Yup yup, dab smack in the middle of this year’s CMJ. Music I saw on Day 2:

OCTOBER 21st

Hank and Cupcakes @ the Deli Magazine party at the Delancey

Thoroughly enjoyed this Brooklyn-based duo. Dancey rock, and a great cover version of Joy Division’s “Control.”

Screaming Females @ Mercury Lounge

There’s no doubt that the Screaming Females know how to rock out. The trio from New Brunswick, New Jersey, is fronted by the unstoppable Marissa Paternoster. The 22-year-old Paternoster has a distinctively ambiguous look. You can hardly tell if she’s 18 years old or 40 years old — a young boy or an old lady. I like to think of her as a mix of both Harold and Maude — a baby face with a boyish shaggy bowl haircut + an old lady chic wardrobe.

All looks aside, Paternoster can roll out some incredibly mean guitar solos, her small finger fingers flying up and down the fret boards with impressive speed. When she wails into her microphone, you can’t help but think that this little lady is a star.