Throwback Thursday Morning Shuffle – Tying Faith Mix

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It seems like just about everybody is at or on their way to South by Southwest, but believe it or not there is still plenty of live music here in Nashville.

Last night, I headed to Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row – where every single Wednesday Sam Cooper hosts Sam’s Jams which runs from noon until 8:00p.m. with constant songwriters all day. Last night, Brock Zeman and Blair Hogan from Ottawa played their second Nashville show – this time an acoustic show which sounded amazing. 

Back across the river to The 5 Spot for the AGD Entertainment Spotlight.  It was great to see Adrian + Meredith (who sounded great with an awesome full band – including Paul Niehaus on guitar and pedal steel)  and Patrick Kinsley and a Fistful of Dollars (who are consistently one of my favorite live bands in town).

Tonight is the CD Release show for Charlie Hager (I have featured some songs from his brand new album American Saga). The music gets underway at 7:00 and The Crying Wolf – and there is a stacked lineup of music going all night.

Now, it is Thursday, so let us throw it back…  I mean… let us throwback to some great tunes from some non-specific number of years ago.

“When My First Wife Left Me” by R.L. Burnside

First up is song from blues legend R.L. Burnside.  This song comes from his 1994 album, Too Bad Jim which was produced by the late journalist and producer Robert Palmer (who was not the “Addicted to Love” guy in case you were wondering).

“Summertime” by Janis Joplin

Another legend.  In her short, troubled life, Janis Joplin left behind some incredible music.  This is her take on a song from Porgy and Bess which was composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Dubose Heyward who wrote the novel from which Porgy and Bess is based.  Ira Gershwin is also credited as lyricist on this song.

“Beg, Borrow and Steal” by Scruffy the Cat

A song from 1980s Boston band Scruffy the Cat. Blending power pop and punk with a mild country feel, they are among the many great bands who helped to create the alt-country/Americana music of today.


“Caroms” by fIREHOSE

Next up a track from the very first fIREHOSE album, Ragin’, Full On which was released in 1986.  The band featured Mike Watt and George Hurley from Minutemen along with vocalist/guitarist Ed “fROMOHIO” Crawford.

“Backstreets” by Bruce Springsteen

When Bruce Springsteen classic album, Born to Run turned 40 years old at the end of last summer, I added to my phone and have been featuring it ever since.  The album holds up really well – it stands as one of the best albums of all time, and it was one of my earliest favorite albums when I was first really getting music.

 

“From the Middle Room” by The Tourists
 

A non-album single from the British band that included Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart before their left to form Eurhythmics.  The single was included as a promo with the band’s 1980 final studio album Luminous Basement. The song was written by Lennox and Stewart.

“Everyday People” by Jeff Buckley
 

A rare new release in the throwback shuffle. The compilation, You and I was released last week and includes recordings done in 1993. The album contains mostly cover songs including this cover of the Sly and the Family Stone classic.

 
“Old Dreams” by The Shakers

And we close out the throwback shuffle with another from the 1990 album, Songs from Beneath the Lake by Nashville band, The Shakers.

 
VIDEO PLAYLIST
 

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Circular Mix

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Well…well…well… we’ve reached the mid-point of this work week. 

Last night’s Kevn Kinney/Peter Case show at The Basement East was every bit as awesome as I expected.  Case opened with “Walk in the Woods” – the song that first introduced me to his classic self-titled debut solo album and Kinney followed that with the title track from his equally classic solo debut, MacDougal Blues. For the next couple of hours, they traded songs and stories…

“Losing the Feel” by Kansas Bible Company

The Nashville based 12-piece gets the shuffle off to a rousing start this this track from their recent Dad’s Day EP. 

“Circular Fever” by The Tourists

Another great song from the aptly titled Should Have Been Greatest Hits.  The Tourist – in case you missed my previous posts – were an awesome late 70s/early 80s Power Pop band which featured Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart before they were The Eurhythmics.

“Evelyn” by Jeremy Gluck/Robert Coyne

For a while there, we seemed to be posting a different song from Jeremy Gluck’s Memory Deluxe: I Knew Buffalo Bill 2 just about every day.  As hard as it is to believe, we still have a couple of songs from that album which have not been posted.  This is one.  It’s really good to hear more of this great album.

“Loving Down” by Hugh Trimble

Another song that has been hanging around the shuffle for a while.  I first heard Hugh Trimble on a Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen compilation. This song is from his album, neighborpoem, and is a good reminder of why I dig his music so much.

“Don’t Stop Trying” by Carl Anderson

Back in March, ahead of the release of his album Risk of Loss (which we have been featuring), Carl Anderson released a Noisetrade sampler that includes some tracks for that then forthcoming album alongside some older tracks like this one from his 2012 Wolftown.

“Behind the Mouth” by Broken Guru

Another track from Bent Up Halo – the high-energy debut from this New York Alt-Rock band.

“Bloodsoaked” by The Killing Condition

So far this week, we have explored traditional bluegrass, ambient art pop, pure country, contemporary classic, various styles of indie and alternative rock, folksy stuff and even some Americanaesque music. Up until this point, we have not had any death metal in the shuffle this week.  Happily, we rectify this oversight and up the ante with some Extreme Brutal Death Metal from Saratoga Springs , New York.  The band just began recording their new album, Broken Down Morals.  

“A Little God in My Hands” by Swans

We close out the day’s shuffle with a seven minute song from the reunited experimental/noise rock band. The track was on the band’s 2014 album To Be Kind.  We got if off that Big Ears Festival Sampler which we featured a song off of yesterday.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Bad Boys and Transference Mix

Well… Couch by Couchwest 2015 kicked off yesterday…  So far, I have seen videos from Science! who has been featured recently on E2TG, plus my friend Drew Kohl of Young America (who coincidently are releasing a 3 song EP today), The Foresters, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, and I have a bunch I need to catch up on eventually.  Keep on couchin’!  And if you haven’t submitted a video, there is still time!

“She’s My Lowcountry” by The Lucky Jukebox Brigade

This is the last song we have to feature on Familiar Fevers, but who knows, I might reload and start over… I can do that… it’s my blog!  Anyway, I love this song.  In honor of CXCW, I picked 2013 submission from The Lucky Jukebox Brigade to lead off today’s video playlist.

“Bad Boys and Painkillers” by James Dean Bradfield

 From the 2009 album, The Great Western… James Dean Bradfield is the lead singer and lead guitarist of Manic Street Preachers.  I really love this song – it rings very true and sounds pretty darn fresh.

“It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way” by The Tourists

From Should Have Been Greatest Hits… originally the lead track for Reality Effect (1979).  Even if the production does sound dated, the song is top notch…

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Some psychological music from Matt Phillips and his band The Philharmonic…

“On the Riverside” by Boy Named Banjo

My first listen to Nashville Americana band, Boy Named Banjo.  I like it a bunch, and look forward to featuring some more from them soon.  Thanks to my friend Boyd for pointing this out to me. From the album, Long Story Short.

“Spooky Boots” by Reverend Horton Heat

From the album REV!  It’s the Rev, doing what they do best… psychobilly at it’s finest.

“(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria” by Townes Van Zandt

From the live recording, I got hold of on TVZ’s birthday. Further evidence (as if it was needed) that Townes Van Zandt was and is a giant among songwriters. This song was originally on his 1968 debut album, For the Sake of the Song.

“UP” by The Renaldo The Ensemble

I am so glad to have The Renaldo The Ensemble back in the shuffle.  They are delightfully offbeat and impossible to classify, and who wants to waste time classifying anyway?  Just sit back an enjoy the show..

“The Unanswered Question?” by Syd Straw     window.amznpubstudioTag = “eartothegro00-20”;     

Even since I first heard this record way back in the day, I’ve always felt there was an other worldly quality to this music.  Like hazy fever dream of a great pop song…. From Surprise. For a treat, since I couldn’t find a video of this song, I picked a video from the very first episode of MTV Unplugged (according to the Youtube description) with Jules Shear, Chris Difford and Gleen Tilbrook (Squeeze), Elliot Easton (The Cars) and Syd Straw doing “I’m A Believer” (the Monkee’s hit song, written by Neil Diamond)…http://ps-us.amazon-adsystem.com/domains/eartothegro00-20_3dcd3a52-1a1a-4afe-a2fd-aaba8e251afc.js
VIDEO PLAYLIST

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Like Charlie Sheen Mix

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To make up for not having a shuffle – please enjoy this video playlist tribute to the late Leonard Nimoy…

“Back’s Against the Wall” by Judah and the Lion

Another song from the Sweet Tennessee record…

“Genius” by Warren Zevon

From My Ride’s Here….

“Right Time” by Nikki Lane

A supremely awesome song from Nashville’s Nikki Lane off her 2014 album All or Nothin’

“No Sex” by Alex Chilton

An early/mid 80s view of the AIDS epidemic via Memphis legend Alex Chilton off his album Feudalist Tarts.

“I Wanna Sit and Watch the Credits Roll” by Bill Lloyd

From the phenomenal album Feelin’ the Elephant – another great one from Nashville legend Bill Lloyd.

“I Only Want to Be With You” by The Tourists

The pure pop nearly hits keep on coming from The Tourists.  Off a compilation called Should Have Been Greatest Hits.

“Hey Mama” by The Satisfactors

From the self-titled debut album by a New Jersey shore super-group…

“The Mermaid Song” by The Ghoul Goes West

Via my inbox by way of somewhere in Northwest Arkansas…. The Ghoul Goes West impressed me right away.  More to come.  Check them out.

“This Very Second” by Bill Lloyd

We close things out with our second track of the day from Bill Lloyd’s Feelin’ the Elephant, and one of my favorite songs on that album. 

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – Changing Everything Mix

I am ridiculously short on time, and I will be out of town the next two days so no shuffles until Thursday.  I am going to be quick, but if you have more time than I do, please give these great songs the attention they deserve.  I found videos for most of the songs.  The only one I didn’t find was the Mothers song, and I will put a link to their bandcamp page so you can listen and/or buy.

UPDATE:7:05pm CST – I actually ran out of time to get this posted earlier.  As I said, I will be off of blogging for a couple of days, but I’m sure you can keep yourselves entertained.

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One of East Nashville’s finest and true road warrior.

“My Ride’s Here” by Warren Zevon

The last song on Warren Zevon’s “meditation on death”.   

“My Place” by Young Buffalo

A great song from an Oxford, MS band.

“Apartment King” by Mothers

A great band from the Mama Coco’s camp in New York.  Alex contacted me recently, so I included his MCFK Testimonial since I couldn’t find a video of this song.  Here’s the link to the album Panamanian Times.

“Paradise” by Joe Nolan

A bonus track from the remastered version of Blue Turns Black.

“Mark on the Bus” by The Beastie Boys

Another from the short song mixtape.  Off of Check Your Head.

“The Madrean” by Whale Fall

Fresh from the Inbox.  I haven’t had time to process this amazing music, but I will have more to say.  The title track from the 2014 album.

“Second Guessing” by R.E.M.

A classic from Reckoning.

“No Surprise There” by Floating Action

From a New West Sampler out on Noisetrade.  Floating Action are from Black Mountain, NC.

“Killer” by Jeremy Gluck/Robert Coyne

Another…ehem… killer track from the album Memory Deluxe: I Knew Buffalo Bill 2

“The Loneliest Man in the World” by The Tourists

Another slice of pure pop heaven from 1979…

“Overpass LA” by Whale Fall

Another track from the Whale Fall album The Mandrean.  This is some amazing music.

“What I Have Not Got” by Tim Lee 3

The opening track from Raucous Americanus performed live and loud by Tim Lee 3.  Bonus trivia: I just noticed that Tim Lee co-produced Gawk by Will and the Bushmen which was one of my favorite albums when I was in college.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Call me Admiral Byrd Mix

Yes, I chiseled my way out through the thick blanket of ice and crossed the frozen tundra to make it to work today.  I only fell once, and I don’t think anyone saw me, and anyway, I fell with the grace and dignity befitting of someone of my importance and position. (that is a joke by the way….)

I had a lovely collection of fine, fine music to accompany me on my treacherous journey….
 
“Easy Weather” by The Bell Hours

Yes, my shuffle function has a sense of humor – as today’s weather was anything but easy, but I digress. The Bell Hours are from Denver, and I have quite enjoyed listening to their most recent EP of which this is the title track.

“Rudie Can’t Fail” by The Clash

The shuffle function seems to be on a major Clash kick, and who can blame it? From London Calling.

“I Only Want to Be With You” by The Tourists

A slice of pure pop heaven from a band that featured Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart just before they formed Eurhythmics. From the album Reality Effect.

“Sam” by Meat Puppets

Classic Meat Puppets from Forbidden Places.

“Élysées 99,84” by Kansas Bible Company

The first track on the new 4 song EP called Dad’s Day by the Nashville based band that has way too many members to keep up with.

“Nobody’s Child” by Maria McKee

Another great track from Maria McKee’s self-titled solo debut. I am glad to have rediscovered this album recently.  Sooooo good…

“Try Out My Love” by Matt Phillips

A great song from Matt Phillips’ debut album Bones which was released in 2012.  Saw and met him at Music City Roots a couple of weeks ago.

“Southern Ground” by Judah and the Lion

Nashville band Judah and the Lion are on roll with appearances on Letterman and a tour of Scandinavia and an upcoming Nashville show at Ryman Auditorium with Mat Kearney.  This song comes from their EP called Sweet Tennessee. 

“Avalon” by Roxy Music

The title track from one of the best albums of all time.

“Kanga Roo” by Big Star

The shuffle is also on a Big Star kick…. there are reasons I love the shuffle… and this is a big one…

“Skilly Bom Billy Flop” by The Imperial Rooster

#E2TG favorites are on hiatus, but this song (and video from Couch by Couchwest) from their album Cluckaphony offers a good taste of what they do, and I hope to hear some new stuff from them in the future. 

“Pigeons Eating Glass” by Forebear

From the Inbox, comes L.A. Indie band Forebear with a song from their self-titled EP which was produced by Scott Gordon who has worked with Alanis Morissette and Ringo Starr among others.  Looking forward to checking out more of this EP.

“Clampdown” by The Clash

A great way to celebrate the successful completion of my Arctic trek….  More Clash from London Calling.

VIDEO PLAYLIST

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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – I’m Not Down Mix

Every other Sunday Night, an amazing cultural exchange program takes place in Nashville.  The East Side Invasion at Bobby’s Idle Hour features some of East Nashville’s best songwriters holding court at the legendary Music Row watering hole.  Curated and hosted by performing songwriter Lindsay Ellyn, the typical evening includes two songwriter rounds, a set from a featured artist, and a show closer by Darrin Bradbury. The night is a casual, laid-back affair that happens to include some of the best songwriters Nashville (East or West) has to offer. Plus, I’m usually home before eleven to get ready to face Monday morning.  Come on out sometime. The next East Side Invasion is February 8.

In the shuffle today, we have some great songs by some of my heroes, another awesome track from a new Alt-Rock band that we have been featuring, plus something completely different… let’s dig in!

“It’ll Never Get Better Than This” by Bill Lloyd

We start off the week in shuffles with another great Pop song from Bill Lloyd’s Feeling the Elephant album.  Lloyd, who may be best known as 1/2 of the hit Country duo Foster and Lloyd, also happens to be one of the best Pop songwriters in America.  To paraphrase Joe Jackson, When I die and go to pure pop heaven, I have a feeling I’ll hear a Bill Lloyd song playing on the PA.

“That’s How it Goes” by Meat Puppets

One of the Meat Puppets most straight forward Country sounding songs. It’s still a definite Meat Puppets’ song. From Forbidden Places.

“Amazons” by Phranc

Another from Folksinger. Amazons is Phranc’s homage to great female sports figures.

 

“Human Touch” by Elvis Costello

From Get Happy!!  Elvis Costello and the Attractions 1980 album which was highly influenced by Ska, Soul, and Rhythm and Blues music.   

“Endless Farewell” by Soul Asylum

From Hang Time (1988) which was produced by Ed Stasium and Lenny Kaye. Endless Farewell is a slow burner in the midst of some of the most poppy punk rock songs on the album.

“Blind Among the Flowers” by The Tourists

The Tourist was a 1970s British band that featured (among others) Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart before they were Eurhythmics. The band wrote and recorded some incredibly catchy songs in the course of their 3 year existence. Appropriately enough, their 1984 retrospective was called Should Have Been Greatest Hits.  Blind Among the Flowers from the band’s self-titled debut album is one of my favorites.

“Out of Control (Into the Void)” by The Torn Images

I think this is the fourth The Torn Images song we have featured in one of our shuffles. From the Reviver album, the song is the kind of grungy rock songs, that you just don’t hear very often anymore. 

“Stellazine Blues” by The Georgia Satellites

From In the Land of Salvation and Sin comes some classic late 80s Southern rock and roll.

“Fracking” by Tanya Tagaq

From the album Animalism.  This is music unlike anything you have heard before.  Intensely primal Inuit Throat singing is joined with eerily droning electronica. I do not think this is for everyone, but I encourage everyone to listen with an open mind and recognize the artistry of what is happening even if the results are not to your taste.

                                                                          
“I’m Not Down” by The Clash

This is probably one of the songs on London Calling with which I am least familiar. It is a great song from one of the best albums of all time by one of the best bands of all time.

VIDEO PLAYLIST


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Friday Morning Music Shuffle – Storms approaching Mix

Time to batten down the hatches here in Tennessee. Call it Stormpocalypse 2012.  

I have to be quick before I get blown away – so prepare to be blown away by an awesome shuffle! See what I did there?

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Here is the shuffle:


<——– Tom Tom Club –  Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom

Tom Tom Club – Shock the World – Chris and Tina (from Talking Heads) and friends get their groove thing on.  Shocking!

<———-Kort – Invariable Heartache

KORT (Kurt Wagner from Lambchop (not the X-Men) and Courtney Tidwell) doing their best Conway and Loretta on Picking Wild Mountain Berries.

<—–The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang 

New Brunswick, New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem have The Spirit of Jazz.


<——–The Tourists – Should Have Been Greatest Hits

The Tourists featured Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart before they formed the Eurythmics.  They cover Dusty Springfield on a lush, new wavy version of  I Only Want to Be With You.

<———–The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground

We close out this morning shuffle with the opening track from The Velvet Underground’s third album. Candy Says was written about Candy Darling who was the Candy who came from out of the Island in Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wildside