Thursday, July 31, 2014

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Sledgehammer Hard Drive Mix



715th post - call this the Hank Aaron post.  No shuffle tomorrow, but I will be back on Monday.  If you miss me too much, you can check out past video playlists HERE.

We have a good one today - click past the jump...

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

WOW Wednesday Music Shuffle - Jackals and Devils Mix



The idea behind WOW Wednesday is to open up the entire music collection housed on my phone and see what comes up on random shuffle.  As you probably know on most days, I shuffle a "current" playlist of around 200-300 songs - heavily loaded with new or recent music - supplemented with whatever has crossed my mind or my ear of late.

Today's WOW shuffle offers a pretty darn random sampling of some the music I've gathered....

Go past the jump for more...

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Chill Out Mix



Today's shuffle takes us from the Mississippi Delta via one of Nashville's hottest bands, up to New York with a singer-songwriter who's lead instrument is the bass.  To the North Mississippi Hill Country with a legendary blues player, to New York City where a cover of a Howlin' Wolf classic gets a dub remix, and ends up with some Connecticut teens taking on a lo-fi classic from the Pacific Northwest.  Not a bad ride for a Tuesday...

Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Waiting in the Sky Mix




"There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds" - David Bowie

Shuffle after the jump....

Friday, July 25, 2014

Full-Ride Friday Music Shuffle - Covered in Dust Mix



I didn't sleep particularly well last night, and so I knew I would need some cool tunes to make it through the morning commute. With that in mind, I decided to run my usual shuffle for the full ride into work, and thus was born a new feature* at Ear to the Ground called Full-Ride Friday (hashtag #frf - patent pending** - void where prohibited) **there is not patent pending...

* Bloggers Note: I sure hope no one notices that about 90% of the time I announce I new feature, it never appears again.  If they notice, they may realize that I'm just making this up as I go around and thus may figure out that I'm not a real music blogger.

Anyway, I hit shuffle and 21 songs later, I made to my desk to begin my day...   Go past the jump to experience the first (and maybe last) ever Full-Ride Friday Shuffle!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

WOW Wednesday Shuffle - Shook Up Mix



A wonderfully diverse mixed bag of treats for your Wide-Open Whatever Wednesday Shuffle....

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Shifting Sands Mix




Some days, the shuffle brings up wildly diverse musical styles and eras which coexist in an uneasy alchemy of unforeseen beauty.  Other days, like today, it’s all about amazing songs with simple but powerful words and music.

Shuffle it up…

Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Backup Plan Mix




I don’t have anything particularly clever or important to say today.  Just that we have an awesome mix of music that continues a Blues theme from Friday and which features not one, not two, but three examples of why Nashville is Music City and not Country Music City.

Get to the mix after the jump:

Friday, July 18, 2014

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Begin and End with Blues Mix




I’ve been thinking a lot about genres in music.  Overall, I think they are dumb.  That’s just my opinion, and I do understand that it can be important for a band trying to get into a venue or festival or to get played on this or that station to have a clearly defined genre label.   When I need to use a genre label, I try to defer to the band’s own description.

Don’t even get me started on sub genres and sub sub genres, and all the pseudo genres that some clever music journalist invented.  I hope that artists will just continue to make great music and only after the fact and only when necessary worry at all about picking a genre or genre to categorize their sound.  Because that is really all genre labels are really is a way to put everything in a neat little pile.

It always annoys me when people say I hate _____ (fill in the blank with a genre label).  When I hear that, I always think to myself, and what do you mean by ______.  And usually there is some specific type of music that they don’t like, and they are arbitrarily eliminating a whole bunch of really good music from ever entering their consciousness. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I’m kind of weird like that.

Here at Ear to the Ground, we don’t set any restrictions or limits on the music we feature, and really we go out of our way to add a variety of different genres and types of music to our playlists.

Today’s mix begins and ends with the Blues (or at least some variation of that clear yet still indistinct genre label.)

JUMP TO THE MUSIC

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Super Storm Mix



Man oh man, there is a lot of cool things happening in the world of music swirling around Ear to the Ground friends...  More to come!

Jumping back into our daily shuffle from the Current playlist, we have four really amazing songs....

Jump!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

WOW Wednesday - In Spite Mix



 

WOW = Wide Open Wednesday where E2TG opens up the entire contents of the 32GB memory card and shuffles the heck out of it.  Okay, so WOW Wednesday is redundant. How about WOW = Wide Open Window or Wide-Open Whatever... that's not the point. 

The point is that when I load up all the songs which currently reside on my phone (merely a subset of my entire music collection, mind you) all bets are off. There is some really weird stuff, some familiar names (E2TG favorites and classic artists), genres ranging about as far as genres can range, new music, older music, and very old music.  Luck of the draw determines the results...  Here is today's WOW Wednesday Shuffle....

After the jump...

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Smells Like Gin Mix




Here's some music from your Tuesday....

Monday, July 14, 2014

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Give Me All You Got Mix




Here at Ear to the Ground, you never know what to expect.  At least that is my hope.  I build a playlist, and I let the Shuffle function do the rest.  Sometimes, I want a particular artist to come up sooner, but it all seems to work out.  Anyway, musically, stylistically, and emotionally – today’s songs cut a pretty wide path through the landscape of human interactions.  From the breezy indie pop of Conway and an upbeat mega hit from Pharrell Williams to some harder edged music from Tomas Doncker and The Lies.  Borderline creepy sweetness from Sam Davison to Deena oh so cheerful, let down song. 
Jump to the Shuffle
 

Friday, July 11, 2014

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Experience Mix



Today's shuffle is all about experiences (or at least I've tried to make it so): good, bad, past, and future... Are you experienced?  'Cause I am...

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Bells and Italian Food Mix



The 700th post here at Ear to the Ground arrives with another great mix of music. We have two sub-themes going in this otherwise loosely constructed collection of songs.  Bells and Italian Food.  Read on...

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Wide Open Wednesday Shuffle - Summertime Thing Mix



Trying a new thing here at Ear to the Ground.... every Wednesday (or at least this Wednesday... or maybe some Wednesday's) I am going to Shuffle up all the songs in my phone's memory and see what happens...  Usually, the Morning Shuffles come from a playlist called "Current Stuff" which includes... well current stuff and basically all the recent adds plus some random stuff to keep things interesting.  Songs are moved off of the playlist as they are featured and new music is added all the time (as memory allows).  Beyond that playlist, I have approximately 4,000+ songs stored in my phone at any given time. As you might expect, it's a weird collection of some really interesting music that I've collected in various ways over the years.  I have to say, the fact that Mary Gauthier and Chuck Prophet were the first two songs that came up... I am feeling optimistic.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Superstitious Phobia Mix



Here at #E2TG, we pride ourselves on bringing great music to your internets. What we lack in time and exclusive access, we try to make up for in pure quality and absolutely insane diversity.

Today's Shuffle makes a whirlwind trip from latter day Country music pioneer Sturgill Simpson all the way to a lusciously bizarre Nina Hagen cover of a Neil Diamond penned The Monkees' song.  In between, we stop in and visit with #E2TG favorites Tomas Doncker, Marla Mase, Darrin Bradbury, and twice with Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, and we feature three Mama Coco's Funky Kitchen related artists.  Plus a bunch more... here's the list

Monday, July 7, 2014

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Blue Morning Mix




“Mountains of Sorrow” by Amos Lee from Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song (2013)
When your Monday morning, bleary-eyed commute begins with Amos Lee, you just know it's all gonna be okay - even if Amos is singing about Mountains of Sorrow.  From his latest album, produced by the amazing Jay Joyce (and the first album ever recorded at Joyce's new studio in East Nashville.)

 

“The Morning Bird” by Carolina Story from Home (2011)
Things keep rolling along with an appropriate song for a morning shuffle.  The East Nashville connection continues with Nashville based Carolina Story with this song from their 2011 album.  The married duo just released Chapter Two last month.


 

“Summer Bummer” by NO ICE from Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen: Section 5 (2014)/Single  (2014)
More great music from Mama Coco's.... "sad, sweet, noisy american indie rock featuring members of The Brooklyn What."  This is a very young band, and this is their first single which was released in April with a full album expected by the end of the year.


 

“Treasure of the Broken Land” by Chagall Guevera from Orphans of God (A Tribute to Mark Heard) (2004)

Back in the early 90s, Chagall Guevera filmed/taped a planned live album/concert with an almost free show at the legendary  328 Performance Hall in Nashville. The place was packed and when the band began to play, it exploded with such incredible energy.  Me and my buddy Rex Silo lost the people we were with, but we had a great time...


 

 

“Wichita Lineman” by Kevin Jenkins from Step Inside (2013)
From the True Groove Label - Kevin Jenkins delivers solid smooth jazz flavored music, and this stunning take on the Jimmy Webb classic first done by Glen Campbell is a daring and awe inspiring feat.

 

“From the Dirt” by The Delta Saints from Death Letter Jubilee (2012)

More swampy goodness from this Nashville band.

 

“Feel You Now” by The Autumn Defense from Noise Trade Eastside Manor Session (2014)/Originally from The Autumn Defense (2007)

A lot of Nashville connections in today's shuffle.  Chicago band The Autumn Defense stopped by Nashville and recorded this treat at the fabulous Eastside Manor.



 

“Made to Be Blue” by Adam Hill from Little Time (2013)

Adam Hill is from Nashville.  I've featured several tracks from his Little Time album.  They are all good.  So is this one.

 
 

“Morning” by The Jean Jackets from Field Theory Blues (2013)

Another appropriate song for the Morning Shuffle, and another stunningly beautiful pop song from The Jean Jackets.  I really need to get caught up with their music...
 


 

“The Beatles; Conspiracy” by HIPPIE CULT from demo (2013)

 Clocking in at over 10 minutes (and still only the second longest song in today's shuffle.  I'm a big enough man to admit that I don't have a clue what this song has to do with The Beatles (or with conspiracies for that matter), but it's a sonically interesting extended jam.


 

“Wash it Down (with a Little Whiskey)” by Taylor Brown from 3 Folk Songs (2012)

Taylor Brown is a California folk singer who has appeared with (among others) Carly Simon, Levon Helm, and Dar Williams.
 


 

“Blue Dream” by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray from Lean Into the Wind (2014)

Ear to the Ground favorites, Couch by Couchwest darlings, and road warriors extraordinaire - Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray dropped an incredible new album in the midst of my hiatus.  I've been fortunate enough to see them live a couple of times in the last year, and I am more and more impressed with their sonic prowess every time I hear them.


 

 

“Surrender to the Storm” by Joseph Arthur from Redemption City (2012)

Taking us home on this blue Monday is a stunning 11+ minute song from Brooklyn based Joseph Arthur who more recently released an ambitious and awesome tribute to Lou Reed.

 

 

VIDEO PLAYLIST:


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Thursday, July 3, 2014

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Guess That I Just Don't Know Mix

I guess that I just don’t know… Shuffle after the jump---

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Freak Out Mix



Pre-Shuffle:

1. “Winterlight”/The Autumn Defense/Ten Full Paces

Such a great sound. Saw them live in the parking lot of Grimey’s for Americanarama last September.

2. “living on”/The Lies/whatever
3. “Look in Your Eyes”/Taco Land/Home Sweet Home

During the hiatus, our old friends Taco Land dropped a new album called Home Sweet Home, and this track has such a great sound. It’s everything we’ve come to expect from Taco Land and more.

4. “Tar”/The Jean Jackets/Field Theory Blues

Infectiousness…

more after the jump....

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Two in a Row Mix



Pre-Shuffle

“Power”/Tomas Doncker/Power of the Trinity – Global Soul….

“Ven Hacia Mi (Come Unto Me)”/The Mavericks/In Time* - Another from my friend Ronnie’s 2013 mix CD – love this!

“Feel So Down”/Solardrive/Solardrive – another great song from Solardrive – the awesome project fronted by Balthazar Getty.

“Terra Animata”/The Plum Magnetic/Terra Animata – New Orleans based World/Fusion/Rock band.


“Big Mountain Fudge Cake”/The Foresters/Living Hold – the three Nork Brothers from Connecticut continue their musical growth spurt with a Zeppelinesque rocker.

“Calypso Foam”/The Graveyard Kids/Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen: Section 5 (Graveyard Kids II) - Another great band from the seemingly bottomless wellspring that is Mama Coco’s.

“Splinters”/Austin Lucas/Stay Reckless – three time CXCW alum… shows how it’s done with a smart, heartfelt song.

“Life is Hard”/Darrin Bradbury/True Love – “It’s funny where it stops, it’s funny where it starts, and the whole thing in the middle well it’s bound to break your heart.” – such a great line in a song that name drops Jack Kerouac, Lenny Bruce, and Daffy Duck!

  “Magic and Fire”/Brave Baby/Forty Bells – another great song by this South Carolina indie band.

“Could We See”/Grounded/untitled – Grounded were first featured on Ear to the Ground back in September 2012. They have such a unique sound, and I love the acoustic vibe of this song. Trivia: This is the second time that Grounded have appeared in a Shuffle with Darrin Bradbury’s song “Life is Hard”. Their song “Break it Up” appeared with a live version of Bradbury’s song on January 9. #themoreyouknow

“The Best Record Ever Made”/Bill Lloyd/Boy King of Tokyo - a true Nashville treasure who has worn many hats in his long career, and worn them well – I may add. This homage to great records from his 2012 album – has a simply gorgeous hook.

Shuffle after you jump....