Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – In the Backroom Mix

 Heard Walk on the Wild Side on the radio this morning. It’s going to be a good day.

Today’s shuffle includes some old friends and a pretty weird ass mix of some pretty bitchin’ tunes.  It’s all after the jumpy thing:


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  1. Song: Spread Your Wings Artist: The Walla Recovery  Album: With Trembling… (2009) – (One of our early Bands of the Week in 2011, Chamber Folk Rock from Dallas/Fort Worth, Beautiful music made by beautiful spirits)  

2. Song: Cry  Artist: Tipi Valley  Album: In the Woods (2012) – (Another artist we featured, this time in 2012, the eclectic and talented Tipi Valley from Swansea, UK. In the Woods features the acoustic side of this band. Not on Amazon widget – no video is available – so see the Bandcamp Widget)
  http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=750584824/size=grande2/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/

3. Song: She’s a Woman (And Now He is a Man)  Artist: Husker Du  Album: Warehouse: Songs and Stories (1987) – (Post-punk legends. Husker Du were extremely prolific. Warehouse ended up being the band’s swan song.  This song was released as a promotional single. It was written by Grant Hart.)

4.  Song: Good Wife  Artist: The Grisly Hand  Album: Safe House (2010) – (Kansas City band, Love this song, the amazing Sloane Spencer of Country Fried Rock likes this band)

5.  Song: Good in White  Artist: Delta Saints  Album:Bird Called Angola (2010) – (Nashville-based, NOLA sounding, down and swampy rock ‘n’ roll.)

6. Song: Hold On  Artist: Alabama Shakes  Album: Boys and Girls (2012) – (One of the hottest bands of 2012, Yes – you hear this on the radio quite often. Yes – I heard this morning as a matter of face. Yes – I didn’t mind hearing it again)
7. Song: Toward the Ghost (Steve Moore Remix) Artist: BRAHMS Album: unknown (2010) – (Brooklyn based electronic, alternative band – broke up in 2011, Not on Amazon Widget, gleaned from Stereogum, Steve Moore is a keyboardist/bassist with Zombi)
 

8. Song: The Funeral Artist: J Duff  Album: The Introduction (2012) – (New Jersey Hip-Hop, majestic swagger and in-your-face lyrics)

9. Song: Paranoid Android (Radiohead Cover)  Artist: Weezer Album: None (2011) – (The Radiohead original is on the Amazon Widget, OK Computer track done up right by Weezer, Not much new ground, but it’s a great song done well)
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Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – All is Quiet Mix

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and Sunday is Christmas.  Shout out to everyone no matter which you celebrate or which you do not. Peace on Earth and Goodwill to men seems like a pretty good thing, so does celebrate miraculous lights and the beginning of days getting longer.

My Winter Holiday playlist contains Christmas songs, songs that mention winter-time themes (or seem to) and even a couple of songs that have been associated with the holiday season (albeit incorrectly):

1. The Wilderness of Manitoba released an three song of EP of Christmas Carols non-ironically called Three Carols.  O Come, O Come Emmanuel  is on the album which you can purchase and download by clicking the picture below.


 
2.  Angels We Have Heard on High is another traditional Christmas Carol by The Walla Recovery.  Get a whole set of Christmas music from the band by using the widget below.

3. I’m posting a link to a compilation called Alternative Rock X-mas which includes songs from everyone from The Decemberists to The Smithereens. It also includes the Alarm’s version of the John Lennon classic, Happy  XMas (War is Over).

4. Finally, today we look ahead to the turning of the western Calendar from 2011 to 2012. New Years Day is from U2’s War Album. If you don’t have War in your collection rectify that right now by purchasing and downloading the album for $4.99 from Amazon – click the album cover below.

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20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Motown Christmas 20th Century Masters – The Christmas Collection: The Best of Motown Christmas
Compiled from Motown Christmas collections and individual artists’ Christmas albums, 20th Century Masters – The Christmas Collection: The Best of Motown Christmas gathers a dozen of the label’s holiday performances, including the Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus


Monday Music Shuffle – Not Morning, Not at All Mix

Quick and easy – taking  a day off so no morning walk and therefore no morning shuffle, but I offer up a Wintry  Mix of Music for your comfort and joy….




Bruce Cockburn is legend wait for it…. ary.   Cry of a Tiny Babe came from his Nothing But a Burning Light Album.  


(click on picture to download a 1995 release from the Columbia Records Radio Hour featuring Bruce along with Lou Reed, Rosanne Cash and Rob Wasserman)




The Who perform Christmas from the rock opera, Tommy. “And Tommy doesn’t know what day it is…”




(Click on album cover to buy the Deluxe Edition of Tommy by the Who)

And finally, more from The Walla Recovery’s A Star, A Star Vol. 3 – it’s the Christmas staple Angels We Have Heard on High.



http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3311676024/size=grande3/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/===================================================================
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http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=eartothegro00-20&o=1&p=12&l=ur1&category=holidayonedayship&banner=1AJQ2AJZWXV2N6HYXBG2&f=ifr

Friday Morning Music Shuffle – Wrong Antidote Mix

Anticipation is building – look for the big unveiling of the Band of the Year around noon CST.

Meanwhile, it’s a cold and wet December day, and I’m jumping right into my Winter/Holiday Playlist. I actually took a bunch of songs off from last year because I had anticipated migrating to a new MP3 player with great capacity by this time, but now it appears that isn’t going to happen any time soon.  In the meantime, we have a great playlist with more songs waiting to be added.

1.  Nashville Rock icons Jason & the Scorchers tear it up on the Christmas classic, Oh Holy Night.  The song can be found on the 2005 benefit album To: Kate – A Benefit for Kate’s Sake.

(click on album cover to get To: Kate – A Benefit for Kate’sSake)

2.  A repeat from Tuesday, Carol of the Bells/The Holly and the Ivy by The Walla Recovery
 (click on the Band name to go get the download which includes Carol of the Bells/The Holly and the Ivy)

(click on album cover to get “with trembling…” by The Walla Recovery)

3.  The late Alex Chilton and his band mates in Big Star do Jesus Christ from the classic record Third/Sister Lovers. 
  (click on the album cover to get Third/Sister Lovers by Big Star)

 4. A warm, winter song from Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds.
(click on album cover to get Sign No More by Mumford & Sons) 




5.  Hopefully no matter what Holiday you celebrate or don’t celebrate you can get behind the sentiment of this song.  It’s Peace on Earth by U2 from All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
(click on album cover to get All That I Can’t Leave Behind by U2) 


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Jason & The Scorchers Jason & The Scorchers
We believe it is important to preserve what makes music special, and make it easy to craft listening experiences. At MOG, browse millions songs and play them instantly. Or just turn on radio where you can stop and replay songs. You can also create playlists for any occasion, and even download songs to your mobile. We are dedicated to employing the cleanest but most powerful technology so you can enjoy music as much as ever.


 

Deck The Hall Ball: Mumford and Sons Death Cab For Cutie Foster the People Deck The Hall Ball: Mumford and Sons Death Cab For Cutie Foster the People
Deck The Hall Ball: Mumford and Sons Death Cab For Cutie Foster the People at Key Arena Seattle on 12/07/2011


A Very Special Christmas A Very Special Christmas
The ‘Very Special Christmas’ albums began appearing in the late 1980s. A series of yuletide-themed compilations that featured contemporary rock stars performing beloved Christmas songs (some secular, some not) the albums were recorded and issued to raise money for the Special Olympics. Volume One emerged in 1989, and by the holiday season of 2001-2, four sequels had been produced and issued. Now, the home video release A Very Special Christmas compiles some of the most memorable music videos and live performances of songs from those initial albums, with additional renditions of holiday tunes culled from the 1998 and 2000 Christmas at the White House specials. Performers include Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Wyclef Jean, Tracy Chapman, Jon Bon Jovi and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi


Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle – Keep off the Moors Mix

Good Morning… okay it’s afternoon, but this is still your morning music shuffle cause I listened to it this morning.  Votes are pouring in for the Band of the Year Readers Poll. Get info on how to vote here and mainly check out all 27 of these outstanding bands and artists.
First:  Indie-Classical Sextet ymusic class up our playlist with a St. Vincent composition called Proven Badlands from their debut (Kickstarter funded) album Beautiful Mechanical.

(click on album cover to buy Beautiful Mechanical by ymusic)

Second:  Manchester Pop/Rock band The Hollies CCR-inspired classic, Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) with Graham Nash’s replacement Allan Clarke on vocals (released by EMI to compete against a Polydor release with yet another lead singer).

  (click on album cover to buy Greatest Hits: The Hollies)

Third and Fourth:  A couple of Christmas tracks from Band of the Year nominees – The Walla Recovery.

The Carol of the Bells/The Holly & the Ivy combines an early 20th Century Ukrainian Christmas carol with a Traditional English carol. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is another traditional English Christmas Carol. 

   http://noisetrade.com/service/sharewidget/?id=b4637ce1-1973-4922-b17f-b9184da86a67  
(use the widget above to get your free download of A Star, A Star Vol. 3 by TheWalla Recovery)

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Best of the Hollies [Collectables] Best of the Hollies [Collectables]
This 1993 (reissued in 2003) collection from Collectables is almost identical to The Best of the Hollies, Vol. 1, a 1988 EMI-Manhattan release. Like its predecessor, it sticks to a lean ten-song selection, including “Bus Stop,” “On a Carousel,” “Carrie An


Strange Mercy Strange Mercy
As clever and insightful as Annie Clark’s first two St. Vincent albums were, she sometimes seemed slightly removed, and perhaps somewhat above, her songs’ subjects. However, she’s down and dirty with them on Strange Mercy, a collection of cracked veneers, eye-level confessions, and portraits of breaking points. It’s tempting to call this her most genuine album, but it’s probably more accurate to say it’s Clark’s least academic-feeling set of songs. Contrast has always been a major part of her music, and Strange Mercy’s juxtapositions of harshness, softness, truth, lies, cruelty, and kindness feel especially pointed and potent. Most apparent is her use of opposing sounds; working with producer John Congleton, she focuses on luxurious strings and woodwinds that float above wobbly keyboards and ugly, distorted guitars that emphasize that these songs are under pressure. Clark finds plenty of range within this palette, though, busting out the talkbox on “Neutered Fruit”’s confrontational jazz-rock and a dance-pop beat on the subtly frantic “Hysterical Strength.” Less obvious are the emotional shifts many of these songs undergo, and how they blur the album’s contrasts. On the title track, Clark goes from vulnerable to protective to violent as she sings “I’ll tell you good news that I don’t believe/If it will help you sleep,” and on “Champagne Year,” she confesses and deceives at the same time. “Cruel” is Strange Mercy’s definitive track, putting inspired lyrics like “They could take or leave you/So they took you then they left you” atop strings and woodwinds straight from a vintage musical and a messed-up, fuzzed-out guitar solo. The song gets increasingly anxious as it closes, a pattern Clark repeats throughout the album; indeed, while these songs are some of her most fragmented, each song on Strange Mercy is tied to another. “Surgeon” shares a stuttering beat with opening track “Chloe in the Afternoon” and a similar melody to the declaration of independence that is “Cheerleader.” There’s so much going on musically on Strange Mercy that it could be easy to overlook Clark’s growth as a songwriter, but “Year of the Tiger” boasts fully realized storytelling as well as a melody that would do Joni Mitchell or Carole King proud. Full of great lyrics and great playing, Strange Mercy is St. Vincent’s most reflective and most audacious album to date, and Clark remains as delicately uncompromising an artist as ever. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi


Bands of the Week 2011 – Part II – Weeks 9-17

We continue our recap of the 2011 Bands of the Week.  Reminder: Please be sure to vote in the First Annual Reader’s Poll for Band of the Year.

Week 9:  The Mobbs – an honest to goodness – British band with a punk attitude.  They play it fast and nasty and it makes me want to walk around saying “bloody hell” all the time.  Well here check out this video:

Week 10: Mikey Wax – is a singer and songwriter – Long Island born.  He recently released a new album Constant Motion which hit #6 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart. Here’s a video for his song In Case I Go Again which has been viewed over a half a million times on You Tube:

Week 11: Elika – are an indie band from Brooklyn.  Their sound features astonishing vocals set atop a complex yet lovely combination of guitar, synth, bass and drum machine. Check out Elika’s video for their song Summer here:

Week 12: Clepto – is a punk band with a definite Middle Eastern influence.  The band formed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2000 and has since relocated to Canada. The play it hard and nasty and the music is not for the faint of heart. For the unfaint of heart it’s a jolly good time….  Check out this video:  NOTE:  I screwed up on the reader’s poll and mispelled the band’s name. I know the band’s name. It was a typo.  So if you like Clepto please vote for Cleto.


Week 13: Simon Fagan – is an Irish singer/songwriter.  He has a unique voice and a great sound.  Look for a new EP coming soon.  Meanwhile check out this video of one of our favorite songs, Something I Don’t Know

Week 14: The Walla Recovery – a cello-folk rock quartet from Texas.  They write moving and beautiful songs.  Here is a video of The Walla Recovery performing a cover of Coldplay’s Til Kingdom Come:


Week 15: Lost Romance – are a New Jersey based rock band.  They play expansive music which lives up to the vast history of New Jersey music.  Here’s a favorite of ours, Top of the World, performed live at The Saint in Asbury Park:

Week 16: Sealight – is a French/Australian band.  Their sound combines acoustic and electronic elements to make a beautiful soundscape.  They recently released their debut EP – Dead Letters which was reviewed here at Ear to the Ground.  Here is the title track from the EP:

Week 17: The Jinxes – are a melodic folk-pop band from Monterey, California. They have a rich creative spirit and a ear for sweet melodies.  Here is a video of a song, we love called Migration:


That’s it for now…. Stay tuned… Part III is coming soon. And be sure to vote.