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All of this happened a long time ago when the world was a very different place. Of course, none of us knew that at the time.
(From The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres) Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)
E2TG January 2018
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Whew! Trying to shake these post-Americanafest blues... headed out to Dee's last night for a great set of songs by Bob Lewis, Erica Blinn, John Thursday, Tom House, and Jason Quicksall. Tom House has been an E2TG favorite for a while, we featured Bob Lewis' last album here a while back, and he is also a favorite. we premiered a song for Erica Blinn last year, and I think she could easily be the next "big thing" to emerge from the fertile East Nashville music community, it was my first time seeing John Thursday and Jason Quicksall, but they both impressed me greatly. A fun night, hanging with friends in a relaxed atmosphere, and I got home before too late.
I'm going to start sharing some impressions from Americana Fest 2018:
Overall - one impression from last year still stands, the festival has grown so much - with so many official, unofficial, sanctioned, and unsanctioned events popping up all over town. Catching everything is impossible - deciding what to see and what to miss is difficult. Logistics of getting from one venue to another, dealing with parking, shifting schedules, and surprise pop-up events that blow your conceived plans... well it's all just part of the experience now. However, the variety of the musical offerings, the overall inclusiveness of the festival, and the general good vibes make it certain that I will be back for more next year.
As it does every year, discussions popped up about "What is Americana?" and complaints about what are some peoples ideas about Americana (that it's basically country music that doesn't get played on country radio), that it's bad pop bands who add fiddles and banjos... and while I am sure there is some of that present, there was a festival worth of music that doesn't any of those preconceived notions.
Anyway - more to come. Time to dig back into our Trending Tuesday shuffle - today's six song shuffle is a bit of a palate cleanser from Americana Fest. Let's go!
"Nighttime Drive" + "Shall We Start Over" by Lost Chocolate Lab
We start with a two-fer from Seattle based ambient noise band Lost Chocolate Lab from their album Lost Landscapes. This is definitely not Americana, however, I must say, the first track was tagged "Nighttime Blues" in my phone (everywhere else it's "Nighttime Drive") and their are some elements of blues in the music - which would make it Americanaish. Both songs - and the album - use the versatile sounds of the electric guitar to evoke landscapes and moods. The two tracks flowed together (even though they are not back to back on the album) so well that I only knew that a new track had started by noticing the title change on my screen. This over twelve minute set of music made a great beginning for my morning drive.
"Cortisol" by Palm Ghosts
Believe it or not, Palm Ghosts actually did play an unofficial event during Americana Fest - despite this fact, there is very little Americana about this Nashville band that updates and expands upon the music arising from Manchester UK in the 1980s. We have been featuring music from the album Architecture of late, and I am digging the album and the band.
"Poppycock" by The Zealots
I ran into George Terry McDonald during Americana - he performed one or two George Trouble sets during the festival. The Zealots are a rock and roll band - but they might have just enough roots influences to qualify. I am digging both recent albums from George Terry McDonald that I have. The Zealots music is influenced by everything from ska, surf, punk, and jangly pop.
"Friday San Francisco" by Clay Harper
Next, we have a track from Bleak Beauty from Atlanta-based singer-songwriter, business owner - Clay Harper (The Coolies, The Ottoman Empire). This is sombre (not sad) music that is starkly complex. Stark in it's arrangements, complex in it's emotional depth and reach.
"To the Half Moon" by Rude Audio
We close things out with a 6 minute track from London based electronica aritst Rude Audio from the EP Rude Redux This is the original mix of this track - I believe we recently featured a remix of this track.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
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