Cubic Zirconia kick off their winter tour with Machinedrum and Popo.

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So much for a relaxing weekend. With everything that’s going on for New Year’s Eve, some of you might be planning to take the weekend off. For all you die-hards out there, here’s what’s on the menu for the first weekend in 2010:

On Friday, GBH and Girls & Boys are getting right back into the swing of things with a special New Year’s Day Party at Webster Hall. Andy Butler of Hercules and Love Affair will be spinning, and admission is only $1 before midnight if you RSVP.

This Saturday, The xx, one of 2009’s top breakout acts, are doing a special DJ set at Le Poisson Rouge. Given the laid-back nature of their music, we’re curious to hear what they’ll bring behind the decks. VHSorBETA will also be spinning, tickets are $5 in advance or $8 on the day of the show. Be sure to catch The xx when they tour with Hot Chip this spring. Click here for tickets and info.

Over at the Mercury Lounge, Brooklyn-based trio Ninjasonik will take the stage for one of their signature high-energy performances. DJ Cobra Krames will open. Click here to purchase tickets, which are $12.

Having heard of less than 10% of the CMJ line-up, Day 1 was an evening of new discoveries and a lesson in efficiency. The HiFi Cartel convened at the brand-new Limewire space in SoHo for the CMJ Media Meet & Greet before going our seperate ways to cover as many artists as possible. Check out some highlights after the jump.

DAY 1 PHOTOS COMING SOON…

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This quartet from South London have established an astonishing original pop sound which delicately drifts across genres. Lead vocalist and guitarist Romy Madley Croft lends slow, feathery melodies into the mic while bassist Oliver Sim fills the gaps with his somewhat stoic responses. Baria Quresh and Jamie Smith artfully drop syncopated drum loops & staccato keyboards, uniting a dreamy potpourri of vibrations that is The xx.

Those fortunate enough to live in or around NYC have the chance to catch three back-to-back CMJ performances next week. The first show goes down at the always intimate Mercury Lounge, October 21st. The second takes place inside the SoHo Apple Store for free, the 22nd. And they will finish off their NY run at the Music Hall of Williamsburg with School of Seven Bells on the 23rd.

Take a peek at The xx’s noir-like music video for “Crystalised” and be sure to keep up with us as we bring you extensive coverage of the jam-packed CMJ Music Marathon.

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Last night, Seasick Steve whet our appetites with an intimate performance at Mercury Lounge. After seeing Green Day perform with full-on pyrotechnics the night before at Madison Square Garden, it was a nice change of pace to see Seasick Steve’s pared down one-man show.

He greeted the audience with handshakes before taking the stage for a little over an hour. Between songs, he shared anecdotes about everything from his childhood to chiggers, occasionally taking swigs from a bottle of red wine. He often referred to his raw sound as “Mississippi disco”, evident by his three string trance wonder guitar which he calls the “biggest piece of shit in the world, I swear”. There was a unique tenderness among the gruff swagger, particularly when he called a young lady on stage and sang the soft love song, “Walkin’ Man“.

Seasick Steve will be performing on the Blue Comet stage at 2:20 tomorrow, so make sure you get there early so you don’t miss out. Follow us on Twitter to get live updates from the festival.

Seasick Steve – Things Go Up