[mid-cmj report] Highlights from this year's fest, plus a playlist ft. Grimes, Dive, Trash Talk, Bleached, + more

Much like SXSW, the annual five-day CMJ Music Marathon brings together hundreds of international artists and industry types, with official and unofficial parties happening all over Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

It’s only three days into this year’s marathon, but some potential “winners” are already surfacing: the ethereal, outsider pop of Claire Boucher, a.k.a. Grimes; the new reverby post-punk Beach Fossils side project Dive; the ex-Mika Miko fuzz punk duo who now play as Bleached; the Sacramento hardcore 4-piece Trash Talk, whose thrashy high-energy punk and accompanying circle pits have been consistently destroying venues at 2 a.m.

A full post-fest report is in the works -- until then, stream the playlist above, featuring tracks by bands who are already owning this year's CMJ. Follow the Phoenix's live updates on Twitter via @lizpelly and @BostonMusicBlog.