Last Tuesday through Saturday the College Music Journal hosted their annual music marathon and film festival.
Even if you missed the marathon you can find your new favorite band from the CMJ line up. Here are five artists, uber underground to the oxymoronic mainstream indie who made appearances at the marathon you should definitely be listening to.
Alyson Greenfield
Alyson Greenfiled is far from a new name, having founded the Tinderbox music festival and cranked out four albums. Her latest tracks are covers, some hip-hop songs like “Milkshake” and “Mama said Knock You Out” treated to expansive piano chords and Alyson Greenfield’s vocal style, a cross between Regina Spektor and Jewel.
You should check her out if you always knew what “Gangster’s Paradise” was really missing was the xylophone.
Two Man Gentleman Band
The two gentlemen in question, Andy Bean and Fuller Condon do play the part of gentlemen, often sporting jackets and bow-ties and penning songs about drinks ranging in sophistication from “Chocolate Milk” to “Fancy Bear.” They make generous use of the banjo and the upright bass. Their songs sometimes seem like they’d fit in a vaudeville show, sometimes an elementary school assembly, but they’re all catchy and truly unique.
You should check them out if you’ve been wondering when someone was going to write a musical tribute for the 27th president.
Emmy the Great
With her street cred solidified with her rocker boyfriend, Irish rock band Ash’s lead vocalist, Emmy has released three albums and four EPs, as well as established herself as a music writer. Her songs are bouncy yet rich, with her clear voice the anchor in the sea of upbeat guitars and background vocals.
You should check her out if you think the ability to pull off such a catchy, upbeat song about death is impressive.
Unicycle Loves You
Their Facebook page describes this Chicago band as Dark Pop/Indie Rock/Wow Wave, not actually a grouping that gets its own itunes tab, but their unique sound seems to defy classification. They’re not afraid of to use dreamy female vocals, hazy harmonies, or turn out an old-school sounding dance track (a la Arctic Monkeys)
You should check them out if you’re a fan of The Arctic Monkeys and Cat Power.
Charlotte Sometimes
Signed at 16, Charlotte has a litany of woes that litters her biography including the big one, a degenerative bone disease diagnosed in her late teens. Still, with all those blows she’s still singing, her breathy yet powerful vocals are put to work for songs that could act as the soundtrack for medical triumph en masse rather than a flat line montage.
You should check her out if you like happy ending Grey’s Anatomy music more than sexy hook-up Grey’s tunes.
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Molly Horan
Molly Horan has written for Crushable.com, Ology.com, Exuentmagazine.com, Meetsobsession.com, Nerve.com, and a book about of family of worms created for her third grade teacher. She has just finished her first year of The New School’s MFA program and enjoys watching people ...
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Alyson Greenfield, Charlotte Sometimes, cmj, CMJ Music Marathon, Emmy the Great, Two Man Gentleman Band, Unicycle Loves You
