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Quick recap, I continued to lay a little low – still dealing with a lingering cold, and working on song selection for the forthcoming “Double Shot with Joe and Sue” (still no confirmed start date).
Friday: First, it was good to see a large and vibrant crowd for the weekly Tim Carroll Rock and Roll Happy Hour (one of this town’s best weekly events in my opinion). I left there a little early and headed to Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row for the Darkhorses of East Nashville – a collaborative round featuring the amazingly talented trio of Julie Christensen, Amelia White, and Sergio Webb. Trading off songs and backing each other, produced several magical moments. If they come through your town, do not miss it.
So, as I promised Friday, it seemed like a good time to shake things up here at E2TG – just a little bit. Inspired by the success of Featured Friday, I have decided to have a “theme” playlist every for every day of the week. The large #E2TG playlist had gotten very large and getting bigger. By having smaller playlist each day, it may provide more opportunities to feature different artists. We shall see.
So, without much more ado, we begin this new chapter with the debut of Music City Monday – featuring music with connections to Nashville. As you will see, this playlist features both current artists/albums and classics covering over half a century. Non-Nashville artists: Do not be concerned, there will be many opportunities throughout the week for me to feature your music.
“The Homer Bellamy Centennial Blue Yodel” by Jesse and Noah 
Jesse and Noah Bellamy have roots in Florida and first made a name for themselves in Texas, but Nashville is happy to claim them now. This song, from the album Driven Back, marks what would have been the 100th birthday of their Grandfather who solidified their love of Country and Western music. The brother’s performed this long on the Grand Ole Opry. A very Nashville way to introduce Music City Monday.
“Crazy Lady” by Paul Zografi
Our final featured song from Paul Zografi’s most recent EP – Brevity Lane. Zografi is part of loosely organized group of artists that includes some of my favorite people. His songs are very strong and extremely fun to hear.
“Follow Me Home” by SHEL
We started off this shuffle with brothers, and now we have a band of sisters. SHEL (the name derives from the first letters of the first names of the 4 Holbrook sisters originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. They divide time between their hometown, and Nashville (thus their qualification for this playlist). They played an important (if coincidental) role in the genesis of this recent phase of my life as a music writer. In May of 2014, on the day, I first met Darrin Bradbury in person, I followed him down to The 5 Spot – where Darrin was manning the merch table for Tim Easton during his residency. SHEL performed as part of that show – which was also the first time I saw Aaron Lee Tasjan and Megan Palmer (who backed Easton). Anyway, what is more important than my own experiences, is that SHEL are a really awesome band with a pretty cool sound. They are currently running a Pledgemusic presale for their new album Crazy Enough which is due out in May. In support, they released a sampler on Noisetrade which includes a couple of tracks from the new album and some bonus songs which have appeared in television and film. Including this one, which was featured on MTV’s Eye Candy. SHEL will be down at Safety Harbor Song Fest in early April and are scheduled to play Nashville’s Earth Day concert in Centennial Park on April 23.
“Cut n Run” by Brandy Zdan
Another Nashville transplant and another track from a Noisetrade sampler. Brandy Zdan is getting some good and well deserved attention here in Nashville. She is originally from Winnipeg, and here self-titled album was released in 2015.
“Chainsaw Dance” by Crazy Aces
A short fun track from Music City’s resident instrumental rock band.
“Home Sweet Hotel” by Amelia White
Fresh off Friday night’s show at Bobby’s Idle Hour, we have Amelia White with the title track from her brand new album. Expect much more from this album. White is one of East Nashville’s best and this album is a true collaboration with several more awesome folks from both sides of the Cumberland River.
“Stubborn Lover” by Sugar and the Hi Lows
Nashville based duo Sugar and the Hi Lows are up next with a track from their 2012 self-titled album. They were an E2TG featured artists when that album came out.
“Cattle Prod” (Guadalcanal Diary cover) by Government Cheese
Okay, so Government Cheese are technically a Bowling Green band, but Tommy Womack lives in Nashville, and they were a vital part of the Nashville music scene during their original run. Furthermore, the video I found for this track was shot at the late, lamented venue, The Rutledge by the fabulous Too Much Country. Oh, and the song was originally by Guadalcanal Diary who were also not a Nashville band (from Marietta, Georgia), but who played here often in the 80s and early 90s (I saw them several times). Everything about this is awesome. From the retrospective, 1985-1995. They had me at Government Cheese covering Guadalcanal Diary.
“Nine Pound Hammer” by Johnny Cash with The Carter Family
I don’t think I need to explain Johnny Cash’s connection to Nashville. This song was written by Merle Travis (and put too fine a point on my connection theme), this song was often used as Darrin Bradbury’s warm up song back in the heyday of the Darrin/Tim Carroll Fran’s Eastside era.
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Monday Morning Shuffle – Planet Earth is Blue, and There’s Nothing We Can Do Mix
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I had just rolled over to try to sleep when my phone buzzed. A bad habit I know, but I looked at it. “David Bowie Dead at 69”. And, I thought it was one of those terrible internet hoaxes. I put the phone down – convinced that was the case, but I picked it up again, and I discovered that it was true. I felt numb.
My own exploration of his music was as random – just like all my explorations of music tend to be. I am not even certain where it began or the exact order. I knew David Bowie from MTV – probably before, but MTV opened up several musical doors for me.. say what you will about it. “Ashes to Ashes”, “Let’s Dance”, “China Girl”…. Lou Reed was an early influence of mine, and I found out that Bowie has co-produced Transformer – an album that helped transform me. I got a cassette of Hunky Dory and I wore it out. There was a lot I didn’t understand about myself. Bowie’s music helped. Ziggy Stardust….
I am having hard time really accepting that he is gone, but I am heartened by all of the posts on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds – so many vastly divergent musicians and fans sharing many shared experiences some of which echo my own. Music, for me, has been a companion through many lonely times, but it has also been a source of connection with others.
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As we must, we press on… My week long Birthday adventures kicked off last night with a couple of cool rounds a Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row. First, “Earie” award winners Joe Nolan, Drew Kohl, and Andrew Adkins shared a stage, and they all sounded fantastic.
There was a second round, and I had intended to leave, but I ended up staying. Three singer-songwriters that I had not heard before – Kyler Daron, Joey Maloney, and Peter McKeown. Seems an appropriate part of my Birthday Week.
Tonight, the week continues – moving on up to the Eastside for night 2 of Darrin Bradbury’s month-long residency at The Basement East. Tonight’s guest are Zach Schmidt and Tim Easton – two of East Nashville’s finest songwriters. Come on out and hang and listen to cool tunes.
“Low Life Blues” by Bob Margolin
Bob Margolin released his latest album My Road was released last Friday, and we have another awesome track from that album. Margolin played with blues legend Muddy Waters from 1973 until 1980.
“People Who Died” by Government Cheese
No, shuffle – this is in no way funny or appropriate or anything like that… but it is a pretty cool cover of the Jim Carroll Band classic from Bowling Green’s Government Cheese – featuring Tommy Womack.
“Absolutely Sweet Marie” (Live) by Jason and the Scorchers
Speaking of Tommy Womack, he will be Jason Ringenberg’s special guest next Wednesday (1/20). Jason told a story about bringing this song to the Scorchers and how quickly they took to it and made it their own. He went on to say, that they were doing a radio interview early on in Europe, and the DJ said something about the Bob Dylan cover, and Perry, Jeff, and Warner all said – “Cover? We thought you wrote that song!”
“Left and Leaving” (Live) by The Weakerthans
This Canadian band’s name came up in a conversation between two friends that I introduced to each other. Somehow, I mostly missed out on this band, so I immediately set about to remedy that. This is a live version of the title track from the band’s 2000 album.
“Church is Burning Down” by Tomas Doncker
An E2TG favorite returns to the shuffle with a powerful and timely track from his latest album, The Mess We’ve Made. The album is rightly getting some great press. Expect more here.
“Too Late to Say Goodbye” by Cage the Elephant
Somehow, this track from Tell Me I’m Pretty – the new album from yet another Bowling Green band – seemed to be especially meaningful today….
“Dueling Banjos” by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
And we close out this Monday shuffle with a tune that was written in 1955 – as “Feudin’ Banjos” by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith. The song was featured on a 1963 episode of the Andy Griffith Show played by recurring characters The Darlings who were played by The Dillards. This version, which permanently ensconced this song in the collective pop culture consciousness, was recorded for the 1972 film, Deliverance.
Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Used to Fall Mix
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We plunge on into another work week… Today – as often we do, we have a wildly diverse shuffle filled with music that no one in their right mind would put into the same mix of songs… Which seems a good time to remind you that the song selections and ordering is always done randomly by the shuffle function of my music player… (To be fair, however, I do pick the songs that go into the overall playlist from which the shuffle function draws)….
“How We Be” by Sinkane
From Brooklyn by way of The Sudan. Coming to us via a World Café Session. The title track from the album Mean Love which was released about a year ago. A groovy way to the start the week of music.
“I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges
The Stooges were so far ahead of their time that some 45 years later, they are still ahead of their time – or maybe they are just outside of all time. From their 1969 self-titled debut album… today, we have the iconic song…
“Sugarface” by Bird Peterson (ft. Astronautalis)
This song came to me via a Noisetrade Sampler released for SXSW of artists playing the day parties. The song is on Bird Peterson’s solo debut called Plume which was released back in July.
“Revolt” by The Unravelling
Some more hard, progressive rock from the album Tear a Hole in the Collective Vision – the latest album by Calvary band, The Unravelling.
“You Never Even Call Me By My Name” by Steve Goodman
This song was written by Goodman and John Prine and most famously recorded by David Allen Coe. Further proof that the Country Music establishment has been flawed and problematic for as far back as 40 years ago.
“The Shrubbery’s Dead” by Government Cheese
The song comes to us via the epic compilation of classic era Nashville Rock called, Return to Elliston Square (1979-1989). Government Cheese are from Bowling Green, but earned their status with Nashville’s Rock elite. Fortuitously, this song came up the shuffle at the beginning of week that includes a Music City Roots benefit for Tommy Womack (of Government Cheese) and a Saturday reunion of the seminal 1980s Nashville band, Raging Fire who are also on the Return to Elliston Square record.. The MCR benefit will include performances by Jason and the Scorchers, Webb Wilder, Will Kimbrough, and Dan Baird. This song became one The Cheese’s most well known tracks.
“Warp Drive” by Black Doctor Jr.
A Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen Band that we have featured before. Back in August Black Doctor Jr. announced they were taking an extended break to work on other projects. The track was released as a Single back in March.
“The Eye” by Brandi Carlile
From a Noisetrade Bonnaroo sampler, this lovely song come from an album called The Firewatcher’s Daughter which was released back in March.
“Poor Boy” by David Jacobs-Strain
David Jacobs-Strain is a virtuoso guitar player that I was introduced to at the Safety Harbor Song Fest earlier this year. This is his 8 minute take on the Blues standard.
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E2TG: MUSIC/WORDS 