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CMJ 2012

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In its 32nd year, the College Music Journal Festival (CMJ) is still going strong as a benchmark of New York City's festival circuit, offering 120,000 attendees access to more than 1,500 showcases and hundreds of panels, seminars, mixers, Q&As, and parties. In total, over 1,300 artists flock to the Big Apple for their shot at generating some serious buzz.

There are two main components to CMJ: the conference and the festival. The former consists of eclectic daytime panels, the majority of which are held at New York University's Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for University Life on the southern edge of Washington Square Park, that bring together an array of industry personnel to examine the present state of the fluctuating music business and debate problems and solutions for the future. The festival itself, dubbed the CMJ Music Marathon, is held in more than 80 venues scattered across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Typically branded and offering lineups that can reach into double digits, most showcases begin in the evening and extend well past midnight. There are lots of other showcase options for the afternoon, and even some pre-noon festivities for early morning risers, too. And this is nothing to say of the hundreds of unofficial events taking place that add their own DIY-flavor to the CMJ Smörgåsbord.

Accessing everything CMJ has to offer depends on how much money you're willing to spend. Full Badge registration ($549) will get you into hundreds of showcases, 80+ panels, College Day, the CLE/CPE Entertainment Law Business Seminar, and exclusive parties and events. A Student Badge ($325) offers the same package to students. For those on a leaner budget, the ShowPass ($149) is a great alternative, affording entrance to all official CMJ Music Marathon showcases on a first-come, first-serve basis. A badge is by no means a prerequisite to enjoying music, though. Many unofficial showcases require nothing more than an RSVP for admission.

With so many options, it'd behoove you to plan some of your festival in advance, especially where RSVPs are involved. Arrive early at venues because a badge might not automatically gain you entrance. Oftentimes, once a venue has reached capacity, they will proceed with one-in, one-out admission. And since most events take place in downtown Manhattan and northern Brooklyn, logistics suggest finding lodging below 23rd Street for those looking to limit commute times. --Jason Rezvan

Festival Line Up

7 Estrelo, Amy Bezunartea, Andy Suzuki & The Method, Apollo Run, Arthur Beatrice, aAt Sea, Beacon, Bear Hands, Beast Patrol, Bend Sinister, Bertrand Burgalat, Blaudzun, Bonde Do Role, BRAINSTORM, Busy Living, Cemeteries, Com Truise, Communist Daughter, Country Mice, Cruiser, Daniel Dexter, Daughn Gibson, Deap Vally, Dbo Band, bent May, Die!Die!Die!, DIIV, DINOWALRUS, Dirty Fences, Disorder, DOG BITE, Dog Is Dead, Dope D.O.D., Duologue, DUSTED, Electric Guest, Emma Louise, Fenster, Filligar, Find Vienna, Foreign Fields, Fort Frances, Foxygen, Generationals, Geographer, Get People, Ghost Wave, Gold Fields, Gospels, GummiHz, GZA, Half Moon Run, Happy People, Hey Marseilles, High Highs, HILOTRONS, Housse de Racket, Icona Pop, Into It. Over It., Io Echo, Isaac Delusion, Jacob Jeffires Band, Jennifer O'Connor, Jensen Sportag, Jim White, JJAMZ, Karl Hendricks Trio, Killer Mike, Kimbra, King Tuff, Kyla Grange, Labyrinth Ear, Le Blorr, leaf Bird, Leopold and his Fiction, Lescop, Levek, Lily & The Parlour Tricks, Ma'am, Mac DeMarco, Magmana, Mansions, ME, Mean Creek, Men and Whales, Mercies, Metalleg, METZ, Michna, Mike Simonetti, Million Young, MNDR, Moon Hooch, Moon King, Mount Moriah, Mountain Goats, MS MR, My Dear Mycroft, M Life With The Thrill Kill Cult, Nneka, NO, OFF!, OPOSSOM, Paul Collins, Physical Therapy, Pissed Jeans, Poolside, Poor Moon, Prince Rama, Psychic Twin, PuJOL, RackNRuin, Rebecca Gates, Reptile Youth, Robert DeLong, Robert Glasper, Roomrunner, Rudimental, RUmors, Rush Midnight, Salt to Bitters, Sea Wolf, Sean Nicholas Savage, Selebrities, Septicflesh, Shark?, Sinkane, SKATERS, Skinny Lister, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Slam Donahue, Slowdance, Solid Gold, Strange Talk, Such Hounds, SUndress, T.H. White, TAUK, Tempers, The Blakes, The Catch Fire, The English Beat, The Flying Eyes, The Foot., The Front Bottoms, The Good Natured, The Houdnds Below, The Intelligence, The Jezabels, The Love Langauge, The Luyas, The Midnight Beast, The Postelles, The Presets, The Soul Rebels, The Spits, The Stepkids, The Ugly Club, The Virginmarys, The Walkmen, Tim Foljahn, Tiny Victories, Tom Lark, Tomorrow's World, TOPS, Trapper Schoepp & The Shades, Turf War, Twerps, Twin Tigers, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, U.S. Royalty, Unicorn Kid, zVockah Redu, Von Haze, Way Yes, We Can't Enjoy Ourselves, Wild Child, Wildcat! Wildcat!, William Tyler, Woodsman, Woz, Yan Wagner, You Won't, Young Buffalo, Young Evils, young magic, Zulu Pearls... More To Be Announced.

Photo: MNDR performs with Mark Ronson and the Business International at Webster Hall, by Oliver Correa