By Erin Browne and Bailey Constas
For music fans and emerging bands alike, CMJ is the most wonderful time of the year. For five days, New York City becomes a music fan’s playground with more than 1,000 bands spread out over Manhattan and Brooklyn. This is our Iron Man. Our Olympics. This is what we have been training for our entire lives, and now it is finally here. However, a festival this big can be a little overwhelming, so two Reverb writers decided to take it upon themselves and pick 10 bands that you definitely need to check out if you are attending this year’s marathon. You will no doubt see more than 10 bands over the next five days, but this is a good place to start.
Twin Peaks
With all the buzz about David Lynch’s cult TV show returning in 2016, you might have missed the fact that Ohio boys Twin Peaks dropped a new video. This high energy band is one that you don’t want to miss out on whether it is at one of their six CMJ shows or while they are out on tour. This year’s “Wild Onion” is one of our favorite albums of the year so far, and they are a band you definitely want to keep up with.
See them:
Wed 10/22 at Glasslands 10:20PM
Thu. 10/23 at Rough Trade 5PM
Thu. 10/23 at Santo’s Party House 8:30PM
Thu. 10/23 at Glasslands 1AM
Fri. 10/ 24 at Baby’s All Right 5:45PM
Fri. 10/24 at Rough Trade 10:15PM
Potty Mouth
We are stoked that Massachusetts ladies Potty Mouth will be playing a few CMJ showcases this year. With biting, witty lyrics and an air of Riot Grrrl these ladies are not to be missed if you are looking for a high energy show. Last year’s “Hell Bent” is what put these feminist punk rockers on the map, but it is their stage presence and down to earth demeanor that will keep them around for a while.
See them:
Thursday 10/23 at Baby’s All Right
Friday 10/24 at Radio Bushwick
Saturday 10/25 at Cake Shop
Tweens
This Ohio trash pop trio might be one of the acts we are most excited to see at CMJ Music Marathon 2014, we haven’t been able to turn off their self-titled debut since it dropped on Frenchkiss Records earlier this year and we don’t see that changing any time soon. Don’t worry, this isn’t a band made up of angsty tweens but brash 20-somethings lead by Bridget Battle. If you are looking to find a bit of your forgotten youth definitely make sure to check out one of their showcases.
See them:
Wednesday 10/22 at Arlene’s Grocery 5pm
Wednesday 10/22 at Death by Audio
Thursday 10/23 at Baby’s All Right
DRGN King
This Philadelphia based indie-psych project consists of Dom Angelella and Ritz Reynolds. With the release of their new LP “Baltimore Crush” (10/28) just around the corner, CMJ is the perfect time to catch them before the new music arrives. Dom’s soaring vocals over the infectiously catchy melodies are exactly what you will need as the weather gets colder and it gets harder and harder to wake up each morning during the festival.
See them:
Thursday 10/23 at Lit Lounge 10pm
Parlour Tricks
This NYC based six-piece is a film noir come to life. With inspiration drawn from true crime and personal experience, lead singer Lily pens songs that you won’t find anywhere else in this decade. That’s not to say they are outdated by any means. Parlour Tricks put a modern spin on classic sounds. The three part harmonies are unbeatable and their live show is unrivaled. Their showcases are not ones you want to miss.
See them:
Thursday 10/23 at The Living Room 4:30pm
Thursday 10/23 at Bowery Electric 8pm
Friday 10/24 at The Living Room 9:30pm
Protomartyr
Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr brings a refreshing take on an overly saturated garage rock music scene. Itap a more sophisticated punk, post-punk sound to be exact. Dialed down, Protomartyr still has plenty of face-melting moments. They’re just complimented with inventive melodies.
See them:
Wednesday 10-23 at the Knitting Factory
The Wytches
The Wytches play the kind of surf-rock that went through a goth phase and then grew up to be cynical, heady psychedelic rock. The Brighton trio can fill any dark, reckless void with their moody garage rock. They’ve toured with Paurquet Courts and Cloud Nothings — pretty good for a band whose debut album was only released in August.
See them:
Wednesday 10-22 at Glasslands
Friday 10-24 at Baby’s All Right
Saturday 10-25 at Rough Trade
Journalism
Itap shocking how relaxing Brooklyn band, Journalism can sound with such tight harmonies and rhythm. Their glistening guitars give a feeling of grounded depth. Their sound isn’t quite solid, but itap not exactly liquid. Itap more like that weird substance in lava lamps — easily malleable but still making some interesting waves.
See them:
Wednesday 10-22 at Left Field 7:30 PM
Friday 10-24 at King’s County Saloon 10:30 PM
Heat
There’s a lot of 25-year-olds who will be able to relate to Heatap song “25” a few days into CMJ “walking down the street in the hangover sunshine, shuffling my feet you know I Just turned 25.” The Montreal band makes use of just enough gritty guitar, driving drums and lyrics written like a porch conversation with a close friend.
See them:
Tuesday 10-21 at Pianos 3:15 PM, Union Pool 10:00 PM
Thursday 10-23 at Mercury Lounge
Friday 10-24 at Arlene’s Grocery 7:15 PM
Pompeii
After a five-year hiatus, former fans of the previously emo-gaze band can rejoice. They’re back with a much more solidified sound but hang onto their signature atmospheric ambient openings. Pompeii was kind of like the Sigor Ros of pop-punk, but now they’ve shedded that Blink-182 exterior and refocused on a more shoegaze approach. Itap mostly incredible that a band formed in 2004 can grow up so nicely.
See Them:
Thursday 10-23 at The Delancey at 6:45, Passenger Bar 12:45 AM
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Erin Browne is a New York-based writer and a new contributor to Reverb.
Bailey Constas is a Fort Collins-based writer and new contributor to Reverb. Follow her
