CMJ has come and gone in a fury of five booze-fueled days. Bushwick Daily’s dedicated music staff hit the ground running this CMJ, with more than five writer-photogs scoping out bands so you didn’t have to. We swarmed the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, and our own dear Bushwick (and everywhere in between!) to find the best new bands the festival had to offer. Among our favorite concerts were house parties, free shows, warehouse gigs, and even a metal venue. Among the many bands we saw, we were able to boil it down to 10. Read on for original photos, mp3s, and writeups of our favorite new acts from CMJ 2013 including Psychic Twin, Empress Of, Indian Rebound, Kal Marks, Ex Cult, Ovlov, Criminal Hygiene, Born Gold, Shy Girls and Twin Islands.
Empress Of
Empress Of is Brooklyn’s own one-woman sound experience. Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) is halfway between the vocal stylings of sky-high soprano Twin Sister and the visceral, anxiety-fueled vocals of Braids’ Raphaelle Standell-Preston. She fits neatly among the best original female voices of the indie scene. Those lovely (and lonely) floating vocals wander atop lo-fi synth melodies and tinkerbox beats in a way that’s at once gentle and intense. She’s so fresh that she’s only put out seven songs total, including the beautiful EP Systems. We caught her bringing down the house headlining the Wild Honey Pie’s showcase on Saturday. -Maria Gotay
Indian Rebound
Indian Rebound is one smart rock ‘n’ roll band. The native New Yorkers are hot on the scene, charged with a jangly rock sound, savory guitar solos, and a goofy stage presence. They’ve supported some pretty big names over the past year (Widowspeak, Free Energy, Palma Violets) before dropping off the bills for a few months. We hope they’re coming back in full force because they’ve got a sound worth waiting for. We caught them at the Beats Per Minute and We All Want Someone to Shout For’s showcase at The Living Room. -Maria Gotay
