Total Norway!

The Norway Stoy! event at Pianos was probably the best CMJ showcase that I went to this week. Comprised of three Norwegian bands, upstairs at Pianos was packed from 5pm to 8pm. Don Juan Dracula opened up, and they will now be your new secret obsession. With uptempo synth rock, these guys put on quite a show. Dressed in all white suits/wife-beaters, they have style and substance. The lead singer takes his job as a showman quite seriously - and has a little Simon Le Bon in him. He went into the crowd to sing and to dance and posed for pictures with fans while singing and dancing. At one point he says that they are a boy band and dress like a boy band and like a boy band, they have a dance. So the keyboardist puts on this early 80's synth line, and the other three line up and do this choreographed groove. Unreal. And this wasn't even the highlight! The moment of the show goes to the bassist and lead singer/guitarist lighting sparklers that were attached to the neck of their guitars. That's showmanship!

120 Days closed the event, and they may be my new favorite band. Upbeat Joy Division meets The Cure meets early U2. Synths, drum machines, live drums, on top of a driving bass line. They also put on quite a show, and while not as flashy as Don Juan Dracula, they really got into their set. They recently signed with Vice for the US, and with that pedigree, are primed to hit the big time with scenester cred. They've played a lot of little shows in NY during CMJ, and the bassist explained to me, "it's been quite hectic." I'm looking forward to a proper US tour, hopefully with them playing the Bowery. You should buy their album now.

Here's "Come Out, Come Down," courtesy of Vice.