GLG Fresh Mp3 Friday: The Roots of Indie Music

Martin Luther King Day takes America back to one of the civil rights pioneers. Similarly, GLG would like to take you back to the roots of indie music by featuring free Mp3 downloads of our favorite indie tracks for the week.

The class of musicians known as “Indie” are pioneers as they are independent from major commercial record labels. For the most part, they do their own recordings, publishing and performances.

Traveling back into the 1960s, bands like “Velvet Underground,” who did everything on their own, can be considered a real “indie” band. Indie music emerged with songs inspired by peace, love and anti-war thoughts. The recipe for Indie Music: half cup of pop, mixed with a bit of rock and roll, and a hint of R&B.

The 1970s experimented with the originality of music. Garage bands grew in the 1980s, as “alternative music” grew. The 90s seemed to reshape its traditions of originality as they signed onto major record labels and became “a missing link between modern music.” In the late 1990s, indie music went back to basics, returning to the core values of indie music’s roots.

David Gergen, From The Nearer it was…The Farther it Became
Release Date: January 18, 2011
"Love Blues"
“The Streets I’m Walkin’”
Genre: Electroacoustic/Alternative/Indie
For fans of: Nick Drake, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen
Bio/hi-res photos

David Gergen- Love Blues by greenlightgo
David Gergen- The Streets I'm Walkin' by greenlightgo


Gwyneth & Monko, From Gwyneth & Monko
Release Date: February 15, 2011
"Get in the Sun"
Genre: Americana/Roots Music/Alternative
For fans of: Emmy Lou Harris, Patty Griffin, Jenny Lewis
Bio/hi-res photos
Gwyneth & Monko- Get in the Sun by greenlightgo

The Handsome Family, From Honey Moon
Now on Tour
"Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues"
“Family Drinking Beer on the Roof”
Genre: Folk/Americana
For fans of: You should already be their fan!
Bio/hi-res photos
The Handsome Family Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues by greenlightgo
The Handsome Family Drinking Beer On The Roof by greenlightgo

John Shipe, From Villain
Release Date: February 1, 2011
"Love Belongs to Everyone"
Genre: Acoustic/Indie/Rock
For fans of: Josh Ritter, Jonathan Rice and Elvis Costello
Bio/hi-res photos
John Shipe- Love Belongs to Everyone by greenlightgo

Neutral Uke Hotel (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)
"Holland 1945"
“King of Carrot Flowers pt.1”
Genre: Indie Rock/Cover Song
For fans of: Neutral Milk Hotel
Bio/hi-res photos
Neutral Uke Hotel- Holland 1945 by greenlightgo
Neutral Uke Hotel-King of Carrot Flowers Pt 1 by greenlightgo

Listen to all the tracks here:
GLG Fresh Mp3: 1/20/11 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.
Sources: http://www.indieupdate.com/indie-music-blog/history-of-indie-music/

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Gwyneth & Monko Announce January and February Dates in Support of Self-Titled Release

Gwyneth and Monko announce January and February tour dates in support of their self-titled release due out February 15, 2011. With a voice that invokes Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch; Gwyneth Moreland strums her guitar in subtle chords while Michael Monko accompanies her lyrical stories with trickling mandolin, steady acoustic guitar and folk accents.

The new record, which was recorded at Old School Studio in Caspar, CA, will more accurately reflect what the duo sounds like live. And it’s no wonder their new work sounds this way, as they’ve been on the road for most of 2010, taking weekends here and there to record. Guest artists Scott Southard on bass, Jimmy Gallagher on drums and Matt Cooper Borkenhagen on pedal steel and dobro, join Gwyneth and Monko on their self-titled album.

This record exists in part because of a month of creative exploration. In July, Gwyneth Moreland and Michael Monko spent time honing new songs in a home recording studio. Those sketches came to life in Old School Studio and are filled with new elements: Moreland on banjo, Monko on fiddle and guest artists adding drums and bass. These additions allow Gwyneth and Monko to explore a different dynamic while still keeping the old-timey and Americana influences, songwriting style, Moreland’s vocal style and Monko’s intricate instrumentation.

Gwyneth and Monko tour across the country in an RV that serves as a temporary home on the road. The phrase “less is more,” couldn’t be more apt for Gwyneth & Monko. “We travel in a camper van that has a sink, cook top, and refrigerator,” says Gwyneth. “We both love to travel and so we view touring as away to do all our favorite things: playing music and traveling.”

Gwyneth and Monko Tour Dates

1/15/11 In-Store Performance - Dig! Music, Ukiah, CA
1/22/11 CD Pre-Release Show - The Arcata Playhouse Theater, Arcata, CA
1/23/11 CD Pre-Release Show – The Caspar Inn, Caspar, CA
1/29/11 Rominger West Winery, Davis, CA
2/2/11 Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville, CA
2/3/11 Sam Bonds Garage, Eugene, OR
2/5/11 The Mandolin Café, Tacoma, WA
2/6/11 Laurel Thirst Public House, Portland, OR
2/10/11 Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel, Bolinas, CA
2/26/11 Evangeline's, Colfax, CA

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GLG Fresh Mp3 Friday

NEW THIS WEEK:

If you're looking to take a trip into American history's scenic countryside, let
Gwyneth & Monko take you there.

"...a singer with a moving voice and an amazing musician in Michael Monko." --Kevin Gustafson, Blogcritics

David Gergen's "Love Blues" is also new for download today.

"His voice, though consistently deep and resonant evokes the spirits of Nick Cave, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen." --Mad Mackerel

Both are releasing albums for the new year!
February 15, 2011: Gwyneth & Monko
January 18, 2011: David Gergen

Gwyneth & Monko, From Gwyneth & Monko
Release Date: February 15, 2011
“Get in the Sun”
Genre: Americana/Roots Music/Alternative
For fans of: Emmy Lou Harris, Patty Griffin, Jenny Lewis
Bio/hi-res photos

Gwyneth & Monko- Get in the Sun by greenlightgo

David Gergen, From The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became
Release Date: February 18, 2011
“Love Blues”
Genre: Alternative/Electroacoustic/Indie
For fans of: Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen
Bio/hi-res photos

David Gergen- Love Blues by greenlightgo

You need free mp3s, we have free mp3s. Feel free to post any of the approved songs below on your blog or tweet to your friends. Not on our email list to receive these directly and want to be? Send an email over to info(at)glgpub.com

Listen to other GLG clients:

GLG Clients by greenlightgo

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Gwyneth & Monko Announce Southeast Tour with Laura Meyer in November

From opposite sides of the continent, New York’s soulful folk rock poet Laura Meyer and the San Francisco Bay Area’s emerging indie-folk duo Gwyneth & Monko will be meeting up in the Southeast this November for a group of shows together.

At 26 years old, Laura Meyer has performed nearly 400 independent shows throughout the United States and Europe, including performances at the Telluride Bluegrass and Rocky Mountain Folks Festivals. While based in the Northeast, she is permanently on the road, connecting with audiences the old-fashioned way… live. This is where Meyer’s emotionally-driven performance thrives, igniting rooms and leaving listeners inspired, if not transformed.

With a voice that invokes Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch; Gwyneth & Monko evoke a feeling of nostalgia rooted deep in classic country fundamentals. Lyrics lace together fictional female characters, while the down-home style mirrors the musicians’ earnest lives stemming from their childhood into young adults and touring musicians. Featuring soulful vocals by Gwyneth with intricate instrumentation by Monko on both electric and acoustic guitars as well as mandolin, this energetic duo blends old timey folk sentiments with modern indie-folk sounds.

So far in 2010, road warriors Laura Meyer and Gwyneth & Monko have individually played over 90 shows, each with full upcoming fall tours spanning the entire United States.

Traveling the interstates, mountain passes and back roads of this vast country to share their music with the masses, it is no wonder that last spring they finally crossed paths and co-billed a show in the historically spiritual epicenter of Ojai, CA. The intimate show at The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai spawned a friendship between the artists based on a common love of travel and music and a mutual respect for each other’s lives on the road. Seven months after that fateful meeting in the dry hills of California, Laura Meyer and Gwyneth & Monko will meet up again, only this time in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee.

Gwyneth & Monko/Laura Meyer Tour Dates
11/6/10 Acoustic Coffeehouse, Johnson City, TN
11/7/10 Karma, Greenville, SC
11/8/10 Mo Daddy's , Asheville, NC
11/9/10 WonderRoot in Atlanta, GA
11/10/10 Terrapin Brew in Athens, GA
11/11/10 Firestorm in Asheville, NC
11/12/10 Bottega, Wilmington, NC
11/13/10 Smokey Joe's, Charlotte, NC

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Music Monday - PopWreckoning Talks The Books and Tchaikovsky

Up-to-date music news, live reviews, interviews and album reviews, PopWreckoning does it all and more. By the way, our own Shawn Fogel (Golden Bloom/Neutral Uke Hotel) is quoted on the site saying, "PopWreckoning is better than Pitchfork." Love it. Managing editor Bethany Smith took time out of her hectic schedule (just look at how much information is on PopWreckoning) to answer our MM questions.

Music Monday Q&A with PopWreckoning

1. How long has PopWreckoning been operating?
PopWreckoning began in 2007 as PopWreck: a creative outlet for founders Joshua Hammond and Jessica McGinley to discuss their views on pop culture.

2. What makes PopWreckoning different from other websites?
We're not gimmicky and we don't say things just to sound cool or elite. We are honest and earnest in our love of music and the arts.

3. Do you think PopWreckoning has a specific musical niche?
We cover a wide scope of artists, but we do lean toward the indie side. We really just want to help the little musicians succeed by helping spread the word about them. Mainstream pop artists don't really need our help in the same way, although we'll still give them love.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
I think everyone is pretty excited about the new Arcade Fire. I'm also pretty excited to finally have some more stuff from The Books. And though I really just want more Rilo Kiley music, I must admit I'm curious to hear the Jenny and Johnny album. Finally, we're psyched for the Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra collaboration: Bad Books. Those are some of our favorite bands and I'm surprised it has taken this long for them to work together on a project like this. We got to hear a few of the songs already and the world had better be ready to be blown away.

5. How does PopWreckoning support independent music and what is important about doing so?
All of our staff has deep ties to our own local music scenes. We do what we can in our communities to help those bands get national exposure and shows. Another one of the things we do to support independent music is sometimes we take a step back from the PR pitches being tossed at us and take the time to just browse MySpace or last.fm on our own until we discover something we like. It's important to support independent music because everyone deserves a chance to be heard and they need to be heard because they bring variety to music. Without variety, this isn't a culture as much as it is a machine. We need the independents, if that makes sense.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
Online is definitely important. I don't know if I'd say it takes precedence over print. Rolling Stone has such a rich heritage; I don't think you can discard something like that. But the print publications have all needed to add some sort of online component. Which I think is great. I think the effect that the Internet has had on the bands has been great. I mean, this is music we're talking about and now, at your finger tips you can just click a link to hear the song for yourself to see what a reviewer is talking about rather than set down your pages and just have to take a writer's word for it.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
As far as music blogs, BrooklynVegan has consistently been great in its coverage, especially photography-wise. We also like to venture outside of music.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started at PopWreckoning?
I think it would have to be the first festival we covered. You become so isolated sometimes working online, but at a festival you're surrounded by people who do the same thing that you do and love the same thing that you do. It’s a big awakening to realize you're shooting in a pit next to someone from one of your favorite publications and you can finally put a face to bloggers.

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
I'm not sure if this counts because he is a composer, but I'd love to talk to Tchaikovsky. I think people forget how much the classics influence the music we listen to now and Tchaikovsky is one of those composers who has had a song that has marked almost every significant event in my life.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
That's a hard question. You almost want to say something like the Beatles, but really I'd be content with just any band that's just happy to be performing - someone whose happiness is contagious like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros...

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Gwyneth & Monko Kick Off Late Summer Tour Out West

Northern California duo, Gwyneth & Monko, will bring their earnest, stripped-down blend of folk, Americana and blues when they begin the late summer leg of their 17 city Western tour through California, Oregon and Washington to celebrate the release of their first EP, Good Old Horse, due out July 20th.

Gwyneth Moreland has a voice that invokes Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch. Michael Monko accompanies her lyrical stories with trickling mandolin, steady acoustic guitar and folk accents. Together they play pure, earnest folk that would be at home in the South, even though they both call Northern California home.



Audiences can expect the same sparse instrumentation and vocals found on Good Old Horse in Gwyneth and Monko’s live show. The duo tours in an RV that serves as a temporary home on the road. The phrase “less is more,” couldn’t be more apt for Gwyneth & Monko. “We travel in a camper van that has a sink, cook top, and refrigerator,” says Gwyneth. “We both love to travel and so we view touring as away to do all our favorite things: playing music and traveling.”

Gwyneth & Monko Tour Dates
7/24/10 CD Release Show, The Cozmic Cafe & Pub, Placerville, CA
8/1/10 CD Release Show, The Rock-It Room, San Francisco, CA
8/11/10 The Rock N' Soul Café, Boulder, CO
8/13/10 The Downtown Bar, Pueblo, CO
8/14/10 Eske's Brew Pub, Taos, NM
8/15/10 Cowgirl BBQ, Santa Fe, NM
8/20/10 Dakota Lounge, Santa Monica, CA
8/21/10 Wynola Pizza Express, Julian, CA
8/23/10 The Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena, CA
8/24/10 Linnaea’s Café, San Luis Obispo, CA
8/24/10 San Luis Obispo, CA
8/25/10 The Pour House, Paso Robles, CA
8/26/10 The Pour House, Paso Robles, CA
8/28/10 Mendo Folk House, Mendocino, CA
8/30/10 Amnesia, San Francisco, CA
9/2/10 The Axe & Fiddle, Cottage Grove, OR
9/5/10 Sirens Pub, Port Townsend, WA
9/8/10 The Green Frog Acoustic Tavern, Bellingham, WA
9/9/10 The Mandolin Café, Tacoma, WA Click Here to Read More..

GLG Fresh MP3 Friday

You need free mp3s, we have free mp3s. Feel free to post any of the approved songs below on your blog or tweet to your friends. Not on our email list to receive these directly and want to be? Send an email over to info(at)greenlightgopublicity.com

New This Week!

Sara Radle, From Four Release Date: September 14, 2010
“Song for Adam” 
Genre: Powerpop
For fans of: Jenny Lewis, Regina Spektor, Dum Dum Girls

And for those you may have missed...


Neil Nathan, From The Distance Calls Release Date: August 24, 2010
“California Run”
“Highways”
Genre: Powerpop
For fans of: Matthew Sweet, Cat Stevens, The Go, Marc Bolan

Neutral Uke Hotel
“King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)
Genre: Indie rock, Cover song
For fans of: Neutral Milk Hotel

The White Ravens, From Gargoyles and Weather Vanes due out July 6, 2010
“Sparks”
“Tick Tock”
Genre: Garage rock
For fans of: The White Stripes, Fiery Furnaces

Gwyneth & Monko, From Good Old Horse due out July 20, 2010“Good Old Horse”
“Lexington Ballad” Genre: Americana/Folk
For fans of: Jenny Lewis, Gillian Welch

Alan Cohen Experience, From Space & Time due out August 31, 2010
“Einstein”
Genre: Anti-folk/power pop
For fans of: Adam Green, Jeffrey Lewis, The Moldy Peaches

Leopold and His Fiction, From the upcoming album TBA
“Golden Friends”
Genre: Garage folk
For fans of: The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Heartless Bastards Click Here to Read More..