Staff Infection: Spin City

It's 2pm on a Monday and I've been counting down the hours until my spinning class at 5:30pm. Who would have thought I would have ever been excited about exercising. Certainly not me. I've also found a new found love for Rihanna and Eminem as a result. I'll spare you from that playlist though, instead offering a solid indie rock list grounded in my roots of what makes me oh-so-hipster-cool.




Animal Collective, "My Girls"


Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"


Lily Allen, "Smile"


Apples in Stereo, "Can You Feel It?"


Arctic Monkeys, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor"


The Black Keys, "When the Lights Go Out"


Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Shuffle Your Feet"


Blur, "Girls & Boys"


Bridges & Powerlines, "Balcony"
Bridges & Powerlines - Balcony by greenlightgo

Brandi Carlile, "Dying Day"


Coconut Records, "Microphone"


Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. "Simple Girl" "Live on KEXP"


The Delays, "Valentine"


Broken Bells, "The High Road"


The Cooper Temple Clause, "Promises, Promises"


Each Monday a different Green Light Go staff member will let you in on what songs have infected their ears for the week, while giving you the opportunity to share in the experience yourself.


This week: Janelle Rogers, Green Light Go Owner and Publicist Extraordinaire Click Here to Read More..

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.

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Staff Infection: NPR Style

A few things occurred to me as I put together my staff infection this week. First off, I was most definitely in an NPR mood over the past week, with soulful songwriters ringing in a resounding theme. Coincidentally all four of the groups I chose are what I am officially coining "and bands". Those bands which are joined by an "and" to make their sound complete. Three that made my list were Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Ray LaMontagne so inspiration hit me right over the head when Paste Magazine posted the upcoming single off his album due out in August. And although Gwyneth & Monko are more country Americana than southern soul,  had to add them quite simply because they fulfill my theme of and bands and are most definitely an NPR band. 

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs, "Beg Steal and Borrow" from God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise  (Courtesy of Paste Magazine) Release Date 8/17/10

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "First Flash of Freedom" from the album Mojo available now.(Courtesy of Tom Petty.com)

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, "I Found Out the Hard Way" from the album, I Found Out the Hard Way Available Now (Courtesy of KEXP)

Gwyneth & Monko, "Lexington Ballad" from the album Good Old Horse  (Courtesy of Green Light Go Publicity) Release Date 7/20/10

Every week a different Green Light Go staff member will write about what bands have infected their ears for the week and give you an opportunity to hear it for yourself.

This week: Janelle Rogers, Green Light Go Owner/Music Publicist Extraordinaire Click Here to Read More..

KEXP names "Some Sweet Relief" the Song of the Day

Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is “Some Sweet Relief” by Speck Mountain from the 2009 album Some Sweet Relief on Carrot Top Records. Speck Mountain consciously avoids the extremes of shoegaze and folk, instead cherry-picking each school’s finest qualities and bolting them together with the sincerity and richness of Motor City soul, creating oscillating texture grounded in human truths and softening reality’s sharp corners with warmth and sonic space...they will send you searching for your headphones, closing your eyes and sinking into the floor. Some sweet relief indeed. Click Here to Read More..