In October, KEXP once again returned to New York City to broadcast live during the 2012 CMJ Music Marathon. This year, we joined CMJ officially at CMJ Union @ Union Square Ballroom, where we showcased 12 bands over 3 days, including Paul Banks, Daughter, Cody ChesnuTT, The Antlers and many others, plus DJ sets from John Richards and Cheryl Waters in between bands. Gathered here are links to photos, reviews and videos for each session.
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
British trio Daughter grew out of the solo project of Elena Tonra, whose initial comparatively minimal demos now take fuller shape with a whole band. Trading acoustic guitar for electric and adding guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella, Tonra has built Daughter up into a more richly produced, atmospheric project, yet it is still her voice that carries... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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In a recent interview, Jack Milas of Sydney-via-Brooklyn duo High Highs noted that their PR agent once requested that the group deem their music “church wave.” “It’s not music that’s religious in any way... it would just sound good in a church,” Milas joked. “Maybe we’re onto something.” Silly genre tags aside, Milas is right - they are onto something... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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Ten years ago, Cody ChesnuTT released The Headphone Masterpiece, a double album that placed R&B bangers right next to confessional laments, both recorded with the unusual twist of a lo-fi aesthetic. The next year, legendary R&B crew The Roots decided to cover one of ChesnuTT’s songs, resulting in “The Seed 2.0,” an acclaimed R&B/rock fusion track that... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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Paul Banks has played music under a variety of names for some years, but it’s only about fifteen years into his career that he started performing prominently under his own name. He’s well known as the lead singer for Interpol, but when he released solo material in between his duties with the New York City-based band, he did it under the Julian Plenti moniker... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Seattle band Hey Marseilles formed in 2006 when vocalist Nick Ward and guitarist Matt Bishop met at the University of Washington, and since then they have been gaining well deserved praise ever since their 2008 full length release, To Travels and Trunks. Their following 2011 single, “Elegy,” has also been critically hailed... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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Dark and dreamy indie-rock sensation DIIV started out in 2012 as the solo project of frontman and Beach Fossils guitarist Zachary Cole Smith. A year and one critically acclaimed debut album later, DIIV has emerged as the latest ambassador of Brooklyn’s sound, although they pack a significantly heavier punch than some of their forgotten predecessors... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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After spending their formative years together in Ireland, Stevie Appleby, Faye O’Rourke, Adam O’Regan, Donagh Seaver O’Leary, and Dylan Lynch formed Little Green Cars when they were merely 15 years of age. Five years later the quintet is eager to release their debut album on Glassnote Records set to be available state-side early next year... (read more / view photos)
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After years of friendship and floating around the Seattle music scene, musicians Christian Wargo (Fleet Foxes), Casey Wescott (Fleet Foxes) and brothers Ian and Peter Murray formed Poor Moon. Carving out their self-titled debut record from Wargo’s fully-arranged songs, Wescott and Murray were eager to share the intricate harmonies, meticulous acoustic-minded arrangements... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
Friday, October 19, 2012
Though a relatively new band, Line & Circle have had a busy week! Touted as the next best thing from Los Angeles their infectious sound will definitely leave an impression. The vocals and lyrics of Brian J. Cohen are rich and warbling. The combination of these two elements makes Line & Circle out to be an Americana post-punk mashup... (read more / view photos)
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The story of Wild Nothing, aka Jack Tatum, is one of a bedroom musician finding his groove as a relative unknown and following his muse into uncharted territory. After composing his 2010 debut LP, Gemini, as a student at Virginia Tech, Tatum received enough acclaim to earn a following and pursue... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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Although this year’s 151a is his first LP, the Norfolk, Virginia, based Kishi Bashi is no stranger to the stage. He’s the frontman of the uptempo NYC synthpop group Jupiter One and has taken the stage as a backing musician with indie standbys like Of Montreal, Regina Spektor, and Sondre Lerche. On the nine tracks... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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In just a few years, shape-shifting The Antlers have undergone more reinventions than many successful bands do in a lifespan. Hospice, their 2009 breakthrough, was a heartbreaker of a chamber pop album with an intertwined narrative about a dying cancer patient. Leading man Peter Silberman followed that up with last year’s... (read more / view photos / listen to audio)
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