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CMJ DAY 2: Mumford & Sons | Bear Hands @ Mercury Lounge

Mumford & Sons = Fleet Foxes – Band of Horses
Bear Hands = We Are Wolves + Wavves

Mercury Lounge had a line forming around the block to hear the CMJ buzzy band Mumford & Sons. Luckily the venue let me in to catch my most anticipated band at CMJ. Coming from the UK these guys play a country folky pop. Lots of catchy melodies and synchronized vocals with emotion Great set, great crowd, lotta fun.

Bear Hands is a post-punk/indie rock band from Brooklyn. Pretty much got what I was expecting but they had an experimental dimension to their music that held my interest. They had a unique sound and played an energetic set.

Pictures from the show.

http://www.mumfordandsons.com/
www.myspace.com/bearhandsband

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CMJ DAY 1: Laura Marling | Antlers | Fanfarlo @ M.H. Williamsburgh

Laura Marling = Joanna Newsom + El Perro Del Mar
Antlers = A Place to Bury Strangers – “bury” + Mobius Band
Fanfarlo = Arcade Fire + Okkervil River + Beirut (when they were good live)

My new crush is Laura Marling. She was adorable onstage playing her mesmerizing songs. She played acoustic guitar accompanied at times with a cellist. Her voice was stunning and even played a number of new tunes. She was quite impressive.

The place got crowded to see The Antlers. The trio played a loud mixture of guitar and electronics that had nice dynamic ebbs and flows. However many of their songs started to all sound alike and a bit boring. They did play a few killer songs near the end.

Probably the most anticipated band at CMJ this year, Fanfarlo closed up the 6 band evening. A three-old London Pop ensemble fashioning catchy music with an expressive palette of instruments including trumpets, clarinet, glockenspiel and even a musical saw. They played songs filled with rousing choruses and catchy melodies. Although Simon Balthazar broke a guitar string on the 1st song, it didn’t deter the non-stop musical party. For the encore they handed out these plastic accordion-like tubes to play along. Great triumphant indie rock from one of the breakout bands to emerge from this year’s CMJ.

Pictures from the show.

http://www.lauramarling.com/
http://www.antlersmusic.com/
http://www.fanfarlo.com/

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Port O’Brien | Sea Wolf @ Union Hall

Port O’Brien is solid indie rock from the west coast. Duo Van Pierszalowski and Cambria Goodwin lead a 5 piece to play catchy songs and sing along jams. It’s hard not to see similarities of Rogue Wave and Arcade Fire in their songs and live show but they do have some fun tunes.

Sea Wolf is led by Alex Church from Los Angeles. He successfully blends indie rock with orchestral arrangements. His voice compliments the sound perfectly. Having a live string section at the show really added to the show and pulled off a nice set. His new album White Water, White Bloom just got released.

http://portobrien.com/
http://www.seawolfmusic.com/

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Regina Spektor @ Radio City Music Hall

Although I’m not that crazy about Regina‘s new album Far, there are a few beautiful gems that warrant a listen. I am both happy and a bit surprised that Regina sold out RCMH. It’s pretty incredible how big she has gotten. She was very happy to be playing New York and was clearly humbled by the experience of playing such a grand venue. She started off with many of her news songs with several of her older songs placed throughout. From start to finish, it was a perfect show. She sang beautifully and played the piano, electronic keys and guitar flawlessly. She really surprised me with what may be the best show of the year.

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Owen @ Union Hall

I’ve haven’t had a good live experience with Owen for awhile. After a brief avoidance I hoped for a good set from the Chicago native. Luckily he was in a decent mood at the small venue and brought out a decent crowd. He played a great set of old and new songs. I’ve always loved his simple heartfelt songs so hearing them live without him throwing a tantrum or dealing with a crappy sound was a treat.

Owen site.