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I genuinely try to avoid hyperbole. I may not always succeed, but I do try. However, whenever, I try to write about the state of our nation and our world under the current administration, it always comes off sounding like hyperbole. To me it feels as if we have been in one long constitutional and authoritarian crisis since the inauguration, and it feels as if every single day comes complete with several more outrages against the nation and the world and common decency. The Constitution provides for checks and balances to prevent one branch of government from having too much power, and while to some extent these checks and balances have at least slowed the pace of the corruption of our nation, I don't think the framers ever foresaw the wholesale dereliction of duty by the majority of members of Congress. It remains to be seen what if any action is taken on the Russian interference in the 2016 Election or the seemingly certain involvement of high ranking administration officials in that interference (up to and including the President). Or if action is taken if the president will attempt to exercise absolute power to pardon himself and others. Or if he does, if Congress and others will challenge that. Or if the base of the current administration's supporters will ever admit that the people they supported are corrupt and damaging to our country.
Meanwhile, the Senate is attempting to shove through a "healthcare bill" -the details of which have not been revealed, but which seems like to deprive millions of Americans the ability to have affordable healthcare, and which will likely end up being a huge transfer of wealth from the poorest Americans to the richest. And let's not forget that the majority in Congress have had years to come up with an adequate plan to either replace or fix the ACA and they seemingly have done nothing.
And all of that is not even to mention the President's reprehensible "speech" to the Boy Scouts yesterday. Or whatever other outrage that has popped up since I started writing this....
Some writers are saying this is the end of the American Experiment, and that the experiment has ended in failure. Is that hyperbole? Is it?
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Ah but for today, we still have music... It is Tuesday, and on Tuesday, we check out what is "Trending" on E2TG. Fortunately, what is trending on E2TG is great music... not the kind of depressing things that are trending on social media sites.
"The Payoff" by The Coal Men
The Coal Men show up for the second day in a row with another awesome cut from their Pushed to the Side album. Bandleader Dave Coleman stays so busy working with other artists - either as producer or as sideman, that it is easy to forget that The Coal Men are one of the best bands Nashville has to offer.
"Guadalupe" by Kristin Hersh
"Bubble Net" by Kristin Hersh
A somewhat rare natural two-fer from Kristin Hersh from her album Wyatt at the Coyote Palace. I have not followed her post-Throwing Muses career all that closely, but I have to say that I am really digging this album."Hard Weather" by Nathan Bell
I sure do need the voices of truth that are ringing out from many different genres of music these days. Nathan Bell's latest album Love > Fear: 48 Hours in Traitorland has been a breath of fresh air. This one addresses, among other things, the pollution of our drinking water (Flint maybe). It is one of two songs from different albums that I am currently featuring which are taking on that topic - the other being Mike Younger.
"Not Like This" by Kingsley Flood
Next up, we have a track from Another Other by East Coast band Kingsley Flood. This is another band/artist that is writing important and relevant songs for these troubled times.
"Daddy Loved the Lord" by AJ Hobbs
How about we close out with two of the best purveyors of "real" country music. First up, we have Los Angeles based and known Buck n Stuff associate, AJ Hobbs with other fine one from his Too Much is Never Enough album.
"The Profiteer and the Balladeer" by Jon Byrd
And we close out the shuffle with (for the second day in a row), Nashville's own Jon Byrd from his brand new album Dirty Ol' River. Byrd has been an important part of the Nashville music community for a very long time and right now he is at the top of his game.
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