Pop around the clock

Compilation CDs are invariably hard sells. So as local label International Hits gears up to release Don’t Doubt Rock Vol. 2, its second sampler of Atlanta’s most notable pop and indie-rock acts, inventive marketing strategies are key to its success. To help draw attention to the music, I-Hits will host the second annual Cabbagetown Pop Festival, an all-night celebration of music, art and film that doubles as the CD release party.

Don’t Doubt Rock Vol. 2 summons 15 Atlanta acts, including the Forty-Fives, the Selminaires and the Roy Owens Jr., along with outsiders the High Strung from Detroit and Mr. Rudy Day of Chicago. Following in the footsteps of Don’t Doubt Rock Vol. 1, the comp will function primarily as a promotional tool. Literally piggybacking off of the label’s more established releases, the album gives a platform to I-Hits’ lesser known acts. “It’s hard to market such a local-centric release,” says label co-owner Shannon Mulvaney. “It’s a good thing to belly-band onto something like the [upcoming] A Fir-Ju Well record or the Roy Owens Jr. record, or whoever’s record we have distribution for. If you buy the A Fir-Ju Well record, you get Don’t Doubt Rock Vol. 2 for free.”

Before going the way of the condo, the soon to be extinct Art Farm on Wylie Street in Cabbagetown will be the setting for the Pop Fest. Installations from local artists and screenings of music-related films, including Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii and Elvis’ ‘68 Comeback will accompany the music.The second annual Cabbagetown Pop Fest is at the Art Farm Sat., Oct. 9. 9 p.m. $5.