Linkage: Catching Up With CMJ and ACL

After last weekend’s success, the Austin City Limits Festival will double in size next year; CMJ currently rocking New York. We provide links to give you a feel of both…

WFUV/The Alternate Side's Russ Boris (left) with members of New York electro-dance duo Savoir Adore at CMJ

The CMJ Music  Marathon is in full swing in New York.

Showcases galore are taking place against the annual criticism that too many of the performers are not ready for prime time.

Honestly, that’s always been the case – CMJ was the place for a bunch of unknowns to make a play for fame, with just a tiny fraction of them actually making an impact.

What’s different now is that the unknowns have becomes sort-of-knowns. Bands can now release a couple of songs online and actually achieve some significant buzz thanks to a myriad of aggressive bloggers who see themselves as A&R execs.

So by the time a band hits CMJ, there may actually be expectations. Expectations that may be blown once the unpolished performer takes the stage.

Still some do manage to use CMJ as a stepping stone to SXSW and elsewhere.

The New York Times is all over CMJ, and WFUV’s The Alternate Side is as well. Click the links for coverage from both.

The Avett Brothers backstage with KUT at the Austin City Limits Festival

Meanwhile, news out of Austin has the Austin City Limits Festival expanding into two weekends next year.

This may come as something of a surprise as residents were up in arms after Zilker park was trashed by the combination of the fest and very rainy weather a couple of years ago.

But apparently, money talks as promoter C3 promised to continue to deliver money to the parks (a reported $6 million since 2006). The promoter also boasted that the fest was worth a $106 million infusion into the local economy this year.

That number will undoubtedly go north next year with two weekends. More than enough to justify the replanting of grass.

Check out backstage ACL moments with The Avett Brothers, Poliça, and more thanks to KUT.