Boston and Beyond: Berklee's CMJ Music Marathon Showcase October 16

Boston and Beyond: Berklee’s CMJ Music Marathon Showcase of alumni and student artists takes place on Friday, October 16, from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at Carroll Place in New York. The show features Lili N, Toy Cities, mar | co, Honeysuckle, Oh Malô, You Bred Raptors?, and Eternals.

The showcase is presented by the Red Room at Cafe 939, Berklee Alumni Affairs, and Heavy Rotation Records (HRR), with media sponsor Vanyaland.

Vanyaland will be live streaming the event at VanyaRadio. Badges for next year’s CMJ Music Marathon, and free copies of HRR’s latest album, Dorm Sessions 10, featuring showcase artist Oh Malô, will be given away at the show.

The showcase (for people aged 18 and over) is free for CMJ badge holders and $10 for the general public. Carroll Place is located at 157 Bleecker Street (between Thompson and Sullivan streets), New York City, New York. For more information, call 212-260-1700.

CMJ Music Marathon is one of the world’s most important platforms for the discovery of new music, drawing 120,000 people with more than 1,400 performances in more than 80 venues. Berklee has presented many up-and-coming acts at its past CMJ showcases, including Lucius, Nini & Ben (of HAERTS), Elizabeth & the Catapult, Christopher Barnes (Gem Club), Bleu, Julia Easterlin, Shea Rose, and Golden Bloom.

Artists, in order of appearance:

Lili N (also known as LILIN or Lili.n), a Berklee student from Rome, Italy, worked for several years as a voice-over artist, providing the Italian voice for characters in films such as The Grinch, Lilo & Stitch, and Narnia before coming to Boston to launch her music career. Her progressive, free pop stylings have been recognized by several publications and online magazines. Her newest single, "4U," is out this fall.

Toy Cities—Michael Nesci, Josh Harris, and Mitchell Lee—started developing their brand of '80s post-punk and '90s dream pop-inspired indie rock in late 2012. The Brooklyn, New York-based group is known for its dense sound that blends spacious synths and reverb-soaked guitars with a tight focus on melody and songcraft. The trio released its debut album, Via Death, in 2014. 

mar | co is a self-described “future pop” duo consisting of alumni vocalist Marie Lang and producer Alex Coco. Lang is originally from Vienna, Austria, where she studied classical piano and jazz singing before she moved to the U.S. in 2012. Coco played electric bass for multiple rock bands during high school in Miami, Florida, before he discovered his passion for production. After releasing their first track, “Bridges,” as part of a class project and finding unexpected success, they decided to form mar | co. The duo combines dark and dreamy vocals with electronic instrumentals and is inspired by artists such as Kaytranada, Lido, George Maple, Major Lazer, Mr. Carmack, and Flume.

Honeysuckle is a progressive folk trio that blends older influences and traditional instrumentation with modern effects and inspiration. The trio, which features alumni Holly McGarry '15 and Chris Bloniarz '15, and Benjamin Burns, recently embarked on its first tour of the Northwest with the band Harold's IGA, and can be found frequently playing in the Boston area and surrounding cities in the Northeast. It currently has two releases, Live at Rockwood Music Hall, and its new EP, Arrows. Honeysuckle was chosen by Converse Rubber Tracks to play at the 2015 Newport Folk Festival. The band is currently working on a new full-length album slated for release in spring 2016.

Oh Malô (oh-muh-LOW) presents colorful soundscapes through dynamic arrangements with delicate vocals that intertwine with ambient guitars and powerful, aggressive drums. Oh Malô pulls influence from such bands as Bombay Bicycle Club, Radiohead, Local Natives, Daughter, and Jeff Buckley to create an unpredictable blend of timbres and arrangements. Last year, it released three color-themed EPs, each representing the mental and emotional stages following an intense breakup. The six songs from these EPs will be joined with another six unreleased tracks to complete the band's debut LP. Oh Malô is composed of students Brandon Hafetz, Jack McLoughlin, and James Knoerl, and alumnus Jordan Lagana.

You Bred Raptors? is an instrumental busking band out of New York City with songs crafted with eight-string bass, cello, drums, and two glockenspiels. Known for its heavy, experimental sound, the group has played more than 350 shows in the New York City subway system through its involvement in the Music Under New York (MUNY) program. The band has performed with Yoko Ono, composed scores for Troma Entertainment and PVAF Films, and has received press coverage from WNYC, Good Day New York, The Economist, The Atlantic, Strings Magazine, and Bass Guitar Magazine. The group includes Berklee graduate Eric Castillo '08.

Drawing equally from contemporary greats such as Sparklehorse and Wilco, and classic pop and rock experimentalists, Somerville, Massachusetts's Eternals is the perfect collision of timeless sounds that recall the restrained prowess of classic American bands. The band is working on its second record at Somerville’s Q Division Studios. Eternals includes alumni Stephen Konrads Jaunzemis '09, Wayne Whittaker '10, and Eric Bolton '11.

Boston-based digital music magazine, alternative radio station, and lifestyle brand, Vanyaland is an interactive source for music news, live shows, new releases, downloads, and nightlife around Boston and beyond, focusing on the bands raised in our city but also welcoming to the touring acts that pass through it daily. Since its launch in May 2013, Vanyaland has become the most read music website in New England. Featured in Vice, The Guardian, SPIN, Rolling Stone, NME and Pitchfork, Vanyaland is the winner of Best Music Site (Boston Music Awards).

VanyaRadio is a live, 24/7, nonstop radio station broadcasting from the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. VanyaRadio provides the sound to the stories featured on award-winning digital music magazine Vanyaland. From breaking local talent to finding the next global chart-topper, VanyaRadio’s playlist suits the modern music consumer who never misses a beat. Winner of Best Online Station (Improper Bostonian).