Category: Couch by Couchwest

#E2TG is not at SXSW (This is a CXCW plug by the way)

If, like me, you are not at the South by Southwest confab (conflag?) (whatever), you probably have some good reasons.  Can’t get off work, lack of funds, the beer is too expensive, too many damn hipsters, it involves putting on shoes — the list goes on.

For the last four years, there has been a great alternative to SXSW.  I hope by now, you are familiar with Couch by Couchwest -where the beer is cheap and the only hipster is you.  CXCW is an on-line music festival featuring a staggering number and variety of talented folks who submitted specially made videos specifically for the festival. Often, the videos feature couches. Often they don’t. They may be filmed in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, on front or back porches, or in wide-open fields.  Jonny Fritz when he still went by Jonny Corndawg recorded one from the inside of a drainage pipe.



The atmosphere !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,”script”,”twitter-wjs”);https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js around Couch by Couchwest is low-key, laid back, and light-hearted.  Tacos are a popular food, beer is the drink of choice (often), and most importantly, the music is mind-blowing. 

If you are a regular Ear to the Ground reader you probably already know about CXCW and I hope you’ve been keeping up.  The festival is on day four, and if you haven’t tuned it yet, you have some catching up to do.  Go now to Couchbycouchwest.com.

Ear to the Ground favorites like:

The Foresters

Sci-Fi Romance

MAKAR

Tim Lee 3

The Imperial Rooster

Tipi Valley

Todd Farrell, Jr.

Jeanette Lynne

(And probably some I’m forgetting (sorry!))

have already made an CXCW’14 appearance. Plus – we’ve been introduced to some amazingly talented folks who will more than likely grace our pages soon. 

We expect to see The End Men, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, and much, much more the before the festival wraps up. 

Among the most buzz-worthy moments so far has been Jamie Painter’s cover of Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up which has earned a recommendation from Mr. Isbell himself.  Oh and Two Mule Blues set shit on fire. 

So, in conclusion, I get why you’re not at South by Southwest. I’m not there with you, but why the heck aren’t you at Couch by Couchwest?  Shoes are optional and probably not encouraged.

Ear to the Ground Presents: A Heapin’ Helpin’ of Music News

While we were busy writing and posting our 4-part review of  the new album by  The End Men and then being sick, a whole bunch of stuff has been happening musically from some old and new friends of ours.  Some of this “news” is no longer new, but in case you’ve missed it here is a quick survey of what’s been hitting our News feeds, In-Box and how ever else we’ve heard about this stuff. News after the jump:


  • Man on Earth, the New York rockers who we featured last year, are about to embark on their biggest tour yet.  You can go here for tour dates.  They kick off the tour with a huge show at Irving Plaza in New York.
  • Our friend from Atlanta, Elwood Kuddles (aka Killing Kuddles) is set to release a brand new 5 song EP on March 5, but you can pre-order now. 

  • Spinner.com released a new single from New York based Prince Rupert’s Drops called Plague Ride. 
  • Couch by CouchWest is rapidly approaching.  I know The Foresters have recently finished their submission.  In case you are among the uninitiated, Couch by CouchWest is kind of like South by SouthWest except “the beer is cheaper and the only hipster is you.”
(credit Popa2unes for the poster)

  • The Dead Ex’s have released the latest single from their stand-out album Relovolution –  “White Collar Crime” 



  • Our 2012 Band of the Year, Skeletons in the Piano are working the final bits of voodoo on their new album which will the first on Magnetic Eye Records.  Head over to the band’s website to pre-order.
  • Similarly named, but in no way related, Nashville based Poetic Hip-Hop artist Skeleton at the Feast recently collaborated with our good friend Hayden Coleman on a new track which dropped just a few days ago.

  • Our friend’s The Danbury Lie recently dropped some new music.  

  • Another friend of ours Jo Wymer has been nominated for the brand new Music Educator Award from The Grammy’s.  The new award was announced on this years telecast by Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest.  Congrats and good luck Jo!
Well, I’m about out of time.  I have lots more to share…so stay tuned.  We will leave you with a brief taste of the awesome new song from His Royal Badness…. Prince!








!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,”script”,”twitter-wjs”);https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js <!– google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5465441380757075"; /* E2TG #2 */ google_ad_slot = "6306625404"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //–> http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js