Daytrotter Session with Seafarer



Courtesy of Daytrotter. Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

 I have fallen in love with Seafarer. Their music is a mosaic of genres – rock, folk, psych, pop – that meshes perfectly to create such a riveting sound. Patrick Grzelewski, lead vocalist of the Chicago band, delivers the poetic lyrics in a gritty and almost raw fashion. This is a style I can dig. We can all relate to that feeling and need to shout out loud and by joining in with Grzelewski, you can do just that.

Recently releasing their EP Hidden Places on Jan. 18, Seafarer stopped in for a Daytrotter session to record four tracks. We highly recommend downloading the free mp3's from the session if you know what's good for you.

FREE Chicago shows:
Jan. 23rd at The Whistler
Jan. 28th at Empty Bottle Click Here to Read More..

GLG Fresh Mp3 Friday: The Daytrotter Sessions

For this week's GLG Fresh MP3 Friday we are thrilled to offer you a few tracks from the  Daytrotter session with Neutral Uke Hotel, Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick, (with lead singer Michael J Epstein from Michael J Epstein Memorial Library). Anyone who knows Daytrotter, knows they are in great company with bands like The National, Local Natives and Wavves, who have haunted the halls with studio sessions of their own. Coincidently, Golden Bloom is currently in the studio with Peter Katis, who also produced The National's recent Best Album of 2010 contender, High Violet, as well as  2007's Boxer.

Take a listen to the in-studio performance, and if you love it, you can download it for FREE:

Neutral Uke Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over the Sea by greenlightgo

Neutral Uke Hotel- Holland 1945 by greenlightgo

Golden Bloom- You Go On (& On) by greenlightgo

Golden Bloom- Rhyme The Reasons by greenlightgo

The Motion Sick- 30 Lives by greenlightgo

The Motion Sick- Winged Bicycle by greenlightgo

The Motion Sick- Winged Bicycle by greenlightgo


Listen and download more free mp3s from other GLG clients:

GLG Clients by greenlightgo

To our fans, please feel free to post any of the approved songs on your blog or tweet to your friends. Check out our list of clients and available mp3s here: greenlightgopublicity.com. If you're not on our email list to receive these directly and want to be, please send an email over to info@glgpub.com.

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Daytrotter Session with Golden Bloom, Neutral Uke Hotel and The Motion Sick

Courtesy of Daytrotter/Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

As a Neutral Milk Hotel fan myself, I've accepted the fact that Jeff Mangum will not be reuniting the band for a comeback tour. In fact, I would hope he wouldn't, because that would simply be a bit too Bon Jovi for my taste. (Sorry Jon, you seem like a really nice guy, but I expected a few more rock & roll moves on your recent appearance on Ellen). But I digress.

Shawn Fogel of Golden Bloom had this little idea to recreate Neutral Milk Hotel on ukulele just once for a show in Boston. Neutral Milk Hotel fans had another idea however and Neutral Uke Hotel was born.

A few months ago, the band comprised of members of Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick took the show on the road, stopping off in Iowa for a Daytrotter session. Daytrotter's Sean Moeller said of the experience:

"...Shawn Fogel is out there, moving around, turning the staggeringly emotional and moving songs that Mangum wrote lo those many years ago into magnificent homages to the originals. Only, the Golden Bloom frontman treats them with his ukulele - though he strays from giving them a cheeky, wine-tasting party blush of romanticism that fellow uke-wielding crooner Dent May might. They are pretty, close to the vest renditions and yet, they feel less like strict covers and more like tributes with a capital T. This rolling company of buddies in the bands Golden Bloom, the Motion Sick and Fogel's quirky Neutral Uke project share an immediately catchable thread of needing closeness, of looking for those special comers whom they can spend "30 Lives" with or whom they could call on to help see through the gunk to the bright stars, up there somewhere."

Head on over to Daytrotter to hear Neutral Uke Hotel, Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick songs from the session. Click Here to Read More..

Leopold and His Fiction Embark on Tour to Austin and Back This November

Austin, TX is at the center of Leopold and His Fiction’s two-week Southwest tour, and for good reason. Daytrotter, the Rock Island, Ill.-based website has created a satellite operation at Austin’s Big Orange Studios, and San Francisco’s bluesy rock band Leopold and His Fiction are scheduled for a session. The tour begins on November 6th in San Francisco and includes dates in Los Angeles (at the Silverlight Lounge), Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Dallas and of course, Austin.

Leopold and His Fiction’s live shows are like a magnetic force you can’t resist. "This trio is a trip to watch, boiling and smashing a diverse range of musical genres that is both ethereal and bombastic," said Denise Guerra of the Campus Circle Newspaper about their recent Viper Room show. Charismatic front man Daniel James says of performing live, “We are in our element and want to be nowhere else in the world than on that stage”. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Deer Tick, Dum Dum Girls, Little Joy and The Studiofix.

Leopold and his Fiction’s latest EP, Golden Friends has been described as “...haunting and scratchy, and sounds as if it was conjured up in the backrooms of old Western saloons over whiskey and cigarettes,” by Tympanogram. They’ve been in John Baccigaluppi’s The Hangar with Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Little Joy, Vetiver) and this recording ventures out appropriately from the blues structure of the first two records, while engaging start to finish the theatrics and entertainment of voyage fans have become accustomed to hearing. The band climbed to #30 on the CMJ charts with their second album, Ain’t No Surprise and made it into the top 20 with their self-titled debut, while earning praise from NPR, Relix and Big Takeover, among others.

Leopold and His Fiction Tour Dates

11/6/10 Crescent Hotel, San Francisco, CA
11/7/10 Indiemart @ The Parkside, San Francisco, CA 3pm
11/8/10 St. James Infirmary, Reno, NV
11/9/10 Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
11/11/10 Padres, Marfa, TX
11/12/10 The Mix, San Antonio, TX
11/13/10 Mohawk Inside Stage, Austin, TX
11/14/10 Doublewide, Dallas, TX
11/16/10 Burt’s Tiki, Albuquerque, NM
11/18/10 111, Flagstaff, AZ
11/19/10 Sidecar, Park City, UT
11/20/10 The Bunkhouse, Las Vegas, NV Click Here to Read More..

The Other Side with The Red Alert's Adam McKibbin

It was May of 2005 when journalist Adam McKibbin, unveiled his interview with Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg as the first post on the “indie-centric” music blog, The Red Alert. Over the years, the website has evolved to incorporate interviews with indie A-listers such as Weezer, Band of Horses, Dr. Dog, The Album Leaf, The Black Keys, Iron & Wine, Passion Pit, and The Thermals, as well as filmmaker turned recording artist turned “experimenter,” David Lynch. The Red Alert, which hails as a “Music, Politics and Progression” forum, has more recently expanded to include album reviews and Mp3 posts to highlight the independent artists they love, while helping the “casual music fan” sift through the overwhelming amount of music available at the click of a mouse.

We managed to track down The Red Alert’s Adam McKibbin in between his own interview sessions to find out what it’s like to be on the other side:

Green Light Go: What makes The Red Alert different from other websites?
Adam McKibbin: We're really DIY, so it took a few years to find professional web design. We update The Red Alert weekly and since there's no pretense to cover everything, that frees us up to cover anything we want, whether it's Arcade Fire, a weirdo electronic album, a comedy DVD, or a book about the war in Burma.

GLG: Do you think The Red Alert has a specific musical niche?
AM: Not really, although we generally (but not exclusively) huddle under the broad umbrella of "indie."

GLG: What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
AM: We're in the odd time of the year where we're besieged by gift box sets and holiday albums and, of course, a lot of hip-hop and R&B. Like everyone with an internet connection, I'll check out the new Kanye West and Cee-Lo, but I'm also a fan of Ne-Yo, and I have a soft spot for Rihanna. I'll definitely get Apparat's installment of DJ-Kicks, as well as the EPs by Liars and The Tallest Man on Earth. On the box set front, the Orange Juice box should be pretty cool.

GLG: How does The Red Alert support independent music and what is important about doing so?
AM: We seriously consider music from all corners. The elephant in the room in regards to "indie music," though, is that a lot of [indie rock] is really bad. I think the utility of mp3 blogs and indie-centric sites like ours is to be a bit of a curator for the casual music fan - because otherwise, it can be pretty overwhelming for someone who doesn't obsess over music 24/7.

GLG: Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
AM: That's certainly the direction we're headed, although I would imagine most bands hoping to make the A-list would still rather be on the cover of Rolling Stone than the homepage of Pitchfork. The variety of outlets is a very good thing, certainly, and allows communities to easily form around the most obscure of sub-sub-genres. In terms of reaching an audience and forging relationships, it's a great time to be in a band. In terms of spending a million dollars on a video shoot, however...[that’s another story].

GLG: What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
AM: Daytrotter is a must-visit for me. Some of my other favorites, musically speaking, are Said the Gramophone, Large-Hearted Boy, The Fader, RCRD, Rollo & Grady, Muzzle of Bees, and I Am Fuel, You Are Friends. I also check Pitchfork, Stereogum and PopMatters.

GLG: If you could interview any musician or band (dead or alive), who would it be?
AM: Well, it would be hard to turn down an interview with any of the dead icons, from Elvis to Beethoven to Cobain to Coltrane to Lennon. Sam Cooke is a personal favorite. I'd love to interview Bob Dylan, but I would probably be better off with Leonard Cohen. On a more plausible level, I've always wanted to interview Okkervil River's Will Sheff, but haven't had the opportunity yet, as well as Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Thom Yorke, Beyonce, and Eddie Vedder.

GLG: If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
AM: I'd transport my 6th grade self into the middle of Metallica.

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The Other Side with Chemical Sound Producers Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski

Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski (aka Jay Sad) first met as high school students growing up in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario. After graduation, Dean continued to play music and record bands on the analog reel-to-reel 8-track in his parents’ basement, while pursuing a degree in Psychology at the University of Waterloo. During this time, Jay was busy studying film at Ryerson University, where he began working with art house directors Isabella Pruska-Oldenhof and Kara Blake to write and record movie soundtracks. Dean explains, “It took a while to realize that recording would be a lifelong obsession,” but the dream finally became a reality in 2005, when he teamed up with his old friend Jason. The pair took over as the owners and lead producers of Toronto’s legendary Chemical Sound Recording Studio, best known for producing Sloan’s Navy Blues, The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site, Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, Tokyo Police Club’s Elephant Shell, and Death from Above 1979’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. Somehow, Dean and Jason also manage to find time to play in bands themselves. When Dean isn’t in the studio, he’s out playing guitar for the Tin Star Orphans, a band fronted by Zachary Bennett, or with his own project, EX~PO. Jason often plays under the moniker, "Jay Sad," which is a solo project that includes classical musicians Rob MacDonald and Dean Pomeroy for live shows.

We managed to track down Chemical Sound’s Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski (who you can see pictured here in the studio) in between recording sessions to find out what it’s like to be on the other side:

Green Light Go: How long have been producing music and what inspired you to become a producer?

Jason Sadlowski: I've been producing professionally for about 4 years now. It all happened when Dean suggested I quit my day job and take over Chemical Sound studio with him.

Dean Marino: I’ve been a producer at heart since my high school days, overseeing the recording process of my own bands as well as other local bands, but [my career as a producer] became “official” quite recently. I started interning at Chemical Sound in 2002 and by 2004, I was getting paid to engineer. In 2005, the original building that housed Chemical Sound was slated for demolition. Rather than see a great studio go down, I decided to partner up with Jay, buy all the gear and re-locate. The previous owners felt it was a good time to retire from the “studio business” anyway…studio ownership tends to be a temporary endeavor these days.

GLG: How would you describe your role as a producer?

DM: These days the term “producer” seems to be loaded with preconceived notions, because the role [of a producer] has altered quite a bit over the last 50 years. It used to be that a producer worked for, or was hired by a record company, to discover and develop new talent. This person would “sign” the artist and oversee their recorded output as a micromanager, much like George Martin’s relationship with The Beatles. Over the years, the role of a producer began to focus specifically on the recording process. Now, we have people who set up mics, hit the record button, and want to be credited as “the producer.” There’s much more to the job than that. Now, roles tend to get blurred during the creative process. An album is usually a collaborative process between the artists and facilitators. A producer is merely another facilitator, as is the engineer, the assistant engineer, and even the lowly studio intern. Sometimes, the producer also functions as an engineer, arranger, psychological coach, or even a session musician. Today, I think, the term “producer” is more about responsibility than anything. The producer is the person who’s responsible for the completion of the record to someone’s satisfaction (either the artist and/or record label). He/she makes sure the record gets done on time, within the budget, and that the album ultimately works as a piece of art. The quickest way to figure out who the producer is on a project is to ask, “Whose ass is on the line here?”

JS: I agree with Dean. The official role is there to determine responsibility. I do whatever I can and whatever it takes, to help people make records. What this means depends on the project and artist.

Green Light Go: How does being a musician yourself help to hone your production skills?

JS: I think it's good to understand what the people you are working with are going through.

DM: Ditto…not to mention, I can also help an artist articulate their ideas, because I can sing and I can play. I can show someone how to write a killer harmony, help a drummer tune his or her parts, or arrange a song so it has a greater impact on the listener. Being a musician is a big plus in this business.

JS: Plus, [a producer who is also a musician] can give specific advice about the instrument. You can say, " Try playing that part closer to the bridge," and stuff like that.

GLG: What are some of the most noteworthy artists or albums you've produced in the past?

DM: The work I’m most proud of is the stuff where I took on the responsibility of seeing a whole project through, from beginning to the end. As of late, these would include: Automatic Movements by Everything is Made in China, The Days of Blinding Fear by Tin Star Orphans and Gospel by the Schomberg Fair.

JS: I'm proud of all the records I've produced with Dean and the few I've produced alone.

GLG: What bands are you currently working with?

DM: Currently I’m producing a 3 song 7” record for La Casa Muerte and eventually I hope to produce their first LP. I’m also collaborating with Nathan Vanderwielen (of Ruby Coast) on a film soundtrack that we intend to perform live.

JS: I just finished 2 songs on the new Wallscenery Demos album, in which I produce and perform. The Wallscenery Demos is an indie-rock project by James Hicken, who currently lives in New York. He sends me his vocal and guitar tracks and I add all sorts of stuff on top, and mix it. It's cool and messy!

GLG: As a producer, how do you know that you are a good match for a band? What things do you have to keep in mind before agreeing to work with an artist?

JS: As long as I can understand what they are trying to do and they accept what I do, we can work together.

DM: Typically, genre is not an issue for me. It’s more about a band’s willingness to accept input and constructive criticism. I’ve been labeled as both invasive and passive – in truth, the role and disposition I take depends on the project. Also, I have a “sonic fingerprint” that you can hear on most records I have worked on, so a band should be willing to accept that.

GLG: What is the best piece of advice you’d give a band that thinks they are ready to record?

JS: Be honest and understand where the band is and where the producer is. A good producer should be able to take the band up one level, not more. I'm always able to improve some aspect(s) of the bands’ sound, but the producer cannot take the band anywhere that they aren't already poised to go.

DM: I totally agree with Jay, but I would add, be prepared. The band should know their material, but shouldn’t become too emotionally attached to small details. You have to be ready to give 100% and be open to new ideas and new directions. Most of all, be ready to be revealed. It’s not my job to make anyone a better player or singer, but rather to hone in on what makes an artist uniquely intriguing.

GLG: What is your favorite thing about producing music?

JS: I'm proud of the work I do. I love records and appreciate all aspects of them. I've been lucky to work with so many super talented people.

DM: There’s this moment, usually a few months after working on a record, where I revisit [the record] and listen to it like it was the first time. I think, “This sounds really great and really well thought out.” I love that.

JS: Yes! I love going back to a record I've worked on to enjoy how good it sounds.

GLG: What’s your least favorite thing about being a producer?

DM: The long hours. I need to take breaks and press the reset button now and then.

JS: Dean's right. [Another downside is] running out of time and not being able to explore all of the possibilities.

GLG: In addition to the music you are working on, what current albums have you been listening to lately?

JS: I've been listening to the Daytrotter sessions a lot. Daytrotter is kind of an internet version of The Peel Sessions. They've made great recordings of Born Ruffians, Nurses, The Walkmen, Holiday Shores, Daniel Johnson, Cursive, Vampire Weekend…the list goes on.

DM: The pile of LPs near my turntable right now include Dog Day’s Concentration, Bill Callahan’s Rough Travel For a Rare Thing, Neil Young’s Live Rust, Caribou’s Swim, The National’s Alligator, Tom Verlaine’s Dreamtime, St. Vincent’s Actor, Talking Heads’ Remain in the Light, and Spoon’s Kill the Moonlight. All [of the music I listen to] will radically change by next week. That’s just from my vinyl collection, I won’t even get into my iPod playlists.

GLG: What is one record you didn’t produce yourself that you consider to be a masterpiece? From your standpoint as a producer, what makes this album so special?

JS: The first thing that comes to mind is Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. It's amazing that producer Martin Hannett did so much, and yet, the record is still very Joy Division. If you compare this record to live Joy Division stuff, it seems to embody and even heighten the raw essence of that band. Even though we know [Hannett] changed so many aspects of those songs, we never feel encroached by some outside influence.

DM: Wow ONE record? Today, I’d have to say, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space by Spiritualized. The amount of work that went into that record is just phenomenal and you can feel the emotional and intellectual investment. The fact that Jason Pierce assembled all those world-class musicians and developed such a rich sonic landscape in order to express some very personal and intimate ideas was a huge risk, but it worked out splendidly. The bombastic nature of the album made his lyrics all the more believable and universal, even when the opposite could have easily happened.

GLG: Anything else we didn’t cover that you’d like us to know?
DM: I love cats.

The Other Side highlights the talented folks behind the scenes of the music we listen to. The Other Side features producers, engineers, booking agents, photographers, radio DJs, management teams, and label representatives.

This week’s The Other Side is brought to you by: Lauren Roberts

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Music Monday-La Blogotheque Loves Bon Iver

Recently we got to see how La Blogotheque operated first hand. In fact, I almost got ran over by a bicyclist (believe me they are aggressive) in Toronto while they filmed Neutral Uke Hotel at NXNE for one of their Take Away Shows. Based in Montreal and Paris, La Blogotheque is almost entirely in French, but that doesn't stop a solid English speaking base from following the blog. Because as La Blogotheque demonstrates by featuring bands like Land of Talk, Josh Ritter and Beach House, good music is good music no matter what side of the pond or border you are on.

I know this, je t'aime La Blogotheque. And I'm fairly certain I'll be listening to Bon Iver today.

La Blogotheque's own, Nora Bouazzouni, took some time out to answer a few questions for us.

GLG: How long has La Blogotheque been operating?

LB: It’s existed as an MP3 blog since 2002, and the Take Away Shows started in 2006.

GLG: What makes La Blogotheque different from other websites?

LB: We're not obsessed with talking about the latest hip bands, posting tracklists and gossips, reviewing every new record possible; we don't care much about that. We're not a news website. There are more or less a dozen people writing on La Blogothèque, and though we're all different and we don't necessarily like the same music, we all agree on one thing: we want to talk about music in a completely different way than other music blogs, we want it to be more personal, more about our feelings, about what it brings up. It's not about grading an album, track by track, it will never be. If one of us writes about a musician, or a song, whether it's something old or something new, it's because it means something to him or her.

GLG: Do you think la blogotheque has a specific musical niche?

LB: People would say we're more into folk and bearded guys playing guitar while singing sad songs, but it's only because of the Take Away Shows that we aquired this reputation! If you read the blog -it's in French- you'll see that we're quite eclectic. Right now, on La Blogo's home you can read about The Libertines, Haïtian music, listen to a Ninja Tune mixtape... I guess that tells it!

GLG:. What albums are you looking forward to coming out?

LB: Bon Iver's second album. He just announced it'll be released next year, I can't wait! Also, I'm a big Dodos' fan, and they just started recording the follow-up to Time To Die (which I didn't like ), and I really, really hope it's gonna be something as awesomely mind-blowing as Visiter. I hope there'll be a new Department of Eagles record soon.
And I was excited about Spoon's new album. It leaked so I listened to it, but I'm disappointed.

GLG: How does la blogotheque support independent music and what’s important about doing so?

LB: We support indie music with our Take Away Shows and Pocket Parties, and sometimes we even provide bands a place to stay when they're playing in Paris, but don't have enough money to book a hotel ;)

GLG: Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?

LB: I don't think online publications are killing print magazines, I think they complete each other. Speaking for me, I never ever read music magazines. I don't know why, but it never attracted me. Maybe it has to do with my age. I'm 24, and I got my first computer with the Internet in 1999. That's when I started looking for new stuff to listen to. I don't like the way magazines talk about music, it's too distant, too « professional ». And now, if you read a magazine and want to listen to that new band they talk about, you have to drop the magazine, go to your computer, type the Myspace URL, and click on a song. With a music blog, you just click on Play and you're done. Digital natives are much more into the « instantaneous ». I think people will go to blogs to discover stuff, and then buy a magazine to read about that stuff they just listened to.

GLG: What blogs/magazines do you read other than your own?

LB: The only music blog I read is Said The Gramophone. All the others I just skim through and download the MP3s (and I don't like revealing my sources, sorry!). For acoustic sessions, KEXP and Daytrotter. For news, Pitchfork and Stereogum (how original).

GLG: What has been your most definitive moment since you started la blogotheque?

LB: Bon Iver's Pocket Party. Just watch it, you'll understand.

GLG: If you could interview any musician/band (dead or alive) who would it be?

LB: I don't do interviews, it's not my thing. And I don't have idols. But I would love to spend some time with Kurt Cobain, or Thom Yorke. Or Bertrand Cantat (singer of French rock band Noir Désir).

GLG: If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?

LB: Girls bands: Le Tigre, Hole, The Runaways. Other: The Beatles, Queen, Nirvana.

Follow La Blogotheque on Twitter
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Music Monday - FensePost

Welcome the first edition of Music Monday. Each Monday we will feature a Q&A with the bloggers, critics, writers and taste-makers behind music websites, blogs, magazines and other publications that keep us all in touch with the latest in new music. First up...

Music Monday with FensePost - The Indie Music Blog

"Based in the fertile lands between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC," FensePost.com is truly about supporting independent music. With live concert reviews, music news, CD reviews, videos and so much more, FensePost is more of a fan blog that has turned into a site worth checking out daily to learn about new bands. We were fortunate to get FensePost's very busy Andrew Fenstermaker to take a second from checking his other 982 unread messages in his inbox to tell us about how it his love of undiscovered music and fondness of Swedish bands that keeps him going every day. The staff may be small at FensePost, but they are mighty and mighty busy. Fenstermaker is the main writer for the site, but is a champion of new music writers, giving unknown critics a chance to be published. He also makes a point on how being a blogger can be a daily stress, trying to fit enough into the blog while maintaining a life outside of the Internet.

Music Monday Q&A


1. How long has FensePost been operating?

FensePost launched in June of 2006 after I finished my MBA. I started it to keep up with my passion in music as I left my college radio station, KZUU. We started with two to three posts per week and have grown to two posts per weekday on average. It's primarily just me, but I have a few loyal writers to toss stuff my way on a fairly frequent basis. I probably write about 2/3 of the posts under the guise "Fense" which was my DJ name in college (a rendition of my last name, Fenstermaker).

2. What makes FensePost different from other websites?

We don't really follow the trends or hype. Sure, we'll cover the hot bands on occasion, but we like to place a great emphasis on covering truly unknown bands that we think are great. Of course, I recently posted a live review of a James Taylor / Carole King concert I went to with my parents, but that's a rarity. Most music is independent. I also write about a lot of Swedish bands.

Another thing that's different about FensePost is that anyone can write for the site. Part of the reason I started it was to give young music fans an outlet from which to write if they so desired without the need to create an entire site on their own.



3. Do you feel FensePost has a specific musical niche?

Not really, outside of independent music. As writers, we each have our preferences. I love indie pop and have had a huge thing for garage since The Legends' Up Against The Legends (Labrador Records, 2004). Ron, who is my most consistent contributor likes pop, rock, folk and even covers an occasional hip hop artist. Cyndi, a new contributor from Oregon, has passed along a lot of great folk. I even cover jazz on occasion (I have a fairly extensive classic jazz LP collection).

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?

I wrote a piece recently listing a few reasons why Sub Pop could very well dominate my 2010 best of list. They've passed along some really great albums this year so far, and I think they've got some amazing stuff lined up. I'm SUPER excited that Hardly Art will be reissuing the old Carissa's Wierd [sic] albums, although that's not really contemporary. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Slumberland (Records) has in store for us in the second half of 2010. And I'm pretty excited to hear new stuff on Woodsist (Records), which dominated my "10 Bands I Should Have Checked Out in 2009" list from a month or two ago.

5. How does FensePost support independent music and what is important about doing so?

I think it's important as a blogger to not only support bands that you (the writer) feel are good and worthy of promoting, but that you also do your part to support the artists you love. I receive a lot of albums in the mail and digitally for free by bands and labels and promotion companies that want me to write about their band. If the group has a single or released an album on vinyl and I really like it, I'll do my part and pick it up on vinyl. It supports the band, and I have the means to do so (from time to time). In today's digital world, I don't think a lot of young people who grew up with readily available free music (albeit not necessarily legal) understand the importance of what that type of support means.

I try my best to only post songs that have been cleared by a band to be posted, and I do my best to link to labels and band websites where readers can order an album directly from the artist or label. I think both of those elements are an important part of supporting independent music.


6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?

I'm kind of immersed in the social media world, so I would have to say yes. But I don't think print magazines will go away. They just need to change in a way that makes sense. People will always buy magazines, but these publications will need to find new ways to reach their audience. I think there's a great opportunity for them using devices like the Kindle and iPad.

As for the second half of the question, there's a big shift that's occurring. It doesn't matter if you're in a band, own a small business, or are part of a large organization, you have to think of this stuff differently these days. What's put out there today is public in a way that's completely different than yesterday. If I told my friends of a great band in the 90s, it only went so far. It mattered, but it was different. That type of "word of mouth" still exists, but due to the dominance of blogs and social networking, it's now global.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?

As much as people hate Pitchfork, I like to visit the site once every few weeks and check out their Forkcast. I think it's really relevant and they cover some really great bands. I'm also a huge fan of Daytrotter and have been since their seventh session (Drakkarsauna). Locally in the Pacific Northwest, we have a few really great blogs. There's IndiePages, which is occasionally updated with some very super underground pop from around the world (Chris Mac recently opened a record shop and mail order in Seattle; you all should go buy stuff from jigsaw-records.com). My favorite these days is Finest Kiss.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started FensePost?

I think a good definitive moment came about two months ago. I was getting a bit overwhelmed with everything... work, personal life, home ownership, turning 30 (soon), and I had an epiphany: the world won't end if FensePost isn't updated. As a blogger, we set strict regimens for ourselves that are sometimes unrealistic. I would love to post three times a day, but I also want to keep my house clean, have a nice looking yard, and watch Arrested Development for the 67th time. You can't do everything. You can't listen to every band that sends something your way. It sucks, but that's just a part of life. What you can do is this: do what you can, and have fun doing it. It's kind of a recurring definitive moment... I have the same epiphany about once every six to nine months.


9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?

I'm not much of an interviewer, but I'm trying to get into it a bit more. I'm pretty stoked -- I'm just about to send off a few questions to the band that released my favorite album of 2009, Venice is Sinking. I think it would be great to pick the brain of a master like (Brian) Eno or (David) Bowie or even Tom Verlaine (guitarist for Television). Maybe even Morrissey, although he'd probably just get pissed at me 'cause I'm a huge Smiths fan and I'd want to know all about what his beef is with his former band mates and why they won't get back together.


10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?

The Smiths or Television. Maybe Sweden's best pop band, Acid House Kings. I have a huge thing for Swedish pop. Click Here to Read More..