Back in April, we released our first download compilation featuring many of the artists we had featured up to that point. The release was timed so that it coincided with the high holy Record Store Day. As a year end treat, for those who might have missed it, I'm linking one more time to the Download Page for the Compilation. You'll find all the details there. And thanks once again to the great friend's who contributed to this collection of beautiful music. Happy New Year everybody from your friends at Ear to the Ground. J.W-M http://ear2theground-music.blogspot.com/p/site-ear-to-ground-presents-volume-i.html
In contrast to yesterday's shuffle which contained a mix of classic (i.e. very old music) and new stuff, all of the songs in today's shuffle were released in 2012. Let's get to it...
First up, we have a young band from Florida which I came across during some random surfing on Bandcamp. Grounded play noisy rock and I kind of dig their style... so yeah... The song we have today is called Take the Hit... We have the Bandcamp widget for you to listen and Download Grounded's three song demo and it's Free! So take a chance with Grounded.
Next up, we have another superb song from the Marvin Country! album by Marvin Etzioni (Lone Justice). This one is called Bob Dylan is Dead, and it's a really great song. Interesting and totally random incident... yesterday, I went to Twitter and saw that Bob Dylan was trending,and I had to immediately make sure he had not died. He hadn't. Rather he is releasing his 35th studio album soon. Anyway, you really need to go get Marvin Country!
I could not find a video for Bob Dylan is Dead, so here is a interview with Mr. Etzioni from Inside Music Row.
And finally, we dig deeper into the awesome debut by Nashville rock superground, The Bluefields. The album is called Pure, and the song today is called Trainwreck. The Bluefields started a three week run of free shows at the Hi-Watt in Nashville. I missed last night and will have to miss next week, but I am going to try to make it the week after. If you're around Nashville head on down for what is sure to be a good time.
Best Albums of 2011 (Dances) – I Guess I’m Floating
"Warm Weather is a still-wet-behind-the-ears outfit outta Los Angeles who play kaleidoscopic indie rock replete with vocal harmonies that will have fans of running the spectrum from The Beach Boys to Grizzly Bear snapping their fingers in approval." –My Old Kentucky Blog
"Warm Weather are exactly what you want them to be – a dancey synth pop LA based band with plenty of boyish charm and heart-crushing soaring harmonies." – Listen Before You Buy The Song:
It's ironic that the title of the second track on LA-based band Warm Weather's sophomore EP, Looking Through, is "Stay" as the song will make listeners want to do anything but sit still. The fastest and most urgent sounding song on the EP features smooth, complementary vocals and almost unexpected rocking guitars.Music Dissection says, "Guitars and drums support with almost Mediterranean zest the soothing vocals, the catchy refrain--a stand-out feature. An incredibly thick musical interlude harks back to The Who; classic rock lent a folk sensibility..."
The guys are currently in the process of recording new material at Truth Studios in Los Angeles, which will be ready later this summer.
Session Recorded During Band's Spring 2012 National Tour
Critical Praise for Brown Shoe:
"Taking cues from Coldplay and Band of Horses, these four cute brothers and their equally cute friend make soaring rock music ripe for emotional movie montages."- Nylon Magazine
"Expressing heartache and loss through grand, daring musical compositions, "Diving Bell" is a song that's easy to play over and over again." - Magnet Magazine
"Brown Shoe creates intricate, huge, pop songs, glacially moving things with arena-rock heft behind them." - Pop Matters
"5/5" - Music Emissions
The Session:
Daytrotter released Brown Shoe's session last night, which was recorded at Daytrotter's studio, The Horseback, in downtown Rock Island, Ill., on April 2. Included in the session is a haunting cover of the Bruce Springsteen track "I'm On Fire," along with "The Run" from Brown Shoe's latest LP, The Gift Horse. The set is rounded out by "Aquarium"and "Goodnight Old Man;" two fan favorites from the band's catalog.
Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller had this to say about the session: "The band, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Ryan Baggaley, bassist Bryson Baggaley, guitarist Aaron Baggaley, guitarist Chandler Clemons and drummer Landon Baggaley, gives you a feeling that you're sitting in a worn out chair - with the springs jabbing you in the lower back - in a house sitting at the end of a road that no one drives on. Even less people seem to be driving by these days. It's lonely. It's heartbreakingly, goddamn fucking lonely out here, where they bring us."
The emotional place they bring us to is even more impressive given that practically the entire band was ill when they recorded their session. Aaron recalls, "We were really looking forward to playing Daytrotter for the first time, and the morning of it we woke up in Chicago to Landon throwing up in the bathroom. We all just assumed that he's a lightweight, then Chandler started throwing up and we knew something was up. By the time we started, three of us were having a bout with food poisoning. We could hardly stand, let alone load gear, but we're such big fans of Daytrotter that we just couldn't imagine not doing it. At the end of the day, we're all really glad that we got to be a part of it, even if we felt like hell while we were doing it."
Warm Weather, our favorite LA-based trio of a cappella-infused indie rockers, has released their first official video for the single "So Far/Vertigo" from their latest EP, Looking Through. The comedic video stars the ladies of the Cocoon Central Dance Team clad in workout gear, sprinting along to the music in bursts of synchronized movement as they sport exaggeratedly goofy smiles and play to the camera. You'll need to catch your breath too as the girls pause, winded, and then cheerfully begin to dance in place to the whimsical lyrics and calculated harmonizing.
"Ry and I put together the 'So Far' intro one day when Justin was out of town - quite literally 'far away from home,'" explains Brendan Lynch-Salamon. "That sentiment of being away or getting away fit right into the concept that ties theDances EP together, and 'Vertigo' explores what drives us to go, to change our context."
Best Albums of 2011 (Dances) – I Guess I’m Floating
"Warm Weather is a still-wet-behind-the-ears outfit outta Los Angeles who play kaleidoscopic indie rock replete with vocal harmonies that will have fans of running the spectrum from The Beach Boys to Grizzly Bear snapping their fingers in approval." – My Old Kentucky Blog
"Warm Weather are exactly what you want them to be – a dancey synth pop LA based band with plenty of boyish charm and heart-crushing soaring harmonies." – Listen Before You Buy
Good Morning... okay it's afternoon, but this is still your morning music shuffle cause I listened to it this morning. Votes are pouring in for the Band of the Year Readers Poll. Get info on how to vote here and mainly check out all 27 of these outstanding bands and artists.
First: Indie-Classical Sextet ymusic class up our playlist with a St. Vincent composition called Proven Badlands from their debut (Kickstarter funded) album Beautiful Mechanical.
(click on album cover to buy Beautiful Mechanical by ymusic)
Second: Manchester Pop/Rock band The Hollies CCR-inspired classic, Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) with Graham Nash's replacement Allan Clarke on vocals (released by EMI to compete against a Polydor release with yet another lead singer).
(click on album cover to buy Greatest Hits: The Hollies)
Third and Fourth: A couple of Christmas tracks from Band of the Year nominees - The Walla Recovery.
The Carol of the Bells/The Holly & the Ivy combines an early 20th Century Ukrainian Christmas carol with a Traditional English carol. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is another traditional English Christmas Carol.
(use the widget above to get your free download of A Star, A Star Vol. 3 by TheWalla Recovery)
