CMJ 2009 Recap

Going in, CMJ 2009 looked like a weak year, thanks to the weak economy providing a weak line-up of weak showcases & weak bands with weak schwag. But that let one focus on what there that was good, stop grading on a CMJ curve, and catch some things you might have otherwise missed, to make for a more accomplished CMJ:

The worst weather of CMJ also brought some of the best showcases & bands to close out the festival. Recap
Though the weather got colder, the music stayed pretty hot on Day Four. Recap
After two rather unpromising days of CMJ, Day Three was a major improvement, thanks to singer/songwriters. Recap
The Bowery area once again dominated on a once-again underwhelming CMJ Day Two. Recap
Even for a CMJ weaker than before, Day One was thin – but some friends of the Q helped out… Recap

67 Bands, 71 Shows:

Ambulance LTD – Day Three, Mercury Lounge

Au Revoir Simone – Day Four, Rockwood Music Hall ; Day Five, Bell House

Band Bang Eche – Day One, PureVolume House

Bear Hands – Day Four, Piano’s

Dan Black – interview

Casxio – Interview

Cheap Seats – Day One, PureVolume House

The Cringe – pre-party, Rebel

Evan Dando – Day Two, Piano’s

Chris Denny – Day Three, Piano’s (upstairs)

The Dig – Day Four, Mercury Lounge

Drink Up Buttercup – Day Five, Etnies Showroom

Drug Rug – Day Four, Rockwood Music Hall

Electric Tickle Machine – Day Five, Spike Hill

Elizabeth & The Catapult – Day Five, The Delancey (upstairs)

Extended Family – Day One, Crash Mansion

Fanfarlo – pre-party & Day One, Rebel & Piano’s

Hooray For Earth – Day One, Crash Mansion

James Husband – Day Four, Bell House

Japandroids – Day Four, Bell House

JayMay – Day Four, Rockwood Music Hall

JBM – Day Three, Mercury Lounge

Jupiter One – Day One, Mercury Lounge

Seth Kallen – Day One, Cake Shop (upstairs)

Kanipchen Fit – Day Two, Piano’s (upstairs)

Kid:Nap:Kin – Day One, PureVolume House

Theodolphius London – Day Two, Santos (downstairs) & (le) Poisson Rouge

The Love Language – Day One, Piano’s (upstairs)

Lovvers – Day Three, Piano’s

Man Like Me – Day Three, PureVolume House

Middle Distance Runner – Day One, Piano’s (upstairs)

Midnight Juggernauts – Interview; Day Two, Santos (downstairs) & Bowery Ballroom; Day Five, Santos

Holly Miranda – Day Three, Piano’s (upstairs)

MNDR – Day Five, Ace Hotel

Motel Motel – Day One, Cake Shop

NinjaSonik – Day Two, (le) Poisson Rouge

Alec Ounsworth – Day Three, Piano’s & Mercury Lounge

Cale Parks – Day Four, Bell House

Paul & The Patients – Day Four, Arlene’s Grocery

PDA – Day One, PureVolume House

The Postmarks – Day Five, Bell House

Rain Machine – Day Five, Bowery Ballroom

Ravens & Chimes – Day Four, Mercury Lounge

Real Estate – Day Two, Santos (downstairs)

Red Collar – Day Two, Ace of Clubs

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Day Three, Piano’s (upstairs)

Savoir Adore – Day Five, Living Room

Sean Bones – Day Two, PureVolume House

Silver Starlings – Day Two, Cake Shop

Still Flyin’ – Day Five, Bell House

Superdrag – Day Four, Piano’s

Surfer Blood – Day Three, Piano’s

Temper Trap – Day Five, Ace Hotel

These United States – Day Two, Piano’s

Turbo Fruits – Day Two, Cake Shop

Twin Atlantic – Day Four, PureVolume House

The Union Line – pre-party, Rebel

unknown – Day Two, PureVolume House

Sharon Van Etten – Day Five, Bowery Ballroom

Via Tania – interview; Day Four, Norwood

Violens – Day Five, Bowery Ballroom

Patrick Watson – Day Three, Mercury Lounge

Imaad Wasif – Day Four, Piano’s (upstairs)

White Denim – pre-party, Rebel

The xx – Day Two, Mercury Lounge

Your Nature – Day Three, Canal Room

Zambri – Day One, Crash Mansion (upstairs)

Best Band – Midnight Juggernauts, Patrick Watson

Runners-Up – Evan Dando, Electric Tickle Machine, The Postmarks, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Superdrag, These United States, Zambri

Worst Band – PDA

Runners-Up – The Cringe, Kanipchen Fit, Kid:Nap:Kin, Silver Starlings

Best Showcase – (day) BrooklynVegan @ Piano’s, Day Three; (evening) Paradigm @ Mercury Lounge, Day Three

Runners-Up – (day) Skewer @ Piano’s, Day Four, Spin Magazine @ Rockwood Music Hall, Day Four; (evening) ASCAP @ Canal Room, Day Three, CMJ @ Piano’s, Day Two, Polyvinyl @ Bell House, Day Four

Worst Showcase – (day) Subbacultcha @ Piano’s (upstairs); (evening) PureVolume House @ 169 Bowery, all five days

Runners-Up – (day) Pop Tarts Suck Toasted @ Cake Shop, Day One; (evening) Conflict of Interest XI @ Rebel, pre-party; New Zealand Music @ Red Bull Space, Day One

Best New Venue – Rockwood Music Hall

Runners-Up – Norwood, Santos (downstairs)

Worst New Venue – Rebel

Runners-Up – Ace Hotel, The Delancey

Most Overrated – The xx

Runners-Up – Lovvers, FADER Fort, New Zealand Music @ Red Bull Space, Day One

Most Forgettable – unknown

Runners-Up – Bang Bang Eche, Cheap Seats, Kanipchen Fit, Turbo Fruits, Twin Atlantic

Biggest Miss – múm

Runners-Up – Atlas Sound, Broadcast, DFA party @ Brooklyn Bowl, JellyNYC party @ ROOT Studios, Ted Leo, School of Seven Bells, The Seedy Seeds, The Very Best

Click here for QRO’s CMJ 2008 Recap