Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Into the Mandolin Wind Mix

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Welcome to the working week... since we last gather here, I've had the great good fortune to see some incredibly great music.  Friday night, I got to hang out with awesome people and witness the Tim Lee 3 rocking the house in a rare Nashville appearance followed by the amazing R.B. Morris with his crack band bringing words and music together in the most spellbinding way.

Saturday night, I saw Ted Drozdowki's Scissormen rock the stage at City Winery opening for The Baseball Project. The Baseball Project haven taken a concept and through a love of the subject and the creative geniuses behind The Dream Syndicate, Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5, and R.E.M. among others rode that concept for 8 years and 3 albums to date with no sign of slowing down.  My review of that show is on No Depression.

After the Baseball Project show, I got to hang out with more cool people (after climbing a circular staircase) and see an incredible round of music that makes me proud to live in this city.  Kevin Gordon, Sarah Potenza (accompanied by her husband Ian), and Jeff Black sat and delivered to a packed out lounge at City Winery.

As if that was not enough, Sunday night, I got to hang out with the immensely talented Russell Thompson and watch Mary Gauthier and Allison Moorer swap songs for almost two hours accompanied for much of the time by the incredible guitarist Kenny Greenberg.  My review of that show should be posted on No Depression very soon.

Whew!  Now back to the workday grind (but only a four day work week this week), and a brand new never before heard shuffle of music to melt your mind and expand you face... or something like that...

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Circular Mix

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Well...well...well... we've reached the mid-point of this work week. 

Last night's Kevn Kinney/Peter Case show at The Basement East was every bit as awesome as I expected.  Case opened with "Walk in the Woods" - the song that first introduced me to his classic self-titled debut solo album and Kinney followed that with the title track from his equally classic solo debut, MacDougal Blues. For the next couple of hours, they traded songs and stories...

Friday Afternoon Music Shuffle - What's So Funny Mix

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I took the day off work and barely saw the morning....  so no traditional shuffle but I did run an errand earlier and shuffled a few tunes.... Plus I had some other things to share:

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Carry the Day Mix

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In just nine songs, with just seven different artists represented, we manage to cover a pretty wide range of styles today....  and even spread some Christmas.... er... cheer?????

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - No Safe Harbor Mix

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In a moment of extreme clumsiness, I accidently deleted the entire "Current Music" playlist from my phone.  This is was the continually evolving playlist that I use used to create the morning shuffles you have all come to love so much.  I'm not sure how it happened, but as far as I could tell there was no "Undo" button, so I set about to spend a couple of hours attempting to cobble together a new "Current Music" playlist from my memory.  I also took advantage of this minor disaster to add some Holiday-themed music to the mix.  In the course, I know I forgot some songs (which you will never know about - except that I am telling you) and I am pretty sure I added back some songs that have already been featured (which you will only know about if you have been paying very close attention - in which case, I thank you and beg your patience).

So, the new "Current Music" playlist is a couple of hundred songs short of what I deleted (I will add more as I remember), but I like to think of it as a leaner and meaner playlist.  So, behold....

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Pitch Black Mix

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As with many people, my mind is consumed with thoughts of what has happened and is happening in Ferguson, Missouri and what it says about us as a nation - as human beings.... I am not one of those who thinks he has all the answers... in fact there are just a few things I think I know.... repeated and systemic injustice creates situations where violence flourishes.  Violence and Hate are never the answer.  Peace and Love always are the answer.  Justice must proceed peace.  We are one world and one people. We really need to work on losing this idea of them vs. us.

Coincidently, we begin today's random shuffle with a cover of  Gil Scott-Heron song, but not the one I've seen others posting today...

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Roots Reality Mix

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I had the great pleasure last night of venturing to one my favorite spots in East Nashville - The Family Wash for their regular Tuesday night Short Sets, and I got to see Joe Nolan perform.  He has been featured a couple of times recently here at E2TG, and it was great to hear him play live and to finally meet him in person...

Due to some unforeseen and unfortunate events, I am shorter than usual on time for today's shuffle...   So let's do what we can with what we have to work with... a stunningly diverse and awesome shuffle today...

Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Hollerin' Mix

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First things first:  The Grey A have a brand new video for their timely song "Dumb Fool".  It's a fun film noir style video which includes our old friend Howard Rabach pounding on a table.  Check it out here:





Second of all, I had a great time seeing Darrin Bradbury and The Fran's Eastside Super-High Band deliver a stellar set at The 5 Spot last night. 

Careful readers will recall that back in September yours truly had two reviews featured on the No Depression website.  One was for The Grey A's album My Country and the other was for Darrin Bradbury's album Motel Oatmeal. 

Now there is another coincidental connection between the two - if you look at picture above, at the extreme right of the picture - kind of in the shadows on the picture is Trombone player Diego Vasquez who joined the Super-High band last night and also played with The Grey A when I saw them at The Stone Fox (and played on The Grey A album I believe).


Finally, I need to announce that there are big, big things in store for #E2TG in the coming new year.  (Translation: I am basically punting the last month and a half of 2014 so expect nothing from me until after New Years by which time I hope you will have forgotten that I promised "big, big things") 
Seriously, the Shuffles will continue unabated... well mostly unabated.... well just somewhat abated... well at least occasionally unabated...

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Fool Who Knows Mix

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Of late, one of the musical highlights of my week has been the Wednesday night Tim Carroll/Darrin Bradbury extravaganza at Fran's Eastside Tavern.  Just having the opportunity to see this two talents in a casual/laid back setting has been amazing, and it has been fun to see this thing grow into a bit of a happening.  If you live near Nashville and can stay up late and handle a whole lot of smoke, you should come out.  Last night, those who showed up and stuck around were treated to the added bonus of a short set from David Dondero - who NPR's All Songs Considered called one of the best living songwriters.  I can tell you based on what I heard, they were not exaggerating in the least.

On to the shuffle---

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Danglin' Mix

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Yet another rainy morning in Music City USA - home of the Ear to the Ground Morning Shuffle (patent pending but not really) and some other music related stuff, I guess... ;-)