CMJ is over and I'm back at work, a little tired and with a cold I didn't have before, but all things considered I'm very musically satisfied. I caught many excellent shows, including many bands I'd not had the chance to see before. I'll be writing more detailed descriptions of the good shows I caught over the next few days, but briefly, here are my favorites:

Land of Talk - Pianos: A great band with great charisma, even the second time around
The Knife - Webster Hall: I've never seen a concert look anything like this one.
Forward Russia! - Mercury Lounge: I'd have never guessed how good this band is from listening to their record, now I can't wait to see them again in a few weeks.
Stephonik and the Bright Side - Charelston: They were louder and heavier than the last time, fresh out of the studio and sounding awesome.
Annuals - Annex: A short but sweet set, they sounded amazing.
Malajube - Fader: These guys have their shit together and make their album rock live.
White Rabbit - Cake Shop: Biggest and most pleasant surprise of CMJ, I can't believe how great these guys were. They passed the '30 seconds test' for bands I've never heard before better than anyone else I've ever seen.

I didn't move much yesterday, and would love to take this week off from shows. However, this isn't to be the case as I'm seeing Voxtrot and Annuals tonight, Les Savy Fav tomorrow (and probably Thursday), and have people trying to get me to shows on Wednesday and Friday. I love music, and apparently I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews