Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – We’re Going Downtown Mix

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Had a great night of music last night.  Saw legendary songwriter Don Schlitz again at The 5 Spot (he has just one more week in his residency – if you are in Nashville and have not seen this show yet, I highly recommend it).  Then, I headed over to the City Winery – Nashville.  It was my first time in the big room, and I was impressed.  Saw Brian Wright and Liz Longley – a pair of very different, but both amazing songwriters/singers.  My review of their show is posted to No Depression.


“Hold on to Your Hats (We’re Going Downtown)” by Science!

From the Seattle band’s latest, Alcoves and Alleyways.  A great song for the beginning of my drive downtown for work.

“My Caravan” by Hoodoo Gurus

A deeper cut from Blow Your Cool!

“Love Won’t Burn” by Young America

From their EP Pain, Rain, and the Mundane which you can still get from Noisetrade.  The always amazing Lindsay Ellyn provides the background vocals on this track.  For the record, this song covers pain and rain – not sure about the mundane. I am highly anticipating their full-length Good Old Fashioned Pain.  I added a video bonus of a Gram Parson’s cover from Young America.

“Country Comforts” by Rod Stewart

Sometimes the ol’ shuffle pulls a nice transition like this… moving from the awesome neo-traditional country of Young America to this classic Brit-country track from Rod Stewart’s 1970 album Gasoline Alley.  The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and appears on John’s classic album Tumbleweed Connection.  As someone who grew up only knowing Rod Stewart from “Do You Think I’m Sexy” and “Hot Legs”, discovering his earlier music was a major revelation for me. 

“My Mama’s Dead” by Dream Police

Dream Police is a side project of members of the band, The Men.  This song is from the album Hypnotized which was released in November 2014.

“Half-Assed Blues” by Bark

Another side project – Bark. is made up of two thirds of the Tim Lee 3.  Susan Bauer Lee on Drums and Vocals and Tim Lee on bass, vocals, and others instruments. The debut EP by Bark. is also called Bark.

“Mulberry Street” by Matt King

This is the lead track from Matt King’s 2010 album Matt King and the Cutters.

“Black Friday Holiday” by Dead in 5

From the album, Schizophrenic Razor Project.  This Detroit band had a song in the cult film Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies (which I totally didn’t know was a thing, but which I now must see).

“Corners” by The Storm Chronicles

Directly from my inbox comes some very good music which I would describe (upon first listen) as keyboard driven, progressive, pop music.  I will update and revise that assessment as I listen more.  The Storm Chronicles are from the Pacific Northwest.

“Molting” by Shaprece

Adding some Electronic R&B variety to the shuffle…  this comes from an EP of the same name (Molting) by this Seattle artist.  We grabbed the song from the Noisetrade SXSW mixtape.

“Traffic Jam” by A Color Engine

Fortunately, I wasn’t in one when I was listening to this :21 second track from the album Voyage Underwater 56 Knots by this now defunct band comprised of Ear to the Ground favorite Don Ryan and Eric Burchfield (Elephant Goes West) another E2TG featured band.   The video we included is a song from the film Eraserhead by David Lynch. 

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Friday Morning Music Shuffle – Orange Windbreaker and a Beard Mix

We’ve reached the end of another week.  Today’s shuffle is a pretty interesting mixed bag with a couple of artists making their E2TG debut, plus a few old favorites, and some of my heroes…  I’m short on time, so this will be haphazard.

“Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough)” by Steve Earle

Well, after bringing up the first two songs from Guitar Town in order on different days, today’s shuffle skips to the fourth song.  Maybe this was the third song on some Japanese import???  In any event, I grew up in a kind of small town in Tennessee, but I never really felt like I connected with the “Good Ol’ Boys” when I lived there, so when I first heard this song, I thought I had found that point of connection…

“Breakthrough” by Science!

Science! are from Seattle, a bunch of cool people I know like them, and they have participated in Couch by Couchwest in the past (which is probably where I first heard them) – I hope they participate this year (hint, hint)… This song is on their latest album Alcoves and Alleyways which was released in January.

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I love all of Marshall Crenshaw’s albums.  His self-titled album and Field Day probably rank among the greatest pop albums of all time. But, this album, Downtown, will always hold a special place in my heart.  It’s all tied to the place and time that I first listened to the album and the heady nights – being a freshman in college and experiencing new things and old things in a new way…  Hearing this album again, transports me back in the best possible way.

“Tense” by The Bell Hours

I am fascinated by the random shuffle that produces my Morning Shuffle each day.  Certain songs or albums or artists may sit in my queue for several weeks and then two songs come up on subsequent days. The Bell Hours are from Denver, and the music I have been playing comes via Noisetrade.  The EP is called Easy Weather, and I really like it a whole bunch.

“Vestige Gone” by David Dondero

I am about 90% sure I featured this song before.  I think it may be one of the songs that transferred over from my old phone and I couldn’t remember if I had featured it or not… You know what, though, I don’t really care.  It is quite simply a brilliant song that I would happily play a few more times.  Musically, I live for the aha moments when I hear something and if it’s not a new song, I wonder why I never heard it before, and then I wonder why everyone hasn’t heard it before. And then I set about to do my small part is righting that wrong.  I don’t have those moments every day, but I feel that way about David Dondero.  Darrin Bradbury turned me onto his music….

“The Smart Schoolboy” by Forest Mountain Hymnal

From their work-in-progress Dear Balladeer which features songs from the Ballad Book for John Jacob Niles… We’ve featured Forest Mountain Hymnal several times, and they never disappoint. I love the traditional folk feel of this song.

“Dancing Dead Men” by The Ghoul Goes West

Another song from the Arkansas band off their album Ghosts and Bones and Blood and Things.  I little macabre dance music for your Friday…

“Sucker for Love” by Cherub

Nashville’s Cherub make their E2TG debut today with a fine bit of funkiness. I came across their name in an article recently, and then coincidently found this song on Freegal a few days later.  I do love the randomness of how I discover music sometimes. This is not what most people thing of when they think of Nashville music, and that is both a good and a bad thing.  Cherub’s music, though, is definitely a good thing.  I think they have some NSFW videos, but I don’t think the one I picked is one of those… So click on related videos with care if you are at work or school.

“Poetry in Motion” by The Great Game

The Great Game call what they do, New World Music.  They are from all over the world mostly Europe and they bring a variety of influences into their sound, and it all blends nicely and some really awesome alchemy comes into play, and the result is what you hear.  This is from their self-titled album which was just released a week ago.

“Insect Ball” by Eight O’ Five Jive

When it is early morning on the week following the shift to Daylight Savings Time, and it is Friday and you’ve about had it with the week, but you have one more work day to get through and you are approaching your office and really not feeling it… you need some Jive sometimes to give you that little kick in the ass and get you moving.  Or at least I do.  This is a cover of a Big Jay McNeely song that can be found on the Nashville band’s debut album Too Many Men which is going to be released in April.  Thanks to Sue Havlish for sending this my way, and for introducing me to a couple of the members of the band.

“Sure Thing” by Sam Morrow

We close out the week’s worth of shuffles with the return of Sam Morrow to E2TG. This song comes to us from a Forty Below Records sampler off of Noisetrade.  The song is an uplifting illumination of the notion that often the greatest joy comes out of the worst pain.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Impossible Mix

We have a diverse group of songs today… and several artists making their first ever appearance in the E2TG shuffle…  which means I have to do some quick research to know what to say….

“All My Love” by Joe Nolan

Hats off to my second favorite Joe for writing a song and giving it the same title as a Beatles’ classic.  Helps that it is a really good song.  Second favorite Joe is obviously a joke.  All the Joes I know are tied for second favorite except for one. And I know who I am. From the forthcoming remastered version of Blue Turns Black.

“Notte Insonne” by Ben Arthur

The penultimate song from Ben Arthur’s If You Look for my Heart.  Having explored an insane number of musical styles on the record, he ups the ante by singing a song in Italian.  When he is not making insanely good records of his own, Ben Arthur is co-writing songs in the road between Nashville and Memphis.

“I’m Not Ready (Hotel Lobby Version)” by CHAPPO

New York band CHAPPO come back into the shuffle with a song from a recent Noisetrade release.  This is the Hotel Lobby Version of I’m Not Ready from the EP Celebrate.  Not to be confused with the Father John Misty song Chateau Lobby… not that you were going to be confused until I confused the issue.

“We Will Fall Hard” by Jeremy Gluck/Robert Coyne

Another great track from Memory Deluxe: I Knew Buffalo Bill 2.  There is an awesome video to accompany this song. Check it out in the VIDEO PLAYLIST BELOW.

“Baby Let Me Lay on You” by Etta Baker

The late Etta Baker was a Piedmont Blues singer/guitarist from North Carolina.  This is from another Noisetrade compilation put out by the Music Maker Relief Foundation.

“Impossible Request (Alternate Version)” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The last song on the latest album (Only Run) by the Philly based Indie band.

“Manman Mwen”!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”); by Leyla McCalla

Another from the Music Makers compilation. Leyla McCalla is a New Orleans based cellist and singer, who has played with Carolina Chocolate Drops.  This song is from here 2014 album Vari-Colored Songs, and is based upon a Langston Hughes poem.

“Julia” by Science!

Seattle based Science! make there way back into the shuffle with another song I came from Noisetrade. From the album Alcoves and Alleyways.

“Handsome” by The Vaccines

The Vaccines are an English Indie rock band.  Handsome is the first single from their forthcoming album which will be called English Graffiti.

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Big Opportunity Mix

At press time, No Depression is featuring my latest live review on the front page of their site.  Check it out.

Meanwhile, we kick off the week with a morning shuffle that does not feature any dancing sharks…

“Big Lizard” by The Dead Milkmen

The almost title track from Big Lizard in My Backyard.

!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 “When Will We Be Married?” by The Waterboys

A modern arrangement of a traditional tune from Fisherman’s Blues.

“Ordinary World” by Heather Powell

Heather Powell’s next album “A Haze of Grays and Blues” is due out at the end of this month, and what I’ve heard of it is stunning.  The song featured today is a stand out track from her 2012 album Believe it to Life.

“Voodoo Doll” by Stacy Mitchhart

From his album Live My Life which was recorded at Fry Pharmacy an all analog studio here in Nashville, Voodoo Doll is the kind of no holds barred Blues that you will hear on the latest album from this Nashville legend.

“Follow Me Down” by Science!

Science! are from Seattle! and they play Music!  Why am I so excited?  Give a listen and find out.  Alcoves and Alleyways is out now.  If you want, you can check out a sampler from the album via Noisetrade and then once convinced, pick up the whole thing at the usual spots.  They’ve been on Couch by Couchwest which makes them good eggs in my book….

“I Really Don’t Want to Know” by Jason and the Scorchers

More classic Jason and the Scorchers – this one is from Lost and Found.

“Opportunity” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Elvis Costello was and is a songwriting genius. Opportunity has always been a favorite of mine off of Get Happy!!

“Don’t Get Loud With Me Bitch” by Neighborhood Texture Jam

A song about Far East foreign policy in the latter part of the 1980s served up by this unique and awesome band from Memphis. From their album, Funeral Mountain.

“The New American Dream” by Grant Peeples and the Peeples Republik

Our last taste of the fantastic Grant Peeples’ album Punishing the Myth. I got this CD when I met Grant after he played the Wild Ponies party during Americana week – at The Building in East Nashville.

VIDEO PLAYLIST