CMJ Day 3: It Sets In

We are pretty tired. We nearly fell asleep standing up during bobby Conn's set at the Thrill Jockey showcase at Tonic, which (believe us) is pretty hard to do under any other circumstances. Califone put on an impressive and well-rehearsed set, Tim Rutili rumbling out his drop-dead gorgeous lyrics to much of their newest "Roots and Crowns." Arbouretum was also stellar, though with crunchy, noodly music like theirs, we expected more of them to don beards.

But it was Skybox (pictured above) that impressed us most of all, early in the eve at West Village basement R&R, so please -- somebody sign them. Best described as "ADD rock," the band was wiley, tight and funner than an open bar on the moon.

That's right, we said funner. We told you it's set in.