With so many bands and artists making music these days, it’s getting harder and harder for groups to be noticed. In the past, there might be a special concert performed, but rising above the pack today is a difficult proposition. Hoping for strength in numbers, 18 diverse groups have joined together to release “Staring at the Sun V,” a free compilation album showcasing the diversity of San Diego’s music community. On Feb. 25, The Casbah will be the site of a free CD release party for the album, sponsored by FM94.9 and DJ Tim Pyles. On hand will be Vinyl Radio, The Buzzkill Romantics, The Shambles and Anna Troy, all four included on the disc. There will also be a live broadcast of Pyles’ radio show, The Local Pyle, from the Atari Lounge, a.k.a. the back bar. In addition to receiving a free CD, early attendees will be treated to free food. Because it’s a Sunday evening, the show will start promptly at 7:30 with the last band off stage before 11 p.m., making it possible for even someone working the morning shift the next day to take in some great music. The disc itself manages to touch on a lot of bases. Rock fans will be thrilled by Vinyl Radio’s explosive opener “Come On And Dance,” or Heathen Kings of Olde’s “Reverend of Sin.” Singer-songwriters will find a plethora of great options, including new music from Berkley Hart, Barbara Nesbitt and Podunk Nowhere. Powerpop aficionados will thrill at tracks from Christopher Dale and his group Superdoo, Mark DeCerbo & Four Eyes or The Spring Collection. In the meantime, country music is well represented by The Coyote Problem or the Americana of The Grams. There are also piano ballads from Marie Haddad and blues from Anna Troy, all just scratching the surface. “The purpose and motivation is simple, to further the San Diego music scene while letting the rest of the world take a listen,” said Chuck Schiele of The Grams, who produced the album and designed the album’s sunny California-centric graphics. “Everybody here’s working hard, and a lot of music is being generated,” he continued. “The point of the album is to get everyone else as excited about our scene as we musicians are.” Is San Diego’s really as diverse as might be gleaned by the line-up included on the disc? “More so,” commented Schiele. “which is why we’ll be making another one as soon as possible. It’s a big city with a lot of music in a growing scene. It will take more than one CD to represent local music.” While many are saying the death of the CD is imminent, Schiele maintains that, at least for the moment, it’s still the perfect tool to promote music. “Giving someone a ‘free’ download at a show, usually by handing them a piece of paper with a Web site to download from, doesn’t mean as much as actually handing them a physical disc. With the compilation format, listeners get to hear lots of other acts that they might have overlooked. Those with iPods can rip the album’s tracks to their machines and pass on the disc, while those who prefer CDs also get a booklet with info on all the artists. The fact that it’s free and has such well-known local artists hopefully makes it desirable to all sorts of music fans.” “I really like the diversity of the album,” said Anna Troy, who will open the show. “The fact that it’s a free album means it will get to more people than a regular album and hopefully will expose a lot of people to music they might not otherwise have heard. That might not seem like a huge deal, but for artists like myself who are playing music that isn’t the typical sort of thing heard on the radio, it’s invaluable. A compilation like this is the perfect marketing tool in today’s world,” agreed show host, DJ Tim Pyles. He sees compilation as an alternative to the days when singles ruled the music scene. With one track per artist, it gives listeners a chance to sample from many different genres. “It’s great to offer up so many choices in music. In a way, it’s like having a mini radio station. Hopefully somebody listening to one act can be introduced to the music of somebody less familiar. There’s also the bonus of the different music scene’s mingling, always a good thing.” If you’re curious about the scope of the local music scene in any way, you won’t want to miss a second of this night’s performance. For music fans, Feb. 25’s combo of a free CD, free food and free admission is just about an unbeatable combination. The Staring at the Sun V release show takes place at the Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Sunday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit www.casbahmusic.com.