The Top 10 Shows to See at CMJ

If exposure is the reason that the College Music Journalism Marathon takes over every single venue in the city each October, then there's no reason to see bands you already know are good. Bands like Cold Cave, The Atlas Sound, Deer Tick, or Ted Leo + The Pharmacists have gotten enough attention so far. Instead, here's a list of shows that basically explain why CMJ was invented.

1. Duchess Says (Montreal) - Singer Annie-Claude Deschênes wears a hockey goalie mask while performing, barking like Stasi commander above a din of guitar shreds and deep synth. Perversely anthemic, in the way Joy Division is. Thursday, October 22, Santos' Party House, 12am.

2. Panache Booking Showcase #2 - Epic show on Saturday night is headlined by the legendary, underrated noise rock band An Albatross (Wilkes-Barre, PA). Also playing are the exuberant, cynical southern twanged, many-tentacled Dark Meat / Vomit Lazers Family Band / Galaxy (Atlanta), and zZz (Amsterdam, Netherlands) who, with nothing but a voice like Danzig’s, an organ, and a drum kit make a dark panic disco you aren’t embarrassed to dance to. Saturday, October 24, Union Pool, 7pm-12:30am.

3. Underwater Peoples Label Showcase: “Afternoon Delight” - Since they’re buddies, there will be repeats from the Chocolate Bobka showcase, but this selection includes the not-to-be-missed Big Troubles (Ridgewood, NJ), who’ve managed to absorb the lessons of the Jesus and Mary Chain, No Age, and Wavves without sounding too derivative. This is also a New Jersey extravaganza with New Americana weariness of bands like Liam the Younger (New Jersey!), Alex Bleeker and the Freaks (New Jersey!), and the fuzzed out Fluffy Lumbers (Ridgewood, NJ). Saturday, October 24, Cameo Gallery, 12pm.

4. Generationals(New Orleans) - A crew of clean-cut kids who write sincere pop songs, though they haven’t really decided what they sound like yet. Con Law, their debut album, is an uneven group that wavers between the excellent and bad Rick Springfield. Nevertheless, their single “When they Fight, They Fight” sounds like a legend off of Girl Group Greats, while “Nobody Could Change Your Mind” is a contemporary ode to Elephant Six. Friday, October 23, Union Hall 9:30pm.

5. Steel Phantoms (Brooklyn) - Brand-new band comprised of ex-Islands members plays keyboard—heavy pop, but don’t expect the former’s sound. Instead, expect steady drumming and the occasional horn section. Alternating between Yos Munro’s baritone and Aaron Harris’s plaintive wail, Steel Phantoms sounds like a mellowed out Wolf Parade, albeit dealing with similar psychoses. Thursday, October 22, Santos’ Party House, 7pm.

6. Golden Triangle (Brooklyn, NY) - Do not confuse with Golden Silvers, or Golden Filter, two other dance bands also playing at CMJ. Golden Triangle are girl-fronted garage-rockers with dirty tambourine moves that give Karen O a run for her money. Wednesday, October 21, Santo’s Party House, 12am; Saturday, October 24, Mercury Lounge, 11pm.

7. The Official Twosyllable Records/Underwater Peoples Showcase presented by Chocolate Bobka - Bloggers/bookers Chocolate Bobka host an unofficial CMJ show of young bands they support. See Real Estate at their hype saturation (trippy sun-stroked guitars from New Jersey), Frat Dad (high-energy Wavves-esque with fake harmonies, from Ridgewood NJ), Pill Wonder (jangly pop played out of a drowning transistor from Seattle), Claymation Velociraptor (goofy joke-popsters wearing animal costumes from Brooklyn). Friday, October 23, The Delancey, 8pm.

8. Beach Fossils (Brooklyn, NY) - Justin Payseur’s one-man band on the Woodsist Label makes some of the best psychedelic lo-fi coming out of Brooklyn these days. Wednesday, October 21, Santos’ Party House, 6:30pm.

9. Wild Yaks (Brooklyn, NY) - Wrestling down their instruments, including a broken-sounding saxophone, as if they were squeezing the last breath of life out of them; they’ve taken the Beastie Boys’ recommendation and shown us what it means to “fight for your right ... to party”. Wednesday, October 21, Santo’s Party House, 7pm.

10. Male Bonding (Dalston, UK) - Kinetic power-punk with chants, a harsher improvement of the Matt and Kim thing. Wednesday, October 21, Cake Shop 1am; Thursday, October 22, Delancey Lounge, 11:45pm; Friday, October 23, & Sunday, October 25, Mercury Lounge, 2am.

Duchess Says photo by Jess Watt.