CMJ 2011: Our Most Anticipated Showcases
Oct 18, 2011 6:00 AM by ptortsBest way to get a grip on CMJ: plan ahead. Pick out a handful of showcases you want to catch, stick around for a few bands, then move on to the next showcase. Routing your day around individual acts instead of showcases will lead to burdensome travel time and unforgiving headaches, so eschew our advice at your own risk! Besides, CMJ offers a week of music discovery - leave pretensions and snobbery at the door, and enjoy new bands before evil labels snatch them up and create more Black Eyed Peas.
Staff Playlist: Pop Tarts
Oct 7, 2011 6:00 AM by Michael VerityPop music, by definition, can be a lot of things. Frank Sinatra was the original pop star. Paul McCartney wrote some of the poppiest ditties in the history of, um, popular music. R.E.M. claimed in their heyday they were just a "pop band." For the purpose of this playlist, what we call pop music is kind of like pop tarts: sweet treats that are the perfect way to start the day. And, both the toaster pastry and the music are portable.
On the Scene: Bristol
Oct 6, 2011 1:50 PM by WillPortishead, Tricky and Massive Attack all came to define Bristol in the 90’s, turning a British city once known for being a slavery port into a thriving centre of underground culture.
Label of the Week: Polyvinyl Records
Sep 28, 2011 11:29 AM by Helen TaylorSpringing from a DIY fanzine operation run by two high school friends in Illinois, Polyvinyl Records made its debut in July of 1995 with one split 7” single.