It's that time! I will probably be out trick or treating or something so this may very well be your last reminder. With less than 8 hours to go - we present the TOP 4 so far - Band of the Month for October will be revealed tomorrow morning:
Tweet #E2TG Are you scared yet? HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone! A little frost on the pumpkin here in Nashville. What is your favorite Halloween-themed song? We aren't doing a theme today, but the shuffle is scary good. Montreal-based Michael Silver records under the name CFCF. He teams up here with fellow Montreal Electronic band Austra with a song from the brand new Paper Bag Records album cover compilation Paper Bag Records vs. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. They do Soul Love. Check it...
We continue to delve into the musical treasure trove that is Marvin Country! by Marvin Etzioni. We pick up today with Gram Revisited which features some sampled talking by the song's subject - the late Gram Parsons.
Here's different, but still excellent song off Marvin Country!
And here is Gram Parson with The Flying Burrito Brothers
Blind Willie Johnson, the early 20th Century Texas Blues/Gospel musician wrote and recorded Soul of a Man. It was released in 1930.
One of my favorite covers of the song
Memphis alternative rockers Sore Eyes reported back in July that they were at work on a new album. Until then, we have a Bonus Track we culled from ReverbNation. Check out Let It Go:
Continuing to send the love and to hope everyone along the East Coast is safe and sound. We have a jam packed shuffle that ebbs and flows and cross borders and back and forth and builds and lifts and rises.... Higher....
I happened to catch Frank Ocean on SNL this past weekend (I had missed it the first time he was on), and I was stuck by the stunningly beautiful song Thinkin' Bout You from Channel Orange. The song of unrequited first love and loss and regret is so emotionally raw and honest. It's a good reminder of how far the hip-hop genre has come.
We can't stop listening to The Dead Exs raucous newish album Relovolution. Another song from that album made an appearance in today's shuffle. White Collar Crime is more hard blues-rock goodness from the New York band.
Here are The Dead Exs from their Texas run of shows
Ain't had a enough blues? We continue the raw two-man blues band sound with Husky Burnette from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Coming from the musical lineage of Johhny Burnette and Dorsey Burnette and with experience playing with the likes of Roger Alan Wade and Hank Williams III, Husky Burnette as set out on his own and recruited drummer Tony Jones to join him. Today we have Mile Marker 68 which comes from Burnette's 2011 album Face Down in the Dirt. Check it out.
Coming full circle, we close out today's shuffle with some more contemporary West Coast hip-hop with a new non-album track from rapper Kendrick Lamar called The Heart Pt. 3 which features Jay-Rock and Ab-Soul. Lamar's new album good kid, m.A.A.d. city dropped last week.
Well, this morning we are sending out love to all our friends along the Eastern Seaboard - as Hurricane Sandy moves ashore and is going to probably come head-on into a massive Canadian cold front. Be safe everyone.
Reminder: We are moving into the last few days of voting for Band of the Month: Vote HEREor view our VOTING GUIDE and vote HERE! Shuffle time: In their all too brief existence, San Pedro, California band, Minutemen, developed an amazing sound that combined elements of folk, jazz and punk in a way that has not been duplicated before or since. With Mike Watt on thunderbroom + speiling and sometimes singing, George Hurley on drums and the late, great D. Boon on guitar and lead vocals, the Minutemen wrote short, sharply focused songs of political outrage and profound and profane wisdom. The Minutemen were and are one of my all-time favorite bands, their album Double Nickels on the Dime remains one of my all-time favorite albums and Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing has a permanent home on my list of favorite songs.
Me, naked with textbook poems spout fountain against the Nazis,
With weird kinds of sex symbols in speeches that are big dance thumps.
If we heard mortar shells, we'd cuss more in our songs and cut down the guitar solos.
Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero from their 1985 classic debut EP. Yeah!
Party at ground zero
A "B" movie starring you
And the world will turn to flowing
Pink vapor stew
The very first single by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album Are You Experienced? was Hey Joe. The song was written in the early 60s probably by Billy Roberts who owns the copyright, and Hendrix made it is own with his landmark rendition.
Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
In rare moments of insanity, I get this overwhelming desire to blog about something outside of the scope of music. To pontificate and philosophize on matters both urbane and banal or greater or lesser import - in short to offer the world the gift of my wisdom on matters geo-politcal and inter-stellar. Fortunately for me and more importantly for you, those moments pass and then I hear some great new music that blows me away.
The Velveteens formed in the summer of 2012. The band's sound seamlessly blends influences as diverse as sixties girls groups, Morrissey and hip-hop with classical theory and a buoyant spirit that is instantly infectious. Do you remember?, from the band's two song Bedroom Demos release, is pure pop heaven. Check out Velveteens.
I couldn't find any videos for The Velveteens, so here is the Velveteen Rabbit
We first told you about Bright Little Field when we talked about their ukulele tribute to The Replacements. Today, we have an original song by the band called Rubber Chicken.
In case you missed it, here is information on the Replacements tribute:
A couple of videos from the Replacements Tribute
The Skeleton at the Feast is fronted by Belmont University student Levi Gordon and lays down some dope and fly... okay I'll stop... I just can't pull that off. These Kids is part of a Noisetrade sampler released in conjunction with Urban Pop Showcase at the university. Production on the song is by the one and only Hayden Coleman who we have featured here a few time. Self-described as "Hip-hop with a brain", this track is pretty darn cool. Check it out.
Here's an older live performace by The Skeletons at the Feast
Sarah J. Hyland is a jazz-influenced Australian singer. Flying into Your Arms is the lead track from her 2007 album A Girl Like Me.
Well, well, well... it looks like we have one more day of Indian Summer here in Nashville before winter sets in. Also, it is weird when there are still stars out when I'm pulling the car around in the morning. When does the time go back to normal?
So, we have a good shuffle which includes a few bands who are new to Ear2theGround and a cover of a classic and much covered song:
The Chaw are a dark and bluesy rock band from Concord, California. They are about to drop their first full-length album (self-titled). The album comes out November 6 (so after you vote go buy the album). We have had the chance to get a sneak peak, and this is a good one. Today we have Everything Wrong.
Here is the Kickstarter Video for this new album
The band is stream two songs from the new album at Bandcamp where you will also find the band's EP available for Free Download.
I met Diana Lawrence at the Americana Music Fest. She released an EP called To: Aging Children back in August, and we have the beautiful pop-folk ballad, Praise for the Days. This is pop-folk that reminds me of Joni Mitchell and Anna and Kate McGarrigle. Stirring and grand and delicate.
Here is Diana with Phoebe Hunt who we saw on the final night of the Americana Fest
Girl Scouts are a Philadelphia band who play recklessly, emotionally charged indie rock with abandon. They are tons of fun. They released a split EP with New Hampshire/Connecticut band Old Gray. We have Buh Buh Bubbaram today... "Go Home!"
We don't do much Jam band here at Ear to the Ground. I guess it's just not my thing really... but, I couldn't pass on this cover of the Beatles' Helter Skelter by Gov't Mule featuring the great Audley Freed. The song comes from the three-disc Mulennium Live Album.
We have arrived at mid-week, and we have a lot of music to present, so let's get right to it.
Pigeon Park are one of our featured artists for October and are in the running to be our Band of the Month. It's Not That Likely, from the band's self-titled album, finds the find in a decidedly peppy mood with a nifty break-down complete with... is that a Jew's harp??
Here's some footage from the band's 2011 tour
Calicocat were a Band of the Week here at Ear2theGround back in March. Now, they have opened up their vaults for a second time with the recent release of The Vault, Vol. 2: Electric Psychedelic Calicocat Swingers Club. The collection includes a number of very cool cover versions of classic songs, including the song in our shuffle today: the band's rootsy cover of King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin's song, Tennessee.
Here's Calicocat on Music City Shakedown
Here's Jimmy Martin's verison of Tennessee
As you may know, we use the shuffle feature to help select our daily playlist - hence the Morning Shuffle designation. All that to say that through the quirks of the shuffle process, Canadian band Vulture Kult had two songs in yesterday's shuffle and they are back with another song today. Not that I'm complaining. Avenue H. from Don't Let Rock N' Roll Ruin Your Life has a snottier attitude than some of the band's other stuff, I dig it.
Here's a recent live performance by Vulture Kult
Doug Spears is billed as Florida's Native Troubadour. It's a apt description for this singer-songwriter who released his first album in 2005. When the Hummingbirds Return is an unreleased song - it is a great song, and one which has a timeless yet fresh quality to it. Spears employees soft-spoken, evocative vocals and crisp, clean guitar work. A lovely song which add nicely to the southern folk cannon.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is an indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. They have just released a collection of b-sides and rareties called Tape Club. Today, we have Letter Divine from that release.
With just over a week to go, you may still be unsure which of our awesome Featured Artists to vote for in the Band of the Month poll. While, we try to stay neutral on this important decision (the whole point of letting readers vote is that we are too codependent to make a decision ourselves), we do have some valuable and not so valuable information to share which may just make your decision easier.
Reasons to vote for...
45 Spider: 1.
2. Cleveland Rocks! 3. This is your band if you dig turbo charged, high-energy, fun rock n' roll. Bad Cop: 1.They are at the forefront of a renaissance of Nashville Rock n' Roll that is garnering national headlines.
2. To my knowledge, they have no official association with the ABC series Nashville.
3. They are your band if you dig rock music with a fuzzy undertone, and because "Wet Lips" just plain Rules!
Black Jake and the Carnies: 1. Your mom warned you about trusting the carnies, but she never said you shouldn't listen to their music.
2. They are from Ypsilanti, MI and play Crabgrass music. You need more?
3. They are your band if you dig murder ballads played in a old-time string band style at a punk rock, break-neck pace. Prepare to move your feet!
Brennen Leigh: 1. She is a true Texas songbird whose music has a timeless quality.
2. At the Americana fest, she sang a duet with the fabulous John Scott Sherrill.
3. She is your artist if you dig beautiful vocals set to amazing sounding country/bluegrass sounds.
Forest Mountain Hymnal: 1. Rebecca and Jonathan are incredible people who financed their wedding in part by busking on the streets of Nashville.
2. They play brilliant versions of traditional and traditional sounding folk tunes and made a record perfect for Halloween.
3. They are your band if you dig well-grounded, earthy and organic folk music and arent' afraid to take it to the streets.
The Foresters: 1. Writing about them and a few other bands has finally allowed me to learn to spell Kahnettykut - wait, is that not right? Shoot!
2. If they Rock this hard now, wait until they hit those teen angst years...
3. They are your band if you dig melodic, pop-punk music played with energy and heart.
Pigeon Park: 1. They are from British Columbia which is in Canada not in Central America like I thought... :-/
2. Cause Pigeons are Bert from Sesame Street's favorite bird.
3. They are your band if you dig big, bluesy rock music made to fill arenas.
S3X: 1. It's fun hearing the words Salt Lake City and Punkcore in the same sentence.
2. S3X... I mean come on!
3. They are your band if you dig aggressive, fast, loud music with a melodic streak played with verve and passion.
Tim Lee 3: 1. They've been a part of the fantastic Couch by Couchwest Festival.
2. They like barbeque - pulled pork baby!
3. They are your band if you dig wild, bluesy, rootsy southern rock n' roll the way it was meant to be played.
Valued Customer: 1. They are most likely the coolest, weirdest band I've ever heard.
2. Patrick Power sometimes wears a tie and plays Afro-Latin Polka...?????!!!!!!
3. They are your band if you dig experimental hip-hop with a twisted sense of humor and a sick mellow groove.
Here in Tennessee, we are in the midst of Indian Summer. Highs in the 80s. It won't last, but I like it. Let's get to our shuffle:
Christopher Paul Stelling is part of an emerging Brooklyn Music scene. We've met The End Men, The Gypsy West and The Disappointment among others. To me, it's an exciting scene. Exciting for the diversity and openness of the players. On his debut album, Songs of Praise and Scorn, Stelling delivers a gorgeous set of songs which emerge out of the old South, travel the twisted highways of life and settle comfortably into the urban Northwest. Solar Flares is simply a beautiful, haunting song. Clean, shiver-inducing guitar licks combine with his emotionally powerful vocals. As I walked through the early morning chill, I felt like I could have staying the moment forever.
"still waiting on the sun to go and tear on through them clouds: it’ll shine right down when the time allows."
Vulture Kult play unapologetic, uncompromising Hard ROCK music. Mixing the pure ROCK power of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath with the break-neck paced raw energy of the best of classic and neo-classic punk rock, Vulture Kult lays it all out everytime, and that makes them a joy to listen to. The Band recently dropped their 2nd album called Don't Let Rock N' Roll Ruin Your Life, and today, we have a double shot from the duo from Saskatoon. First up, we have the title track from the album and then we have a sonic attack called Cynanide Hand Grenade. These songs pumped me up and gave me the energy I needed to move forward into my day.
Sprout the Band are a California Bluesy, Funky Jammy type band who are according to their Facebook page on indefinite hiatus. We came across a track called Running Wildwhich can be found on their Live in the Barn set which was released via Bandcamp a year ago.
Indie Nashville Imprint Signs Exciting New Deal With Esteemed Distributor
There must be something in the water down in
Nashville that has lead to the recent rise in buzzing talent in
Tennessee’s “Music City.” One of the best examples of this is Jeffery Drag Records,
a young label that has consistently released quality, southern-fried
jams for the last three years. What began as a vessel for co-founders Adam Moult and Mike Gicz to release cassettes for their band Bad Cop has expanded to include Natural Child, Useless Eaters, Turbo Fruits, and Pujol. And now, Jeffery Drag has signed a distribution deal with the highly coveted Frenchkiss Label Group (FKLG).
Frenchkiss creator Syd Butler
feels that JDR will be a welcome addition to his company’s roster.
“We're incredibly excited to have Jeffery Drag coming aboard the
Frenchkiss family and to see them grow as a label as they continue to
put out a steady stream of extremely high-energy rock records,” says
Syd. In joining with the FKLG, Jeffery Drag will gain a worldwide
digital retail presence, a team of seasoned industry veterans who will
help them expand their label's business as well as roster, and a family
of labels that will support and nurture the JDR team.
The recently executed deal will position Jeffery
Drag Records within the Frenchkiss Label Group family of independent
labels. FKLG specializes in a “handshake mentality” when it comes to
music distribution, emphasizing the nurturing and connecting of label
communities in order to grow an imprint’s visibility. This professional
ideology, coupled with their recent partnership with The Orchard, gives Frenchkiss a solid and experienced foundation that aims at delivering and streamlining distribution.
