New Site, New Blog

Good news my friends. The launch of our new Green Light Go Music Publicity site has occurred, which means our time with blogger has come to an end. Join us at our conveniently tiny url: www.glgpub.com/blog to read (and listen to) all the latest and greatest music industry news on indie rock and Americana artists. Click Here to Read More..

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/

Click Here to Read More..

GLG Fresh Mp3 Friday

Hear it here first at GLG: Lawrence & Leigh and The Handsome Family.

We promise you, these are three tracks you do not want to miss out on!

Lawrence & Leigh are two artists on a mission: to create work that’s beautiful and bold, with refreshing originality and an infectious sense of style.

The Handsome Family, “Brett and Rennie Sparks continue to put a brilliantly surreal twist on everyday subjects, using nature imagery to evoke the weird intensity of all-consuming passions.” --Jon Young, Spin

Lawrence & Leigh from Hills and Masts
Release Date: March 7, 2011
“Chelsea Nights”
Genre: Folk/Experimental/Indie Rock
For fans of: Joanna Newsom, Dirty Projectors, Fleet Foxes
Bio/hi-res photos

Lawrence&Leigh Chelsea Nights by greenlightgo


The Handsome Family from Honey Money
“Just Like Tom Thumb Blues" (Bob Dylan Cover)
"Drinking Beer on the Roof" (bonus track)
Genre: Folk/Americana
For fans of: You should already be their fan!
Bio/hi-res photos

The Handsome Family Drinking Beer On The Roof by greenlightgo

The Handsome Family Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues by greenlightgo

Listen and download more MP3s here:
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.

Click Here to Read More..

Gwyneth & Monko Release Full-Length Album on February 15th

Gwyneth and Monko are evolving. Their new record, Gwyneth & Monko, which was recorded at Old School Studio in Caspar, CA, will more accurately reflect what the duo sounds like live, which is somewhere between folky acoustic and indie rock. 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 which will be released on February 15th, 2011.

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.

In July, Gwyneth and Monko released their EP, Good Old Horse, which evokes a feeling of nostalgia rooted deep in classic country fundamentals. Their first release as a duo, it breathes gently with down-home roots and indie folk sensibilities. Lead singer Gwyneth Moreland and multi-instrumentalist Michael Monko create intimate, pure and heartfelt songs infused with sentimental lyrics. Click Here to Read More..

The Sleep-ins Conquer Time and Space with Songs About Girls & Outer Space on October 19th

ASHEVILLE, NC (September 9, 2010) —Like all great rock n roll stories, The Sleep-Ins’ really begins in a guitar store, where Chad Corley (guitar/lead vocals) came to apply for a job shortly after relocating to Australia from Indiana. Corley struck up a conversation with Stefan Pope (bass/vocals) and found that they were on the same wavelength. That wavelength — the sound that would define the Sleep-Ins — is a soaring, melodic and often thundering indie rock with a cerebral nod to the Pixies, Polvo, Shellac and The Shins. Their first full-length album, Songs About Girls & Outer Space, out on Ingot Rock, will be released October 19th.

Songs About Girls & Outer Space is both an extraterrestrial journey and an internal one. “The whole album,” says Corley, “with a sci-fi backdrop, tells a story of the formation of a relationship, its struggles and eventual loss, a kind of rehabilitation of the characters in their personal lives, a brief flirtation with reunion, and finally an acceptance of a different kind of relationship that also happens to be necessary to save mankind. But of course that happens all the time…”

The Sleep-Ins are all about DIY. All four members have audio engineering degrees, so the urge to self-record was strong and pretty easy to accomplish. They know their equipment, too. They only use tube amps, Stefan’s got a finicky MiniMoog he plays live, and the band loves the “Hot Cake” guitar pedal, designed by Paul Crowther who used to work with Split Enz and Crowded House. Ingot Rock, Corley’s record label, is another piece of the band’s DIY puzzle, putting albums out by a handful of other indie artists as well as The Sleep-Ins.

Songs About Girls & Outer Space
Track Listing
1 Silver State
2 Angelina
3 Chrome Skull Cap & Matching Codpiece
4 Running Out Here
5 Tonya, Extraplanetary Spaceship Girl
6 Desertsong
7 Astro-not
8 Bug On My Face
Click Here to Read More..

Neutral Uke Hotel and Michael J Epstein Memorial Library Play Cafe 939

Michael Epstein has his hand in a lot of things, so it’s not peculiar that he should be playing in two different bands on the same bill. This time around he’s debuting a new project, The Michael J Epstein Memorial Library and playing baritone ukulele in Neutral Uke Hotel September 11th at Café 939.

The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library was formed when Epstein began recruiting band members on Facebook and Craigslist. “Most are intentionally people that I didn’t previously know very well. I wanted people with fresh perspectives and few prior expectations about the operation of a band and about how the music scene and music industry works.” The group numbers ten total: nine women and Epstein. He describes their sound as “Downtempo, indie folk/pop with alt-country and anti/counterfolk tinges”. Intrigued yet? You should be. Because everything Epstein does is designed to be interesting.

Neutral Uke Hotel have been playing sold out shows to enthusiastic crowds who were encouraged to sing along, and they haven’t been shy. Shawn Fogel (vocals, ukulele), Josh Cohen (melodica), Matt Girard (trumpet), along with Epstein, play the classic Neutral Milk Hotel album, In the Aeroplane Over The Sea from start to finish in a stripped down way that makes it that much easier for the audience to shout their favorite album’s lyrics.


Epstein’s band, The Motion Sick, recently played a Boston show entitled “The Rock Primary”, which was promoted by a series of campaign, scandal and faked press videos featuring the all the bands on the bill. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, another of Epstein’s musical projects, is inspired by the 60s spy show The Prisoner. Their EP, The New Number 2 features a song each for five of the show’s episodes.


Neutral Uke Hotel and Michael J Epstein Memorial Library
Saturday, September 11th
Café 939
939 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
Doors: 7:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM
Tickets: $10 Click Here to Read More..

The White Ravens Join Multi-Genre Campfire Festival

The historic Club Passim, which boasts past appearances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Suzanne Vega, will welcome The White Ravens and their keyboard-driven pop as part its annual Campfire Festival over Labor Day weekend. The White Ravens will be playing Saturday, September 4th at 1:30 PM. The festival will feature 85 musical acts from a myriad of genres spread out over four days.

The Campfire Festival is just one stop on The White Ravens’ first east coast tour. They also have gigs lined up in Philadelphia, New York and Cambridge, MA. A White Ravens show is energetic, designed to get people to move, and the best way to do that is to set an example. With Amy’s spirited vocals and impressive bass runs, and Will’s fingers flying over the keys with maniacal speed and precision, it’s hard to resist the urge to bop along. And why should you?

Campfire Festival
Club Passim
47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA
617-492-7679
1:30 PM
Tickets: $10 day pass/$30 weekend pass
Buy Tickets Online

The White Ravens Tour Dates
8/28/10 Raven Lounge, Philadelphia, PA
8/29/10 Arlene’s Grocery, New York, NY
8/31/10 The Space, Hamden, CT
9/1/10 Borders, Hyannis, MA
9/2/10 All Asia, Cambridge, MA
9/3/10 Campfire Festival, Cambridge, MA
9/4/10 Campfire Festival, Cambridge, MA
Click Here to Read More..

Leopold and His Fiction helps Clean Air Clear Stars Festival Plant Trees

San Francisco’s Leopold and His Fiction go green when they join the fourth annual Clean Air Clear Stars Festival line-up on Saturday, September 18th at 3pm. The festival features four days of music including sets by Dead Meadow, Whiskey Biscuit, Sky Parade.


In pursuit of a cleaner environment, Clean Air Clear Stars 2010 have teamed up with The Arbor Day Foundation in a partnership that guarantees five trees planted for every ticket sold. The festival runs from September 16th through September 19th at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace. For more information on Clean Air Clear Stars Festival go to http://www.cleanairclearstars.com/.



Clean Air Clear Stars Festival

Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, Pioneertown, CA

Saturday, September 18th

Leopold and His Fiction Set Time: 3:00 PM

2 day pass - $20/ Single day - $15

Click Here to Read More..

Sara Radle Begins September Residency at Casey's Irish Pub with Rare Acoustic Set and Video Release

Sara Radle will fill Saturdays with sweet pop music at Casey’s Irish Pub this September. The former Rentals vocalist will begin her residency at Casey’s on September 4th with a rare acoustic set (she’ll be joined by some special guests), and the premiere of “Fooling Nobody” and “Lucy”, two music videos from her upcoming album, Four. The following Saturday, Radle will celebrate the release of her first solo album in six years, Four.

Sara Radle has been involved with so many projects that it was hard to get back to the studio to work on her own music. But the former Rentals vocalist has finally done just that, the result being Four, a full-length album due out September 14th. Filled with beautiful, darling pop songs, complete with 60s-girl-group-inspired background vocals, string arrangements and clever lyrics, Radle’s musical career comes full circle. “…It’s been a long time coming,” says Radle. “It’s special to me…it feels like I’m back on track in my path as a musician. It’s like coming back home.”

On Four, Radle’s precious and pure pop voice is showcased in ten gorgeous songs that tug at the heart (and sometimes punch) with strings and lush layers of vocal harmonies. Every song is like a peek into her personal diary; however Radle does not fit into the simple category of girl and her guitar. She is a well-versed musician and arranger who knows how to work with Americana or folk and meld them into one another with pop magic and wonderment. Radle admits she was a bit cautious about re-launching her solo career in Los Angeles (after spending years establishing herself in Texas). But with Four, it’s not so much a re-launching, as it is just the beginning.

Sara Radle

Casey’s Irish Pub

613 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA

21+

No Cover

Show Time: 9:00 PM

9/4/10 Acoustic set and video premieres – Andrew Lynch opens

9/11/10 Official CD Release – Oh Darling opens

9/18/10 – The Breakups open

9/25/10 – Goldenboy opens

Click Here to Read More..

Golden Bloom Opens for Sea Wolf on September 19th at The Mercury Lounge

There’s just something about one-man bands. Sea Wolf, which is the chamber-pop project of Alex Church will be playing a solo acoustic set at The Mercury Lounge on September 19th. Another man famous for doing it all, Shawn Fogel, will be opening for him with his project, Golden Bloom. Patrick Park and Sera Cahoone round out the night.

No two Golden Bloom shows are alike, with the ever-changing line-up of musicians that play with Shawn Fogel keeping things fresh. Fogel constructs intelligent contemporary indie power pop that rivals like-minded peers such as Wilco, Matt Pond PA, and Ben Kweller. The singer and multi-instrumentalist is so fully committed to his music that when he records an album, he plays nearly every instrument himself; tracking layers of his own vocal melodies for some of the purest and most encouraging indie pop out today. His other project, Neutral Uke Hotel 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.

Taking its name from novelist Jack London’s 1904 seafaring adventure, Sea Wolf has evolved organically from its hermetic origins in Alex Brown Church’s living room into a muscular, full-bodied musical entity with passion to burn. Dangerbird Records will be releasing a 7" vinyl-and-digital-only single for 'Turn the Dirt Over' (from White Water, White Bloom), which will be available during Sea Wolf’s solo acoustic tour.

Sunday, September 19th
Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston St., New York, NY
Opening for Patrick Park, Sera Cahoone, and Sea Wolf (solo acoustic)
7:00pm
21+
$12 in advance (tickets)
$14 at the door

Additional Golden Bloom Tour Dates:
9/7/10 TT the Bears, Cambridge MA (w/Telekinesis and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin)

Neutral Uke Hotel Tour Dates:
8/25/10 Mills City Café, Washington, DC
8/29/10 Luckey's, Eugene, OR
8/30/10 Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
8/31/10 The Sunset , Seattle, 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..

Green Light Go Fresh MP3 Friday: NXNE Style

In honor of NXNE this week we are giving you a few mp3s of showcasing bands on the GLG roster.  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

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


Golden Bloom
"Doomsday Devices"
"Doomsday Devices" The Motion Sick style, in honor of Mike Epstein and Matt Girard who play with Neutral Uke Hotel"
Genre: Indie rock, power pop
For fans of: Wilco, Ben Kweller, Click Here to Read More..

Brooklyn-based Band, Naked Hearts, Announce Southeast Tour in July

Brooklyn-based duo Naked Hearts are ready to set hearts and ears on fire when head to the southeast with their fuzzed out ‘90s alt-rock and hypnotic girl/boy vocals. The duo has played shows with the likes of The Raveonettes, The Black Angels, and Evan Dando, delivering a perfectly delicate balance of stripped-down raw energy and moody lush vocals.


The Naked Hearts Tour Dates
6/23/10 Cake Shop- New York, NY
6/24/10 Kung Fu Necktie- Philadelphia, PA
7/18/10 Eye Level Art – Charleston, SC
7/19/10 Sentient Bean – Savannah, GA
7/22/10 Government City Grocery - Ocean Springs, MS
7/23/10 Magic City Wholesale –Birmingham, AL
7/24/10 JJ’s Bohemia – Chattanooga, TN
7/25/10 The Basement – Nashville, TN
7/27/10 Broadway’s –Asheville, TN

Listen to "Mass Hysteria" and "Call Me" off of the debut album, Mass Hysteria.

Follow Naked Hearts on Twitter
Like them on Facebook
Click Here to Read More..

The True Jacqueline Announce National Tour in Support of Full-Length Release

Upon the heels of the June 22nd release of The True Jacqueline’s debut album Nice Bird, the spritely quartet from Massachusetts will hit the road to spread their jangly twee pop across the country.

The True Jacqueline have shared the stage with Bishop Allen, Sam Roberts Band, and Golden Bloom. Musically, The True Jacqueline offer indie-rock twists, breakdowns, and unusual arrangements that always remain melodic. Their songs can be both campy and heartfelt, but they write about what they know: real life, pop culture, and historical subjects. “We pull topics from many places,” says Stevralia. “We’re kind of nerds, so academic subjects like science, math, and history--as well as science fiction--tend to crop up often.” In 2009, Spin.com tagged the band as one of “7 Undiscovered Rock Bands Worth a Listen.” On Nice Bird, The True Jacqueline present power-pop basics, indie-rock twists, and unexpected arrangements all the while remaining contagiously melodic. Their songs are playful, literate, heartfelt and always fun. The band writes about what they know: real life, pop culture, and their keen fondness of historical subjects. "...crunchy guitar riffs and...tight girl/boy harmonies, a la Apples in Stereo." -- Pop Matters


The True Jacqueline Tour Dates
6/24/10 CD Release Party Sierra Grille, Northampton, MA
6/26/10 Lompoc Cafe, Bar Harbor, ME
6/27/10 All Asia, Cambridge, MA
6/29/10 Wilbert's, Cleveland, OH
7/1/10 Lilly's Bar, Chicago, IL
7/3/10 The Green Room, Sheboygan, WI
7/4/10 Jolly 4th Festival, Sheboygan, WI
7/7/10 The Vollrath Tavern, Indianapolis, IN
7/8/10 Howler's Coyote Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
7/10/10 Tritone, Philadelphia, PA
7/11/10 Bruar Falls , Brooklyn, NY

Free MP3s
Mondegreen
It's the Water
Click Here to Read More..

Brooklyn's New Scene

In an engaging and inventive manner, this past April, Samantha Tilipman started a blog about Brooklyn's contemporary music scene. She wanted to dig deeper into the artists, their music and why Brooklyn is such a hub for creativity. She does so interviewing musicians and publicists (like our own Janelle Rogers of Green Light Go) to get to the heart of what continues to make Brooklyn a boiling pot for great music, almost a decade after the initial hype of the "hipster Brooklyn rock" was constantly being toted around.Tilipman states exactly what she intends to do with her blog Brooklyn Beats City Sounds.

"I write with a purpose."

Together we will travel the road to stardom through the eyes of a bubbling music group. We will see what it takes to make–what are the drives, desires, and dreams necessary to become known. Does making it in the New York music industry require talent or connections, a passion for fame or a passion for the art? Who’s involved in the success and who takes credit for it? These are just a few questions I hope to answer."

So far in her travels Tilipman has come across Brooklyn-based Green Light Go artists Naked Hearts and Fan-Tan, who both have new albums out this week. Tilipman interviewed both bands for the blog as well got some insight straight GLG head honcho Janelle Rogers.

Tilipman interviewed Naked Hearts' lead singer Amy Cooper about how the duo got their start and how they landed a high profile piece in Interview Magazine last year, and the band's future as an independent band.

"I hope that we’re able to still continue to make records. The main hope that I have is to be able to tour Europe; we would love to do that. We would just like to live being able to tour four to five times a year, and to plan our lives around tours. We’d record when we’re not touring. I think it’s totally possible. You just really have to keep doing what you want to be doing. There are a lot of ups and downs, and if you really love something, you just continue doing it and things will happen the way they’ll happen. I have faith that you’ll end up doing what you want to do for sure," Cooper told Tilipman.

Like many bands have done in the past decade, Fan-Tan, originally from North Carolina, moved to Brooklyn, in hopes of more support and they seemed to have found in according to their interview on Brooklyn Beats City Sounds. Among other things, Tilipman interviewed singer/guitarist Ryan Lee Dunlap about their transition from North Carolina to Brooklyn.

"It was pretty easy for us. We just moved and started playing shows. We emailed everyone as soon as we got here; it was a lot of calls and stuff. Our first show at the Cake Shop, and it was good. We had a good draw because we knew a lot of people in NYC at the time, so that sort of helped. And once you play one show at a venue you can book another show there later. We just kept doing that and then we went to bigger and bigger venues and started getting established as being able to play wherever we wanted to around the city."

The features on Fan-Tan and Naked Hearts were the direct result of a music industry insider who has seen bands come and go from the Brooklyn "scene," and as Green Light Go's publicist and owner, Janelle Rogers told Tilipman she didn't go out seeking "new: bands from Brooklyn.

"They actually chose me. A lot of my business is through word of mouth. It starts with one community and builds from there. Naked Hearts was the first Brooklyn band that I started working with and I met them from another Portland band that was called Star Fucker at the time [now called Pyramid]. And then the others were just word of mouth from other musicians."

Janelle also gave some great insight into why band's benefit from having a publicist. "From start to finish, we’re public relations because from the beginning we’re trying to help them find their identity. We don’t dictate that, we let them and we work with who they are and find their story within that. It’s targeting the people that we think would like their music. For Naked Hearts, they have their niche; an indie rock fan base that will eat them up and love them. For Fan Tan, because they’re synth-pop, the people that go out dancing on Saturday nights and listen to great retro-Brit-pop, that’s like their lifestyle. We’re playing into those things–how people would already consume the music and find the right writers for them."

Keep an eye on Brooklyn Beats City Sounds as Tilipman is adding new interviews and insights every week.
Click Here to Read More..

The Shins, Rogue Wave Have Competition

The Naked Hearts and No Second Troy album reviews are still rolling in, making us glow with pride!

Medleyville had really seems to get what No Second Troy are creating with Colors; how their indie sensibilities can be related to radio-ready lush modern rock, but the album's hues are up for different interpretation by each listener.
"In his band's bio, No Second Troy keyboardist Mike Beach talks about trying to navigate the middle ground between today’s pop and indie music, and in doing so makes a reference to pre- and post-"Clocks"-era Coldplay. Beach's Washington, D.C.-based band really has a lot more in common with The Shins and Rogue Wave in terms of pop sensibilities, attention to detail and good indie instincts – in other words, having the nerve and the smarts to throw in just the right amount of twists and turns to keep things interesting and a little different. Colors (out now) has plenty of crafty gems, with "The Black and White Movie" and "This Is the End of Me" far and away the best of the album's 12 tracks."



It may be obscure, but website Aiding and Abetting are into the '90s swing of Naked Hearts' Mass Hysteria. Read on....

"Oh, goodness. It's been a while since I've heard some honest-to-God indie rock. The Naked Hearts are Amy Cooper and Noah Wheeler (Cooper handles the guitar, Wheeler the bass and drums; both sing). Grungy, bouncy, lo-fi, sparkly, you name it. The Naked Hearts do it all in a minor key, and they make it snarl. Pop songs for the truly disaffected, I suppose. These are brittle pieces of brilliance pasted to the ceiling of a disillusioned teenager. I think we've all been there. The Naked Hearts have moved on a bit, but not so much that they cannot tap that primal pit of pain."

Click Here to Read More..

Green Light GOals: What Makes a Music PR Firm Tick

We're big on GOals at Green Light Go. GOals, get it? Yeah, I may be stretching the cleverness on that one.

We also like working with smart bands with a clear vision of their future goals, which is why that's often one of the first questions we ask when a potential band approaches us. It's also why the tables get turned and they ask a few questions of their own.

Justin Jahnke of Flame Shark asked me some questions last week which have proven to be some of all my time favorites. So much so, that I'm sharing not only the questions, but the responses with you.

What past and current bands (beyond your client list) do you really enjoy listening to?

Currently I'm listening to Fanfarlo, Frightened Rabbits, Broken Bells, Local Natives, She & Him, Yeasayer, Okkervil River. Some of my all time favorites are Wilco (especially Summer Teeth), Kings of Leon, Tegan & Sara, Ray LaMontagne!, Rachael Yamagata, Old 97's, Metric, Liam Finn, Josh Rouse, Joe Pernice, Iron & Wine, The Frames, Fionn Regan, Elliott Smith, The Dears, David Gray, Catherine Wheel, Brandi Carlile, Bon Iver, Beth Orton, Ben Kweller, Belle Sebastian, The White Stripes, Elbow, Doves, Travis

What are some mistakes bands make after a publicity strategy has been put into play?

Asking me if I've heard from Pitchfork. :-) Just kidding. The biggest mistake is not planning a tour to coincide with the release or having other activity occurring while we are going after reviews. Basically what happens in that case, is the band becomes solely reliant on the reaction of media which can be a fickle beast at best. Also contacting media directly without having an existing relationship or telling me they are doing so. I'm a big believer in acting as a team, so if the band has an existing relationship with the media contact, by all means I'm on board with them contacting directly, because at the end of the day it is about getting results. There are other smaller mistakes that occur-hyped bios etc, but I take the approach of guiding along the way so those don't really make a difference.

What can we do, with our limited resources and time restraints, to maximize your efforts/gains once we agree on the strategy that is best for us?

Be active. Always have something going on with the band, whether it be a tour or some other newsworthy activity. Some examples include videos, covering another band's song (extremely effective for getting press), or other just creative out of the box ideas. Also, bring your ideas to us--whether it's seeing an article that you think would be a good pitch for Flame Shark. For instance, a former band, Canadian Invasion, saw Magnet was covering Philly bands and asked us to pitch. Not only did Magnet bite, they interviewed them and at the end of the year and named the album one of their top of 2009.

How can we follow your work and progress to know our investment is money well spent? 

I write bi-weekly reports that I send to you that shows a log of exactly what is going on. I believe in transparency, so the report shows who we've pitched and how, responses, and coverage. In your case, I'd actually recommend setting up a weekly call where we can go over ideas and make sure you know where everything stands. I also try to stay in contact at least 2-3 times per week via email and send new responses/coverage as they come in.

Can you tell me a bit about your staff, their backgrounds and who would be working with us?

I head the national campaigns, so I would be the one working with you. I run my campaigns a bit differently than other agencies I think, because I also rely on my two other staff members to assist me in what would be their strengths. I do all the pitching and am the main contact for media, Shannon writes all the bios, press releases and most of the blog posts (I write some as well), Kelly assists in coordinating interviews, setting up the media pages, blog posts, fan profiles and basic administrative duties.

My background-I've worked in the industry for 17 years. I have a degree in Music Video and Business from the Art Institute of Seattle and a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Texas. I started out working at SXSW (5 years) and then worked for BMG Distribution (which became SonyBMG). There I was the Alternative Artist Development Rep for the eastern Mid-west region, so I was responsible for building marketing campaigns for up-and-coming bands that weren't yet on the radar--some of these included David Gray, Ray LaMontagne and Kings of Leon--these are the ones I’m most proud of because nobody knew who they were when we started. I did that for 10 years and then left three years ago to go full time with Green Light Go (I'm the owner). GLG has actually been in business since 2002, but that was when I made the leap without the safety net of BMG.

Shannon has been a journalist since 1999 and has written for major publications like Under the Radar, Venus Magazine and Devil in the Woods. She also worked as a publicist for a small Detroit record company called Gangplank.

Kelly's background is a little different. She is a big music gal and very tied into the Detroit scene. Her background is in the academic world with universities and libraries. Her organization and downright smarts are bar none which is why I brought her on. Plus she loves your sound.

Will you and your team come and rock out at our show if we play Detroit? :) 

 

Absolutely! I also feel like 1) we won't take on a band if we don’t actually want to see them play 2) it's respect, if you are willing to take a chance on my firm, the least I can do is make time for your show.  The only way it wouldn't happen for any of us is if there's already a scheduling conflict.

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Jim Diamond Did This With The White Stripes and The Ponys

You may or may not know that Jim Diamond produced The White Stripes' De Stijl and self-titled  albums and The Ponys' Laced With Romance. That's why we were thrilled when we found out Diamond was producing, The White Ravens' (the brainchild of brother and sister duo Amy and Will Bennett) album, Gargoyles and Weather Vanes. The quirky collection of  piano-driven pop melodies will be available on July 6th, but we're giving you a sneak peak with two songs available for download now.

At Ghetto Recorders, Diamond aided the duo’s juxtaposition of naiveté and wisdom, by honing Amy’s voice with wunderkind composer Will’s (who is only 17 by the way) vast talents. The White Ravens rounded out their sound with drummer Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel’s long-time drummer) who recorded with the pair at the studio.

With a whirl of complex but catchy arrangements and layers of instruments and sounds, each one of Gargoyles’ songs tells their own story. The classic rock touches (saxophone!) of “Rainstorm” tell a tale from their grandfather’s memoirs, the tenderly rolling piano and instrumental breakdowns of “Broken Halves” sings of love gone wrong while the pure pop of “Draco,” is based on the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Almost two years in the making, while each song on Gargoyles could be stripped down to a simple keyboard, it’s the smartly placed sounds and arrangements that make the album soar. “It represents two years of our creative lives growing as musicians and performers. It has our genetic imprint on it,” quips Amy.

Gargoyles and Weather Vanes Track Listing
1. Sparks
2. Tick Tock
3. Rubber Band
4. Atomic Panda
5. Detritus
6. Broken Halves
7. 30 Stories
8. Call It A Hit
9. Rabbit
10. Rainstorm
11. Draco
12. Eulogy Click Here to Read More..

"Scuzzy-pop" of Naked Hearts lures in Under the Radar

Good old Under the Radar had the nicest things to say about Amy Cooper and Noah Wheeler, aka the Naked Hearts. With a link to listen to the band's title track "Mass Hysteria," the mag had some kind words to say about the band who is picking up some fantastic press.

Under the Radar may have chosen to highlight our Brooklyn pair, but the way things are going, the Naked Hearts should and will be on your radar. Pun intended. The duo's familiar and visceral rock songs are sticking with listeners, and continue to make ears happy with each new listen.

"Former Rubies singer/guitarist and photographer Amy Cooper is now in the '90s-esque rock duo Naked Hearts. She's joined by singer/drummer, and jazz bassist Noah Wheeler, and the pair shares a home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They also share an obvious appreciation for bands such as Sonic Youth, The Breeders, and Blake Babies on their full-length debut, Mass Hysteria.

The scuzzy-pop LP drops May 11 and recording took place at Vacation Island Recordings in Brooklyn, NY. Owner and engineer Matt Boynton (Bat For Lashes, Gang Gang Dance) is set to record their next LP. Check out the bass-heavy rock of Mass Hysteria's title track above and tour dates can be find at the twosome's MySpace."

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Targeting the Band Show Invite on Facebook

I was on facebook yesterday. Ok, I'm on facebook everyday. Anyway, I saw a thread from one of my favorite journalists complaining about the number of fan suggestions he's receiving from bands he doesn't know. Reading the thread, all I could do was nod my head in agreement. Right now I have over 100 fans suggestions that range from real estate in other cities to metal bands (which sorry, just isn't my thing) and I'm finding it entirely difficult to actually motivate myself to go through it to find the ones that are legitimate.

That's just the fan suggestions. Then there's the show invites I receive from every place other than Detroit where I live. So as much as I would love to head to a show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, chances are pretty slim unless I really really love your band.

This all brings me to my point about targeting your list to those who would actually be interested in your music, rather than just clicking on every friend in your box to become a fan of your band, a friend's band or inviting to a show there is no way they'll ever be able to attend.


So here's a little cheat to target your list by market and only send to those who live there (and would be interested)!

To target those who are already a fan, facebook makes it easy (I recommend doing this before inviting friends, because it will save you time with having to select friends one by one who are already a fan).

Simply create your event like you normally would and publish it to your fan page so everyone can see it.
Under the photo of the event, you will see a list of options. Select "Update fans of..."
Check on Target this update and select by city (you can select more than one if there are surrounding cities that make sense).
I also recommend including a message of why it would be of interest to them and giving it a subject line they would open in the first place.

If you are planning to send to personal friends on your list you should create a group list based on that city.
Click on friends on the left of the page.
At the top, click on New List and name it. For instance, one of mine is "Boston Music".
Then select those friends who live in the city of the show (and would be interested).
Go back to your invite and click on the link to invite friends. Select the filter friends drop down and then select the list you'd like to target. Again, include a message of why you think they would be interested. Click Here to Read More..