CMJ 08 Wrap-Up

So for me, CMJ kinda blew. Sure Crystal Castles were awesome. I'm a new fan of WhoMadeWho, Bad Veins and Heloise & the Savoir Faire. And Crystal Antlers rocked it all over the city. But my CMJ experience at first got off to a rough start. Then I hit the overwhelming fest for two nights. Friday I felt exhausted. Saturday I planned on going to the After the Jump day party, which was supposed to be at The Yard, then got switched to Market Hotel due to rain, then got cancelled entirely. Not to mention my failed attempt at catching Ebony Bones, who I am enthralled with right now. I call this all alot of bad luck. Whatever, it happens.

I had fun at the shows I got to see, so for what it's worth, here are my highlights from CMJ 08.

CRYSTAL CASTLES (removed by request):(

FUJIYA & MIYAGI


WHOMADEWHO


HELOISE & THE SAVOIR FAIRE


CRYSTAL ANTLERS (re-post)

CMJ 08 Thursday CRYSTAL CASTLES FUJIYA & MIYAGI WHOMADEWHO

Crystal Castles delivered a spellbinding set last night, headlining a CMJ showcase at Webster Hall. And though lead singer Alice Glass doesn't have a great voice, her spastic energy and demonic-like presence are what rock stars are made of. Swigging from a bottle of red wine and screaming into her echoed mic, Glass stomped around the stage like a caged animal. At times, she even kneeled on the hands of the crazed fans up front, creating the illusion of floating above the crowd like an evil princess.


But the real star of this show was the amazing lighting design, perfectly in tune with the Nintendo-On-Acid chaos of the music. This show was highly entertaining and Crystal Castles had the packed house in the palm of their sinister hands. This was every bit the spectacle I had hoped for.


Fujiya & Miyagi sounded really good, though the set seemed to grow redundant after awhile. I love their albums and they definitely have talent, but live it came across a bit boring and not entirely engaging. I don't mean to say they were bad, but I was expecting a livelier show from these guys.

WhoMadeWho were superb. The trio (two of which were decked out in hysterical black and white skin-tight bodysuits) played a fantastic set full of great tracks, anchored by the band's infectious charisma. They really got the crowd moving. I am so glad I made it in time to catch these guys. I am definitely a new fan.



-All photos by Scot Bowman

CRYSTAL CASTLES Playing CMJNew 'Crimewaves' Video

Crystal Castles will headline a CMJ showcase at Webster Hall on October 23rd, with Fujiya & Miyagi, WhoMadeWho, and Lymbyc Systm in support. This will be a major highlight of the annual marathon, which descends on the city for five days October 21-25. You can still buy tickets here.

The controversial 8-bit duo play up their post-goth image with the new video for "Crimewaves", the robot-chic cover of HEALTH's modern apocalyptic classic.

Crystal Castles - Crimewave (Crystal Castles VS. Health) | Music Videos | SPIKE.com

DIGITALISM - 'Idealistic'

'Idealistic' is the new single from German electro duo DIGITALISM. If you haven't heard the debut album "Idealism", it is one of the best electronic albums of the year, right up there with the 2007 debuts from SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO and JUSTICE. The new single is available September 17 and will feature remixes from WHOMADEWHO, A-TRAK, and HYSTEREO.

Digitalism - Idealistic (music video)