Last night, I made my first visit to Little Harpeth Brewery (I love their beer) which located just about five minutes from where I park for work. It was a fun night of good beer, cheap friends, and music (to paraphrase an obscure Darrin Bradbury song lyric). Speaking of which, the music for the evening was provided by the aforementioned Bradbury and Hushabye Baby (who I saw for the first time and really liked).
It is Friday! Time for some Featured music… via the shuffle function…
“Too Close to Home” by My Life in Black and White
My Life in Black and White are from Portland, Oregon. Their latest album is called Columbia. I can’t remember how or where I came across this, but I’m glad I did. I happened to notice that they are playing a show tomorrow night in Hood River, Oregon with The Harmed Brothers (with whom Darrin Bradbury toured in December). Always with the connections at E2TG.
“Glassy Eyed” by Brian Keenan
Another nice one from Fits and Starts. Brian Keenan is from Brooklyn.
“The Dangerous Kind” by Aaron Lee Tasjan
It’s hard to go anywhere in East Nashville these days and not see or hear Aaron Lee Tasjan. He is on the cover of the current issue of The East Nashvillian – with a great article and last night they were playing his music over the PA at Little Harpeth. Believe me, this is not a complaint, and I am happy to jump on that bandwagon. Today’s song is a stand out from In the Blazes.
“Conversation at the Funeral” by Jon Latham
After our conversation last night, Darrin Bradbury is going to think I purposely posted a Jon Latham song today, but I swear it’s all random. I think if you read this blog, you know how I feel about Jon Latham. This song is the closing track from Jon’s debut, Real Bad News. Inspired by his late grandfather. It is filled with the kind of emotionally honest truth-telling that make me feel like I do about Jon’s music.
“Settle the Score” by Freaks for Geeks
Freaks for Geeks are a Chicago band whose music combines rock and hip hop in a very effective way. They recently released their third EP, TIN.
“Schadenfreude” by Mellor
Schadenfreude is a German word. Mellor is a band from Reading, UK. Their EP Damage/Joy is out now. This song is on it. They refer to their genre as Pop Smack. I dig it. Up beat, power pop music.
“The Test of Time” by Some Kind of Illness
The lead track from the self-titled album by UK band Some Kind of Illness. A kind of atmospheric indie rock track. Like it.
“Jubilee (Land of The Free)” by Andrew Adkins
We close out the week with another song from Glass Castles by Andrew Adkins. Andrew organized Wednesday night’s amazing round at The Country. Andrew is joining the throngs (including many of my musician friends) who are heading down to Austin for SXSW.
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Hey! It is Tuesday night, I have been catching up on laundry and trying to catch up on e-mail. My inbox has been flooded with a ton of great music – some of which you will be hearing here on Ear to the Ground, so of which will be coming your way soon.
In the midst of the excitement of scrolling through pages of unopened e-mail (sorry), I got a call from the 2015 E2TG Artist of the Year, Jon Latham. That is how he is tagged in my phone by the way… “2015 E2TG Artist of the Year, Jon Latham”. He filled me in on a project he has in the works.
Returning to Fort Dakota Studio, Jon has recorded five solo acoustic songs all of which were also recorded on video. The recordings were a reunion of sorts with Fort Dakota’s mastermind, Josh Morris who produced Jon’s album, Real Bad News.
Look for an EP of those sessions coming your way soon, in the meantime, I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to present the very first video from that session.
When Jon and I talk, we often talk about music. As I have said before, Jon is extremely knowledgeable about a pretty wide variety of music genres – including some bands that I would not expect someone his age to know (thank you Michael Latham).
Inevitably, we talk about songwriters. Names like John Prine, Steve Earle, and Guy Clark come up quite often. We have discussed the importance of Guy Clark to much of the best music being played in songwriter rounds around this fair city.
“LA Freeway” has long been one of my favorite Guy Clark songs, and I really like Jon’s cover of that song here – recorded at Fort Dakota.
A little trivia: Steve Earle sang background vocals on Guy Clark’s recording of this song from his debut album, Old No. 1. Steve Earle, as you may recall, is prominently referenced in the opening seconds of Real Bad News.
Without any further ado: Here is “LA Freeway” by Jon Latham
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I really happy with the response and the outcome of the first week of our new “themed” shuffles. I am especially pleased that each day there was a pretty wide range of musical sounds and styles represented within each theme.
So, we are back with our second Music City Monday – songs (old and new) that are somehow connected to Music City USA – aka Nashville, Tennessee.
“Set the Record Straight” by Luella
Luella sets the record straight with one of her new songs. This is from a sampler CD of some of Luella’s recent music which you can get at one of shows. Luella performs every Friday at The 5 Spot as part of Tim Carroll Rock and Roll Happy Hour from 6:00 to 8:30.
“Can’t Wake Up” by The Apache Relay
The Apache Relay were a great Nashville band who called it quits in 2015. I grabbed this live recording from a CD of Music from a performance/documentary called Music City Underground which was released in 2012. I was lucky enough to find this CD awhile back in the CD bin at a thrift store.
“Girl in the Sky” by Stone Cupid
How about the fabulous Stone Cupid – lead by Julie Christensen with a song from their album The Cardinal. The song was written by Amelia White. It’s a good one.
“Nuclear War” by Cloverbottom
Cloverbottom were an early punk band in Nashville. This song is available on the wonderful musical time capsule, Return to Elliston Square which was released by Spat! Records a few years back. The song was originally on the band’s first EP called Anarchy in Music City.
“Slippin’ Away” by Carolina Story
Another from the duo Carolina Story from their EP Chapter One.
“When I Can” by Jon Latham
Jon Latham recently celebrating his birthday. To celebrate, here is another track from his incredible debut album Real Bad News. A beautiful tune here.
No Difference” by Daphne Willis
Daphne Willis will be playing tonight at The Basement East with HER. This song goes back some to an EP called Matter of Time. The infectiousness of her music is evident here.
“American Saga” by Charlie Hager
Next up, Charlie Hager with the title track from his new album. Charlie is having his CD release show on March 17 at the Crying Wolf. Expect to hear much more from this album on E2TG. It was released on Flour Sack Cape records which is doing an admirable job workings with a lot of the artists you read about on E2TG.
“TMI” by Daphne Willis
Obviously, the shuffle knew that Daphne Willis was playing tonight (did I mention that she is playing at The Basement East with HER- doors at six, music at seven $5). A more up-to-date song from her latest EP called Get It! This is a really silly song, but I can almost guarantee that if you hear it, you will be singing it. Extremely fun!
“The Ballad of Wayne WV” by Andrew Adkins
We close things out with Andrew Adkins and another from Glass Castles. Catch Andrew Wednesday night at The Country for a must-see Nashville songwriters event. Adkins will be performing in the round with Tim Carroll, Jon Byrd, Tommy Womack, and Adkin’s co-Earie winner, Mighty Joe Nolan. This is an incredible line-up of some of the best that Nashville has to offer. 7:30p.m. – The Country is located near Centennial Park on 28th Avenue – just off West End and next to Jed’s Sports Bar.
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Well, guess what? I’ll tell you what, we have reached the end of this weird week… and that means it is time for the ever popular* feature here at E2TG, Featured Friday. Where we cut out all the classic, obscure prior year tracks from our playlist and just spin songs of a more recent vintage. These are either tracks that were submitted to me or just newer music that I wanted to feature.
Let’s get right into the shuffle which takes some interesting twists and turns….
“Conversation at the Wedding” by Jon Latham
It’s been a pretty heavy week for me – filled with feelings and stuff… so, what do I get to start of the final shuffle of the work week? Jon Latham singing his song about sitting through a wedding that you would rather be standing through… Catapulted by his being named Ear to the Ground Artist of the Year for 2015, Latham has been getting lots and lots of attention from some pretty important people. Truth be told, I am joking about his having been catapulted by the award I gave him. The success he is experiencing is a direct result of many factors including his ability to write songs like this one. The song features a lilting, uncomplicated melody and a crystal clarity in the lyrics. It conveys devastating heartbreak with engaging references that flow easily and do not distract from the tone or the mood of the song. From Real Bad News
“From A Small Farm in Eastern Australia Comes the Oldest Patch of Earth” by Smokey the Firebear
It is still my understanding that Ohm Atlanta is due out very soon.. In the meantime, there are some new singles and other stuff at the Smokey the Firebear Bandcamp Page. This track with a long title was included on the pre-mastered version of Ohm Atlanta which was available for a time at Bandcamp, but was pulled to prepare for the release of the final version. I am not in the know to say that this will for sure be on the final version. Stay tuned to find out. In the meantime, this is a lovely bit of instrumental ambiance.
“Down in the Delta” by Delta Deep
So far, we’ve moved from a Jon Latham sad song, to a Smokey the Firebear experimental instrumental, so it seems only logical (to me anyway) that we would move on to a raucous bit of hard rocking blues music from a new band that features members of Def Leppard, Stone Temple Pilots, plus an outstanding blues vocalist. The self-titled debut album is out now.
“Back of Yr Mind” by Bosveld
Veldbrand is an amazing album. Bosveld is an octet (with guests) that features Thean from Velodrones. They are from Ottawa. You know, this shuffle may seem schizophrenic to some people, but it actually does make sense to me.
“Dawn” by Paul Zografi
After beginning with a Nashville singer-songwriter and then flying off to Connecticut, down to the deep delta, and up to north of the border, we return to close to my home with another track from Brevity Lane– the latest release from Paul Zografi.
“When Country Singers Were Ugly” by Tommy Womack
One of my favorite song titles. I was fortunate enough to see Tommy Womack in the round Saturday with David Olney, Peter Cooper, and Chris Gantry. Namaste is not due out until the spring, but stay tuned because you are not going to want to miss it.
“Immigrant” by Kevin Gordon
Long Gone Time was one of my favorite albums of 2015. I am so happy that I got the opportunity to write a review of the album and write a review of the CD Release show at City Winery. We still have several tracks from the album to feature in shuffles, which makes me happy because I am no where near tired of hearing these great songs.
“Art of Wire” by Calming River
So, after having three great Nashville-based songwriters in a row, it makes perfect sense, that we should close out the shuffle with a beautiful song from a songwriter from the Denmark and the UK. This track comes from a four song EP called The Ones We Left Behind.
Here we are! The final regularly scheduled shuffle of 2015. (I’m not ruling out a shuffle tomorrow but no promises). But first, we have one final bit of business to wrap up the debut edition of the “Earie” Awards. Remember: The “Earies” it sounds strange, but it’s not really. The final award is the Golden “Earie” Award (aka the E2TG Artist of the Year).
Since we have a bunch of new readers, I thought I would indulge in a brief history of the award.
I began writing the blog in May 2011. That year, I named a “Band of the Week” every week. As the end of the year approached, I thought it would be fun to have a Readers Poll to select a “Band of the Year”. So, I created an on-line poll that included all of the Bands of the Week. Being new to on-line polls, the poll was wide open meaning you could vote as many times as you wanted. The polling was spirited and fun with several artists really getting into it. At the end of the poll, The Mobbs (a UK band) flooded the ballot box and were named Band of the Year. Howard Rabach’s band Ubiquity Machine finished second and Don Ryan from New Jersey finished third.
Because the poll was so much fun (and brought a lot of page views to the blog), for 2012 I decided to have a Band of the Month poll – which I did. At the end of 2012, all of the Bands of the Month plus some “Wildcards” competed for Band of Year. The now defunct but totally awesome Skeletons in the Piano from upstate New York were the second Band of the Year.
By 2013, I had kind of grown tired of the polls. It seemed like some artists were more into it than others plus I kind of decided it was a distraction from what was really important – being the music. When 2013 year end came up, to me there was one obvious choice for Band of the Year. The End Men, of Brooklyn, remain to this day the most tagged artist on #E2TG. Beyond that they are really wonderful people. They had a big 2013 and (as I expected) they had an even bigger 2014.
In 2014, once again the choice was obvious. Darrin Bradbury emerged from a Wal-Mart parking lot and began to conquer Nashville. He dominated Ear to the Ground – at one point I think there was at least one DB song in the shuffle everyday for almost a month. In 2014, I probably saw Darrin play life on average 2 or 3 times a week. Also, as expected, in the year that followed (2015), he continued to excel and made me very proud to have him as my Artist of the Year (I had to rename it because he wasn’t a band).
Which brings us to the 2015:
The choice this year became pretty clear to me early in the year. my anticipation of Jon Latham’s debut album was so high. But, anticipation does not equal awards. Real Bad News managed to exceed my very high expectations. My review can be read HERE. And the album alone is almost enough to make Jon a lock for Artist of the Year. But, there were several great albums released in the past 12 months. But wait, there is more! Jon is one of the kindest people I know. Some people may say that has nothing to do with music, but I would disagree. Grant it, there is long list of really amazing artists who happened to be assholes, however, in the case of Jon Latham, his kindness comes through in just about every song. Beyond that, Jon’s knowledge and interest in a wide variety of music is almost encyclopedic. Again, at least in the case of Jon Latham, that depth of knowledge is, I think, crucial to his craft as a songwriter.
As 2015 rolled along, people began to take notice of Jon Latham. The Sin City vs. Guitar Town Eastside Throwdown was a turning point. Jon Latham backed Aaron Lee Tasjan in one of the most electrifying sets I have seen all year. Playing acoustic guitar and singing bgv, people took notice. Since then, Jon has opened shows for Aaron Lee and for the legendary Malcolm Holcombe. Real Bad News has garnered international acclaim and made some best of 2015.
You have one more chance to see the 2015 Artist of the Year in 2015. Jon will once again be joining the incredible Aaron Lee Tasjan in an opening slot for Christ Knight at the Exit/In on New Year’s Eve. On Monday, you can catch 2014 Artist of the Year Darrin Bradbury as he kicks of his residency at The Basement East. 2015 Artist of the Year Jon Latham is on the bill for that night. I, for one, am excited!
Basically, those who get it, will understand right away why Jon Latham is my Artist of the Year. If you don’t get it, check out the video playlist below and you probably will. Some of Jon’s best moments (plus if you look closely in one video you will see the jean shorts clad leg of 2014 winner Darrin Bradbury). A couple of bonus clips that I came across: one is a clip I had heard about but not seen, Jon doing a song that does not often make it to his playlist these days. The touching and tender, “Put It in Your Butt” plus so that we didn’t end on that note, a rare clip of the Latham Family Band doing a Dawes cover.
Congratulations Jon! Terry Rickards take note: 2013 Band of the Year, The End Men played the 2014 Post-Americana all-day marathon show at The Basement, 2014 Artist of the Year, Darrin Bradbury, played the 2015 Post-Americana all-day marathon show at The Basement East. I’m just sayin’ American Fest will be here before we know it.
Now the last shuffle of the year…. a short commute and walk, and some longish songs means only 5 songs in the shuffle
“Forgive All His Sins” by Jean Synodinos
Jean Synodinos is an Austin-based singer-songwriter. This is our first listen. The song is very moving. Her album is called Love and Blood. Expect to hear more of this one as 2016 gears up.
“45” by Silverbird
Another track from Pureland, the debut album by this New York City based rock band.
“Pound of Grain” by Tymon Dogg
A vegan anthem from the one-time Clash/Joe Strummer collaborator Tymon Dogg from his album Made of Light.
“Dorothy” by Jon Latham
The shuffle gods do right, and throw a Jon Latham song into this final shuffle of the year. “Dorothy” is one of the first songs I heard Jon sing.
“Mistreated” by Delta Deep
Given the spirit of #E2TG, it seems appropriate to close out the year with a band that I am hearing for the first time. Delta Deep is a band that features Phil Collen of Def Leppard and a real deal Delta blues singer named Debbi Blackwell-Cook plus Stone Temple Pilot bassist Robert DeLeo. I’ll be honest, I was not the biggest Def Leppard fan (although some of their songs were pretty damned catchy). But this! This is really cool. Blistering blues based rock back by an authentic blues voice. From what I have read, I believe Joe Elliot even appears on this track. I really like this. Expect more as 2016 rolls on. This song is a Deep Purple cover by the way.
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Hopefully, Lemmy is having a celestial beer somewhere… RIP
DISCLAIMER: For one of the first times (if not the first times) in E2TG history, I actually composed part of this post in advance. Over the long holiday weekend, I took time to go over the “Earies” and tried to figure out a game plan for my last three posts of the year (two “Earies” and Artist of the Year). When I figured out what I wanted to do for today’s final “Earie” before the AofTY, I knew it was going to be time consuming and so I wrote the next bit in advance.
FURTHER DISCLAIMER: Both yesterday’s and today’s shuffles produced head smacking moments of remembering artist deserving of “Earies”. I can only beg forgiveness for any and all omissions. Despite how it may appear, I do most of #E2TG posts by the seat of my pants. *I know shocking* and to boot, I often have a very disorganized mind. It’s part of my charm… Anyway, let’s jump right into the last “Earie” before the “Golden Earie”….
(this next bit was written on Sunday and editing since then)
Now, we have reached the penultimate E2TG 2015 Award. Tomorrow, I will unveil the 2015 Artist of the Year. As I frequently write and say, I find it very fortuitous that through a series of unfortunate events that I would have never volunarily chosen to end up in the place I am at the moment I arrived. Arrived without travelling… sure, but it has been a journey. Finding myself smack in the middle of the East Nashville music community in the middle part of the second decade of the 21st Century, I am keenly aware of what a moment I am experiencing. You might think I would be jaded or disillusioned by now, and you would be partially correct. I have been jaded and disillusioned many times, and certainly if you look for them or focus on them, there are plenty of reasons to be jaded and disillusioned by the state of music. But, there are causes for hope. The obvious examples that people will mention – Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson… sure but it goes way deeper and way beyond that. The level of excellence here is incredible. Songwriters, guitar players, bassists, drummers, pedal steel players, photographers, music writers, bookers…. the list goes on,
Now, do not get me wrong East Nashville (or maybe more precisely the other side of Nashville) is not a perfect situation. I have made off-hand (kind of) joking comments about the Nashville Conundrum – referring to the sheer volume of incredible volume of awesome live music and the impossible choices this creates. Choices between two or more shows going on at the same time, choices between going out or staying in to get my own work done or to rest and recover. For a music fan, it is an excellent problem to have – for musicians – not always. It is, I think, a pretty well known fact that some of our community’s best spend a significant amount of time on the road because that is where there is money to be made. Nashville/East Nashville is home base and the spirit of collaboration and community keeps them coming back, but shows that would be events in another city are easily overlooked or passed over here in Nashville.
I do not propose or make any claim to a solution to the monetary issues facing the musicians these days. It seems to me to be a complicated equation. The amount of artistic freedom and autonomy made possible by advancements in technology vs. the increasing difficulty of getting music fans to spend money on independent music. Honestly, it can be discouraging even for someone not directly impacted by it. But, for me it just drives me harder to spread the word about music of substance that needs to be heard more widely and supported.
All that wordiness to say, I am giving the final “Earie” before Artist of the Year to the community of artists who have become a part of my life over the last year and a half. I am going to call out a few people by name, and ommissions are inevitable. In a hypothetic sense, this last “Earie” will be represented by a giant sized “Ear” right smack dab in the middle of 5 Points. You know, that weird intersection of 11th and Woodlawn and those other streets.
1. Aaron Lee Tasjan – I had to single out Aaron Lee for reasons which should become obvious if they are are not already. I had heard about Aaron Lee Tasjan before I actually heard him. The first time I heard him play guitar was on the same day that I met Darrin Bradbury. He was backing up Tim Easton at The 5 Spot. Later, he did a residency at that bar, and I finally got to hear him do his own songs. To say, I was blown away would be an understatement. In fact, I think it took me some time to fully grasp how amazing he was as a songwriter. His mixture of humor, cultural references, and emotional resonance is incomparable. Over time, I learned more about his history and got to meet him and found him to be a really nice guy. The other thing he is – which to me typifies this community, is generous. In 2015, as he began to garner more and more (well deserved) attention, ALT (as he is known) seemed to work even harder at lifting up his fellow musicians and writers. His album, In the Blazes, was one of my most highly anticipated releases and yet it still managed to surprise me. It is a rock and roll record, it is a alt-folk record, it is a alt-country record – it shows off his abilities as a songwriter and as a guitarist.
2. Tim Easton – the mentor and a driving force behind the Campfire Propaganda movement. His experience and wisdom has helped to push these younger songwriters forward, and their influence seems to have revitalized this long-time East Nashville presence. The celebrate his 100th published song, Easton began posting a song a day for 100 days. He is at the tail end of this marathon project.
3. Zach Schmidt – One of the brightest lights in the East Nashville community. Schmidt has an album in the can that will be released in 2016. He has all the attributes of a classic male country music star, and his songs manage to deftly walk the line between tradition and innovation. Watch for Zach Schmidt in 2016.
4. Nellie Marie Clay – Originally from Oklahoma, Clay made her way to Nashville after spending a few years in the far reaches of Alaska. Like Zach Schmidt, she brings a new energy to traditional sounding roots music. Her distinctive drawl and the twanginess of her music made her a force to be reckoned with. Her new album I Never Did What I Shoulda Done is excellent,
5. Megan Palmer – Besides being a go to side musician for the likes of Darrin Bradbury, Tim Easton and others, Palmer is an excellent songwriter in her own right. Her performace of one her best songs, “Knife Twister” backed by an all-star backing chorus that included Julie Christensen, Nellie Marie Clay and others was a highlight of the year. She has a new album ready to go in 2016. It will be worth your while to check it out.
6. Brian Wright – Probably a half dozen of my favorite musical moments of 2015 involve Brian Wright. A powerhouse guitar player, an unequaled songwriter, and a supporter of his fellow musicians. If you ever get the chance to see Brian Wright live – in any configuration, do not miss out!
7. Carl Anderson – Anderson came to Nashville by way of Charlottesville, VA. His album, Risk of Loss, is one of the best of 2015. Such amazing songs.
8. Other songwriters: Andrew Leheay, Lilly Hiatt, Tim Carroll, Tommy Womack, Kiely Schlessinger, Luella Wood, Bob Lewis, Allen Thompson, Russell Thompson, Amelia White, Adrian+Meredith Krygowski, Dave Coleman, Ariel Bui, Yosi Mesbah and so many more. Covering music that can be described as country, alt-country, folk-country, not country, roots rock, alt-folk, rock, blues-rock, jam band….etc. I tend to shy away from putting labels on music (though I understand that for artists it is a necessity sometimes). I think of it as excellent music. Traditionally, Nashville has been known as a town of songwriters, and even though the quality of writing on “the Row” can be called into the question – that tradition lives on around campfires, on porches, and in clubs around the city but concentrated in East Nashville. (And by reference, I include some of the amazing writers who have already won “Earie” Awards)
9. The musicians – once you have a song, the next step is to bring that song to life. And, although that can be done by just the writer and an acoustic guitar, when the song is developed and augemented by the help of some of the best musicians in the world, the results can be amazing. Many of the writers I mentioned are also amazing musicians who frequently back up other writers (Brian Wright, Megan Palmer, and ALT stand out). When you go out and hear music in Nashville, one thing you begin to notice is some of the same faces showing up again and again playing behind a very diverse mix of musical styles. Justin Amaral, Aaron Shafer-Haiss, Steve Ebe, Raun Shultz, David Strayer, Daniel Seymour, Cameron Carrus, Adam Kurtz, and many many more. Some of the above named front their own projects and some do not, but they are all part of the lifeblood that makes this new Music City what it is.
10. The non-musicians – Musicians and songwriters are the reason this scene exists but it would not run if it were for the photographers, managers, bookers, writers, publicists. and behind the scenes folks. I want to call out Stacie Huckaba, Mary Sack, Terry Rickards, Sue Havlish, Karen Leipziger (who is also a songwriter and musician as I recently learned), John McCollum. Skip Anderson, Heather Lose, Randy Fox, and many more.
11. Bands – I should probably mentioned some of the amazing bands who call Nashville home. Covering an incredible diverse range of syles and sounds, Year of October, Dogs of Oz, Turbo Fruits, Blackfoot Gypsies, Humming House, Benchmarks, Fendrick and Peck, and many more.
2016 is going to be an amazing year, and the “Earies” will be back for their second season. But, I’m not quite done with 2015. The Artist of the Year for 2015 will be revealed tomorrow. Stay tuned.
back to live posting Now for the penultimate regularly scheduled shuffle of 2015!
“Heaven’s Gonna Have a Honky Tonk” by Dale Watson
I’m gonna dedicate this one to Lemmy. I think heaven’s gonna have a pretty bitchin’ rock show… I’ll just bet Lemmy and the Ramones are playing “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” right about now.
This is an older Dale Watson song which was included on his latest album, Call Me Insane which is definitely one of the best albums of the year and one of my favorire
“Windows Fogged Up in Your Pickup Truck” by The Paisley Fields
The Paisley Fields are a alt-country band from Brooklyn that boasts two opera trained singer and a prolific songwriter who happens to be gay. They have an EP that was released this year, but this is an older song of theirs.
“Tread Carefully” by The British IBM
Man, I have really been digging Psychopaths Dream in Black and White. This is really British Indie music the way it was meant to be. Catchy as hell with just enough of an edge.
“The Frame” by Jon Latham
One of the most powerful songs on Real Bad News. Jon will be playing as part of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s killer band opening for Chris Knight at the Exit/In on New Year’s Eve. Boom 2015!
“Only the Young” by Indigenous Engines
From the Werewolves EP, by Indigenous Engines aka “Earie” award winner Andrew Adkins. A new Andrew Adkins is on tap for 2016!
“The Old Testament” by Man Named Pearl
Yeah, Man of Pearl should have won an “Earie”. Can I give them a special award now? It is my blog… ug… whatever…. seriously, Man Named Pearl is the nom de plume of Jesse Turits and part of the fantastic collective/thing called Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen. This is from -Quietus Make- which I highly and forcefully recommend.
Well. here we are on a Monday. I’m posting this late because I have been in a conference for work all day and will be tomorrow and Wednesday. In addition, being a Monday, my bluetooth earphones decided to act all weird. That along with the fact that we have a very long song in the shuffle means only four songs.
But first, time to hop back into the 2015 “Earie” Awards. To recap, last week we handed out virtual statues to Darrin Bradbury, Paul Zografi, Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau, Mark Robinson Band, and The Foresters.
I couldn’t decide what to call this award, but I knew who the winners would be… three way tie on this one… How about we call it, the New York State of Mind Award. All of winners are excellent songwriters on the Nashville “scene” who moved her from New York, and who to me represent the best of “New Nashville”. By that I mean, they really seem to “get” what this town is about and they bring a fresh perspective and new voices.
The “New York State of Mind” Award goes to: Lindsay Ellyn, Sara Syms, and Jeremy Nash.
Lindsay released her Out of Road EP earlier in the ear. Surrounding herself with some of Nashville’s best, she made one of my favorite records of the year, and her live shows are always amazing.
Sara released Way Back Home recently. The album was recorded in New York, but here in Nashville, she has also embraced some great local players and has become a fixture on the local music scene.
Jeremy, like Sara Syms, recorded his recent album, Getaway Driver in New York, and I think he may be the freshest face of the three in Nashville.
The three albums are among my favorites, the three songwriters are, I believe, net gain assets for the Nashville music community. I am happy to let them fight over the one, invisible award.
Moving on…
Finally, I have to say that I learned a lesson this weekend. When you post something on the internet about how you don’t dance, you are just setting yourself up. This weekend, I found myself dancing not once but twice at two different venues on Saturday night. Thanks to the person at the Basement East who I don’t know who convinced to dance during Sadler Vaden’s set and Mary Sack for convincing me to dance during Ballhog! (I think).
It was another amazing weekend for live music kicking off with Jon Latham who killed it opening for the out of this world Malcolm Holcombe. Holcombe’s band included Darrell Scott and Ken Coomer, and Mary Gauthier joined in for one song. After that I got a good reminder of the awesome friends I have made over the last year or so. Helping some friends celebrate their new house, singing loudly and badly to Bob Seger, and being a part of a conversation that moved naturally from the lack of necessity of the powder on Doritos to the films of Werner Herzog,,,,
Saturday, Sadler Vaden was amazing and Drvin’ ‘n’ Cryin’ were every bit the legends they are – with Warner E. Hodges on guitar, they played for around 2 1/2 hours including playing nearly an hour long encore that included Warner leading the band through “Absolutely Sweet Marie”. Then, I made it to the 5 Spot very late to catch the tail end of the Get Behind the Mule: Tom Waits Tribute and Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank. I know the whole night was fabulous, but at least I saw Shane Tutmarc, Bone Machine, and Ballhog!.
To the short, sharp, shuffle:
“Hand Me Down Heart” by Jon Latham
Fresh off his triumphant opening slot on Friday, Jon kicks off the strange short shuffle with one of my favorite songs of his. From Real Bad News… this is one of those songs that just kind of grabs you by the heartstrings and pulls until you beg for mercy.
“Untouchable” by The Train Set
From Never California, The Train Set emerged in the mid to late eighties from the UK. Although, I missed out on them the first time, I am very happy for the rerelease of some of their music. I can tell I would have loved it had I heard it back in the day. This song was the b-side to the band’s first 12″ single (according to the caption of a 1988 live performance video on You Tube.
“Slipping From Your Heart” by The Deadline Shakes
Another track from the new album, Zealots, from Glascow band The Deadline Shakes. This one starts as an emotional ballad before settling into one of the band’s signature catchy grooves.
We close things out with the epic sixteen minute long tribute to all things Bastin. 100% Beefcake are one of those many side project bands on the Dord Music Group label. Dig it and use yer blinkah.
Well, it is time for the last shuffle before the long Thanksgiving weekend. I hope if you are travelling that you have safe travels, I hope you find a place of gratitude, I hope you remember those for whom the holidays are a painful or difficult time. I hope you do all the things you want to do. For my Canadian friends, you can like, #tbt tomorrow to Canadian Thanksgiving or whatever…
We have one more awesome featured music shuffle to see this work week off in style.
“Shut Up and Kiss Me” by Tim Lee 3
Long time friends of Ear to the Ground kick things off with a track from their album 331/3 which was a celebration of the vinyl anniversary of Tim and Susan Bauer Lee. Sometimes words just get in the way….
“Just Try Me Out” (Home Recording) by Tom Schreck
Nashville Outside, Tom Schreck released Added Glory, an EP companion to his two full length records, Outsider and Save Your Glory. The latter of those two records has a turkey on the cover, so maybe this holiday weekend would be a good time to get hold of all of Tom’s albums so you can join me in being grateful for such an amazing songwriter.
“Waitressing Sucks” by Jon Latham
Why bother with subtlety? This straightforwardly titled song, delivers some gut wrenching emotional power. From Real Bad News which is rightfully getting a lot of attention these days. Once you are recovered from the holidays, Jon Latham will be opening for the legendary songwriter Malcolm Holcomb at The Basement on December 4. Doors at 7:00p.m. You do not want to miss that show! As a Thanksgiving bonus, we present, a brand new Jon Latham video of a song he co-wrote with Darrin Bradbury called, “Kimberly Met Billy” which the good folks at Flour Sack Cape released this week. Enjoy.
“Night Sounds” by Brian Keenan
This is the first Ear to the Ground appearance by Brooklyn songwriter Brian Keenan. He just released what I believe is his second album called Fits and Starts. This was my first listen – more ahead. Dig it!
“Paper People” by The Foresters
Sun Songs, the latest album by Connecticut band, The Foresters, is a bold step forward. The band of brothers began making music after their father took them to a Green Day show a few years ago. While their early music, showed a definite influence of the pop-punk leanings of that band (which was all well and good), the band has matured and broadened their sound over the last couple of years, and Sun Songs represents a plateau of sorts for this particular stage of the journey. The maturity also highlights the fact that although the band members are still quite young, they are ready to be judged solely on their merits not as a “good band of young kids” but just as a “good band”. Sun Songs is one of my favorite albums of the year.
“My Mind” by Dan Coyle
Another great track from Dan Coyle 2009 album Random Thoughts and Incomplete Sentences. This is on the featured music playlist for a couple of reasons: 1. it is new to me and 2. It’s my playlist and I can put what I want on it. Oh and 3. It’s a great album.
“Second Sight (for Shlomo)” by Bosveld
Velbrand is the debut album by the Canadian band Bosveld which includes among it’s members Velodrones who has been featured on this sight before. This is envelope pushing folk music. I was first introduced to Velodrones through Valued Customer. Like that band, Bosveld manage to make experimental music accessible without compromising on the originality. It is not an easy feat. Bosveld have been known to go on bike tours around Canada. This album was recently featuring on CBC.
“Ain’t Dead Yet” by Nellie Clay
Nellie Clay is a relatively new Nashville songwriter from Oklahoma by way of Alaska. I have been fortunate enough to see her live a number of times over the last month or so – including last Friday when she opened for Will Kimbrough’s CD Release show. She just released, Never Did What I Should Have Done. It has rapidly become a favorite of mine.
“Crocodile Tears” by Dale Watson
We close out the shuffle with another song from Dale Watson’s Call me Insane album. Watson has a distinctive outlaw country voice, and through his work with the Ameripolitan Music movement, Watson is dedicated to making authentic American music for the 21st Century.
And so it goes, and we reach the end of another work week here at #E2TG. Heading into the weekend just ahead of Thanksgiving here in the United States. There is a ton of great music happening this weekend at different venues. Choose your poison and get out there.
Among the shows coming up today and tomorrow (and no I cannot make it to all of these): Today: Joey Kneiser of Glossary is releasing a new record, and he will play this evening at Grimey’s. Will Kimbrough is also he releasing a new record, and he will be playing The Basement at 7:00 with Nellie Clay opening. Today is Tommy Womack’s birthday, and we will playing around 9:00 at The Family Wash. Also tonight, the East Nashville Underground: A Magical Reunion is going on at The Basement East. Plus there is the weekly, Tim Carroll Rock and Roll Happy Hour at The 5 Spot. Plus probably tons of other stuff.
Tomorrow night: One of this blog’s favorites Mark Robinson Band will be playing an early show at The 5 Spot (6:00 start). Joey Kneiser will be playing that venue after that. Meanwhile, over at the Family Wash – Knoxville poet and songwriter R.B. Morris will be playing. Plus the aforementioned East Nashville Underground event continues at The Beast. and More…
We have a Featured Friday Shuffle that I am really happy about today… let’s take a gander…
“Pieces of Things” by Lindsay Ellyn
What can I say? This is another track from Lindsay’s Out of Road EP which is one of my faves of the year. Lindsay somehow manages to pull of great fashion sense, amazing songwriting ability, and being one of the most generous and genuine people I know. Plus, she surrounds herself with some incredibly talented people (both on this record and in her live performances).
“Broken As I Am” by Stone Cupid
From the forthcoming album, The Cardinal. This is one of two leaving California songs that Julie Christensen sings. While, we know that California misses her, Nashville is awfully glad to claim her. Backed by an amazing band of Nashville’s finest, Stone Cupid serves as wonderful encapsulation of Christensen’s storied career and life.
“All My Nightmares” by Maxim Ludwig
Way back in at the very beginning of this blog, when I was still trying to figure out what Ear to the Ground was going to be, I decided to create an Artist of the Week feature (the feature lasted several months and gave way to the Featured Artists feature which lasted several more months). The very first Ear to the Ground Artist of the Week was Maxim Ludwig. At the time, he was performing with his band, The Santa Fe Seven. Later he recorded under a different band name, and now he is back with music recording under the name Maxim Ludwig. He has new single, which I am really digging. I really like keeping up with the music and artists I have “discovered” through writing this blog, and it is always a great thing when one of them puts out new music.
“So Long, So Long” by Jeremy Nash
My shuffle function seems to really be enjoying Jeremy Nash’s Getaway Driver record, and I cannot say that I blame it one bit. This is another fine track of that album.
“Killing Women and Children” by Tom House
Tom House is a songwriter and a poet who has long been a fixture on the Nashville music scene. His latest album is called Songs Like Dreams… More Like Blood. Looking forward to hearing and writing more about his music.
“Sorry You’re Sick” by Mary Gauthier
Another track from Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins. This track features Mary Gauthier. I got to see her perform this song at the meet and greet for the record, held during Americana week. A really lovely song.
“Major Key” by Jon Latham
“What are you wanting out of this? A little more Steve Earle, a little less heroin.” So opens Jon Latham’s Real Bad News – that studio banter is followed by this song on which Latham delivers. This is the defining song on the album and sets the tone. A steady rocker that hits on all cylinders (clever and intelligent references, powerful lines and a crystal clear musicality). This should be your new favorite song.
“Sweet Magnolia Love” by D.L. Duncan
And we close out the day with some more excellent blues from the self-titled record by D.L. Duncan which features some amazing players including Delbert McClinton, Sonny Landreth and many more. If this music does not make you feel better, I am not sure what will.
Well it’s Friday and it is All Hallows Eve Eve and it is sunny today and did I mention it is Friday!
Last night I completed my punch card and made it to all five of the Campfire Propaganda residency shows. This week Megan Palmer and Brian Wright were back, and Darrin Bradbury was out of town on tour. Great sets of music by Tim Easton, Brian Wright (who covered Darrin’s “Blue Highways”), Megan Palmer, and then Nellie Clay played with a full (and awesome) band for her CD Release show. She even brought up a horn section for the last two songs.
After that I decided to enjoy the crisp Autumn evening and made my way to Drifter’s BBQ to watch Tim Carroll and Luella before heading home to do some preparation for a meeting this afternoon which should help me set a course to make 2016 the best year ever for #E2TG.
We have a featured Friday shuffle that is sure to provide a multitude of treats with a minimum of trickery.
“ネオ東京 Underground” by Victor Love
We start out with some Industrial/Techno music with an accompanying video that is a tribute to the classic Manga/Anime Akira. Fun stuff – check it out. This is the lead track from an album called The Network. Victor Love is from Rome – I believe, by way of Neo Tokyo.
“Cold Stones and Rubble” by Jon Latham
We are now two weeks out from the release of Jon Latham’s awesome new album, Real Bad News. The buzz for this record continues to build, and Jon will opening up for Malcolm Holcomb in December 4 at the original Basement.
“Silver Cigarette Case” by the British IBM
Earning their spot in the long line of awesome British Pop bands (Pop in the best sense of that work by the way), I have been really digging on Psychopaths Dream in Black and White. Check them out.
“If I Could Only Turn Back” by Fendrick and Peck
Fendrick and Peck are really nice people who happen to be awesome songwriters and performers. True story, I met Brian Peck the very same night that I met Jon Latham. I had been convinced to accompany Darrin Bradbury and James Tomberlin on a somewhat sketchy drive to a Sunday night open mic somewhere way out on Murfreesboro Pike. We ended up in this rather nice establishment in a strip mall. The open mic featured some kids doing recital pieces, a couple doing traditional songs, and Darrin, James, Brian Peck, Taylor Alexander, Jon Latham, and Drew Kohl doing their amazing songs. Ah, those were much simpler times… (last year). Anyway, this is another great song from the Fendrick and Peck album Lucky Penny which you should definitely check out.
“Land Where The Blues Began” by Sara Syms
Speaking of really nice people and amazing songwriters/performers…. Sara Syms is one of my absolute favorite Nashville artists. She recently released her wonderful new album Way Back Home. Land Where the Blues Began is as good as any place to dive into her music. Sara makes pretty timeless yet timely music- couching her strong songwriting with some great production and instrumentation. Check her out!
“Some Days a Dollar” by Tiffany Huggins Grant
Continuing a theme of Nashville singer/songwriters who are also very nice people… We have been featuring Jonquil Child for some time, and we still have a few more songs in our playlist. Boasting a powerful voice and backed by talented an experienced plays, Jonquil Child is an incredible album. #E2TG favorite, Mark Robinson produced and played on the record.
“Awful Lot” by Susan James
We close things out with our final track from Sea Glass – long time blog favorite Susan James’ new album which marked a return to her California singer/songwriter roots and which injected a decidedly Paisley Undergroundish sound to the music.
– the latest release from Paul Zografi. 
was one of my favorite albums of 2015. I am so happy that I got the opportunity to write a review of the album and write a review of the CD Release show at City Winery. We still have several tracks from the album to feature in shuffles, which makes me happy because I am no where near tired of hearing these great songs. 
E2TG: MUSIC/WORDS 