Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Toy Balloon Mix

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Reason I love Nashville #(somemadeupnumber…prettybigI’dguess):

To be able to say that I saw Brock Zeman, Blair Hogan, Darrin Bradbury, Megan Palmer, Lilly Hiatt, Jesse Lafser, John Jackson, Brian Wright, Aaron Lee Tasjan and more….  and for that to be in one night not over the course of a week or a month.  You know – Monday night!

Brock and Blair will be playing as part of $2 Tuesday at The 5 Spot tonight.  Aaron Lee will be part of a line-up at ACME Feed and Seed sponsored by No Country for New Nashville.  You probably won’t be able to do both, but you should definitely done one or the other if you around. 

Probably the highlight of the night was Brian Wright and his incredible band that included Aaron Lee Tasjan on guitar ripping through an mind-blowing version of Big Wilson River’s “Astronaut”.  Long time and careful readers of this blog will remember that Big Wilson River was a Featured Artist/Band way back in 2012.  They were probably in the process of breaking up when I was featuring them, and I kind of lost touch until head BWR dude, Darrin Bradbury showed up in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Nashville in late 2013.  Anyway, it was a really amazing version of the song, and I was trying to record it when my stupid phone ran out of memory and then didn’t save the part I did record.  Fortunately there is a video someone made floating around. 

Here is the original:

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2081995898/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2390123110/transparent=true/

On to the shuffle:

“Pigeon River Flood” by Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau

Tennessee – the latest album by Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau is roots rocking history lesson – filled with stories about the state in which I live. Richie Owens and the two other members of the Farm Bureau – John Reed and Brian O’Hanlon –  have been on the front lines of the Nashville independent music scene since the 1980s.  The double historical perspective of this record combined to make this a remarkable achievement and a really fun record, too.   See them live if you ever get the opportunity.

“Into My Arms” by Jesse and Noah

The latest Jesse and Noah release Brethen: Acoustic Covers Ep features the duo covering a diverse collection of songs – including this Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds song.  Check it out.  Jesse and Noah also have a pretty unique historical perspective being the sons and nephews of the legendary Bellamy Brothers.  They are working on a new record, and we have a track cued up and waiting for the shuffle gods to release it. 

“Quietly and Slow” by Man Named Pearl

I am really digging the sound of this new record – Quietus Make – which really pushes the envelope wonderfully in terms of what “folk” music can be.  This track features trippy and haunting a cappella vocals singing words that sound pretty until you really listen to them… with claps and stomps and some back-masking at the very end. 

“The Battlefields” by Liberty’s Exiles

Liberty’s Exiles are a progressive rock band from London.  Their new album, The Price of Immortality is a 79 minute long concept album about a small planet where dying is not allowed. 

“Waiting on June” by Holly Williams

This incredibly powerful and moving song is the closing track from William’s 2013 album, The Highway.  The song is written for and about Holly Williams’ maternal grandparents.  Her other set of grandparents were Hank and Audrey Williams.

“Your Children’s Children” by Carolina Story

We next have another lovely song from the recently release Noisetrade compilation from this Nashville duo.  This on is from their EP Chapter One.

“Broken Down Morals” by The Killing Condition

Because this is E2TG, it only makes sense that we would transition to some extreme brutal death metal from upstate New York. If someone tries to tell me that extreme brutal death metal and Americana music have no connecting threads… I will just refer them to Todd Farrell Jr.

“No Easy Way Down” (Carole King cover) by Matthew E. White

And we close out the shuffle with this track – which we got via Aquarium Drunkard which finds modern soul visionary Matthew E. White taking on a song by songwriting legend Carole King.  I could not find a video of this song, so I included a Matthew E. White song and Carole King’s original and I will leave it to you to work that all out for yourself.  Unless you can still find it at Aquarium Drunkard.

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Stain on my Notebook Mix

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It seems like the week has just begun, and yet here we are at mid-week.  Went out to The Bluebird Café last night for a great songwriters round. In an audience filled with people from Australia, Scotland, England, Poland, and other places, I got to see some of my favorite East Nashville songwriters perform some of their wonderful songs. Tim Easton hosted the night which featured Amy Speace, Darrin Bradbury, and Megan Palmer.

We have kind of short but sweet shuffle today… let’s get to it.

“Long White Line” by Sturgill Simpson

Via the World Café Sessions, Sturgill Simpson leads off today’s shuffle with a song that was on his latest album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. 

“Hellfighters of Harlem” by Tomas Doncker Band

Another track from the Big Apple Blues – one of the most innovative and ambitious albums of the year.  This one tells I story that I never heard about in American History classes, about the regiment of soldiers who cross the Atlantic to risk their lives to defend freedoms that they were systematically denied based upon the color of their skin.

“The Drinking Song” by Boy Named Banjo

Another track from Long Story Short by this young Nashville band.

“Fools Gold” by Pony Boy

I just recently got hold of Blue Gold, the new album by Pony Boy. However, this song is part of an anti-fracking compilation called Buy This Fracking Album. Great cause, and a very good song which Pony Boy delivers in her characteristic rich and powerful voice.

“The Chemist” by Liberty’s Exiles

From the brand new album, The Price of Immortality, we have this track by London based Progressive Rock band Liberty’s Exiles.  Excellent modern progressive rock.

“Black Coffee in Bed” by Squeeze

Who says Pop songs have to be 3 minutes? Clocking in at just over 6 minutes, comes Squeeze’s classic song of lost love. The song was the first single from Sweets from a Stranger the band’s fifth album.  Also included on the essential compilation, Singles 45s and Under.

“10 Year Fight” by Brock Zeman

Another view of lost love and one of my favorite songs on Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil’s Back. Word is that Brock Zeman will be back in Nashville in November, and I will have my ear to the ground for that one… (see what I did there?)

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Vapor Trails Mix

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Okay – first off – I have sort of put the Ear to the Ground Events back up.  It is a work in progress.  I need to do some formatting and stuff.  I will continue to work on it and hopefully improve it.

Let us jump directly into the shuffle… it’s another good one….

“Monkey Suit” by Human Radio

Human Radio just completed a successful crowd funding campaign which means new music is on the horizon!  Great news!  This one goes back to their self-titled first and only studio album so far, and it is the perfect song for a commute to work….

“Chasing Vapor Trails (His Turn to Cry)” by Syd Straw

Syd Straw has one of the most amazing voices in music.  Surprise remains on my list of favorite albums, and this song… this song!

“The Three Bells” by Alison Karuss

A gorgeous rendition of a song popularized by The Browns in 1959.  The song lyrics cover three stages (birth, marriage, and death) in the life of Little Jimmy Brown.  Coincidently, the late Jim Ed Brown was the male lead singer of The Browns and shares a name with the character in the song.

“You Better Move On” by Amy Black

One more from  the Muscle Shoals Sessions.  This is a cover of a song written and first recorded by Arthur Alexander.  The song has previously been covered by artists ranging from the Rolling Stones to Johnny Paycheck and George Jones to Mink Deville. I really like Amy Black’s version included here.

“After You’ve Gone” by Wes Montgomery

A song by the late great Jazz Guitarist – which I grabbed from Aquarium Drunkard.

“Under Their Laws” by Liberty’s Exiles

Liberty’s Exiles are a Progressive duo who formed in 2013.  Our first listen comes from their forthcoming album which will be called The Price of Immortality and is due out September 4.

“Ebeneezer/Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss” by David Schnaufer

Our second instrumental in the shuffle – the late Dulcimer master David Schnaufer is back with more of his wonderful music.

“It’s Our Time” by Blackfoot Gyspsies

We close out the day with an older song from one of my favorite Nashville bands.  This goes back to their EP called Dandee Cheeseball (2011).  They are now signed to Plowboy Records, and you can find their latest album, Handle It, everywhere.  Go see them live!

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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