CMJ fest gives bands a shot at exposure

Viva Brother is a CMJ Music Marathon kind of band.

The quartet from Slough, England -- yes, the setting for the British version of "The Office" and yes, singer Lee Newell says, it's that bad -- has generated buzz in certain circles for its debut "Famous First Words" (Geffen) and its bold opinions on music and musicians. (Newell laughs at how his band has been dubbed "the saviors of Britpop" in the British press. Without missing a beat, he quips, "How can you save something that's been dead 15 years?")

But the CMJ festival, which kicks off Tuesday and runs through early Sunday morning, is very much a put-up-or-shut-up affair. It's a platform where a talented band that connects with an audience can win big and one where an act that can't match its hype will suffer quick and very painful thrashings to its reputation in the industry and in the blogosphere.

"We know that CMJ is a big deal," says Newell, calling from a rare day at home in Slough. "But we're ready. We're playing the best we've ever been playing. . . . We're looking forward to showing people what we can do. Playing live is where we really speak the loudest."

Giving bands like Viva Brother a place to prove themselves is what CMJ, now celebrating its 31st festival, is all about. And with more than 900 bands playing more than 1,500 shows across New York City and New Jersey this week, only the best, the loudest and the craftiest are likely to get heard.

"This is what we've always done," says Robert Haber, CMJ Network founder and chief executive. "We give bands a place to strut their stuff."

Haber says this year's festival has more of an international feel than in the past. Not just British buzz bands like Viva Brother, but artists from Brazil, Taiwan and Australia are joining the generally large delegations from France and New Zealand this year. "We've been working with a lot of economic development groups and governmental agencies from other countries who see us as a way to export their music and their culture," says Haber, who formed CMJ on Long Island and still lives in Old Westbury. "We are the place for emerging artists."

For Matthew Reich, singer-guitarist for Lights Resolve, CMJ has already marked a number of the Lawrence-based band's milestones. When it plays its CMJ showcase Wednesday, it will mark another -- the release of the band's debut "Feel You're Different" on Rock Ridge Music later this month.

"CMJ has always been very good to us," Reich says. "Last year, we played Matt Pinfield's show on 'RXP in the morning and played Bowery Ballroom that night. We just got that feeling of 'This is how it's supposed to be.' "

Of course, CMJ also thrives on the feeling of controlled chaos. After all, with an estimated 100,000 music-lovers trying to catch a glimpse of The Next Big Thing, how could it not be?

However, Haber admits that this year, there's an additional question mark that the festival didn't plan for: Occupy Wall Street. The protesters, who have been camped out in Zuccotti Park for a month now, last week made their way to Washington Square Park, across the street from the festival's headquarters at NYU and the general meeting place for many CMJ attendees.

"We often choose artists for CMJ who are outspoken and who have strongly held beliefs," Haber says with a laugh, as he wonders aloud what could happen if the Occupy Wall Street protesters return to Washington Square Park this week. "Our artists, the NYU students who are always there, and protesters -- that could all be very interesting."