CMJ for TeaParty has begun! One day of shows down, 2 more to go. Before we head out to make the rounds again today, here is a look at what we and some of our favorite Boston musicmakers were up to yesterday…

Our first stop in the CIty was Rockwood Music Hall to check out an acoustic set from the usually hard-rocking, amped-up Aloud. The intimate setting of the small club showcased the duo’s talent for vocal harmonies and their darling on-stage dynamic.

We arrived at Crash Mansion smack in the middle of the usual ruckus that comes along with a set from Bodega Girls. A neon melange of lights, bass, facepaint, tambourine and bodyrockin’ cemented the Girls into the Ones To Watch category– and booked them several more shows this weekend. Stay tuned for more!

A scheduling change meant that we got to inadvertently catch a set from Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Jesse Merchant, known as JBM.  The dashing Canadian captured our attention with his enthralling guitar work and heartbreaking melodies.

The Hush Now delivered all you’re looking for in a Boston band in a Brooklyn bar. Their boyish exuberance and lush sounds took over the small space, leaving our heads swirling along with all those crazy colored lights.

Noise-rockers Ho-Ag exploded out of the Nag Champa-scented nook that the Lit Lounge stuck them in. Guitars, keys, drums, a bullhorn and a beard set the scene for the packed basement show.

The only thing more disarming than the pipes on Mieka Pauly of The Mieka Cannon was the sheer number of diehard fans packed into the tight space of Rockwood Music Hall. Lyrics were sang, requests were shouted, and the band happily obliged by switching up their setlist to pack it with crowd favorites.