High Five! from Green Light Go's Lauren Mercury Roberts

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.

1. OK Go – Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

2. The National – High Violet

3. Beach House – Teen Dream

4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

5. Spoon – Transference

Bonus Five!

Stars – The Five Ghosts

Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

Hurricane Bells – Down Comes The Rain EP

The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt

Best Coast – Crazy for You

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

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Staff Infection: Midwestern Charm

There aren't many places in this world I love more than the great city of Chicago, so when I had the opportunity to head into the Windy City to catch up with a few old friends, I didn't hesitate to pack my bags.

Besides, seeing the cover of one of my favorite albums in person is always worth the trip:

Spending four hours in the car allowed me to listen to a whole bunch of songs that were stockpiled in my iPod, including few of my favorite driving tunes:

Iggy Pop, "Lust for Life" from Lust for Life

Hurricane Bells, "This Year" from Tonight is the Ghost

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Cheated Hearts" from Show Your Bones

The Tallest Man on Earth, "Honey Won't You Let Me In" from Shallow Grave

Spoon, "The Underdog" from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

David Bowie, "Young Americans" from Young Americans

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: Lauren Roberts, Talent Coordinator Click Here to Read More..

Staff Infection: Samples and Seeing the Light:: Right On

(*Editors note: This little lady to the left is named Molly. Molly is the face of Bryan Sanchez. We will continue to pester Bryan to show his face by the time his next Staff Infection rolls around, just to prove we like working with men just as much as other women.)

But for now, let's just let Bryan get straight to it:

The latest album by The Roots features a fantastic collection of new songs that showcases the Philly band blending the realms of hip-hop with incredible new beats. Their guest appearances are far more ranging than before – Dirty Projectors and Monsters of Folk to mention a few – but perhaps the finest guest spot is the sample used on “Right On.” Here is the song:

That sample happens to be the exact same hook that Joanna Newsome wrote for “The Book of Right On.” Here is her original version, as performed on the Jools Holland show:

The former one, which appears on How I Got Over, is the album’s centerpiece and at the heart of the album, it’s perfectly sequenced. Obviously, being the best band on late night has introduced ?uestlove, Black Thought and Co. to a wonderful array of new musicians and they’ve definitely seized that opportunity. But besides that, it’s still one of my favorite hip-hop albums of the year and probably their best album in the past five years.

Other than that, I got to see one of the best current bands, Spoon, two times in the span of three days when they played here in El Paso, TX on Wed. Oct. 6 and then in Austin, at the Austin City Limits Festival, on Friday, Oct. 8. With an immense catalog – one that has been downright exceptional since 1998 – and an impeccable musicianship that beguiles their gritty strength, the performances were surreal. Their new album, Transference, is definitely of the highest quality, here is my personal favorite song off it, “I Saw the Light.”

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: Bryan Sanchez, Bio-Writer-at-Large Click Here to Read More..

The Other Side with Chemical Sound Producers Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski

Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski (aka Jay Sad) first met as high school students growing up in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario. After graduation, Dean continued to play music and record bands on the analog reel-to-reel 8-track in his parents’ basement, while pursuing a degree in Psychology at the University of Waterloo. During this time, Jay was busy studying film at Ryerson University, where he began working with art house directors Isabella Pruska-Oldenhof and Kara Blake to write and record movie soundtracks. Dean explains, “It took a while to realize that recording would be a lifelong obsession,” but the dream finally became a reality in 2005, when he teamed up with his old friend Jason. The pair took over as the owners and lead producers of Toronto’s legendary Chemical Sound Recording Studio, best known for producing Sloan’s Navy Blues, The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site, Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, Tokyo Police Club’s Elephant Shell, and Death from Above 1979’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. Somehow, Dean and Jason also manage to find time to play in bands themselves. When Dean isn’t in the studio, he’s out playing guitar for the Tin Star Orphans, a band fronted by Zachary Bennett, or with his own project, EX~PO. Jason often plays under the moniker, "Jay Sad," which is a solo project that includes classical musicians Rob MacDonald and Dean Pomeroy for live shows.

We managed to track down Chemical Sound’s Dean Marino and Jason Sadlowski (who you can see pictured here in the studio) in between recording sessions to find out what it’s like to be on the other side:

Green Light Go: How long have been producing music and what inspired you to become a producer?

Jason Sadlowski: I've been producing professionally for about 4 years now. It all happened when Dean suggested I quit my day job and take over Chemical Sound studio with him.

Dean Marino: I’ve been a producer at heart since my high school days, overseeing the recording process of my own bands as well as other local bands, but [my career as a producer] became “official” quite recently. I started interning at Chemical Sound in 2002 and by 2004, I was getting paid to engineer. In 2005, the original building that housed Chemical Sound was slated for demolition. Rather than see a great studio go down, I decided to partner up with Jay, buy all the gear and re-locate. The previous owners felt it was a good time to retire from the “studio business” anyway…studio ownership tends to be a temporary endeavor these days.

GLG: How would you describe your role as a producer?

DM: These days the term “producer” seems to be loaded with preconceived notions, because the role [of a producer] has altered quite a bit over the last 50 years. It used to be that a producer worked for, or was hired by a record company, to discover and develop new talent. This person would “sign” the artist and oversee their recorded output as a micromanager, much like George Martin’s relationship with The Beatles. Over the years, the role of a producer began to focus specifically on the recording process. Now, we have people who set up mics, hit the record button, and want to be credited as “the producer.” There’s much more to the job than that. Now, roles tend to get blurred during the creative process. An album is usually a collaborative process between the artists and facilitators. A producer is merely another facilitator, as is the engineer, the assistant engineer, and even the lowly studio intern. Sometimes, the producer also functions as an engineer, arranger, psychological coach, or even a session musician. Today, I think, the term “producer” is more about responsibility than anything. The producer is the person who’s responsible for the completion of the record to someone’s satisfaction (either the artist and/or record label). He/she makes sure the record gets done on time, within the budget, and that the album ultimately works as a piece of art. The quickest way to figure out who the producer is on a project is to ask, “Whose ass is on the line here?”

JS: I agree with Dean. The official role is there to determine responsibility. I do whatever I can and whatever it takes, to help people make records. What this means depends on the project and artist.

Green Light Go: How does being a musician yourself help to hone your production skills?

JS: I think it's good to understand what the people you are working with are going through.

DM: Ditto…not to mention, I can also help an artist articulate their ideas, because I can sing and I can play. I can show someone how to write a killer harmony, help a drummer tune his or her parts, or arrange a song so it has a greater impact on the listener. Being a musician is a big plus in this business.

JS: Plus, [a producer who is also a musician] can give specific advice about the instrument. You can say, " Try playing that part closer to the bridge," and stuff like that.

GLG: What are some of the most noteworthy artists or albums you've produced in the past?

DM: The work I’m most proud of is the stuff where I took on the responsibility of seeing a whole project through, from beginning to the end. As of late, these would include: Automatic Movements by Everything is Made in China, The Days of Blinding Fear by Tin Star Orphans and Gospel by the Schomberg Fair.

JS: I'm proud of all the records I've produced with Dean and the few I've produced alone.

GLG: What bands are you currently working with?

DM: Currently I’m producing a 3 song 7” record for La Casa Muerte and eventually I hope to produce their first LP. I’m also collaborating with Nathan Vanderwielen (of Ruby Coast) on a film soundtrack that we intend to perform live.

JS: I just finished 2 songs on the new Wallscenery Demos album, in which I produce and perform. The Wallscenery Demos is an indie-rock project by James Hicken, who currently lives in New York. He sends me his vocal and guitar tracks and I add all sorts of stuff on top, and mix it. It's cool and messy!

GLG: As a producer, how do you know that you are a good match for a band? What things do you have to keep in mind before agreeing to work with an artist?

JS: As long as I can understand what they are trying to do and they accept what I do, we can work together.

DM: Typically, genre is not an issue for me. It’s more about a band’s willingness to accept input and constructive criticism. I’ve been labeled as both invasive and passive – in truth, the role and disposition I take depends on the project. Also, I have a “sonic fingerprint” that you can hear on most records I have worked on, so a band should be willing to accept that.

GLG: What is the best piece of advice you’d give a band that thinks they are ready to record?

JS: Be honest and understand where the band is and where the producer is. A good producer should be able to take the band up one level, not more. I'm always able to improve some aspect(s) of the bands’ sound, but the producer cannot take the band anywhere that they aren't already poised to go.

DM: I totally agree with Jay, but I would add, be prepared. The band should know their material, but shouldn’t become too emotionally attached to small details. You have to be ready to give 100% and be open to new ideas and new directions. Most of all, be ready to be revealed. It’s not my job to make anyone a better player or singer, but rather to hone in on what makes an artist uniquely intriguing.

GLG: What is your favorite thing about producing music?

JS: I'm proud of the work I do. I love records and appreciate all aspects of them. I've been lucky to work with so many super talented people.

DM: There’s this moment, usually a few months after working on a record, where I revisit [the record] and listen to it like it was the first time. I think, “This sounds really great and really well thought out.” I love that.

JS: Yes! I love going back to a record I've worked on to enjoy how good it sounds.

GLG: What’s your least favorite thing about being a producer?

DM: The long hours. I need to take breaks and press the reset button now and then.

JS: Dean's right. [Another downside is] running out of time and not being able to explore all of the possibilities.

GLG: In addition to the music you are working on, what current albums have you been listening to lately?

JS: I've been listening to the Daytrotter sessions a lot. Daytrotter is kind of an internet version of The Peel Sessions. They've made great recordings of Born Ruffians, Nurses, The Walkmen, Holiday Shores, Daniel Johnson, Cursive, Vampire Weekend…the list goes on.

DM: The pile of LPs near my turntable right now include Dog Day’s Concentration, Bill Callahan’s Rough Travel For a Rare Thing, Neil Young’s Live Rust, Caribou’s Swim, The National’s Alligator, Tom Verlaine’s Dreamtime, St. Vincent’s Actor, Talking Heads’ Remain in the Light, and Spoon’s Kill the Moonlight. All [of the music I listen to] will radically change by next week. That’s just from my vinyl collection, I won’t even get into my iPod playlists.

GLG: What is one record you didn’t produce yourself that you consider to be a masterpiece? From your standpoint as a producer, what makes this album so special?

JS: The first thing that comes to mind is Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. It's amazing that producer Martin Hannett did so much, and yet, the record is still very Joy Division. If you compare this record to live Joy Division stuff, it seems to embody and even heighten the raw essence of that band. Even though we know [Hannett] changed so many aspects of those songs, we never feel encroached by some outside influence.

DM: Wow ONE record? Today, I’d have to say, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space by Spiritualized. The amount of work that went into that record is just phenomenal and you can feel the emotional and intellectual investment. The fact that Jason Pierce assembled all those world-class musicians and developed such a rich sonic landscape in order to express some very personal and intimate ideas was a huge risk, but it worked out splendidly. The bombastic nature of the album made his lyrics all the more believable and universal, even when the opposite could have easily happened.

GLG: Anything else we didn’t cover that you’d like us to know?
DM: I love cats.

The Other Side highlights the talented folks behind the scenes of the music we listen to. The Other Side features producers, engineers, booking agents, photographers, radio DJs, management teams, and label representatives.

This week’s The Other Side is brought to you by: Lauren Roberts

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Staff Infection: Lazy Labor Day

Although Labor Day was first celebrated in New York City on September 4, 1882, the holiday wasn’t nationally recognized until 1894. Over a century later, not only does this day mark the final lazy day of summer, but it also celebrates the official kickoff of NFL and college football. Fútbol is more my speed than football, but I can’t think of many things that are more American than a bunch of sweaty guys in spandex making millions of dollars to run around and bear hug each other. Plus, as a University of Michigan graduate, I may as well put in a plug for the boys in maize and blue…even if there’s a chance I’ll be crying into my foam fingers in three months. With that said, enjoy the day off from the daily grind with family, friends, and my favorite songs inspired by the good ol’ USA:

Spoon, “Chicago at Night” from Girls Can Tell
Ryan Adams, “New York, New York” from Gold
Mott The Hoople, “All The Way From Memphis” from Mott
The Anniversary, “The D in Detroit” from Designing a Nervous Breakdown
The Replacements, “Portland” from Don’t Tell a Soul
Randy Newman, “I Love L.A.” from Trouble in Paradise
Foals, “Miami” from Total Life Forever
Katy Perry, “Waking Up in Vegas” from One of the Boys
Bruce Springsteen, “Youngstown” from The Ghost of Tom Joad
R.E.M., “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” from Reckoning

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: Lauren Roberts, Green Light Go Talent Coordinator
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Favorite Friday: Alan Cohen Lollapalooza Experience

From August 6 - 8, Lollapalooza took place in Chicago and it was, as Alan Cohen of Alan Cohen Experience will tell us, completely insanely packed with performances. He saw countless bands and for this Favorite Friday, Alan gives you his intense and completely full review of all of the bands he saw. There were a lot. The breakdown of Green Day's so-called punk set is pretty awesome. From Devo to Blues Traveler, Spoon and Grizzly Bear, we'll let Alan tell us the story of Lollapalooza 2010. P.S. Glad he wore a tie-dyed shirt to a music festival, and what's with the guy covering his face? Is he crying because of how bad Green Day was?

Alan Cohen Experience's 7 Favorite Lollapalooza 2010 Experiences (And More)

Many have been asking of my "experience" (get it? Alan Cohen Experience?) over at Lollapalooza 2010, so here I am, always ready to oblige. This "review" will be done in two sections. The first will be my top seven shows of the festival, and the second will be the rest of what I saw.

I will not talk about time travel or theoretical physics in this post, except to say that at any given point, there were two bands playing at the same time at opposite sides of the park, which was about a mile away. This was true even for the big headliners. Since quantum physics has not advanced to the point yet where I could have physically been in two places at once, I did not see everybody. I will also say that Transformers 3 was being filmed in Chicago at the same time. Oh, and iPhone 4's take amazing quality audio/video.



1. Soundgarden
Let me set the stage here.. Soundgarden, Godfathers of Grunge, Sub Pop, Seattle, 1997, Lollapalooza. Yes, Soundgarden. To PLAY A SHOW at Lollapalooza 2010. Who BROKE UP in 1997. Who have NO LAME NEW ALBUM to promote. Will REUNITE for Lollapalooza. For ME to watch. Hello? People? ARE YOU READING THIS??? Do you understand the magnitude of this? Soundgarden REUNITING AFTER 13 YEARS!!! ...Do you now understand how exciting this was for me? I mean, yeah, so Arcade Fire keeps getting described as "explosive" and "amazing" and whatnot, but there was no way jose in HELL I would miss the Soundgarden reunion (they played at the same time).

Musically, there is almost nothing to say. They played and sounded like Soundgarden. Gigantic, heavy rock riffs, weird time signatures, Chris Cornell's vocals were 100% on, no multimedia screens behind them, just awesome '90s rock and some huge winking skull. Did I mention how I personally consider the '90s rock scene one of the most under appreciated rock movements ever? We all know it was a "great" time for music, but I will go ahead and say it was a G-R-E-A-T time for music. I am gushing now, so I will move on and just say that they sounded amazing, played amazingly, and I air-guitared for two hours straight (seriously).

2. Devo
Devo are the kings of conceptual music. If you know me, you know that I attempt to write a concept album just about every other year. After seeing Devo, I now bow down to the kings. Unlike Soundgarden, Devo is promoting a new album (which is great, btw). They were born in the '50s. Not even the mid or late '50s, but in like, 1950. So, what does a band of 60 year olds sound like? F*@%ing incredible. Again, unlike Soundgarden, Devo is all about multimedia presentation. Many of their songs were accompanied by videos which were synced to the songs, and actually had a lot of plot and story in them... The videos for their new songs were especially excellent, and my favorite involved a rotating line of dancing silhouettes, where humans gradually de-evolved into monkeys. Then a space ship went around selecting its favorites with a giant finger, re-evolved them to humans, then took them aboard for a big party. How cool is THAT?!

The visuals are reinforced by the band themselves. The first half of the set was their more synthy-pop stuff, with a drums, guitar, keys, vocals setup and their new, grey military-ish uniforms. Devo songs in general are relatively "sparsely" arranged, and the band members did not move unless they were playing notes or a riff, giving a very robotic feel to their stage presence. Halfway through, they put on a video about the de-evolution of man (ya'll know that this is the concept and namesake behind Devo, right?), and changed into their classic yellow plastic baggy costumes. Then they came back in a rock setup (guitar, bass, drums, vocals) and CHANGED HOW THEY MOVE! Seriously, they actually changed how they physically interacted with the music with the change in styles. Devo, a bunch of senior citizens, absolutely schooled every other band at the festival on stage presence. Bravo!

As a band, Devo is made up of the caliber musicians you just don't see anymore. Go listen to recordings of The Band, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, etc etc. I think that every professional rock and roller in the '60s and '70s were classically trained musicians, and Devo (who formed in the '70s) are no exception to this. If you are in a band, go watch a Devo show: you will go away with a list of a dozen things to work on for your next concert.

3. MGMT
Is the story true? Did MGMT's label push them into working with a specific producer to generate a specific sounding album? Did the MGMT dudes really use their debut success to strong-arm the suits into letting them record and release the album they always wanted to do? Or, did MGMT go down to the crossroads, where the devil tuned their guitars/synthesizers? If that makes no sense to you, please read about Robert Johnson and listen to his recordings.

Whatever the case, I have never done such a dramatic 180 in my opinion of a band as I did with MGMT. To be brutally honest, I hated their first album. I hated the songs, I hated the production, and I especially hated the "tonal palate." Why did they use THOSE types of synths? Well, let me tell you people, their second album is awesome. It's Bowie, it's space rock, it's just great all around. Needless to say, I was very excited for their set. And... wow! MGMT is now a five-piece band: 2 guitars, bass, drums, keys. At the show, they pretty much played half their first album, and half of the second one. And you know what? Everything they played sounded f-in' wonderful. Even the old songs, which are definitely weaker then the new ones, sounded good. Sooooooooooo much better as rock songs then as hipster techno crap. They were well rehearsed, hit all the notes and transitions perfectly, and the vocals were right on. The sound at festivals is never great, for the simple reason that there is one setup for all the bands, and the sound guy/gal sets the levels during the first song. A good band chooses their tones carefully, and plays consciously with each other to set their own levels. MGMT did this, and they transcended the notoriously bad sound at that stage because they are just a great band now.

The single weak point of the set was their rendition of "Kids," which was done karaoke style with the main dudes singing over a pre-recorded instrumental version of the song. Why did they do this? Why was this the moment when the crowd went the most wild? Did they miss the rest of the set? Were we at the same show? And a BIG F-U to the stupid teenage h@%ster girl who crowd surfed and landed on my fiance's neck, then refused to apologize.

4. The Strokes
Usually when I write "people have been asking me...", I am exaggerating. But many people have actually asked me, "did you see Lady Gaga?" Noooooooo!!! And by the way, she has a really obnoxious fan base, which I had the opportunity to come in contact with on a mass scale at Lollapalooza.

I went to go see the Strokes instead. They were great, played well, sounded relaxed, Julian's voice was right on, and they really know how to play to a huge field of tens of thousands of people. I'm a casual listener of theirs, but I really enjoyed their set. Their songs are short, so they pretty much played everything. Julian also had a nice, humble demeanor during the set and his banter.

5. Grizzly Bear
I love this band. I'll admit that I don't listen to their recordings too much, but this was the second time I saw them live this summer. When I listen to Grizzly Bear, I get the feeling that I am missing something about their music. By that, I mean I feel a need to sit down with a music theory textbook, and really give an academic analysis to their songs and arrangements. Their music is both pleasing to listen to on an immediate level, and both gives me the desire to study it. That, my friends, is the mark of a great band.

They are a bit on the low key side in some ways, so their late-afternoon placement was perfect. People say I look like their guitarist, so maybe that has something to do with it as well. Better then being told I look like Ray Romano.

6. Spoon
These guys are a class act. Have you seen them yet? You really should. Another band that I don't listen to much on disc, but really enjoy live. They really do dominate the mid-tempo, groove rock market, and manage to stay far far away from the musical stylings of bands that give mid-tempo groove rock a bad name. They are dark, they have edge, but yet still manage to sound cool, hip, and danceable. How do they do this??? This is a band that is impossible to understand unless you see them live. And I don't mean this in the sense that they run around like idiots on stage, and that makes them "Unbelievable!!!! Explosive!!!". I just mean that recording technology is just not good enough to capture the power in their arrangements.

7. The Food (not a band, but actual edibles)
We all know that comparing food to music is like comparing apples to... you know where this is going. When making my top 7 list, I used the mindset of, "What was memorably good? What was standard good?" The "standard good" stuff continues below, but the food definitely fell into "memorably good."

Bravo Top Chef Superstar Graham Elliot Bowles was given the task this year to curate the "Chow Town." Yes, he actually curated the food selection. For a foodie like me, that is a wonderful thing. Everything there was "walk-around and eat" friendly, and everything was under $10 - groovy! Some highlights were Graham's lobster corn dogs, the Asian pork belly sliders, and the Lou Malnati's pizza. My festival fave was the Franks 'N' Dawgs sausage sandwiches. Holy crap were they good.

They also had free water bottle filling stations all over. Big applause to the organizers for providing this, and not charging $4 a pop (ala Woodstock '94).

And now the rest of the bands.

Green Day
Chose Green Day over Phoenix for the Saturday headliner. Actually, we hit up the first part of Green Day (which was pretty bad), went back to Phoenix, couldn't get a close enough spot to hear well, and went back to the musically superior stage that housed Green Day. They played their hits, and Billie Joe (Armstrong) kept insisting that, "f@$k the man, we will PLAY ALL NIGHT!" This obviously wasn't true, because outdoor venues in the middle of cities have strict curfews, which they honored even though he said they wouldn't.

"Lame" is a good word to describe their show. Most of their hits were more of a sing-a-long then an actual performance, "Let's hear it from YOU!" The "punk attitude" was so awkwardly forced. At one point, Billie Joe was ROLLING AROUND ON THE STAGE, being "punk," yet the whole shebang was carefully choreographed. You had horn players on stage Billie! They weren't following your antics, it was all planned! I didn't have huge expectations for Green Day, beyond thinking that it would be pretty cool to hear them play songs off of Dookie. But man, too much mascara or something: Green Day is no longer a band, and now more reminiscent of a Broadway show... wait a minute....

Wavves
Wavves was pretty cool, the first band I saw at the festival. Nathan Williams is a hipster hero, but he has enough talent to back it up. Taking on the bass and drummer from Jay Reatard's old band was a good idea, and they provided a nice rock edge to his beach boys-y (Boise?) melodies.

The Walkmen
Forget Spoon, these guys are the real deal class act. OK, don't forget Spoon at all. The Walkmen formed at a prep school in DC, and it shows. Despite the heat, the lead singer still wears most of a suit. Their music is very... good. To be honest, 45 minutes is a good amount of time to see them, and anymore would probably start to get a bit boring. By the way, don't even bother with their albums, which are REALLY boring. They are much much better live. They do well with sparse-ish low-key arrangements, and they're not afraid to be at the slow side of mid-tempo. I give them a solid B. Would see them anytime, but wouldn't regret missing a show.

The Big Pink
Did not like this group at all. They were a good enough band playing mediocre new wave songs, with one dude whose sole role is to abuse a sampler machine. WTF was with all the industrial NIN-ish sounds that were REALLY FREAKING TOO F-IN LOUD AND DROWNING OUT THE REST OF THE BAND?! This is one example where if they just got rid of that one guy and all his musical contributions, they would be much better for it. Also, is their name supposed to be ironic? Do they even know what "The Big Pink" was? That should represent music in the style of Bob Dylan and the Band, not some industrial techno-rock hybrid. British people are so weird sometimes.

Hot Chip
Another band I just can't get into, despite many of my friends and loved ones considering them "a favorite." The caveat is that their keyboard player was off with his birthing-wife, so a big hole was left in their music. They seem like nice, sincere, and fun people, but their songs... eh. Again, another British band that insists on jacking up the sampler machine, except Hot Chip instead used it to play the same freaking techno/disco beat for every song. My fiance loves this band, so I will stop trashing them and say, "OK, OK, I'll give them another shot."

Jimmy Cliff
How could I not go see Jimmy Cliff? The man is a legend, and I have been listening to his classic album, The Harder They Come all summer. He's 62, with plenty of energy, and still apparently partakes in the Rasta rituals showcased in his movie from the '70s. His band was all young, musicians-for-hire, so they sounded great, and all had big smiles (and Jimmy Cliff.com T-Shirts). At what point as a musician do you start to be your own cover act? I can't answer this, but Jimmy Cliff probably can. It was good and fun, worth seeing for the historical value.

Morning Benders
These guys are great! They played the small stage first thing in the morning (noon). Their sound translates REALLY well to the stage, and they sound huge, melodic, all with a very mature sense of tempo (young bands tend to rush). Probably the Berkley, CA in them or something.

Harlem
Quite the opposite of the Morning Benders (though they played almost back-to-back on the same stage), they are a young band with a ton of nervous energy, that rushed through their songs so much that they ended early! They must be the only band at Lollapalooza to have done this. Whatever. They are garage rock, and it worked for them. The drummer and guitarist switched instruments halfway through. Their songs are short and punky rock, almost Replacements-ish.

Blues Traveler
Yikes, what a mess they were. I went to their set hoping to catch of glimpse of the mid-'90s jam/blues/rock scene that originated from Princeton and landed in NY. I've heard plenty of great Blues Traveler shows, and I found myself saying to people, "They are SO much more then 'Run-Around'." Well, the truth is, in 2010 they are not just "Run-Around," they are bad at it! They started with that song, then went into Sublime's "What I Got" (lame), then into a jam... where the bass player attempted to do a cool, funky "slap" bass groove, but was WAY ahead of the drummer, and the organ player was holding whole notes, John Popper wasn't even playing, and the whole thing was a big, sloppy mess. Big thumbs down to this one, and I used to love this band!

The XX
More Brits with a sampler, although they do it pretty well. Their "drummer" is really a guy with an Akai (that rhymes), but instead of hitting "play" for a big, ol' rock-a-long, he actually plays the sounds with his hands. This band is weird, gothy, loves their quarter notes and eighth notes, and has a VERY sparse, empty sound. Apparently their keys player quit, and they didn't bother replacing him. Also, their music is s-l-o-w. Not my personal taste, but a cool band - respeck, respeck. The guitar player needs to practice, though.

Deer Tick
I was mostly catching up with an old friend during this set, so I wasn't paying too much attention. They are alt-country from Rhode Island. At their best, they are like... I can't place my finger on it. Wilco? Maybe. Tom Petty? His more bluesy stuff, I suppose. At their worst they are bad singer-songwriter music (not that all singer-songwriter music is bad, but bad singer-songwriter music is bad).

Blitzen Trapper
Hmmmm, I just have no motivation to write much of these guys. They're pretty cool, and so are their music videos. Go watch and enjoy them.

Mumford & Sons
Another caveat - it was really super hot for their set, and they played on a stage on a field of pavement (not the band). It got physically uncomfortable because of this, and I was having bad flashbacks of being at an Indigo Girls concert (which I have never gone to). Maybe it was the overwhelmingly female-dominated sing-a-long, or the humidity, or the harmonies, or the "take themselves too seriously Americana, but from England" shtick of theirs. But, my friend RRS will kill me, so they were pretty cool, you should go watch them, and they are a lot like Gaelic Storm.

Hockey
Saw them for about 10 minutes at the small stage. Sounded fun, wore cool '80s costumes. Did not see enough to judge, because I was hungry for a Franks & Dawgs.

Yeasayer
Victim of bad sound? Think so. Also, we were standing way to close to the subwoofers, which meant I could only hear the kick drum for the first half of the show. When I went further back, I heard what the rest of the band was playing and my opinion changed for the better. Cool stuff, you will either like them or not. I don't know think they are good enough to "love", nor bad enough to "hate". Somewhere in the happy middle. The lyrics are cheesy, "raise me up/walk to the river" sort of thing, but cheesy in a good way. Like how pizza is "cheesy" and nachos are "cheesy." You dig? Click Here to Read More..

Music Monday - Medleyville.us Talks Spoon, The Gaslight Anthem, Arcade Fire and More

With the endless amount of music websites and blogs popping up, it’s hard to keep on top of them all. Medleyville.us might not currently be on your radar, but we hope to change that. Chris M. Junior, founder and editor of Medleyville, is not just a blogger, critic and editor; he is a massive music fan. Yes, we all are, but after talking with Chris, it was nice to hear that while he’s up to date on indie and underground bands, he’s also got a firm familiarity in music from past eras. He can use those music roots to connect artists he loves like Tom Petty, Sam Cooke and Carole King to My Morning Jacket and Neko Case, etc. He gets extra points for pulling out Buck Owens and Sam Phillips. Chris not only has a lot to say about the state of music criticism, he has a lot to say in general. We dig that; we’re talkers.

Music Monday Q&A with Medleyville

1. How long has Medleyville been operating?
Medleyville.us was launched March 1, 2004. I came up with the idea for the site a few months prior and had a friend handle the technical side of things. I decided to launch my own site in order to keep myself busy between full-time journalism gigs. I also thought it would be a productive way to keep my name out there as I tried to hustle up some paying freelance writing opportunities.

From the start, I’ve had a handful of music-savvy friends with writing backgrounds contribute to the site as well. I never wanted Medleyville to be a one-man show, and it’s safe to say the site wouldn’t exist without their input.



2. What makes Medleyville different from other websites?
…It focuses on both emerging and established artists from various genres and eras. It’s more like an online version of a general-interest music magazine, hence the motto “music coverage for eclectic tastes.”

Another thing that’s a little different about my site is I prefer to run interviews and features. These days, anybody can write a CD review and post it online, but not everyone can conduct a good interview with an artist or write an interesting narrative feature.

Something else that’s a little unconventional about the site is the way we do CD reviews. There are three formats: a traditional review that’s a few hundred words, a collection of one-paragraph reviews known as Quick Spins and a multi-author, conversational-style review of a single release called Disc Discussion. No matter what, we try to be fair in our criticism and commentary and not resort to pontificating or taking cheap shots.

3. Do you think Medleyville has a specific musical niche?
Not really, and I think that’s what makes the site different from most others. Rock tends to dominate Medleyville, but I don’t discriminate against any style. My personal musical collection runs the gamut, and I see nothing wrong with a website covering a wide musical range. I know the tendency these days is to serve a niche audience, but writing about one musical style all the time would bore the crap out of me.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
A lot of the albums I was looking forward to this year have already been released. They include the new ones by Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Gaslight Anthem and Justin Currie. As for what’s on the horizon, I’m looking forward to Tin Can Trust, the new Los Lobos. I’ve been a fan of the band for more than 25 years. I recently heard a cool new song by The Arcade Fire that now has me interested in the rest of The Suburbs.

5. How does Medleyville support independent music and what is important about doing so?
The term “independent music” means different things to different people. To me, it has nothing to do with a specific sound. Indie music means any act – new or veteran, regardless of genre – that’s not with one of the remaining major record labels/music corporations and has a strong DIY ethic. That said Medleyville.us does support indie music. But one important qualifier for all artists looking for coverage on my site – and exceptions are very rare -- is that they must be touring acts. Anybody can sit at home, record a song, post it on MySpace or wherever and claim to be a musician or an artist, thinking an online presence is a way around playing gigs. I hear from people like that from time to time.

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
Yes, I think there are a few online publications that are very much on par with print magazines. Pitchfork, for one, is probably as important today as Rolling Stone or Spin in terms of having its finger on the pulse of what’s new, good, different and important. There’s no doubt that the impact of online publications on bands has been tremendous. On the positive side, bands have plenty of outlets they can pitch for coverage.

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
I read the online and print versions of Billboard, Rolling Stone, Spin and Time Out New York on a regular basis. I’ll pick up Paste, Magnet and Alternative Press now and then.

As for blogs, I check out Pitchfork, BrooklynVegan and Time Out New York’s The Volume. Also, I often listen to the online streams of radio stations from around the country, such as Austin’s KGSR, San Francisco’s KFOG and Philadelphia’s WXPN, and their respective sites have good, useful news and information. I also read Jim DeRogatis’ Pop N’ Stuff blog. Jim is one of the best music writers today, and he also is a co-host of the radio show “Sound Opinions” with fellow Chicago music journalist Greg Kot.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started Medleyville?
There have been a few. Recently, John Mellencamp’s website posted my short review of his box set On the Rural Route 7609 on his news page. For a little site like mine to get a mention on a major artist’s site, that was a surprise and a thrill. Generally speaking, the past year or so has been important and satisfying for Medleyville. In that time, I’ve had more artists, publicists and labels contact me about being featured on the site. That tells me we must be doing something right. We’ve come a long way…

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Of artists who are still alive, I’d have to say Keith Richards, Paul Westerberg, Tom Petty, Elton John and Elvis Costello. I’ve never read an interview where any one of them just phoned it in. After those guys, the list would include Carole King, Steve Cropper, Neko Case, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Allen Toussaint, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder and George Jones.

As for deceased artists, at the top would be Buddy Holly, followed by Sam Cooke, Rick Nelson, Marvin Gaye, Buck Owens and producer Sam Phillips.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
I’d say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Booker T. and the MG’s and The Byrds. Those three epitomize what I value most in bands: great chops, instincts, restraint and taste – and, of course, great songs. And in the end, it always comes down to great songs.

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