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Beach Notes 1-8-2020
The first ever Decline of Southern Civilization was a success. Musical performances by Slump Test (Ben Douglas, Twon, and Ryan Dishen), Jibber Jabber, and Stuck Lucky, plus the comedy stylings of Shakes. Plus, Slump Test opened with a theme song for the show featuring guests Joe Lekkas and some of the Nashville Horns (include Diego on trombone). Lots of good punk rock music. Met two people, a young bass player new to town from Monterey, California - it was his birthday and a DJ from Australia who plays punk, post-punk, and garage on a station very similar to WXNA (she was with Nashville and Australia musician and DJ Anne McCue). I believe it is going to be a monthly thing, and I can't wait until the next one.
Slump Test (photo by Me)
2019 E2TG Artist of the Year (Golden Earie Award - Part 1)
My decision to make some changes to E2TG for 2020 and my thoughts and thinking about that led me to change how I approached the end of 2019. From deciding not to hand out or at least name tons of Earie Award winners to my approach to the Artist and/or Band of the Year. Honestly, I think this decision will vary every year based upon circumstances.
In the history of E2TG (8 and a half years or so), we have never awarded Band/Artist of the Year to the same person*. (*Ugggy won Band of the Year with Valued Customer and then Artist of Year solo (but he had to release new music every month for a year to accomplish that). Well, that is about change. When I looked over 2019 (where there were a ton of great releases and a bunch of new music from people I adore), at first I was unsure of what I was going to do, but I kept coming back to one person. If you read E2TG, this will likely not be a surprise. On January 14, 2019, he officially announced that he had signed with ANTI Records. His year was one of changes and challenges. In midst of all that he released an album which I named as my favorite album of the year on WXNA's website. He completed his first ever tour of England and Norway (in spite of an intense dislike of flying). He toured with some big names in the Americana world, and he had a triumphant showcase at Americana Music Festival. Of course, I am talking about Darrin Bradbury who released Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs in 2019.
Regular readers know of his importance to this blog. He was our Artist of the Year in 2014 - the year he began to be established in Nashville (he arrived in November of 2013). He champions other songwriters (I can scarcely count the number of people I have met directly or indirectly because of Darrin). On a personal note, I made a friend when I met Darrin. But it is this most recent year, and the future which earned him this year's Artist of the Year title. Since, I have been naming Artist/Band of the Year, the award has always represented a recognition of the accomplishments for the year just ending and the promise of the year just starting. Based upon the post Talking Dogs... songs that I have heard, I am excited to see what comes next for Darrin Bradbury.
Here is today's shuffle from all the songs on my phone....
"Dreamland (Alice Hubble Remix)" by Rodney Cromwell (from Rodney's English Disco)
"AFL-CIO" by Adam Carroll (from Far Away Blues)
"The Farthest Place I'll Go" by Adam Kurtz (from Tales of the Brine and the Maritime)
Early nautical-inspired solo music from noted pedal steel player and front man for Buck N Stuff, Adam Kurtz (#AndaBuckNStufftoYouAsWell)
"Good Times" by Charlie Roth (from I'm the Smile)
The title track to the album is substituted in video playlist below.
"Count on Me" by Brian Keenan (from Fits and Starts)
"Thinking Alone" by Paul Zografi (from Big Hotel)
"So Soon in the Mornin'" by Stuffy Shmitt (from Other People's Stuff)
From his covers album, a cover of a traditional Gospel song - fameously recorded by Joan Baez in 1959.
"Bucket List No. 2" by Dragon Welding (from Dragon Welding)
"Let's Go Dancing" (Live) by Kevn Kinney (from Kevn Kinney Live at Cat's Cradle 09/18/2004)
One of favorite, Kevn Kinney/Drivin' N Cryin' songs.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
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