Category: Lael Summer

Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Handle With Care Mix

Monday.  And we have another shuffle that demonstrates many of  the best qualities of what makes our daily shuffles so special (and they are special….) – we have a collection of excellent songs – a few mini-almost-themes running through some of the songs, a fairly diverse collection of styles but nothing terribly extreme (by our standards).  Let’s do it!

“Ghost Limb” by Emily Wolfe from Roulette

Emily Wolfe from Austin starts us off with the dreamy opening track off of their Roulette EP which was released just over a month ago. 

“Man I Am” by Goodbye June from Deer Head Music Presents: Indie Mixtape Nashville/ Nor the Wild Music Flows

The bluesier, rockinger side of Nashville Indie music, and another fine track from the Deer Head Music Presents mixtape. I really dig this song, and I want to hear more from this band.

“Savannah Almost Killed Me” by American Aquarium from Burn.Flicker.Die.

My internet friend and CXCW legend Josie Little has a birthday today (so Happy Birthday Josie).  This song goes out to her because she posted about seeing these guys this weekend, and my shuffle function was kind enough to include this song in the mix today.  American Aquarium ya’ll… just… American Aquarium!

“Shabbaditty” by Shabbadoo from Pajama

A little ditty by Shabbadoo… appropriately named…

“You’re So Small” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Lael Summer doesn’t pull any punches.  I wish I had a voice like hers when I need to tell people off… I think I’ll just play this song and let them figure out what I’m trying to say.

“Medley: Johnny One Note/One Note Samba” by Barbra Streisand from Barbra Streisand… And Other Musical Instruments

Babs just needs one note.  Let’s Samba!

“Stay Together” (Acoustic) by Madi Diaz from Stripped Chopped + Screwed/ originally from Phantom

A mini-theme of three great female vocalists in a row.  A powerful stripped down version of a song from her most recent album.  Madi Diaz used to live in Nashville.

“Traveling Wilburys” by Heath McNease from Fort Wayne (songs inspired by the film)

Heath McNease sings about the late 80s supergroup that featured Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and George Harrison. Whoever they are… Any way, I dig this song, and I took advantage to include the Traveling Wilbury’s song (which gives its name to today’s mix and which is mentioned in the Heath McNease song) in the Video Playlist today.  Handle with Care…

“You’re My Little Mellowcreme Pumpkin” by The Radicals from Halloween Rhymes and Children’s Crimes!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”);

It is now 10 days past Halloween, but I know you still have some of the extra candy hanging around somewhere.  Here is a sweet number about murder and mayhem from the Massachusetts punk rockers, The Radicals.

VIDEOS

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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Potential Energy Mix

Okay pre-writing disclaimer… I’m just not feeling particularly verbose today.  So, expect some short, sharp comments… but who knows what will happen when I get started… What’s fun about the randomness of the shuffle process is that it often does far better than I ever could arranging a fine mixture of divergent tunes into a pattern which at once defies and expands the conscious minds ability to understand the complexity of music as a part of human interactions.  Did I say, I wasn’t feeling verbose? Oh well….

“Look Around” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

The shuffle has decided to include Lael Summer in the mix three days in a row, and I am very happy about that.  The last two days, my morning drive has begun with songs from this wonderful album. 

“Leyndarmal (King and Cross)” by Asgeir Trausti from Dýrð í dauðaþögn

Indie folk from Iceland.. Asgeir Trausti is very good, and this was my first listen.  I grabbed this one off the September Feel Bad for You mixtape.  There is an English version of this song, but the version I heard was the Icelandic original.  Even without knowing what the lyrics mean, the sound is devastatingly beautiful.

“Plain Jane” by Joe Nolan from Plain Jane

Joe Nolan is from Nashville. He writes for the Nashville Scene and for our local street newspaper The Contributor.  He followed me on Twitter, and when I saw the people I know who also follow him and/or are friends of his Facebook, I knew I was on to something.  I grabbed some music from his website.  Plain Jane is the title track from a 2001 album. Great music is timeless.  This is timeless music.  Dig.

“The Bride of Frankenstein, 1935” by Sci-Fi Romance from October

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1134415728/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2476484663/transparent=true/

Long time Ear to the Ground favorite Sci-Fi is back with a surprise new album perfect for this time of year.  Heck man, this album combines two things I love – great music and classic horror movies.  A lesser man might have come up with this idea, but it takes someone like Vance Kotrla to actually pull it off so brilliantly.

“California Rag” by Sidestreet Reny from Tonal Tonics and Musical Elixers

Acoustic Blues and Urban roots – featuring a National Resonator… you know this had to come to me via my friend David Horton (aka Popa Tunes), and you know this has to be good – and it is soooo good.

“California” by The Western Shore from Thunderstorm

How about two California songs in a row – both by husband and wife duos – sonically very different, but both incredible? How about two shuffles in a row with rich Americana via Nashville’s The Western Shore? 

“Chemistry” (a capella) by Hayden Coleman from Chemistry (Maxi Single)

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1325507606/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=4190967390/transparent=true/

We previously featuring my friend Hayden Coleman’s new single “Chemistry”.  From the same maxi-single, today’s version  of that song strips away everything but the vocals and the results are so cool.  I think this song may have the best hook I’ve heard all year – and man I’ve heard some killer hooks this year.  Bonus points for the line about potential energy… in my novel, The Drift, one of the characters is a film student whose class project is a film called Potential Energy.  I tend to think the filmmaker would use this song in his film if he could.

“Anyway” by Chris Stamey from Lovesick Blues

From a hip-hop song with the beats and music stripped away to a densely layered Indie Pop/Folk song from the always amazing Chris Stamey.

“High Octane Generation (for Jimmy Roche)” by Grant Peeples and the Peeples Republik from Punishing the Myth

From my  admittedly skewed perspective, it looks like poetry may be making a comeback – or maybe no comeback is needed – or maybe it is me making the comeback… whatever… we close out this rather diverse and interesting shuffle with the words of Grant Peeples.  In the video montage, we’ve included High Octane Generation by Jim Roche which I take it was the inspiration for the poem we feature today.  This was my first exposure to Jim Roche, and at risk of understatement, I am intrigued.

VIDEOS

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Protective Leather Skin Mix

Let’s see….  So apparently, Foo Fighters are playing at The Ryman on Halloween.

Last night, I got hang out with some awesome songwriters and talk music and the movie Road House, plus hear some of them do what they do best.  I also hopped over to the Mercy Lounge to finally see Dogs of Oz live.  They were awesome, and I hope to see a longer set from them soon.  Here is a picture.



Let’s get to the shuffle –

“The Good Fight” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

For the second day in a row we have a long from Lael Summer.  Such a great voice!

“Runnin'” by Modoc from Deer Head Music Presents: Indie Mixtape Nashville/Modoc

The breath and depth of talent in Nashville is outrageous. This incredible Indie mixtape while demonstrating a wide range of sounds and styles within the loosely defined genre is still but a drop in the bucket.  So many awesome players, writers, and bands….  That’s to Deer Head Music and Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes for expanding my Nashville musical vocabulary.  Cool song from Modoc, who I have been hearing about for a while… my first listen, and I dig it.

“Tarpit” by Golden Smog from Blood on the Slacks

A week or so ago I found two Golden Smog albums at Goodwill. For the uninitiated, Golden Smog is a loosely associated group of musicians who are better known from their other bands.  Primarily, it is Gary Louris from The Jayhawks and Dan Murphy from Soul Asylum. Although best known for their awesome covers, on later albums the band began writing original music.  This, however, is a cover of a song by Dinosaur Jr.  P.s. I love the name of this album!

“Widows” by Heath McNease from Fort Wayne (Songs Inspired by the Film)

Another great track from Heath McNease from the album that accompanies his film, Fort Wayne.

“I Don’t Really Want to be Social” by BROCHO from An Introduction to BROCHO/Can’t Get Past the Lips

Some days, I think this could be my theme song…. I’ve been really digging on this BRONCHO music – thanks to NoiseTrade for the introduction…

“Nothings Gonna Change my Clothes” (live) by They Might Be Giants from First Album Live

We are almost done with our presentation of the live recreation of TMBG’s incredible first album.  “And the mirror, it reflects a tiny dancing skeleton
Surrounded by a fleshy overcoat and swaddled in
A furry hat, elastic mask, a pair of shiny marble dice
Some people call them snake-eyes, but to me they look like mice”

“When I See You Again” by The Western Shore from Thunderstorm

In spite of or because of or coincidental to the fact that Nashville has a wealth of musical talent (as previously discussed), it is also (or at least can be) a very small, tightly knit community. A few weeks ago at a Friday Tim Carroll show, I met Charlie Smyth and in the course of our conversation, I mentioned that I write a music blog at which point he handed me a CD. (Seriously one of favorite parts of writing a music blog), and just a few minutes later, I found out he is friends with some of my new musician friends.  Well, I gave the album a listen and immediately added to my active playlist, and today the Shuffle monster finally coughed our first (but not our last) song from this album.  Highly original sound, great songs, and superior execution.  I’m a fan.

“We Take Care of Our Own” by Matt King from Raw

I think I’ve said it before, but I am so looking forward to the next Matt King album which should feature his new band Killing Streets which includes my good friends Matt and Livia from The End Men (who are still the most tagged band on Ear to the Ground – although Darrin Bradbury is closing).  Until that album comes out, it’s been good to listen to this stripped down album and imagine this incredible songwriter back by such a kick ass band. 

“Getting Tails” by Zachariah Red from This Town EP

During the past couple of months, as I go through a rather difficult time, I have been fortunate to meet some incredible and incredibly talented people.  A couple of weeks ago, I got to write out Zachariah Red following his guest slot at Fran’s Eastside.  Today we have another song from his EP.  Looking forward to hearing more from Zachariah Red soon.  By the Nashville readers, Zach and several other of new friends and new favorite songwriters are playing at Belcourt Taps on Thursday. Come out.

“Sweet Trepidation”  by Ron Muga from Wonderful Doom!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”);

We close out the day with a song from New York songwriter Ron Muga.  He was kind enough to contact me and send me some music.  I like this song a lot. Check him out.

VIDEOS


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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Working Up a Sweat Mix

I need to give some credit where it is due….  About a year and a half ago, based upon a suggestion from the enigmatic and amazing The Danbury Lie, I began compiling a daily Video playlist based upon my daily shuffle.  Before that I just posted videos with the song, but my hope was to create an easier listening experience. 

Now, due to the newishness and/or obscurity of some of the music I feature – as well as the vagrancies of what is available on You Tube, sometimes I can find the exact song, sometimes I can find a different song from the same artist or a different version of the same song, and sometimes I just have to punt.

Anyway, I mention this today because many of videos in the playlist today are not the exact song I listened to during my morning commute.  It’s still a fine video playlist, and I hope you like it. 

I should also say that we don’t really do theme shuffles here at #E2TG – we used to, but whatever… still by the laws of randomness and selective playlist creation, we do have some Halloween themed songs…

Shall we…

“Working Up a Sweat” (Alice Cooper cover) by Royal Court of China from Welcome to Our Nightmare: A Tribute to Alice Cooper

Some people like to start their morning by working up a sweat… there are different ways to accomplish that.  We start off with a song that was on the last album that featured the original Alice Cooper line-up as performed by the awesome Nashville band Royal Court of China.  The video is from the original recording since we couldn’t find the cover on-line.

“What Do I Know (About Love)” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

We move on to True Groove recording artist Lael Summer with another great song from her album Burden to Bear. 

“Lions” by The Features from Old Familiar Melodies – 2008-2013/Some Kind of Salvation

Tennessee band the Features are up next with Lions from their 2009 album Some Kind of Salvation.

“Bringing Mary Home” by Vernon Oxford from Keeper of the Flame (disc 4)

How about a ghost story to get us into the Halloween season… this one is a touching pure country ghost story from Vernon Oxford.

“Iblis” by Brown Bird from Fits of Reason

A great instrumental track from this Brown Bird album we’ve been featuring for several weeks.

“Call Me D” by David Dondero from The Pity Party

As previously reported, I had the great pleasure of seeing David Dondero sing a few songs during my near-weekly foray to Fran’s Eastside Tavern.  It was an incredible treat.  The song we have today goes all the way back to 1999 and what I believe to be his debut solo album.  The video is from a more recent album.

“Memphis Woman” by Lulu Mae from Deer Head Music  Presents: Indie Mixtape Nashville/Mean River

The Deer Head Music Presents – Indie mixtape of Nashville bands which we have been wearing the heck out of was curated by the band members from Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes.  They did a fine job putting the compilation together, and we have another great track from the album today – this time from Lulu Mae who offer up a rocking song from their most recent album.

“Moonlight Man” by Lindsay Ellyn from Shores EP

I could make some lame attempt to pass this off as a Halloween-themed song.  Moonlight Man = Werewolf (get it?), but there isn’t any need for that.  Nashville-based Lindsay Ellyn is hard at work on her next release, and I have had the good fortune to hear some of the songs and potential songs from that record.  This song is from her previous EP called Shores.  I love Lindsay’s voice, and I think you will, too.

“Dracula Mountain” by Lightning Bolt from Wonderful Rainbow!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”);

#E2TG isn’t shy about awkward and abrupt transitions, and so we slide gracefully away from the lovely music of Lindsay Ellyn to seasonally appropriate instrumental track from Providence, Rhode Island based Noise Rock purveyors Lightning Bolt.  To paraphrase the band Alabama, “Play me some Dracula Mountain music….”

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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Puppies, Vultures, and Jackals Mix

We try to cover as much as we can in our all too brief time together…  Today our shuffle begins with a Hall and Oates cover, heads to a Top Peoples Health Farm, a cover of a 80s New Wave song by an 80s Punk band, some of the minor lakes of Wisconsin, a prelude, some words of wisdom (and a barn with six red stripes), some Nashville-based ska-core music from Built for BBQ, a love story straight from a shitty motel room in New Orleans, a song about Tibetan sites for above ground putrefaction of human remains as a place of spiritual practice, some early period Style Council, and a song about Fast Cars by one of my new favorite Nashville songwriters. 

Details to follow:


!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”); window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”; http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” (Hall and Oates cover) by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Another great True Groove artist with a sexy cover of Hall and Oates.

“Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm” by The Style Council from The Singular Adventures of The Style Council/Confessions of a Pop Group

Later period The Style Council.

“99 Red Balloons” (Nena Cover) by 7 Seconds from Walk Together, Rock Together

For a long time, I thought Luft meant red in German.  It doesn’t.

“The Almost Great Lakes” by Darrin Bradbury from The Almost Great Crepe’s

It’s a tall tale, a tall tale, a tale tell in short…

“Prelude” by Abigail Washburn from City of Refuge

A wonderful banjo prelude to the Minton Sparks song that follows…

“Words of Wisdom” by Minton Sparks from Middlin’ Sisters

Minton Sparks paints a picture with her words just like the blood red stripes of paint on the side of the barn.

“Isolato” by Stuck Lucky from The Entrée (Built for BBQ Sampler)

From the recent Built for BBQ sampler – The Entrée.  Built for BBQ is a collective of like-minded musicians.  Mostly based in New York State, Stuck Lucky bring their unique Nashville Ska-Core to the party.

“Junkie Love” by Darrin Bradbury from currently unreleased demos

A new song, and one of my favorites from Darrin Bradbury.  Nashville – come down to Fran’s Eastside about 9:00 tonight to here this and many other cool tunes.   In lieu of a video for this song, I have included a video for a love song, disguised as a protest song, disguised as a love song about the post-graduate student housing crisis we are facing in America today..

“Training in the Charnal Ground” by Grant Peeples and the Peeples Republik

This song and the song featured in our video playlist are two of my favorites from Grant Peeples’ awesome set at The Building during Americana weekend. 

“Speak Like a Child” by The Style Council from The Singular Adventures of The Style Council/Introducing The Style Council

Early period The Style Council…

“Fast Cars” by Zachariah Red from “This Town” E.P.

Due to an unfortunate incident involving keys and my van, I missed a lot of Zach’s set Monday night at The Building, but I loved what I did hear, and I look forward to making up for my tardiness very soon.  You can get the This Town EP – here

VIDEOS FOR TODAY:

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Seems Like Incongruity Mix

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of incongruity, and I have this theory that incongruity is a concept made up by those who cannot or will not see that everything and everyone is connected.  And that what we experience as an incongruity means that we cannot presently see the way things are connected.  Sometimes, it helps me to think that I am the one thing that connects these seemingly !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”); incongruous things.  Hint: that thought though helpful is not the truth.

Keep this in mind (or don’t) as you experience today’s shuffle

“Month of Bad Habits” by Andrew Combs from unreleased demo

We’re off to a good if congruous start. After all, E2TG is a Nashville-based music blog, and Andrew Combs is a Nashville singer-songwriter getting a lot of (well-deserved) attention.  This is an as of yet unreleased song which we nicked from August Feel Bad for You mixtape.

“Roll This Stone” by David Olney from When the Deal Goes Down

Thing continue – more awesomeness but surprisingly lacking in incongruity. David Olney is a case study in why Nashville is one of the best music towns in the world.

 

“Eye of Tranquility” by The Grimm Generation from The Big Fame

Okay, maybe we’re getting somewhere… Our good friends The Grimm Generation are from Connecticut so we step out from the Nashville connections…. except the record was produced by Tyler Bird who lives in Nashville…

“Colour Green” by Sibylle Baier from Colour Green

We may be getting somewhere on this seeming incongruity thing. Sibylle Baier is a German folk singer. I came to her music through the Peacefork blog run by E2TG favorites Valued Customer.  The album Colour Green was released in 2006, but the music was all recorded in the 70s. This song mentions Summer in New York City which seems about right for this day.  Peace.

“Rock N Roll Girl” by Paul Collins and The Beat from The Beat

There is no easy transition from gorgeous folk music to an outstanding California power pop band lead by Paul Collins who was the drummer for The Nerves.  They both come from the 70s – so there is that…

“Moon River” by Victoria Williams from Sings Some Ol’ Songs

Another outstanding song from Victoria Williams’ collection of old standards which simply by her amazing voice alone are transported into something amazing.  Victoria Williams was previously married to Peter Case who was in The Nerves with Paul Collins.

“Unconditionally” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Speaking of an amazing voice… we have another song from Lael Summer’s Burden to Bear album and another live video of Ms. Summer with the True Groove All-Stars.

“stille nag” by velodrones from kersfees tape $

So… yeah – we move effortlessly into a version of Silent Night in Afrikaans by the truly incredible Velodrones.  Thean (I still don’t know how to do accent marks and stuff so I apologize) also makes remarkable music with Bosveld who recently completed a Bike Tour in Canada. And yeah, this is all connected – one link is Valued Customer who introduced me to this and Sibylle Baier.

“Wonderwall” by Ryan Adams from Love Is Hell, Pt. 1 (EP) (Oasis Cover)

See… You see… Ryan Adams has a new album that is really good.  Ryan Adams once had someone removed from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for yelling out for Summer of ’69 which in case you don’t know was recorded by Bryan Adams who is in no way related to Ryan Adams except as I previously mentioned everyone and everything is connected. Anyway, this is Ryan Adams doing a cover of the Oasis hit song.

“Reverse Vampire” by Pujol from PUJOL SAMPLER/Reverse Vampire Single

Daniel Pujol is one of Nashville’s best.  I’ve seen him perform twice for Record Store Day at Grimey’s and he puts on an amazing show. 

“Abstract by Alex and the Constellation (aka Livingmore) from download

Alex and the Constellations which may or may not have just changed their name to Livingmore is a collaboration of Spencer Livingston (who came into the E2TG fold back near the beginning with his band The Alternates) and Alex Moore.  They are based in Los Angeles.  I really dig this song and it’s an excellent way to end this shuffle with seems to be but is not filled with incongruity.


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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Flinty Mix

Back to a normal-sized shuffle…. we have some cool tunes – let’s go!

“Flinty Kind of Woman” by Dar Williams from The Honesty Room

One of my favorite artists of all time…  from her 1995 album.

“Blue Skies” by Victoria Williams from Sings Some Ol’ Songs

Ms. Williams part II.  Doing a heart-shattering version of the Irving Berlin classic.

“Amsterdam Moon” by The Mavericks from In Time

From their reunion album – Raul Malo and company sounding better than ever.

“Punk Rockin’ Honky Tonk Girl” by Tim Carroll from Opening Up/If I Could

Two things to share about this song – 1.  At the end of this song on Opening Up, Tim Carroll gives a brief account of his musical journey and mentions one of my favorite bands, Rank and File.  2.  Every time I hear this song, a particular memory of mine comes back to me.  This was sometime in the 80s, at a benefit show for a local club called Elliston Square (now The End).  There was an awesome lineup of some of the cool indie bands of the day, and opening the show was Marty Stuart joined by at least one of the Dillards.  As a young punk beginning to hear Country music influence in my favorite music and still trying to reconcile that to my still strong belief that Country music was for old folks – this was culture shock, and it was also pretty darn awesome. The deal was sealed for me when I saw this tall, beautiful girl in country meets punk attire dosey-doeing  to Marty Stuart. 

“Do You Want My Job” by Little Village from Little Village

One of the stand out tracks on the Little Village album.

“Can’t Stay Young” by Tim Carroll from Opening Up/All Kinds of Pain!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”);

No you can’t… but sometimes you can fake it for a while…

“Kiss and Tell” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Another sultry number from Ms. Lael Summer and another video from a True Groove All-Stars show in New York.  If you’re in New York, check out The True Groove All-Stars as they continue their residency at Milk River this Thursday.

“Drifter’s Compass” by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray from Lean Into The Wind

And this my friends, is why I love Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray so much.  This and the fact that they are such wonderful people.

“1st Assumptions vs. 2nd Doubts (remix)” by aCr from ghost note manifest

We close with some experimental progressive hard rock from Texas. aCr from the band Liquid Casing  from his recent solo project.


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Monday Morning (and Evening) Music Shuffle – Two Saints Mix

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Well, it’s late for the shuffle, but circumstance kept me from posting.  As compensation, I extended the shuffle which means tons of music and just a bit of my celebrated wisdom.  That last line is ego disguised as wry humility cleverly cloaked in a veneer of ego.

In case you missed it, the Ear to the Ground review of Darrin Bradbury’s Motel Oatmeal was featured for a time on the front page of No Depression – the preeminent Americana magazine/website,

The review is still a featured review, and you can read it here.

Now, we have a ton of music to get to….

“New Language” by Sam Davison from Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen: Section 5/Always Around

Love this song!

“Montgomery” by Tim Carroll from Opening Up/The Devil is a Busy Man

The big city won’t change me!

“Azmari Man” by Tomas Doncker from Power of the Trinity

Tomas Doncker is a Global Soul master!

“With Every Beat” by The Features from Old Familiar Melodies – 2008-2013/The Features

Tennessee band that done good – The Features!

“When the Pumps Run Dry” by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray from Lean into the Wind

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray are awesome people.  I couldn’t find a video for this song so I went way back to CXCW 2012

“Mirage” by The Queers from Surf Goddess/Beat Off (Tommy James and the Shondells Cover)

Punk rock!

“Crippler King” by Delta Spirit from Lost and Found/I Think I’ve Found It

Delta Spirit!

“Confederates” by Michael Rank and Stag from In the Weeds

One of two North Carolina artists – Dig this song! I wanting to hear more.

“We’ll Take It From There” by Deena from Rock River

My next E2TG Review – it’s in the can – waiting for the right moment.

“Quiet (St. Francis)” by The Grimm Generation from The Big Fame

First of two Saints in the mix… thus the Two Saints Mix….  Good friends, awesome band

“FOH” by Superchunk from Merge Records Summer Sampler 2013/I Hate Music

#2 from the Tar Heel State…

“Woah-oh” by Francie Moon and the Great Outdoors from Francie Moon and the Great Outdoors

Another from Francie Moon – I couldn’t find this song on video so I picked a video done here in Nashville.

“I Miss the Zoo” by Joseph Arthur from Redemption City

Joseph Arthur recently did a Lou Reed tribute album – the Lou Reed influence is strong on this recording – I think,

“House Drinks” by The Grimm Generation from The Big Fame

#2 from the fabulous Grimms of Connecticut.  Drinks are on the house!

“You’re the Best Thing” by The Style Council from The Singular Adventures of the Style Council/Cafe Bleu(UK)/My Ever Changing Moods(US)

This is what smooth sounds like!

“This Disorder” by The Features from Old Familiar Melodies/The Features

Dig this song. The core of The Features are from the next town over from my hometown.  Coincidentally, that is near where The Grey A’s new album My Country was recorded.  Plus The Grey A recently opened for The Features… Hey, wait a minute is that really a coincidence? I don’t know….

“Tree of Evolution” by The Grey A from My Country

Speaking of The Grey A.  They were the subject of my first No Depression featured review – back when it was exciting,,, yawn… I kid! A song about Evolution that you can and should dance to…

“It’s About Soul” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Another from Lael Summer’s awesome True Groove released Burden to Bear album,

“St. Catherine’s Statue” by The Minus 5 from Through a Faraway Window: A Tribute to Jimmy Silva (Jimmy Silva and the Goats cover)

Groovy song from The Minus 5.  I couldn’t find a video so I included a video of The Minus 5 doing some covers with special guests Mike Mills and Bill Berry, and a video of the late Jimmy Silva and the Goats.

“Class Historian” by BRONCHO from An Introduction to BRONCHO/Just Enough Hip to be a Woman

And we close out with a song from the forthcoming album by Oklanhoma band BRONCHO.  This my first listen, and I dig it!

Friday Morning Music Shuffle – Monsterdogs and Zen Koans Mix

One thing I take pride in with E2TG is the diversity of music that I’m willing to include in my mix.  Frankly, as much as I love Americana and as much as Americana is a pretty wide ranging “genre” of music, sometimes I need some metal, some punk, some music from far corners of the world, some experimental crazy stuff, some classical…

I need to give a shoutout to my friends from Valued Customer who has done more than their fair share in expanding my mind and my musical knowledge beyond all constraints.  They have a blog of their own called P E A C E F O R K which explores some less travelled (but supremely awesome spokes in the complex web of musical styles and influences.  Some of the music they’ve been posting should be showing up here soon, and I can’t wait to share it.

While I’ve got your attention – I direct you to Valued Customer’s masterpiece Kalpa which can be yours if the price is right (or wrong).

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=50545387/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/
On to the shuffle for today….

“I. Prologue: Monsterdogs” by Left of Logic from In Formation

It isn’t often that the shuffle pulls up a Prologue as the first song of the morning.  Ever less often that the song is about Monsterdogs. We have both from Left of Logics awesome In Formation album. (speaking of expanding our range…)

“I Need a Man” by Lael Summer from Burden to Bear

Another artist from the True Groove label. This song is sexy and sultry and Lael Summer is amazing.

“Always Maybe” by The Black Angels from Indigo Meadow

Austin based The Black Angels are based in the quest for pure sanity.

“Dizzy in my Hips Swinging” by The Grimm Generation from The Big Fame

A prime example of why I think The Grimm Generation should be huge.  They are huge – I just want more people to know it.

“Peace is Not Fiction” by Tomas Doncker from Power of the Trinity

It is entirely possible that I’ve had this song in the shuffle before. It’s also entirely possible that I don’t really care.  The world needs to be reminded of this simple  fact now more than ever.

“Scarecrow Man” by David Olney from When the Deal Goes Down

You may think it’s hyperbole for me to call David Olney a modern Renaissance man, but trust me when I say it isn’t.  In addition to his amazing recent album, he does an incredible recitation of Kubla Khan, and he wrote music and acts in The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s current production of As You Like It for Shakespeare in the Park here in Nashville.  It runs through the 14th, and if anyone wants to see it and will let me tag along, hit me up. Seriously.  We’ve included a video promo Mr. Olney made about the production.

“Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again” by Dave Van Ronk from Going Back to Brooklyn

I really want to listen to more Dave Van Ronk.  I will listen to more Dave Van Ronk.  I deserve to listen to more Dave Van Ronk.

“I’m Old Fashioned” by Victoria Williams from Sings Some Old Songs

Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer wrote it.  Tons of people have covered it.  Since I couldn’t find Ms. Williams’ version, I posted John Coltrane’s instead.  Dig it.

“Oye Como Va” (Live at El Jefe) by Perico Hernandez from Chef Soundtrack

We close with some Latin sounds from the Soundtrack of that Jon Favreau  movie with Robert Downey, Jr.  No, not that one.  No, not that one either.  Yeah, that one!

VIDEOS

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