![HUNTERS' Isabel Almeida and Derek Watson Where we found them: In their van, Williamsburg On their insane, energetic stage shows: Isabel: We have bruises all over us after shows end. I had a concussion once! I didn't fall, I was going for the floor on purpose but then I lost my notion of space or something and hit the ground so hard. I kept playing and it seemed fine at the time. I lost a piece of my tooth that night and the next day I had a really bad headache and figured I should go to the doctor. He told me I had a concussion and couldn't work for two weeks and I was like, "Fuck yeah!" On being in the studio: Isabel: It's really hard sometimes. I feel like the best part about playing our music is doing it live and going nuts. When you're in the studio and you have to pay attention to what you're doing and be in control and can't move around because of the mics. It can get pretty annoying at times. A lot of the time when we do vocals we just play the music out loud in the room instead of in headphones and pretend like we're doing it live. We sing and record in the same room. Derek: We've been really, really lucky in that it's come easy for us to work with each other. It feels comfortable and we don't even usually have to talk about what we're doing. On living in their van: Derek: We have tons of beer on us at all times. We have a cooler so we always have beers and Progresso lentil soup and ramen. Isabel: I eat cold Progresso out of the can with a spoon. They always make fun of me but I seriously think it's so good. Derek: We laid linoleum down and hung up lights so we can hang out in there. We sleep on a piece of foam and share our sleeping bag and hang out. On hair-care: Derek: I don't do anything at all, that's probably why it looks like this. I don't even wash my hair. It looks like this when I wake up and when I go to sleep. I think if I put effort into it, it would look awful. Isabel: The pink can be annoying because it requires work. It's not a lot of work, though. I end up dying my hair like once a week because it fades really fast. Derek will hate me for telling you but he dyes it for me. Derek: [Laughs] I don't care! Me and my friends all gave each other haircuts when we were kids because we wanted these cool half-shaved skater or punk cuts that the barbers would never understand. So I'm used to it.](http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2012/10/Hunters.jpg "CMJ On The Streets: Icona Pop, Presets, Sinkane, And More")
![AVA LUNA's Carlos Hernandez, Ethan Bassford, Felicia Douglass Where we found them: Drom in the East Village, pre-showcase. Their CMJ favorites: Doldrums, Sinkane, Butter The Children On being musicians and trying to make it in New York: Carlos: We all have a million jobs. Music is what I think we are all most excited about doing, but it's not the only thing that we do, because we have to make money too. [Laughs] CMJ is a little funny for us, because when we're on tour, it's like the music part of our lives takes over. But when we're doing six shows in one week in our hometown, we have to go to work and live our lives and then run to our shows in between. Ethan has a band staying at his place. Julian, our drummer, broke his foot! So we're playing with a substitute drummer who is actually pretty amazing and we've been lucky that they picked up some of the complicated stuff pretty fast. But, yeah, I've turned my basement in Crown Heights into a makeshift studio and Julian and I are helping other bands record. It's not great, very makeshift, but it's really great to work with music from home. I've also been a brunch pianist! [Laughs] This week I'm working with a non-profit to help register people to vote. Ethan: I have a 9-to-5 ... I work at non-profit so they understand that I have to run away for shows and things. Felicia: I've worked the odd-job circuit doing catering and things. I'm a freelance graphic designer and artist too. On their favorite cheap eats in New York: Carlos: The Indian spot on 1st and 1st, Punjabi Deli, is great. I have to say Vinnie's and Oasis in Williamsburg, too. Lately I've been getting to Mr. Kiwi's for the smoothies a lot, too. Oh and that taco truck on Myrtle Ave and Bedford in Brooklyn! Get a chorizo burrito and you're set for the day.](http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2012/10/Ava-Luna-125x125.jpg "CMJ On The Streets: Icona Pop, Presets, Sinkane, And More")
![ZAK DOWNTOWN's Zak Perris Where we found him: Elizabeth and Grand On being an NYC born-and-raised, NYU student at CMJ: Yeah, I know that it's meant for college music journalism, but it doesn't necessarily feel that way. I still don't know if I understand what exactly CMJ is. The shows are all spread out, I'm not sure what's official and what's not, but it doesn't matter so much to me. It's awesome to have free shows and music all over the city. On his collaborator Hoodie Allen and the college-rap stigma: You know I don't try to be this white guy making college rap but I don't try to separate myself from [Hoodie or Asher] either. I grew up in the city; I'm going to NYU but never lived in the dorms. I'm much more of a city kid -- I grew up in the Village and will probably always live here. I get the whole frat-rap thing, I don't necessarily think that's what I am but I can understand why their fans would like my music. I'm trying to be this hybrid of New York's real hip-hop and electronic music, which is something that college kids would be into right now anyways. On performing at bottle-service bars: I've recorded a video at GoldBar and am playing Lilium for CMJ but I'm definitely not a bougie kid. It's great when anyone wants me to play at their spot, and I wouldn't say no; I appreciate whenever anyone likes my music and wants me to do a show. I also kind of have this mentality that you should always shoot for the best. I mean, my friends and I go to these bars and then can have a great time and fuck the place up during a show, and if we can do it there then we can do it in Brooklyn or anywhere else, you know? On getting into rap: The first show I ever went to was an Outkast show, which I thought was so tight. But by 10th grade I was listening to pretty much everything but I really wanted to start making my own music when I was listening to Kanye West and Dipset in high school. Cam'ron on Purple Haze, I listened to that every day. Favorite local hangs: There's this bomb Mexican place called Lupe's on 6th Ave. I eat there like at least once a week. Their super chicken burrito is the jump-off. To drink -- it's not really a dive bar, but I always like to go to my homie Adam Kirsch's bar Blind Barber on 10th and Avenue A. What he's listening to now: I've been listening to Dom Kennedy, he's this L.A. dude who just put out this album called Yellow Album that is dope. I always fuck with Theophilus London because he crosses genres really well and stuff. Action Bronson, too.](http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2012/10/Zak-Downtown-2-125x125.jpg "CMJ On The Streets: Icona Pop, Presets, Sinkane, And More")
![SINKANE's Ahmed Gallab Where we found him: Outside of Carmine's Pizzeria, Williamsburg. On his birthday: Well today is my birthday and I've played a show on my birthday every year for the last five years [while on tour with Caribou, Yeasayer, etc]. I really like it; I've made it a goal of mine to be on tour for my birthday. I don't really celebrate my birthday. I'm the oldest child of three and it became less and less important to me as I was learning how to raise my siblings -- it's my sister's birthday too. She's two years younger than me. On his new record: Mars comes out on October 23rd and I'm not as nervous as I am relieved. I've been done with this record for two years. I've been really stubborn about releasing the album and now I feel like there's a family and a team of people who really care about the music and want to see it released and reach the ultimate height that it can. On getting involved with DFA: DFA came to me actually. When I released the "Runnin'" single initially it was on Bandcamp and was a pay-what-you-want type of thing. I saw that they had purchased the song and I was like, "Man! That's awesome! DFA Records!" A week later I got an email from them saying they really liked it and wanted to hear more music. One thing led to another and all of a sudden we were all working together. They're a great and supportive label. It was very organic. On making authentic, honest music: I think my ultimate goal is to make music that is universal. Music that anyone and everyone can listen to. I think the only way you can do that is if you're making honest music and really drawing from yourself and not thinking about anyone else. You're doing it because you like what you're doing. When I was recording the record I was listening to a lot of music from my youth. I realized that a lot of the music I was making was in direct correlation to the music I was brought up on. A lot of reggae music, a lot of jazz, a lot of pop, and a lot of Sudanese music. It's very easy and clear to hear that in my record. I was listening to a lot of Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Brian Eno, Radiohead -- I really wanted to bridge the gap between music that was incredibly esoteric like spiritual jazz, and weird music that was successful in the pop realm. It's a weird gap to bridge because it kind of cancels each other out. On Sudanese music: Sudanese music is kind of a blend of Middle Eastern, African reggae, and Indian music. It has a strong sense of rhythm and the melodies are very organic. Similar to Bollywood soundtracks or Middle Eastern music, there are a lot of strings. It's all based on the pentatonic scale and a lot of Eastern African music is influenced by Sudanese music. What he's listening to: I'm really into Delicate Steve. I think he's one of the most talented musicians I've had the pleasure of working with. All of us in the Sinkane band are into Matthew E. White and Father John Misty. There's this really cool contingent of music that is really organic -- there's this resurgence of bands or the idea of the band, which is cool.](http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2012/10/Sinkane-125x125.jpg "CMJ On The Streets: Icona Pop, Presets, Sinkane, And More")
Last week’s CMJ Music Marathon brought five non-stop days of label showcases, journalism panels, and industry-fueled mixers to Brooklyn and Manhattan. Hidden among an overwhelming flurry of name-tag badges and networking events is the music, thankfully, and the festival’s NYC-centricity has encouraged local DIY showcases and late-night after-parties to run parallel to it. From icons like New Order to bands too young to have ever heard of MySpace, deciding what to see can be a grueling task. With the help of much organizing, coconut water, open bars, and taco-truck dinners, we hit as many parties and performances as possible. And everywhere we turned — restaurants, bars, clubs, and sidewalks — we ran into Marathon performers. So we hung out, took some pictures, and chatted them up about everything from their survival kits to their favorite places to eat to their playlists of the moment. And, of course, about the insanity of CMJ.
Our CMJ On The Streets interviews and photo gallery starts here.
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