By Kaitlyn Piccoli and Brad Pareso

Tuesday, Oct. 19 | Wednesday, Oct. 20 | Thursday, Oct. 21 | Friday, Oct. 22 | Saturday, Oct. 23

The CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is not for the faint of heart. Each year, the five-day behemoth turns NYC into a playground of nonstop musical acts, panel discussions and film screenings, highlighting the nation’s most cutting-edge underground artists. Now celebrating its 30th year, CMJ is stronger than ever, featuring more than 1200 live performances in 75 of New York’s legendary venues. The city never sleeps—and neither does CMJ. To save your time and energy, here’s our list of some of the must-see acts for CMJ 2010. And if you’re looking for some local sound in the Big Apple, there’s a handful of Long Island bands playing CMJ too.