10 Bands to Watch @ CMJ 2011

The CMJ Music Marathon roster is always wonderfully diverse, filled with wildly popular acts at the height of their careers as well as unknown bands on the brink of making it. Here are our picks for the most promising bands that may not be too familiar now, but definitely will be after this week.

I’m not sure how Caveman are going to survive this week — they seem to be playing every single showcase and free party. The Brooklyn-based band has recently been tearing up the NYC indie rock scene in support of their first full-length CoCo Beware. The self-released record displays expertly crafted songs built around pleasing harmonies and addicting rhythms. You can definitely expect them to be the breakout act of CMJ 2011.

Wednesday, October 19th

ASCAP CMJ Showcase @ The Canal Room (285 W Broadway) — Set at 12:15AM (FREE)
Noisey.com CMJ Showcase @ Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street) — Doors at 7PM (FREE // RSVP)

Thursday, October 20th

Tell All Your Friends PR + I Guess I’m Floating Day Party @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 5PM (FREE // RSVP)
The Deli Magazine CMJ Showcase @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 11PM

Friday, October 21st

6DB CMJ Showcase @ The Delancey (168 Delancey Street) — Set at 4:10PM (FREE // RSVP)
Yours Truly Presents Pillow Talk @ Glasslands Gallery (289 Kent Avenue) — Doors at 8PM (FREE // RSVP)

Saturday, October 22nd

Reverb Party @ CMJ 2011 @ Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street) — Doors at 11AM (FREE)

Earlier this year, 16-year-old British singer/songwriter Archy Marshall released a Pitchfork-praised single “Out Getting Ribs” under the name Zoo Kid. Now 17 and armed with a new moniker, King Krule is coming to NYC for his CMJ/US debut. He’s booked at some pretty big shows in order to drum up even more hype for his debut EP, due out on True Panther in early November.

Wednesday, October 19th

True Panther Showcase @ Glasslands Gallery (289 Kent Avenue) — Set at 12AM

Friday, October 21st

The Fader Fort by Fiat @ Drive-In Studios (443 W 18th Street) — Doors at 2PM (FREE // RSVP)

Brooklyn’s Body Language will celebrate the release week of their newest EP Social Studies with a slew of CMJ appearances. Known for igniting infectious dance parties, the band is sure to give CMJ goers the opportunity to let loose and rock out. We predict a Body Language set to be a highlight of your CMJ adventure if you check them out. You’ll have plenty of opportunities.

Tuesday, October 18th

All Things Go Official CMJ Showcase @ Dominion (428 Lafayette Street) — Set at 12:30AM (FREE // EMAIL RSVP)

Wednesday, October 19th

dub Frequency Crème de la Crème CMJ Showcase @ Tammany Hall (152 Orchard Street) — Doors at 7PM (FREE // RSVP)

Thursday, October 20th

Tell All Your Friends PR + I Guess I’m Floating Day Party @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) (FREE // RSVP) — Set at 6PM

Saturday, October 22nd

Spin Magazine + The Press House Showcase @ Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street) — Set at 2:50PM (FREE)

We really can’t express enough how much we at The Wild Honey Pie dig Boston band You Wont. Their album Skeptic Goodbye, released in April of this year, is one of the most clearly focused debuts to come out of a young band in quite some time. The songs are lyrically deep and harmonically lush, and we can’t wait to hear them performed live. You’ll have several opportunities to catch You Won’t during CMJ, but we’re obviously a little biased and would love to see you at our own party on Saturday night.

Who Knew – You Won’t

Three Car Garage  - You Won’t

Tuesday, October 18th

Old Flame Records CMJ Showcase @ Pianos Upstairs (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 7:45PM (FREE)

Thursday, October 20th

The Record Company Showcase @ Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street) — Set at 12:30PM

Saturday, October 22nd

The Wild Honey Pie Presents The Beehive CMJ @ Pianos Upstairs (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 8:30PM (FREE // RSVP)

It’s no surprise that the five-piece Louisville, Kentucky band Nerves Junior lists Animal Collective as one of their biggest influences. Their music can definitely be described with the same “psychedelic” and “electronic” tags. We’d venture to say, though, that Nerves Junior’s debut full-length As Bright As Your Night Light is a bit more rock, and its spooky hooks make for a great October album. Released just last month, As Bright As Your Night Light has already earned the band mega-praise, and we predict it will end up on many “best of” lists at the end of the year.

Wednesday, October 19th

We Listen For You CMJ 2011 Day Party @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 2:15PM (FREE)

Saturday, October 22nd

Consequence of Sound October Party @ Southpaw (125 5th Avenue, Brooklyn) — Doors at 8PM

Bleached may be brand new (the band played their first show this past June), but Jennifer and Jessica Calvin are no strangers to the music scene. The sisters were in the LA band Mika Miko before it disbanded in 2009, and each had short stints in the bands Cold Cave and Puro Instinct before coming back together again to form Bleached. The power punk duo, who employ various friends to play bass and drums for live gigs, released a 7-inch on Art Fag Recordings this summer and are planning a full-length for early next year. Fans of the Clavin sisters will relish the opportunity to somewhat relive the glory days of Mika Miko (red phone mic notwithstanding) but we’re pretty sure Bleached are going to make a name for themselves that’s completely their own.

Wednesday, October 19th

Noisey.com CMJ Showcase @ Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street) — Doors at 7PM (RSVP)
Origami Vinyl, Indigenous, The Echo, and Dirty Laundry TV CMJ Party @ Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street) — Set @ 11:30PM

Thursday, October 20th

Yours Truly + Gorilla v. Bear Party @ Shea Stadium (20 Meadow Street) — Doors at 7PM (FREE // RSVP)

Friday, October 21st

Brooklyn Vegan Day Party @ Public Assembly (70 N6th Street) — Set @ 1PM (FREE)
The Fader Fort by Fiat @ Drive-In Studios (443 W 18th Street) — Doors at 2PM (RSVP)
Impose Magazine + Art Fag Recordings CMJ Party @ Shea Stadium (20 Meadow Street) — Doors at 8PM

Saturday, October 22nd

Village Voice and Panache CMJ Day Party @ Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street) — Set at 3:30PM (FREE)
Panache Booking and Bruise Cruise Showcase @ Public Assembly (70 N6th Street) — Doors at 7PM

Seattle’s Beat Connection usually perform with a light show and/or images projected behind them. No word on whether or not they’ll be employing this bonus wow factor for any of their CMJ appearances, but the laptop tinkering duo would still be worth checking out even without the LED screen. Last spring, Beat Connection re-released their excellent 2010 EP Surf Noir and toured Europe with Toro Y Moi. Their next stop after CMJ will be a few dates in Spain supporting Real Estate.

Tuesday, October 18th

Oh My Rockness Official CMJ Show @ Cameo Gallery (93 N6th Street) — Set at 12:30AM

Thursday, October 20th

Tell All Your Friends PR + I Guess I’m Floating Day Party @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 1PM (FREE // RSVP)
MTVHive, Weird Vibes, + PopGun Official CMJ Party @ Cameo Gallery (93 N6th Street) — Set at 2AM

Friday, October 21st

Flowerbooking CMJ Showcase @ Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) — Set at 1AM

Saturday, October 22nd

Paper Trail + Pulp Lab + Sky Report Party @ Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Avenue) — Set at 11:10PM

The duo Gem Club are riding high after a much buzzed about debut album released last month and subsequent stellar NYC performance at Glasslands. Their simple, emotionally heavy songs and sparse instrumentation (just cello and piano) make for some pretty intimate performances and you’ll definitely want to make sure you catch at least one this CMJ.

Thursday, October 20th

SubPop + Hardly Art’s Lame Fest @ Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston Street) — Set at 7PM

Friday, October 21st

Hardly Art + WUSB Present Drag and Slay Pizza Party @ Death by Audio (49 S 2nd Street) — Doors at 8PM (FREE)

Headless Horseman are CMJ vets, having played the festival last year. This year’s marathon of shows should bring something original though. Encouraged by Himanshu Suri to listen to more hip hop (the duo are signed to Das Racist’s label Greedhead), the beats have seeped into their new stuff. Headless Horseman’s newly refined live shows and a forthcoming EP early next year have renewed their status as a “band to watch” for 2011, so you’ll definitely want to pencil them in.

Tuesday, October 18th

Oh My Rockiness Official CMJ Show @ Cameo Gallery (93 N6th Street) — Set at 7:30PM

Wednesday, October 19th

Shout It Out Loud / Box of Milk Recordings Official Showcase @ The Delancey (168 Delancey Street) — Doors at 8PM
SESAC Presents NYC Rising CMJ Showcase @ Webster Hall’s Marlin Room (125 E 11th Street) — Set at 9:15PM
SESAC Official CMJ Showcase @ Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street) — Set at 12:15AM

Thursday, October 20th

Thieve, Weird Vibes, + PopGun Official CMJ Party @ Cameo Gallery (93 N6th Street) — Set at 11:30PM

Friday, October 21st

#Megablaag CMJ 2011 (Ex.fm + Tumblr + YVYNYL + Ears of the Beholder) @ Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Avenue) — Doors at 8PM (FREE // EMAIL RSVP)

Saturday, October 22nd

Baeblemusic Presents The Launch Pad @ Spike Hill (184 Bedford Avenue) — Set time TBA (FREE)
Greedhead CMJ Showcase @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 11:45PM

UK artist Hugo Manuel makes music in Jonquil, another band primed to have a busy and successful CMJ week, but he also makes chilled out bedroom pop under the moniker Chad Valley. His brand of chillwave is a serene stream of layered luxury so any Chad Valley set is sure to be a welcome, mellow break from the rest of the hectic week. With the kind of schedule that Manual has with both Chad Valley shows in addition to Jonquil, we bet he’ll need the break just as much as the audience.

Tuesday, October 18th

The Music Slut #OccupyPianos Day Party @ Pianos (158 Ludlow Street) — Set at 2:45PM (FREE)
Oh My Rockness Official CMJ Show @ Cameo Gallery (93 N 6th Street) — Set at 11:30PM

Wednesday, October 19th

Under The Radar Showcase @ Public Assembly (70 N 6th Street) — Set at 12:45PM (FREE)
The FIXED CMJ Freakout! @ Public Assembly (70 N 6th Street) — Doors at 8PM

Thursday, October 20th

Official Windish Agency CMJ Showcase @ (le) poisson rouge (158 Bleecker Street) — Set at 9PM
Surprise Attack Management Showcase @ Spike Hill (184 Bedford Avenue) — Set at 1:30AM

Friday, October 21st

Baeblemusic Party @ Spike Hill (184 Bedford Avenue) — Set at 10PM (FREE)
#Megablaag CMJ 2011 (Ex.fm + Tumblr + YVYNYL + Ears of the Beholder) @ Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Avenue) — Set at 12AM (FREE // EMAIL RSVP)
PopGun CMJ Party @ Cameo Gallery (96 N 6th Street) — Set at 10:20PM