CMJ Isn't Just for Discovering the Next Big Thing

CMJ may have an astounding selection of unproven bands, but frequently the best shows are from those you already know and love. Here are some of our favorites.

Smoosh
When will you ever see the headliner skipping through the crowd before the show? Smoosh has a lot to skip about, opening for acts like Pearl Jam and Sufjan Stevens. Understandably, their childlike playfulness turns to pubescent self-consciousness on stage, but two hundred empty hipster eyes don't help either. Eleven-year-old Chloe's drumming is already comparable to Meg White's, while thirteen-year-old Aysa's vocals will only get stronger and deeper. And with a song like "Rad," Smoosh are far more than a curiosity-they're indie rock princesses. -A.G.

Dungen
Still running on the fumes of 2004's critically acclaimed Ta Det Lugnt, Dungen came to the Bowery Ballroom wielding their usual multi-instrumental Swedish psychedelia, in addition to a much better command of the English language (which guitarist Reine Fiske used to joke about the group's new-though malfunctioning-visuals: "We have a video. It's Russian and from the '50s.") Lead singer Lars Ejstes worked his tambourine-thumping, Swedish-hippie mojo to whip the crowd into frenzy and hushed reverence alike, especially for epic closer "Sluta Folja Efter." And yet, despite the song's obvious inscrutability, Ejstes reminded the audience why its lyrics should perhaps be left untranslated, prefacing the ballad by saying the song was simply "about life" (dude!). -R.W.

Tilly and the Wall
Unicorn purses and coordinated sequins pretty much sum up what Tilly and the Wall are all about. Since their last NY show in January, the five members of Team Love's spearhead haven't done much growing up, but their show sure has. Filled with an unexpected surge of energy and the addition of a bass guitar on their new songs, the band tap danced, screamed, cursed, and clapped their way into the hearts of the crowd. If their new album is as much fun as their new show, Tilly and the Wall might not be just a novelty anymore. -J.P.

INC
At the Hiro Ballroom on Saturday night, the International Noise Conspiracy's ridiculously entertaining stage (and off-stage) theatrics suggested that the root of all the problems in the world is simply a lack of loud, socialist punk music. And love, too-we need more of that also. All I really wanna know is where I can get one of those military jackets. It'd match my Fidel cap perfectly. -G.A.

Towers of London
This self-loving ensemble is a whole lotta style with little to no substance. That said, this bland British punk band took a deserved backseat to its beer-soaked, trash-talking, holy-shit-the-singer's-on-top-of-the-bar performance. Those who escaped the show report enjoying these diversions immensely. -G.A.

Arcade Fire
It was Arcade Fire's soaring performance of their current single, "Rebellion (Lies)" that got the entire crowd chanting "oh-ooh-oh" with Win Butler in happy unison, and it was "Wake Up", with its soulful chorus, that I heard hummed along the walkways of Central Park long after the concert ended. But let's be honest-it was David Bowie's appearance on stage for their encore that made the night-straw hat, lilac suit, and all. Where else could you see the Arcade Fire and Bowie perform "Queen Bitch" together? Nowhere else but New York City. -X.T.