Whatever your take, Down There by collective member Avey Tare won't change your mind. It sounds, basically, like band minus two-thirds (or three-fourths), without filling the space left by the other members' absence. Avey's vocals are as eccentric and excited as ever, and they float over dubbed-out bass sounds and fogs of echo. The record is distant and spacey, but also spare, which results in a sound that—while likely intentional—often feels half-baked.

Of course, if you happen to be especially interested in what Avey Tare contributes to the collective, Down There is a solid study of his quirky textures and slow, off-kilter grooves. He swims in sampled aquatic noises and rides familiar-sounding accordions, but he never really takes off. It's a strange and unexpectedly mellow trip that often finds Avey hovering like a disembodied specter of himself, lost behind vocal manipulations. Frequently, he shirks off any prominent sense of melody.

In spite of its more difficult elements, the record can surprisingly subtle. It's not intensely exotic or jarring, it doesn't aggressively push the envelope, and the songs don't reach for the poppy heights that other recent A.C.-related projects have hit. Down There is a patient exploration of bass-heavy songwriting interspersed with odd gurgling noises and bubbling synth sounds. Don't expect a breakout hit: Avey Tare's latest offers a dark, quiet, and mostly unmemorable addition to A.C.'s ever-growing oeuvre.

Not much, at least from the ones I've contacted. The annual event, in which geeks like me flood independent record stores across the country to pick up exclusive releases, takes place on April 17 this year. And some of the more notable indie labels, like Sub Pop and 4AD, have begun announcing what limited-press releases they'll be dropping to send some cash in the direction of those endangered retail beasts. (If you want that exclusive Beach House record, there's a good chance some local stores will have it. Just line up early.)

But some of the more notable D.C.-based labels say that while they appreciate what Record Store Day does, at least this year they won't doing anything big for it.

"We've tossed around ideas in the past and come up with vinyl discounts and the like for our direct stores but that's about it," writes Dischord's Alec Bourgeois in an e-mail. "Generally speaking we like things that help put the spotlight on independent shops. The more people talk about record stores in the present tense the better. On the other hand we don't usually get officially involved with 'sponsored' events and we don't like to toss out 'limited edition' things. So—in reality I guess we kind of straddle the issue."

Todd Hyman, who runs Paw Tracks, Carpark, and Acute Records from D.C., says the labels don't have anything planned for this year's Record Store Day—and wonders if record stores are altogether doomed, anyway.  "Record Store Day is a little too late in the game in my opinion," he writes in an e-mail. "But happy to help if I can."

Others are more enthusiastic: The Vinyl District blog, an official sponsor of the vent, has been counting down to Record Store Day for several weeks.

Salome, one of the few metal bands that performed at this year's CMJ.

For D.C. bands, the takeaway from CMJ seems to have been this: It will not pluck you from obscurity, but it can't hurt. Also: Don't believe the hype.

"The myth that you can land the perfect agent or manager at a place like that—I don’t think it pays attention to the reality that you’ve been talking to that person for seven months already,” said Jesse Elliott, whose polymathic alt-country band These United States played a handful of shows during this year's College Music Journal Music Marathon. The annual industry gathering featured over 1,000 artists, close to 100 venues, and around a dozen acts from the D.C. area.

Elliott's got a point: Most of the young bands I heard chatter about during the festival—like Florida's Surfer Blood, New York's Freelance Whales, and London's Golden Silvers and Mumford and Sons—had recording contracts, significant blog buzz, or both going in, not to mention full management teams in place. These are not bands whose success lives or dies according to an industry festival.

"Most of the bands at these festivals are already signed," wrote Todd Hyman, who runs the District-based labels Carpark and Paw Tracks and hosted CMJ showcases for both, in an e-mail. "Though this year there seemed to be a preponderance of unsigned blog bands. Seems folks were complaining about that."

Like many of the D.C. bands who played the festival, Hyman questioned CMJ's usefulness. "CMJ used to be really influential 15-20 years ago," he wrote. "College radio's influence has waned with the rise of the Internet. [Austin's South by Southwest] seems to be the main festival these days. I suppose CMJ benefits college radio music directors the most. And now bloggers." Nevertheless, Hyman's labels have hosted CMJ showcases several times since 2000, and he estimated he's attended the festival 13 times.

When you cast aside the make-you-or-break-you narrative, though, there are subtle benefits to CMJ, bands said. "Though everyone likes to fantasize about big crowds and label offers, I think realistically we just wanted to play for a few new people at a new venue and to add CMJ to our collective resume," wrote Nate Frey, whose band Last Tide played a set at the Brooklyn venue Littlefield, in an e-mail.

The Annandale, Va.-based doom-metal band Salome performed at one of CMJ's only metal showcases, which Relapse Records sponsored. The band signed to Profound Lore Records over the summer, and said it sees CMJ the way most bands do: as an opportunity for exposure. Rob Moore, the group's guitarist, said that performing under the Relapse banner meant a large turnout, and that as much as the music industry has changed in recent years, labels remain important as brands and filters. "If I were just to record something and stick it on the Internet, the chances of somebody hearing it are next to none," Moore said. "So you still need a record label or blogs or Web sites or something to guide your path." CMJ, he said, can connect bands to all those things, even if it may not deliver a recording contract.

Following exposure comes networking. "You’re basically going to meet people and hope something good comes out of it," says Patrick Kigongo, of Ra Ra Rasputin. "As long as bands realize that they’re not going to have some sort of miracle happen to them, they’ll have fun." He said his band—which CMJ initially wait-listed but later asked to a join a showcase—met other artists and a label with whom it may release something soon, not to mention a dubious show promoter who didn't carry business cards.

Elliott, of These United States, said he appreciates CMJ for its more serendipitous possibilities—like meeting a band whose music you admire, or scoring a short write-up on a New York Times blog. These United States also met up with a producer from a studio where it may record its next album, and took some time to check out the space.

Evan Brody, who helps run D.C.'s Underwater Peoples label even though he lives in New Jersey, said someone from the Mexican People Summer label came to one of his showcases, and that he even had a conversation with Ryan Schreiber, the founder of the influential review Web site Pitchfork. And he met some of the bloggers that helped Underwater Peoples become one of this year's most-talked-about petri dishes for young bands. "I think it helped put a lot of faces to a lot of people who I’ve spoken to," he said. "There was a lot of IRLing going on."

Photo courtesy of Salome's MySpace page.

Paw Tracks has released its first holiday seven-inch. One side is Reverend Green featuring Kria Brekkan (the tweest voice from tweest-band Mum) and Antony of Antony and the Johnsons (again, very distinctive voice). The flip side is Abby Portner's (of Rings) new solo project Drawlings. You want child-like wonder wrapped up in avant X-Mas cheer? This is it.

The Drawlings' track is quite charming, even beautiful. I think it features a sample of a horse.

You can listen to the Reverend Green track, "Be Good To Earth This Season," at Gorilla vs. Bear.