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On my mind... I dedicate a sizable portion of my average day listening to and writing about new music. E2TG is dedicated to featuring new and often underground or lesser known music of various genres. I have long pondered this and myself as an oddity - not necessarily among the people I hang around but is terms of people in general. Many people are content to just listen to the music they already know. Or at most to check out the latest "hot" band according to someone. And, I get it. I was there several years ago, which is part of the reason I started E2TG.
So, anyway, recently, I created a playlist on Spotify - at first it was going to include a handful of my all time favorite albums - just as a place to gather them. As I went on, I started adding more albums and ultimately, I decided to add as many albums as I could think of - albums that I own or owned and have listened to over and over through the years. My mind kept going down new paths and I kept adding music this playlist and now it is almost 62 hours long. At first, I called it Joe's Faves - but I eventually realized what it really was, and I renamed the Playlist "Comfort Food". When I shuffle songs from this playlist, it is like revisiting an old friend or having fried chicken or whatever at the end of a hard day. Some may bristle at the "Comfort Food" label being applied to some of the albums and artists on the list. But for me, in 2020, that is what they are... and that is not a bad thing at all. These are wonderful albums by wonderful artists across many genres and spanning years.
Here is the thing, there is nothing wrong with comfort food - but if all I ate was comfort food, I would probably keep getting fatter and have other health issues. Listening to this "comfortable" music is not a bad thing, but for me, it can't be all I listen to...
Onward...
Today, we present the next segment of this week's Playlist. Songs 16-22:
16. "Bare" by Matte Blvck
We start off this segment of the playlist with some darkwave, industrial., electronic music from San Diego, California. The trio of musicians have worked together in various incarnations, but decided in 2019 to work together on their own project. Their forthcoming album I'm Waving, Not Drowning was recorded during the COVID-19 shutdown, and this is their debut single. Happy to have more great darkwave music in this week's playlist.
17. "Television Mister" by Jessica Luise
Next up, we have the new single from UK singer-songwriter Jessica Luise. This is first release with a full-band, and the press release name checked The Beautiful South - so I had to listen, and I this is a cool tune. Check it out!
18. "Dangerous Leon!" by The Aquabats!
Next up! We have the new single from the new album (Kooky Spooky ... In Stereo!) by costumed superhero punks, The Aquabats! This is a ton of fun and thanks to Crashing Through Publicity for bringing this to my inbox! Recommended for fans of exclamation points and cool fun music!
19. "Reckless" by Miss Molly Simms
Next up, we have a track from the wonderful new album by St. Louis' Miss Molly Simms. Miss Molly Simms came to prominence in St. Louis as a member of the rockabilly band Bible Belt Sinners. Her solo work has been more stylistically diverse, and with her latest album (her fourth) of which this is the title track, Miss Molly Simms has hit upon something special. The album features members of the Bottle Rockets, Old Souls Revival, and River Kittens.
20. "Isolation" by Depression, Baby
Next up, we have a quarantine-influences single from North London 5-piece Depression, Baby. It is the follow-up to their earlier single "Home Again". The band formed in 2019 and were on an upward trajectory heading into 2020. And then 2020 happened. They have focused on releasing music, and this is a song worth a listen.
21. "Lock & Key" by KnightressM1
Next up, we have some Bay Area metal/rock from this impressive power trio featuring violinist, vocalist, pianist, and composer Emily Palen. The band also features drummer Rob Ahlers (50 FT Wave, Kristin Hersh), and bassist Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake). I dig the sound and Palen's vocals are awesome. A great injection of metallic variety into the playlist.
22. "Window" by Eric Bolander
The fertile grounds of Kentucky songwriters seems to be endless, and you can add Eric Bolander to a growing list of talented songwriters emerging from the Bluegrass State (or is it Commonwealth?). As with many of his contemporaries, Bolander brings a deep range of influences to his music that is rooted in the traditions of the folk/country genre. This is his latest single.
Tomorrow 7 or so more songs...
Featured Friday Playlist
