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My take: For a nation that is built upon the idea of freedom, the most patriotic thing one can do is to exercise that freedom in whatever way one deems necessary. I saw video of people shouting obscenities during the National Anthem at men who choose to respectfully and silently protest by kneeling during the National Anthem. I have to ask, who was being disrespectful? And these people who are shouting obscenities are being inflamed and encouraged by the President of the United States. These are difficult and discouraging times, but I do feel some hope that the resistance is growing and the investigations are deepening...
Well, it's the last full week of September. It is officially Autumn -and yet the temperature is going to be near 90 the first part of this week...
And, it is Monday - which means Music City Monday on E2TG. It's no secret that Nashville is experiencing an incredible period of growth. And there are pains associated with that growth. There is the fear of losing somethings that make Nashville distinctly Nashville. There are traffic woes and parking woes and cost of living woes.
I never know how the shuffle will play out any given day - that's part of the fun of using the random shuffle feature... but I purposefully front-load my playlist with a mix of old and new music from people who have been in Nashville longer than I have to those who are recent additions to our fair city.
My hope is that the newcomers will pay attention to the voices of the long-timers. The history of Nashville and its music matters. The best local artists, in my opinion, recognize this and then thoughtfully and purposefully add their voices to that history.
My hope is that the long-time Nashville artists and residents, will open their ears to the voices and songs of the newcomers. Some amazingly talented people are moving here everyday - trying to find their place. They bring with them their own history and stories that will help shape the Nashville of tomorrow.
The fact is, the old Nashville is not coming back. But, as to exactly what new Nashville is going to be is still being written. I hope both the newcomers and long-timers will contribute and help make that new Nashville the best it can be.
"History and Hell" by Tom House
So, I didn't get to check my mail until just after 7:00pm last night, and when I did, I found two CDs from Tom House. One is about 18 years old and features David Olney, Paul Neihaus, Fats Kaplin, Tomi Lundsford and more. The other is the brand spanking new CD called Strange, I Reckon. Tom House is a voice of that "old" Nashville - who played Springwater (when you could still smoke) to an audience that included Steve Young and Townes Van Zandt (and probably David Olney and more). Nashville (old and new) needs to listen up. Tom House is one of my favorite songwriters. His music is distinctly and uniquely Nashville.
"Damsel in Distress" by Jake La Botz
Jake La Botz is a relatively new Nashville resident, but he brings with him a rich background of experiences and influences. He is an actor as well as a singer-songwriter. I have just been listening for a short time, but in that time, I have become a big fan.
"Big Red Fire" by Well Worn Soles
Great music is being made in Nashville. The duo, Well Worn Soles, are from Texas and Florida, and they met at East Tennessee State University - part of the same music program that some of the members of the Barefoot Movement attended. Bringing their voices to music deeply rooted in tradition. The album has enough strong Nashville ties to make it a cinch for this playlist.
"Tell Me What You Want" by Bee Taylor
Bee Taylor is, without a doubt, one of the voices that makes this town continue to be the best music town in America. I hate that I've had to miss the last couple of chances I had to see her live, but I eagerly await the next opportunity.
"St. Christopher" by Joey Kneiser
Joey Kneiser's band Glossary started 20 years ago this year. They have a reunion/anniverary/farewell? show scheduled for The Hi-Watt next month. Since the band has been on hiatus, Kneiser has released some incredible solo albums - many of them with his Glossary bandmate Kelly Smith. This track is from album Moonlight for the Graveyard Heart. The video I found is a Couch by Couchwest performance by Joey and Kelly. Joey Kneiser is another important voice in writing the next chapter of Nashville's music story.
"Negativity" by Renfree Isaacs
There is a popular series of memes around the theme of "You don't need that kind of negativity in your life". It's true.... sometimes encountering a truly negative person is a good reminder for me to not let negativity and cynicism become what people see and hear when they encounter me. Anyway, I love this band, and this - their self-titled album.
"Adeline" by Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies
With the rapid influx of new people, the line gets blurred sometimes. Brian Wright is still a newcomer to me, and as such, I think he represents the best of what this growth is bringing to our city. Obviously, I'm a fan - he was my 2016 Artist of the Year after all. This is from an album that was released ten years ago before Brian Wright moved to Nashville. He digitally re-released this album in late 2015, and it includes some of favorites from his incredible live shows (like "Glory Hallelujah"). These are songs he brought with him when he came, and which are now an important part of the Nashville sound.
"Pretend I'm Your Girlfriend" by Julie Christensen
In a similar vein, Julie Christensen's musical journey took her from her home state of Iowa, to the post-punk scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s, to concert halls all over the world with Leonard Cohen. After spending some time in California, Julie Christensen made her way to Nashville - where she established herself some long-time greats and she has become an important part of Nashville music. This is from Soul Driver - one of her pre-Nashville albums - and her amazing voice in feature prominently here. Julie is a big reason why I am so excited about the future of music in Nashville - and a prime example of how to embrace both new and old Nashville in an authentic way.
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