Graphics by Olivia Angst
It can get a little overwhelming at CMJ every year, with hundreds and hundreds of artists playing all over the city. There are so many bands that it starts to all blur into a big mess of names. We’re here to make your life a little easier this year by highlighting the 10 artists that we’re looking most forward to seeing this year. Check out our highlights below and be sure to check our list of best official and free showcases to help plan even better!
Krill’s unabashed vocals are reminiscent of late pop-rock group Dear in the Headlights, but this Boston band is more challenging, abrasive and garage-derived. The guitar can be deliciously chord heavy and many tracks are drum-driven, but it’s really the warbly singing that keeps me riding the Krillwave. — Laura Donahue
Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 24 — Trash Bar @ 7:45pm — Exploding in Sound Records Party // Free
Doe Paoro has been doling out gorgeous, dramatic music for a while now, but we’re especially excited to see this electro-soul goddess take the stage at CMJ this year with fresh music from her most recent EP Ink On the Walls. The Brooklyn-based songstress and her band will play Rough Trade in support of Cold War Kids, and there’s no doubt she’ll enchant with her daring vocals and melodic hooks. Doe Paoro is a powerhouse, and we’re so glad she’s joining the fray in this year’s lineup. — Schuylar Rooth
Schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 22 — Braund Sound @ 5pm — Red Eye Transit Records Video Sessions // RSVP
Wednesday, Oct. 22 — Rough Trade @ 8pm — Rough Trade NYC // Tickets
If there’s one artist who’s guaranteed to charm the pants off of us this year at CMJ, it’s BØRNS. Los Angeles’ Garrett Borns just released his first single, and it’s one of the dreamiest songs we’ve heard this year. “10,000 Emerald Pools” is a woozy synth-pop ballad filled with lithe vocals and glam rock guitar hooks. The song is charming as all get out. — Schuylar Rooth
Schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 21 — Mercury Lounge @ 9pm — Mercury Lounge Showcase // Tickets
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Pianos @ 2:30pm — Windish Agency Showcase // RSVP
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Fader Fort @ 8:45pm — Converse Rubber Tracks // RSVP
Saturday, Oct. 25 — Brooklyn Night Bazaar @ 5:30pm — The Wild Honey Pie Presents The Beehive // RSVP
Listening to Celestial Shore is like a childhood excursion to FAO Schwarz. You find yourself reaching out to touch each and every seductive trinket within arm’s reach, but before you know it, a new trifle catches your eye. Once you stand back and absorb the bigger picture, the whole room becomes a revelatory treasure. Celestial Shore’s music similarly weaves a landscape of riches — toying with rudiments of tempo and harmony that independently, evoke a medley of colorful emotions, but together infuse a sugary sonic dream. Suitable for fans of the Dirty Projectors wearing hallucinogenic goggles. — Camellia Hartman
Schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 21 — Palisades @ 8pm — Exploding in Sound // Tickets
Wednesday, Oct. 22 — The Shop @ 10:30pm — Prison Art Showcase // RSVP
Saturday, Oct. 25 — Union Pool @ 11:30pm — Team Clermont Showcase // Tickets
South London trio, Happyness, may have some problems with spelling, but who could give a care to correct vowel usage when you are making great music. Maybe their lack of spelling skills stems from all the comparisons to ‘classic college slacker rock’ they’ve been getting, but it’s more like a mutation of the happily melancholy gene so prevalent in bands like Blur. Their debut album, Weird Little Birthday, came out on Rough Trade this past summer, and is chock full of fuzzy guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and carefully produced nonchalance. Happyness might be a fledgling young outfit, but these dudes certainly are adding something to the scene. –Shannon Thomas
Schedule:
Wednesday 0ct. 22 — Glasslands @ 9:30 — Tell All Your Friends Showcase // Tickets
Friday, Oct. 24 — Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 @ 8pm — WFUV Live // RSVP
With the kind of melodies and dramatic vocals that would feel at home in a line up that included Souxie and the Banshees and the alt-pop bonafides that keep your head bobbing through the entire set, Ballet School is primed to explode off of CMJ. Their album, The Dew Lasts an Hour, is a swoony pop daze that’s as breathless as it is sleek, and we’re hungry to finally experience the dreaminess live. — Hannah Angst
Schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 22 — Studio at Webster Hall @ 12:15am — ASCAP Presents // RSVP
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Le Possion Rouge @ 10pm — Bella Union Showcase // RSVP
Friday, Oct. 24 — Glasslands @ 9pm — Popgun! Party // Tickets
Gauzy and retro with a sound that’s full and orchestral, it’s like Modern Rivals went back to the glory days of Animal Collective indie and just kept exploring those soudscapes. Swirling sounds like gusts of wind sweep in and out of their incredible EP Cemetary Dares, the kinds of sounds that are best on headphones or in a packed club. It’s lush, textured music — the kind that’s meant to be discovered at a festival like CMJ. — Hannah Angst
Schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 21 — Pianos @ 10pm — BANNERS // Tickets
Saturday, Oct. 25 — Brooklyn Night Bazaar — The Wild Honey Pie Presents The Beehive // RSVP
Don’t let the pop moniker and “happier Lana Del Rey” title fool you — there’s much more to Zella Day. Even her voice has an air of depth uncommon for her age. Zella Day makes thinking pop music, the kind with production that keeps you interested even if the beat keeps you dancing. She’s already one of the most blogged about new artists of the year, and after this CMJ, she’s sure to be on everyone’s lips. — Hannah Angst
Schedule:
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Santos Party House @ 7:30 — New Shapes // Tickets
Saturday, Oct. 25 — Brooklyn Night Bazaar @ 10:15pm — The Wild Honey Pie Presents The Beehive // RSVP
One listen to the incredibly soulful track “Lovit” and you’re absolutely sure to get on board the Marian Hill train. With arresting vocals and the kind of creativity that comes a long only once in a very long while, Marian Hill mixes old school songtress vibes with throughly modern production for something completely unique to her sensibilities. Her shows are rumored to be must-sees, and with a beat like that, it’s easy to see why. — Hannah Angst
Schedule:
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Glasslands @ 9pm — Communion Presents // RSVP
Thursday, Oct. 23 — Warsaw @ 8pm — Red Bull Sound Select // Tickets
We know we’ve been on the Yellerkin train a while now — but at this point it should be easy to see why we’re so passionate. With delicate melodies and mood, it’s the kind of sweet songwriting that we’re just helpless against. — Hannah Angst
Schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 21 — Pianos @ 11:30pm — BANNERS // Tickets
Saturday, Oct. 25 — Brooklyn Night Bazaar @ 5:30pm — The Wild Honey Pie Presents The Beehive // RSVP
