Music

Newsday > Entertainment > Music

CMJ '09 Roundup

Monday October 26, 2009 8:30 AM By Glenn Gamboa

Though this year’s CMJ Music Marathon didn’t have one of those singular moments, or even a can’t miss showcase, it did continue to adapt to the new music industry landscape and its own place in pop culture. Based at NYU again this year, it also dropped a whole lot of knowledge. Some things learned last week:

Welcome to the piggyback effect. The stronger the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival gets, the more big-name, non-marathon events it seems to draw to the city during the same week. Because New York has so many big-name events happening every week, it’s less noticeable here than Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest time, but this year, the push to soak up CMJ visitors’ time intensified, with high-profile appearances from Alicia Keys and showcases from Florence and The Machine at Fader’s party.

Radio is still way important. While MySpace pages, YouTube viral videos and flashy placements in TV shows and commercials may get all the buzz, at the CMJ panel “The Path of a Hit Song,” successful songwriters said the best way to land a hit is a tried-and-true one: Get on the radio. “Radio’s become more important because of what has happened,” said David Katz, half of the production-songwriting team S*A*M and Sluggo, responsible for recent hits from Boys Like Girls, The Academy Is ..., and Metro Station. “The hit song’s become a more important medium because no one buys albums anymore.”

New-New Romantic. Whether it was London’s The Golden Silvers at a variety of appearances or Aussies The Midnight Juggernauts, who heated up the super-hot (temperature-wise) Fader/Levi’s Party at the Ace Hotel, there were a whole lot of new-new romantics (looking for the TV sound). Either they’re a little late for the 25th anniversary of the new wave splinter faction that spawned Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet or they’re getting in position for the 30th anniversary in a couple of years. Whatever the case, all the funky bass lines and floating synths spawned some nice nostalgia.

Superchunk’s new album can’t come soon enough. The book signing for “Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records” at Housing Works on Friday couldn’t have been more charming, as both Merge founders Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance read from the oral history. McCaughan read from the Magnetic Fields chapter, with Magnetic Field Claudia Gonson in the crowd, while Ballance read from the Spoon chapter. Author John Cook read from the chapter about the major labels’ attempts to woo Superchunk and Merge to sign with them. The sweetest part, though, was McCaughan’s acoustic covers of songs from Spoon and Magnetic Fields, as well as a lovely version of Superchunk’s “Detroit Has a Skyline.” During the Q&A session, McCaughan said Superchunk was working on a new album and that it might (hopefully) come out next year.

The new Clipse album is going to be great. Though their oft-delayed “Til the Casket Drops” album isn’t due until Dec. 8 now, but the “Grindin’” rappers’ MySpace showcase at Hiro Ballroom suggested that it will be worth the wait, rolling out grand versions of “Kinda Like a Big Deal” and “Popular Demand” that show off their reuniting with producers The Neptunes.

Coatsville, Pa., is way tougher than you thought. Fred Mascherino, currently of The Color Fred and formerly of Taking Back Sunday, told an amazing, hilarious story of being carjacked when he was 17 and taken on an ill-conceived drug deal at gunpoint (sorta) and take to the projects of Coatsville. It was off-topic during a panel on the resurgence of acoustic solo rock concerts, but still managed to show how flexible the solo performances can be. And after some twisting, it became the intro to Color Fred’s “Get Out.” (Mascherino also confirmed that he’s starting a new band with Andy Jackson from Hot Rod Circuit.

Alicia Keys dresses way better now. During her lecture at NYU, Keys offered the audience, which was mostly students and CMJ attendees, lots of advice about following your convictions as an artist. But she also recognized how much she has grown since her first showcase for Clive Davis at Joe’s Pub. Moderator Sway teased her about her B-girl outfit, complete with Kangol cap, to which Keys laughed, saying she picked that outfit thinking, “Ooh, I’m gonna be so cute!” (Keys also unveiled songs from her upcoming “The Element of Freedom” album, due out Dec. 1. Her setlist: Empire State of Mind / You Don’t Know My Name / Fallin’ / Doesn’t Mean Anything / Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart / If I Ain’t Got You / No One)

Jarrod Gorbel’s new album is going to be awesome. “The Honorary Title is over,” said Gorbel, before unveiling a couple of new songs at a CMJ panel. Due in the spring, the album was produced by Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett and judging from the songs Gorbel played is his most straightforward work yet.

Strong Island stands up. The one-two Long Island punch of Nightmare of You and Lights Resolve at the Big Picture Media showcase at the Bowery Poetry Club Saturday night made it clear why both bands show so much promise. Nightmare of You’s clever indie-pop has gotten more intricate on its new “Infomaniac” album, while Lights Resolve has gotten more streamlined and, somehow, more metallic.

Broadway stars still get surprised. At the CMJ panel about the revival of the musical “Hair,” attendees were treated to a stunning performance of “Walking in Space” by current star Gavin Creel, with harmonies from James Rado, who co-wrote the musical and originated the role on Broadway, and accompanied by another co-writer Galt MacDermot on piano. It was a moment that wasn’t lost on Creel, who paused during the song to say, “Oh, this is so (expletive) cool!”

Tags: CMJ , Alicia Keys , Florence and the Machine , David Katz , S*A*M and Sluggo , Boys Like Girls , Golden Silvers , Midnight Juggernauts , Superchunk , Mac McCaughan , Laura Ballance , John Cook , The Clipse , Fred Mascherino , The Color Fred , Jarrod Gorbel , Nightmare of You , Lights Resolve , Gavin Creel , Hair