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NONONO

Oct 16, 2013 CMJ 2013: Day One By Laura Studarus Photography by Laura Studarus

Tuesday was the first full day of CMJ Music Marathon. Established in 1980, the festival has garnered a reputation as a must-play event for up-and-coming acts across the world looking to break into the North American market. Two such bands, Claire and NONONO graced the festival with their first ever shows in the U.S. It certainly won’t be the last we hear from them.

At the WFUV showcase, Munich, Germany’s Claire packed a remarkably small space. The five-piece’s set was acoustic and only twenty minutes long. But even without its usual effervescent electro bounce (fans of The Naked and Famous—they are marketing to you), the material still translated. Particularly of note was Broken Promise Land single “Games” where singer Josie-Claire Bürkle’s emotive voice brought an additional level of romantic anguish to the line “we’re so…whatever.” (Okay, seriously, who HASN’T felt like that?)

At The Mercury Lounge, Swedish three-piece NONONO danced through their North American debut, backed by an elaborate lighting rig that painted the trio in washes of blue, green, and red. The face of the band (other members, producing team Astma & Rocwell, were set back further on the stage and lit to avoid drawing attention), frontwoman Stina Wappling was incredibly confident, tossing her long, wild hair around as she sang. (She seemed momentarily thrown off her game when an audience member told her she had “sexy hair” but soon recovered and laughed as she waved him on to continue.)

The band introduced several new cuts not featured on their U.S. EP, Pumpin Blood—which can be a tricky proposition when everyone in the audience wants to dance to something familiar. But their new material, sounding like a cross between Icona Pop and Niki and The Dove went over well. Predictably, the largest reaction was saved for the anthemic single, “Pumpin Blood,” where the audience unabashedly sang along with the sweetly life-affirming chorus, “It’s your heart/it’s a live/it’s pumpin blood/and the whole wide world is whistling.” Charming and energetic, NONONO might be the break out band of the festival to actually make the whole wide world whistle.

Check out a full gallery of photos here.

(www.cmj.com)

(www.facebook.com/nononoofficial)

(www.facebook.com/clairemusicofficial)