Let’s face it, 2009 hasn’t exactly been a breakout year for local independent music. Sure, the opening of MAO Livehouse and the JZ Music Festival were bright spots, signs of progress in this developing scene but, for all the upgrades in facilities, there doesn’t appear to be more bands gigging around town, a phenomenal improvement in the quality of music being made here or an increase in bands recording and releasing original music.

So, on November 28, when 0093 Studios releases its compilation Rock Shanghai 2009, it will be the definitive moment for local rock in 2009.

“It’s long overdue,” explains Jiang Shao Qing, founder and co-owner of Ling Ling Jiu San. “This is a change in the overall environment [of local rock music].”

While Jiang, along with his 0093 partner, Wang Xiaotian, who produced the compilation at Jinshan Studios, conceived the compilation in order help local bands promote their music better and reach a broader audience, he is adamant about the larger effects Rock Shanghai 2009 could have on the Shanghai scene.

“We have more venues, with more rock n’ roll fans, so there will need to be more bands of higher quality,” says Jiang.

The release was initially slated for an April debut, but was postponed. “Some bands had recording problems,” says Jiang, “there was some lack of experience.”

Despite months of setbacks, the 0093 team persevered, amassing songs from 11 bands and artists, including Flying Fruit, Mortal Fools, Hanging Gardens, Joker and a posthumous track from Banana Monkey, and is finally set to unleash the compilation with a launch party at MAO Livehouse on November 28, featuring sets from Candy Shop, Bang Bang Tang, Pink Berry and a newly re-formed Top Floor Circus, all of whom also have tracks on the album.

“Better rock, better city,” adds Jiang jokingly, most likely as a nod to the compilation’s Expo-themed artwork, complete with images of Haibao and the Chinese pavilion.

0093 will continue to nurture groups and promote shows, and aims to release more material in the future and possibly put on a local rock festival. Regardless of what they do in the future, Rock Shanghai 2009 is a milestone and a validation of the DIY spirit that fuels rock n’ roll.