Tuesday, October 21st marked the first day of my first-ever CMJ experience. Keeping with the weeklong Music Marathon tradition of discovering breaking new artists, I elected to avoid any hype or buzz and seek out bands that piqued my interest, as well as acts I already knew but had not seen live. Of course, with hundreds of bands and dozens of venues, not all combinations will work for everyone.
Nevertheless, even the confines of a claustrophobic venue couldn’t stop the Reign of Kindo. With their sprawling instrumentation intact, the Buffalo jazz pop prodigies captivated an intimate crowd, packed like sardines into the glorified alcove known as Stage 1 of Rockwood Music Hall. Nimbly crafted tunes like “Feeling in the Night” and “Holdout” found new life in a live setting, no small thanks to the burly bass playing of Jeffrey Jarvis. But really, the whole ensemble was in tiptop shape, navigating through tricky time signatures and smooth dynamic shifts with ease. Although the masses thinned somewhat by the end of their 45-minute set, Kindo played with an endearing passion to match their instrumental efficiency.
Any New Yorker deluded enough to mourn the death of rock music ought to swing around by the Bowery Electric sometime. Two up-and-coming acts I saw later in the evening kept the rock ‘n’ roll flame burning bright:
Sleepy Hahas immediately brought to mind a peculiar combination of Interpol and Led Zeppelin, perhaps with a bit of Bowie thrown in for good measure. Equal parts confounding and crunchy, the state natives made the most of a constrained four-song set. When he wasn’t playing hopscotch atop his pedalboard, Pat Butler commanded the stage with effects-laden guitar playing and brooding vocal melodies. Although I’d like to see their keyboard player reel in some of his sounds—the quirky synth tones proved gaudy and occasionally even distracting—he redeemed himself with a killer contribution to the band’s closing number, set to appear on their forthcoming album. Conjuring ear-splitting waves of static offset by gut-churning pitch bends, his keyboard commanded the band into a monstrous barrage. I couldn’t think of a better way to close this all-too-brief performance.
http://youtu.be/f95E1HXDlzU
Up next were Thee Idea Men. Though some may find this Philadelphia quartet lacking in, well, ideas, they more than make up for it with an infectious stage presence. Charisma was clear as day in the band’s exaggerated facial expressions, frantic headbanging and hard-hitting grooves. The group’s familiar sound felt bluesy, rocky, jammy, and even punkish every so often. Drummer Tyler March and bassist Kris Pirnat make for one heck of a rhythmic foundation, while the two Matthews (Juraspek and Raspanti) share vocal and guitar duties with aplomb. Steamrolling through songs at a rollicking pace, Thee Idea Men managed the crucial balance between loose textures and tight rhythms that would make the Rolling Stones proud.
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Nick Porcaro is a 24-year old graphic designer, musician and writer based in Jersey City, NJ. Nick graduated in 2012 from UArts in Philadelphia, PA with a BFA in Graphic Design. As a musician he’s played guitar for over 10 years, in addition to dabbling in bass, drums and vocals. Nick currently plays rhythm guitar with Max Feinstein and has worked with Matt Scuteri, Sara Martin, Shakedown Inc., and The Nerd Who Ate St. Louis. When he’s not freelancing for the Wilma Theater, Nick is writing songs for his debut solo record.
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