ChangeMusicSeattle Festival, 7/20-23/00 - CMJ has taken their show on the road, giving a broad showcase for local acts and a chance for industry insiders to find out what’s going on inside the industry. Most of the panelists were from companies with a dot.com somewhere in their name and that was the gist of most of the discussion. Most experts were quick to point out that no music has yet to “break” on the Internet but went on to discuss the many ways in which those with music to market can use the Internet to get MP3s, CDs, and advertising into the hands of music fans. The most sensible advice for up and coming bands was to write good songs and to sink most of their budget into conventional promotions like street teams and stickers, etc. The most impressive performance on the music side was Gruntruck, which has been rocking since that grunge thing happened; they still have a great hard rock sound, now with less sludge. There was also ample opportunity to wax nostalgic for rock of ages past with the grimey glam-rock of the makers. Tacoma’s Botch showed the old hardcore style for an all-ages crowd, while Blackalicious headed up one of several hip-hop showcases with its throaty bravado and the skills to keep the riddim aloft. Indie rock still has a home at CMJ as shown by a showcase of Death Cab for Cutie, Gardener, and Pinehurst waved the flag for the college radio music, while Voyager One and Melody Unit updated the indie canon with different takes on soaring sonic sculptures. - EAK