E2TG 7/16/2021 - Featured Friday - Artvertisement Mix (Carninal Shapes Remix)

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It is Friday, and we have a ton of new and recent releases in our brand new Featured Friday Playlist.  Thanks to all who are following along.  Just a reminder, every Friday, we post a new playlist and we spend the time in between recapping the music.

Of note:  E2TG favorite Jon Byrd has released Me & Paul his new EP with pedal steel master Paul Niehaus. 

This week also brings the title track from the forthcoming new album from Darrin Bradbury.  If you don't know Darrin Bradbury - welcome to E2TG - we are happy to have you here. 

Here is the mind-blowing new video via ANTI- Records 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

Topical Thursday Morning Shuffle - Battle To Be Won Mix

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You know, the world is a great big wonderful, awful, beautiful, ugly, complicated, simple, tranquil, frenetic place. Most days, I am glad to be alive and experiencing it - as a person who matches many of the qualities I just ascribed to the world.  That's all.
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I am still getting goosebumps thinking about last night's Week 3 of the E2TG Residency. Thanks to everyone who made it out - we had a great crowd.  Sergio Webb was wonderful, David Olney was the towering and entertaining performer as always.  When Sergio joined David Olney on stage for the first time in almost a year and a half, the results were magical!  What a way to celebrate six years of Ear to the Ground!

Oh! And a big thanks to Adeem the Artist for some shout-outs that helped the E2TG Facebook Page reach 1,000 "Likes"!

Next week, the residency continues...  And we have a good one for you!  The fine human beings from Cafe Rooster Records will joining us!  That is Sally Jaye, Brian Wright, Darrin Bradbury, and the rapidly healing Jon Latham!  Plus special guest Rorey Carroll!  May 24, The 5 Spot, $5, 6pm!

Thursdays we pick a topic and shuffle up songs that fit that topic.  For our 6th Anniversary, I created a large playlist of artists who have been featured on E2TG over the years. Here is today's shuffle....

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Keep On Goin' Mix

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First of all, I need to offer all the kind words and encouragements for my recent run of commentary. Believe me when I say this is something I would rather not do. But, I feel it is something I must do.  I have tried my best to distinguish partisan differences which will always exist and always be up for debate from the far more serious threat to our nation and our way of life. The problem, as I see it, is that the more outrageous the words and actions of the current administration get and the more deafening the silence from many of the leaders of the Republican Party (save for a few brave voices), the more difficult it is to do. It is hard to unwind abuses of power, overt racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry from the policies that arise out of those evils. More to the point, when party leaders look past or ignore fascist words and actions for the sake of their agenda - it is hard to not harden your heart to that agenda - which may or may not reflect those despicable characteristics.  We are watching and we are speaking out. Customs agents asking passengers on a domestic airline to "show their papers".  State leaders voting to effectively make political dissent illegal, Executive branch officials asking the intelligence community to discredit the free press and to produce intelligence reports that support their agenda.  An administration that has made up three non-existent terrorist attacks and yet calls America's major media organizations "enemies of the people" and purveyors of "Fake News" which seems to be defined as any news that does not support the agenda of that administration.

So, yeah, I don't see myself stopping writing these relatively brief commentaries any time soon - although I really wish my reasons for doing it would go away and soon.

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I had such a good time last night at the 10th Anniversary celebration for Jon Byrd's album Byrd's Auto Parts. The show - at the Family Wash - featured many of the players on that album.  The second set featured guest spots from David Raines, Amelia White, and Kevin Gordon. The night was a reminder of how great a music town we have in Nashville.

All right - well it is Friday and right now it is about 78 degrees on February 24 in Nashville. On Friday, we go back to our "New Music" playlist and we hit shuffle and see what happens. Here is what happened when I did that this morning....

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - The Whole Picture Stank Mix

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Running a little behind today.

How about some outside the shuffle "Earie" Awards

1.  The "Strong Spine"Award goes to Zachariah Red who released his album Backbone back at the beginning of the year.  He won a preemptive "Earie" in 2015 on the basis of "40 Miles" the first single. The album was most excellent and deserving of an "Earie" all it's own.

2. Backbone was mastered by Timothy Ryssemus who released his own album under the Ricca Vita name. Ricca Vita - the album - was one of the freshest and most unique-sounding records of 2016. It is electronic music - but what struck me about it (and I think maybe Ryssemus benefited from working with singer-songwriters like Zach Red in this regard) was the focus. Electronic music can tend to lose me sometimes, but that was not the case with this record.  So, I will give Ricca Vita the "Breath of Fresh Electronic Air" Award.

3.  The "These Days" Award for 2016 goes to Charlie Hager. Yeah, it is the title of one of his songs (of which we premiered the video), but these days, America needs a voice like Charlie Hager.  Plain spoken, honest, songwriting of the highest caliber. If you are looking for bells and whistles - go elsewhere. But, before you go, take a good honest listen to Charlie Hager's songs. His album American Saga is one you may not have heard, but it is one you really need to hear.

4. Our final "Earie" of the day is the "Happenstance Award" (you do know I just make these award names up off the top of my head don't you?). The award goes to Dingzui - a Nashville band who released Analogue in 2016. If not for a chance encounter at a David Olney show at Bobby's Idle Hour, there is a chance, I might would have missed out on hearing this album, and that would have been a shame. You have to hand it any band who titles songs "Graceland" and "The Tennessee Waltz" (neither of these are cover songs) and manages to pull it off which a couple of really excellent songs. The album is great, and since you may not have been at that David Olney show, I'm giving you a chance to not miss out.

To the shuffle:

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Amp of Epi Mix

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Nashville happenings and other cool stuff... - Check out our friends at Fighting the Nashville Blues for the scoop!

ICYMI - E2TG premiered the brand new video from Charlie Hager for his song "These Days" - you can read my words and watch the video here.


Trying to coast toward the end of the week and into the long holiday weekend...

Last night, having caught up on sleep the night before, I headed out despite threatening weather to catch the last night of Kevin Gordon's residency at The 5 Spot. Gordon opening solo - showing of the intricacies of his songs and the richness of his voice and guitar work. He even threw in a cover of Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance".

Then with his band, he flat out rocked the house.  Advice, if you get the chance to see Kevin Gordon live, go see him.

After that show ended, I headed to one of my favorite new venues, The Country.  I got there in the middle of Sean Rivers set, and I was really impressed.  Great songs and a rocking sound.  Next up was E2TG favorite Zachariah Red with a six piece band that featured a lot of cool folks - including Taylor Alexander, Drew Kohl, and Tim Ryssemus of Ricca Vita. I have been following Zach since I met him over a year and a half ago, and I have to say he is sounding better than ever. I really fun set that included an Eagles cover and a Marshall Tucker cover along with songs from Zach's last two records.

Last of the bill was Jason Martin who played really heavy but melodic rock.  Josh Waters played guitar with both Rivers and Martin.

All in all, a fun night and I enjoyed seeing a bunch awesome people.

Today in the Featured Friday shuffle, we have a pretty diverse mix of music... so enjoy...

Music City Monday Morning Shuffle - Get Loud Mix

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So, my event calendar never really got off the ground, fortunately, Jared over at Fighting the Nashville Blues - has you covered.  Here are his previews for the week ahead.


So, I am still kind of reeling from the E2TG Anniversary Extravaganza.  Such a good time. I hope to bring you more shows in the future.  It was fun to introduce friends to other friends' music in a live setting.

My daughter and I had a great weekend.  We took in Luella and Tim Carroll down at Phat Bites in Donelson on Saturday morning, and then Saturday night spend some time with The Foresters and Mia Green in at an Airbnb in East Nashville and heard tunes by the aforementioned.  The Foresters should be headed back to Connecticut as I write this, and I wish them all safe travels. They had the opportunity to play Puckett's Grocery in Leiper's Fork yesterday.

Time for some Music City Monday sounds...