Staff Infection: Best of 2010

As a college student, I love that a new year means a fresh start and new responsibilities. Between my classes last semester, work, extracurricular activities and finding time to socialize, 2010 was a hectic year, to say the least. These are the songs I would crank up in the car during my rush hour commute to forget about my everyday stressors and get lost in the sound.

Delta Spirit, White Table, from History From Below

Local Natives, Wide Eyes, from Gorilla Manor


Frightened Rabbit, Swim Until You Can't See Land, from The Winter of Mixed Drinks


Jonsi, Go Do, from Go


Miike Snow, Animal, from Miike Snow


The Morning Benders, Hand Me Downs, from Big Echo


Florence & the Machine, Cosmic Love, from Lungs


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: Gabrielle Schulte, Green Light Go Intern Click Here to Read More..

Staff Infection: Best of 2010 SXSW Revisted

As I was going through my top bands of the year, I was reminded why I fell in love with these bands and records all over again. Many of them became obsessive listening experiences to the upteenth degree. As we approach SXSW 2011, I'm reminded of bands like Frightened Rabbit, Fanfarlo, Midlake and Local Natives who blew me away at SXSW 2010. I do realize that Fanfarlo's record was released in 2009but it was new to me in 2010 so it made the list. And as a little side note, our very own Michael J. Epstein, from Michael J. Epstein Memorial Libary shot the Frightened Rabbit SXSW live video you'll see below.

I'm always a bit surprised to find I gravitate toward a very distinct sound, great pop melody, full sound, an underlying strength behind the song. It's no different this year.

So without further adieu, these are the ones that made the list in all their obsess filled glory.

Local Natives, Gorilla Manor


Naked Hearts, Mass Hysteria (Mass Hysteria free mp3)

Midlake, The Courage of Others


Ra Ra Riot, The Orchard (Live on KEXP)


Sara Radle, Four


Sufjan Stevens, All Delighted People EP (Live at the Music Hall in Williamsburg NY)


Yeasayer, Odd Blood


Frightened Rabbit, The Winter of Mixed Drinks (Live at SXSW 2010)


Fanfarlo, Reservoir



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..

Golden Bloom Plays Philadelphia F/M Showcase with Robbers On High Street and Grant Hart of Husker Du

When power pop worlds collide, magic is made. Golden Bloom’s Shawn Fogel will play a selection of Golden Bloom and Canadian Invasion songs with Philadelphia’s Canadian Invasion at the World Café Live on September 26th as part of the Philadelphia F/M Festival. Both bands are known for socially conscious, catchy pop, so audiences are guaranteed a fun, high energy show. Also playing the Green Room Music Source Showcase are Husker Du’s Grant Hart, Robbers On High Street, The Melismatics, Pearl and the Beard and REMMA.

Golden Bloom is back in the studio with Peter Katis (Frightened Rabbit, The National, and Tokyo Police Club), to produce tracks on the follow up to Fan the Flames, which was compared favorably to Summerteeth-era Wilco, The New Pornographers, and Big Star. Shawn Fogel has also been busy with Neutral Uke Hotel, a side project that has been taking the world by storm with live performances of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over The Sea which is played entirely on ukulele.

Canadian Invasion’s latest album, Three Cheers for the Invisible Hand, is an ode to suburbia filled with character sketches and infectious melodies. The band, which possesses Brit-pop sensibilities, is considered Philadelphia’s best power pop band.

THE PHILADELPHIA FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL or "PHILLY F/M" for short is a four-day festival taking place at over 30 music and film venues, with free outdoor stages, day parties and a record fair. Philly F/M will take place on Thursday, Sept 23 - Sunday, Sept 26th, 2010 and will feature a wide variety of regional, national and international musicians and films. The festival strives to be an annual event that effectively merges independent film and music in new and exciting ways. Instead of segregating them to different venues, the festival will combine the aural and the visual in dynamic settings to engage and foster new audiences for both mediums. More information on the festival can be found at http://www.phillyfmfest.com/.


Philadelphia F/M Festival presents Green Room Music Source Showcase
Sunday, September 26th
World Café Live (upstairs)
3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
215-222-1400
7 PM, 21+
Tickets: $13 (advanced tickets http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=3735)
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Golden Bloom Returns to Studio with Producer Peter Katis

Wooooooooooooooooo! We are shouting at GLG! Golden Bloom (OK, well, Shawn Fogel) is finally working on another album, which will not doubt be stellar. We seriously can not wait for his next work of pop genius.

Fogel has begun recording new Golden Bloom material, once again with producer Peter Katis! If you haven't heard, Katis is an uber producer who has worked wonders on records for The National (their last five records), Frightened Rabbit, The Swell Season, Interpol and Tokyo Police Club, to name just a few. The magic began this month when Fogel returned to Tarquin Studios with the prolific pop-maker Peter Katis. Golden Bloom's last full-length, Fan the Flames, which was compared favorably to Summerteeth-era Wilco, The New Pornographers, and Big Star and loved by critics and fans alike was recorded by Katis

So what can we expect from Fogel this time? Power pop? Rest assured. Intelligent lyrics? Certainly. The best music Golden Bloom has ever made? Absolutely. Fogel says, “[The experience] is similar to Fan the Flames in that I'm trying to make the best music I can in the moment, but I'd like to think whenever you work on something new you're in some way trying to out-do your previous work. I think the songs are really strong and more mature than the last batch of songs that comprised Fan the Flames.”

Wait, it's going to be even better than Fan the Flames? That's serious. Someone is going to need to fan us.



Click Here to Read More..