Your Guide to CMJ 2004

VON BONDIES+MEAN REDS
Plaid, 76 East 13th Street, 212.388.1060

Von Bondies are sexier than the White Stripes, and so is their sound. They also mine similar sources with less concern for raggedness: Chuck Berry riffs and Stooges mayhem are channeled with Doors-y intensity and harmonized hooks. The Mean Reds outfit their not-bad punk howl with glam trash and new wave sexiness. Also: Rolling Blackouts. At 8. HOARD

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT+FRANK BANGO
Living Room, 154 Ludlow Street, 212.533.7235

Wainwright's bloodlines are reason enough to check her out (sister to Rufus, daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle), but it's her own impressive soulful voice that gets her much attention. With New York's own pop prince Frank Bango and others. Also: Sharp Things, Tara Angell, Rappaport Account, and Matt Sharp & Golden Boy. At 7. GEMELLI

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16

'BLOODSHOT BARBECUE'
Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue, Brooklyn, 718.609.0484
See the Short List. At 12:45 p.m.

LOW+THE THERMALS
Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, 212.260.4700

Baby-core, slow-core, sweet-dream weavers Low long ago moved far beyond such sleepy characterizations, proving themselves one of the greatest, most innovative (and always arty) pop bands in the country. Portland, Oregon's the Thermals give an adrenalized sugar-punk coating to the sing-along tongue of the early-twenties set who might've missed out on the Descendents. Also: Helio Sequence, +/-. At 8. BOSLER

OXFORD COLLAPSE+PROSAICS+MAHJONGG
Sin-é, 148–150 Attorney Street, 212.388.0077

Three young, nervous rock bands that know the value of groove: Oxford Collapse give their loosely knit hooks a swift boot with a swifter punk-disco boom-chik, Prosaics' Aghast Agape has a density and drive that invokes early skinny-tie acts, and Mahjongg stretch and truncate New Order electro-rhythms. With Ben Lee, Pony Up!, and Lion Fever. At 8. WOLK

SPARTA+COHEED AND CAMBRIA+Z-TRIP+THE FEVER+AUTOLUX+TEGAN & SARA
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, 212.533.2111

Coheed and Cambria's album is much more fun if you don't know it's about sci-fi and stuff—they're playing acoustic tonight, so that might be clearer than it usually is. Z-Trip never figured out how to monetize his ability to mash up Rakim and Britney. The Fever are sassy, and Autolux are better than their name suggests. Less thrilling are Sparta's muddled arena emo and Tegan & Sara's wonder-twin folk. With Living Things. At 7. CARAMANICA