A lot of our friends from the College Radio scene are hitting NYC this week for the annual CMJ Marathon and are kindly sending us some excellent reviews of what’s happening on the ground for this week’s Required Listening. CMJ is always a look into the future of music so hop into the DeLorean.
Review from the first night of CMJ, October 16th by Avery Trufelman (President WESU), Wesleyan University. (88.1FM WESU)
Mara Connor/Lyons Den
I started out in Brooklyn, with an act listed as Mara Connor, which was actually two sets: first her electric band, Lyon’s Den, backed her with a computer in lieu of a drummer. The, in the second half, Mara and an accompanist harmonized with vocals and guitar on a host of dreamy ballads until their concluding rendition of “Heart of Gold.” Though I preferred her work with Lyon’s Den, Mara Connor’s voice was soft and warming and carried the set for a solid hour.
Murals
A Louisville band called Murals crooned and snapped through a tinkly set held together by thick rubbery bass lines that made it all very danceable. Listening to their music now, I can safely say that I liked them better live. Still, they ended up as one of the high points of my night, though I only managed to catch a small number of shows.
