Yes, I’m JUST getting caught up with CMJ right now as I’m sitting here watching the World Series (no, I’m not sure why I’m watching).

Here are a few photos from the excellent After the Jump showcase that we held at the beautiful Brooklyn Bowl on Oct 24th. Seriously, if you have not been to Brooklyn Bowl yet, run don’t walk.

It’s such a great space — you can tell the owners really took the time to get things right. Not only is there one of the most classy looking bowling alleys you’ll ever see, there is a bar with local beer, a delicious Blue Ribbon restaurant, AND a kick-butt stage for bands to play, adjacent to the lanes.

Enough gushing! On to the photos.

Harlem (from Austin, TX) drew a great crowd with their fun and quirky rock songs. Not hard to understand why Matador Records recently signed these guys up:

Soft Black was up next. These Brooklyn-based boys play somewhat melancholy, folk-twinged tunes with a lot of soul:

Bear in Heaven was up next with their special blend of atmospheric, ethereal music. The band is a new favorite of Ed Droste of that other bear band, Grizzly Bear, so watch out for these guys, they’re going places:

Headed back to Manhattan in the pouring rain, and after having dinner headed over to Bowery Ballroom for the NY-based wunderband show featuring Violens, Sharon Van Etten, and Rain Machine show.

Yes, it was last week, but here are the photos from days two and three of the third annual After the Jump Fest that happened at Littlefield.

There were some amazing performances by some great up-and-coming bands. My particular favorites were the brute and manly Wild Yaks (men playing ridiculously fast guitar-laden music, fueled by aggression, and probably some alcohol), the joyful Drink-up Buttercup (cheery, exuberant ditties peppered with the noisy clashes of garbage cans – would fit very nicely into an Apple commercial), and the daringGet Haunted (folky, bluegrassy sounds with an emphasis on the occult).

Wild Yaks

Drink-up Buttercup

Get Haunted
They are kinda dressed like Amish people, or your toothpick chewin’ back-country cousins, but that’s kinda what I like about them.

The adorable Hospitality played day 3. I was in the bar area when I heard some delightful female-fronted music playing. Someone asked me who it was, and I thought it was just the DJ playing a new song… then when I realized that it was actually Hospitality playing from the other room, I was impressed!

More coverage at Prefix Mag, Prefix Mag (Day 2), Music Slut, QRO Magazine, QRO Magazine (Day 2)