The initial CMJ 2009 lineup was announced today, and while there was nothing super exciting about it in my opinion, I’m not going to complain. These days CMJ is less about bringing in big name headliners and more about getting the chance to see up and coming acts and bands that don’t tour that often. In the end, there will be over a thousand artists at the marathon this year, so keep your eyes on cmj09.sched.org for the most up to date info (I’ll also be posting additional lineup updates as I receive them).
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, October 20th-24th has announced its first round of performing artists to include Broadcast, School of Seven Bells, Zac Brown Band, Múm, Atlas Sound, Japandroids, Margaret Cho, The Budos Band, Pitbull, The Very Best, The Temper Trap, Crystal Antlers, Portugal. The Man, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Malajube, Local Natives, Wild Light, The Antlers, Das Racist, Suckers, Pissed Jeans, and Screaming Females. Hundreds more artists will be announced in the upcoming weeks, visit www.cmj.com/marathon for continuous artist announcements.
Read the rest of the press release after the jump.
New York’s largest music event and one of the world’s most important showcases of new music artists, CMJ Music Marathon draws tens of thousands of professionals from all sectors of the music and film industry. More than 1,300 artists and over 120,000 music fans will converge on the Big Apple to catch the latest buzz band, cool indie film or learn more about the ever-changing music industry from key innovators, insiders and celebrities.
The 2009 event will feature performances from artists that span genres including alternative, rock, electronic, hip-hop, metal, Americana, world, jazz and so much more. It’s virtually assured that 2010’s superstar artists will be playing the CMJ Music Marathon in 2009.
“CMJ prides itself on musically taking chances by striving to present the most innovative and cutting-edge new music,” commented CMJ Music Marathon Founder and Executive Producer Joanne Abbot Green. “As has been the case for 29 years, CMJ curates the best in new artists for fans and music business tastemakers to enjoy. As with each festival, we look for ways on how to make the experience more exciting for our attendees from around the world.”
CMJ Music Marathon takes over 75 venues across Manhattan, Brooklyn and surrounding environs presenting a dazzling array of new music from around the globe. Registration to CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival (go to cmj.com/marathon for discounts) grants attendees entry to all daytime and nighttime offerings (venue capacity permitting).
CMJ has always been a springboard for the best new music talent from multiple music genres, discovering music’s future superstars years before their commercial breakthroughs. Past marquee artists include Crystal Castles (’08), MGMT (’07), the Shins (’06), Feist (’05), the Arcade Fire (’04), the Killers (’03), Modest Mouse (’98), Eminem (’98), Black Eyed Peas (’97), Wilco (’96), Green Day (’94), Queen Latifah (’90), the Beastie Boys (’85), U2 (’85), Red Hot Chili Peppers (’84), and R.E.M. (’83). And that’s just for starters.
Since its inception, CMJ Music Marathon has featured many of the world’s most influential and revolutionary musicians, artists, cultural and political figures at a variety of events including presentations, screenings, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and, of course, over 1300 live music performances each year.
Further details on all of the upcoming events will continue to be announced online. For artists updates, discount badge registration and more information visit: www.cmj.com/marathon.