
Twenty minutes of Titus is better than 50 minutes of most bands. I’m a relative newcomer to my now-favorite band named after a Shakespeare play, having only recently gotten into them, thanks to the brilliant The Monitor. Their set began with “A More Perfect Union,” and when the crowd got to yell back, “‘Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to die!” it was just as sweaty and awesome as I knew it’d be. Also, front man Patrick Stickles stood to my right during Reggie Watts’ set. I find that amusing, for some reason.
#1. The Drums at Santos Party House
Lots of CMJ bands try to sound like the Smiths (either them, My Bloody Valentine or Beach House), but only one really succedded. During some songs, especially “Book of Stories,” it was amazing how much the Drums sounded like Manchester’s finest, right down to Jacob Graham’s Marr-esque guitar playing. Jonathan Pierce swung around the stage like Moz (and with the cold stare of Ian Curtis), and when he introduced “Best Friend” by saying, “This is a song about my dead best friend,” the band could have just as easuly launched into “I Know It’s Over.” Best of all, they played all of their songs just a bit faster, which led to more urgency and more fun.