CMJ live: All Hands Electric @ Union Hall

Above, Prudence Teacup, who I'm pretty sure I saw last night.

I have to admit that I got a slow start to CMJ last night. But I did manage to check in on the All Hands Electric showcase at Union Hall for a couple of bands.

In all, the label has assembled an enthusiastic bunch of kids. The performers were very assured of themselves, and each band showed a lot of potential.

It appeared that most of the crowd was made up of other bands and friends, which may have led to one of my pet peeves: no one said the name of their band. Especially at a festival like CMJ, where people are popping in to see whatever's on stage, say the name of your band. A lot. You might feel silly telling your labelmate or manager who you are, but I didn't know, and you never told me. So that's my unsolicited tip for the day. Tell the people who you are.

But other than that, there was a nice energy to the room and everyone seemed to be having fun. Not all the music was my cup of tea, but, like I said, the bands showed skill and promise.