CMJ 2011 PREVIEW
Wise Blood
Wise Blood, the witch house-meets-R&B project of Pittsburgh bedroom producer Chris Laufman, plays CMJ for the second time this year, fresh off the release of debut EP These Wings. And if that record is anything to go by, there will be haunting vocals in abundance, layered over inventively reworked samples and unexpected instrumentation. Though Wise Blood may not be the first in a long list of acts based on patchwork sampling, crisp drum programming, and non-ironic nods to the traditions of R&B, it is certainly among the most commanding.
Wise Blood performs tonight at 8:30PM at Cameo Gallery, Thursday at Le Poisson Rouge and at midnight at Cake Shop, Friday at Pianos, and Saturday at Glasslands.
Vacationer
Philly dream-poppers Vacationer only have a couple of songs floating around the web, but that’s enough to have grabbed our attention. The songs in question, “Trip” and “Gone,” are beautiful, airy tunes that are equal parts indie rock and pop, driven by simple melodies and woody, natural-sounding rhythms. There’s little indication as to how many members Vacationer has or what their live show will be like, but they promise a “vacation from anywhere at anytime.”
Vacationer performs Wednesday at 9PM at Tammany Hall and Saturday at 1PM at the Knitting Factory and at 8PM at Brooklyn Bowl.
Action Bronson
There is little we love more in a rapper than a curious, larger-than-life character who seems to oppose the genre’s stereotypes. And Albanian-American Action Bronson is exactly that. The Queens native, who moonlights as a chef at an Indian restaurant (hence all the food references), is especially intriguing. His debut LP Dr. Lecter has earned him comparisons to Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah, and rightfully so—Bronson’s trademark nasal flow, slang-heavy raps, and penchant for quirky humor are very much reminiscent of Ghostface. But, perhaps more importantly, they’re both incredibly, delightfully weird.
Action Bronson performs Friday at 11PM at the Highline Ballroom and Saturday at Good Units and at 9PM at Santos Party House.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Since the release of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s psych rock-, funk-, and beat breaks-inspired self-titled LP in June, the Portland-based trio has caught some flack for their retro vibe. But their throwback to the ‘60s and ‘70s, including an analog recording process, is particularly appealing because it draws from different parts of those eras. There are quirky pop vocals and funky grooves that are just as likely to be at home in a Williamsburg record shop as in your parent’s record player.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra performs Thursday at smartlounge and at 1AM at Cake Shop and Saturday at Brooklyn Bowl.
Caged Animals
On their Eat Their Own LP, Caged Animals vacillate between lo-fi surf-pop and ethereal synth-driven R&B, two seemingly incongruous but somehow compatible subgenres. Between songs like “Teflon Heart,” “The NJ Turnpike,” and “Teenagers In Heart,” the four-piece easily spans a handful of genres and references, but ultimately wind up sounding like a prog-rock band experimenting successfully with a drum machine.
Caged Animals performs Wednesday at 10PM at Fat Baby, Thursday at Lit and the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Friday at the Bowery Electric.
The Stepkids
If Stones Throw signees the Stepkids’ psychedelic pop sounds like musicians’ music, that’s because it sort of is. The Stepkids recorded their self-titled debut LP on an analog reel-to-reel tape recorder, giving their music that elusive quality of authenticity. The trio of shape-shifting songwriters is made up of incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists. And it doesn’t hurt that all three of them are also singers, weaving intricately composed harmonies over West African folk- and classic funk-influenced rhythms and grooves.
The Stepkids performs Wednesday at Public Assembly, Thursday at smartlounge and at 12AM at Pianos, and Friday at Glasslands and at 5PM at the Delancey.