CMJ Day 1 (10/21/08) Recap

I was able to see several bands yesterday.....long day but a lot of fun. My ears are ringing and my throat is scratchy, but this festival is really great, something for everyone. Over the day, three bands in particular stood out to me and I think they're all worth a listen.

CHRIS BATTEN & THE WOODS:

I've known Chris for years but haven't had a chance to see him perform in a long time. Actually, the last time I saw him, Chris was a solo artist trying to jump-start his career. From the first time I heard his music, I really liked Chris' voice and singing style. Now backed by a three piece band (Guitar, Bass, Drums), he's really taken his performance to another level. I saw his 2pm set at Rehab yesterday and I was really impressed by the show. The band is very tight and polished, they sounded like a seasoned rock band that's been together for over ten years. Chris has a good persona as a frontman, you can definitely see some of Springsteen's influence in the way Chris moves around on stage....but that's a good thing, The Boss is as good a performer as there is. The Woods sound is very "Rock Americana", good old fashioned rock and roll. Chris and the guys tour quite a bit and have a couple more CMJ shows this weekend. Get out there and support these guys....

Fri Oct 24 08 08:00 PM | Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY US
Venue: MATCHLESS
Address: 557 Manhattan Ave. (@ Driggs Ave.), Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY, US
Details: CMJ showcase, for festival information visit www.cmj.com/marathon/

Sat Oct 25 08 02:00 PM | New York, NY US
Venue: The Annex
Address: 152 Orchard St, (Between Rivington & Stanton Street), New York, NY, 10002, US
Details: CMJ daytime showcase, more info TBA

Here's their website: http://www.andthewoods.com/











FRIENDLY FIRES:

I saw these guys from England last night at the Bowery Ballroom..........GREAT SHOW, I think they're going to be BIG. I've heard their name and read a bit about them lately so I knew they were getting some buzz. They basically have a lead singer (who plays occasional bass), lead guitar, a drummer and a bassist/percussionist. Their sound is almost like a "dance-rock", kind of hard to classify, but it makes you want to move your feet. The crowd really got into their set as it went along, people were dancing and having a really good time. I remarked to my buddy Robin that I'd love to see them play with a crowd of their true fans, I think they'd blow the roof off. Their lead singer looks like he's watched quite a bit of Thom Yorke over the years, he was flailing around like a maniac....definitely entertaining. From the look of their tour schedule, it seems like they've got a few more NYC shows this weekend and then head out west (Portland, San Fran, LA). I'd definitely check these guys out if you're living out that way.....but bring some comfortable shoes, you're going to be dancing your ass off.

Here's their website: http://www.wearefriendlyfires.com/












LYKKE LI:

Well, I was really excited to see Lykke and she did not disappoint. Armed with a tremendous voice and a great stage presence, she was able to captivate the crowd quickly. One thing that surprised me was her versatility with some cool combinations of songs, even mixing in some Vampire Weekend halfway through her set. Her encore was fantastic.....she started it off with her song "Tonight", which is equally beautiful and haunting, I was really happy to hear it. What came next I think almost nobody expected......a cover of A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?", awesome stuff. Lykke is on the same tour with the Friendly Fires, that's just a great double-bill, well worth the price of admission.

Here's her website: http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli