CMJ Roundup (2 weeks after!) Black Lips, Drones & Health !

OK, I didn't really try to do too much during CMJ. No pass or anything, but I did see:

31/October/2006: The Black Lips @ 3rd Ward, Bushwick/Brooklyn -- Another great show by these current kings of garage at a 'toddp' non-cmj show.

1/November/2006: Drones @ Soundfix, Williamsburg/Brooklyn -- Only 15 people there, apparently a Bad Seed among them. Opening band Devastations (from Australia as well but based in Berlin) were good, Birthday Party meets Bad Seeds action. The Drones themselves put on a terrific show, despite low vocals, emphasizing the noise & rock elements of the action. Never a dull moment, this band is the most underrated band (at least here in the US) I know about right now.

2/November/2006: Califone & Bobby Conn @ Tonic, Manhattan -- Califone was OK I guess, if you like folk sounds desconstructed in ambient atmospheric music (read: "boring"). Bobby Conn was OK, more progrock than previously imagined, still a good show and with a very tight band.

3/November/2006: Though I caught the end of Shackeltons at another place (they were pretty good), the only band I really liked this day was Health, at the Cake Shop in Manhattan. They sound like Lou Reed / Pavement / with a southern angle. They are from North Carolina.
http://www.myspace.com/healthyportions

Overall, the lineup of the big shows said it was a lackluster year for the indies. Hey-- 2006! It's over. Go away!