Month: August 2015

Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Something to Chew Mix

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Nashville really is a beautiful wonderful city for live music.  There is way too much awesome stuff for one person to see anywhere near it all.

Friday evening, I hung out the WXNA folks.  They are working a really cool thing. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wxna-lpga/x-plosive-radio-wxna-lpfm-nashville/widget/video.html

Then, I spent a rare evening in Midtown and saw Taylor Alexander and Lindsay Ellyn, The Gasoline Brothers, and Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau and hung out with friends.

Saturday night, I went to The Basement for Pony Boy’s CD Release Show – her new album Blue Gold is amazing by the way. Lilly Hiatt opened the show and was awesome.  Pony Boy was spectacular and Robyn Hitchcock joined to play harmonica on Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, and yes, I did get to introduce myself as the goofy guy who made the Soft Cell joke. 🙂  Justin Collins and the Cosmics closed the night with some really great high energy rock.  Justin and Adam Landry produced Pony Boy’s new album. They are the duo behind Deer Tick and Diamond Rugs and Black Vincent (who we have been featuring here of late). I got to meet Adam, too. 

Sunday night, a great night at Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row.  Julie Christensen and Patterson Barrett performed some of Julie’s awesome songs.  Russell Thompson played with Megan Palmer, and then Megan did her own set and reminded me again of just how awesome she is.  For the last song, she and a chorus of great female singers (Julie Christensen, Ariel Bui, Nellie Clay, and more) closed the night with a rip roaring rendition of Palmer’s “Knife Twister”.  Oh and Victoria Williams was in the audience, too.

Tonight, I am going out to see my friends Zach Red Stacy and Taylor Alexander playing 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge.

“Carried” by Jelena Ciric

Another track from Places. Jelena was born in Serbia, lived in Toronto, and now teaches voice in Mexico.  This is the kind of music that I hope never goes out of style. Harkening back to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and yet highly original.

“On the Safeside” by Webb Wilder

From Hybrid Vigor, this music never fails to lift my spirits.

“I’ve Got You Covered” by Sugar and the Hi Lows

Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup – two acclaimed singer-songwriters (both part of the Ten Out of Tenn collective) – teamed up a few years ago to perform together as Sugar and the Hi Lows.  They just released their second album, but this song goes back  to their self-titled debut.  They are playing later in September at the Ryman with Kacey Musgraves.

“You Gotta Move” by Amy Black

Amy Black brings the Blues with another track from her Muscle Shoals Sessions.  The song is a traditional African American spiritual that was popularized by Mississippi Fred McDowell, and was later covered by The Rolling Stones for Sticky Fingers (one of three songs from that album recorded at Sound Studio in the Shoals).

“Ginnie and Lou (From Kalamazoo)” by Darrin Bradbury

Just about every day, someone will stop me in the street and ask, hey aren’t you the guy on the Darrin Bradbury record, The Story of Bob?  When I admit that yes, I was the inspiration for the picture, they ask what is it that makes Darrin Bradbury so awesome. This song kind of encapsulates that mystery for me.  Yes, Darrin can be funny and offbeat.  But, he can also write a beautiful and tender song like this one. I could not find a video version of Ginnie and Lou, so I have included an old video (featuring a short-haired Darrin Bradbury singing the equally tender, “You Are Cordially Invited to My Backyard Pass Out Fest”.

“Zia S’dba” by West Philadelphia Orchestra

Some perfectly awesome Balkan inspired music from The West Philadelphia Orchestra from a World Café Session.

“Harder to Lie” by David Ramirez

From the brand new album Fables via a Noisetrade release that features songs recording live during an Eastside Manor Sessions recording.  This is the album version of a track from Fables.

“Relatin’ Dudes to Jazz” by fIREHOSE

From the debut album by fIREHOSE, Ragin’ Full On. I am of the camp that does not think that there is any reason or point in comparing fIREHOSE to the Minutemen. For my part, I am just glad that Ed Crawford convinced a still grieving Mike Watt and George Hurley to start playing again.  fIREHOSE made some great music during their run.

“Rocking Chair” by The Districts    

Another World Café Sessions recording the Philadelphia band. This is the opening track from the band’s self-titled EP.http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js

VIDEO PLAYLIST


  

Featured Friday Morning Music Shuffle – The Black Bruce Wayne Mix

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Well… another work week is just about done… Since it is Friday, it means it is time for Featured Friday in which we shuffle songs from a smaller subset of our usual playlist. This subset includes mostly songs from albums released this year which have been sent or given to me to include at Ear to the Ground.

Let’s just do it….

“Big Star” by The Poorhouse Says

Another track from as patterns go, the most recent album from St. Louis based, The Poorhouse Says. I am continuing to enjoy this record.

“Want” by [debut]

Our final track from Postcards from Berlin… some really cool electronic music from Los Angeles.

“Hammer” by Angela Easterling

The opening track from Angela Easterling’s new album, Common Law Wife.  I mentioned that I got to meet and hear this song and others on Tuesday night at The 5 Spot. Angela and her common law husband and guitar player Brandon Turner sounded great, and this is a wonderful album that features many of Nashville’s best musicians backing it up.

“Revolutions” by Grumsling

This is the last song on Oakland based Grumsling’s album called, Full Coverage. The band call their sound New Classic Rock and Story Rock.  I really dig the band’s sound which is pretty unique. And as I’ve mentioned before, they have their own character (mascot???, avatar???) that looks pretty mischievous.

“uMakemeFeel” by Rich Robbins (feat. Janel Leea and Taniesha Broadway, prod. Since ’93)

Another great track from Nimbus – the debut album by Rich Robbins – a young hip-hop artist who is from the suburbs of Chicago by way of other places and who attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison on a hip-hop scholarship.  How cool is that?  This is one of my personal favorites from the album.  A killer hook and some great voices backing up Rich Robbins.

“Common Law Wife” by Angela Easterling

Back to Angela Easterling – this time with the title track of her new album.  She did this one, also, on Tuesday.

“Tyger Bay” by Reckless Johnny Wales

The enigmatic troubadour is back in the shuffle with another track from his new album American Heart.

“Celestialism” by The Foresters

It seems fitting to end the week with a track from the new album, Sun Songs, by The Foresters of Bethany, Connecticut.  We have had different artists from the Dord Music Group in our shuffles all week long, and The Foresters are the first and foremost Dord Music Group artist.  To recap for the uninitiated.  Several years ago, Jack Nork took his three young sons to a Green Day concert, the boys came home and wanted to start a rock and roll band. So their parents bought them instruments. That the kids had talent was apparent to me and many others the first time I heard them – back in 2012.  They generally played Pop Punk music heavily influenced by the band that got it all started.  At the time, I made a joke that the band’s average age was just over 10 years old, but that they played their music at 11… Flash forward three years, the band is older, and as a good listen to Sun Songs reveals, the band’s sound has evolved and broadened.  “Celestialism” is the penultimate song on the album.  A gorgeous instrumental rock song that seems a million miles away from their (albeit awesome) Pop Punk roots. With multiple side projects and a laser-focused dedication to music, the future looks bright for The Foresters.  (the recap of the Foresters’ history is mine based upon a shoddy memory of things I have read.  It was probably way cooler than I made it out to be, and possibly different.)

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VIDEO PLAYLIST

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – The Holiday’s Complete Mix

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I got to see and hear some of my favorite East Nashville songwriters last night and I was home before 9:00.  Brian Wright opened up Joe Fletcher’s final residency at The 5 Spot, and he had Aaron Lee Tasjan play with some, and then Darrin Bradbury and Brian did Darrin’s song, “Blue Highway” which is one of my favorites.  And, Joe Fletcher played his amazing songs and had Brian Wright and Aaron Lee and Margo Price join him, and at the end they all did “I’m Waiting for My Man” – the Velvet Underground song, and it was a pretty awesome moment… plus I got to see and hang out with some of my favorite people.

I’m staying in tonight and gearing up for a very busy end of August into a crazy busy September. 

Today in the shuffle, we have some really cool songs from a variety of genres – including a couple that I didn’t even know existed….

“Trouble in Your Blood” by Robyn Hitchcock

A friend of mine recently posted something on social media about serving Robyn Hitchcock in the coffee shop where she works. This song comes from his album, The Man Upstairs which was released about a year ago.  The recording I listened to was another of those way too awesome World Café Sesssions that I have had sprinkled through out my shuffle ever since they offered 100 songs for free download.  I saw Robyn Hitchcock  about 23 years ago at an Earth Day concert in Foxboro, Massachusetts.  Robyn Hitchcock was a member of the 1970s English band The Soft Boys.  As I was listening to this, it occurred to me to write all about how Hitchcock was in Soft Cell who had a decent sized hit with Tainted Love in the 1980s and to go on and on about how different his solo music was then that.  And then see, if anyone corrected me and how they went about it.  But I didn’t.

“Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” by Squeeze

I am so happy to see that Squeeze is getting some renewed attention.  They were and are masters of the art of pop songwriting.  I see that they have some new music coming out.  Should be interesting to hear.  Originally from the album Argybargy – the band’s 1980 album.  If you are just getting into Squeeze, the compilation Singles 45s and Under is a great place to start.

“Something in the Water” by Pokey Lafarge

The title and lead song from the latest album by Pokey LaFarge.  There is a throwback quality to his songs, but they ring so true… this ain’t nostalgic music. The song and the video feature an El Camino – which I have had a long standing obsession with since my friend Rex Silo mentioned how many motion pictures feature the car/truck.  Start looking for it… you find it hard to stop.

“The Treehouse” by James Roquemore

I’ve been digging on Roquemore’s EP The First ever since I got it after seeing him play at The Basement as part of Patrick Kinsley’s album release show.  “The Treehouse” is a lovely, nostalgic look back at childhood.

“Manic at Midnight” by Circus Propaganda

I guess Circus Propaganda were kind of a Dord Music Group supergroup of sorts.  They are inactive now – with all the members doing other things, but they left behind some really cool music.  This song, from the album Botany, is one of my favorites.

 

“Organ Flames” by Batkhi Dahn

As I mentioned, yesterday was Hayden Nork’s 14th birthday. This is a song from his main side project and the album Plays 15.  Yes, two Dord songs in a row – what can I say, my shuffle function loves this music.  Good taste, shuffle function.

“Hope You’re Hurting” by Cars Can Be Blue

This band is based in Atlanta.  I really like their quirky sound and energy. The album is called, Doubly Unbeatable, which was released back in 2008.


“More…” by Wilco

Another from Star Wars – the surprise free download Wilco offered up a little while back. If you want an official physical coffee of the album – the band recentlyu relased the album on CD within the last week of so.


“Last Song” by Susan James

The last song on Sea Glass.  And it could have been the final song of this shuffle but I listened to one more.


“Yellow Eyes” by Rayland Baxter  

Rayland is the son of Bucky Baxter, and he got his start on Caitlin Rose’s song, “Shanghai Cigarettes” – which I love.  I dig this song which is on his brand new album Imaginary Man.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Champagne Eyes Mix

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The mid-week point has been reached… A fun night at The 5 Spot last night for $2 Tuesday.  Got to meet and hear  Angela Easterling.  Her new album, Common Law Wife – which we have featured a few songs from – is one of the best I’ve heard this year.  She has a very unique and beautiful sound.  Joe Nolan played a full-band set.  It was the first time I saw him with a drummer, and it sounded great!  Host Derek Hoke played a short set backed by Paul Niehaus on pedal steel, Steve Latanation on drums, and Mark Robertson (of the Legendary Shack Shakers) on upright bass.  Then, Carl Anderson played a long set of his wonderful songs.  Not a bad $2 show…

Tonight, Brian Wright opens up the last week of the Joe Fletcher residency at The 5 Spot.  I had to miss the first two weeks, but I will not miss this one.  Two of East Nashville’s finest writers.

Onto the shuffle:

“And She Plays” by Reckless Johnny Wales

Another track from American Heart, by the man, the myth, the legend – Reckless Johnny Wales.  One of my favorites from the album… a fine, fine song.

“A Sucker’s Evening” by the transcendents
 

From the latest EP from this uniquely wonderful band from Christchurch, New Zealand where it is tomorrow already.  They already know how this day turns out, but they probably won’t tell me…

 

“Don’t come around here angry
This is a house of water
You’ll be cold and soaking wet
‘Ere you leave here”


“City of Strange Delight” by The Shakers

Another from the awesome album Songs from Beneath the Lake.  This gorgeous song is one of my favorites from that album.  This music transforms and transports me.

“Lavender Child” by Atticus Floyd

Another day, and more music from the good folks at Dord Music Group. We’ve featured Atticus Floyd a few times before, but this is our first listen from the We’ll All Come Down” EP which was released in June.  She has promised a change of direction for her next record.  In the video playlist, we have an “animated” recounting of Atticus Floyd’s first show… which included Hayden and Evan Nork of The Foresters.  Speaking of Hayden, today is his 14th birthday – which I believe is about the number of bands he is or has been a part of… Happy Birthday Hayden.

“No Count Superstition” by Indigenous Engines

 I ran into Andrew Adkins last night, and coincidently, we have a song from his Indigenous Engines project. Word has it that Adkins next project will have a new sound.  Looking forward to it.

“Sweet Thing” by The Waterboys

We finish up our re-visit to the classic album Fisherman’s Blues.  This one is a cover of the Van Morrison classic which they finish up with a few lines from “Blackbird” by the Beatles.  “Take these broken wings and learn to fly…” 

“Considerations” by Damfino

Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen collective just recently released their latest sampler – the first since the relocated and built a new studio space. Damfino is primary Joe Merklee and Joel Bachrach backed by many others – including some familiar Mama Coco’s names.  They have a new EP called Disembodied Smile.  This track is a tasty bit of power pop goodness.

“Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” by Run the Jewels (feat. Zack de la Rocha)

From a Noisetrade Bonnaroo sampler.  Hip-Hop duo Run the Jewels team up with Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine for this hard hitting track.  I hear that there may be a new collaboration between these three in the works.

“Through Different Eyes” by TV21

From the 13 O’clock compilation recently released by PPNW Records out of Atlanta.  TV21 are a New Wave band from Scotland.  They are about to release their first new record in 28 years.  This is a previously unreleased track from 1981.  Really dig this.

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Pretty Vacant Eyes Mix

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Okay… so I’m running late with today’s shuffle, but I have a good reason.  At lunch, when I usually finishing writing this thing and get it posted to the Ear to the Ground Facebook Page (which you should “Like” if you haven’t but I digress), I went to the Downtown Public Library to see a songwriting round with Marshall Chapman, Mary Gauthier, and Malcolm Holcomb – because that is what we do at lunchtime in Nashville….

Onward, I have to be quick – I’m heading out in a bit to see three people I’ve featured on Ear to the Ground at $2 Tuesday at The 5 Spot in East Nashville – Joe Nolan, Angela Easterling, and Carl Anderson are all on the bill.  Did I mention it’s $2 Tuesday?

“Doing Laundry Late on a Cold Southern City Night” by Bashful Hips

Another from the album, Too Old for a Coming of Age Story… I think the song title pretty much sums this one up.  Dig it.

“Davisville” by Jelena Ciric

I connected to this through some of my Toronto friends – like Valued Customer (but I cannot remember who posted it).  Gorgeous music.  Really! Check it out!

“Radio Love” by The Poorhouse Says

Another from the St. Louis band. The album is called, As Patterns Go, and I recommend it.  Crisp Americana/folk-rock stuff.

“Everything Changes” by Judah and the Lion

This band is enthusiastic and youthful, and singing about the passage of time and how things change.  Just wait… just wait. From a Noisetrade Sampler.  The song is on their debut album, Kids These Days which was released just about a year ago. I’ll bet a bunch has changed since then.

“Pretty Vacant” (live) by Sex Pistols

Because it seems almost obligatory to have a bootleg quality live Sex Pistols track in the shuffle at some point, and why not now? “We’re so pretty…” 

 

“Little Tiny Lady in a Big Black Vest” by Batkhi Dahn

I have a bunch of Batkhi Dahn and other assorted Hayden Nork side projects in my playlist, so no you are not imagining that one of them comes up just about every day.  Like the first song in today’s shuffle, this title pretty much tells the story of the song… or does it?  

“Betty Was Black (and Willie Was White)” by Tommy Womack

A couple of weeks ago – back at the tail end of Tomato Fest, Tommy Womack played his first official show after his serious car accident.  He was backed by the Mark Robinson Band and joined by the supremely talented Lisa Oliver Gray.  It was a pretty awesome way to end a pretty awesome day.  He did this song – which was first released on the self-titled album by The Bis-Quits, the early 90s band that featured Tommy, Will Kimbrough, Mike Grimes (of Grimey’s and the Basements (West and East)), and Tommy Meyer on drums.  Later, Todd Snider included the song on his album Happy to Be Here.  This version comes from Tommy Womack’s album Washington D.C. 

“Those Eyes” by Sammy Brue

Recently, I have had a couple of opportunities to reflect on having hope for the future based upon the incredible music being made by young people.  If I made a list, Sammy Brue would be up near the top if not at the top.  This fourteen year old singer-songwriter from Utah is not just a great young songwriter, he is a great songwriter.  He recently played showcase at the Newport Folk Fest with some of the finest people working today – like Aaron Lee Tasjan, John Moreland, and Joe Fletcher (who will be wrapping up his residency at The 5 Spot tomorrow night with Brian Wright).  I am quite sure Sammy Brue held his own just fine.  Here’s to many years of watching Sammy Brue continue to grow and improve.  It’s going to be scary good!

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Strangest Cargo Mix

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Just as the weather is showing it’s first signs of cooling off, the music around town is heating up.  Shows are stacking up, Americana Music Association Festival is just a couple of weeks ago, outdoor shows are starting to ramp up…

Meanwhile, the E2TG Random Music Shuffles roll along.  We have a good one that covers quite a bit of musical ground… shall we? We shall!

“Tongues Are Turning” by Discount Ravioli

We have another (longer) track for Discount Ravioli’s new album (debut?) which is called Robin Schultz and the 21 Prayers.  There are, by the way, 21 tracks on the album.  This one is called “Tongues are Turning”.  By the way, still no video of Discount Ravioli so I included a track by another Dord Music Group artist – The Urinal Cakes. Meanwhile, if you search for “Tongues are Turning” by Discount Ravioli on YouTube, you can find a video of how to make ravioli and video diary of someone who got their tongue pierced.  Happy searching…

“Prayer for the Snake” by The Shakers

After running into Robert Logue at The 5 Spot a couple of weeks back, The Shakers have been on my mind, so I decided to load up their album, Songs From Beneath the Lake into my playlist.  Prayer for the Snake is one of my favorites from that album (though to be honest, I have a lot of favorites from that album). The Shakers were not all what one might expect of Nashville music in the late 80s/early 90s, but there was a unmistakable spirit of Southern Gothic mysticism present in the ethereally beautiful melodies.  Logue and Oscar Rice were part of the original line-up of Royal Court of China before leaving that band to focus on The Shakers.  The influence of those two musicians on Royal Court of China is evident on that band’s self-titled debut.

“irish twins” by valued customer

I have a hard time expressing how glad I am to have Valued Customer back in the shuffle.  This band from Toronto have been one of my favorites for a long time. They just recently released byugecup (the hugecup bsides).   hugecup is going the be the band’s next album.  Seemingly, these are tracks that did not make that album.  Make no mistakes, Valued Customer’s b-sides are on a level so far above most bands’ a-sides.  As with most of Valued Customer music, I don’t really feel like describing or analyzing the music too much.  I just kind of lean into it and let it take me higher… it never let’s me down.  Superbly talented musicians, spiritual seekers, weird and mad geniuses.  I guarantee you have never heard anything like Valued Customer.

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As the sixties ended, and the 1970s began, Paul Revere and the Raiders decided to shorten their name and change musical directions.  The resulting album, Collage, was a commercial failure, but it included some pretty cool tunes like this one.

“Wade in the Water” by The Barefoot Movement

Another track from young traditionalists, The Barefoot Movement’s EP called The High Road.  This song is a negro spiritual that was first published in 1901 by the Fisk Jublilee Singers (the combo that actually gave Nashville the name Music City).

“Home Again” by Charlie Whitten

Originally on an EP called Travis County Macaroons.  This one came to me via a Noisetrade sampler called, An Assortment.  Charlie Whitten is from Nashville.

“I’m Not the Same” by Fritz Montana

Fritz Montana are an indie blues rock band from San Francisco. I honestly cannot remember how I came across this artist  UPDATE: I remember now – this came to me via last month’s Feel Bad For You Mixtape (submitted by the one and only David Popa Tunes Horton – it all makes sense now!), but I like them a lot. 

“Strange Boat” by The Waterboys

One more good one from one of my favorite albums, Fisherman’s Blues.

“Johnny Always Stayed” by Jonas Howden Sjøvaag’s Navyelectre

Another awesome improvisational track from the Large Ensemble out of Oslo, Norway. Wonderful songs and sounds. 

VIDEO PLAYLIST

Featured Friday Music Shuffle – Young Enough Mix

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Guess what? We’ve reached the end of another work week!  Here’s to the weekend! 

Last night, I had the great pleasure of experiencing the second ever Aqua Velvet – Exotic Sounds in Country Music show.  It was pretty fantastic.  For a more detailed account. Check out my review over at No Depression.

Since it is Friday, we have a featured Friday Shuffle to take us all into the weekend… sit back and enjoy the “show”….

“Into the Sky” and “Rose” by Vinnie Jonez Band

From Italy by way of my Inbox, this Heavy Rock band released their debut EP back in June.  The band is comprised of former members of other bands, and to my knowledge none of them are named Vinnie Jonez.  A nice double-shot of high energy ROCK to start off my morning drive.

“Letter from Hell” by Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen

Up next we have another track from Love and Life. If you missed it, you can read my review of the album on No Depression.  Letter from Hell is one of my highlights from the Scissormen’s live set and what struck me this morning was how well the live energy of the song was captured on the recording.

“Falling From You” by Brian Carpenter and The Confessions

Another track from Brian Carpenter and the Confessions forthcoming album, The Far End of the World.  Really digging the sound of this record.  Looking forward to featuring more songs before and after the release date.

“Living on Thin Ice” by Chase Walker Band

Chase Walker is a teenaged Blues Rock guitar prodigy.  This song is a reaction to the all too often headline grabbing stories on the news.  The song is important and it rocks!  A great introduction (for me) to this young band… more hope for the future!

“Sands of Now” by Elephant Revival

This is the title track from the new CD/DVD release by Elephant Revival out of Colorado.  Digging this album a lot.

“Young Enough to Be My Son” by Eight O’Five Jive

Eight O’Five Jive’s latest album, Too Many Men, ranks among my favorites of the year.  They do the jump blues/jive thing better than just about anyone.  For some reason, this is one of my favorite songs on the record.

“Hard Times” by Carl Anderson

A CD Bonus track from Risk of Loss. This is a wonderful cover of the Stephen Foster classic.  Carl Anderson will be at The Sutler tomorrow night.  The always awesome Jon Latham will open the show around 8:30.

“Sweat” by Brock Zeman

Another superb track from Brock Zeman’s Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil’s Back.  A little bird told me that Zeman may be back in Nashville in November.  I will keep everyone posted because you really want to see him live if you can.

“80s Track” by Rich Robbins (feat. K.Raydio)

And we close out the day with some hip-hop from the album Nimbus.  A pretty awesome way to close out the shuffle and the week.

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Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Ding-Dong Mix

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First of all I have to give a huge shout out to everyone who helped make the inaugural The Finger and Ear to the Ground Presents: The Most Dangerous Game Show a huge success! Big props go to John McCollum and Darrin Bradbury without whom this would not have been possible.  Thanks to everyone who came out.  Thanks to The Building. Thanks to DJ Warbles for spinning great tunes between sets.  To Russell Thompson, Lindsay Ellyn, George Terry McDonald, and our very special guest Bob Dylan I mean Darrin Bradbury.  Let’s do this thing again!

We have a short but sweet shuffle. Only five songs thanks to the seventeen minute opening track… Jump

“Sister Ray” by The Velvet Underground

Coincidently, this song came up in the shuffle on The Velvet Underground’s drummer, Mo Tucker’s birthday!  There are only a handful of songs that I can tolerate for 17 minutes.  This is one of them.  Around the time that my passion for music was really starting to broaden and expand, Polydor Records released several of the Velvet Undergrounds classic albums along with VU a “new” collection of outtakes.  Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” had been one of the songs that hit me early in my musical journey, and although I knew he had been in a band called Velvet Underground, I had no way (from my small-medium sized town in the middle  of Tennessee) to hear that music.  The saying is that not many people bought the Velvet Underground albums, but that everyone who did formed a band or something like that.  I did not form a band, but nothing was the same for me after I heard The Velvet Underground. They were and to me still are a burst of fresh, dank, dark air. Their subject matter often shocked my suburban sensibilities, and they could be tender one minute and brutal the next.

“Used to Call Me Baby” (Split Lip Rayfield Cover) by The Blind Owl Band

The Blind Owl Band Saranac Lake, New York.  The released the 3 song EP Professionality (COVERS) which in addition to this Split Lip Rayfield song, also contains covers of songs my Man Man and The Devil Makes Three. The EP does a great job of showing off the diverse influences which help to make The Blind Owl Band who they are. This is our final song from the EP… it is delightfully raucous and catchy and fun.  For fun, I included the original Split Lip Rayfield version followed by The Blind Owl Band doing an original song (I could not find a video of them doing this one.

“Meredith Moonshine Land Trust” by Discount Ravioli

So, “Sister Ray” was over 17 minutes long… this one clocks in at around 0:45 seconds. Yet another from the Dord Music Group and their subsidiary(???) Discotime Records. I am not entirely sure what is going on here, but you know what? This and all of the music coming out the Dord compound is helping to restore my hopefulness of the kids of today (in the most weird and twisted way possible).  No video, so I added a Bandcamp widget of this track.  Do listen.

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3910723630/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1359769071/transparent=true/

“Sink or Swim” by The Train Set

Another track from Never California.  This album came to me through e-mail, and I am so glad it did.  It is a very tasty slice of 80s era Brit-Pop.  There were so many great bands that came to my attention in that formative phase of my life, and even though I missed out on The Train Set the first time around, hearing it now is like discovering a long buried treasure.

“The Morning in Her” by Raging Fire

Besides The Velvet Underground and Brit-Pop, one of my major musical passions during the 80s was the vibrantly chaotic local music scene bubbling up in Nashville.  The whole thing seemed on the verge of bubbling over in the best way, but for a variety of reasons it never did. Nevertheless, some really awesome bands and music came out of that era.  Raging Fire were one of the best of that time.  I was happy to see recently that they are rereleasing much of their back catalogue and playing a reunion show at the Exit/In on October 3.  Melora Zaner has one of the most original and amazing voices in rock and roll.

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – The Junkyards and The Highways Mix

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TONIGHT! It is on! https://www.facebook.com/events/1483554211961459/

“Bend in the Road” by Jesse and Noah

Another great one from the Driven Back album. Such great songs, such great harmonies.

“Sailor’s Song” by Brian Carpenter and the Confessions

Brian Carpenter is from Boston.  The new album from Brian Carpenter and the Confessions is due out in October.  The pitch name dropped not only Nick Cave but Wim Wenders and David Lynch as well… needless to say this film buff was intrigued. This song (the last on the album) is my first listen, and I really like what I’m hearing.  Expect more from me about this album.

“Midnight Wave” by Two Wounded Birds

Two Wounded Birds were an English band that formed in 2010 and disbanded in 2012.  This song was a single released in 2011.

“Last I Heard” by Charlie Whitten

Charlie Whitten is a Nashville based singer-songwriter, this song is from a Noisetrade Sampler called An Assortment. Man I like this guys music a bunch.

“Forked River Roadside Shrine” by Ben Arthur

Another cut from Ben Arthur’s Call and Response album of “Answer Songs”. This one is one of two responses to Joyce Carol Oates short stories in the collection.  Ben Arthur is also Host and Producer of “SongCraft Presents” which is a pretty fascinating web series. Songcraft Presents has also been producing “Songs from the Road” in which Arthur works with a featured songwriter to write a song during a drive usually from one city to another.  The End Men’s Matthew Hendershot is also involved in both series.

“Gentle on My Mind” by John Hartford

From the Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats album which accompanies the exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Glen Campbell made the song famous, but Hartford wrote the song and his son Jamie performed the song at the release show for this album (held outside the Museum.

“Freight Train Boogie” by Captain Luke

From the Music Maker Relief Foundation.  Captain Luke passed away back in May, but thanks in no small part to the work of the Foundation, his music will live on.

“Sing Along” by Grant Lee Buffalo

Another from the Mighty Joe Moon album.

“Planet Caravan” by Brown Sabbath

From a Noisetrade Bonnaroo Sampler.  Brown Sabbath injects some Latin/Hardcore/Funk sounds into this version of the Blake Sabbath classic.

“Sad But True” by Das Ding

Das Ding are an Electronic band from Rotterdam.  This song comes from a compilation called 13 O’clock put out by Atlanta based PPNW Records. 

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – #300 Tim Carroll Mix

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We’ve teamed up with The Finger to put on what we hope will be the first of many showcase events… it’s going down tomorrow (Wednesday August 19, 2015) at The Building in East Nashville.  Details can be found at the Event Page on Facebook!

Yesterday, our Facebook Page crossed a milestone yesterday when we reached 300 followers.  Thanks to a groundswell, we are a mere 94 away from 400! Seriously, it means more to me than you will ever know.  When I started E2TG in May 2011, I honestly didn’t know if anyone would read it.  Anyway, I promised surprises for the lucky 300th Follower…. in an incredible stroke of luck – the awesome Songwriter/Guitarist Tim Carroll was the lucky one!  It’s kind of funny because when we reached 200, another great Songwriter/Guitarist, Richie Owens, was the one! 

So… You can see, that the Tim Carroll’s name graces the post title.  I think this is the first time a real person has had that “honor”.  Who knows, now that I am big time, maybe I will start selling naming rights…. or maybe not…

It would have been cool if a Tim Carroll song had come up in the shuffle, but alas… still, I know there are some songs in today’s shuffle that Tim will dig.

“You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” by The Byrds

From Sweethearts of the Rodeo, comes The Byrd’s version of a Bob Dylan song. “Down into the easy chair…”

“She’s Gone” by The Train Set

The Train Set were a UK band from the late seventies/early eighties.  Their music is getting some renewed interest with the release of the compilation, Never California. “She’s Gone” was an early single by the band.  We will have more by The Train Set coming up… this is an amazing slice of a great era in music and for me a second chance to hear something I missed the first time around.

“Tell Me Cosmo” by Susan James

More awesome fresh original Paisley Underground inspired Pop music from the fantastic album Sea Glass!

“That Horse” by Tomas Doncker Band

Big Apple Blues is a fantastic achievement for New York No Wave veteran, Tomas Doncker.  It is a powerful, bluesy ode to the greatest city in the world.  “That Horse” delivers a brutally powerful message.

“Cindy Vedantam” by Batkhi Dahn

Batkhi Dahn, as I have share before, is a side project of The Foresters Hayden Nork.  It is delightfully weird in the best possible ways.  This song comes from the Four Song Delinquent EP (which was released back in November 2014).  Many things have been released since this one… those The Foresters kids are nothing if not prolific.

“Letter to Shreveport” by Kevin Gordon

Kevin Gordon is flat out one of the best songwriters and performers working today.  I’ve had the great opportunity to see him several times over the last few months, and every time he impresses me more and more.  He has been at this music thing for a while now, and his latest album Long Gone Time is set to be released in September.  This song is from that album, and showcases some of the things that makes Gordon such a powerhouse.

“Dead Man’s Shoes” by Brock Zeman

Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil’s Back is a pretty long album title, and it is also a damn fine record.  If you have yet to hear Brock Zeman, correct this oversight right away. 

“Watermelon Kid” by Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen  

We close out today’s shuffle with track from Love and Life, the brand new album from Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen.  This is the story of a real life man called Watermelon Slim, who besides being a bluesman is a member of mensa and used to drive trucks.  This song was one of the highlights of the Album Release Party last weekend for Love and Life.  By the way, I ran into Tim Carroll at that release show, and I guess that brings this post full circle back to the beginning.  window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”;

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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