Same Collaborators, New Living Quarters: The Pittsburgh-based artist Agnes Bolt, who earlier this year spent a week camped inside a bubble inside Philippa Hughes' living room, returns this weekend with a new exhibit—this one at the Project 4 Gallery on U Street NW—that features more personal information from the Pink Line Project leader. Over at [...]

Salome, one of the few metal bands that performed at this year's CMJ.
For D.C. bands, the takeaway from CMJ seems to have been this: It will not pluck you from obscurity, but it can't hurt. Also: Don't believe the hype.
"The myth that you can land the perfect agent or manager at a place like that—I don’t think [...]

Duchess Says, from Montreal, performs at Arlene's Grocery in New York City on Wednesday.
Kria Brekkan at Cameo Gallery: A cynic might say Kría Brekkan's hour-long set at the Paw Tracks label showcase confirmed numerous clichés about Iceland's parochial peculiarity. To wit: Pretend Lars von Trier's costume team had reimagined Sabrina the Teenage Witch and you're still [...]

Tabi Bonney performs at Fat Baby last night in New York City.
The thing about CMJ is, not all of it's CMJ. There are the unoffocial day parties—free, sometimes invite-only events sponsored by record labels, PR firms, and media. There are the more exclusive parties at night. And there are the shows that, although not nominally [...]

Middle Distance Runner performs at the CMJ Music Marathon in 2008.
Every CMJ has its success story—the unknown act who, thanks to buzz and grit and talent and luck , tickles the right trigger of the wayfaring label rep or taste-maker who, for whatever reason, has decided to see it. But most of the thousand-plus little-known [...]