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Conspicuously absent thus far has been our usual end of year Earie awards and Golden Earie awards. I thought long and hard about this. 2020 has not been a normal year by any stretch of the imagination. Here at E2TG we have been able to feature more music than ever before including an amazing number of new-to-us artists and bands. In addition, it has been a busy year for music from some of our long-time favorites.
We started the Featured Friday Playlist at the beginning of this year, and I am very pleased by the reception so far. We are consistently adding followers. I am also proud of the diversity of mostly independent music we have featured this year.
Look, some people have definitely kicked ass this year. A unplanned break from touring has given a lot of people the opportunity to explore their heretofore unexplored creativity. Special shout out to Nashville friends like Carrus and Kurtz, Tayls, Year of October, Ghost Town Remedy and so many more who made frequent appearances in our Playlists.
It should be acknowledged that some people have struggled in 2020 financially, creatively, mentally, and in many other ways.
So - in that spirit - I am giving this years sole Earie Award to everyone. This is a music blog - so I will limit "everyone" in this context to everyone who has some connection to music. Artists, venue owners, bookers, managers, show-goers, door people, bartenders, promoters, publicists, my fellow music writers, photographers, sound people, touring musicians, studio musicians, and anyone I left out. This one is for you and it comes with a big wish for brighter days ahead. I can't wait to see you all in front of the stage, at the bar, on the back patio, in line (or on line if you will), discovering great new music, seeing old friends and favorites, sweating, hugging, drinking, and laughing.
Before we get into our final Featured Friday recap of 2020, I would like to acknowledge the unfathomable losses of this past year. It would take more time and more emotional energy than I have to name everyone and some I may not know - but you do. For us here at E2TG, 2020 began with the sudden passing our of friend and hero David Olney. I remain humbled and grateful for the opportunities I had to work with him and hear him make his magic on stage. I will never forget his appearance at the E2TG Anniversary Residency a couple of years back. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience -and yet I hoped there would be more.
We move cautiously into this new year knowing the pandemic is not behind us yet and knowing that some will not be joining us. But we move forward with hope, and we move forward carrying a piece of everyone and everything we said goodbye to in 2020.
Well - here we are. We started recapping this playlist back in December 18 and 61 songs and over four hours of music later, we have reached the end of our final Featured Friday Playlist for 2020. Here are the songs that will take us out - songs number 55-61:
55. "A Song to Special to Sing" by Blink
This is a previously unreleased track from the 1996-1999 era of the Irish band Blink. This our second song to featured. A full-length release of archival recordings in scheduled for the Spring.
56. "It's Alright (10 Times Better)" by Absolute Phase
Next up, we have the lead track from The Little Black Book - the new album from this Chicago based rock band that formed in 2019. Cool sound.
57. "How Can I" by Paola Proctor
Next up, we have the new single from a Nashville based pop artist. This emotionally powerful break-up song was recorded here in Nashville.
58. "Everything Has Changed" by Souly Us
Next up, we have the new single from Australian country music duo Souly Us. The song was recorded in their home studio while on lock down.
59. "No More Bets" by Shaking Chains
Next, we have a track from a new AA single from this Manchester art-pop band. A great sound.
60. "Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man" by Mauri Dark
We always like to save some of the most interesting music to close out our playlists. The penultimate track from this Playlist comes in the form of a nearly 8 minute title track to the new album by Finnish singer-songwriter Mauri Dark. The song has an epic quality and a deep emotional resonance. I love this song.
61. "Stranger" by KissDoomFate
And we close this long playlist out with the return of French electro-pop band KissDoomFate - and the lead track from their 3 song b-side collection called Dead of Winter Beats. A deliciously chilly song to bring us into the heart of winter and to get us ready for a brand new year of music.
"Fire from the Mountain" by Pilotcan (from No More Shan Goodbyes 2020)
Scottish band Pilotcan released their latest album in April. The first caught our attention a couple of years back with their previously release, and I remain a fan. There is a great video for this song, which I was unable to add to the Video Playlist due to how it is set up on YouTube. In its place, I picked a track from their previous album and one of the first songs I heard by the band.
"Labyrinth of Tears" by Altar of Eris (from Isolation 2020)
Seattle darkwave/post punk trio released their second album in May. They are among the many great new (to me) bands I discovered and shared in 2020.
"Cookeville" by Yankee Roses (from Dreamless Winter EP 2015)
So - a couple of years ago, we were doing a themed show of songs about cities on my old radio show Double Shot with Joe and Sue. In the course of finding songs for the show, I wondered if there had been any songs written about my hometown. The internet came through and I discovered this lovely song. I wanted to make sure this wasn't about some other Cookeville - so I contacted the band that released it and met George Geanuracos who told me the song was written at Muddy Roots which takes place just outside my hometown.
"The Promise" by Sturgill Simpson (from Metamodern Sounds in Country Music 2014)
Sturgill Simpson's second album was his breakout album building on the underground success of High Top Mountain. Our friend Laur can heard working his guitar magic on this album. This track was included on a friends annual mix CD in 2018.
"Blend" by LTTLE KNG (single 2020)
Another new to us artist from 2020 is this singer-songwriter. This was a direct artist submission from back in August. An originally mix of sounds and a catchy song.
"Waltzing Around with My Shadow" by Jared Tyler (from Dirt on Your Hands 2017)
Realizing that the album was released over three years ago makes me realize just how fast the past couple of years have been. Jared Tyler is a Tulsa-based multi-instrumentalist best known for his long association with Malcolm Holcombe. Holcombe appears on this album along with an impressive line-up of Nashville and Tulsa musicians including Kenny Vaughn. The album was co-produced by Dave Roe. Definitely one of my favorites from 2017.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
NEW AND RECENT RELEASES
THIS WEEK
12/28 - Baby Chemist - "I'll Still Be Here" (single)
1/01? - Antonio Lopez - Roots and Wings (LP)
1/01 - TYPIFŸ - "I Am Alternative" (single)
1/01 - Adam Klein - Little Tiger (EP)
LAST WEEK
Merry Christmas!
NEXT WEEK
1/04 - Skanker - "A Chance to Count the Cost" (single)
1/08 - Revelry - "Dirty" (single)
1/08 - Jeremy Parsons - Things to Come (LP)
1/08 - The Lickerish Quartet - Threesome Vol. 2 (EP)
UPCOMING
1/11 - Hats off Gentlemen It's Adequate - Feeling Great (EP)
1/11 - Malcolm Galloway - Wasp 76b (EP)
1/14 - Cole Scheifele - "All the While" (single)
1/15 - Corey Ledet - Corey Ledet Zydeco (LP)
1/15 - Leah Watts - "We Are All Enough" (single)
1/15 - Andrew Toy - Guardrails (LP)
1/15 - Marijuana Johnson - Gem City Kush (LP)
1/22 - This Frontier Needs Heros - Go With the Flow (LP)
1/22 - The Burnt Pines - The Burnt Pines (LP)
2/05 - A.J. Croce - By Request (LP)
2/05 - The Orchestra of Cardboard - The Antidote (LP)
2/12 - Beth Lee - Waiting on You Tonight
2/12 - The John Michie Collective - High Vibrations (LP)
2/14 - Madeleine Mayi - love me (LP)
2/19 - Grant Hill & M.O.S. - fly (LP)
2/26 - The Red Step - The Red Step (LP)
3/12 - Rylan Brooks - If Wishes Were Horses (LP)
RECENT
11/18 - Charlie Nieland - "Divisions" (single)
11/20 - Stuffy Shmitt - "Sweet Krazy" (single)
11/20 - John Calvin Abney - Familiar Ground (LP)
11/20 - Fred Abong - "Invisible Man" (single)
11/20 - Tucker Lane - "Love or Hatred" (single)
11/20 - Josh King - The Shed (LP)
11/20 - I Am a Rocketship - oRAnGE (EP)
11/20 - Soft Kill - Dead Kids, RIP City (LP)
11/20 - Paperwing - "Dedicated" (single)
11/20 - Fitzsimon and Brogan - This Wicked Pantomime (LP)
11/20 - Ghost Town Remedy - Dry Spell (LP)
11/20 - Pale Moon - "Stranger" (single)
11/20 - Red Sky Mourning - "Signs from You" (single)
11/20 - PictureHouse - 1999- Live in Dublin (LP)
11/20 - Candy Opera - The Patron Saint of Heartache (LP)
11/20 - Grant Hill & M.O.S. - "My First Friend" (single)
11/20 - Life in a Blender - Satsuma (EP)
11/23 - Plastic Barricades - Self Theories (LP)
11/24 - The Pinx - Christmas Single (EP)
11/27 - Lady Buds - From the Cities, To the Shores (LP)
11/27 - Shadi G - "Space" (single)
11/27 - Lars Finberg - Tinnitus Tonight (LP)
11/27 - Wet Tropics - Everybody Get In (LP)
11/27 - Berlin - Strings Attached (LP)
11/27 - Perfectparachutepicture - "Lonely Landslide" (single)
11/27 - BlackSheepLad - Sleeping Alone in the Daytime (EP)
11/28 - Loud Life - "Been Wondering" (single)
11/30 - The Amber Bugs - "Rat vs Mole" (single)
11/30 - Paul Yoon - About Time (LP)
11/30 - Eastern European Music Academy - 2020 Compilation (LP)
12/04 - Murdocco - "Rainy Day" (single)
12/04 - Stuffy Shmitt - Stuff Happens (LP)
12/04 - Scenius - Enough Fears (LP)
12/04 - Victor Jones - "Woman in Red" (single)
12/04 - Meilir - In Tune (LP)
12/04 - Facing Mountains - Season's End (LP)
12/04 - Bailey Bigger - Let's Call it Love (EP)
12/04 - This Frontier Needs Heroes - "Dumb It Down" (single)
12/04 - HMS Morris - Pastille (EP)
12/04 - Ten Ton Hammers - New Failures (EP)
12/04 - Thrillsville - Say Goodbye to the Light (EP)
12/04 - Eckhardt and the House - "Oh Oh Oh" (single)
12/04 - Bad Sauna - Olen rikas sillä minulla on teidät (“I’m Rich Because I’ve Got You”) (LP)
12/07 - The Cravens - Distance of One (single)
12/09 - Emma Swift - Blonde on the Tracks (LP - streaming release)
12/09 - Seven Red Lions - "Under the Skin" (single)
12/11 - Jessye DeSilva - "Drifter" (single)
12/11 - Tacsidermi - "Gwir" (single)
12/11 - Victor Jones - Long Cold Night Walk (LP)
12/11 - MANCHO - Plastic Oh No (LP)
12/11 - Fear Rua - "Social Distancing" (single)
12/11 - Remington Super 60 - "I Won't Change My Mind" (single)
12/14 - Jane & John - "Our Year" (single)
12/15 - No Trombones - "Can't Let It Go" (single)
12/16 - of1000Faces - The Infinity Line (LP)
12/18 - Mauri Dark - Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man (LP)
12/18 - The Star Prairie Project - Surreal (LP)
12/18 - Shaking Chains - "No More Bets"/"Joy of Living" (single)
12/18 - Glenn Morrow's Cry for Help - 2 (LP)
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