A wonderful mix of songs today in both segments of music. Let's get right to it.
Featured Friday Recap Part 3 (songs 27-35):
27. "Powerful Pierre" by Skidders
First up today, we have the recent single (from the forthcoming Friends & Family - due May 4) from this veteran UK musician. The album is an acoustic follow-up to the 2015 album Skiddeerselectric. A great start to this segment of music.
28. "Dignify Me" by Eddie Turner
Next up, we have the fantastic new single from this musical powerhouse. It is the first single from his forthcoming Change in Me which is due out May 14. Eddie Turner was born in Cuba and raised in Chicago. The new album was recorded between New York City and his current home of Denver, Colorado. A great tune.
29. "Wait in the Dark" by Hadda Be
Next up, we have the lead-off single from the forthcoming (April 30) Another Life by this post-punk meets Brit-pop band formerly known as Foundlings. The band name comes from an Allen Ginsberg poem and marks the emergence of the band with a new line-up and a new attitude. Cool stuff.
30. "Preacher" by Heckyl
Next, we have the debut release from this emerging pop artist (aka Luke Potter). Catchy and a great sounding track.
31. "Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby" by Erika Grapes
Next up, we have the new single from the singer and songwriter from Milan. A wonderful atmospheric and sultry track.
32. "The Gulf Between Us" by Craig Cummings
We have the timely title track from the new album by this Washington D.C. singer-songwriter who combines a country rock sound with a solid pop sensibility. The song has a powerful message about all the things that divide in these difficult times.
33. "Bring Back the Love" by New Yank Yorkies
Next up, we have the fantastic recent single from a band whose members' roots run deep in the Canadian music world. Credits include Bryan Adams, Bruce Cockburn, Jane Sibury, Odds, Jimmy Barnes and more.
34. "Shadow of the Pyramids" by Kristian North
Next, we have the first taste of the upcoming second album by this Montreal based indie pop singer-songwriter who previously fronted the garage punk band Babysitter.
34. "Existor" by Sunlust
From Montreal, we move to Toronto with this track from the recently released debut album by this noisy geek rock band that formed in 2018. A great way to close out this segment of music.
So, we have seen the widespread protests across the country and around the world in response to the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd. We have also seen specific actions - such as the call to reinvent or "defund' the police. We have seen confederate statues being removed from public places, NASCAR banning the confederate flag, laws being proposed, people speaking out for the first time.
We have also seen the reaction - policy doubling down on brutality. Right wing politicians using racist and fascist language. Police targeting peaceful protesters and reporters. Trump is planning a hate rally in Tulsa on June 19th - the symbolism of the date and place are not lost on most of us.
Let's not forget voter suppression efforts by the GOP on State, Local, and National levels.
So, my question for today is now what? More protests? Major voter recruitment efforts - backed by legal challenges to voter suppression? Making sure voices are heard no matter what and no matter how...
All of the above maybe? I am truly frightened by what is happening in this country and what so many are allowing to happen.
And, in the midst of all that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. Nashville is stuck in Phase II of our reopening because it seems like most people are acting like the whole thing is over.
I am just going to admit right now that I don't have a lot of answers, but I vow to keep asking questions and to keep shining a light into the darkness of the fascist regime holding our nation hostage.
Whew! Okay - next week, I promise to say what I really feel...
Now, it is time to conclude our recap of this week's Featured Friday Playlist with the final five songs in the shuffle. Tomorrow, it will be time for a brand new Featured Friday Playlist!
22. "Promise of Tomorrow" by Turkeyfoot
The title track to the new album from Colorado based bluegrass band Turkeyfoot. The album have some purer bluegrass moments, but you can hear the bluegrass influences on this country song.
23. "Low Way" by Robert Kuhn
Next up, we have a track released ahead of a new album called Persevere. Robert Kuhn is a singer-songwriter and surfer from Galveston, Texas. The album was made while recovering from a near fatal car accident. Then the pandemic hit and added a new level of perseverance. I dig this song.
24. "That's How I Roll" by Debra Power
Next up, we have a blues singer-songwriter and pianist from Calgary, Alberta, Canada with the title track of her new album. Nice to have some rollicking blues in the playlist.
25. "Condolences" by Skanger
Next up, we have the debut single from this duo based in Dublin, Ireland. Colin Morris (Sunbear) and Mark Healy (The Josephs). The duo's influences mix shoegaze influences with the ambient/drone music of Brian Eno and others. A nice change of pace for this playlist.
26. "Dust" by Good Foxy
Last but not least, we have the new single from UK band Good Foxy. This a track from their new album Planets Over There. A nice alternative rock song to round out the playlist.
Here are the promised details for the Magnolia Roads American Roots Hoedown V Virtual Festival:
HOEDOWN IS ON via Virtual Festival Noon-ish to 6pm on Virtual Festival and Magnolia Roads pages. In these fluid, crazy times more details to come. Stock up on some Founders Brewing Co. brews and get ready for a real good time while staying at home.
Magnolia Roads presents the 5th annual American Roots Hoedown, inspired by the music that grew from the roots of America at honky-tonks and dive bars, juke joints and roadhouses, backyards and campfires. It will 15 feature artists, Magnolia Roads family and friends, who epitomize American Roots music through their blend of Bluegrass, Blues, Country, Folk, Funk, and Rock n Roll, flavored with the deep grooves of the South and Jam Band psychedelic twirls over 12 hours of live music at The 5 Spot.
It's a family reunion of artists, a love fest and a yang dang doodle good time!
Founders Brewing Co. is sponsoring the event and their brews will be available on draft and in cans both nights. www.foundersbrewing.com
Nashville local biz, Joelton Hardware is also sponsoring.
In association with Rock The Vote, we'll be having voter registration too!
Saturday, April 25 Nachez Tracers Duo Lauren Aanderson David Newbould Jeff Mix Jenny Van West No Oil Paintings Chris Wilson Renee Wahl Andrew Sheppard Triggers & Slips ~ Morgan Snow Mike Younger Rich Mahan The Truehearts Lady Couch Sneezy
We'll be rockin', jammin', dancing and make music history! Hope y'all will join us. Donations/tips, we're a family and share: PAYPAL: magnoliaroadsmusic@gmail.com VENMO: @magnoliaroads Now, I am running a bit short on time, so let's jump right to today's shuffle! (Below)
Show alert! Two time E2TG Artist of the Year Darrin Bradbury will be at 3rd and Lindsley Sunday Night for a show hosted by a radio station that is not the one I am associated with... Excited every time I get to see Darrin perform live...
It is Friday, and time for another edition of the Featured Friday Playlist on Spotify. See below. 17 songs in the playlist this week. This week's playlist includes new and recent music by Nashville artists Evan P. Donohue (a founding member of Diarrhea Planet), The Singing Butcher, Party of Shine, Kyshona Armstrong, Irene Kelley, and Victoria Woodworth, Plus music from E2TG favorites Joe Goodkin, DateMonthYear, Sammy Brue, Tiny Fighter, and Christopher Paul Stelling. Plus, some newer "discoveries" like Kat Hamilton, Emily Zuzik, Chicago Farmer, Surrija, Wynnm, and HMS Morris. Check it out and give the playlist a follow on Spotify.
Featured Friday Playlist Brand New List Today!
Friday Shuffle:
Time to close out the week. It was a snowy morning commute. As usual, a delightfully eclectic mix of music.
"One Wish" by Habit of Mine (from Habit of Mind)
A first listen to this Los Angeles based alternative rock band. This came to us via a direct inquiry last month. Great sounding tune.
"Peggy Gordon" by Ricko Donovan (from Full On)
One-time Nashville resident, hammer dulcimer player, songwriter, and birthday brother Ricko Donovan is up next. Hope he makes it back to Nashville soon.
"Unfortunately" by Warming (from Warming)
"Horizon part.2" by Lions'Den (from Songbird)
"Sunken Aspects" by Claudio Conti (from Garnet Dusk)
"Rambling" by Moonshine Booze (from Desert Road)
"Trouble and Time" by Chris Carroll (from Trouble and Time)
I think there are over 5,000 songs saved in my phone memory, and a random shuffle brought up two songs this week from this 2014 album by the Texas singer-songwriter. We have been featuring her latest album Good Farmer (a collaboration with her husband Adam) recently.
"Remember the Love" by Heather Powell (from A Haze of Grays and Blues)
Speaking of defying the odds. Apparently, this song was save to my phone twice and came up on two consecutive days. The album was released in 2015, and yes, this track features Kevin Jenkins (for some reason he was credited on the track that came up yesterday but not on the track that came up today - I am sure they are the same track).
"Miles of Broadway" by Maynard and the Musties (from Cheap Cigar)
Nashville by way of Brooklyn band - with a track from an album released while they were living in New York.
"Salvation Jane" by INXS (The Best of INXS)
"Let the Four Winds Blow" by Warren Storm (from Taking the World, By Storm)
A cover of a 1961 Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino by legendary swamp pop pioneers Warren storm - on a album produced by Yvette Landry.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
Recent and Upcoming Releases:
Recent: 11/20 Brock Zeman - Hey Tom (a collection of Tom House Songs) (LP)(E2TG First Impression) 12/2 - Terry Klein - Live at KOOP (LP) 12/29 - Them Jones - "The Woman is a Poor Child" (single) 12/31 - Blackfoot Gypsies - Live at The Basement (LP) 1/06 - Francesco Mariano - "Room 107" (single) 1/07 - The Singing Butcher - "Top 40" (single) 1/08 - Luis Mojica- Shaman Food (LP) 1/10 - Palm Ghosts - "Wide Awake and Waiting" (single)(E2TG First Impression) 1/10 - Mary Bragg and Drivin' N Cryin' - "Don't Walk Away" (cover) (single) 1/10 - Them Airs - "Food Pyramid" (single) 1/10 - Lilly Hiatt - "Brightest Star" (single) 1/10 - Strange Majik - "Lo-Fi Hi" (single) (E2TG First Impression) 1/10 - Dean Fields - "Armadillo" (single) 1/10- Chicago Farmer - "All in One Place" (single) 1/10 - Surrija - "Nothing Love" (single) 1/10 - RB Morris - Going Back to the Sky (LP) 1/10 - Guided By Voices - "Volcano" (single) 1/10 - Sunshine Boys - "Infinity Girl" (single) 1/11 - Dolour (Shane Tutmarc) - "The Snake Eye" (single) 1/12 - Francesco Mariano - "Nine Lives" (single) 1/13 - Lauren Anderson - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (cover) (single) 1/14 - Drive-By Truckers - "Thoughts and Prayers" (single) 1/16 - Margo Price - Stone Me (single) 1/17 - Mark Hummel - Wayback Machine (LP) 1/17 - Jonny Polonsky - "The Weeping Souls" (single) 1/17 - Them Airs - Union Suit XL (LP)(E2TG First Impression) 1/17 - Innocence Mission - See You Tomorrow (LP) 1/17 - David Dondero - The Filter Bubble Blues (LP) 1/17 - MONO INC. - "Warriors" (single) 1/17 - Damen - "Americana" (single) 1/17 - The Singing Butcher - "Circus Girl" (single) 1/19 - Merrill Beach - "Geen"/"Marimba" (single)(E2TG First Impression) 1/21 - Broads and Milly Hirst - "Happisburgh" (single) 1/22 - Davis Raines - Turquoise and Silver (LP) (E2TG First Impression) 1/24 - Kailey Nicole - Kailey Nicole (LP) 1/24 - Mrs. Henry - Live at the Casbah (LP) 1/24 - Aeronautical Pioneer - "Hop High" (single) 1/24 - Three Rivers Project - Confluence (LP) 1/24 - MONO INC. - The Book of Fire (LP) 1/24 - Dispel - Lore (LP) 1/24 - The New Nostalgia - "Nothing is New" (single) 1/24 - The Heliocentrics - "Burning Wooden Ship" (single) 1/24 - Electric High - "Harder to Justify" (single) 1/24 - J. Luke Cloutier - Drown (LP) 1/26 - Nik West - "Tears" (single) 1/28 - Motihari Brigade - Power from Below (LP) 1/29 - Remington Super 60 - NEW EP (EP) 1/31 - Eric Brace and Last Train Home - Daytime Highs and Overnight Lows (LP) 1/31 - Nick Pagliari - Midway (LP) 1/31 - Black Paisley - "Dreams" (single) 1/31 - Jolie Holland - Esconidida (Vinyl Reissue) (LP) 1/31 - John Dennis - Mortal Flames (LP) (E2TG First Impression) 1/31 - Emma Hill - How Could I Have Been So Wrong (EP) 1/31 - Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall - Concrete Feelings (LP) (E2TG First Impression) 1/31 - Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten) + Danielle de Picciotto (Crime and The City Solution) - The Current (LP) 1/31 - Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling (LP) 1/31 - Kristen Englenz - "Rebound" (single) 1/31 - Damen - "Disco" (single) 1/31 - Tinsley Ellis - Ice Cream in Hell (LP) 1/31 - The Singing Butcher - "Coming Home" (single) 2/01 - Glenn Jones - Ready for the Good Times (LP)
2/02 - Karabas Barabas - Degenerate National Anthem (LP) 2/04 - Mayflower Madame - "Vultures" (single) 2/05 - Joseph Mooradian - "We all Work Too Much"/"Dash My Dreams" (single)
Out Today!: 2/07 - Palm Ghosts - Wide Awake and Waiting (EP) 2/07 - Emily Zuzik - "Trouble" (single) 2/07 - Chicago Farmer - Flyover Country (LP) 2/07 - Surrija - "Barcelona" (single) 2/07 - The Flyin' A's - No Holds Barred (LP) 2/07 - Harry Stafford - "She Just Blew Me Away" (single) 2/07 - Christopher Paul Stelling - Best of Luck (LP) 2/07 - HMS Morris - "Babanod" (single) 2/07 - Tiny Fighter- "Strangest Thing" (single) 2/07 - Wynnm - "Fire on the Moon" (single) 2/07 - The Golden Cage Society - Mira (Mini EP) 2/07 - Alienbaby Collective - "Degenerate Moon" (single) 2/07 - Eric and the Anti-Vaxxers - Timeshare Girlfriend (EP) 2/07 - Sammy Brue - "Teenage Mayhem" and "Crash Test Kid" (singles) 2/07 - Lucille - "Kerikeri" (single)
A ton of new releases today - on the last day of the first month of 2020. You can check out the full list (and all recent and forthcoming releases) at the bottom of this post.
Some highlights:
Eric Brace and Last Train Home - Daytime Highs and Overnight Lows (LP)
We most recently featured Eric Brace and his excellent Riverland album with Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz. He has teamed back up with his old band to release their first album in a dozen years. A fine songwriter and a great sounding record.
John Dennis - Mortal Flames (LP)
We have been featuring and anticipating this release for a couple of months now. I have been a fan for John Dennis for a couple years now, and I believe this is his finest album to date, and one that I am sure will be riding high on my favorites list for months to come.
Emma Hill - How Could I Have Been So Wrong (EP)
A newcomer to E2TG - Emma Hill is a singer-songwriter from Alaska. This one comes to us via Broken Jukebox Media and Adam Dawson - so my expectations were high, and what I have heard so far has not disappointed. Hope to get a first impression post up soon for this.
Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall - Concrete Feelings (LP)
The first full-release from the 2019 E2TG Band of the Year. You can check out my "First Impression".
Kristen Englenz - "Rebound" (single)
We are about a month away from the release of Ingenue. I have been eagerly awaiting the album release for a while now. Fortunately, February is a short month. Kristen Englenz is an E2TG favorite and this is another album that I will be talking about for months to come.
So I started a new thing on E2TG called first impressions. It is exactly what the name implies, which is me listening to an album or song and giving you my initial impressions of what I am hearing and what ever else the music brings to mind. I will be doing this fairly often I hope and cover as much ground as I can. These will be separate posts and I will link to them on the Release Calendar next to the related entry. In case you missed the first, here is the LINK. But come back here because we have more goodies.
Other goodies
Please tune in to my WXNA radio show this Saturday (Double Shot with Joe and Sue on WXNA). Our theme will be Before They Were Stars, and we will our special tribute to our friend, hero, and one-time fellow DJ, David Olney. You can catch us Saturday morning beginning at 9:00am on 101.5FM in Nashville or at wxnafm.org If you can't catch the show live, you can check out the archives at the same website. We will have some early recordings from some E2TG favorites like Meghan Hayes, Darrin Bradbury, Adam Kurtz, and Adrian Krygowski (pre-Adrian+Meredith).
Also, please keep checking back with our NEW RELEASE calendar below. I am adding to it almost daily, and I am starting to add links to where you can pre-order, buy, hear/stream the music. I will be fine-tuning that who experience soon.
Here is an semi-official preview poster of the E2TG 8th Anniversary residency coming up in the Fall. I am excited about this line-up, and there is a slight chance I may have an additional announcement coming soon - or not. Who knows?
Meanwhile, we reached the mid-point of the week. Some time back, I came up with the name "Wild Wednesday" for this day when we don't shuffle from the "New Music/Trending Music" playlist but rather - we shuffle from all of the songs saved to my phone memory. The "Wild" refers to the fact that the songs in this shuffle can be anything (currently featured music, past featured music, all-time favorites, oddities that somehow got saved to my phone at some point in the past for reasons last to time, "classics" from the earliest days of E2TG and more (if that didn't over everything).
In a bit of a reflective mood. Which I say just to indicate that in the words that follow, I am addressing my self and my tendencies - not anyone else. One thing that E2TG has helped me with is a sense of insecurity about forming original and even unique opinions about music. I remember when I was young and first getting into music - in a major way - I would hear a band I had never heard before and really like what I heard, but then I would feel a need to get reassurance from someone else that it was really "good" music. I don't think I am totally unique in this and I don't think writing E2TG has 100% "cured" me of this tendency (it is still nice to have an opinion validated by someone whose opinion I trust), but I think it has improved things. The bottom line, as far as I am concerned, is that my opinion (and yours for that matter) is not contingent on what anyone else thinks. I guess that is why I am not a fan of trashing a band or artist just because I don't like them.
An extreme example: When Jon Landau famously declared, "I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen," (ignoring for a moment the influence the statement had on Springsteen's early popularity) he was stating an opinion. And certainly, some people have a keener ability to spot talent and potential, but it was an opinion nonetheless. What if Springsteen's first album had flopped and he had given up music and disappeared into obscurity. If that had happened, Landau's quote would have been forgotten and perhaps rightfully be seen as a mistake. BUT - it would not change the feeling that spurred the statement in the first place. I have seen bands that struck a chord with me (maybe not the future of rock n roll - but a great show) whose careers by some measure would sooner or later fizzle. That does not mean that the feeling I initially experienced was wrong.
In terms of E2TG, I always write about music that I like or love. Always. Over the years, I some of the people whose music I love - have thrived in music (as much as any artist can thrive these days) while others have (seemingly) mostly given up music to pursue other opportunities (and everywhere in between those two extremes). One reason, I don't really look back but rather keep moving forward is that knowing the outcome shouldn't and for me doesn't affect the veracity of my initial impression. I have written about bands or singer-songwriters whose music moved me deeply and who I believed should be known by a wider audience. I trust that initial feeling to be true - regardless of where that band/artist ended up. (This is not say that my opinions may not change over time - there is music I loved in college that I don't really want to listen to now, however, that change is not in any way a reflection or result of the relative success or lack therein of the band). (I will leave the moral/ethical questions about what to do or not do when an artist ends up being a serial killer or whatever - for another discussion).
I have to move on. After catching Jon Byrd and Paul Niehaus at their weekly show at Dee's, I made the decision to go to $2 - where other than Derek Hoke - the line-up was mostly artists I didn't know (or at least configurations I didn't know). Surrounding an extended set from Derek Hoke (with Paul Niehaus again and his usual band of Mark Robertson and Steve Latanation) I saw two singer-songwriters named Mike. Mike Frazier from Virginia did a solo set and Mike Lynch - relatively new to town did a set backed by Mark Robertson (again) and I drummer whose name I missed). Great sets by both Mikes. The late night slot was MASS - a relatively new project (drum and keyboards) featuring Jimmy Matt Rowland (who I most recently saw playing with Brian Wright) and Jon Radford - who it seems I keep running into - playing in many great combos. MASS was incredible - loungey instrumentals (but that description is lacking).
While I have been trying to post as much "new music" as possible over the last several weeks, I steadfastly refuse to skip my "Wild Wednesday" shuffle. Basically it is classic E2TG - where recent music resides next to classics from my collection which reside next to lesser known gems of various vintages....
I always look forward to what the shuffle will pull up, and I am almost never disappointed. Case in point....
Okay - just a few short observations before we jump into the Wild Wednesday Shuffle...
1. If T-Rump were standing over a dead body holding a literal smoking gun, he would tweet that this fact proves he is innocent and his base would believe him, and the GOP leadership would say something like, "we just don't know". Then again, I think he would - as he stated - shoot someone on 5th Avenue and would not lose a vote.
2. I made the mistake of reading the comment thread on a couple of Facebook posts yesterday (one was political and the other was not). OH MY GOD! The things people say to other people who happen to hold a difference of opinion - in some cases people they do not know... As a slightly socially awkward guy who likes expressing himself through the written word, social media has been a godsend. Hell, E2TG would not exist without Facebook and Twitter. But, we do need to recognize that there is a very dark side to this technology. To quote Allen Thompson Band, "People Are Assholes", and some of them like to prove this all over the comment section of other peoples posts. I have friends who seem to enjoy getting into "Flame Wars" with strangers on-line. To each his own, I guess, but when you look at the divisions that exist... it's easy to recognize that way differences of opinion are handled on-line is at least a symptom if not a contributing factor to the divide we face. As I said, one of the posts was a non-political post about something that happened near Nashville. Someone expressed an opinion that ran counter to the general thread of comments. I didn't necessarily agree with the opinion, but it was stated (in my opinion) in an even-handed manner. What followed was a nasty string of posts that included name-calling, inflammatory language, and personal insults not in any way related to the thread or the original comment. I regretted reading the thread, but I could not look away.
3. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that in recent years, I have come to accept some basic truths about myself. Not to discount the ability or value of changing bad habits or learning to overcome things that limit our ability to do the things we want to do, but there is tremendous value in just admitting to some core truths about ourselves even when those truths are unpleasant or undesirable or not highly regarded by society has a whole. For me, one of the most superficial and benign examples of this has been my ability to accept my goofiness. Not to say, I ever did a good job of hiding it, but I think for some time, in some situations, I tried to act a certain way - maybe more serious or something. More to the point, I have always had difficulty smiling on demand for photographs. I kind of have the Candler of Friends smile thing going on. Recently, I have started employing this big open-mouth goofy smile. It's silly but its better then the non-smile, scowl that used to be my stock in trade.
Okay! It is Wednesday! Today marks the return of "True" Wild Wednesday after a few weeks of focusing on the "new music" playlist. On "Wild Wednesday", we shuffle from all the songs on my phone and see what comes up!
Okay... still busy, busy, but I will really need to refocus my attention on somethings.
As the days and weeks go by in this new American regime, it is frightening to see people (myself included) falling into the illusion that what is happening is somehow normal or "politics as usual", A foreign government meddling in and (at least) attempting to influence the results of a US Presidential Election is not normal. A US President who tries to discredit the press is not normal. A US President who uses his position to boost the profits of his business while refusing to release his tax returns is not normal. An Administration that repeated lies and then doubles down when the lies are exposed is not normal. A President who gets his information from fringe websites and conspiracy driven television shows is not normal. White supremacists in the White House is not normal.
I just needed to say that...
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Last night, I got to visit the Cafe Rooster compound and get a listen to what I think will be one of the best albums of the year (Rayvon Pettis') new album produced by Matt Haeck. Surrounded by the some of the best of Nashville music, I was blown away by the songs and musicianship and production of this record. Stay tuned!
Speaking of Cafe Rooster Records, I am absolutely thrilled to announce that E2TG is teaming with Cafe Rooster for the 4th Week of the E2TG May Residency on May 24 at The 5 Spot. Listen to this lineup: Sally Jaye, Brian Wright, Darrin Bradbury, and Jon Latham. $5 and you will be home by nine o'clock!
Speaking of the May Residency, I cannot believe that the kickoff show is just two weeks away! Wow! Mark Robinson Band will kick things off on May 3. If you've never seen Mark Robinson Band live, you are in for a treat, if you haven't seen this band recently, you are in for a treat, if you've seen them recently, then you already know you are in for a treat. Either way, do not miss this one!
Today is Wednesday... Always a very weird mix of songs... today not being an exception to that rule....
Today on my mind is balance. It's something I very strongly believe in, and something I am shitty at practicing. Work/play, political engagement/creating and cultivating beauty, pride/shame, spending/saving... I tend to live in extremes, and based upon my observations, I do not think I am necessarily unique in that regard. To those on the front line of the resistance, my wish and hope for you is to find balance. To those consumed with fear and vitriol, my wish for you is to experience the beauty and wonder that is around us and to find love and compassion within that wonder and beauty. To myself, my wish is to figure all of this out - even if it is just for a moment.
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Whenever I allow myself to think about these things, I wonder if my diverse taste in music is off-putting to some people. I know, in the end, it really doesn't matter, but I do think about it. Fact is, as much as I love certain styles/genres of music, the thought of limiting myself to a single style/genre is wholly unimaginable.
Wild Wednesday shuffles often showcase the diversity of my musical interests, and today is actually a pretty decent example of that. The good thing about this format is that it is relatively easy to move past what doesn't interest you. My challenge, though, is to step outside of your comfort zone - even if just for a second and give something radically different a try. This is something I have been trying to do myself - because in spite of my diverse taste in music, I am aware that I have blind spots and long-held biases around certain artists and genres. But, if I give something a legitimate shot - at worst the nature of my bias will be confirmed, and at best, I may expand my tastes into a whole new arena.
So.... the chief lawyer for the country is not only a racist, ableist, transphobe, and homophobe, but he is also apparently a liar/perjurer and possibly a traitor. Nope, nothing to see here...
and then there is this... (with a straight face)
1. The failure of the Yemen raid is Obama's fault.
2. The failure of the Yemen raid is the military's fault.
3 The success of the Yemen raid is Trump's accomplishment.
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I had a rare opportunity to see six different Earie award winners perform last night - beginning at The 5 Spot with D.L. Duncan - beginning his month-long residency. He was joined by the incredible blues keyboard player, Al Hill.
Next, I headed to The Country for the inaugural Writer Crush Wednesday which featured rounds from Tom Schreck and Connor Rand, Andrew Adkins and Joe Nolan, and Lindsay Ellyn (who created the event) and Taylor Alexander. Really fun night.
Tonight, I am hyped to see John Doe at The Basement with Jon Latham opening.
I am changing my title of Thursday's posts to Topical Thursday. Just because. My topic (or theme if you will) continues into this new month, and I added a bunch of songs to the mix.
Disclaimers: The topic is not revealed. The connection of the songs is tenuous and times and not explained. It may not be the actual content of the song that fits it into the theme - it may just be a possible interpretation of the title. And as always, the views expressed or implied do not necessarily reflect those of any of the artists.
Okay, here is the deal. I love musicians. I'm not a musician, but I love music and despite what a few people think, music isn't music with out musicians. So, I do what I can to support musicians. I'm not wealthy so I can't often drop tons of money to support bands I love. One of the reasons I started this blog was as a way to give back to the bands and songwriters and singers and guitarist and bassist and drummers and cellists and (well you get the point) who have enriched my life.
Unfortunately, we have lost too many great people too soon to suicide. Suicide is always a complex issue. Often mental illness and addiction are involved. These are complex problems. So complex that many of us who have been touched by it feel powerless to help.
Right now, you can help. Our friend Sloane Spencer who runs the always amazing Country Fried Rock show has curated this awesome compilation which is available now at Noisetrade (the widget is below). Because it is at Noisetrade, the compilation is free, but because it's at Noisetrade you can leave a tip. You should (but maybe don't) do that anyway, but this time you really should. All proceeds - that's 100% - are going to go toward Nuci's Space
Nuçi’s Space is a non-profit health and music resource center in Athens, GA. The aim of the organization is to prevent suicide by providing obstacle free treatment for musicians suffering from depression and other such disorders as well as to assist in the emotional, physical and professional well-being of musicians.
So, it's a great cause, and an amazing compilation and yeah.
I'll leave you with a video montage of some of the great musicians we've lost to suicide:
Jim Ellison of Material Issue
Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse
Stuart Adamson of Big Country
Owsley (Will Owsley)
Phil Ochs
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
Michael Hutchence of INXS
Robert Quine (Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Brian Eno, Richard Hell)
I could go on.... Go get a great compilation, skip a Venti Starbucks or two and donate to this great cause.
