College Radio Goings-On at the 2010 CMJ Music Marathon

The annual CMJ Music Marathon is in New York City this week, with all of the affiliated panels, shows, films, and for the first time a separate gaming seminar. I won't be in attendance this year (but if you want to see highlights of the 2009 and 2008 festivals, take a look at my extensive recaps), but am excited to see that college radio is still a vital part of the 2010 CMJ Music Marathon.

On Radio Survivor I outlined some of the college radio stations who have been nominated for College Radio Awards. If you're attending CMJ, make sure to cast your vote for your favorite stations. Winners will be announced at CMJ's College Day, taking place this Thursday, October 21st. Other college radio events include a College Radio Mixer on Tuesday, October 19 from 4-6pm and mentor sessions for college radio DJs on Friday, October 22.

I'm also pleased to see that a few college radio stations, KXSC (University of Southern California), KVRX (University of Texas, Austin), and CHUO (University of Ottawa), have teamed up to co-present an unofficial (and free) CMJ showcase "Manifest Airwaves" on Friday, October 22 from noon to 7pm at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn.

I spoke with a few of the organizers about Manifest Airwaves in order to learn more about this awesome college radio collaboration. According to CHUO's Music Director Joni Sadler, she was initially contacted by KXSC's Maura Klosterman over the summer. She said, "It initially started out as the idea to just throw a show/party for bands from our areas, and it grew from there when other stations got involved as well."

Each station is helping to book bands, promote the event, and they are all sharing in the costs. KVRX is also planning to film the event. According to KVRX Promotions Director Brittany Campbell, "We plan on filming most of the performances for our YouTube page which has other KVRX performances, interviews, and DJ trivia." Brittany mentioned that KVRX will also be setting up a photo shoot at the event for attendees.

According to Joni and Brittany, all of the stations have benefited from this collaboration. Joni said, "We have a diverse little group of stations working together for this, so that's made for some good brainstorming and diversity with the artists involved." Brittany added, "I think it's a great opportunity for future shows, events and long-lasting relationships for student radio stations. We have to stick together."

Since the participating stations are in California, Texas and Ottawa, Canada, much of the organizing has happened over email. A few staff members have met in person previously, which, according to Joni, "I've met Maura [KXSC] and Nichole from KVRX in person. Our stations definitely have some similarities, and having met them face-to-face before made it easy to know that we'd work well together on this kind of project."

The participating stations aren't necessarily bringing big crews to CMJ, with Joni being the sole CHUO attendee. Joni explained that she pays her own way and that, "From what I know, CHUO has never officially 'sent' anyone to CMJ. It's always awesome to get to hang with friends from all over the US and Canada that you only get to see once a year, and it's a great opportunity to share ideas with people from other campus and community stations. I find the panel discussions valuable, but even casual discussions of how different stations function has been helpful for me in the past. Plus, the WFMU record fair is going on during CMJ - and that ALWAYS totally rules." Brittany said that 3 folks from KVRX would be in attendance and said, "We are looking forward to the big city, east coast music, meeting all walks of life, and being able to stay at a bar till 4am. I am personally not looking forward to the cold... it's 86 in Austin and 54 in NYC."

Sounds like a great time! Sorry to miss all of the festivities, but I am hoping to get the full report from those of you who attend.

SXSW Action Begins

As I mentioned on Radio Survivor, we are now in the thick of music and radio conference season, with lots of options for those obsessed with indie sounds. SXSW Interactive is winding down, and the music portion of SXSW begins tomorrow. As was the case in 2009 and 2008, many college (and commercial and community) radio stations are heading to Austin to host showcases, do live broadcasts, and blog about the scene.

Here are some of the stations taking part this year:

WFMU (New Jersey): Showcase with Aquarius Records on March 19th

Radio K (Minneapolis): March 19 and 20th showcases and live broadcasts

Day Stage Cafe Performances: Daytime showcases will be presented March 17-20 by a number of public/college radio stations, including KEXP, KCRW, KUT, The Current, KPFT, KXT, and WXPN)

Let me know if your station is covering SXSW too!

Noise Pop 2010 Has a Glamorous Start with Yoko Ono at The Fox Theater

Deerhoof at The Fox

It's hard to believe that it's time for another Noise Pop Festival. Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger and increasingly removed from those early years (it began in 1993) of shows at Bottom of the Hill and photocopied all-access passes.

This year Noise Pop extends out over the course of a week and encompasses a range of venues (from the large, fancy Fox Theater in Oakland to the tiny and funky Artists Television Access in San Francisco) on both sides of the San Francisco Bay.

My Noise Pop adventure began this year with the Yoko Ono show at The Fox Theater on Tuesday night. I'd never been to the Fox before and was taken in by its gilded vintage decor. It was a seated show and the crowds filled both the floor and the large balcony sections. Deerhoof started the show with a rousing set of satisfying pop, with the lovely vocals of Tokyo native Satomi Matsuzaki.

Yoko Ono Peforms

Yoko Ono was up next, backed by The Plastic Ono Band. As the audience awaited her appearance on stage, we were treated to vintage Yoko Ono film footage, ranging from clips from home movies, news stories, performance pieces, and from some of her experimental films. For those not initiated before, this was a great introduction to the history of Yoko Ono as an artist and as a public figure.

As the clips drew to an end, Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band came on stage. For this show, Yoko Ono was accompanied by her son Sean Lennon along with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, and Harper Simon. For the grand finale, Deerhoof, Pika from Japanese band Afrirampo as well as Petra Haden joined her on stage for an all-out all-star jam.

The entire show was riveting, and I was impressed that Yoko Ono continues to evolve as an artist. It was also exciting to see her embrace of younger Japanese artists and I enjoyed seeing how the sounds of all of the participating musicians meshed into one lovely hybrid of styles and sounds.

What a wonderful beginning to Noise Pop.

Also up on the schedule this week: tons of music, music-themed films, art, and the Industry Noise conference on Saturday.

Small Beast Showcase at The Delancey During CMJ: Theremin, David J, and David Lynch Covers

David J at The Delancey in NYC

My all-time favorite show during the CMJ Music Marathon this year was a showcase at The Delancey on Thursday, October 22, 2009. As part of the "Small Beast" series, this collection of acts played in the small bar area on the ground floor of the club. Downstairs one of the most happening shows of CMJ was taking place and a line of people stretched out the door. But I was happy to be inside at a less populated, more experimental, and (can you believe?) free show. Nestled in a velvety booth, I felt like I was transported to a crazy cabaret inhabited by characters from a Wim Wenders film, with Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen orchestrating the soundtrack.

This particular event was the 40th show in the "Small Beast" series, curated by Paul Wallfisch. He was the MC of the evening as well as a performer and even passed a tip jar to collect donations for the musicians between sets.

I was lured to the show by the promise of not only David J, but also musicians incorporating theremin and David Lynch covers into their sets. It seemed like the perfect confluence of performers and sounds for me.

Unfortunately things got going a little bit late (a pain at CMJ when every act is scheduled at precisely timed intervals so that attendees can pop from show to show), owing to a missing musician. As soon as the show began, though, I was entranced.

Pamelia Kurstin at The Delancey

First on the bill was Pete Drungle, featuring Pamelia Kurstin with some loungy, jazzy sounds on theremin. Pete played Wurlitzer piano and another fellow handled percussion using some intriguing box-like contraption that he was sitting on. Overall, it was magical, shimmery instrumental music.

Call me Kat at The Delancey

After that, Call me Kat from Denmark provided some lovely vocalizations over vintage synth. She tantalized with a sophisticated cover of the Britney Spears tune "Toxic."

Spottiswoode was a passionate, singer-songwriter guy with a guitar. His text-focused song about all the ladies he liked included phrases like "girls with glasses and ten dollar asses, that's what I like." I was instantly reminded of the retro Nails classic "88 Lines about 44 Women," although his take on things was way less saucy. Later he moved to piano and I became a lot more interested in the dirgier style that he transitioned into. I bantered a bit with the guy next to me (who turned out to be David J!) and he mentioned that parts of the set reminded him of Randy Newman. I could see that too, with a bit of Billy Bragg thrown in for good measure. For sure he was a storyteller and that was the commonality between all of the influences that I heard in his music.

Thomas Truax at The Delancey
(Spinster Sister to his left)

One of the most intriguing musicians of the night was Thomas Truax. Like a mad professor he came on stage with a collection of fascinating, Rube Goldberg-style contraptions that he used to make music. Crafted with bits and pieces of vintage materials, the Hornicator featured part of an old phonograph horn. The automatic drum kit dubbed Sister Spinster sat perched on a table in front, churning out demonic, heartbeat sounds as well.

Thomas looked a bit like a cross between David Byrne and Harry Dean Stanton and was just plain creepy cool. At one point he jumped up on the bar and crouched down playing his guitar while singing to each and every member of the crowd, weaving in and out of booths while he sang. He's done an album of songs from the films of David Lynch and included a few in the set at Delancey as well.

Paul Wallfisch and Little Annie

Our host for the evening, Botanica's Paul Wallfisch then hit the stage. I was fascinated by him in part because he bears an uncanny resemblance to a DJ at my station (appropriately named Mitch LeMay). Perhaps he's his doppelganger. Paul played piano and was quite the lounge lizard, making the old time, variety show vibe of the evening even more apparent.

I kept wondering what the 20-year-old CMJ hipsters must be thinking as they crossed through the room to get to the Antlers show downstairs. Did they run screaming thinking "oh my god, this is cheesy old people music" (like I used to think about Barry Manilow), or did they recognize the camp aspect of it all? Special guest Little Annie joined in and she was definitely the glamorous diva of the night. Dressed to the nines in head-to-toe black, she looked classic and classy, but her lyrics were biting and sassy.

David J with members of Botanica at The Delancey

Then, the star attraction for the night was Bauhaus and Love and Rockets luminary David J. Halloween songs were promised and he definitely delivered with some creepy-themed songs about murder and death. He performed a lot of covers, including songs by LCD Soundsystem and Tom Waits and premiered a new song of his called "Blood Sucker Blues" about a strung-out vampire.

I was a bit star-struck as it took me awhile to realize that I'd been sitting next to David J. for much of the evening. It was pretty cool to just chat about the music with a fellow music-lover who turned out to be one of the main reasons I was at the show in the first place.

I'm also 90% sure that I spotted another celebrity that evening. If you look closely at the pictures I took during the David J. set you might just spot a shadowy figure who I think is the hilarious actor/comedian Clark Duke (he plays the geeky cool Dale on the TV show Greek). If it wasn't him it was just some CMJ hipster who could have been his twin.

David J was spinning a DJ set at Small Beast later, but as it was nearing 2am, I had to split to get some sustenance (late night S'mores crepe, anyone?!) after a very long day of CMJing it.

If I'm back in New York, though, I'll definitely be checking out Small Beast again because if this show's lineup was any indication, the booking philosophy is simply inspired.

Thomas Truax with his Hornicator

Previous Posts about the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon:

CMJ 2009 Band Name Trends Revealed
Radio is Alive and Well at the CMJ Music Marathon (for Radio Survivor)
Radio's Presence at CMJ
CMJ 2009 Music Marathon Recap Part Two (10/20/09)
Social Networking, Metal Radio & Digital Music, and Miles Davis in 1959 (10/21/09)
CMJ 2009 College Day Part One- College Radio and Competition
CMJ 2009 College Day Part Two: Music Directors' Summit
CMJ 2009 College Day Part Three: Making Executive Decisions Panel
CMJ 2009 College Day Part Four: College Radio Awards

CMJ Music Marathon Recap Part Three: Social Networking, Metal Radio and Digital Music, and Miles Davis in 1959

CMJ Exhibitor's Loft

The second full day of the CMJ Music Marathon took place on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Panels began bright and early (for this crowd) at 11am at NYU's Kimmel Center and continued to focus on helping musicians to succeed in the music biz. Topics ranged from artist management, to the ins and outs of major label contracts, to the independent music market. A few genre-specific panels touched on dance, jazz, and metal and Andrew W.K. gave a keynote presentation.

Here's an overview of what I saw and heard on Day Two of CMJ:

Watching Sessions at CMJ

iLike It When YahoogleMyFaceTunes...You Tweet

Unfortunately this panel about music and social networking left me rather bored, as buzzwords flew around the room and I had a hard time focusing on what was actually being said. I think I was negatively predisposed when things started out with this comment by the moderator, "...the panel represents lots of pieces of the value chain." Uh oh. We also heard about how musicians need to "communicate offers to monetize," and should be aware of their "core competency."

I'm never a fan of business lingo, so the usage of these terms seemed to just zap the soul out of the conversation for me. And we're talking about music, one of the most soulful creations around.

We also heard that "somebody's back end is another person's front end," which, happily elicited much laughter from the panel and audience.

Most interesting to me was the discussion of music bloggers. Panelist Jason Herskowitz argued that with the declining influence of radio, music bloggers "are like the new music directors." I'm sure that's true for a lot of people, with those blogs serving as an entry point into new sounds. Similarly, Edith Bellinghausen from Razor & Tie suggested that music blogs are the new music press today.

Metal Radio Panel (not pictured-Jen Graham)

Keeping Metal Radio Relevant in the Digital Age

I was excited to see this discussion, as it was the first radio-specific panel of CMJ this year. Although ostensibly about "metal radio," the conversation was really more about the transition to digital music (from CDs and vinyl) and how that affects radio stations. As in similar panels last year, it was pointed out that the transition away from CDs to digital music is inevitable, mainly because of cost-cutting measures in the record biz.

The benefits of digital music were touted, with Jen Graham from Metalblade arguing that with digital music labels and promoters are able to provide as many copies as they'd like to radio stations and there's no fear of "lost mail" as there was in the past with CDs.

Jose Mangin of SiriusXM pointed out that he initially had problems with digital releases, but has come to realize that "it's about the music," regardless of what format it's on. He did make the point (echoed by many radio programmers) that for him downloading an album is still "a lot of work."

Music promoter Dan Rodriguez said that he's gotten a lot of "angry emails" from stations who are against digital-only releases. He added, "I have people threaten to not work with me" because he isn't able to send them physical copies of new releases. He admitted that he does "tailor a list" of stations to which he sends CDs.

An audience member then commented that much of the ire from stations may be because the "technological solutions" for handling digital releases just aren't easy. He said that it's "super frustrating" and asked, "Why is the process so complicated?"

In addition to this lack of standardization for digital releases, some stations simply don't have the proper equipment to process the music. Dan said that he's heard from some college radio stations that they did not have the technology to handle digital downloads, telling the crowd that some stations have "Macs from the mid-90s," don't have CD burners, and some even have staff that say they don't know how to burn a CD or play an mp3.

The handful of Promo CDs that I Collected at CMJ
(note the CDs promoting the music of New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and Sweden)

The panel offered up various suggestions on how promoters and labels can streamline digital adds, including using the iTunes podcast feature or using one's own dedicated server.

Dan said that "there is no standard...for servicing radio digitally," pointing out that there are 6 or 7 different programs to faciliate it. Others use zip files and dedicated servers. He later said, "I wish there was an iTunes of radio servicing." (Hmmm....there's a business opportunity for Apple!)

From the discussion it also became clear that every station is different in terms of the information that they'd like to have along with a digital release. Some stations need to see all lyrics and album covers so that they can review the content for potentially objectionable material.

Many college radio folks in the audience also pointed out that they only add CDs to their libraries. So, for them, it takes time, work, and money to burn a CD. One Music Director said that she'd appreciate it if she was sent a "jewel-case friendly" info sheet along with the music, as she ends up having to cut things up in order to make them fit into the case.

Jose admitted that it still does benefit an artist to release CDs in addition to mp3s, saying that a digital-only release may hurt artists as far as radio goes, since often music can just get lost in a Music Director's email account.

The panel ended with much radio love, with promoter Alisha Turull (Heavy Hitter) arguing that "building a band" starts at radio. Jose added that radio play can end up leading to bands getting booked for national tours. Musician Carly Coma added that "because of the power of radio" his band had a "fan base" and people showed up when they toured Michigan.

It's great to hear that radio is still relevant to artists and fans; but I still find it sad to hear that physical music is increasingly seen as too much work for DJs. In the ultimate expression of the generational shift in how radio is done, Dan mentioned that when he had a college radio show he got "tired of carrying crates of music," so he ended up just doing his playlist in iTunes.



Timeless Miles: 1959- A Pivotal Year in Music

From metal to jazz! With my own station KFJC celebrating its 50th anniversary during CMJ, I was particularly interested in hearing more about the "pivotal" year of 1959 which saw the birth of not only KFJC, but also of some seminal jazz albums by Miles Davis. Panelists, including journalist Ashley Kahn, musicians DJ Logic and Q-Tip, and Miles Davis' son Erin Davis, talked about not only why 1959 was such an important year, but also why Miles Davis was such a revolutionary artist whose impact can still be felt 50 years later.

In discussing the albums "Kind of Blue" and "Sketches of Spain," the panel members pointed out that they capture a complete musical experience. Ashley said that in 1959 people weren't really crafting complete LPs that were meant to be listened to from beginning to end, as singles were the dominant musical form. Andre Torres added, "it's almost come full circle...we've sort of devolved back into...singles and snippets." He said, "There's something to be said [about a] 12 by 12 picture....[and] liner notes."


The panel also speculated about whether or not there were certain years or periods when creativity was at its peak. The years 1959, 1969, and 1989 were mentioned by Ashley as times when there were "explosions" of sounds or "cycles" of change in music.

At the end of the panel a representative from Monster came on stage to debut a new "high end headphone" inspired by Miles Davis and to raffle off CDs, DVDs, posters and T-shirts. It was a little odd to have a sales pitch (although they admitted that the headphones were out of the price range of most CMJ attendees) after such a thoughtful panel; but the awkwardness of that was assuaged for me when I learned that free CDs copies of "Kind of Blue" and "Sketches of Spain" were being given away to those who attended the session. For me that was the best freebie of CMJ.


More coverage of CMJ to come, including a recap of "College Day."

Previous Posts about the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon:

CMJ 2009 Music Marathon Recap Part Two (10/20/09 panels and shows)
Radio's Presence at CMJ
Radio is Alive and Well at the CMJ Music Marathon (for Radio Survivor)
CMJ 2009 Band Name Trends Revealed

CMJ Music Marathon 2009 Recap Part Two: Subway Sounds, RXP's Listening Session, Margaret Cho, Care Bears on Fire, and Gothy Dark Sounds at Fontana's

"Radio in this country is pretty close to dying."
-overheard during CMJ

"Terrestrial radio...I think is still around, although I'm not sure."
-Jason Herskowitz

"College radio is so important. I had so many great years there."
-Matt Pinfield

Throughout my week at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, I kept my ears open for talk about radio and its future. I overheard both positive and negative proclamations about radio, saw some interesting sessions about radio in all of its forms, and reaffirmed my commitment to college radio during College Day. I've already discussed some of the stations who had a physical presence at CMJ and in the next few posts I will go into detail about the variety of panels and shows that I hit during the festival.

The opening day of panels was on Tuesday, October 20th. Most sessions were geared towards musicians, with topics ranging from "But How Will I Get Paid?" to "Music and Advertising." Others focused on the state of urban music, the lost art of the album cover, and New York's "Music under New York" program that brings music to the subways.

Music Under New York
The session about music in the subway system, "Music Under New York: Stories from an Underground Culture" was fascinating. A number of musicians spoke about their experiences playing for commuters and relayed some heartwarming tales about encounters with folks who were touched by the sounds. They pointed out how "magical" a place the subway system is and that passersby are "not obligated to listen to you... and they do." They also told stories about how beautiful it is to be playing music in a place where there are rats and pickpockets. As I heard them speak about their experiences I was reminded of radio, another place where people are often delighted by unexpected sounds.

CDs awaiting Critical Ears

RXP Music Listening Session
The first radio-oriented session that I attended was the RXP Music Listening Session, which featured a panel full of DJs from New York commercial rock radio station WRXP, as well as Matt Pollack from Monotone Records.

RXP DJ Matt Pinfield began the session talking about the unfortunate state of most commercial radio stations today, where one "lose[s] the element of passion [because] DJs are told not to get emotional about the music or show passion [because] radio companies think things have to be dumbed down."

Throughout the panel it became clear that RXP likes to set itself apart from that typical commercial radio model, as it allows DJs more freedom to program shows and express joy about the music they are presenting.

Everyone on the panel was asked what they look for in a new artist or a song when considering it for airplay. RXP's Music Director Brian Phillips features new material on the station's half hour "10 o'clock News" segment every weekday night. He said that he listens for songs that have a "wow factor," that he would want to listen to for a second and third time.

RXP's Program Director and morning show host Leslie Fram pointed out that, "you have to have trained radio ears" and she added that she listens for hooks and originality, saying, "It's about the things that will make people react."

Matt Pinfield also mentioned RXP's interest in local bands, saying that they felt a responsibility to "support local music." Leslie added that they listen to everything that is sent to them. In that spirit, the remainder of the session was devoted to listening to music from artists who dropped their CDs into a mail tub that was in the aisle.

Matt Pinfield, Matt Pollack, and Brian Phillips Listening to CDs from the Tub

The panelists pulled 10 different CDs from the tub and played bits of each CD for the audience. I was impressed that the radio and label folks were very supportive of the musicians in the room, offering both positive feedback and suggestions about labels that might be interested.

Comments about the music included: "accessible enough," "multi-format," "off-center," "Rocky Horror dynamic," "ambient trance thing," "balanced," "a little J. Mascis," to "great potential." The final two artists played during the session (Frontier Brothers and Overnight) actually got airplay later in the week on WRXP.

College Radio Mixer
My first scheduling bummer of CMJ happened on Tuesday night when I got to the College Radio Mixer too late and was turned away. It was set to begin at 5pm and apparently those not in line by that time were told that the event was over capacity. Uh oh.... Part of the problem was that one of the most buzzed about shows that night (a New Zealand showcase featuring Bang Bang Eche and Die! Die! Die!) was happening later in the same venue.

Media Meet-n-Greet
Luckily I had a media badge, so I headed over to the media mixer at the LimeWire space instead. I was treated to food, drinks (rosemary vodka!), and DJ sets by Jon Spencer and Margaret Cho. I got serious junior high school dance flash backs as Margaret Cho directed the spinning of classics like "Another One Bites the Dust," then slammed the crowd back into 2009 with selections from the likes of Lady Gaga. On a screen at the event there was a stream of photos from live shows from past CMJs. It was interesting to see images of some of the heavyweights who'd performed and some of bands who subsequently have made it big.

Care Bears on Fire at Bowery Ballroom, NYC
October 20, 2009

Care Bears on Fire
The next scheduling snafu of the day was missing pretty much the entire set by Care Bears on Fire at the Bowery Ballroom. I thought they went on at 8pm, but they promptly began closer to 7pm. When I arrived around 7:30, I got there just in time to see one song by these young ladies. I'm nostalgic for the whole 1990s riot grrrl scene, so was particularly looking forward to seeing these teen girl musicians. Oh well. The song I heard was fun and rocking, but I'd like to hear more. The next few bands at Bowery Ballroom didn't do much for me, so I hightailed it over to Fontana's for a change of pace.

Cruel Black Dove at Fontana's, NYC
October 20, 2009

Fontana's Show: Telltale, Cruel Black Dove, Dead Leaf Echo
As I descended into the cozy and dark basement space I instantly felt more comfortable than I had in the larger, emptier Bowery Ballroom. Telltale was mesmerizing with Joy Division-inspired sounds and an almost surf-style guitar. Cruel Black Dove featured 2 ladies in front and 2 dudes in back on synthesizer and drums. The Siouxsie-ish music was accentuated by one gal's dancer-like moves and the tone was also set by some running visuals in the background. Finally, I was treated to a set by Dead Leaf Echo. I was pleasantly reminded of Cocteau Twins, yet with both male and female vocals. It was beautifully hazy. All three bands worked to create an entrancing scene that hit the right dour notes for me. What a great way to begin CMJ!

Previous Posts about the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon:

Radio's Presence at CMJ
Radio is Alive and Well at the CMJ Music Marathon (for Radio Survivor)
CMJ 2009 Band Name Trends Revealed

CMJ Music Marathon Recap Part One: Radio's Presence at CMJ

I had so much fun in New York City last week for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. It's hard to believe that CMJ has been hosting their annual conference/music festival for 29 years and there are no signs of it slowing down. Hundreds of bands played in New York last week, with shows taking place at venues throughout New York City and Brooklyn.

Daytime panels focused on various aspects of the music business, with many aimed at helping musicians get ahead. A number of events were radio-specific, including several panels, the day-long college-radio oriented "College Day," and a college radio mixer.

WNYU booth in Exhibitor's Loft at CMJ

This year a number of college radio stations had some sort of presence at CMJ. Host station WNYU (New York University) had a table in the CMJ "Exhibitor's Loft" and various DJs played music from their laptops representative of their radio shows.

Engineering of Live Performance for CHUO at WNYU's Studios

WNYU also hosted various live bands over the air during CMJ, including Batrider and Loren Connors. Additionally, they opened up the WNYU studios to visiting college radio stations so that they could host live daytime performances for their respective audiences.

Participating stations included RLC-WVPH FM (Rutgers University/Piscataway High School, New Jersey), 95bFM (University of Auckland, New Zealand), CHUO (University of Ottawa, Canada), KDHX (community radio in St. Louis) and KSLU (St. Louis University), and KUOM (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). Some stations did live remote broadcasts, whereas others recorded artist performances at WNYU to air in the future. 95bFM even brought in films crews from MTV to document their live set featuring Bang Bang Eche.

Choir of Young Believers being Documented for KEXP/Radio New York
at the Cutting Room Studios

Seattle station KEXP (University of Washington) and their partner station Radio New York broadcast some of their regular shows from New York this week, including live daytime performances at the Cutting Room by bands like The Temper Trap, The xx, and the Choir of Young Believers.

WLIU-BK Broadcasting Live from CMJ Exhibitor's Loft

The Backbone network also facilitated live radio broadcasts from the CMJ "Exhibitor's Loft" by some of stations who are part of the IBS Student Radio Network. When I stopped by, the WLIU-BK radio station was broadcasting a live music performance over the Internet using microphones and laptops.

East Village Radio table at the CMJ Artist Lounge

East Village Radio was an "official Internet radio partner" at CMJ this year. They had a booth in the Artist Lounge (open only to musicians and press), broadcast various CMJ showcases live, and hosted musicians over their airwaves. Internet-only station Breakthru Radio also had a presence, hosting a music showcase as well as events during College Day. Some of their DJs also documented CMJ on their blogs.

Break Thru Radio T-shirt

The "official" commercial station at CMJ was WRXP. Several WRXP DJs and staff were on a panel, they had a table in the "Exhibitor's Loft" and I spotted the RXP van outside of NYU's Kimmel Center (where the conference was being held). I'll talk a lot more about WRXP in a separate post, as I had the opportunity to visit the station on Friday!

WRXP Van outside NYU's Kimmel Center

Even stations that didn't have anything in particular planned for CMJ did some renegade marketing. As I walked through the city one day, I spotted stickers for Los Angeles college radio station KXLU (Loyola Marymount University) plastered in a number of places, including on a Village Voice newspaper rack.

KXLU Getting Exposure in New York City

I'm really pleased that radio had such a broad presence at CMJ this year and hope that the festival brought more attention to the participating stations.

Toronto is the Place to Be for Radio Fans this Summer: Deep Wireless and The Radio Conference 2009

This summer was surely the time to travel to Toronto if you're a radio fan and scholar. Thanks to Mediageek for cluing me in to the recently completed Deep Wireless Festival of Radio Art and Radio without Boundaries, which took place from May 1 to 31st. Events included performances, installations, and a conference May 28-30th. According to the festival website,

"The seventh annual Radio Without Boundaries conference makes Deep Wireless an internationally sought after destination for those with a general interest in radio and transmission art, sound and radio artists and/or those who just want something more from radio."

And then coming up July 27th to 30th, there is The Radio Conference 2009: A Transnational Forum being held at York University in Toronto. According to their website,

"This conference – the fifth transnational forum – aims to continue the work of Sussex 2001, Madison, Wisconsin 2003 Melbourne 2005 and Lincoln 2007 to bring together scholars, practitioners, and students of radio to share ideas and perspectives on radio’s cultural role in an increasingly global media context."

I'm disappointed to be missing this one, as there are a number of college radio-related papers on the tentative schedule. What's really cool is that there are papers about college radio in Canada, the U.S., and Pakistan; which should be fascinating.

As far as I can tell, though, there is only one paper about U.S. college radio (by Spinning Indie friend Nick Rubin!). I'm so glad to see some college radio attention at the conference, but am surprised there aren't more U.S.-themed papers on the subject. I wish I'd been aware of this conference sooner so that I could have potentially added to the conversation. Here are the college radio-related papers that I came across in the program (there could be more):

Reckoning: U.S. College Rock Radio, 1981-1984 (Nick Rubin, University of Virginia)

Radio FemCon?: Categorizing ‘women’s music’ on Canadian campus-community radio (Angela Wilson)

Panel: "Frequencies of Struggle” – The Role of Campus-Community Radio in Canadian Alternative Media (National Campus-Community Radio Association of Canada)

Practices of Localism at Low-Power FM Radio Stations (Cynthia Conti, New York University)

Social Impact Panel
Prospects and Challenges of FM Campus Radio Stations across Pakistan (Saaddia Ishtiaq, Voice of Women, Radio VOW)

Canadian Campus Radio: Tensions and Questions Concerning the “Independent” and Market Logic (Brian Fauteux, Concordia University)

Talking Back: The Role of Campus-Community Radio in Social Change and Identity (Sharmeen Khan, York University/Ryerson University)


One of the sponsors of the conference is the Radio Studies Network (which also publishes Radio Journal), a group of academics devoted to increasing the amount of radio scholarship being done across a range of disciplines.

And, hey, if you're planning to attend The Radio Conference 2009 I'd love to hear highlights!

Hectic Music Week: EMP Pop Conference, Music & the Brain, Record Store Day, Coachella, NAB Show, WBAR-B-Q, and KFJC Bowling Party

The next 10 days are jam-packed with music and radio-related events, including conferences, festivals, and parties being hosted by college radio stations. Who said music wasn't alive and well??


EMP Pop Conference (April 16-19, 2009)

First of all, the annual Experience Music Project (EMP) Pop Conference starts in Seattle today (through Sunday, April 19th). Sadly, I won't be there this year, but I attended in 2008 (and posted a bunch of summaries) and it was an insane who's who of rock-star journalists (and musicians and academics). I love getting all intellectual about music and have given papers at similar events put on by the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (their annual conference is in San Diego in May).

This year I was particularly excited to hear that two of my idols: David Grubbs (amazing musician from Gastr del Sol, Squirrel Bait, etc. AND an academic) and Holly Kruse (wrote a great book Site and Sound: Understanding Independent Music Scenes, which is one of the few pieces of academic research that covers college radio and indie music) will be on a panel together. Super bummed to be missing that. But, I am looking forward to watching the blog-space for full reports from you lucky folks soaking in the conference.

For the college radio angle on the conference, check out some of the blog posts by affiliated station KEXP, including some interviews with this year's participants.

Symposium on Music and the Brain: Spontaneity and Improvisation (April 17-18, 2009)

I just heard about this fascinating free conference at Stanford University, all focused on the neuroscience of music and improvisation.

Record Store Day (Saturday, April 18, 2009)

This Saturday, April 18th is Record Store Day, a chance to show your support for your local record shop. See the website for all the details, including testimonials from various artists. The global celebration will include special events at record stores, ranging from live performances, to deals on limited edition releases. Major labels, like Warner Brothers are even involved, hyping some of their special vinyl releases. You can search for local participating stores here. Among the many events, Amoeba Records will be having live performances and giveaways at their stores in San Francisco, Berkeley and Hollywood.

Coachella (April 17-19, 2009)

Oh, and, um, there's this massive music festival, Coachella, out in the desert of Southern California this weekend too. Lots of indie-ish bands (and big ones too) over the course of 3 days (April 17-19), from Paul McCartney to Vivian Girls and everything in-between. I'm not sure if any college radio stations will be broadcasting from there, but there will be a live webcast on the AT&T site. Public/college radio station KCRW will be there and they are promoting the fest on their website with links to in-studio performances by Coachella artists.

NAB Show (April 18-23)

This weekend there is also the massive National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, which includes a bunch of different conferences within the conference (Broadcast Management, Broadcast Engineering, etc.) and NAB Show. Sounds like it covers all kinds of content, including radio, TV, video games, Internet, and technology in general.

BEA 2009 Convention (April 22-25, 2009)

Following NAB, the Broadcast Education Association hosts their 2009 convention in Las Vegas, where broadcast researchers and educators convene to chat about radio and broadcasting in general. This year's conference theme is related to ethics.

KFJC Listener Appreciation Party (April 25, 2009)

The station where I DJ, KFJC, is starting its 50th anniversary celebration with a Listener Appreciation Party at Redwood Lanes in Redwood City on Saturday, April 25th starting at 8pm. It's free and there will be bowling, bands and DJs spinning live. Death Sentence: PANDA! and Slow Poisoner are on the bill, as well as KFJC DJs Cy Thoth, Cadillac Margarita, Captain Jack, and Belladonna. We're also hoping that lots of alumni DJs will come to the party.

WBAR-B-Q (April 26, 2009)

WBAR (the Barnard College radio station that I visited last month) hosts their annual WBAR-B-Q on the Barnard campus in New York City. It's a free event with a great lineup of live bands including Gang Gang Dance and Metalux. Read all about it on Brooklyn Vegan.

How many of these events will you be partaking in?

Radio and South by Southwest

South by Southwest just drew to a close in Austin after over a week of panels, films, and music (apparently 1900 music acts!). I feel a bit remiss in not writing about this year's epic indie (and not so indie) music fest, so I'll share a few college radio-related tidbits.

As was the case last year, a number of college, community and non-commercial radio stations set up camp in Austin this week to capture performances, chat with musicians, and blog about the insane amount of music taking place. It's actually quite overwhelming just sifting through the coverage of SXSW online. There's so much out there that I kind of wonder how much of it the average person is interested in consuming online.

KVRX, the student radio station from University of Texas, presented a number of showcases during SXSW.

Radio K, the AM/FM station from University of Minnesota (recently profiled on the CMJ Staff Blog) sent a team down to Austin and broadcast live performances out of a studio there on March 18-20. You can see their coverage on their blog.

KJHK (University of Kansas) sent a few of their DJs down to SXSW to soak in the festival and blog about it. They also covered it all on one of their DJ's Twitter pages, as did many of the other stations in attendance.

WFMU once again trekked to Austin and organized a showcase along with San Francisco indie record store Aquarius on March 20th. The show was also broadcast live on WFMU. A review on Pop Matters captures the essence of the show.

KEXP, the Seattle station affiliated with Experience Music Project and University of Washington, also set up shop in Austin, broadcasting performances from a studio there March 18th to 20th. They aired video streams of the live performances and also featured interviews and KEXP DJs spinning music between bands. You can see their extensive blog coverage of SXSW on their website, where you can catch show reviews and a lot of great photography. They were also one of the many stations helping co-present NPR's "Music for the Right Brain Show."

KCRW, the public radio station from Santa Monica College broadcast their "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show live from Austin on March 19 and 20th. They also sponsored a music showcase on March 18th featuring School of Seven Bells, Port O'Brien and others. You can learn more about their SXSW schedule, see videos and view photos here.

NPR sponsored a show called "Music for the Right Brain," featuring a number of bands. On the NPR website you can actually listen to entire performances from this year's SXSW (as well as stuff from 2007 and 2008), including The Decemberists, Dirty Projectors, and the Avett Brothers. They also have blog posts, podcasts, and videos that cover the festivities. Last year it was pretty easy to figure out which NPR stations were broadcasting bits from SXSW, but in 2009 I have yet to find details about that.

KUT, Austin's public radio station from University of Texas also did a lot for SXSW this year. Lucky for them, the are IN Austin, so they were able to have musicians come by their radio station for performances and interviews. They hosted their own showcase at Momo's (and streamed it live) and it looks like they streamed a bunch of really cool live club performances from The Mohawk too (including AIDS Wolf, Akron/Family, Hold Steady, Vivian Girls, Camera Obscura, The Mae Shi, HEALTH and Monotonix). Their website actually features multiple streaming channels...kind of a cool way for them to feature different content for different listeners (including one channel for Momo's and one for Mohawk shows). You can also catch archived SXSW performances on their website too.

Texas Public Radio (which operates three stations in Texas: KPAC, KSTX, and KTXI) also did some SXSW coverage, although it looks like they mainly covered the film festival.

Sirius XM also broadcast performances from SXSW, discussions with bloggers about the festival, and musician interviews across a number of their channels. Stations that participated included XMU, The Loft, Underground Garage and Outlaw Country, according to this post on Orbitcast.

KGSR, an Austin commercial radio station, also did live broadcasts from SXSW, as well as featured in-studio interviews and performances throughout the week.

And, in terms of television, DirecTV once again presented band and journalist interviews, acoustic sets, and live club performances from SXSW over satellite TV, including a set by Echo and the Bunnymen.

That's a whole lot of radio. If I missed your station's participation in SXSW this year, let me know. By the way, if you want to compare this year's scene to last year, you can see my SXSW post from 2008.

Industry Noise Conference Recap

Awaiting the Panelists at Industry Noise
February 27, 2009

Yesterday I attended the first Industry Noise conference in San Francisco. Put on by the folks at Noise Pop along with the Bandwidth Music Technology Conference, it was a full-day event full of keynotes and panel discussions about the music business.

Although this was billed as the first "Industry Noise," event, Noise Pop has been holding educational sessions under a variety of names, with a range of themes and sponsors since 2000, when they debuted the Noise Pop Educational Series. The inaugural 2000 event featured a really cool line-up of free panels at the Make-Out Room on a Saturday afternoon, with artists like John Darnielle, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields and John Vanderslice along with folks from the business side of the music industry. Panels have taken place every year since, except for a break in 2005. I've been most years, and every year it's been exciting to see musician and journalist heroes (John Doe, Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile, Smog's Bill Callahan, Ann Powers, Greil Marcus, etc.) chat about music. Last year I covered the 2008 event.

What makes this year different, is that it was a much longer day of panels at a weekday event. Some panels were concurrent with others, so there were many more discussions to check out this time around. Also, for the second time ever (In 2006 it was $20 for a weekend of panels), there was a fee for the sessions ($150 for industry types, $50 for students).

For most of the day radio and the music industry got a bad rap. Especially in light of the current economic times, there was a lot of gloom and doom about how the industry will never be the same. Yet, at the same time there were artists throughout the day who emphasized that what really matters is the passion behind the music and clearly many of them are still very devoted to their craft.

Keynote with Fat Mike of NOFX and Fat Wreck Chords

Fat Mike's Keynote Conversation

The day began with a keynote conversation with Fat Mike, of punk band NOFX and record label Fat Wreck Chords. As an owner of an indie label, he gave some perspective about how he thinks indies are positioned to survive in the future. He admitted that "it's tough to sell records now...especially to kids," but argued that he thinks that independent labels "...are going to survive a lot easier than the majors." Mike went on to discuss what it's like to be an artist in an era when there's so much information online about everyone and everything. He said that he didn't think that people should know bands as well as they know them today, and said that he missed the "mystique" surrounding artists before the Internet came along. This theme was echoed throughout the day, as many panelists wondered about the negative side effects of having every detail of one's life documented online.

Fat Mike said that his label still produces vinyl, but lamented the cost of producing vinyl records and the fact that it's getting harder to sell it again. He said that he was a fan of independent record stores and reminisced about discovering new bands at Rhino Records when he was young. He also said that in his youth he discovered new music on radio, citing commercial station KROQ. Yet, when asked about college radio he said, "I haven't listened to college radio in 25 years." When asked why he stopped listening, he said that the stations often didn't say what they were playing. He admitted his love for now-gone Radio Free Hawaii.

Mike ending his keynote talking about the importance of staying true to oneself as an artist. He said that doesn't focus on an image or what his fans want, but instead thinks that musicians should work to be "really good...and touch people." He argued, "You don't want to know whta fans want. Fuck the fans...Knowing what your audience wants? You're dead...We're not doing commissions here...." He continued, saying that they are putting out the art that they want to put out. He didn't discount fans entirely, saying, "I appreciate them."

Next Big Thing Panel on Future of Record Labels

David Krinsky (Rhapsody), Jordan Kurland (Zeitgeist Artist Mgmt.),
Aaron Axelsen (Live 105),
Greg Werckman (Ipecac), and Cheryl Kovalchik (RCA)

The second panel was moderated by commercial radio DJ and Music Director Aaron Axelsen of Live 105 (who was also on a Noise Pop panel last year) and focused mainly on the role of record labels and commercial radio. There were representatives from both indie and major labels on the panel and a theme that they raised was that the distinction between major and indie is of little interest to most people. Greg of indie label Ipecac Recordings said, "I don't like using the term independent and major," arguing that there's so much cross-over and that "real people don't care" what label something is on. Jordan Kurland of Zeitgeist Artist Management (and Noise Pop) agreed, saying that a "small community of people care" about the label that something is on and that the difference between indies and majors is really just the role of the artist and what the artist wants from their label.

Aaron talked a bit about his role as Music Director at Live 105, saying that he gets sent 500 CDs a week. Although he has indie roots (from working in college radio, indie record stores, and at an indie label), he is responsible for programming a mass audience of 600,000 to 700,000 listeners. He said that he relies on audience research and has learned that, "Most people are afraid of new music." Despite that, he does try to introduce new music on his station and likened it to "getting a 4 year old to eat broccoli" by putting cheese on it and surrounding it by familiar things like Red Hot Chili Peppers. He said that it's a "...precarious balance" to "cater to the masses" while also introducing new bands into the mix.

Jordan talked about how 10 years ago people heard about new bands from friends, local papers, and from local college radio stations like KALX and KUSF, but that now something as simple as "one...review in Pitchfork...can change everything."

Cheryl Kovalchik from RCA mentioned that one of their current acts, Audrye Sessions, was signed in large part because of radio play on a local music show on Live 105. Greg Werckman of indie label Ipecac Recordings, however, had a much more jaded view of radio, saying, "to play the game in press and radio you have to have money." Others disagreed, with Aaron saying that radio play alone won't break an artist and that labels need to also work to market their artists.

What Happens in Vegas... Panel about Image Management

Lawyer Owen Seitel, Vanessa Burt (Mutiny PR/Fat Wreck Chords),
Michele Flannery (You Tube), and David Downs (writer)

After lunch (during which time people could sign up for mentoring sessions) there was a panel about how to control and manage an artist's image in an online world. Panelists shared tips about tracking and managing one's press and image online, such as signing up for Google Alerts and creating your own artist channel and musician account on You Tube. Lawyer Owen Seitel said that artists need to understand "what's being said about you" and acknowledged that people are leading increasingly "transparent lives" with Twitter, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, etc.

If Techies Rules the World/If Artists Ruled the World

Corey Denis, Greg Sandoval (CNET), Bryan Kehoe (Kehoe Nation), Goh Nakamura (singer songwriter), and David Hyman (Mog)

On this panel, artists and music technology folks shared their perspectives on the intersection of the digital world and music. David Hyman of Mog argued that there's "almost too much" music on the web and wondered how people sift through it all. Reapandsow's Corey Denis pointed out that people need filters and that "music fans are the best filters now." She said that profiles on social networks like MySpace, Facebook and Mog can be effective "filters for music." Corey was a champion for technology, arguing that all bands should bring in a digital person to help create and maintain the band's online presence. She said she didn't see much value in radio promotion anymore, saying, "traditional radio [is] pretty much dying" and that she wouldn't spend money to promote a band to radio, adding, "maybe college radio...Maybe."

Keynote Conversation with Lou Barlow and Bob Mould

Celia Hirschman interviews Bob Mould and Lou Barlow

The coolest part of the day was the closing keynote featuring two indie music idols: Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Folk Implosion) and Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). They chatted with moderator Celia Hirschman about their careers in music and how they are currently using technology to connect with fans. Lou Barlow talked a lot about how his approach to creating his website LooBieCore was similar to the DIY ethos of his early days in the hardcore music community. He said that he thinks hyperlinks an amazing way to share favorite bands and likened it to the kinds of conversations that used to happen a hardcore shows, when people found out about music by word of mouth.

Bob Mould started his blog in 2004 and said that before that he was a "pretty private person," but that the blog got him to start writing again and got him back into writing music, which was a "lifesaver." Lou Barlow agreed that his website had a similar effect, saying, "I was at a real low...wasn't really writing songs," but that the website actually motivated him to write songs so that he could post them to the site. He said that like cassette culture, "the immediacy is there." Bob concurred, saying that the excitement he gets when hitting "publish" on his blog "is like that old feeling."

When asked about the term "indie," Bob said, "it's a word that became marketable." He also argued that in the 1980s the music was really bad and that "there wasa real reason to rebel." Kids worked hard against that, creating smaller scenes and booking their own shows to hear the music they loved. He said that by 1991 with the success of Kurt Cobain it felt like "we won...there's your indie rock."

Both Bob and Lou said that they love new music. Lou pointed out, "A lot of people just complain about new music... [and] fetishize...early '90s stuff," but he argued that "New music is good." Bob added that when you "hear new music...[you] get refreshed...for the creative soul that's important."


They also returned to the theme of the vast amount of music available online. Bob said that now one can find so much music and if you don't want it, you just "drag [an] icon into the trash." He said that kind of "shows the value attached to it" today, that it's disposable. He compared it to the past when "there was a physicality to it," such that it was a big deal to move into a new place and haul all of your records. Today, he said, "you move your phone."

All in all, an interesting day of panels with some provocative discussions about the intersection between art and commerce. As always, the most inspiring points were made by musicians pointing out their love for the art and their optimism that music will continue to play an important role in peoples' lives, even if the industry is going through tough times right now.

Noise Pop Next Week in San Francisco

As a long-time attendee, I'm pretty excited to be hitting this year's Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco next week. Since its humble beginnings (it began with one $5 show at the Kennel Club in 1993), Noise Pop has expanded in length and scale over the years. I first went in 1994, when it cost $15 for an all-access pass to 3 nights of shows at Bottom of the Hill. The 2009 edition (February 24th to March 1st) is much more elaborate with a variety of music-related events, including shows, lectures, films, art and panel discussions taking place all over San Francisco.

Over the years, I've been to a bunch of cool panel discussions during Noise Pop. These daytime conversations typically happened at music venues or bars like Noe Valley Ministry, the Makeout Room, and 12 Galaxies. This year the day-long session, Industry Noise, is a bit more formalized than in prior years, focusing on indie music, technology and the changing music industry. It happens on Friday, February 27th at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. Keynote speakers and panelists include Fat Mike from NOFX and Fat Wrek Chords, Lou Barlow, Bob Mould, Penelope Houston, and others. In terms of radio, Aaron Axelsen, Music Director of commercial radio station Live 105 will be moderating a panel about "The Next Big Thing," which will delve into the role of major labels in the music business today.