Ok this one is technically cheating because I didn't ACTUALLY see this band during CMJ due to scheduling, taco time, putting my showcase together, and so on. My disappoint in that epic failure caused me to beg their publicist to at least send me the funky new-wavey New Zealand duo's debut album Sugarpills and I have not been able to stop listening to it since she kindly obliged.
Seriously, "Ribbon of Light" is on my top 10 list for the year for sure - not that new wave pop is a brand new thing, but somehow they make it seem fresh and to me that's the most important thing. Come back soon, Kids of 88!
Kids of 88 -