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Before we get to the shuffle, I have to take a moment to send out lots of prayers, good thoughts and love to everyone affected by the tragedy in Connecticut on Friday. And let’s face it, it affected most of us in some way. Several bands we follow regularly here at Ear t the Ground live not too far from Newtown. The Velveteens who were featured artists a couple of months back had family members who attend the school. Thankfully, they were okay. For those of us with children, for those of us who have any compassion – this was an unspeakably devastating event. But talk we must. So, I sent out the prayers and good thoughts and love to those in Newtown and those in Connecticut and those in the United States of America and those in the world. We are sick of violence, but we feel powerless in the face of it. But, if there is power to break the cycles and change the old ways, it will… it must come from within us. And it won’t all come in these fleeting moments of national and international grief and outrage. The necessary changes have to come over time, even as the immediacy of the horror begins to fade and blend with all the previous horrors which were once in our immediate path.
Now, we are about seconds away from rolling out our 2nd Annual Band of the Year Readers Poll. To get into the spirit, today’s shuffle comes from a playlist of the bands who will be in the year end poll.
What struck me, as I was listening to these songs today was how much great music we’ve heard this year, and also, how many great new friends we have made. In my estimation, this makes 2012 a great year for music. What do you think?
And the Giraffe are a band that formed in Florida and currently is split between Florida and Nashville. They have some new music which we hope to be bringing you soon. In the meantime, we have Magic 8 from their previous release called Something for Someone. They tied for Band of the Month back in September.
MAKAR are a NYC band who captured our hearts and captured the crown to narrowly defeat The End Men in the epic January Band of the Month voting. We have the title track from their album Funeral Genius up next in the shuffle.
Walking for Pennies write really great songs. Their album Forget About Wonderland in one you should definitely check out. They were one of the two Bands of the Month for November/December 2012. Check out Nashville. Which I love and not just because it is about my city….
As previously mentioned, The End Men were narrowly defeated by MAKAR in the Band of the Month voting for January. The End Men were not happy. In the Band of the Year voting – expect them to try to avenge their loss. By luck of the Shuffle, we had two great songs from The End Men in today’s shuffle. First, the cautionary tale, They’re All Gonna Cost Ya and then the title track from the Build it Up EP.
Atlanta’s own Killing Kuddles was “this” close to being Band of the Month back in June. He made it into the Band of the Year poll and will employ a take no prisoners approach this time around. Here’s Too Crazy off of Waking Up Older.
Another epic battle for Band of the Month was back in May. When South of Ramona just edged out Sci-Fi Romance. This is another rematch which be played out in the year end reader’s poll. South of Ramona had two songs in today’s shuffle. First Purple Sky from the Step Inside EP which came out this year, and then Westward Souls from the band’s Demo.
South of Ramona tends to release Cover videos rather than videos of their own songs. Here are two great covers from South of Ramona.
We will close out the shuffle which has taken me all day to complete with a great song from our March 2012 Band of the Month. The kids from Northbrook Garage have accomplished quite a bit in their short lives (winning a contest to record at Ardent Studios, playing with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and of course being named Band of the Month at Ear to the Ground). Before they set their sights of the Band of the Year crown, check out their awesome single So What.
Here’s those Chicago kids covering Grace Potter and Nocturnals with a special guest!
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E2TG: MUSIC/WORDS 
