While traditionally a home for indie rock (and now likely more so for electronica and low-fi) it was acts hailing from the Southern states that took the crown and the crowd.

Take Robert Ellis, a lithe Houston virtuoso who harkens back to the days of Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Townes van Zandt, the days when country and folk didn’t have to be hyphenated to sit together in one sentence. Ellis played several shows this year, including sets at the Paste and New West showcases at the Living Room. His voice is clean and band booming; and you get the feeling that he incited a lot of “I didn’t think I like country, but… ” conversations at the night’s end.

Marissa Moss: Why the South Won (the CMJ Music Marathon, That Is)

Robert Ellis gets a nice mention in the Huffington Post for his recent CMJ appearances, including a surprise two-hour cover set (aka, what Houston is accustomed to calling Whiskey Wednesday). Buxton also gets termed a “southern breakout” and an “indie folk collective whose album Mumford and Sons probably have hidden under their pillows.”

Source: The Huffington Post

Fat Tony gets a nod from the Village Voice, who tracked him down at CMJ. We love you, Tony. Looks like your priorities are in all the right places. fattonyrap: Thanks Village Voice for catching me stumbling through The Fader Fort at this past CMJ 2011 and asking me the tough questions about food and what’s in my pockets. Y’all were pretty cool. Love you, Puja Patel.And many thanks to L.A.’s finest stylist Karolyn Pho for the hoop earring with three dangling crosses I rocked rather well. http://thetranslation.tumblr.comShoutout Trill City Kings too for the hat! Holler. The band: Fat Tony Where they’re from: Houston What are you doing next? I’m playing two shows. The first is the BPM show on Houston that my homeboy Jason Scott Henderson is putting it on. After that I’m doing a show with me, Ninjasonik, Japanther and a whole bunch of others who are gonna rage in that shit. What’s the best show that you’ve been to at CMJ? I can’t even lie. I don’t know where I’ve been at all but I know that I’m here right now. You feel me? What non-CMJ thing do you want to do while you’re in New York? I wanna smoke some of the finest weed New York has to offer. I want to pay my respects to all the New York legends that are out there doing their thing. And I want to drink a lot of rum. Whiskey is tight too. Shout out to all the rich people who put money into the open bars for CMJ. Y’all are doing a great job of helping me get faded. What makes up your survival kit for CMJ? I survive strictly on pizza, soda water, marijuana, alcohol, and good vibes. And my friends. Yes, I am crashing at a friend’s place. I haven’t reached the status of having rich people pay for my hotel just yet but hopefully I will next year. What’s in your pockets right now? In my pockets right now? A yellow comb and a beautiful phone. It’s a smart-phone, by the way, because I’m a smart guy. What was the last thing you ate? Two slices of pizza and a combination of Tropicana fruit punch and Tropicana lemonade. That’s all I’ve eaten today and probably all I will eat for the rest of the night.
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Fat Tony gets a nod from the Village Voice, who tracked him down at CMJ. We love you, Tony. Looks like your priorities are in all the right places.

fattonyrap:

Thanks Village Voice for catching me stumbling through The Fader Fort at this past CMJ 2011 and asking me the tough questions about food and what’s in my pockets. Y’all were pretty cool. Love you, Puja Patel.

And many thanks to L.A.’s finest stylist Karolyn Pho for the hoop earring with three dangling crosses I rocked rather well. http://thetranslation.tumblr.com

Shoutout Trill City Kings too for the hat! Holler.

The band: Fat Tony

Where they’re from: Houston

What are you doing next?

I’m playing two shows. The first is the BPM show on Houston that my homeboy Jason Scott Henderson is putting it on. After that I’m doing a show with me, Ninjasonik, Japanther and a whole bunch of others who are gonna rage in that shit.

What’s the best show that you’ve been to at CMJ?

I can’t even lie. I don’t know where I’ve been at all but I know that I’m here right now. You feel me?

What non-CMJ thing do you want to do while you’re in New York?

I wanna smoke some of the finest weed New York has to offer. I want to pay my respects to all the New York legends that are out there doing their thing. And I want to drink a lot of rum. Whiskey is tight too. Shout out to all the rich people who put money into the open bars for CMJ. Y’all are doing a great job of helping me get faded.

What makes up your survival kit for CMJ?

I survive strictly on pizza, soda water, marijuana, alcohol, and good vibes. And my friends. Yes, I am crashing at a friend’s place. I haven’t reached the status of having rich people pay for my hotel just yet but hopefully I will next year.

What’s in your pockets right now?

In my pockets right now? A yellow comb and a beautiful phone. It’s a smart-phone, by the way, because I’m a smart guy.

What was the last thing you ate?

Two slices of pizza and a combination of Tropicana fruit punch and Tropicana lemonade. That’s all I’ve eaten today and probably all I will eat for the rest of the night.

Source: fattonyrap

Nosaprise Featured in CMJ Spotlight.

Houston’s own Nosa Edebor, known by his stage name Nosaprise, has a nice spotlight feature on the CMJ blog. Check it out, and you’ll learn that Nosa is related to Fela Kuti. How cool is that?