E2TG 8/05/2020 - Mid-week Blues and Greens - The Eye Openeth Mix (Memphis Remix)

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We have reached the mid-point of this work week. We are well into August. Here in Nashville, COVID-19 stats are improving, but for some reason this makes me anxious - because I fear that the increased precautions we have been in recent weeks (with some high-profile exceptions) will start slacking off and we will then see a resurgence, but I guess time will tell.  For me, it seems like it will be status quo for some time. 

There are things that excite and please me. There has been quite a bit new music released this year so far, and much of it is excellent.  Just looking back at the year so far at E2TG is evidence of that, but even outside the scope of this blog - there is a lot to be excited about. 

I also see many artists and venues being creative in dealing with the new reality, and I hope this continues. It will take thinking out side of the box to keep things going. 

I am excited about the state of activism - especially among the young - my hope is that even in a deep red state like Tennessee, the next generation of voters can help turn the tide. I have seen some demographics that bare out this hope. I hope we call find a sustainable way to keep up the fight for justice and human rights for all people. 

The November election fills me with equal parts hope and dread. I am not sure what I am going to do to survive election night... 

Finally, before we turn back to the music, a word about Spotify.  I join many in condemning the recent comments by the CEO of Spotify - his words were tone deaf and harmful. I have said this before, I held off a long-time before using Spotify extensively for this blog. I do think the platform is currently the best way to share music and a great way to discover music - if you know how - otherwise, you are just a tool of the machine.  Nevertheless, the platforms business model does not support independent artists well at all. 

I will once again say, if want to support musicians - you can like and follow and save etc on Spotify, but also buy physical copies and merch and tip at virtual or (when possible) at live shows. Help spread the word and encourage your fellow music lovers to support artists in a meaningful way.  

Buy through Bandcamp on the first Friday of every month when the waive fees. 

Time for today's recap of our weekly Featured Friday Playlist - today, we have a good one, songs 18-22:

18. "Adrenaline" by Above Snakes

Out of the gate, today, we have some hard hitting metal - a single ahead of the forthcoming debut EP by this Boston based band. I am not that familiar with all the genres listed in the e-mail, I got about this - the danger of having wide-open musical tastes I guess, but this sounds great and like I said, it hits hard. 

19. "Mafitishei" by shishi

Here at E2TG, we cover all kinds of music from all over the world. Today, we have a fantastic track - our first listen to this surf/punk/whatever band from Lithuania. Seriously, I really love this track. It is the title track to their recent album. 

20. "If I Were a Dinosaur" by Arlan Feiles

A shuffle with some New Orleans flavored piano.  Feiles is based in New Jersey - by way of Miami and Los Angeles. This is a track from his recent album What Kind of World?  I am very happy to have this song in our playlist. 

21. "Do You Want to Buy a Guitar" by Bob Nanna

Bob Nanna (Braid, Hey Mercedes, The City on Film, Lifted Bells) with a track from his recently released Celebrations States album - his debut full-length under this new name. The album - all-acoustic - was recorded all on September 7, 2019 on what would have been his wedding anniversary.  It is a highly personal album, and I highly recommend you give it I listen. 

22. "Exploding Head" by R.E. Seraphin

We close out this segment of music with another debut under a new moniker. R.E. (Ray) Seraphin recently returned to his Bay Area hometown after having lived in Austin. He recruited some local musicians - included the bass player of Neutrals - who we have featured before. Seraphin was previously of the band Talkies.  The music here has elements of paisley pop and post-punk, and it is truly a great sound. Check it out. 

Tomorrow we wrap up our recap with songs 23-27...  
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 1/22/2020 - Beach Notes - Trendy Trendy Mix (Sax and Violins Remix)

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Beach Notes: 1/22/2020 

Random musings.. I think that death often forces the still living to think about mortality and to ponder the vast questions of life. Or at least it does for me. For me, I have so many conflicting messages in my head - some put there by others so seem to have sprung fully formed from my own brain (but maybe they were consciously or subconsciously received from someone at some time). 

Time is a struggle for me almost all the time. First of all, time is by its nature a finite resource. There are only 24 hours in a day and we all have an expiration date, though, we usually don't know when that is. So, everything we do or don't do is a choice to some degree. Granted sometimes those choices were made years ago and we are now living in those choices and so we may forget that it was a choice.

Conflict: Making good use of available time vs. the concept "we are human beings not human doings".  What if I spend an hour or two watching an inane television show or flipping mindlessly through a social media site or playing some game on my phone or staring into space? I could have, should have, would have spent that time doing something "productive".

On a less esoteric level, for me, the issue is going out to shows vs. staying in and writing or listening to music that has been sent to me or...  Never mind the almost nightly conflicts of what show to see out of many wonderful choices.  I do better than I used to, but I do often feel some sense of failure or guilt over my choices. Especially, when certain friends' shows seem to always end up getting missed. It almost never a decision based on quality or worth. It can anything to location, time, my level of exhaustion, availability.  It is just that sometimes, it feels like the same bands or people keep coming up on the wrong side of any one of those factors.

I remind myself that I am not obligated to do anything or to go anywhere, but the guilt/regret isn't really about obligation. It is about desire and relationships and... what else. I don't know.

Meanwhile, here I sit - into the third full week of 2020, with a ton of e-mails to review, a ton of story ideas to explore and research and write, a ton of music to listen to, an unfinished novel, a ton of great shows every single night, and I limited amount of energy to do anyone of those things - some of which is expended at a day job that demands attention and effort.

So, I can't answer why I went to this show but not that one, or why I went out this night but not that one or why I wrote about this album but not that one. I am not even sure if anyone is asking this questions other than me.

So, I DID go to The 5 Spot last night and spend somewhere around six hours hearing  a ton of truly great music, catching up with some wonderful people, sharing bits of grief and stories about David Olney, laughing, talking, thinking...  As for tonight, I don't know. There are things I want to do...

Meanwhile, I am not going to Folk Alliance - even though it was something I considered when the date and location were first announced. I would love to be there, AND I can't imagine my stress at all the things to be done if I were going. And, I am envious of people who can drop everything and go on a whim. But, those choices were made for me in the past, and for today, I don't know how to change them or even if I want to.

Beyond the doing and the choosing and the thinking and the guilt and the productivity and the idleness and the laziness and the need for escapism and the art and the commerce is the living. I am alive and I have work to do and I have rest that is needed and I have relationships to forge and others to cultivate, and I have only so much time and I waste so much time.

Welcome to my life on earth and as human.

E2TG 2019 Recap - Part 3 - Daylight Mix (Island Remix)

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Beach Notes (explained - sort of)

One thing I want to do with the revamp of E2TG is to write about my experiences in the (East) Nashville music community, and I want to do so while finding a specific "voice" in telling these stories.   Over the last couple of months, I have been teasing the concept of "Beach Notes" on my Facebook page. Basically short - stream of consciousness, observations. Why "Beach Notes"?  Well, I have my reasons.  Basically, it goes back to Darrin Bradbury's song "Exile on Myrtle Beach" which may not entirely be about the South Carolina community.  That's all I will say for now.

Beach Notes 12-3-2019 $2 Tuesday

It promised to be a good one. I mean $2 Tuesday's are all good (or at least I can't remember one that wasn't), but this one - well, I knew (or at least knew of) everyone playing, and I would get to meet Mark Cline Bates whose album King of the Crows was among my favorites of 2019 and hear him perform.  

The night got off to an auspicious start - Jon and Adrienne were already there when I got there. I caught up with Jon and our talk turned to the intersection of punk rock and Americana music. As it does.  It was good to catch up. 

Serious conversations about the challenges of life and aging and ailing parents. A math professor originally from Holland told a joke in Saxon. (Yeah, it was that kind of night).  The 5 Spot is always a good place for people watching.  You see all kinds of people there. As an observer of human behavior, I like to see how people behave. Go figure. 

The music was top-notch - which almost goes without saying.  Mark Cline Bates, Stephie James, Clark Paterson, host Derek Hoke, and Jon Byrd and a particularly potent version of Byrd's Auto Parts (David Conrad, Justin Amaral, Leo Grassl, Diego on Trombone, and Nick Beaudoing (of Runner of the Woods) on accordion.)  With Tim Hibbs holding down the 1s and the 2s spinning $1 finds from a New York trip. We were all singing along at some points, and I had to tell a younger person what "Back on the Chain Gang" by The Pretenders was. 

$2 Tuesday is about the music and the community and the $2 Yazoos, and it is about expecting the unexpected.   Once again, I think how cool it is to live where I do and how cool it is that Derek Hoke started and has continued this weekly tradition for so long. 

Now - let's jump back into our recap of 2019!

 

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - No Mystery Mix

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So - in reference to my long pre-shuffle post yesterday, music is what sustains me when the world gets me down. Music has saved my life. Music is not just important to me, it is vital to my existence.

On top of all of the other worldly problems, I am troubled by the devaluing of music by our culture. Technological advancements which should be (and in many cases are) a boon to the goal of getting music out to the people - has - like many parts of society - fallen into the hands of a few "power" players - who exploit the true creators to line their own pocket.

The people I know who make music - mostly do so because they have to - not in absence of other skills but it is a drive. A model has to be developed that adequately rewards the creators. The so-called music business is a microcosm for the rest of society. The gap between the haves and the have-nots.

I do not have a solution, but I think there is one out there. The question is - what will motivate those who are benefiting from the current system?

So, for most of us - who love music- the call is to act on whatever scale we are able. Go to shows, buy merch, buy music in a physical format - even if you mostly listen to electronic formats, if there is a tip jar for the band - use it. Share music!  Social media companies intentionally limit the reach of artists and others - to encourage "boosted" posts. It even happens to E2TG - once my Facebook page like count reached a certain level - fewer people saw my posts. I don't make a dime from E2TG, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay to boost my posts. The only way to combat this is from everyone to share posts. _ I don't just mean E2TG (although that would be nice), but also posts by your favorite bands.

It has been a rough week in many ways - my spirit is low and my temper has been short. I'm combating all that with music and creativity.

It is Wednesday, and that is the day, we do what I call the "Wild Wednesday" shuffle.  A shuffle derived from all the songs saved to my phone.  Let's see what happens!

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Must Be Crazy Mix

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Moving onward.  We move back into our "Trending" playlist for the last two days of this week.  A ton of music to get to - so let's do it!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Breathless Mix

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Okay - it's Tuesday!  I've gotten some new music added to the playlists.  We have another eclectic shuffle to this Trending Tuesday shuffle.  A selection of cool tunes covering many different genres.  Let's go!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Self Love Mix

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Well, I'm back. I was under the weather yesterday.  Let's get right to the shuffle. I'm once again behind adding new music to the playlist, but we have some great music to feature from what is already there - so let's go!

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Pickup Mix

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ICYMI - Earlier today we premiered a new video from Nashville-based duo Anana Kaye for their song, "Blueberry Fireworks".  It is a gorgeous short film - if you haven't seen it yet, you can check it out HERE.

Meanwhile, it is the end of another work week- finally - and we have our final shuffle of the year.

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Best Version of Me Mix

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On we go...

I wanted to mention a "Save the Dates" for an upcoming event at The 5 Spot that will feature some artists you've heard and heard about on E2TG.  April 26 and 27th will be the 4th edition of the Magnolia Roads Hoedown, and E2TG is thrilled to have been asked to be a part of this great event - which will benefit the Ben Eyestone Fund at Musicians Health Alliance. More information to come - including some interviews with some of the featured artists (like we did last year).

In the meantime, we have another Trending Shuffle.  A couple of first listens are included and some great tracks from albums we have been featuring of late.

Let's get right to it!

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - They Say Mix

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Uggg!  A winter cold hit me hard yesterday afternoon, and I went down hill fast. I ended up staying in last night to rest up, and I feel a little better today but still kind of icky. Plus, it is a cold, wet, and dreary day in Nashville.  So, I needed an extra good shuffle of music to get me through the commute.  It is Friday, which we usually devote to Featured Friday.  As I mentioned before, when I transferred music to my new phone, I lost my previous playlists.  I haven't created a new Featured Friday playlist - still contemplating what that will look like. Anyway, since we missed Trending Tuesday this week, I am digging back into our Trending playlist of the newest of the new music we have to present.

Here goes!