The 7 Bands That Won CMJ Music Marathon 2012

This year, over 1,300 bands played during CMJ Music Marathon, an industry showcase of the indie world’s most buzz-worthy bands, in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York. Like any event with that many participants, a majority of the bands, honestly, weren’t any good — they were either too sloppy, too repetitive, or too pretentious for their own good, or sometimes all three.

But every so often during CMJ, you’ll find a real keeper, such as Arcade Fire, the xx, My Morning Jacket, the Killers, the National, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Feist, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, and even Lady Gaga, who all played the festival before becoming household names. Here are seven acts from 2012’s CMJ who we think will soon be opening for your favorite band, before becoming your favorite band.

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Band: Savages
From: London
Sounds Like: Chilly, visceral post-punk with jagged edges
For Fans of: The Slits, the Birthday Party, and the Pop Group

Band: Mac DeMarco
From: Montreal, Canada
Sounds Like: Breezy glam pop
For Fans of: Kurt Vile and Mink De Ville

Band: Angel Haze
From: Brooklyn, New York
Sounds Like: Frighteningly focused hip-hop, with little attention paid to current trends
For Fans of: Not giving a f*ck?

Band: METZ
From: Toronto, Canada
Sounds Like: Aggressively wide-eyed post-hardcore, as loud as their name is uppercase
For Fans of: The Jesus Lizard, Shellac, and Big Black

Band: Deap Vally
From: Los Angeles, California
Sounds Like: Kick-in-the-nuts lo-fi garage rock
For Fans of: The Black Keys and the White Strips