Live Review: CMJ's Choose Your Own Ending

It was another "slow morning" today...but the last in the CMJ 2007 series. The final night of this year's new music festival concluded in the wee hours with special appearances, parties, and "secret" shows on both sides of the East River. Xtina and I were faced with the difficult choice between dancing through an unannounced Justice set at Studio B at 3am, or bopping with our Almost Gold friends to the beat of Peter and Bjorn (plus Doug from Dirty on Purpose) at Galapagos. Here is evidence of the ending we chose to this year's CMJ story:

The tiny venue of Galapagos was packed thick with bodies when we arrived, at the tail end of the Black Kids set. We waited patiently in the company of Isaac (Almost Gold), George (MuseBox), Jackie (SPIN Online), and other media folks who were barely hanging on after this week of concert insanity. Peter, Bjorn and Doug kicked off their set with a velocity that blew the tired out of our heads immediately. Peter Moren's feet were an unstoppable force. They were in hop/tap/dance hyper-drive for the duration of the show.

Towards the end, Peter got so excited that he leapt into the crowd, sacrificing the functionality of his borrowed guitar for the next song (that was Isaac's guitar).

There were a few special guests too (including Matt from Foreign Born):


The rest of CMJ Day 5 will have to be covered piece-by-piece, but I felt that this cool and cheery finale was worth reporting to you all first.

[Photos by Mina K]

Live Photos: Justice at Terminal 5 [10.20.07]

My CMJ 07 ended with a bang with Justice. By "bang," I mean dangerously high volume French electro blasted from freaking stacks of Marshall amps.

Live Photos: HEALTH at Knitting Factory [10.19.07]

Besides that one scenster, bandanna around the neck, sporting freaking humongous sunglasses (why?! nighttime? indoors? dark club?!), the one thing that was unnerving from last night's show at the Knitting Factory's Tap Bar was a conversation overheard. Two lanky individuals professed to the guitarist setting up his gear- "Yoooo, L.A. is SO COOL, we want to move there!" Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if HEALTH, who rocked phenomenally with their synth-tinged noise and cultish chants, incite an exodus to their home town.

In and Out: CMJ Panels

While most CMJ-ers in the 21-30 demographic are still in the process of nursing their hangovers, the collegiate and has-been (>38) demographics are at the Kimmel center, attending CMJ panels. I admittedly missed a handful of panels this week due to the aforementioned "slow mornings," but I was able to catch a few. Of them was "Stagediving 101," with guest speaker Peter Criss (kitty-cat drummer) of KISS and Eric Davidson of New Bomb Turks.



Here is a listed summary of what I learned at this and all other panels throughout the week:

Never take to heart the things people in bands and the music industry advise you to do.

No Q&A questions at the panels were ever in the form of a proper question.

People asking "questions" have an urge to lecture to the rest of the audience.

All but one of the questions were asked by men.

Even with auspicious panelists such as Wilson Rothman of Gizmodo and Mark McClusky of Wired magazine, a panel can veer off-topic and flop.

Techie nerds should not publicly discuss label politics.

There is really no need for anyone over 21 to attend panels.

The MuseBox panelist was a stone fox. Call me?

I would absolutely love to host a panel next year, and rather than talk, shoot pennies from my sleeves a la Gob in Arrested Development.

Live Photos: Dan Deacon, Cult Leader [10.17.07]

Dan Deacon predictably opts for the floor over the stage at Bowery Ballroom:

Live Photos: Wednesday Wrap-up

I'm rushing out to catch some panels...more words and reviews coming when I can spend QT with the interweb. Meanwhile, don't forget to keep real-time tabs on Loose Record's whereabouts on Twitter!

Le Loup @Knitting Factory

1990s @Bowery Ballroom

Islands @Highline Ballroom

[Photos by Mina K]

Live Review: Ravens & Chimes at Fontanas [10.16.07]”

If you are an avid Loose Record follower (and by now, who isn’t?) you may remember that awhile back I heaped some well-deserved praise upon a little band, fronted by our very own Asher Lack, called Lost at Sea. A few things have changed for the band since the innocent days of spring 2006 – they now have a new name, new record, new band members, and well...I guess Asher still has the same haircut, though I’m sure he was wearing some new shoes or something.

Luckily, the main thing that has not changed for the band is their winning blend of grand instrumentations along with a healthy amount of toe-tapping indie pop goodness to balance out lyrics which tend to lean toward the melancholy side of the emotional spectrum.

During the show, Asher pointed out that the day marked the one-week anniversary of the release of Ravens & Chimes' debut album Reichenbach Falls (Better Looking Records). “It’s like a high school relationship”, he deadpanned. “Tomorrow I’ll buy it flowers and take it to see Superbad”. Springing for flowers on a one-week anniversary? Man, Asher must have been an excellent high school boyfriend. I think mine might have given me a can of soda to mark the occasion...?

Joking aside, the band certainly has a right to celebrate – Reichenbach Falls is a beautiful record, and though they’ve garnered comparisons to Wolf Parade, Bright Eyes, the Decemberists and the Arcade Fire (all good things); their sound comes across as distinct and fresh. Isn’t this why the CMJ Festival exists...to watch as bands come into their own? Sure, I love a good indie star-studded showcase, but I think the real treat lies in those moments spent watching as a spiffily-dressed band gives it their all on a small basement stage somewhere in Manhattan. I thought the band did a great job of translating the slow build and crescendo crashes of album opener “This is Where We Are” for the stage, and the urgency behind keyboard-driven “General Lafayette! You Are Not Alone!” was pretty much undeniably appealing.

I’ve been lucky enough to watch the band evolve over the years, and as I watched the group perform their final number (a rousing cover of Leonard Cohen’s “So Long Marianne”) it was nice to know that in the audience at Fontana’s that night, a whole new group of music fans got a chance to discover Ravens & Chimes for the first time.


[Photos by Mina K]

Live Photos: Tuesday Wrap-up

I saw some other bands on Tuesday.

Oppenheimer @Crash Mansion




The Press @Delancey

In and Out: Twitter me this, CMJ.

Loose Record NYC is all over this CMJ shit. Last night alone I saw Geoff, Alena, Xtina, and Asher out and about (and in Asher's case, fronting a band!).

A colleague of mine snorts in disgust at Twitter, labeling it one of
the "grossest forms of exhibitionism on the internet." Despite this, I
believe there is value in this little piece of innovation. In my
search for understanding (and the fountain of youth), I hereby resolve
to Twitter my way through CMJ Week 2007 (Oct 16-20). If you so choose,
you can tune into my joys, gripes, hungry spells, and unrelated
thoughts as I wade through panel discussions (with Peter Criss of
KISS!), band showcases, and parties.

Loose Record Twitters CMJ Week 2007

Please bookmark Loose Record's Twitter page or add LR to your own
feeds if you already have an account. (my personal Twitter is on hold
until CMJ ends.)

p.s. - What the heck is Twitter? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter