Ever since I moved to New York, CMJ has seemed pretty overwhelming. Mostly, it's because I get a little paralyzed by having to choose between so many great options. I spend hours trying to decide who I should go see, mapping out routes from one venue to another, desperately trying to figure out if there's some way I can make it to every act. By the end of the festival I've almost certainly had a great time, but there are usually a few regrettable missed opportunities that slipped through the cracks.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that I usually try to do some sort of coverage of all the shows I see, which gets increasingly difficult after I've made it through my first round or seven of beer.
This year I decided to change it up. One show for the blog. That's it. And if there was one show at CMJ that had more acts I wanted to see than any other, it was the Terrible Records X Cymbal X Pigeons & Planes showcase at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn. I gave our wonderful photographer Brandon Bakus one simple task: take beautiful pictures. I'd say he did a good job.
For such an international hub of arts and culture, it's amazing how small the music community in NYC can be. Or at least it was amazing how small it felt as I covered Brooklyn locals TUTU at Cameo Gallery last Friday. The energy of the room was warm and welcoming, less like you were at a venue and more like you'd wandered into an intimate house concert.
Watching these kinds of communities form around great artists is one of my favorite things about living here. It was an excellent show with great ambiance, great people, and great performances from three acts that, when you get down to it, haven't really released any music yet.
Ian Chang
Okay, well, the whole "haven't released any music" thing isn't totally true. The first act of the night was a solo drum set by Ian Chang, who's the current drummer for Son Lux and a member of Landlady and Body Language. To give you some idea of the wonder he produced for us at Cameo, we present the following video:
Precise, melodic, virtuosic, smart, and innovative. His style is almost like a manicured stream-of-consciousness, making you feel like you have a direct line to his innermost thoughts. His rhythms seem to come out of nowhere, his articulations appear like magic, and while we love the work he's done with the various projects he's in, we can say wholeheartedly that we would love to hear more of what he can create on his own.
Eda Wolf
The next act were Brooklyn locals (and friends of the blog) Eda Wolf, whose track "Wild" premiered here not too long ago. We were fortunate enough to catch them on the night they introduced their live video projections.
Eda Wolf have only released two tracks so far, so seeing them live was a great way to hear some more of that wonderful music they've been working on. We're excited to say that it only gets better. They've developed a new, almost dark mix of electronic R&B that references jazz almost as much as it does pop.
The best part is that from what we've heard, the duo is definitely not afraid of experimentation. They juxtapose the familiar with the foreign, and always wear their hearts on their sleeves. It makes for a great combination.
TUTU
Last, but certainly not least, was the incredible TUTU. We first saw these guys last year when they opened for Rafiq Bhatia at the (sadly) now-defunct BK venue Glasslands, which we're pretty sure was their debut performance. We remember being amazed by their musicianship at that first show, and almost a year later they've only gotten better. TUTU has yet to release any recordings, but did put together this lovely video that will give you a sense of their style:
My favorite part about TUTU is the heavy jazz influence. It's not necessarily apparent in the songwriting or composition, but simply in how the group plays together. Each member's virtuosic abilities, combined with the comfort and trust they seem to have in each another, makes for a sound that feels both structured and improvised at the same time. As an audience member, it keeps you on your toes.
Hopefully they took that creativity with them into the studio. If their upcoming EP Anita comes anywhere close to their live performance, we should all be counting down the days until its release.
Last Saturday I had the honor of being at Teen Girl Scientist Monthly's high-energy release show for their new album, HYPER TROPHY, at Cameo Gallery. While I unfortunately missed what I heard was an amazing performance from opening act Jumpers, I did get a chance to have my mind blown by Starlight Girls and, of course, the headliners themselves. Photos were taken.
Starlight Girls
I honestly had no idea what to expect from Starlight Girls, but that just let them blow me away even more. Each member seemed immensely comfortable onstage, which makes sense since they've been playing together for four and a half years. Pair that with their groovy rhythms and smooth vocals and you have a formula for some serious badassery.
Halfway through their set, a friend of mine said they reminded her of French experimental psych-pop group La Femme, and I would say that's a fair comparison. They flew through genres and influences while always remaining themselves. If you get a chance, don't miss seeing them live.
Teen Girl Scientist Monthly
I've heard a lot of great things about TGSM's live shows, and I'm happy to say that even with ridiculously high expectations I wasn't disappointed. True, an album release show is a special occasion, but I have a strong feeling that the infectious energy in the room would be there regardless.
I recently had the opportunity to hang with the band in their rehearsal space, and it was refreshing to see that the camaraderie I witnessed in that intimate setting carried over to the stage. They were clearly having an awesome time, and they invited everyone in the audience to take part—that makes for a hell of a fun show.
The energy of an album-release show is second to none. The crowd tends to consist mostly of die-hard, mailing-list-subscribing fans, so even if it's a larger event there's always a palpable intimacy. Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to get to check out the release concert for Yumi Zouma's EP ll at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn, where they were joined by the wonderfully eccentric Jerry Paper and the dreamy pop stylings of Future of What. It was a phenomenal show, and the headliners put on a truly exuberant, joyful performance in celebration of their new music (and newly-realized international fame). Check out our photos from the night below.
Jerry Paper
Lucas W. Nathan, aka Jerry Paper
Jerry may be mixing up his quarter- and mid-life crises, or just getting them all out of the way at once. Either way, we hope the look catches on.
Future Of What
Blair Gimma of Future Of What
"I'm just here so I don't get fined."
Yumi Zouma
Christie Simpson and Sam Perry of Yumi Zouma
We know lights aren't cool anymore but god damn, throw the photographer a bone, guys.
