Category: Michael Hedges

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Critical of Comedy Mix

!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”);

Be sure to “Like” Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

Went out for the first time since Americana last week. Visited Twin Kegs II which is located just 4 minutes from where I live. I don’t know what I had never been there before. Neat place.  Saw some great songwriters including the brother of someone from the show Nashville, and a tremendous young writer from Sydney who was celebrating the release of her new album, Love and Lovely Lies . Her name is Imogen Clark. 

We have another fine shuffle with some of those odd connections that seems to happen all the time when you closely follow music and the people who make it.

“The People’s History” by Eleventh Dream Day

This Chicago band have been making music for over 30 years.  Their late 80s/early 90s albums Beet and Lived to Tell were among by favorites back in the day. I somehow lost track of them, but I was happy to discover that they have continued to make music and that I have a lot of catching up to do.  They just recently released Works for Tomorrow, and this is our first listen to that record.  And man does it rock!  I was immediately reminded why I loved this band so much.

“President Clinton Blues” by Drink Small

The second day in a row for some Piedmont Blues.  Klout is going to name me an “Expert” of Piedmont Blues any day.  This is definitely politically incorrect, and pretty damn funny.

“Nothing Else” by Livingmore

Ok two notes here.  This song has been in the playlist for a heck of a long time. It is the first track from the 3 song self-titled release by this L.A. duo.  Livingmore is Alex Moore and Spencer Livingston.  Spencer used to be in a band called The Alternates, and that band was one of the very first Ear to the Ground Band’s of the Week (a long since abandoned feature from our very early time) – we are talking mid 2011.  Livingmore is making some awesome music and they seem to be playing out in L.A. fairly often.  Hopefully we can talk them into making a trek east at some point.

“I Should Go/Thinking of You” (Live) by Good Old War

A live mash up of two songs from the self-titled Good Old War record (2010).

“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” by The Smiths

The Smiths have come up several times of late.  The Smiths made some pretty amazing music.  This one is from Meat is Murder.

“1945” by Carl Anderson

Nashville by way of Virginia songwriter Carl Anderson.  1945 goes back to his album Wolftown

“Come Together” by Michael Hedges

The amazing, late great guitar genius – takes on the iconic Beatles song from his album Live on the Double Planet.

“If It Takes a Lifetime” by Jason Isbell

The Nashville based  songwriter has been a roll for the past year of so. This is the opening number from the his latest critically acclaimed album.  BONUS VIDEO: a cover of this song by my friend Drew Kohl…

“Filet of Sole” by The Dead Milkmen

In the strange coincidences very few people will get – The Dead Milkmen once wrote and recorded the line, “You’ll dance to anything, by the Smiths”… happy dancing…

VIDEO PLAYLIST


     window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”;       http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js   

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Oldest Story Mix

!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”); Be sure to “Like” Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

As I was walking back to my car from an absolutely amazing Bob Dylan show last night, I was reflecting on what an amazing month of live music this has been…  Did I mention that Dylan was amazing.  I saw him first and last in 1988, and he was simply going through motions. Back then, his set including some of his all-time classics, but it didn’t matter.  That show left me flat.  Flash forward 27 years, Dylan’s set was very heavily weighted toward his last few albums, many of which I wasn’t that familiar, but the sound was great, Dylan seemed to be having a blast, and as a result, I put the show up among the best I’ve seen.  I feel like I can finally say that I have seen Dylan.

“Gonna Change” by Gear Daddies

Another track from Billy’s Live Bait.  Gear Daddies are revving up for hometown 25th Anniversary shows in Minnepolis coming up soon. 

“The Oldest Story in the Book” by Paul Kelly

Australian Paul Kelly is one of those musicians that I have known of and loved for a long time, but who I someone feel like I have missed out on. He has been making music for many years, and he is still making great music, and I am trying to get up to speed.   This song, which I love, is from his 2004 album Ways and Means and was included on his 2008 compilation Songs from the South Volume 2.  The video was shot at Music City Roots here in Nashville in 2013 when that show was still held at the Loveless Barn.

“Mostly Miss in a Hit Kinda Town” by Darrin Bradbury

A live version of a song that later appeared on Darrin’s True Love album.  Supposedly, this recording from his live album Tur-Lyfe: A Live Recording of Unfortunate Events, is the first performance of this song (but don’t rely on this information for anything important).  Darrin will be coming soon to a city near you (if you are near one of the cities – in the Mid-West and South) in the near future, and rumor has it a new live album is coming soon in addition to the hotly anticipated Life is Hard studio album which I have heard and love. 

“Sleepwalker Blues” by Joe Sundell

Sometimes songs meander around my playlist for several months and then jump out a odd times to offer a jolt a awesomeness. I featured some of Joe Sundell’s music from his album The Hat Thief many months back (maybe a year or so), and this song stuck around my playlist to add some authentic country music to this mix.

“I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train” by Billy Joe Shaver

Speaking of which… Billy Joe Shaver is included in my listing of GREAT artists that I got to see live this month.  He performed at Music City Roots a couple of weeks ago.  This one goes all the way back to his 1973 debut album Old Five and Dimers Like Me.

“Fairly Local” by Twenty One Pilots

There are some that may say that following up Billy Joe Shaver with Twenty One Pilots is pretty screwed up.  Hell, I may even be one of them, but I have learned not to question the wisdom of the shuffle. The shuffle works in mysterious ways… take that how you must… This song is from the forthcoming album Blurryface, and it was included on a Noisetrade Bonnaroo compilation.

“Sure Thing” by Sam Morrow

I featured Sam Morrow’s music on Ear to the Ground a couple of years ago, and I am really glad he jumped back onto my radar.  I have been seriously digging the new music he’s been putting out.  This is a live recording of a song from his 2014 album Ephemeral which is an EP which you can find on Noisetrade.

“Song for Harry Nilsson” by Luke Saxton

Luke Saxton is a young singer-songwriter from the UK.  This song about the late American singer-songwriter is on the album Sunny Sadness which was released back in November, and I like it quite a bit.

“Rikki’s Shuffle” by Michael Hedges

From Live on the Double Planet by the late guitar virtuoso Michael Hedges.

“Honey Don’t Think” by Grant Lee Buffalo

Another nifty song from Mighty Joe Moon which was a primo thrift store find of mine at the beginning of this month.

“A Love Bizarre” by Michael Hedges

Besides being an other-worldly guitar player, Michael Hedges also liked to do unexpected covers.  This is a cover of the Sheila E song and is also on the Live on the Double Planet album.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”; http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Rich After Than Before Mix

!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”);

Be sure to “Like” Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

One of those moment where music connects me to a moments in my life: I went to The 5 Spot last night to see songwriting legend Don Schlitz, who has written so many great songs including several Mary Chapin Carpenter songs and Forever and Ever, Amen.  He was pretty phenomenal and funny, but when he sang The Gambler which was the first of his songs to be recorded, I literally felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck.  I was twelve years old when The Gambler was released, and you heard it everywhere.  When I was in seventh grade, a girl asked me out (a first for me), and when I called her we talked about a lot of things and I asked her what music she liked and we talked about Kenny Rogers and this song. Later, when I turned 21 and went to buy beer and get carded, that same girl was working in the convenience store where I went and she didn’t even card me.  A few years ago, I heard that girl (woman) had been killed in a car accident.  Anyway, all those thoughts went through my head as I sang along to the words I still knew so well. Oh and I got to “fist bump” Don Schlitz last night.  Pretty cool…

To the shuffle:

“Packington’s Pound/The Almaine” by David Schnaufer

I was in my late teens maybe, and mostly a fan of punk, post-punk, and whatever we called Alternative music before we called it alternative music, and I was a big fan of a lot of bands in the Nashville “underground” scene of that time.  One of my favorite bands from that time was Walk the West, and they had a spin of group called The Cactus Brothers and I saw The Cactus Brothers a few times and they often had David Schnaufer playing with them, and up until that point, I didn’t know that I liked the sound of the mountain dulcimer.

“Train Beat Songs” by Matt Prater

A great song that answers the question non-musicians have about why musicians keep going day after day for little or no monetary reward. 

“Huesos Solos” by The Ghoul Goes West

A gorgeous sounding song from my new friends from Arkansas from their album Ghosts and Bones and Blood and Things.  The Ghoul Goes West are playing their first post album release show in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 25.  If you are in the area, get on this.  If you know someone who lives nearby, get them on this.  Here the link to the Facebook event.

“Yr Soul-less Ass” by Poledo

Poledo were a Canadian alternative band active during the mid 1990s. I came across this track rather randomly, and I like it.  It is from the band’s only full-length album released while they were together called There, You.

“The Little Beggar Girl” by Richard and Linda Thompson

Richard and Linda Thompson made some amazing music during their time together.  From the album, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, this is one of my favorites.

“Fade Into You” by J. Mascis

The Dinosaur Jr. guy doing the Mazzy Star hit.  From a single released earlier this year.

“The Barber” by Matt Prater

Our second Matt Prater song in today’s shuffle and probably my favorite track on his fantastic album Tables and Chairs which was released earlier this year.  An evocative story of a small town barber… song takes me back to barber shops I visited as a child.

“Breakfast in the Field” by Michael Hedges

Late guitar virtuoso Michael Hedges.  The original of this song was the title track of his 1981 debut album, and the version I heard today was from his 1987 album Live on the Double Planet. 

“Where Things Get Lost” by Tim Lee 3

Where Things get lost is on the new Tim Lee 3 album, 33 1/3. I dig this song. Tim Lee 3 are a great band and they are good people.  Here is the link to where you can buy their stuff. Do it!

window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”; http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js VIDEO PLAYLIST

Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Just Another Story Mix

#CXCW15 wrapped up this weekend….  Day 6, 7, 8 featured tons of great music… I feel like I am certain to leave some out, so please consider this a partial recap…  visit couchbycouchwest.com to experience or re-experience the whole thing. Anyway, some of the highlights of the last three days included: Nikki Sue and the Bad News, Young America, Modern Day Poets (which includes members of the now defunct band Cupla), Joe Nolan, Darrin Bradbury, Two Cow Garage with Todd Farrell, and a second video of Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray doing a Superchunk cover.

Way more great music than I could keep up with, but the good news I can go back and try to see what I missed, and so can you…  apologies to any FOE2TG (friends of ear 2 the ground) that I missed in my recaps…

“The Card Cheat” by The Clash

Yet another classic track from the amazingly legendary London Calling album.

“Oblivious” by Aztec Camera

One of my all time favorite songs, from the High Land, Hard Rain Album.  I love just about everything about this song.

“Hysterically Speaking” by The Colored Parade

The Colored Parade is a great Nashville band fronted by Andrew Adkins who was previously in the band Mellow Down Easy.  I got to see The Colored Parade live a couple of months back, and they were excellent.  This song is on the album And the Walls of the City Will Shake.  Check it out.

“Death or Glory” by The Clash

It’s a two Clash song kind of day…  this is another one of my faves off London Calling…

“Funky Avocado” by Michael Hedges

From the live album, Live on the Double Planet, this song was originally on the late guitar virtuoso Hedges’ 1981 debut album Breakfast in the Field. I was fortunate enough to get to see Hedges perform live, and even for a non-guitar nerd it was an amazing performance.  I’m sure the guitar nerds were going completely bonkers.

“Running Days” by Bonson Berner

L.A. band Bonson Berner just released their latest album called Reflection on March 10 on the Forty Below record label.  This song comes from their 2013 album Passport.

“Strange” by Boy Named Banjo

Another great song from the Nashville based band from their 2014 album Long Story Short.  Boy Named Banjo are competing to be on the bill at Bonnaro this year, so if you like what you’ve heard – check their Facebook Page to see what you need to do to help them out.

“Circus Stunt” by Burning Bridges

As I mentioned before, Burning Bridges was the project of Rob from The Danbury Lie in the days before The Danbury Lie existed.  This song (more so than the last Burning Bridges track I featured) seems like a missing link toward the development of The Danbury Lie sound we have come to know and love.

“No Good” by Banditos

Banditos are from Birmingham, Alabama.  From looking at their Facebook page, I see that I am late to this party (a diverse bunch of some of my coolest music friends “Like” their page already). This song will be on their self-titled debut album on Bloodshot Records which is not scheduled for release until May.  If this song can be used as an indication, well, then I may just have to add that album to my “Highly anticipated” list.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

!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