Category: Billy Joe Shaver

Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Ooh La La Mix

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New Release News:  Lindsay Ellyn Out of Road EP released today!

I met Lindsay Ellyn last Autumn.  I featured some songs from her Shores EP here on Ear to the Ground, and I have had the great good fortune to see her play live a number of times since then.  She has been hard at work on her new EP for some time, and it is finally released to the world as of this morning.  I will be grabbing my copy after work today, but based solely upon the songs I’ve heard (which are fabulous) and the quality of the people Lindsay worked with on the EP (which is stellar), I can easily recommend you give a listen and add it to your collection.

It is also available on Bandcamp and iTunes you prefer.

“Ooh La La” by The Faces

The title track from the final studio album by The Faces. The song was written by Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood, and Ronnie Wood sings the lead vocals on the track.  The song was used in Wes Anderson’s film Rushmore, and in the 2004 comedy Without a Paddle.  There is a volume of information about the final days of The Faces and Rod Stewart which does not paint Mr. Stewart in the best possible light.  Of course his music from the late 70s and 80s provides it’s own damning evidence (apologies to Rod Stewart fans)….

“Heart of Darkness” by Hoodoo Gurus

A week or so back, we had a song from Syd Straw called “Heart of Darkness”.  This is a different song, taken from the Gurus 1987 album, Blow Your Cool!

“Chemistry” (Instrumental_125) by Hayden Coleman

Okay, this one has been lingering around our playlist for a while. We featured Hayden Coleman’s song, Chemistry some time ago, and then later we featured the a cappella version of the song.  Now, we have the instrumental version which showcases the fantastic beat making skills of my Mr. Coleman.

“Slowly, Surely Suzanne” by Ben Arthur

A song from Ben Arthur’s new album, Call and Response (which features “Answer” songs based upon other songs, poems, and fiction).  Arthur has also been hard at work producing and hosting the web series Songcraft Presents and working on the spin off Songs of the Road.  Check it all out.

“twinkle” by ricky mirage

Repetitive spoken word over a hooky indie pop beat.  Really digging this album a bunch.

“99 to Life” by Social Distortion

From Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell… “Lonely Weekends, Baby Lonely Night/The Judge he gave me 99 to Life”… 

“Here Tonight” by [debut]

Postcards from Berlin is the new album by this L.A. based Electronic/Alternative band.  This is a very catchy song that sounds like something I’ve known about for a long time.  Okay, that maybe a weird way to say it, but occasionally I hear new songs that are so wonderful that it is hard to believe they never existed before. This is one of those songs to me.

“A Casual Conversation with Superman” by Darrin Bradbury

From a live album from back before Darrin perfected his stage banter about this song, but from when the song itself was flawless.  “Truth you know kid, sometimes me and Lex we fight for kicks, if he weren’t hell bent of destruction, hell I’d probably let him win…”   “Sometimes this old world just ain’t worth saving…”

“Love Assassin” by Christopher Allen Slade

The e-mail I received described the music thusly: “If Blondie and Scissor Sisters threw a Party, and AC/DC crashed it.”  Hell yes, I wanted to hear more.  The song is in video playlist so judge for yourself, but I do not think the description was misleading.  More to come!

“Music City USA” by Billy Joe Shaver

And had the good fortune to see Billy Joe Shaver perform on Music City Roots last month.  This song is from his latest album Long in the Tooth.  A living legend for sure.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Oldest Story Mix

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As I was walking back to my car from an absolutely amazing Bob Dylan show last night, I was reflecting on what an amazing month of live music this has been…  Did I mention that Dylan was amazing.  I saw him first and last in 1988, and he was simply going through motions. Back then, his set including some of his all-time classics, but it didn’t matter.  That show left me flat.  Flash forward 27 years, Dylan’s set was very heavily weighted toward his last few albums, many of which I wasn’t that familiar, but the sound was great, Dylan seemed to be having a blast, and as a result, I put the show up among the best I’ve seen.  I feel like I can finally say that I have seen Dylan.

“Gonna Change” by Gear Daddies

Another track from Billy’s Live Bait.  Gear Daddies are revving up for hometown 25th Anniversary shows in Minnepolis coming up soon. 

“The Oldest Story in the Book” by Paul Kelly

Australian Paul Kelly is one of those musicians that I have known of and loved for a long time, but who I someone feel like I have missed out on. He has been making music for many years, and he is still making great music, and I am trying to get up to speed.   This song, which I love, is from his 2004 album Ways and Means and was included on his 2008 compilation Songs from the South Volume 2.  The video was shot at Music City Roots here in Nashville in 2013 when that show was still held at the Loveless Barn.

“Mostly Miss in a Hit Kinda Town” by Darrin Bradbury

A live version of a song that later appeared on Darrin’s True Love album.  Supposedly, this recording from his live album Tur-Lyfe: A Live Recording of Unfortunate Events, is the first performance of this song (but don’t rely on this information for anything important).  Darrin will be coming soon to a city near you (if you are near one of the cities – in the Mid-West and South) in the near future, and rumor has it a new live album is coming soon in addition to the hotly anticipated Life is Hard studio album which I have heard and love. 

“Sleepwalker Blues” by Joe Sundell

Sometimes songs meander around my playlist for several months and then jump out a odd times to offer a jolt a awesomeness. I featured some of Joe Sundell’s music from his album The Hat Thief many months back (maybe a year or so), and this song stuck around my playlist to add some authentic country music to this mix.

“I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train” by Billy Joe Shaver

Speaking of which… Billy Joe Shaver is included in my listing of GREAT artists that I got to see live this month.  He performed at Music City Roots a couple of weeks ago.  This one goes all the way back to his 1973 debut album Old Five and Dimers Like Me.

“Fairly Local” by Twenty One Pilots

There are some that may say that following up Billy Joe Shaver with Twenty One Pilots is pretty screwed up.  Hell, I may even be one of them, but I have learned not to question the wisdom of the shuffle. The shuffle works in mysterious ways… take that how you must… This song is from the forthcoming album Blurryface, and it was included on a Noisetrade Bonnaroo compilation.

“Sure Thing” by Sam Morrow

I featured Sam Morrow’s music on Ear to the Ground a couple of years ago, and I am really glad he jumped back onto my radar.  I have been seriously digging the new music he’s been putting out.  This is a live recording of a song from his 2014 album Ephemeral which is an EP which you can find on Noisetrade.

“Song for Harry Nilsson” by Luke Saxton

Luke Saxton is a young singer-songwriter from the UK.  This song about the late American singer-songwriter is on the album Sunny Sadness which was released back in November, and I like it quite a bit.

“Rikki’s Shuffle” by Michael Hedges

From Live on the Double Planet by the late guitar virtuoso Michael Hedges.

“Honey Don’t Think” by Grant Lee Buffalo

Another nifty song from Mighty Joe Moon which was a primo thrift store find of mine at the beginning of this month.

“A Love Bizarre” by Michael Hedges

Besides being an other-worldly guitar player, Michael Hedges also liked to do unexpected covers.  This is a cover of the Sheila E song and is also on the Live on the Double Planet album.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Yacht Mix

Last week, one of the daily shuffles was heavily weighted toward Blues music.  Today, things turn more in a Country direction.  Of course this is Ear to the Ground, so it’s never cut and dry… 

“Little Victories” by Chris Knight (with John Prine) from Little Victories

Chris Knight did not play Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch nor is he the noted blogger and filmmaker. He is, however, a talented singer songwriter from Kentucky.  His 2012 album Little Victories featured contributions from Lee Ann Womack and Buddy Miller, and on the title track – John Prine.

“Faxes on a Yacht” by Rival Galaxies from The Entrée: a Build4BBQ Sampler

Rival Galaxies are from Albany, NY, and they bill themselves as “Curators of Dance Parties!!!”  One would be hard pressed to listen to this song and not move to the music.

“Never Felt Before” by Golden Smog from Another Fine Day

Another fine song from Alt-Indie rock supergroup Golden Smog.

“I See Georgia” by Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ from The Great American Bubble Factory

drivin’ N’ cryin’ have been making rocking new Southern Rock since the mid 80s.  Kevn Kinney also made one of my all-time favorite records – MacDougal Blues.  When The Great American Bubble Factory was released in 2009, it was the first full-length studio album for the band in 12 years.  Sometimes/often, I feel like out of place in the South – even though I’ve lived here my whole life, but if this is Southern Rock (and it is) than I think I can hang.

“Beggars’ Guild” by Roadkill Ghost Choir from Slow Knife EP

Heading further down South, we have a great song from Florida band Roadkill Ghost Choir.

“One More Ride” by Joe Sundell from The Hat Thief

Still in the South and moving us back into the Countryish theme, we have Joe Sundell from Austin, Texas with a cool song from his album The Hat Thief.  

“Old Five and Dimers Like Me” by Billy Joe Shaver from Old Five and Dimers Like Me

Fully establishing the Country creds for today’s shuffle – we go all the way back to the beginning of Billy Joe Shaver’s 40+ year career with the title track from his first album. Man! It really doesn’t get much better than this….

“Scarecrow Blues” by Brock Zeman from Songs from the Mud

We close things out and stay in the Country vein with an autumnal sounding track from Canadian singer/songwriter Brock Zeman.

VIDEOS

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