The Final Band(s) of the Month for 2012

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I've been away longer than I intended, but as promised, voting a ended at 11:59:59 on November 30.  The E2TG election officials have been pouring over the votes, counting the provisional ballads, recounting, checking all the of dangling and hanging chads and generally having a good ole time.  And, if you remember, at the beginning of this poll, we said we would have two Bands of the Month since this poll covers two months.  The first Band of the Month for November/December receiving an overwhelming majority of the votes, is Walking for Pennies.  

Here is their album Forget about Wonderland

 
Here's Walking for Pennies doing Nashville 

Our second Band of the Month and the final Band of the Month for 2012 is fast-rising Americana Singer/Songwriter Nena Anderson.  

Here's her album Beyond the Lights

 
Here is the official video for I Fall in Love Too Fast

So congrats to Walking for Pennies and Nena Anderson - thanks to all our great featured artists and now onward we go to the Band of the Year Poll!

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Band of the Month - October - Black Jake and the Carnies!

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Well, well, well... The Foresters made a late run, but Michigan's own Black Jake and the Carnies held on to become our Ear2theground's Band of the Month for October!  For those of you playing at home, they are officially the first Crabgrass band to become Band of the Month.  They are are also the first band from Ypsilanti, Michigan to be Band of Month.  Trivia, in fourth grade our class did a huge mural of the United States in the hallway of our school, and we each were assigned a state to paint.  We also had to do a report on that state.  My state? Michigan.  I know right? Amazing the way the world works.

Black Jake and the Carnies play a raucous blend of country, bluegrass and punk.  They are tons o' fun and they make a great Band of Month. 

Once again, we had a great group of Featured Artists - probably our most diverse group yet, and I am grateful for all the people I got to know this month.

It's November now... and time to unveil a new batch of Featured Artists.  We'll be doing that soon - and trying something new....

 

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Band(s) of the Month for September!

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After way too much obsessing over the options, I've decided what the - we had a tie.  If a Band of the Month is a good thing why not two.  So, introducing the Ear to the Ground Bands of the Month for September 2012:   And the Giraffe and The Great American Novel.

Check out the forthcoming And the Giraffe Album, Creature Collector.

 Purchase and Download Kissing by The Great American Novel

And much love and appreciation to all of our September Featured Artists!

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Band of the Month August is....

We had a great set of artists this month, and a final reminder to check them all out! Here

I am pleased to announce that our Band of the Month for August 2012 is 

Loners Society from Charleston, South Carolina.  Please check out their website and Facebook Page.

Remember, Loners Society have now earned an automatic position in our Band of the Year poll which should be an epic event.  That poll is coming in December 2012.

Be on the lookout for our September Featured Artists which I will unveil after the holiday weekend.  We have some more awesome artists to feature.

Here are some videos from our August Band of the Month:

Band of the Month Results - Vinyl Thief

Congratulations to Vinyl Thief.  They pulled down the most votes to become our Band of the Month for July 2012.  That means they have earned an automatic bid into our Band of the Year Poll which will get underway in just about 4 months!  Here's the band killing it live at the Tin Roof.  If you are in or around Nashville tonight, Vinyl Thief will be celebrating their Band of the Month victory* with a show at Mercy Lounge.  After that, they will begin work on their follow-up to Rebel Hill!

So as of now, the following bands have earned a guaranteed spot in the Band of the Year Poll:

December 2011:  In Cages

January 2012: MAKAR

February 2012:  The Gypsy West

March 2012:  Northbrook Garage

April 2012:  The Disappointment

May 2012:  South of Ramona

June 2012: Skeletons in the Piano

and July 2012: Vinyl Thief

The following bands are in contention for a coveted "Wildcard" spot:
The Dead Exs, The End Men, Sci-Fi Romance and Nikki Sue and the Bad News.  

And finally a new month means a new list of Featured Artists.  Stay tuned, we have  that list for you soon!

Band of the Month is....

It was another epic battle... but in the end,  Skeletons in the Piano prevailed!  We offer a hearty cheer to Killing Kuddles for a well fought battle, and I suspect we'll see this and other great battles played out again in  our Band of the Year competition.  And please remember to support all of our Featured Artists.  You can get more information about all of the Featured Artists using the link on the right.


But, tonight, all the kudos go to our friends from Saratoga Springs, New York.  Here's a video and a link to their Website.

Stay tuned for a fresh set of Featured Artists for the new month of July!

The Disappointment - Damn Righteous (EttG Exclusive)

Sometime in early May, when The Disappointment narrowly defeated Nikki Sue & the Bad News to become our Band of the Month of April, they promised some celebratory goodies for us to share with you.  Well, The Disappointment don't... come on you think I'm going to use that line... well, but they don't....

And so, I offer you a exclusive look at the new promo video for the song, The Prince and the Playground from the band's brand new 5 song release called Damn Righteous, and so without further ado (even though I like ado), here it is:

The Disappointment - The Prince and The Playground (Damn Righteous Promo Video) from The Disappointment on Vimeo.

Pretty cool, huh?  Well, now I  know that you are wondering, 'So, how do I buy the record?  Well, we got you covered right here:

So, now you gotta be wondering how do I find out more about this awesome Brooklyn band, guess what? They have an awesome new website:  It's areyoudisappointed.com.


And only logical question left is are these guys single.... I don't know the answer to that question, but I can tell you where to go and ask them.  The Disappointment have a show this coming Friday at The Space Place in Brooklyn and the details are here.


Yeah!

Polls Closed: Band of the Month is....

South of Ramona!  Congratulations to the lads from Salt Lake City and also kudos to Sci Fi Romance for a hard fought fight.  Four votes separated these two great bands.  So... South of Ramona gets an automatic bye into our Band of the Year Poll.  As for Sci Fi Romance, it's too soon to know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they show up as one of our Wildcard selections.  Stay tuned.  


Okay - let's take it out with the Band of the Month for May:

Congratulations to The Disappointment - Band of the Month for April 2012

More later! The Disappointment have promised some surprises for their official Band of the Month post.  Stay tuned!

The Envelope Please...

They're a garage band... the come from Northbrook, Illinois. 


Congratulations to Northbrook Garage. They are our Band of the Month for March 2012.


The kids from the suburbs of Chicago, who make amazingly mature music and bring the soul when they have to, brought the votes.  But, hey Northbrook Garage are already old hands at winning...  Here they are doing an Amy Winehouse cover at Ardent Studios in Memphis.  They won the opportunity to record at the legendary studio.

In honor of their latest victory, we are offering their song So What for the bargain price of $0.99 at Amazon* just click on the album cover below.

*Okay fine, .99 is the normal price, but it's less than a dollar and it's a great song, so go download it now!

Congratulation to Northbrook Garage

Last Chance to Vote for March Band of the Month

Just 5 hours to go.  Northbrook Garage has a significant, but not insurmountable lead so far.

<------------the poll is on the left sidebar near the top of the page.

And if you come to this post specifically to vote for one band, be sure to check out all of our nominees.  One last time here they are.

A Social State

Kafka

Calicocat

Northbrook Garage

Finn Bonel

Band of the Month Polls Have Opened

It's time again, where I wash my hands of the this whole thing and let you  the angry mob decide which of the Bands of the Week from March, 2012 are going to be the Band of the Month and received an automatic bid into the Band of the Year Poll.


UPDATE:  I forgot to mention that the poll is on the sidebar to the left.


We had five Bands of the Week this month so let's recap:


Week 1 - A Social State are a fine indie rock band from Scranton, PA 

Week 2 - Kafka - is an excellent singer-songwriter from Burnley, England.

Week 3 - Calicocat - are a cool indie band from right here in Nashville, TN.

Week 4 - Northbrook Garage - those soulful suburban "babies" from Northbrook, IL

Week 5 - Finn Bonel - the amazing artist from South London, England

Vote now!  One vote per person (or at least per computer) (unless you can beat the system) Just vote!

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Accomplices Mix

"You say you want a revolution..."  Lennon/McCartney

Continuing a tradition we started last month, we have a whole shuffle dedicated to our latest Band of the Month - The Gypsy West. 

Here in Nashville, the remaining Occupiers are vowing to stand and peacefully resist efforts by the State to remove them from the Legislative Plaza.  All this makes The Gypsy West even more appropriate for today's shuffle.


Expect Resistance - a revolution begins with an idea...  and it doesn't go down without a fight.

Richard Cory (Simon & Garfunkel cover) - money and power do not buy happiness and you shouldn't try to judge a book or a band by  their covers.

  

All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover) -

 “No reason to get excited,” the thief, he kindly spoke
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late”

Band of the Month February 2012 - The Gypsy West

"There was music in the cafes at night, and revolution in the air." Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue

Congratulations to The Gypsy West, you are the third ever Band of the Month at Ear to the Ground!

Thanks to everyone who participated.  Go check out the other three nominees...   But this moment belongs to The Gypsy West!


If you haven't already - check out the first and  second volumes of the Accomplices series.  Volume III is in the works.

And here is the band's first album which you can get for "name your price"



We'll leave you with some videos of the band in action:
The Gypsy West - Changing - ElectriCathedral 12/3 from The Gypsy West on Vimeo.
New song performed in a holy cave.

Dedicated to all you Occupyers.

Optimistic @ The Full Cup 1/14/12 from The Gypsy West on Vimeo.
Nobody does drop D like the Radioheads.

Band of the Month - February 2012 - Polls are Open

It's that time again.  Conveniently located on the left side bar <-----left-------- of the blog is a Poll which will allow you, dear reader, to vote for your favorite Band of the Week from February 2012.  To help you out here is a handy dandy recap....  Enjoy!

Week 1 - Hailing from Brooklyn - The Gypsy West offer up music for the revolution:

A fun cover of Talking Heads - Life During Wartime

The Gypsy West as Talking Heads - Life During Wartime from The Gypsy West on Vimeo.

The Band's own There are Rules

The Gypsy West - There Are Rules live @ the Bowery Electric from The Gypsy West on Vimeo.

Week 2:  Leicester's own - Citizen Smith played hard melodic rock.

The catchy Uncle Jack:

Here is an acoustic version of 'D':

 Week 3: We went into the woods (and we never came back) with NJ band The Amboys.

 Here is Ashley Meets the Wolf:

Here is In the Woods:

Week 4 is California based The Weekend Forecast.

Here is the Dexterish I'm Done:

  

 A Demo version of the Song Right: 

  You are now better informed than the average U.S citizen.... Go VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Makar (Mah-Kar) Mix

Still very tired from performing the recounts demanded by The End Men (actually I was playing stupid games on Google + but don't tell anyone).  By the way, as runners-up, should MAKAR be unable to fulfill their duties* as Band of the Month, The End Men will take the crown.

*I'm still thinking up some duties for the Band of the Month.

This morning I strolled into work (stumbled actually) to a random shuffling of MAKAR's latest album Funeral Genius.  (Click on the scary bird* down below to view the Amazon page for Funeral Genius)

 

*I have an unnatural fear of birds brought on my a youthful exposure to the genius of Alfred Hitchcock.

So here goes the song list from this morning:

Show Me That Look in Your Eyes

 

Show Me That Look in Your Eyes (Knitting Factory) from MAKAR on Vimeo.

I Wanna Know What I Don't Know



I Wanna Know What I Don't Know (Bar East - January 2012) from MAKAR on Vimeo.

Bottle of Beauty



Bottle of Beauty (Bar East - January 2012) from MAKAR on Vimeo.

And finally, the title track Funeral Genius



Funeral Genius (R Bar) from MAKAR on Vimeo.


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Affiliated Links:

And it's official* The Band of the Month is....

MAKAR!!!!!!

Congratulations!  It was a hard fought battle, and a fair amount of time was misspent (which is always a goal of mine.)  


Of course it's all about the music and all of the bands nominated are great.


Great things are ahead for all of these bands.  And we move forward.  The Gypsy West are the first Band of the Week for February and they will soon be joined by another great band.


I have a very special morning music shuffle scheduled for tomorrow so tune in.


*The End Men are challenging the voting, and have even threatened to bring in the Pauls (Ron and Rand and possible Ru - not sure about the last one).


We'll leave you with MAKAR's classic song, I Hate My Job performed live at Bar East just a few weeks ago, actually - it was a special show just for my birthday (kidding). 




I Hate My Job (Bar East - January 2012) from MAKAR on Vimeo.

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Adolf Builds a Bonfire Mix

The Band of the Month poll is heating up.  Right now, it's looking like a two horse race, but remember you're all winners in my book.  There is still time to vote.  The time remaining on the poll thing is kind of wonky, but I believe it will end around 4:30 tomorrow (Thursday) central time.  The poll will begin showing hours remaining whenever it gets below 24 hours.   The poll is on the left sidebar

<------ over there. I believe you can only vote once (at least per computer?).  Be sure to check out all of the bands up for the honor.  They are a diverse but all deserving bunch.   The winner will join In Cages our December winner and move onto the Band of the Year competition in early December.

Now is also a good time to mention we have a Twitter list which follows all of the Bands (and members) who have been featured on the blog either as Bands of the Week or on one of our Ear to the Ground Recommends posts. Plus, the list also follows Popa's Tunes, Folk Pop News and a few other friends of the blog.  The list feed is streaming on the right sidebar, and if you are on Twitter you can follow the list.

You can also visit one of our Amazon Stores or search Amazon through this blog or visit one of our affiliates  (links on the top of the right hand sidebar).  We also add affiliated links to most posts with relevant or interesting products.

Enough - let's get down to it. Some good lesser known bands and artists get the spotlight in today's shuffle:

Nik West describes herself as a bassist, vocalist, runway model and her music as Prince meets Erykah Badu with a funky bassline... Eyes Closed is off of her Just in the Nik of Time album.  The song has a jazzy feel and yeah, it has a funky bass line.

(click on the album to view the download page on Amazon. If you do not see the album cover you can right click to the left of this note and open the link)

Next up is a new 7" release from Fort Lean.  I grabbed a download over at Stereogum of the song, Sunsick. If you aren't up to speed on Fort Lean this is a good way to catch of with this hot Brooklyn band.

(You can view the Amazon page for the band's self titled EP which was released last summer by clicking on the album cover left click and open link if you can't see the album cover)

Finally We have a track we originally grabbed off of a Noisetrade Sampler. The Hawk in Paris is a Nashville based band who deliver very awesome music.  The song we heard today is The New Hello (Hers) - the album His + Hers also has a song called The New Hello (His).

(click on album cover to the left to view the Amazon page for The Hawk in Paris album His + Hers)

Affiliated Link:

Best Buy: Midnight Sale, Online Only, Starts Tonight (2/8) at Midnight Through Thursday (2/9) at 8am EST.

Band of the Month - The Polls are Open!

It's time to let you, dear readers, decide which of the great Bands of the Week from January will be the 2nd ever Band of the Month.  I'm glad it's not up to me...




We began the new year with a band from Brooklyn. The End Men - blew me away when I first gave a listen.  Since then, I've been trying make sure everyone knows about this amazing band.  Here's a taste. Click here to read the Band of the Week feature for The End Men.



 The next band, MAKAR, had come to our attention some time back and their song, I Hate My Job played constantly on the MP3 player of my mind.  The bands latest Funeral Genius is pure... eh-um dare I? genius.  Here's a live performance from the show they did on my birthday.  How nice of them... Here is their Band of the Week page


 We leave the Big Apple (does the term Big Apple cover all of the boroughs or is it just Manhattan?). Fine - we leave the New York City area and head up to Canada - The Kirby Sewell Band play a silky smooth form of  the blues.  You can read what I wrote when I named them Band of the Week - here:



 Our last Band of the Week for January comes from Brazil and makes amazing electronic noises with some propulsive guitar work to boot. From the Outside is one guy making some amazing music. For us with poor short-term memory (or *gasp* those who might not read every freaking word I write). Here is the Band of the Week feature for From the Outside:



 You can vote now on the left side bar of the blog.


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Affiliated Links:

In Cages - Our First Ever Band of the Month (December 2011)

Voting is now closed and In Cages staged an 11th hour rally to capture the title of Band of the Month.  All these bands are great so no matter who you voted for or even if you didn't get to vote be sure to check out The Dead Exs, Jesse Payne and Spencer Walters.

But hats off to In Cages.  Here's some tunes.  The band will be celebrating their win on the 21st when they play The Loop Lounge in Passaic, NJ.  If you are in the area, check them out.


In Cages will now go one to compete in the Second Annual Band of the Year Competition which will take place in early December 2012.  Stay tuned.