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November 03, 2009

Ten Lessons Learned at CMJ '09... Tune Your Fucking Guitar...

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Popmatters:

Whereas past CMJ Marathons used to be able to boast of genre-defining bands “play[ing] career-defining shows,” 2009 was a 1,100-band scrum, each one elbowing to distinguish itself in a sea of exhausted critics, deal-makers, and music fans. What was once a pool of music business deal-making has evolved into a DIY endurance swim. Bands play over 10 shows in five days, hoping to be featured in some sponsoring blog’s showcase (another sign of the times.) But since preemptive hype is generally required to make any sort of splash, often the bigger story is who didn’t show up to CMJ rather than who did. This year highly anticipated sets from The Very Best and Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle were voided due to visa complications. Toss in diminished industry attendance from a reeling economy and getting noticed was as hard as hailing a cab on a rainy Friday night.



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