When is cloning going to be available to the masses? If I’m going to make it to all the shows on my CMJ wish-list this week, I’m going to need at least four of me.
In the interests of self-preservation and the willingness not to peak too soon, I hit up one showcase last night and stayed East of the East River in Brooklyn’s fashionable Brooklyn. The Music Hall Of Williamsburg played host to local buzz band The Antlers and Euro-Brit five-piece (six-piece if you count Marcus Mumford & Sons’ cameo at the beginning of the set), Fanfarlo, who I’m now calling ‘The Phenomenal Fanfarlo’. Because they are.
First up – The Antlers. The Brooklyn trio had their backyard venue packed out as they’re one of the New York bands du jour playing CMJ 09. Going against the current trend for jangly, upbeat indie, The Antlers are more darkly earnest guitar-rock, fronted by an ostensibly mild-mannered Peter Silberman and his sensible haircut. My official verdict? Not feeling it. Particularly the interminable bombastic outros. But one woman’s trash is another’s treasure, and tastemakers are tipping them left, right, top and bottom.
Fanfarlo first came to my attention just over a year ago, when the effing marvellous ‘Harold T. Wilkins’ floated into my ears. In fact, I wrote the following in the October issue of your favourite magazine about that very track: ‘A noise so glorious that if you put it in your mouth, it would explode into a million flavours and make you smile for at least 3 hours and 27 minutes.’ I’d like to make a retraction on that statement, as I’m still smiling 15 hours later.
Their second CMJ show of the day was joyously wonderful in every way. I’m going to throw The Reindeer Section into the ring of comparisons Fanfarlo have been attracting recently, which include Beirut and Arcade Fire. And I’m going to go out on a controversial limb and suggest they may even be better than Arcade Fire…
Their magnificent arsenal of instruments must be a nightmare to get through customs though, particularly the saw. Yes! A SAW! Amazing.
Other top picks from CMJ’s opening day, courtesy of my spies:
Best Coast
Male Bonding
Surf City
Love Language
Cruel Black Dove
Atlas Sound
Die! Die! Die!
Words and Photos by Rachael Wright
View the accompanying gallery HERE.
