Josh run The Deli's CMJ Music Marathon last weeks (consisting in blogging about 26 emerging bands based in The Deli's 12 local scenes - but mostly NYC). Here's his top 3. We'll have a list of honorable mentions tomorrow.

WARNING: Josh was our "guy/mellow/folky" runner. Tracy - the "girl/upbeat/punky" marathoner - was covering noisier bands, stay tuned for her selection.

1. Wilsen "When the forlornly whistling of the lead singer, the eponymous Wislen, coincided with striking crash of a cymbal, I can’t imagine there was a spine in the room left sans-shivered".

2. Blonds "With their commanding take of an already strong catalog, Blonds proved to be the highlight of CMJ Tuesday."

3. The Nightmare River Band (pictured) "The Nightmare River Band played a great set filled with some rather awesome rock n’ roll songs."

The second best thing about the CMJ Music Marathon, after of course the opportunity to see tons of great bands for five straight nights in the greatest city for music, is the process of sorting through the seemingly endless list of bands in order to meticulously plan your personal schedule down to the minute. That feeling of invincibility concerning the laws of time and space is an awful like the one you get when you develop grand plans to start exercising and working out. That brief sensation of euphoria lasts right up to the minute you told yourself you were going to start. Then you realize you already walked something like three flights of stairs that day, so really there’s no need to exercise. - read the full report here. - (in the picture, Blonds)