Dubbed “South By Southwest, but in New York”, the CMJ MUSIC MARATHON has provided a stage for emerging musicians since the birth of the disposable camera. Though often overlooked, the music & film festival has highlighted a fistful of notables such as Nirvana, Feist, Green Day, The Killers, Run-DMC and The Mars Volta, giving industry reps and avid listeners a new artist to fall in love with. With hundreds of new bands and songwriters set to grace stages (and even hotel rooms) across New York City, we’ve picked some of the best – aside from the most obvious – to keep an eye on. Trust us, every one of these CMJ 2011 acts are worth a listen.
Click here for dates, stages and times for the entire lineup
For your CMJ 2011 fix, keep a tab on @CMJnetwork
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TIDAL ARMS // “SOCIAL LANDLORD”
(Brooklyn, New York / Independent)
FREE ENERGY // “BANG POP”
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / DFA Records)
THE WILDBIRDS // “SUZANNA”
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Independent)
BANNER PILOT // “ALCHEMY”
(Minneapolis, Minnesota / Fat Wreck Chords)
PUJOL // “STUFF”
(Nashville, Tennessee // Saddle Creek)
SCATTERED TREES // “LOVE AND LEAVE”
(Chicago, Illinois / Roll Call Records)
JACUZZI BOYS / “COOL VAPORS”
(Miami, Florida / Hardly Art)
KENDRICK LAMAR // “Hiii POWER”
(Compton, California / Aftermath Entertainment)
GIVERS / “UP UP UP”
(Lafayette, Louisiana / Glassnote Music)
PORCELAIN RAFT / “DRAGONFLY”
(London, England / Fat Possum Records)
THE FUCKING WRATH // “SWAN SONG OF A MAD MAN”
(Ventura, California / Tee Pee Records)
BEAST MAKE BOMB / “CONEY ISLAND”
(New York, New York / Independent)
STILL CORNERS // “ENDLESS SUMMER”
(London, England / Sub Pop Records)
DEAS VAIL // “CAGES”
(Russellville, Arkansas / Mono Vs Stereo)
BALKANS // “GEORGANNE”
(Atlanta, Georgia / Double Phantom)
GARY CLARK JR. // “DON’T OWE YOU A THANG”
(Austin, Texas / Hotwire Unlimited)
DOM // “JESUS”
(Worcester, Massachusetts / Astralwerks)
MACHINE GUN KELLY // “WARNING SHOT”
(Cleveland, Ohio / Interscope Records)
BLONDE SUMMER // “BLONDE”
(Los Angeles, California / Independent)
TAT // “STAY UP”
(London, England / Red Wagon Records)
ARMY NAVY // “THE LONG GOODBYE”
(Los Angeles, California / Fever Zone)
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA // “HOW CAN U LUV ME”
(Portland, Oregon / Fat Possum Records)
LYDIA // “I’VE NEVER SEEN A WITCH”
(Gilbert, Arizona / Independent)
WILD FLAG // “GLASS TAMBOURINE”
(Portland, Oregon / Merge Records)
TITUS ANDRONICUS – “BREED (COVER)”
(Glen Rock, New Jersey / XL Recordings)
VACATIONER – “TRIP”
(Brooklyn, New York / Independent)
WATERS // “FOR THE ONE”
(San Francisco, California / TBD Records)
MANSIONS // “CLOSE THAT DOOR”
(Louisville, Kentucky / Burning House)
ASAP ROCKY // “BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY PART 2”
(Harlem, New York / RCA Records)
BLEACHED // “SEARCHING THROUGH THE PAST”
(Los Angeles, California / Independent)
GUARDS // “CRYSTAL TRUTH”
(New York, New York / Independent)
TRASH TALK // “EXPLODE”
(Sacramento, California / Trash Talk Collective)
CLASS ACTRESS // “KEEP YOU”
(Brooklyn, New York / Carpark Records)
STATES // “ANXIOUS”
(Nashville, Tennessee / Independent)
BOSCO DELREY // “BABY’S GOT A BLUE FLAME”
(New Jersey/Memphis / Mad Decent)
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Awesome list. There are some great things going on here. Gary Clark Jr, Tidal Arms, Kendrick Lamar, Tat, The Fucking Wrath… All stand outs, among others. Now if we can just get them all to tour together.