Results tagged “crystalcastles”

Every year at CMJ, there's one band that toiled around the day parties and smaller showcases the year before, only to triumphantly return with a major headlining gig. That award this year goes to Crystal Castles, who headlined a sold-out, packed to the brim Webster Hall Thursday night to an enthusiastic crowd. Without trying to sound too obvious, the popularity suits these guys well. It's not necessary the most accessible, easy listening band out there, and would be a tough sell at a scattershot, brightly lit afternoon party. But when the band controls the environment, with all attention properly directed on them, they create quite a scene, Lead "singer" Alice Glass shrieks and hollers over the 8-bit bleeps and bloops, and while her contribution musically can be a bit off-putting, she is quite the show woman. The crowd was completely entranced, providing the necessary feedback a band like this needs to put on a stellar show. A bit of a told ya so for their naysayers from last year's fest.

Rumors of Siren's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The annual Coney Island music festival will be back for at least one more go this summer, despite rumors to the contrary that persisted all winter long. Coney Island is currently undergoing a major facelift, to help revitalize the area, so the old neighborhood may not look the same as you remember, but this, combined with at least one more season of the original Astroland, should give many one last reason to make the Nathans pilgrimage. While no lineup details have been announced yet, there are hints as to who won't be playing this year. Both the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago and the Mile High Festival in Denver will be happening that same weekend, and many popular and up and coming acts have already been claimed up. That’s not to say that Siren won’t come through in the end, as they always seem to do, but just don’t get your hopes up for Dave Matthews Band or O.A.R. this year. Again.