Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
As I mentioned before, May marks ten years of E2TG/Ear to the Ground. For at least the first three Tuesdays in May, Ear to the Ground radio on WXNA will be featuring some of our favorite artists through the years. The show next Tuesday, May 4 will be dedicated to some of our favorites from the first year of the blog. Distilling 10 years into three or even four hour long radio shows is a challenge, and I already know I am going to inadvertently leave somebody out that I really intended to include.
You may wonder if during the 10 years I have ever considered stopping, well, the answer is yes - more than once. I guess you could say the trick to writing a music blog for ten years is stubbornness. But really, it is consistently. I have taken a couple of what I consider significant hiatuses from E2TG over the years - always due to an upheaval in my personal life that made it necessary. For me, other than times when it is impossible I strive to post every weekday. I know a lot of music blogs have come and gone in the years since I began - and by in large what I see when I look back at some of those is that they were updated only infrequently and then less frequently and then not at all.
One thing I know, is that I cannot fathom what my life would be like today if I had never started E2TG or if I had stopped after a couple of months. I have met so many wonderful people and had so many opportunities I would otherwise never have had.
Much as changed for me, for the world, and for the people I have covered over the years. Children are older, marriages are either longer-term or over, bands have broken up, people have moved away from music to other pursuits. E2TG was never, in my mind, about predicting or featuring bands or artists who I thought were going to be huge. It was about championing people making interesting music - especially people who weren't getting as much attention from other sites. In the beginning, when I was picking which artists to feature - I obsessed over whether a certain band was "too big" for me to feature- which in retrospect is funny to me.
What I have learned is that success and failure should be self-defined. I would never pronounce a band as a success or failure, and more importantly, it is not something I particularly care about. To be more precise, I want every artist/band I know to find whatever level of success they want - realizing that many won't - but then I want them to find happiness and joy in whatever happens.
In the beginning I had to go out and actively find music to feature. Now, I get more music sent to me than I can possibly sift through and I am fortunate to have many incredible publicists who regularly send me great music. But, I always try to have my ear to the ground. I especially, listen when someone I respect posts about another band or artist. So, at least for me, yes - shouting out your friends has value.
Feature Friday Playlist recap Part 5 (The Finale) (Songs 27-31):
27. "Ride or Die" by Cricketbows
Previously, we featured "Raised on Rock And Roll" which is the title track from the new album by this Dayton, Ohio band. I love the journey of this song which starts off nice and pretty and then kicks in with some awesome glam rock sounds.
28. "Mirrorball" by The Catenary Wires
Next up, we have a wonderful tribute to 80s discos from this indie pop band from the UK who released their first album in 2015. The extended single also includes a cover of the Human League's hit "Fascination".
29. "You'll Never Change" by Summer Sleeves
Next up, we have the lead track from In the Throes of Woes. Summer Sleeves is the project of Seattle based songwriter and multi-disciplinary artist Jeremy Charbonneau. Great lo-fi music that covers multi genres and sounds.
30. "Corrupted Young Mind" by Gary Collocott
Next up, we travel to the Gold Coast of Australia for the latest single from this singer-songwriter who taps into the energy and freedom fighting vibes of rock and roll.
31. "Window Dressing" by Least
And, as always, we end the week on a high note with a track from Folding My Hand, Accepting Defeat - the debut EP from Florida singer-songwriter Taylin Wills who records as Least. Most of the song deal with issues Taylin faces as an opening trans person.
Check-in around midnight as we kick off a brand new Featured Friday Playlist.
"Carry You Home" by Tom Savage (from Great Beyond - 2019)
For the second time recently, we have a track from the 2019 album from this Canadian singer-songwriter who connected to me through the awesome Brock Zeman. I dig this album.
"When Your Heart is Blue" by The Sensational Country Blues Wonders! (from The World Will Break Your Heart - 2020)
Next up, we have a track from this fantastic late 2020 release from New Jersey. This is a fantastic album.
"Nebesikalbam" by shishi (from Mafitishei - 2020)
One of my favorite "discoveries" of 2020 was this fun surf rock gem from the surfing capital of the Baltic region - Lithuania.
"Traversal" by Josh Werner (from Mode for Titan - 2020)
Next up, we have another 2020 release - this on the experimental, instrumental side of things - from this bassist who is based in New York. The album was produced by the legendary Bill Laswell.
"The Robber" by Magnolia Bayou (from Strange Place - 2020)
And, we close with yet another album released in 2020 - rock music from the swamps of southern Mississippi. The band formed in 2017. Great stuff.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
NEW AND RECENT RELEASES
THIS WEEK
4/29 - Caulbearers - "Burst Through the Borders" (single)
4/29 - Ernest Moon - "Big Wow" (single)
4/30 - Griffin Winton - "Blockbuster Blues" (single)
4/30 - Hadda Be - Another Life (LP)
4/30 - Broken Links - Conflict::States (LP)
4/30 - BOI - "Cael Chdi Nol" (single)
4/30 - moshimoshi - moshimoshi I (EP)
4/30 - Gerald Slevin - "It's Your World" (single)
4/30 - SYTE - "Up in the Air" (single)
4/30 - The New Black Diamonds - "Reload" (single)
4/30 - The Chickenbackers - Yeh Right, Yeah (LP)
4/30 - Nick Hudson - Font of Human Fractures (LP)
4/30 - The Legal Matters - Chapter Three (LP)
4/30 - Dan Rose - "The Opposite" (single)
4/30 - Climbing Trees - "Troubling Times" (single)
4/30 - Mode Shifter - "Doin' Fine" (single)
4/30 - KissDoomFate - "Sparkleblood" (single)
NEXT WEEK
5/04 - Skidders - Friends & Family (LP)
5/04 - Razorhouse - "Hobo Stomp" (single)
5/06 - “+øc.” - Pandemønivm (LP)
5/07 - Manolo Redondo - The Lost and Found (EP)
5/07 - McCormick - "Till the Sun Comes Up" (single)
5/07 - Benjamin Jayne - Theater (LP)
5/07 - Peter Duff - "The To Do List" (single)
5/07 - Timothy and the Apocalypse - "You Oughta Love Me" (single)
5/07 - Teresa Guidry - "Paris" (single)
5/07 - The Purrs - We Thought There'd Be More People Here (LP)
5/07 - Leftover Salmon - Brand New Good Old Days (LP)
5/07 - Ted Russell Kamp - Solitaire (LP)
5/07 - Dolly Ave - Sleep (LP)
5/07 - Death Pop Radio - Death Pop Radio (LP)
5/07 - Geoff Westen - Random Acts of Music (LP)
5/07 - Tim Foljahn - I Dreamed a Dream (LP)
UPCOMING
5/13 - Middle Child - "Burn Out" (single)
5/14 - Soo Line Loons - Soo Line Loons (LP)
5/14 - Leo Crandall - "On the Way Back" (single)
5/14 - Nature's Neighbor - Otherside (LP)
5/14 - Mark Fry - Dreaming With Alice (reissue) (LP)
5/14 - Shay Martin Lovette - Scatter & Gather (LP)
5/14 - Eddie Turner - Change in Me (LP)
5/14 - Dope Sagittarius - Sacred Places (LP)
5/14 - Blue Panda - "What If I Were The One" (single)
5/14 - Pikefruit - Inflorescence (LP)
5/18 - Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters - Live From the Blue Moon (LP)
5/20 - Cathedral in Flames - Hang Me High and Bury Me Deep (LP)
5/21 - Moon - Shine (EP)
5/21 - Dawn-Song - For Morgan (LP)
5/21 - Sister John - I Am Day by Day (LP)
5/21 - Desert Hollow - Thirsty (LP)
5/21 - Rod Picott - Wood, Steel, Dust and Dreams (2LP)
5/21 - Hotel California - Orange (LP)
5/21 - Zebrah - Stripes (EP)
5/28 - Sharone - Morbid Illusion (LP)
5/28 - Toler Gibson - The Days Before (LP)
5/28 - Fiona Brown - Mundane (LP)
5/28 - EB - The Parallel Sessions (EP)
5/28 - Shannon McNally - The Waylon Sessions (LP)
5/29 - The Contraptionists - Working Man's Dream (LP)
5/30 - Scott Standley - Victoria (LP)
6/04 - Lanterna - Hidden Drives (LP)
6/04 - Swift Silver - Swift Silver (LP)
6/04 - Jayson - "Body Work" (single)
6/04 - Annie Keating - Bristol County Tides (LP)
6/04 - My Name is Ian - Fantastic Company (LP)
6/04 - Pastel Ghost - Sun (LP)
6/11 - Soda Cracker Jesus - "Anthem" (single)
6/18 - Thomas Comerford - Introverts (LP)
6/18 - The Wind-Ups - Try Not to Think (LP)
6/18 - The Catenary Wire - Birling Gap (LP)
6/18 - Doctor Lo - Claiborne Avenue (LP)
6/19 - Willie Durisseau - Creole House Dance (EP)
6/21 - BOI - Coron O Chwin (LP)
6/25 - L.S. Underground - The Grape Prophet (LP - Reissue)
6/25 - Massage - Still Life (LP)
6/25 - Hilary Scott - Kaleidoscope (EP)
6/25 - Sir Orfeo - Millefleur (LP)
7/04 - John PayCheck - We All Have a Story (LP)
7/09 - Leo Crandall - They're Cutting Up Betty's Dress Tonight and Other Hymns (LP)
7/09 - Tylor & The Train Robbers - Non-Typical Find (LP)
7/12 - Steve Dawson -At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree (LP)
8/20 - Malcolm Holcomb - Tricks of the Trade (LP)
RECENT
4/01 - El No - Nothing is Possible (LP)
4/02 - indifferentMonKeY - "God or Machine?" (single)
4/02 - Tino and K. Carter - Safe Money (EP)
4/02 - Ritual Cloak - "High Teens Low Twenties" (single)
4/02 - Julez & The Rollerz - "Knocks Me On The Floor" (single)
4/02 - Elizabeth King - Living in the Last Days (LP)
4/02 - Dolour - Televangelist (LP)
4/02 - Smash Into Pieces - Wildest Dreams" (single)
4/02 - Yesterday's Gone - "(This is) Rock N Roll" (single)
4/02 - The Rocking Horse Winner - Horizon (cassette reissue)
4/02 - The Silver Devils - "Love Potion #10" (single)
4/08 - Cole Scheifele - "Back Then" (single)
4/09 - Dallas Moore - The Rain (LP)
4/09 - Storm Gordon - The Lie I Love the Best (LP)
4/09 - Cameron Alexander - "Sugar Bones" (single)
4/09 - Harri Larkin - "Tumbleweed" (single)
4/09 - Arden Lanes - A Little Something for Everyone (LP)
4/09 - Coke Belda - 5: A Tribute To The Bee Gees Vol. 2 (LP)
4/09 - Steven Faulkner - "Here's To The Down and Out" (single)
4/10 - Ali In the Jungle - "Fuel on the Fire" (single)
4/10 - Du Glas - "Edge of the World" (single)
4/12 - Sunlust - Geek Confessions (LP)
4/14 - Eddie Turner - "Dignify Me" (single)
4/15 - The Buzzards of Fuzz - "Lonely in Space" (single)
4/15 - MIHI NIHIL - MIHI NIHIL (LP)
4/16 - The Brother Brothers - Calla Lily (LP)
4/16 - Troy Bentley - Headlock (LP)
4/16 - Ventrelles - "Call of Morning" (single)
4/16 - Stephen Flatt - Cumberland Bones (LP)
4/16 - My Name is Ian (feat. HMS Morris) - "Where is the Time" (single)
4/16 - Sour Ops - X (LP)
4/16 - Conor Gains - Threë EP (EP)
4/16 - Nouhi's Nomad - "Number 4" (single)
4/16 - David Wax Museum - Euphoric Ouroboric (LP)
4/16 - Jim McCulloch - "Chorus of Lists" (single)
4/16 - Dawn-Song - "She Has Spoken" (single)
4/16 - Mass Experience - "So High" (single)
4/16 - Zebrah - "Hey Mama" (single)
4/16 - David Woodward - Butterfly Effect (EP)
4/16 - West of Texas - Hangovers & Honky Tonks (LP)
4/16 - Jon Flynn - Citrus (LP)
4/16 - Cole Quest and The City Pickers - Self (En)Titled (EP)
4/16 - John Louis - "Gone Too Far"/"Shut Down" (single)
4/20 - Cricketbows - Raised on Rock And Roll (LP)
4/20 - Tombstones In Their Eyes - Looking for a Light (LP)
4/20 - Sir Orfeo - "So Long" (single)
4/21 - Kid Hastings - "Off Guard" (single)
4/22 - Lou McMahon - "Pockets of Change" (single)
4/23 - DL Rossi - Lonesome Kind (LP)
4/23 - Certain Animals - "Hold On" (single)
4/23 - Your Academy - Your Academy (LP)
4/23 - Flowertown - Flowertown LP (LP)
4/23 - The Catenary Wires - "Mirrorball (single)
4/23 - Afton Wolfe - "Dirty Girl" (single)
4/23 - dontmesswithjuan - "Mutant Fur" (single)
4/23 - Summer Sleeves - In the Throes of Woes (LP)
4/23 - Gary Collocott - "Corrupt Young Mind" (single)
4/23 - The Magic Epic - "Sally" (single)
4/23 - Nick Nace - "Last Call" (single)
4/23 - Least - Folding My Hands, Accepting Defeat (EP)
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