2010 was a good year and with it, came some great records. I have to say, it was nearly impossible to narrow down my favorite records of the past 365 days to a mere "High Five," so to put a little kick in the step of 2011, I'm throwing in a bonus five. On that note, raise your champagne glass, kiss a stranger, and have the happiest New Year on behalf of your friends at Green Light Go.
To celebrate the end of the nine to five, a Green Light Go staff member or artist will leave you with their short list of favorite things, better known as the High Five!
This week's High Five! is brought to you by: Lauren Mercury Roberts
I know that the basis for our weekly write-ups is to showcase what one specific person is jamming out to. To be honest, as soon as Thanksgiving hits, it’s ‘year-end’ time for me. A time to start celebrating the past year, which we survived and a time to reflect on all of the great music that we received throughout the year. So as I prepared my workings, I decided to offer up a few choice and reflective thoughts on what I consider to be the best album of the year, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs. In many ways, it’s fitting because we’re in the first official week of December and I’m delivering what can safely be heralded as ‘my most listened to album of the year.’ It’s tops in almost every possible way for me and even after two blistering masterpieces before it, this one proudly cements their stay as one of the greatest bands of our time.
A part of me is always trying to be the objective kind, always reaching for the fairer side of writing about music. And perhaps that’s the most honorable anyone can try to be when delivering some sort of judgment. But in the end, the way I feel about the music doesn’t ever need to be exclusively objective; in fact, hardly at all. Take the line “So can you understand why I want a daughter while I’m still young? I wanna hold her hand and show her some beauty before all of this damage is done…but if it’s too much to ask, if it’s too much to ask, then send me a son?” and how reductively less impactful it is when presented here in text? But I’m sure that for all of us that have heard “The Suburbs,” and for those of us that have truly felt The Suburbs, there is a lot of emotion spilling over.
In the end, it’s probably the album that’s moved me the most – there’s already a great deal of nostalgia encompassing the walls – and it’s a jolt to hear simply because of its multitude of styles. In the middle of the regular CD version is “Suburban War” (the vinyl version has it as the penultimate song and it feels completely different) and it’s the album’s send-off to greater proportions. There’s the foreshadowing in “The Suburbs,” by the time the explosion hits, “all my old friends, they don’t know me now.” It’s a substantial impact, most definitely and it resonates for a long time after the song ends. The beautiful thing is that at that point, we’re just halfway and there are still seven more thrilling rides to go, beginning with “Month of May.” It’s a spectacular package, all on one album and at the bottom are all three songs.
(I’m sorry there’s no picture of me again. I haven’t gotten around to taking one yet. Still, Molly does more than a fine job of representing me, so here she is again.)
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.
Aquarium Drunkard features a barrage of eclectic sounds ranging from vintage garage, psych, folk, country, New Orleans funk, r&b, and soul. Based in Los Angeles, the man behind the scenes, Justin Gage, also runs the indie label, Autumn Tone Records and his eclectic tastes can be heard on the weekly, two hour, Aquarium Drunkard Show which air on Fridays from noon-2pm EST on SIRIUS/XM satellite radio’s XMU (channel 26) and XM radio (channel 43). And truth be told, this show has been known to scratch at my proverbial itch for French music a time or two.
What can you find on Aquarium Drunkard? From vinyl giveaways like the one that occurred for Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin’s Je T’aime…Moi, Non Plus to interviews with The National(High Violet happens to be one of our favorites of the year), Arcade Fire and The Love Language, the blog runs the gamut from genre to content, all the while staying true to it's eclectic nature. Gage also goes straight to the source with members of bands such asPortugal the Man, Josh Rouse, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Lucero who have acted as guest contributors to the column entitled "Diversions".
1. How long has Aquarium Drunkard been operating?
Five & 1/2 years
2. What makes Aquarium Drunkard different from other websites?
The voice.
3. Do you think Aquarium Drunkard has a specific musical niche?
Anything with soul, anything you can feel.
4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
Light In The Attic Records reissue of Jim Sullivan’s 1969 album, U.F.O.
5. How does Aquarium Drunkard support independent music and what is important about doing so?
My label, Autumn Tone, has been in existence almost as long as AD. It's about as independent as it gets. We also put on shows, festivals, etc. in L.A. and across the U.S. While we have done (and still do) a number of Autumn Tone showcases the majority of what we do, event-wise, is through Aquarium Drunkard. The Mission of Burma and Thurston Moore shows were some early ones that were pretty special as I had been a fan of both for many years. As far as most memorable, I would say AD's WAVED OUT fest. We are gearing up for WAVED OUT II September 25th (with Dungen headlining) and I couldn't be more excited. 6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands.
For better or worse, yes. I still like a good rag, but it's becoming increasingly hard for them to keep up. The Internet loves its 'firsties.' Not saying that as a good thing either. It leaves less time for artists to work out the kinks before the spotlight finds them. Remember, the Beatles were around five or so years before any real success.
7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own? I really like Soul Sides, Cold Splinters, Raven Sings the Blues and Rising Storm.
8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started Aquarium Drunkard ?
Just interacting with the readers. They are really great/inspiring/interesting. The back and forth between the readers and myself has yielded some amazing discoveries --- old, unreleased demos, live recordings and videos have all landed in my email address via like-minded readers over the years. At best the blog's post inspire conversation, debate and more in the readers.
9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be? It would probably be someone like Sam Phillips of Sun Records or some of the old Delta blues guys. The real primordial shit.
10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
Something fun and way over the top. Led Zeppelin. Yeah, Zeppelin.
Every Monday we turn the tables and interview one of our favorite media outlets on how they contribute to the indie rock scene and what they see as the future of music journalism. Click Here to Read More..
Traveling music. It's some of my favorite kind. Having recently returned from a long trip to Yellowstone, I've still got traveling on the mind. A good traveling song doesn't have to be about a road trip, although it helps. It does have to have a sense of moving, which these five songs do.
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.
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 Devineand 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.fmon 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...
Running a music blog/website ca be a 24-hour job. People like Consequence of Sound's Alex Young don't have regular set hours because if you want to break the latest news, and beat others to the punch, you need to be ready to do so at the drop of a hat. That means a lot of work, late hours and scanning the Internet for new music. Based in New York and Chicago, one of CoS' coolest sections is Festival Outlook; a database that keeps track of all the newest lineup and rumors running around for music festivals all over the world. They must have spies on the inside. Considering how busy he is, we truly appreciate Young answering our questions.
1. How long has CoS been operating? We have been up and running since September 2007. Ironically enough, however, it was never meant to be one... it eventually evolved into. Initially, it was just a hobby, but after meeting Michael Roffman – who is now the President & Editor-in-Chief – it sort of quickly evolved into a full-time profession.
2. What makes CoS different from other websites? I think the thing that separates us from a lot of other websites is our passion. It’s not like we’re making a living off this – at least so far – but we’re still completely obsessed with making sure we are first to report a story, review an album, etc. We don’t have necessarily have hours. Instead, we often find ourselves posting at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. I’m not sure many other websites can say that.
3. Do you think CoS has a specific musical niche? We pride ourselves on covering all genres, ranging from indie rock and hip-hop to alt-country and electronica. So I don’t think we have a specific niche per say.
4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out? Arcade Fire, Ra Ra Riot, The Thermals, Beastie Boys, and Kanye West.
5. How does CoS support independent music and what is important about doing so? I think it goes without saying that no one buys music anymore. So the best ways to support artists are to do things like buy merch, attend a concert, and telling a friend. So make sure you do that. On CoS, we do things like post tour announcements and provide links to buy tickets and post spotlights about up-and-coming bands. We are also really trying to get into the events business, which would serve as another vehicle to showcase independent artists.
6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazines? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands? In some respects, yes, but I do think both can co-exist. A magazine is a better outlet for feature stories since it’s a more engaging activity to read print on a page than it is on a website. (People on the web have short attention spans.). But I think when it comes to news and learning about new artists, online publications take precedence. After all, a magazine cannot publish breaking news or include an mp3.
7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own? My favorite websites are twentyfourbit.com (most unique info out there), rockitoutblog.com (only music blog that is also a video blog), stereogum.com (they are some of the most clever writers out there), and brooklynvegan.com (since I live in New York).
8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started at CoS? Standing on stage during Vampire Weekend’s set at Lollapalooza last year and staring out at the 60,000 people watching.
9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be? Jack White. By far the most interesting musician alive. I would love to write a book about him one day.
10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with? The Clash? The Raconteurs? The Thermals? Couldn’t choose just one.
Before Rolling Stoneor Creem Magazine, launched in 1966, Crawdaddy! is considered to be one of the first U.S. magazines of rock music criticism. Originally born from 17-year old Paul Williams doorm room in Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, Crawdaddy! made noise across the country with features on the biggest rock bands in the world, years before other publications. In 2003 after years of personnel changes and financial constraints, Crawdaddy! shut down. Fortunately they were well ahead of the game when they brought the same integrity to the Internet version of the magazine. Now in its online version, Crawdaddy! still operates with the highest level of quality criticism, views from numerous genres, and sincere encyclopedia of knowledge of music from the 1960s to contemporary bands on the rise. Crawdaddy! writer Angela Zimmerman answered Music Monday's 10 Questions with true passion, and the broadest taste in music of one person we've seen in a long time! :) Music Monday Q&A
1. How long has Crawdaddy! been operating?
Crawdaddy! Magazine was started in 1966 as the first U.S. magazine of rock music criticism. It rose and fell a few times over the years and came back as a weekly - and then daily - online magazine in May of 2007.
2. What makes Crawdaddy! different from other websites?
Crawdaddy! celebrates music, always looking for the merit in what we cover, choosing to spend our time with the art that makes us think instead of pouring over something we dislike, just to review it negatively. Call it an earnest take on the personal realization that can be achieved through music. We cover everything that we find in good taste, be it Motown from the ‘60s, post-punk of the ‘70s, underground college radio rock of the ‘90s, to breaking bands of today. We cover the whole gamut in a comprehensive way and really let the individual writer’s experience with the music translate to the page. 3. Do you feel Crawdaddy! has a specific musical niche?
We cover it all, 50 years of rock and all its derivatives. Not that many other publications explore such a wide range. While we do stories on many major artists, we also really tend to explore the unsung heroes of today and yesterday – Gary Higgins, Van Dyke Parks, Billy Childish, Jackson C. Frank, Black Randy.
4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
Autolux, Arcade Fire, Delta Spirit, Wavves, Against Me!, the as-yet-no-date-or-much-information-about Belle and Sebastian, Sun Kil Moon. I’m really into LCD Soundsystem’s new one, and Nathaniel Rateliff as well. Oh, and Free Energy, and Future Islands. Big fan.
5. How does Crawdaddy! support independent music and what is important about doing so?
We write about a lot of emerging bands, and are always promoting new artists that are on the road. We do quite a lot of live show coverage, which gives us an opportunity to talk about bands with no big backing. We couldn’t survive without them, and we always try to express our gratitude towards these artists.
6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
I think there is and always will be a higher standard for print, although I do fear for the sustained survival of the medium. Bands have a lot more opportunity to be talked about, since there are so many blogs operating that can write about music. The pool is just so vast in terms of getting your band heard, I think a lot of times it just has to do with getting that lucky break so people start to come to your shows. All the sites that operate now live under the same big umbrella and we are all so directly impacted by what each other write, because it all shows up in our RSS feed. It creates a climate that is very dense and hard to infiltrate; the limelight is so diluted that bands have really found such new creative campaigns to make themselves rise above all the noise. It’s invigorating to be a part of it.
7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
I rely pretty heavily on my RSS feed for news, and press releases and newsletters from labels and PR agencies. I also check out Stereogum, Mog, NME, LimeWire, Paste, Daytrotter, The New Yorker’s music section, and Pitchfork.
8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started at Crawddaddy!?
We held a charity show for Crawdaddy! founder Paul Williams last spring because he is in very poor health with no insurance. We read some passages from his works (I overcame my stage fright to read the first review he’d ever written of Simon & Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence) and had artists like Jello Biafra, Mojo Nixon, John Doe and Mark Eitzel perform sets for the show, which was held at a very intimate space here in San Francisco. Ben Fong-Torres hosted, we had a great turnout, made some money for the cause, to honor the life and work of Paul and Crawdaddy! It was so special.
9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Jerry Garcia. I’m such a sucker for the Dead, but Jerry’s solo projects are high among my favorites.
10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with? Sonic Youth, who I consider the epitome of cool. That’d make me cool for life.
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.Click Here to Read More..
Brooklyn-based via Chapel Hill, NC quartet Fan-Tan, brood with post-punk Gang of Four mentality and synth-pop melodies ala The Cure. On their May 11th release Age of Discovery, Fan-Tan have brewed moody Brit-pop with tones of Arcade Fire sonic layers, honed on building on evocative and moody new wave pop infused with guitar hums since forming in 2006 in NC. New Yorker’s will get a sneak peak of Fan-Tan’s upcoming release at the local record release party at Mercury Lounge tonight with Surf City!
Back in North Carolina, Indonesian expatriates Kuki and Sandee Kooks joined with Ryan Lee Dunlap to draw on influence of the Manchester, England music scene circa 1983. After adding Mike Walter on synthesizers, the group decided on the name Fan-Tan, an ancient Chinese gambling game that was repeatedly mentioned in much of the history of the American west due to the many Chinese immigrant laborers in the area during that time, creating an “east meets west” connection similar to the band’s lineup.
Age of Discovery represents Fan-Tan’s self-discovery as a band and the spirit of adventure and exploration that keeps the excitement within making music. Exhibiting a somewhat vague overtone in order to allow fans to create their own interpretation, the album addresses the various devastating emotions and circumstances of life. The second track, “On Your Wall” shimmers and soars sonically and lyrically, while “Good Men” gives you a rush Interpol wishes they could. In five songs alone, Age of Discovery verges on epic soundscapes and soul gutting emotions. Discover what it makes you feel. Age of Discovery EP Track Listing
1. Good Men
2. On Your Wall (Download the free mp3!)
3. AOD
4. Earrings
5. No Complaint
Don't miss out on Fan-Tan's upcoming Spring tour dates
May 11 2010 The M Room--Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 13 2010 The Plaza Bowl--Richmond, Virginia
May 14 2010 Local 506--Chapel Hill, NC
May 16 2010 Snug Harbor--Charlotte, North Carolina
May 18 2010 Drunken Unicorn--Atlanta, Georgia
Click Here to Read More..
All you fans out there have until March 31 to vote for Fan-Tan to take home the gold!
Just go to the NYC homepage of Deli and click to the poll on the top right to vote!
Don't miss out on Fan-Tan's upcoming Spring tour dates
May 11 2010 The M Room--Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 13 2010 The Plaza Bowl--Richmond, Virginia
May 14 2010 Local 506--Chapel Hill, NC
May 16 2010 Snug Harbor--Charlotte, North Carolina
May 18 2010 Drunken Unicorn--Atlanta, Georgia
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