Tagged: nyctapercmjshow

[photos by Amanda Hatfield ] Prussia is a self-described "experimental pop" band from Detroit. With two keyboards, often three guitars, and a range of sound effects to supplement the unique vocals of singer Ryan Spencer, Prussia is at the forefront of the burgeoning Michigan underground music scene. Last week, the band traveled to NYC for CMJ and performed seven times. We were fortunate to have them play at both shows we hosted this year - the NYCTaper CMJ show at Cake Shop on Thursday and the Golden Ratio / [...]

[photos by Amanda Hatfield ] We have covered so many Captured Tracks bands over the years - the label's roster lines up pretty closely with the tastes of the people of this site. So it was no surprise to us that Hoop Dreams , who so impressed at Glasslands in August , were on Captured Tracks and poised to release their first record. The band has a sound clearly influenced by early 80s Manchester UK - and which sounds quite like Captured Tracks label-head Mike Sniper's Blank Dogs. Hoop Dreams [...]

[photo by Amanda Hatfield ] The curse of being anointed a CMJ "buzz band" is that everyone wants to be seen at your shows, but no one is really listening to the music. We decided to offer Widowspeak a spot on our CMJ bill back in June, after both acidjack and I had seen them perform compelling sets at different shows . They seemed like a natural fit - unpretentious and intelligent indie-rock with roots in multiple genres from multiple decades. Widowspeak makes music for music lovers. I guess its [...]

[photo by Amanda Hatfield ] We have in the last several months had the distinct pleasure of experiencing Savoir Adore up close in two very different settings. In June, at their semi-acoustic Vivo in Vino concert , the band was adept at paring down their instruments to perform an excellent set in an intimate setting. At Thursday at our CMJ show at Cake Shop , we saw the full band and all the trappings - Paul Hammer in particular was remarkable at switching between electronics, guitar, vocals and keys, often more [...]

[photos by Amanda Hatfield ] Tristen released her debut album in February, and her national breakout has seen coverage from NPR , Rolling Stone magazine, Spin magazine, and a performance on Mountain Stage . Inexplicably, Tristen has not hit NYC. We attempted to reconcile that anomaly when we invited her to perform at our CMJ show at Cake Shop . I spent much of the pre-show conversation imploring people not to miss her, and was rewarded when Tristen delivered a superb thirty minute set. [...]