Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – What We Want to Be Mix

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Okay – posting late. Life happens sometimes. Here’s some stuff:

Coming soon, the 1st Annual #E2TG Awards 2015 – which I am calling The Earies (tagline: The Earies, it sounds strange, but it’s not really). Watch for this beginning after Thanksgiving.

Last night, an awesome show at The original Basement. Actual Wolf killed it with the kind of band that really only happens in Nashville (Adam Kurtz, Jerry Pentecost, Paul Niehaus, Stephanie Dickinson with Nellie Clay joining on bgvs) After that 14 year old wunderkind Sammy Brue had the audience enraptured with his incredible songs.

Really proud that my review of Dan Penn at City Winery in on the front page of No Depression right now. Check it out, if you haven’t. Nodepression.com

Shuffle (short descriptions)

“Walk Out to Winter” by Aztec Camera

Another track from High Land, Hard Rain. Seemed about right, as I was driving through the chilly morning with my driver’s side window stuck down.

“Blue Highways” by Darrin Bradbury

A live version of what is probably my favorite Darrin Bradbury song. (I like Bob, too – which Darrin always dedicates to me and to which I gave a face). Brian Wright does an awesome version of this this song.

“Summer School” by Liquor Giants

So, I didn’t know who Liquor Giants were until I just looked them up. I really dug the song, though. Liquor Giants was a band formed by Ward Dotson after Pontiac Brothers which he joined after leaving Gun Club. Ah, makes sense why this was so cool. Kind of nifty 60s Pop vibe.

“Pinned” by Shovels and Rope

From their 2014 album Swimmin’ Time – I nabbed this off Noisetrade. It may still be there. Go look.

“Caretaker” by The End Men

Our 2013 Band of the Year made one of 2015’s best albums, Terms and Conditions which finds the signature sound of the band augmented by some awesome saxophone work from Matthew Elia.

“Moonlight” by Atticus Floyd

Atticus Floyd is now recording under the name The Jolly Light Connection. When I downloaded this, she was recording under Atticus Floyd. From an album called We’ll All Come Down. It’s really cool. For the video, I selected the joyful, animated story of Atticus’ first show. It’s really cool, too. The Jolly Light Connection is part of Dord Music Group.

“Let No Woman” by Guitar Gabriel

Some awesome acoustic blues from the folks at Music Maker Relief Foundation.

“Perfect Day” by Nico Vega

I really like this cover of one of my favorite (among many favorites) Velvet Underground song. It was apparently used in a Lifetime movie about Lizzie Borden. Sounds about right.

“headlights” by ricky mirage

The album is called Pop Goes the Sun. Ricky Mirage is Nick Harris. I dig this album a bunch. I found it from a random post I saw on a friend’s Facebook page. I could not find an appropriate video, so here is a link to the song.

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=593283634/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=2858073931/transparent=true/

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Misery Loves Company Mix

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Back at the shuffle game after an extended weekend…. Let’s do this thing!

“Rat” by Tigerman WOAH!

Tigerman WOAH! are a Massachusetts/Georgia band. They describe their music as: “Appalachian mountain folk/bluegrass influenced punk rock with the occasional hip-hop freak-out.” I can’t say that I disagree and yes it is as good as it sounds. This song is on the album Up South Vol. II & I.

“Gluten Farm” by Circus Propaganda

Circus Propaganda are from Bethany, Connecticut. The band includes Evan and Hayden of The Foresters. This song is on the album Botany. Look for a new album Parabola soon maybe…

“In My Own Time” by The Three O’clock

What about a bit of Paisley Underground, and a cover of a 1967 song from the Bee Gees. This cover was on the 1983 album Sixteen Tambourines. The original song was only 16 years old when this cover was recorded, and now the cover is over 30 years old, and it sounds fantastic.

“All Around the World Or The Myth of Fingerprints” by Paul Simon

From Simon’s album, Graceland and featuring the East L.A. band Los Lobos. “I’ve seen them all and man they’re all the same…”

“Our Love” by The Bros Landreth

The Winnipeg band with a song from their latest album, Let it Lie.

“I Woke Up” by Mouth Reader

The Murfreesboro band with a song from their album, Hands. The album is available packaged as a pop-up book that was released on Record Store Day.

“Misery Loves Company” by Eight O’ Five Jive

Another swinging song from the album, Too Many Men, but Nashville’s jumpingest, jiviest combo.

“Down the Dip” by Aztec Camera

The final song on the original release of Aztec Camera’s 1983 album High Land, Hard Rain. Our second 1983 song in the shuffle today. I was 17 in 1983, it was a pretty good year.

“Lady in the Radiator” by Black Iron Prison

Black Iron Prison are a long running Metal band from Up-State (up state? Upstate? up-state?) New York. The current line-up includes Elijah Hargrave who was a member of the 2013 E2TG Band of the Year Skeletons in the Piano. So that makes this band family… the black iron sheep of the family?

“Know Your Animals” by Atticus Floyd

Atticus Floyd is from Connecticut. They are part of Circus Propaganda who we heard earlier in the shuffle. Part of the amazing creative output from the youth of that northeastern state. This song or a version of this song or a song with the same title is also on the Circus Propaganda album. Anyway, it’s a cool song, and since I couldn’t find a video for Atticus Floyd – I posted one for a song from the Pink Floyd album Animals which share 2 out of 5 words with this song and band. If you want to hear the Atticus Floyd song, I’m attaching a widget below.

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1324632279/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1206732428/transparent=true/

“Country Delight” by Country Mike (Beastie Boys)

From the Mike D album, Country Mike’s Greatest Hits.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Paramours and Thieves Mix

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Welcome to the working week! We start off what is shaping up to be a challenging week with a pretty diverse shuffle…. let’s jump right in…

“Elemental Raven Storm” by The Great Game

We start off our week with another great song from the self-titled album by this innovative band from Europe. They say they make “New World Music”, and I cannot argue with this. Unique sounds and great songs.

“Stone Blind Horses” by Ray Wylie Hubbard

From the latest album by the Texas legend. The album is called, “The Ruffian’s Misfortune”, and this song was one of my highlights from his Nashville show which was held a week ago yesterday.

“Cherry Bomb” by Tyler, The Creator

That’s right, I followed up Ray Wylie Hubbard with Tyler the Creator. Actually, I didn’t the shuffle did it. I’m just the guy who had both songs in my playlist. The title track from the new album (released April 13). Man, this is good.

“The Dawn Thief” by Whale Fall

So, we started off with some “New World Music”, moved to some amazing Americana Roots music, shifted to some Hip-Hop… where do we go from there? How about some Instrumental, cinematic, progressive music. From their album, The Mandrean.

“It’s You” by Mouth Reader

And from there… we move on to whatever it is that Mouth Reader does… Punk, Garage, Psychedelic… whatever it is, it is good… and, they released a pop up book record from Record Store Day 2015. See the Video Playlist for details. Their new EP is called Hands.

“Let it Be Me (Je t-appartiens)” by Skeeter Davis and Bobby Bare

Skeeter Davis and Bobby Bare covering an Everly Brothers’ song? Of course, that will fit neatly into our shuffle right here. The original song was released in 1960, and this version was released in 1964.

“Put Out the Fire” by Tom Schreck

From Music City Legends to the Nashville Outsider (who happens to be one of the our city’s finest songwriters from his album Save Your Glory.

“The Bugle Sounds Again” by Aztec Camera

Aztec Camera were one of my favorite bands from all those years ago. This song is from High Land, Hard Rain (their debut album).

“Chorus of Zombies” by The Ghoul Goes West

I love Zombies and I love The Ghoul Goes West, so it stands to reason… from their album, Ghosts and Bones and Blood and Things. One of my favorite “from the inbox” albums of this year.

“Cleveland County Blues” by John Moreland

And, we close out this first shuffle of the new week with a track from the amazing new album from John Moreland. The album is called High on Tulsa Heat, and it is a good one…

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Friday Morning Music Shuffle – Stand in Line to Die Mix

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Greetings… I am in a much better place than yesterday. Still a little rushed, but I can get through this shuffle…

First up my recap of CXCW15 Day 5: I am way behind on my couchin’, but there was an awesome Irish showcase that featured the legendary Glen Hansard. Plus videos from my friend Eli Rhodes who plays with Todd Farrell and the Dirty Birds and also writes some amazing songs of his own. Look for a solo record soon. #E2TG favorites Tim Lee 3 return to the couch with another great video, and the closing video of the day came from Nashville’s own Will Kimbrough playing a song he wrote with Sam Baylor from Will’s legendary band Will and the Bushmen. Sam passed away this week. Life is short, ya’ll…

“This Ol’ World” by Young America

The dudes from Young America are currently divided between their native Georgia and Nashville, and still working toward the release of their highly anticipated album Good Old Fashioned Pain. They recently released a 3 song EP preview/teaser of songs from the album. This song is on that release. The EP is called Pain, Rain, and the Mundane, and if you Spotify well you can now Spotify the EP over there.

“Feed Them Monkeys” by Eight O’Five Jive

Nothing says Friday like a good old fashioned jump blues/jive song… from the album Too Many Men…

“Mechanical Dream” by Artur U and the New City Limits

Another song from the album Holiday from Eternity. The band is from Helsinki, Finland. They have a pretty diverse sound which I like, and this song compared to the most recent song we featured, really shows off that diversity.

“Hard Times” by Syd Straw

Another from Surprise. This one features a band that includes Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner, plus guest vocals by the incomparable John Doe (X, The Knitters, Flesheaters). The song is a Stephen Foster composition.

“Queen’s Tattoos” by Aztec Camera

Originally the b-side of the Pillar to Post 7″, this song was added as a bonus track to the 1991 CD Reissue of High Land, Hard Rain. Aztec Camera were one of my favorite bands, and I still dig listening to their music.

“Chromatic Death” by Stormtroopers of Death

A :45 second track from the album Speak English or Die (1985). s.o.d. was a hardcore punk/thrash metal side project started by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. Yes, I’m awake and yes, my sinuses are clear now…

“Hand in Hand” by The Danbury Lie

The Danbury Lie right on the heels of their January release Scattered Moments of Connection, released a brand new album called Chose Your Delusion on the Ides of March (March 15 for those who don’t know their Julius Caesar). This is our first listen to that new album, and I have to say, I like what I hear so far. Good reminder about why The Danbury Lie are one of my favorites.

“Give Me a Reason” by Whiskey Shivers

From their self-titled album… The Whiskey shivers made big loud traditional founding folk n’ roll music…

“Ride Ride Ride” by Michael Sackler-Berner

A couple or so month ago, I randomly came across this artist’s music. I was impressed that he had worked with Marshall Crenshaw, and then I heard his music, and I was really impressed. His two new EPs have been bundled up as Double EP, and the bundle can be had at Noisetrade.com

“Jolene” by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

The legendary punk rock cover band plays the Dolly Parton classic from their 2006 album Love Their Country. Coincidently, I recently watched the Nashville-theme episode of Drunk History in which this song plays a vital role…

“The Imposter” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Elvis. Get Happy!! It’s Friday, y’all…

“Fried My Little Brains” by The Kills

From the 2003 debut album, Keep on Your Mean Side… It has been over four years since we have seen a new studio album from this Indie band….

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Thursday Morning Music (Covers) – Pride & Joy Mix

Day 3 of no morning music: the crisis continues. Today is the day, I would normally be presenting some interesting covers songs, and but so, I was thinking about Covers on my way in to work – what makes a great cover, a good cover, a failed cover or a pointless cover.

Of course it is all subjective, but here goes my take on that subject at least for the time being:

A great cover can happen when a great artist takes on a great song and owns it. In many cases, over time, some people may even forget that the song is a cover – take Janis Joplin’s definitive version of Kris Kristofferson’s Me & Bobby McGee. Or this cover:

Another situation which can produce a great cover occurs when an artist you love deconstructs some over-produced popular song of the day. I recently heard Ryan Adams version of the Ratt song Round and Round. But, one of my all-time favorite examples is this track:

Of course,there are also some really cool deconstructed versions of some really cool songs. Case in point, Grant Lee Phillips outstanding album nineteeneighties which features tracks like this one: