Monday, July 12, 2010

Staff Infection: Radiohead: Real and Imagined Soundtracks

I hope I'm not the only one who's ever experienced this. You're walking, running, biking or driving down the street listening to some music. A song comes on that transports you into the movie that is your life. There's a reason we make this connection. Soundtrack Coordinators work hard to use music to evoke a mood. When we see the movie, the action on screen is inextricably tied to the music we hear. Here's some songs that have provided that extra emotional oomph to some of my favorite real (and imagined) movie soundtracks.

Radiohead, "Black Star" from The Bends, and a super-emo mixed tape from my past.

Feist, "Mushaboom" from (500) Days of Summer Soundtrack



Thomas Newman, "Dead Already" from The American Beauty Soundtrack

"This whole soundtrack got me through my first stint in college. I listened to it over and over while I did my homework or wrote papers.Thanks for that Magna Cum Laude, Tom."

Sufjan Stevens, "Chicago" from Little Miss Sunshine Motion Picture Soundtrack (and about a million "indie" movie trailers)

Frou Frou (featuring Imogen Heap) , "Let Go" from Garden State Soundtrack

Jack Lawrence , "Beyond the Sea"
(performed in movie by Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz) from A Life Less Ordinary Motion Picture Soundtrack

"A note that the McGregor/Diaz duet doesn't actually exist on any soundtrack (and believe me, I've looked), so for full enjoyment, rent this lesser known work of Academy Award winner Danny Boyle."

Jace Everett, "Bad Things" from True Blood Original TV Soundtrack

The Shins, "New Slang" from Garden State Motion Picture Soundtrack

Prodigy, "Firestarter" from The Fat of the Land (and the inside of my head)

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: Kelly Bennett, Green Light Go Publicity Assistant
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Friday, July 09, 2010

Green Light Go 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!

Echo Orbiter, From Euphonicmontage Release Date: September 28, 2010
“Mouth of an Incomplete Twin”
“This Worm in Rigor Mortis” 
Genre: Experimental
For fans of: Elephant 6, Elf Power

Alan Cohen Experience, From Space & Time due out August 31, 2010
“Arrows of Time”
“The Uncertainty Principle”
Genre: Anti-folk/power pop
For fans of: Adam Green, Jeffrey Lewis, The Moldy Peaches

And for those you may have missed...



Sara Radle, From Four Release Date: September 14, 2010
“Song for Adam” 
Genre: Powerpop
For fans of: Jenny Lewis, Regina Spektor, Dum Dum Girls

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
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Favorite Friday with Gwyneth & Monko: Tom Waits

Good ole humble American music, gotta love it. Gwyneth & Monko are pure as sweet tea on their upcoming EP Good Old Horse. The band is also starting work on their full-length album, hoping for an early 2011 release. The couple has been working on new songs at their home studio and are clearly breathing in the airs of Gillian Welch and The Carpenters. Personally, I couldn’t think of two more perfect things in this weather. Gwyneth & Monko are the busiest of bees as they tour throughout the summer and into the fall. Don’t forget: Good Old Horse comes out Tuesday, July 20.

Gwyneth & Monko’s Top 10 Albums of the Week

1. Gillian Welch, Hell Among The Yearlings
2. Gillian Welch, (Time) The Revelator



3. Neil Young, Zuma
4. Crooked Jades, Shining Darkness
5. The Carpenters, The Singles: 1969-1973
6. Hank Williams, 20 of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits
7. Buddy & Julie Miller, Written In Chalk
8. The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonel
y
9. Eilen Jewell, Boundary County
10. Tom Waits, Orphans

“As a side note, we are loving Gwyneth's new Martin acoustic guitar - pictured here in Gwyneth's lap - doesn't hurt that Tom Waits (yes, THAT Tom Waits) was peering over her shoulder during the purchase last weekend."

Gwyneth & Monko Summer Tour Dates
Saturday, July 10 - Noe Valley Farmer's Market, San Francisco, CA
Sunday, August 1 - Official CD Release Show, The Rock-It Room, San Francisco, CA
Wednesday, Aug 11 - The Rock N' Soul Cafe, Boulder, CO
Friday August 13 - The Downtown Bar, Pueblo, CO
Saturday, August 14 - Eske's Brew Pub, Taos, NM
Sunday, August 15 - Cowgirl BBQ, Santa Fe, NM
Saturday, August 21 - Wynola Pizza Express (Red Barn), Julian, CA
Monday, August 23 - The Coffee Gallery Backstage, Lake Altadena, CA
Tuesday, August 24 - "Songwriters at Play" Weekly Songwriter Showcase
Steynberg Gallery, San Luis Obispo, CA
Wednesday, August 25 - The Pour House, Paso Robles, CA
Thursday, August 26 - The Pour House, Paso Robles, CA
Saturday, August 28 - Mendo Folk House, Mendocino, CA

Follow Gwyneth & Monko on Twitter
Like them on Facebook

Each Friday, hence the name Favorite Friday - one GLG band/artist will send us a list and comments about their "favorites" of the week. It could be a list of albums they are listening to in the van, books they are reading, guilty pleasure TV, and so on. We hope these various "favorites" will give you unique glimpse into the lives of our bands.
Click Here to Read More..

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Legendary Critic Robert Christgau Retires Consumer Guide

Referred to as the “Dean of American Rock Critics,” after an outstanding 41-year run of Robert Christgau’s Consumer Guide, music critic Christgau is retiring his infamous column.

The news comes with an almost unsettling feeling to both journalists and dedicated music fans, but will full support and understanding. It also almost comes like a punch in the gut to true music journalism; like we are losing someone we know. Cited one of the godfathers of pop music criticism, Christgau stands as an iconic influence amongst names like Lester Bangs, David Fricke or even Anthony DeCurtis (depending on who you ask, much like music criticism itself, it’s a matter of opinion who you deem “influential”).

“Barring miracles unlikely to ensue, this is the final edition of Christgau's Consumer Guide, which MSN will no longer publish following this month's edition,” the scribe said in his final July column on MSN.com. “The CG has generally required a seven-days-a-week time commitment over the 41 years I've written it, and I'm grateful to MSN for paying me what the work was worth over the three-and-a-half years I published it here. But though I always enjoyed the work, work it was, and I've long been aware there were other things I could be doing with my ears. So while I have every intention of keeping up with popular music as it evolves, being less encyclopedic about it will come as a relief as well as a loss.”



Christgau’s Consumer Guide began in short from in 1969 when he first published a set of rock reviews in The Village Voice. He later wrote a monthly column for CREEM and the CG later ended up as a highly respected and well-read online monthly column for Village Voice and eventually landed online at MSN Music. Christgau was more than just CG; he also writes essays for Barnes & Noble and appeared frequently on spots for NPR’s All Things Considered.

“The Consumer Guide at once set the template for pretty much every subsequent music review section and stands today as one of the more formidable and dauntingly complete records of popular music ever undertaken,” wrote Zach Baron on The Village Voice blog. “As a critical experiment, it is entirely unrivalled: four decades worth of extreme compression, breadth, and originality, in which one writer tried to elevate his exceptional taste and work ethic into something like a science.”

Ann Powers did a short email interview recently with Christgau for The Los Angeles Times about what the Consumer Guide meant to the author. Perhaps the best of the interview was Christgau’s final answer: “I’m not done yet.”

That’s what we like to hear.
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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

News Roundup from Indie Rock Cafe, The KEPX Blog, The Record Dept. and more

My Rare Guitars offers an exclusive video of Neutral Uke Hotel's live in-store performance at Eastwood Guitars.

Avi Wisnia's new releaseSomething New is announced on Indie Rock Cafe and The KEPX Blog

Bill's Music Forum reviews Sara Radle's Four. "Her intensely personal lyrics and the trademark sweetness in her voice invite the listener into her world, which is supported by a soundtrack of indie pop and rock."


The Bay Bridged includes Gwyneth and Monko's "Good Old Horse" on Monthly Mix Podcast.

The Record Dept. reviews Golden Friends, saying, "With this latest release, "Leopold and His Fiction have really upped the ante and set out to reinvent all the best things about rock n’ roll."

Surviving the Golden Age reviews Avi Wisnia's Something New. "On songs like “New Year” and “I Wish That I Could Stop Writing Songs About You”, Wisnia writes heart-string tugging songs about love that really stand out."

The KEPX Blog
lists The True Jacqueline's Nice Bird on Out This Week.

The Anorexic Food Critic
previews Avi Wisnia's July 11th show at Club Passim.










Click Here to Read More..

Bands on Bikes in B.C. - Hannah Georgas and Friends Hit the Road

Jeremy Fisher, Said the Whale, Hannah Georgas & Aidan Knight Present:

THE MALAHAT REVUE ‘BIKE-TO-WORK’ TOUR – JULY 2010

Talk about going green. Rarely do you hear about bands using biodiesel fuel or recycling all the garbage in their tour van. So what could be the ultimate way to protect this great earth while being a touring musician? If you’re Canadian musicians Jeremy Fisher, Hannah Georgas, Aidan Knight, and Said the Whale: you tour by bicycle. Yeah, you heard us right.

Watch the trailer and read more about this awesome tour. It's just such an awesome idea.




The British Columbia-based musicians will tour the province from July 8th through the 18th entirely on bikes. With just one vehicle carrying their instruments, the bands have come up with an ingenious and possibly the green-friendliest way to tour over 500 kilometers in just over a week. Originally from Ontario, Georgas' rose to Canadian indie fame from being hand-picked to write corporate jingles to being hailed “…the next Feist," by Exclaim!. Georgas' latest album This is Good made Canadian critics instantly perk up. Her Hidden Pony label mates, Said the Whale released Bear Bones this year and everyone is anxiously awaiting for a new album by Jeremy Fisher.

Dubbed The Malahat Revue, eight musicians will get on their bikes and get to their gigs with enough energy to still play their hearts out. Fisher who doesn’t own a car, and has toured across North America by bike three times conceived the Revue. All eight musicians will play with each other by playing selections from each others albums, which will make each night different, spontaneous and inspiring.

THE MALAHAT REVUE – JULY TOUR DATES:
Thursday, July 8, Artspring Theatre – Salt Spring Island, BC
Friday, July 9 – Pender Island Community Hall, Pender Island, BC
Saturday, July 10 – Sugar – Victoria, BC
Sunday, July 11 – Duncan Garage Showroom – Duncan, BC
Friday, July 16 – Nanaimo Entertainment Centre – Nanaimo, BC
Sunday, July 18 – Vancouver Folk Fest – Vancouver, BC
Click Here to Read More..

Monday, July 05, 2010

Staff Infection: Hot Chip

If you know me and I told you that lately, I’ve been listening to music that has an “electro” vibe, you’d probably think I’m talking about Electric Light Orchestra. However, over the past few years more and more "pop" have lingered with looped beats and keyboard blips on one track and then pure pop on another track. Although Phoenix went the other way around (electro-accented pop to pop-rock). Take U.K.’s Hot Chip for example; the band is usually known for their DFA-electronic pop quirkiness, but on One Life Stand, the band has turned down the knobs for their most emotive and non-danceable album. In the past few years, Canadian musician/producer Rich Aucoin began twisting things around from creating layered and lush experimental pop with handfuls of glockenspiels (seriously) to turning into almost this new persona on stage; hyping up the crowd to computer-beats and sing-along electronic dance jams. Oh and, this ruins my cred, and it’s not really electro.but Pink’s single “Glitter in the Air,” has recently become a Top 40 hit, which may have a lot to do with her insane live performance (you can watch below).

Hot Chip, “One Life Stand” from One Life Stand

Rich Aucoin, “Brian Wilson is A.L.I.V.E. from a limited-edition single



Lettercamp, “I Know” from the upcoming album Raccoon Panda

Small Sins, “Never Again” from the upcoming album Pot Calls Kettle Black

Major Maker, “In the Middle of the Night” from Funky Lady EP

Francis and the Lights, “Darling, It’s Alright” from It’ll Be Better

Pink, “Glitter in the Air” from Funhouse

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

This week: Shannon McCarthy, Green Light Go Writer/Blogger-in-Chief/Image Consultant

















Click Here to Read More..

Friday, July 02, 2010

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..

Favorite Friday with Naked Hearts: Kings and Queen(s) of Convenience

Brooklyn, fuzz duo Naked Hearts filled us in on a list of albums they have been jazzed about lately. From brand new CDs from Susu to old classics on vinyl like Carole King, they have been listening to grand group of albums. Naked Hearts continue their summer tour joined by two other bands consisting of male/female duos: She Keeps Bees and This Frontier Needs Heroes. That's three women and three men in just three bands. Wicked. Six people in three bands......we have mad mathematical skills here. We sure love our boy/girl bands at GLG.

Naked Hearts' Favorite Albums of the Week



Neil Young, On the Beach
Kings Of Convenience, Declaration of Dependence
Richard and Mimi Farina, Reflections in a Crystal Wind
SUSU, R and R and R
Patti Smith, Horses
The Soft Pack, The Soft Pack
Snoop Dogg, Malice in Wonderland
Carole King, Tapestry
Arto Lindsay, Salt
St.Vincent, Actor

Naked Hearts Tour Dates
Sunday, July 18, Eye Level Art, Charleston, SC
Monday, July 19, Sentient Bean, Savannah, GA
Thursday, July 22, Government Street Grocery, Ocean Springs, MS
Friday, July 23, Magic City Wholesale, Birmingham, AL
Saturday, July 24, JJ's Bohemia, Chattanooga, TN
Sunday, July 25, The Basement - Nashville, Nashville, TN
Tuesday, July 27, Broadway's - 113 Broadway Street Asheville, NC

Follow Naked Hearts on Twitter
Like them on Facebook

Each Friday, hence the name Favorite Friday - one GLG band/artist will send us a list and comments about their "favorites" of the week. It could be a list of albums they are listening to in the van, books they are reading, guilty pleasure TV, and so on. We hope these various "favorites" will give you unique glimpse into the lives of our bands.
Click Here to Read More..

Thursday, July 01, 2010

NPR and Blender Magazine Catch Ukulele Fever

We knew it was coming. I don’t know how. But we knew. Even at the very early stages of Neutral Uke Hotel, the tiny four-stringed instrument known as the ukulele, was gaining momentum as a “hip” instrument. Now that NUH has a rabid following online, we can only hope that this had added to the popularity of the ukulele that has increased dramatically over the past year.

Blender Magazine recently wrote an article titled “The Ukulele's Unlikely Renaissance.” Writer Conrad Doucette affirmed; “That's right: the humble ukulele has outgrown its nearly provincial roots to become a semi-ubiquitous and fully trendy lead instrument for a growing number of artists looking to distinguish themselves sonically or challenge themselves with an unfamiliar palette. Don't think that the ukulele is back (that is, if it was ever here)? Read on.”



Doucette mentions not only mentions NUH, but also the very unexpected release from Amanda Palmer, formerly of punk-cabaret band The Dresden Dolls. In July she will release an album featuring covers Radiohead songs on the uke. The album is aptly titled Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele. Much of this growth spurt of this now fashionable instrument began with Paul McCartney playing it some 10 years ago and then the ongoing The Beatles Complete on Ukulele project(an inspiration for the Neutral Milk Hotel via uke project Neutral Uke Hotel).

Once thought as a limited instrument primarily used in Hawaiian and Latin music, the majority of people’s knowledge of uke music comes from either Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and the oddly charming 1968 hit Tiny Tim’s “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips” (which was kind of awesome). Dare we say this is a new hipster trend? Well, no because it’s being played by so many diverse kinds of people in so many various styles. Bonus of the stringed instrument: it’s small and easy to transport!

NPR recently ran a feature on the “comeback” of the referring the uke as a “musical underdog.” I don’t know if I’d say it’s a comeback, when it’s only recently that musicians have learned the versatility of playing the ukulele to any genre of music. Scan YouTube for “ukulele” and you’ll be amazed at the viral impact of this new movement. People of all ages are covering songs of all genres from soul, traditional and indie rock. For a new documentary “The Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of a Musical Underdog,” NPR interviewed the filmmakers about the “return” of the ukulele. Documentary director Tony Coleman and producer Margaret Meagher traveled across the country documenting the varying kinds of musicians playing the ukulele. "Initially," Coleman said in the NPR interview, "When we decided to make the documentary, the thing I was interested in was the musical surprise. But I was blown away by the little instrument's power to bring people together." “Coleman also credits Paul McCartney who in 2002 performed a concert in tribute to the late George Harrison — a big ukulele fan. McCartney brought out a ukulele Harrison had given him and sang ‘Something,’” said NPR’s Susan Stamberg.
Click Here to Read More..