Glass Candy: Halloween

T-Pain without Auto-Tune, BenZel with Juicy J and Cashmere Cat, Glass Candy's Halloween and more in the music we Tweeted this week

While decidedly holiday appropriate, “Halloween” is a tune you could throw on any time of year. Released in 2011 by Glass Candy, which is comprised of Portland-based vocalist Ida No and guitarist Johnny Jewel (who founded the record label Italians Do It Better and is also part of Chromatics), the song—allegedly an homage to the classic John Carpenter flick—is just eerie enough to kick on …

Beatenberg: Rafael

Five promising acts who performed (officially and unofficially) during CMJ week

Cape Town-based trio Beatenberg brought sunny, jazz-tinged vibes from their hometown to NYC for the first time this week. Debuting at CMJ’s South African Showcase, the outfit’s lead single “Rafael” embodies the band’s unique blend of Cape jazz and pop reminiscent of Paul Simon. The band is part of a growing scene of increasingly internationally recognized artists coming out of the Mother City. Beatenberg’s breezy …

Future Punx: Spike Train

Five promising acts who performed (officially and unofficially) during CMJ week

In their single “Spike Train,” five-piece Brooklyn act Future Punx blends chanting vocals with sweet synth lines, funky live drums and guitars for an interesting contrast. Their overall fast-paced, energetic vibes make for a fun (and sweaty) live show—as their performances at Cake Shop, The Silent Barn and more showed this past week. They’ve got the rare power to convince attendees to loosen their death …