CMJ '08: Underground, Over- And Underrated

ITINERARY:
Cage the Elephant - adolescent post-punk meets rock 'n' roll roots
Sasha Dobson - phenomenal musicianship of easy listening
Rhymefest - freestyle and beats with a conscience
The Rumble Strips - '50s throwback pop with a howlin' vocalist
The Wheel - cathartic acoustic
Lykke Li - talented weirdo, sorceress
Phenomenal Handclap Band - phenomenal funk-loving stoners

Q-Prime, best known for managing big rock acts like Metallica and the Chili Peppers (as well as a smattering of cool underground acts like Silversun Pickups, Be Your Own Pet! and Gillian Welch), hosted a private showcase at Mercury for their new client Cage the Elephant. A&R industry-y types lined the walls (don't think we didn't see you, Wind-Up) while young fans shyly draped the stage. JI cohort Cortney already summarized a bit of sound, but perhaps one could go a step further and rename this foursome Cage the Adolescent. These boys look about 12 but were already so over Warped Tour by time they were 10. No doubt, this act won't go unsigned for long.

Josh Ritter explained to us earlier this year that his friend Sasha Dobson was one of the most woefully unsigned artists at present. To investigate this claim, we relaxed in a seat at the uncrowded Rockwood Music Hall, a venue Dobson had rocked calmly shimmied days earlier with Norah Jones and former Cardinals bassist Catherine Popper.

That match-up was no accident as her AC-smooth voice carried well over a kick ass band. Dobson is a confident performer.

There were a couple surprises at Mark Ronson's Allido label showcase at S.O.B.'s. Chicago's got Kanye and Lupe, but is also home to Rhymefest, self-proclaimed "activist who just knows how to rap." The treat came when Rahzel of Roots fame came out to beatbox behind Rhymefest's passionate lyrics. After was Allido signees the Rumble Strips, who got us dancing to their Brit rock charms. Sadly, we had to leave before we could check Daniel Merriwether perform with the blazing-hot Dap-Kings, which could only be good news. Also, Ronson looks great in a skinny tie.

Speaking of the Dap-Kings, we closed our evening with a dance party from the Phenomenal Handclap Band, whose album features the 'Kings, amongst a handful of other rocker notables. That album is not yet released, as this unsigned crew is waiting for the right home. But that wait might be even shorter than Cage the Elephant's: Handclap is a supergroup of members from TV on the Radio, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Calla, Mooney Suzuki, blah blah blah... They sound just like a crew of war-torn session players finally allowed to set loose on the music they listened to while they got stoned in high school. Soul, funk, psych and rock 'n' roll was the soundtrack for late-night CMJ revelers at 1 a.m., when everybody was drunk and hooking up with DJs from their sister colleges.

After S.O.B.'s was Billboard Underground fave the Wheel, who we've already rambled (rumbled?) about. His impassioned acoustic set at the Living Room, with a little help from his friend on keyboards, made our hearts hurt. Boys singing about feelings! Cuddly!

We hauled fast to Bowery Ballroom to catch the tail-end of Lykke Li's set at the Bowery. Her album "Youth Novels" is one of our favorite this year and, considering her penchant for theatrics and untiring vocals, she might be one of our favorite live acts. Her mopey, batshit-crazy black drapery that we'll just go ahead and call "clothes" shook as she shook, which she often did, dancing and flailing. Our favorite, aside from "Dance, Dance, Dance?" Her take on A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It," complete with the "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" do-do-dos. -- Katie Hasty