CMJ’s 2010 Music Marathon is right around the corner. Bill Wasik, in his book And Then There’s This – which I just finished reading and is really good if you wanna read about memes and stuff – called it a “hipster hajj,” which both aliterates and makes a good point: CMJ is a musical Mecca and a platform for barely-discovered bands to make a career. If you wanna see what I mean by “barely-discovered,” read the artist announcement below that came out this morning and try to tell me you’ve heard of more than 30% of the artists, if that. The artist list is both a chance to laugh at how silly band names can be and a way to start preparing a list in your own head, of bands you’ll have to make time to actually check out.
GZA and Ghostface will be there, as well as DJ Avey Tare of The Animal Collectives (and Deakin; I guess Panda Bear’s too cool for the party.) Bo Burnham, for some reason (anyone know if he just announced a chillwave project or something? ) Surfer Blood returns, because playing 560 showcases last year just wasn’t enough for those greedy bastards. Nick Krill of Spinto Band brings his solo project, which might be interesting? Those dudes have been quiet. Br’er really suck, I saw them in North Carolina and I hate them (and will take any opportunity to trash talk them.) Big Freedia, who’s been attracting a lot of attention lately (of the New York Times variety) and will probably blow up. Salem, who will attempt to bomb even more dramatically than their SXSW disaster, because it’s just how they roll. Das Racist: yes please. Something called Neutral Uke Hotel, which sounds terrible just reading it. Radical Dads, which doesn’t. Coolrunnings, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Prince Rama, Cloud Nothings, Guards and other Rising© artists who’ll attempt to stand out amongst the tidal wave of new projects and old to get a little press. When you’re one of 1,200 artists playing a 5 day fest, it’s a Darwinian battle to the top of the cool chain, and even acts that’ve grown comfortable with a little press can fuck it all up with a terrible performance- or even a lackluster one. Exciting! It’s CMJ, and you’re not gonna sleep for 120 hours, and you’ll like it, damn it.
Who’re you excited to see? Comment® about it, in the Comments™.
CMJ Music Marathon 2010 will feature:
1995 • +/- • 2 Cow Garage • A Classic Education • A Life Once Lost • A Million Years • Acid Washed • Acid Westerns • Adam Haworth Stephens • Adult Themes • Afternoon • Agent Ribbons • AIDS Wolf • The Aikiu • Air Waves • Alcoholic Faith Mission • Alessi’s Ark • Alexandra Richards (DJ set) • Alfonso Velez • All Out • Aloud • Ambassadors • Andrew Belle • Andrew Cedermark • Andrew Vladeck • Andy Davis • Angus & Julia Stone • Anita Maj • Anni Rossi • Anthony Jeselnik • Apollo Run • Appomattox • The Armchairs • Arms & Legs • The Arms Akimbo • Arpline • Art Of Fresh • The Art of Shooting • Asa Ransom • Asobi Seksu • At Sea • Atomic Tom • Atypicals • Audacity • Autodrone • Auto- Matic Vaudeville • Autumn Owls • Ava Luna • Avey Tare (DJ set) • The Aviation Orange • Azealia Black • Baby Copperhead • Bad Books (feat. Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra) • Bad Cop • Balance and Composure • Battle Circus • The Bamboo Kids • Baptized In Blood • Baths • Bayside • Beach Fossils • Bear Hands • Bears of Blue River • Beau Jennings • The Beauties • Beauty Feast • The Beauvilles • Bebe Fang • Ben Allison • Ben Talmi • Bewitched Hands on Top of Our Heads • The Big Big Bucks • Big Freedia • The Bigger Lights • Bikini • Billy Nayer Show • Binary Marketing Show • The Black Atlantic • Black Cherry • Black Feelings • Black Label Society • Black Sheep • Black Taxi • Blackbells • Blackbird Blackbird • Blaire • Blip Blip Bleep • Blood Red Shoes • Bloodgroup • The Bloodsugars • The Blow • Bo Burnham • Body Language • The Bogmen • Bonfires • Boom Boom Satellites • Boot Camp Clik • Bottle Up & Go • Boy Crisis • BRAHMS • Braids • Brass Bed • Brent Arnold • Br’er • Bridges and Powerlines • The Broadfield Marchers • Brodinski • Bronze • Brothers Frank • Built By Animals • Calibro 35 • Canasta • The Canon Logic • The Capstan Shafts • Car Bomb • Care Bears on Fire • Carl Palmer Band • Carusella • Cast of Cheers • Casxio • Caveman • The Chain Gang of 1974 • Chainsmokers (DJ set) • Chamberlin • Champagne Champagne • The Chapel Club • The Chapin Sisters • Chappo • Charlotte Sometimes • Children of Bodom • Chip Fu • Chris Bathgate • Chris Cubeta and Liars Club • Christian Rich • Christina LaRocca and Heavy Weather • The Cinnamon Band • Circle Pit • City Riots • The Class Machine • Click Clack Boom • Cloud Nothings • Clutch • Cobra Skulls • Cojoba • The Colonels • Comanche • Communist Daughter • Conversion Party • Coolrunnings • Corin Tucker Band • Cotton Jones • Coyote Eyes • Craig Wedren • Crayon Fields • The Cringe • Cubic Zirconia • Cults • Cute Is What We Aim For • Cyndi Harvell • Dada Trash Collage • Daily Bread • Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr • Dan Black • Dangermaker • Daniel Pujol • Daniel Wayne • Danny Ross • Darien Brockington • Dark Dark Dark • Darren Hanlon • Das Racist • Dash Rip Rock • David Dallas • David Dondero • David Vandervelde • DaVinci • De Staat • Dead Heart Bloom • Dead Leaf Echo • Dead Man’s Clothes • Dead To Me • Deakin • Dean & Britta • The Dean’s List • Dear Comrade • Death on Two Wheels • Debutaunts • Delicate Steve • Deluka • Denison Witmer • Dennis Padula • Dent May • Derik Foreal • DeScribe • Devin Therriault • DeVotchKa • Dharma Bums • Diamond District • Diamond Doves • Diamond Rings • Diehard • Dinosaur Feathers • Dinowalrus • Dirty Penny • Disembodied • Diwon • Dom • Dominant Legs • Dominique Young Unique • Drazy Hoops • Dream Diary • Dred Scott Trio • Drink Up Buttercup • Drop the Lime (DJ set) • The Drums • Drunken Barn Dance • Dujeous • Dylan LeBlanc • Earatick Statik • Earthless • Eisley • Eklin • Electric Tickle Machine • Elizabeth and the Catapult • Elk City • Ellis Ashbrook • Emergency Service • Emergency Service • Emil & Friends • Emilie Simon • Emily Long • Eprhyme • Erin Barra • Eternal Summers • Everything Everything • Everything Is Terrible • Excepter • Extra Lens • Fabulous DIamonds • Fake Problems • Family Cactus • Fan-Tan • The Feens • The Feiros • Fenech-Soler • Feral Children • Ferraby Lionheart • Fifth Nation • Filligar • First Aid Kit • The Flatliners • The Fleshtones • The Flower Machine • Foam Castles • The Foot • Forro in the Dark • Fort Wilson Riot • Four Tet • Francis and the Lights • Frank Dukes • Frankie and the Heartstrings • Franz Nicolay • Freddie Gibbs • French Horn Rebellion • Freshkills • From A Fountain • The Front Bottoms • Frontier Brothes • Futurebirds • Gamble & Burke • Game Rebellion • Gary Lucas • Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates • Generationals • Gentleman Jesse and His Men • Ghost Ghost • Ghostface Killah • Giant Cloud • Goes Cube • Gold Streets • Golden Animals • Golden Bloom • The Golden Filter • Good Kids Sprouting Horns • The Good Natured • Good Old War • Grand Hallway • The Great Collide • Greg Barris • Greg Dulli • Grillade • The Grip Weeds • Grooms • Grouplove • Guards • Guitars • Guy Blackman • GZA • Hacienda • Hall of Justus with Big Pooh, Chaundon, Joe Scudda, Jozeemo, & Roc C • Hammer No More the Fingers • Hank & the Cupcakse • Harper Blynn • Hazard Adams • Heavy Birds • Heavy Cream • Hedgehog • Heidi Spencer • Helmet • Heypenny • His Mischief • Hollis Brown • Holy Boys Danger Club • Holy Ghost • Honeychild • The Honeymoon Thrillers • The Honors • Hoodie Allen • Hopewell • Hot Lava • Hot Press • HotChaCha • Houses • How To Dress Well • Howlies • Huasipungo • The Hush Now • Hussle Club • Hypernova • I Am Oak • I Led 3 Lives • I Love Monsters • Ian McLagan • The Idle Hands • I’m Turning Into • In Cadeo • Incan Abraham • Incognito • In-Flight Safety • Iron Age • Ivan Julian • Ivri Lider • Izabo • Jack Skuller • Jackson Wetherbee • Jaill • James V McMorrow • Janka Nabay • Jared Evan • Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit • Jason Simon (Dead Meadow) • JD Souther • Jean Grae • Jesse Sykes and Phil Wandscher • Jessica Mayfield • JessUbline • The Jezabels • Joel Plaskett • Joey Ryan • John Grant • John Shannon • John Vanderslice • Johnny Flynn • Johnny Marnell • Johnny Whitney • Jonny Hirsch • Jradio • Jukebox the Ghost • Julia Easterlin • Julius C • Justin Townes Earle • Kaiser Cartel • Kate Rogers • Kate Tucker • KAV • Keepaway • Keepaway • Kelley McRae • Kelsey • Kendra Morris • Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band • K-Flay • Kids of 88 • Kiko Klaus • Kill Krinkle Club • Kinch • Kinetix • Kiss Kiss • Kisses • Kittens Ablaze • The Knocks • Koli Calhoun • Kopecky Family Band • Kosha Dillz • The Krays • Kris Gruen • Kudu • Kurt Braunhouler • Kyle Rapps • La Big Vic • La Sera • La Strada • Langhorne Slim • Last Chance to Reason • Lavish • Lawrence and Leigh • Lawrence Arabia • Le VICE • Leeroy Stagger • The Left (Apollo Brown, DJ Soko, Journalist103 • Leo Blais • Lesands • Lia Ices • Lido Lido • Life and Times of • Life Size Maps • Light Pollution • Lights Resolve • Like Trains and Taxis • Lily & the Parlour Tricks • Linfinity • Liptease • Lisa Bianco • The Lisps • Lissie • Little Fish • Little Racer • Little Teeth • The Lives of Famous Men • Living Days • Long Division • Loomis & the Lust • Lord Huron • Los Doggies • Love Trio (Bill Han, Jesse Murphy, Kenny Wolleson) • Lower Dens • The Lucid • Lucius • Lugriphonic • Luluc • The Luyas • Ma Mentor • Madison Ave Boys • MAE • Magestic Legend • Magic Bullets • The Main Street Gospel • Majorleans • Mama Bear • Man Benu • Manic Bloom • Marco Polo with Torae & Ruste Juxx • Marie Stella • Marit Larsen • Mark Kelly • Mark Mulholland • Marz Lovejoy • Math the Band • Matt Duke • Matt Mays • Mayday • McAlister Drive • Me and My Arrow • Me First and the Gimme Gimmes • The Megaphonic Thrift • MegaRex • MEN • Michael Daves • Midnight Spin • Mikix the Cat • Milagres • Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson • Million Young • Mimicking Birds • Miniature Tigers • Miniboone • Miniboone • Miracles of Modern Science • Mirror Queen • Miz Metro • Modern Rivals • Moe Green • Mon Khmer • Monogold • Morning Teleportation • Moss • Motel Motel • Mother/Father • Moto Boy • Murder Mystery • Mussels • Muy Cansado • My Dear Disco • My Jerusalem • My Other Friend • The Mynabirds • Naam • Naam • Nada Surf • The Narrative • Nathan Halpern • Neek The Exotic feat. Large Professor • Neon Hitch • Neon Indian • Netherfriends • Neutral Uke Hotel • Nevermore • New Collisions • New Look • New Morning • Nicky Egan • Nicos Gun • Nightmare & The Cat • Nikki Lane • Nit Club • No Abuse • No Joy • No Surrender • Non-Commissioned Officers • None More Black • Not Blood, Paint • Nottz (w/ special guests) • Oberhofer • Oceanographer • Octant • O’Death • Oh Land • Old Canes • Old Wives • One Be Lo • Onili • Onra • The Orbans • O’Spada • The Pack AD • The Pains of Being Pure at Heart • Parallels • The Parties • The Pass • Patent Pending • Paul and the Patients • Pearl and the Beard • Penguin Prison • Penrose • Pepper Rabbit • Pete Rock • Peter Hadar • The Phantom Band • Pharoahe Monch • Philadelphia Grand Jury • Phoenix • The Photo Atlas • Pictures of Then • Pillow Theory • Planet Ubiquity • Plates of Cake • Plushgun • Pocketknife • Poingly • The Poison Control Center • Pomegranates • Ponderosa • Poofy and the Bus Boys • Posso the DJ • The Postelles • Powell • The Press • Pretty & Nice • Priestess • The Prigs • Prince Rama • The Protomen • Prudence Teacup • PS I Love You • Psalm One • Quest For Fire • Quiet Loudly • Rabia • Radical Dads • Radio Radio • Rah Digga • Raj and the Mash • Ramirez Brothers • Random Recipe • The Rassle • Ravens and Chimes • Reckless Sons • Red Mass • Red Wire Black Wire • Reggie Watts • Reggie Watts • REGO • Reign of Kindo • Reni Lane • Reptar • Restless People • Re-Tros • Revolver • Rich Aucoin • Richard Barone • Ringo Deathstarr • Rival Sons • River City Extension • Robbers On High Street • Robbie Gil • Robert Lester Folsom • Rocky Business • Rope • Ruby Frost • S. Carey • Saadi • Sagol 59 • Saint Motel • Salem • Santah • Sarah Jaffe • Sarah Lee and Johnny Iron • Savoir Adore • Scott Kempner • Scott Lucas and the Married Men • Screaming Females • Screens • The Seedy Seeds • Senor Tadpole • Senses Fail • Setting Sun • Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned • The Shake • The Shake • Shapes • Shark? • Shayfer James • Shayna Zaid • Sheek Louch • Sheridan Fox • Sherlock’s Daughter • Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers • Shinobi Ninja • Shortwave Society • Shrag • Sin Orden • Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds • Sisters • Sky Larkin • Skyzoo & ! llmind • Slow Animal • Slow Motion Centerfold • Small Black • Smile Smile • Smoke Fairies • Smoke Or Fire • Smoosh • Snak Rattle Rattlesnake • Snake Rattle Rattlesnake • So So Glos • Social Studies • Soft Black • Soft Reeds • Soko • Soldiers of Fortune • Southpaw Jones • Sparky Quano • Spectre Folk • Spirits of the Red City • Squim • Stand • The Star Department • Starcode • Static Jacks • Stef Lang • Stevans • Steve Gunn • Street Chant • Strife • Strong Arm Steady • Sun Airway • Sunglasses • Super Mirage • Superfortress • Superhumanoids • Surfer Blood • Susanne Sundfør • Suuns • Swethook • Swingset Committee • Syvia • Tabi Bonney • Taken By Trees (DJ set) • Tall Tall Trees • Tamar Eisenman • Tamar Haviv • Tamar Kali • Tamaryn • Tanya Morgan • Tape Deck Mountain • Taysha Busay • Team Facelift • Teenage Bottlerocket • Teletextile • The Tellers • Ten Feet Deep • Tennis System • Tens of Thousands • Thieving Irons • Third Wave Bandits • This Condition • This or the Apocalypse • Thrushes • Title Fight • Title Tracks • TJ Di Hitmaker • TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb • Tôg • Tony Joe White • Tooth Ache • Tournament • Toy Soldiers • Trademark • Travelling Band • Tristen • Turbo Fruits • Turkuaz • Two Door Cinema Club • Two Tears • Ty Segall • Uncle Bad Touch • Unicycle Loves You • Univox • UNKLE • US Royalty • Vagina Panther • Vanaprasta • Vandana • Vandaveer • The Vanguard • Vanity Theft • Viernes • Viernes • Villa • Violens • Viva City • Viva L’American Death Ray Music • The Volebeats • Voltaire Twins • Von Pea • Vonnegutt • Waking Lights • The Wandas • We Are Country Mice • We Are Trees • Weird Owl • Western Civ • Whale Tooth • White Arrows • White Belt Yellow Tag • The Whitsundays • Wild Moccasins • Wild Nothing • Will Stratton • Willie Nile • Windings • Winterlings • Wise Blood • Wise Girl • Witch Hunt • The Woes • Woodsy Pride • Woven Bones • The Xcerts • Xylos • YC and Sene • Year of the Tiger • The Yes Way • The Yes Way • Y-Love • Young Adults • Young Mammals • Young Man • Young Nick Krill (of The Spinto Band) • Young Prisms • Young Rival • Young the Giant • Yuck • Yukon Blonde • Yuksek • Zach Hurd • Zachary Cale • Zambri • Zamza • Zo! • Zowie
