Women perform at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. (William Wei, WPIX / October 22, 2008)

Last week, I went to see a handful of the 1,100 plus bands playing the CMJ Music Marathon, and it made me reflect on my youthful dream of being a rockstar. The first show I went to see featured up and coming Swedish singer Lykke Li at the Bowery Ballroom. I’ve only heard good things about her music and that’s how it remains since her crowd was at full capacity. Those who bought venue tickets could waltz in, but some of those who paid up to $495 for a CMJ Badge were relegated to a line that barely moved (luckily I received my badge for free).

0-for-2.

Slightly discouraged, I decided to try the Living Room right next door to Pianos. SUCCESS! Then again, I could barely make my way through the bar and in to the back room where Ane Brun, another artist hailing from Sweden, was playing a set. Even though I could barely see her perform, hearing her voice was enough to realize why very few had the ability to break the spell to take a sip from their drink.

Deciding to be adventurous, I left the Living Room in search of another show. What I found was a cake shop next door known as… Cake Shop. The main floor is said name of the place but several feet below consists of a small bar with an even smaller stage. Approaching the stage were four grown men, but you would never guess that they call themselves Women. Although the guitarist announced this show as their 4th in the Cake Shop basement in the past 3 days, Women played with enough energy to get the ladies in the crowd up and dancing.

The CMJ adventures continued another day… or so I thought.

I could count the number of people in Bulgarian bar Mehanata with my two hands. A waitress approached and didn’t even realize that her place of work was a CMJ location; the map given with my CMJ badge has Mehanata listed as a venue but is nowhere to be found on their site. Despite the confusion, Accordion Death Squad did what they do best… rock out on the accordion. The lack of audience also missed out on dots of red and green lights splattering the entire place as Mehanata made it feel a lot like an early Christmas.

After Accordion Death Squad did their best to keep the small crowd alive, I went up to Pianos… Only to find it at full capacity again! What the hell did I have to do to get in this place? Maybe if I played in a band…

Anyway, Fat Baby sounded like a promising bar so I made the venture further east into the LES. Fat Baby’s main floor blasted dance music from its speakers with no one dancing; probably because no one was there. Through the back though is a staircase that leads down to a dimly lit bar with a stage at the end, A band that looked and sounded a little too similar to Paramore just finished their set while the crowd shuffled their feet away from the stage towards the bar. The next act may have been the most interesting of them all though…

Claiming that his band couldn’t make it down for the show, a man grabbed a guitar and started playing in the style of the Violent Femmes. Cracking his voice every opportunity he could get, this band-mate turned solo act drove much of the crowd to the upstairs lounge. The boiling point for the audience came when the man grabbed a few drums and started banging and yelling relentlessly into the microphone. Entertaining I thought, but not quite the dance rock music that most of the audience seemed to crave.

The awkward stage presence of this one-man band drove me to Rehab in the East Village. Organic vegan bars were being given away for free and I finally realized what chalk coated in sugar tastes like. To cleanse my senses I turned to Sky Cries Mary who graced the stage with two lead singers, one of which sounded exactly like Billy Corgan minus the bald, pale head. Either way, Sky Cries Mary filled the air with melodic vocals swaying through a middle-aged crowd. During one song, the Billy Corgan sound-a-like sang into a telephone with the effect that someone on the other end was listening. Brilliant or pretentious I wasn’t sure, but most of the audience seemed to go along with it.

Come Saturday night… the CMJ Marathon was complete. Was it coincidence that my first experience playing in a band came in my living room while my first indie music event occurred in the Living Room…? I think not. Time to start a new band. It’s fate.

Joss Stone hits the stage at the 10th Annual Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, L.A. (Jasper McNichols, WPIX / October 24, 2008)

With a historical election looming, talking politics became the ongoing theme for just about every act that hit the stage. Read how Voodoo artists got their politics on after the jump.

On a side note: Wyclef's set was unbelievable from start to finish. But I'll get to that in a bit.

It's no secret Louisiana is a conservative-leaning state, having voted republican in the past two presidential elections. This, as recent polls suggest John McCain will take the state come election day.

Personally, I thought It was a bold move for many of the artists to share their political views with the crowd, considering the power of the 'boo' and the perennial favorite 'you suck.'

During Wyclef's set, he was brutal with McCain lashing out at the Arizona senator, prompting many frustrated concert goers to just walk away in protest. When you see stuff like that, it really serves as a testament as to how divided Americans are, if they're going to let a few political statements put a damper on their day.

Other artists took the subtle approach, making references to the election and then moving on. Shortly after his first song, Lil' Wayne informed the audience he was registered to vote. That's as political as it got with Weezy.

The subtle but effective political approach taken by Trent Reznor of NIN during their performance of "The Hand That Feeds." (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

But then Saturday's headliners, Nine Inch Nails took it a step further with a very clever visual. During their performance of "The Hand That Feeds" a giant headshot of President Bush popped up in a plasma that joined Trent Reznor on stage. As the song progressed, George W. morphed into Republican presidential candidate John McCain. It was genius because that was just it. No rant, no Obama this, McCain that, just a simple visual that said plenty. Loved it! (If you were at the show and didn't notice the subtle morph you are not alone. It was only brought to my attention when a friend yelled out: Dude, it's turning into McCain!)

Politics aside, it was an awesome show that was totally worth the panic attacks I suffered on the three-hour plane ride over. Now that was not fun. Check out some of the pics I snapped during the weekend.

Joss Stone... can she look more lovely? (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 24, 2008)

As the crowd waited for Lil' Wayne to hit the stage, a mysterious smog appeared over the park. I think it was just one of those hazy days. Yeah, exactly. It was a hazy day. That's what it was. It was an unbe-weed-able hazy day. (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

The awesome Wyclef Jean spit some freestyle and knowledge during his set, even plucking concert goers from the crowd onto the stage. (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

Lil' Wayne prays to the God Almighty during his set, asking for guidance, love, and of course someone to lick the wrapper. (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

Trent Reznor brings his A-game to Voodoofest. (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

Rock on concertgoer dude! Light that lighter like it's never been lit before! (Andrew Ramos, WPIX / October 25, 2008)

English singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Mason performed his new song "Good 2 U" and his classic "We Just Disagree" for us in our studio. Famss will remember him from rock band Traffic.

Mason's new album 26 Letters 12 Notes is available in stores now.

His singles include "Let It Go, Let It Flow," "Will You Stil Love Me Tomorrow?," "Every Woman," and "Show Me Some Affection."

For more information, log onto www.dave-mason.com.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCES AFTER THE JUMP...

Dave Mason Interview and Performs "We Just Disagree"

Last night Okkervil River played Webster Hall, the second of their two night stay there. This is the first time I've seen them in over a year, and they've released "the Stage Names" album since. On stage Will Sheff gave it his all, like usual. I thought the setlist was a little slow, but good none the less. I absolutely loved how they opened the show, changing "The President's Dead" and then going into "Black." Incredible. The rest of the set is after the jump.

Of course, there were songs ("O, Dana," in particular) I wanted them to perform and they didn't. But that happens pretty much with every band and every show that I go to.

East Village Opera Company have a new album called Olde School, available in stores now. They'll perform "Walk" and "King of the Night".

For information on the group and tickets, log onto www.eastvillageoperacompany.com.

WATCH THE PERFORMANCES AND INTERVIEW AFTER THE JUMP...

East Village Opera Company Interview and Performance Of "King Of The Night"

Move over Fall Out Boy and The Killers, there's a new band with a catchy pop sound.

Hailing from the Chicago area, critcs are saying The White Tie Affair sounds like a fusion of Justin Timberlake and AFI.

Their album Walk This Way is in stores now. Kristina Behr sat down with the band to find out who their biggest influences are, and their infamous appearance on The Hills.

For more information on The White Tie Affair, log onto www.thewhitetieaffair.com.

WATCH THE VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP...

'The White Tie Affair' Unplugged Performance

Music critics say, if you mix a blend of 60's soul, New Orleans swagger, and good old rock and roll, you'll have Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons.

Recorded mostly at his family's cabin in Wisconsin, the 6-song LP "Cabin Ghosts" is a collection of haunting melodies showcasing Chisel's expressive vocals. The album is available in stores now. They'll be performing Monday night, Sept 15th at The Living Room in New York. For ticket info and more in general, log onto corychisel.com.

Cory Chisel Unplugged Performance

She's a Brooklyn based singer/songwriter and model... Maiysha is a striking new figure who's taking charge of the progressive soul genre. With influences from the likes of David Bowie to Natalie Cole, Maiysha's sound is unlike any other.

Her album "This Much Is True" is in stores now. You can catch her at a live performance Thursday night at her album release party at Joe's Pub. For more information on her appearance, click here or log onto Maiysha's official website. Watch an exclusive interview with Maiysha after the jump.

New Kids On The Block are all grown up and back in the neighborhood with a new album, The Block, available in stores now.

The NKOTB band members are Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood. And they already have two new singles under their belt -- "Summertime" and "Single".

This '80s band paved the way for the boy bands of the '90s such as N*SYNC, 98 Degrees and the Backstreet Boys, who recently reunited as well. New Kids On The Block made their debut in 1986 with a self-titled debut album and continued their success with their subsequent albums Hangin' Tough (1988), Step by Step (1990) and Face the Music (1994). The band disbanded in June 1994, soon after Face The Music's January 1994 release.

WATCH THE VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP...

New Kids On The Block Interview (Part Two)

(Left to right) Jeremy Davis, Zac Farro, Hayley Williams, Josh Farro, Taylor York start a Riot! in Times Square's Planet Hollywood (Shelley Ng/WPIX-TV)

Paramore is in New York promoting their single "That's What You Get," the latest track off their certified gold album Riot! The band is also gearing up for their performance in Central Park on August 28th, when their Final Riot! Tour comes to the Big Apple.

Hayley, Zac, Jeremy, and Josh took time out of their busy schedule to rock out with dozens of lucky fans at Z100's Z Lounge in Planet Hollywood.

WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE BAND, PLUS CHECK OUT THEIR LIVE PERFORMANCES AFTER THE JUMP.

See PHOTOS OF PARAMORE PERFORMING AT Z100'S Z-LOUNGE AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD IN TIMES SQUARE.

Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Sia, Grizzly Bear, The Virgins, Cat Power, The Black Angels... you name it, we snapped it.

SEE ALL OUR PHOTOS FROM ALL POINTS WEST: Check back for more photos as the gallery is still growing.

The ad reads: BE SOMEONE ELSE. BE KANYE. Fast-acting tablets turn anyone to Kanye West!

After reading the ad, I immediately dialed up the number. Seriously, who wouldn't want to be Kanye West. He's rich, his best friend is Jay-Z, and more importantly Jesus walks with him. Hello!? I get down to the bottom of this mystery ad after the jump.

• Press 1 to begin the registration process to become a groupie. - Uh, no thanks.
• Press 2 to become a part of Kanye's absolutely fabulous entourage. - Entourage? nah.
• Press 3 for the ultimate summer time cocktail. - Maybe later.
• Press 4 for the 'Be Kanye' tablet. - Uh, I don't put anything in my mouth that's not approved by the FDA.
• Press 5 to be directly connected to Kanye West's cell phone. - Ok, now we're talking.

So rather than transforming into Kanye, I decided to hit him up on his cell phone, to see what he's up to tonight. Maybe he could meet me at the Olive Garden or something - now there's a quality restaurant.

After dialing 5, I was greeted to an automated system who alerted me that the hold time was "3 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, and 24 minutes." Hmmm... it was then that I realized that I was had by a crappy MTA ad campaign.

Long story short, Kanye is the new spokesman for Absolut Vodka. The 'Be Like Kanye' gimmick was clearly lost on me, and probably the hundreds of thousands who read the ad. What's the connection to vodka? Seriously? Now, I'm all for creative marketing to entice the consumer to the point they have everyone talking... and hell even blogging about it, but make it make sense. And as for you MTA, how dare you!? First a fare hike and now this?