E2TG 2/16/2021 - Ice and Snow and Life - Long Time Gone Mix (Liverwurst Remix)

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I have always tended to like snow and icy weather. When I was a kid, it meant we were out of school and I loved playing in the snow. I guess, overall, I still do like snow- at least in theory and at least when I can stay warm inside and watch it... but I really don't like the cold or the inconvenience of it all - places closed, roads dangerous, people dangerous.  But, lately, here in Nashville, we don't get much snow, so it is kind of exciting - at least at first. 

This particular winter weather event is, I guess, a little more annoying that usual. This is supposed to be my week to "get on with life" and the snow and ice makes it feel like I am being hampered from getting on with life... 

Featured Friday Playlist (Songs 12-15)

12. "Better Days" by Jennifer Tefft

The new single from this singer-songwriter based in New England. Tefft is a cancer survivor who underwent an unexpected divorce and was just emerging into a new life of teaching music and touring around New England when the pandemic hit. This beautiful song is her response and it offers hope to many of us who have faced our own versions of her story. 

13. "Waiting on You Tonight" by Beth Lee

The debut solo album from this Austin, Texas based singer-songwriter who has released albums previously with Beth Lee & the Breakups.  This album was recorded in the East Bay area of California. Wonderful stuff. 

14. "Stars" by Brian Falduto

Next up, we have a recent single from NYC based queer country singer-songwriter Brian Falduto. A great introduction to this artist. 

15. "WFTWTE" by Arrlo

 We close out this segment of music with a recent single from this Riverside, CA indie band which is fronted by transgender male singer-songwriter Sunni Suede. An awesome song and a great way to close out this part of the playlist. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

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E2TG 12/10/2020 - It's Okay to Not Be Okay - It Just Happens Mix (White China Remix)

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UPDATE:  This is the post I had prepared last Thursday when I received the devastating news of the sudden loss of one of the members of my immediate family. Obviously, I never completed this post. Over the weekend, as we have been dealing with the loss and saying goodbye, I have thought about it, and I have decided to post this - as is it stands now.  I am going to take the rest of this week off - except I will be posting a new Featured Friday Playlist on Friday which will cover two weeks worth of new and recent music.  Next week - believe it or not - is Christmas week. So far - the new releases for Christmas week are pretty slim - so I have been working on a E2TG Christmas Playlist which I will be unveiling.  I am off the next two Thursdays and Fridays after this week, so I will have to see how posting goes for those days.  

In the meantime - enjoy the final part of our Featured Friday Playlist recap from last week and check out the Shuffle below for some random music from 2014-2020 without any explanations. The video playlist covers either the songs or at least the artists listed. 

I will be back. Thanks for your patience. 

Whew! We have made it to the end of this week's Featured Friday Playlist - at 55 songs and almost three and half hours this was our longest Playlist yet - coming on the heals of one of our shortest...  Today - we wrap up our recap with songs 46-55:

46. "Faceman" by Death of a Legend

First up, we have the debut single by a new rock band out of Milano, Italy - formed by members of that city's hardcore scene.  An impressive debut. 

47. "Reach out your hand - Radio Edit" by Gus Force

Next up, a new single from Sweden about the state of the world and how even though we have to be physically apart - we still need one another.

48. "In Tune" by Meilir

Next - we have the title track from the debut album by this experimental singer-songwriter from Wales. We have featured a lot of interesting music from Wales lately. 

49. "Enough Fears" by Scenius

Scenius returns to the Playlist - with the title track from their debut album. Scenius is the band featuring UK producer Steve Whitfield and French singer Fab Nau. Great stuff.  

50. "Your Decision" by IN Peril

Next up, we have the second single by this hard rock band from Northampton. 

51. "Live As Myself" by Ludovico Technique

Next up, we have the latest single from New York based Industrial goth metal band Ludovico Technique. Great to have some industrial music in the playlist. 

52. "Alessa" by Rainfredrick, Monalisa Stephen

Next up, we have a new song from this rapper, singer/songwriter and entrepreneur who was born in Nigeria and who is currently based in Mexico.  This song features a Monalisa Stephen who is a singer based in Nigeria. This track is in Spanglish - a dialect that combines Spanish and English. 

53. "Flowers" by Dankrupt

Next up - an alternative Reggae song from this band - who I believe are based in Los Angeles. 

54. "Risk It All - Hillsdom Remix" by Belau

Next up, a brand new remix single from this Hungarian electronica band who have been featured on BBC and in Rolling Stone. 

55. "So Close" by Thrillsville 

We previously featured L.A. darkwave artist Thrillsville earlier this year with his pandemic inspired single "Lockdown". He is back with a new EP called Say Goodbye to the Light. A massive sound to close out this massive playlist.  

See you tomorrow with a brand new Playlist!

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 5/12/2020 - Where Was I? - Holy Hell Mix (Harper's Ferry Remix)

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Both during the quarantine and especially this past couple of weeks, I have had time to reflect on the State of E2TG.  This week marks the 9th Anniversary of E2TG. During those nine years, many solo music blogs have come and gone or gone dormant, and I totally understand why.

I have always said E2TG has kept going out of stubbornness and my intention to keep going as long as it made sense to do so.  During 2019, I reached a point where I knew I had to make some changes to how I operated E2TG, and I put that new plan into place in January (sort of).  Not everything has gone according to plan. It has been an eventual and difficult five months so far - with no sign of abatement.

The Featured Friday is going well, and I appreciated all the support.  The shuffle was, as planned, relegated to a feature not intended to highlight new releases (often).  This was a big change from prior years, and it was basically necessary - the daily posting was taking too long and my time was running way too short.

The limitations of the Spotify Playlist is that I can't really featured music that hasn't been released yet, and some artists are choosing not to use Spotify (which I again totally get).

Another new feature was the new release calendar. I am only moderately happy with it. It is relatively easy to maintain (when I have time), but many times, I don't get things added like I would like - either because I don't know about it or don't remember when I do update it.

I had hoped to use that as a springboard to post some short reviews and possibly provide links to pre-orders etc. That has not happened as I would have liked. Basically, I spend the time I have adding music to the calendar, and then run out of time or energy when it comes to the short reviews.

I know that all of this has meant that some people may feel like E2TG is providing the coverage it once did - while some people now get coverage that wouldn't have before. At this point, it is what it is. As with many people, some days, it is all I have to just get out of bed and put one foot in front of the others.  In addition, I am fortunate enough to still have my day job and be working from home - so I don't have the huge glut of free time that some people have experienced. Not a complaint at all, just an observation.

So part of my self-assessment is to decide what E2TG is and what it isn't, and then to decide if it still makes sense to keep going. E2TG is not an unpaid publicist - even for artists and people I love. (Nor a paid one either). Some times, my methods and approaching will not align with the marketing strategy of a particular artist or publicist - it just won't. I can only offer what I have to offer - which is me telling my readers what music is on my mind,

If ever comes a time when I stop having fun and/or no one is reading, I probably will stop, but that day is not today. 

Onward!

    Featured Friday Playlist

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - Late Devonian Mix (Magic Bus Remix)

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    *Note: The video playlist at the bottom of the post attempts to closely approximate the shuffle I listened to on my way to work this morning. When a video for a song was not available, I substituted another song by the same artist. When I could not find any videos by an artist, I included a related video or did not include a video for that track. This blog may reference unreleased tracks, however, no unreleased music is ever included.

Think of supporting WXNA like subscribing to your favorite streaming service.  You can choose to make recurring monthly donation. The best part is you can pick what level you are able to give. Try that with AppNetify +.

Again to donate you can visit wxnafm.org  or call 615-933-9962.  By the way, if you donate during Double Shot  (Saturday from 9-11am), your donation will be triple matched thanks to some of our fine supporters.

Let's get WILD with a Wild Wednesday shuffle - a shuffle of all the music I have saved to my phone's memory card.  It amounts to over 3,000 songs - I think.

2018 E2TG Earie Awards - # 9 - Recap September 2018

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HOLIDAY SHOPPING ALERT!!!!: The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)


Today is the last scheduled E2TG Shuffle until after the New Year, however, since we are running to days behind, there are two more shuffles plus some miscellaneous posts which will come during the time I am off work.

Today, we are up to September 2018.  We have more Earies to hand out, plus some previous 2018 Earie winners returning...

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - You Afraid Mix

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Words No Music A Reading coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 6:30pm Radio Cafe Nashville. No Cover, tips accepted and books will be for sale. We have an incredible line-up featuring David Olney,  Rod Picott, Luke Powers, Rebecca Weiner Tompkins, and yours truly. All but me are incredible musicians and songwriters, but for this show - they will let their words speak for them without music.  I will be reading from The Drift plus some selections from a forthcoming book.   FACEBOOK EVENT HERE!

All of this happened a long time ago when the world was a very different place. Of course, none of us knew that at the time.
(From The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres) Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)

If you have read The Drift, please consider writing a review on Amazon. If you haven't read it, you can get your own copy through Amazon or if you are in Nashville, you can get them from me.

I am continuing to work on my Spotify playlists for E2TG.  So far, I have completed seven - January - July2018.  These are meant to be a cross-section of music I featured during those months - not necessarily music released in those months.   If you are interested, you can check out the playlists (links below)  and follow my personal profile to find out when new playlists are created.

E2TG January 2018
E2TG February 2018
E2TG March 2018
E2TG April 2018 
E2TG May 2018
E2TG June 2018
E2TG July 2018
E2TG August 2018 (coming soon!)
E2TG September 2018  (coming soon!)
E2TG October 2018  (coming soon!)
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Man, I sure am glad that with the election over we can have a period of calm regarding politics... oh wait - never mind. 

Meanwhile, another day, another mass shooting. Another round of "thoughts and prayers" but no concrete action to change anything.  I'll be honest, while I am tired of "thoughts and prayers" in the absence of any concrete action - I am also not fond of those who take that as an opportunity to attack the concept of prayer or faith in general.  When it comes to people praying for an outcome and the failing to take action - in any situation, it is like the person who is stranded in the middle of the ocean and prays for rescue - and when a ship and helicopter comes to save him, he turns them away saying God is going to save him. Then, he drowns and he asks God why he wasn't saved - God says, "I sent you a helicopter and a ship."  If you believe in prayer, but you ignore the solutions - right in front of you - that may be divinely inspired, then you might as well not pray.


Let's jump into the shuffle - it's Thursday - so we go back to our "New Music" playlist.  Kind of a short shuffle - because the last "track" was actually a whole 20+ minute EP - as one mixtape-like track.

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Mid-Life Crisis Mix

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All of this happened a long time ago when the world was a very different place. Of course, none of us knew that at the time.
(From The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres) Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)

If you have read The Drift, please consider writing a review on Amazon. If you haven't read it, you can get your own copy through Amazon or if you are in Nashville, you can get them from me.

I am continuing to work on my Spotify playlists for E2TG.  So far, I have completed seven - January - July2018.  These are meant to be a cross-section of music I featured during those months - not necessarily music released in those months.   If you are interested, you can check out the playlists (links below)  and follow my personal profile to find out when new playlists are created.

E2TG January 2018
E2TG February 2018
E2TG March 2018
E2TG April 2018 
E2TG May 2018
E2TG June 2018
E2TG July 2018
E2TG August 2018 (coming soon!)
E2TG September 2018  (coming soon!)


Nice chilly morning this morning, and now the sun is out, and it is still a little chilly. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I just wish it lasted longer.  Lately, we seem to go from Summer to Winter - but I'm going to enjoy Fall while I can.

Well it is Thursday, and that means, we dive back into the "New Music" playlist. We have a couple of second listens and one first listen, plus some old favorites. Let's just do it!

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Hiding In Time Mix

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All of this happened a long time ago when the world was a very different place. Of course, none of us knew that at the time.
(From The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres) Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)

I am continuing to work on my Spotify playlists for E2TG.  So far, I have completed seven - January - July2018.  These are meant to be a cross-section of music I featured during those months - not necessarily music released in those months.   If you are interested, you can check out the playlists (links below)  and follow my personal profile to find out when new playlists are created.

E2TG January 2018
E2TG February 2018
E2TG March 2018
E2TG April 2018 
E2TG May 2018
E2TG June 2018
E2TG July 2018
E2TG August 2018 (coming soon!)


I was trying to write my thoughts about yesterday, but I was having trouble verbalizing...

I believe women (and men) who say they were sexually assaulted. Do false accusations happen? Absolutely. Do those false accusations cause me to disbelieve the next victim who comes forward? Absolutely not. Should someone be convicted and jailed based solely on the word of a victim. Of course not.  Should the matter be investigated? Absolutely.

Should someone be handed a lifetime appointment with accusations hanging over them without an investigation? Absolutely not.

The most disturbing thing of all is seeing the fundamental lack of basic humanity on display in Congress and in my Facebook feed. It is one thing to support the nomination and entirely another to shame and attack the woman who made the accusation. Those who support the nominee and believe him to be innocent should be the ones screaming the loudest for an investigation - but they are not.

Bottom line, the behavior of the nominee in yesterday's hearing should be disqualifying regardless of the veracity of the claims against him. 

And the other thing... I am a huge proponent of laughter and humor as an antidote for stressful times, and I have had some humorous thoughts pop into my head over this current stress. But, I have chosen not to post these jokes - even jokes I think of as harmless or with no bad intention. For the record, "spin the bottle" and writing notes to ask a classmate if they like you or not - have nothing at all to do with sexual assault or rape. NOTHING.

Bottom line, to anyone reading this who has been a victim of sexual abuse or rape, I stand with you. I hear you. I believe you.

Okay - I still believe music heals so let's get to the music.....

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - I Feel Off Mix

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All of this happened a long time ago when the world was a very different place. Of course, none of us knew that at the time.
(From The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres) Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available)

I am continuing to work on my Spotify playlists for E2TG.  So far, I have completed seven - January - July2018.  These are meant to be a cross-section of music I featured during those months - not necessarily music released in those months.   If you are interested, you can check out the playlists (links below)  and follow my personal profile to find out when new playlists are created.

E2TG January 2018
E2TG February 2018
E2TG March 2018
E2TG April 2018 
E2TG May 2018
E2TG June 2018 
E2TG July 2018 
E2TG August 2018 (coming soon!)


Well Americana Madness is coming next week!  For those not in the know, Americana is not really a musical genre - rather it is a way of marketing music that is a development of one of several types of roots music that originated in the United States. At least, that is my take on it.  If a group tells me they are "Americana" - I don't think I know anymore about the band's sound or influences - except that they might have influences of country, folk, blues, bluegrass, and/or soul (or some combination of those).

As for the Americana Music Festival - it is a fairly diverse music festival (it is also a conference with many workshops and panels) - I mean you likely won't hear hip-hop or speed metal (but you might hear bands who include those genres in their background/influences). The festival itself has grown exponentially over the last several years.  It has come to incorporate almost all of the major music venues in town, and it has spawned many unofficial and official parties and events featuring many musicians - including many who are regularly featured on E2TG. With this growth, it has become impossible to see everyone one may want  to see, and problematic to navigate between venues to catch as many faves a possible.  The other day, I posted on Facebook that my goals were to see as many out of town friends and possible and to hear as much "new to me music" as possible.  Fortunately, in attempting to meet these goals, I will also get to hang with some of my favorite local people and hear some of my already favorite acts.

Thinking about all of this has made me think about "success" - First of all, I think the concept of a successful musician/artist is different for everyone, however, in thinking about this from a "fan" perspective - at E2TG - my goal has always been to listen to and talk about music that is meaningful to me. I want my friends and favorite bands to find success (however they define that), but that success is never really the focus of what I am doing. I mean this not to diminish the hard work and sacrifice of those who have achieve some measure of mainstream "success" - rather it is meant to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of those for whom such success has been more elusive, but who still produce meaningful and wonderful art.

All of that to say, American Fest will - as always - feature artists who are at every marker on the imaginary continuum of success. My personal advice to anyone attending AMA week - is to not limit yourself to artists who have heard of. Do some research and try to see some artists that are new to you.

Finally, Americana week is basically like a "normal" week of live music in Nashville  - on steroids.


It's shuffle time - as we close out the last two days of the week - delving into the "New Music" playlist.