Meijin's Top 5 CMJ Bands

CMJ (College Media Journal) Music Marathon and Film Festival is an annual convention and festival that was held from October 21-25, 2008, in New York City. In addition to panels on the creative, marketing and legal aspects of the music world, the highlight was the performance by nearly 1000 artists at venues and clubs throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Here's my top 5 to make it a little more digestible.

1) SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS
www.myspace.com/semipreciousweapons
www.semipreciousweapons.com

Semi Precious Weapon's fashionable four have more going for them than just good looks and glamorous get-ups. Beyond the Fetty-adorned surface is a substantial musical foundation rooted in formal training and a penchant for grunge, metal, and classic rock. An astounding live show fraught with magnetic attitude and mesmerizing athleticism unfolds more like a Broadway performance set to rock steady songs, all which can be heard on the band’s recently released We Love You. Semi Precious Weapons, we love you, too.

(October 21, 2008 at Arlene’s Grocery)

(October 24th at Perez Hilton's "One Night in New York City Showcase at the Highline Ballroom)

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2) BLACK TAXI
www.myspace.com/blacktaximusic
www.blacktaximusic.com

Attire ranging from feathered masks, top hats, and patriotic capes, Black Taxi create a memorable image but leave a longer lasting musical impression with their bluesy riffs, blazing guitar solos, and thumping bass beats overlain by throaty vocals and jazzy trumpeting. Black Taxi’s immediately appealing swagger and biting bravado put them at the top of the CMJ music chain. The good news for the newly hooked is that Black Taxi will be releasing an EP on November 22, and celebrating with a show in their home city of New York at the Mercury Lounge.

(October 21st at Arlene's Grocery)

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3) THE WHIP
www.myspace.com/thewhipmanchester
www.thewhip.net

(October 23, 2008, at The Annex)

Although these Mancunians wail, “I wanna be trash…,”electronic experts know that The Whip will never attain the status of rubbish. Hypnotic synthesizers and samples, buzzing bass, and disco house beats merge into sultry and impossibly irresistible dance grooves. The Whip’s album X Marks Destination is available online and through Myspace. A variety of remixes composed by electronic contemporaries are downloadable on iTunes.

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4) OUTERNATIONAL
www.myspace.com/outernational
www.outernational.net

Outernational’s fusion of rock, punk, ska, hip hop, reggae, and Afrobeats, produces their very own hard world music genre. A band with a peacemaking message, Outernational bestows music for the masses and represents the ability to transform differences into a universally appealing sound. The low drop Crash Mansion ceilings could not put a lid on the band’s volatile vibe and the crowd’s equally frenzied response.

(October 22, 2008, at Crash Mansion “Downstairs”)

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5) LADY GAGA
www.myspace.com/ladygaga
http://www.ladygaga.com/

With a combination of complex hip-hop, robotic, and modern dance choreography, runway costuming, elaborate lighting, and infectious rhythms, this electro-pop princess takes performance art to a breathtaking level. Lady Gaga’s striking presence and staging make for a must-see live act that will make you want to “just dance.” Check out Lady Gaga’s debut album The Fame.

(October 24, 2008, at Perez Hilton’s “One Night in New York City” Showcase at Highline Ballroom)