The Top 60 Bands (Ryan Saw) At CMJ 2006

[part 2 of 6]

#41 The Tyde - Ever since we saw them at CMJ my buddy Bret has been obsessed with this band and last year’s album “Three’s Co.”. He calls them a criminally underrated pop band. Sunny, surfer pop from California, they remind me a bit of The Shout Out Louds minus the foreign accents and glockenspiel. I thought that the vocals were a little weak, but it seemed that all the bands were having issues in the makeshift venue that was the Fader Lounge.

The Tyde - Do It Again, Again (live at Fader Lounge)

The Tyde - Brock Landers (live at Fader Lounge)

#42 IV Thieves - Yes, that is the Roman numeral “four”. No, they are not breaking into the hospital to steal your drip. Or maybe AIDS Wolf stole their H. Terrible band names aside, this UK-via-Austin band is a weird mix between Texan and Brit. I like their sound, but have never been big on blues infused rock bands. That hoedown bassline in the “All The Time” gets on my nerves, but “You Can’t Love What You Don’t Understand” is a great song.

IV Thieves - All The Time (live at Fader Lounge)

IV Theives - You Can’t Love What You Don’t Understand (live at Fader Lounge)

#43 Hotel Lights - I had been meaning to check out this band for a long time now. Darren Jessee - drummer for one of my favorite bands, Ben Folds Five - started Hotel Lights as a solo project and it expanded into a band a few years ago. I only got to hear this one song though, so I’ll have to catch them again soon.

Hotel Lights - Marvelous Truth (live at Tonic)

#44 The Carter Administration - This band I caught completely by accident at Arlene’s Grocery while I was passing time waiting for another show. They’re a little more pop/punk than most bands I listen to and that’s mostly due to the singer’s voice which becomes more bearable as the song progresses. I’ll follow that up by admitting that I’m fully capable of sounding like that when I sing. They were a pleasant surprise, as opposed to some other bands I saw by accident who didn’t even make this list (there were 67 total). Or maybe I just have a soft spot in my heart for three-piece bands.

The Carter Administration - [unknown] (live at Arlene’s Grocery)

#45 Lo Fi Fnk - As far as I can tell, Lo Fi Fnk has one really good song. Here it is.

Lo Fi Fnk - The End (live at Fader Lounge)

And here it is again.

Lo Fi Fnk - The End (live at Fontana’s)

#46 Benjy Ferre - Similar to IV Thieves or Archie Bronson Outfit, Benjy Ferre is a little too southern influenced for me to be a huge fan. But if country tinged rock is your thing you can do much worse that Benjy.

Benjy Ferre - [unknown] (live at Mercury Lounge)

#47 Scanners

I’m wary of anything that uses a dance rock beat these days, but Scanners don’t rely on it as a crutch or a gimmick like some bands do (The Bravery, Hello Stranger). Their songs take their time weaving in and out of that four-on-the-floor beat and in this song, even when the steady bass/snare/bass/snare pattern drops, it’s the backbone of some wicked guitar work.

Scanners - Changing Times (live at The Annex)

#48 Irving - I remember these guys sounding a lot better opening for Voxtrot last April. Maybe it was the sound at Pianos, which has been disappointing in general lately, but Irving didn’t leave a lasting impression on me this time around.

Irving - Care I Don’t Care (live at Pianos)

#49 Forget Cassettes - This band is almost awesome. I like their sound and dig their energy, but something about the songs themselves is lacking. The loud sections are great, but it takes too long to get there and the slow sections lack the emotion that comes pouring out by the end.

Forget Cassettes - Venison (live at Pianos)

#50 Oxford Collapse - While I can understand why people enjoy this band, I personally can’t get into the sound of the vocals or tone of the guitar. They do have that one song I really like. You can hear “Please Visit Your National Parks” on their myspace page.

Oxford Collapse - All The Boys Go Home Alone (live at Fontana’s)