by Christopher Hess

When all is said and done; when the higher purposes have been espoused and the ugly truths laid bare; when cynics and idealists alike have been sated by music and beer and hours upon hours of standing on their feet -- there remains one fast and true reason for the existence of music conferences: the long weekend of NXNW serves to re-establish and strengthen the ties between the music industry and the music media. Neither thrilling nor altruistic I admit, but it's true, and it's necessary. Occasionally, there is a need to re-align the poles in this symbiotic relationship that keeps us all in the business and keeps the monster that is American Pop Culture fat and happy and growing -- ever growing. The omnipresence of both parties depends on the contributions of the other. Without the media machine, music would be music and that would be that. Without the music, well...

The North by Northwest music conference had it's third year in Portland Oregon this past weekend, and there were a number of changes from the two previous -- one of which stands out more than the rest: This year, the conference went international. There were no longer any regional limitations on who could participate as has been the case for the first two years. Bands from Minneapolis and New York and Austin and Memphis joined the slew of Northern Califonia and Washington acts this year, as well as some fairly low-key guests from Copenhagen and Ontario and Mexico. But, appropriately enough, the vast majority of stage time was left to those hailing from the Pacific Northwest.

One major point of these conferences (besides the obvious and boundless opportunities for shmoozing) is to ftalk about what is wrong with the music business and figure out how to make it better. The one thing that everyone, from artists to label owners to promoters to booking agents to club owners could agree on is there's just too damn much music out there. And, of course, no one dared offer a solution to the problem. Major labels trimming back their rosters was one easy target -- after all, the majors are the patsy for every problem right? But what it boiled down to -- though no one would admit it -- was that now any shmoe can burn his or her own CD and have their own record. Actual sellable product is fast replacing the crude demo tape. To this, I say good. Those who have the problem with this are those who are afraid of being the one to miss the next big thing, so the obvious way to avoid that is to cut the numbers to a manageable level. Last year, 28,000 music releases hit markets of every kind. Of course there's not nough time to listen to and judge everything. The thing that's wrong with the industry is that those who have convinced themselves they have power want absolute power, and I for one am thankful that's not gonna happen.

Another qustion, and one that deserves some answering, is what is wrong with the music media? Well, as members of the media, we suck, generally. Just as an A&R executive is deathly afraid of missing the next big thing, we as writers are petrified of saying the wrong thing about the right band, or vice-versa. People who are making editorial decisions for major newspapers, free weekly publications, television stations, websites, radio shows, and all other manner of media, give the attention to that which is getting the attention. How many articles need to be written over the course of two months about Prodigy? Who really gives a fuck about the impending catfight between Oasis and Blur? And why oh why is anyone saying anything at all about U2 Pop? It's all part of a vicious cycle -- attention creates value creates attention creates value and on and on, no matter where the attention originates (from U2 themselves) or what the artistic value (the chance to see Liam bleed). The general and unreachable consensus is that we, as writers, have to take responsibility for what we do and say, that it's up to us to write about the things we can do justice, to establish a dialog with a certain audience, and to remain true to what we believe. Sounds nice, but I'd bet my press pass that we'll see Alanis' mug on every scrap of available glossy paper when her next chunk of plastic-angst hits the shelves.

The best part, though, has nothing to do with the rhetoric. When the sun goes down, the artists awaken, and the worthwhile portion of the weekend begins. Crammed into the back corner of Rocco's Pizza to see Faster Tiger, a brilliant Seattle co-ed trio with barely a "7"; or seeing the Bad Livers' Danny Barnes pick at the banjo and sing gospel songs; as well as witnessing a Northwestern hoe-down at the all-star hands of Golden Delicious -- these are the moments the whole thing is all about.

If there is one conclusion to be drawn from this weekend, it's that the music business is created by and depends on regional music scenes. A band has to get out and play clubs and post flyers and develop, through their own development, a loyal local fan base. The local print media has to pay close attention to the workings of the local music scene -- write about who's got the weekely coffee-house gig instead of when the Rolling Stones are bringing the circus to town. A wealth of talent creates a need for small labels, which in turn will collaborate with bigger labels, which will eventually bring the sounds of Anytown USA to the world. Each and every componenet in this too-simple equation depends on every other component -- and they all share a commmon aim, to create a strong and lasting local music scene. This is an obvious solution, but as our community becomes increasingly global we tend to lose sight of what's going on right under our noses. As long as gatherings like this occur -- and stay true to their stated purpose -- those who rightly or otherwise wield some sort of power in the industry will have to pay attention.