THE BLACK HOLLIES

ridor X” to an audience impatient for the headlining band. Crystal Antlers took the stage as a tribal-electro-rock group, much to my own confusion. The excessive lights and electro sounds of all of these bands left me, a girl stuck perhaps a little too much in the 20th century, far behind and led up to the much-anticipated A Place to Bury Strangers. I would like to say that seeing this band, the pinnacle of many’s pilgrimage to CMJ, changed my opinion of uber-modern indie. But honestly, I was exhausted by this super loud space rock, and spent my time at the 2am show sipping drinks on a bar stool and observing the enthused audience. The crowd was spectacular, absorbed, and doing that indie-two-step shuffle. Who could ask for more from their audience?

I headed back to Atlanta the following day, incredibly appreciative of my CMJ experience, loaded down with a superfluous amount of free CDs, ears ringing, and beginning to have an understanding of the current state of independent music whether kicking it old school with La LaBrookes, looking back with The Black Hollies, or in the space age with A Place to Bury Strangers. I bonded with my general manager, spent too much money, and most importantly, got sweet free PBR promotional materials. Goodbye, Urban Outfitters NYC; Hello…Urban Outfitters on Ponce. Universal truths have never been sweeter.