E2TG 9/24/2020 - Penultimate - Sleep of Reason Mix (All the Way Remix)

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I continued to be overwhelmed by the constant terrifying news that dominates my social media feeds and headlines. Injustice, rising tide of fascism (this is not hyperbole - they are not even trying to hide it any more), division, anger, fear, death... I am missing the solace of seeing my friends almost every night and hearing live music while seeing said friends. I fear for the future, but I know that fear is not a place to rest. Anger is an energy, but it is up to me to focus my anger.  In the meantime, I have always believed in the power of love to conquer hate and fear and evil. It is a hard belief to cling to when it is so tempting to answer hate with hate - and mind you - anger is not the antithesis of love - hate and fear are the antithesis of love. Anger can be an expression of love if channeled properly. 

At the same time as all of that, I need to acknowledge that despair and hopelessness are reasonable feelings these days. For me, though, I can't afford to stay there. I also do not have the capability to stay serious and focused and angry 24/7 and I do not think I am alone. I can either choose to shame myself or others for needing a break or I can accept it, take the break, and come back stronger. 

Last thing:  I have to find my own voice and my own outlets of action.  What is the right action for someone else may not be right for me - and that can be for numerous reasons. I just need to say that because I have a bad habit to looking at others' actions and judging myself for not measuring up. It is good to take stock of my abilities and resources (time and money) and ask myself if I am doing enough, but to judge my own work by what someone else does - without taking into account differences in time and money etc is unfair. 

TL;DR: I choose to attempt to manifest love in all I do. Love can be expressed by anger. 

Today, we wrap up the Featured Friday Playlist as we prepare the way for a whole new Playlist debuting tomorrow.  As always, we saved some great stuff for the end of the playlist. We finish up with songs 24-28:

24. "Room 33" by Mcclendon

We kick things off with the title track from the debut EP by Nashville based singer-songwriter Mcclendon.  After playing in country/folk bands beginning in his native Oklahoma - with his brother, Mcclendon decided to go his own way and pursue his own music. I am digging this.

25. "Blur" by Dark McGwire; Focus3Dots

Next up, we have another solo debut. Dark McGwire is the alter-ego of Dame Crawford of The Wylde Bunch - a Grammy award producer/artist. The music runs the gamete from funk to folk and many points in between. The name of the album is Wyldebunch Presents Dark McGwire. Check it out. 

26. "A Girl Too Far" by Red Eye

Red Eye is an Anglo-Spanish songwriter. This new single is amazing. When I say I save some good stuff for the end of the Playlist... I mean it. This sounds like a cover - in that it has a familiarity that many great songs have upon first listen. 

27. "Moving Tangle" by Outwave

Italian alternative rock band Outwave just released their debut album, "The Storm". This was the lead single. I'm digging this.

28. "You Don't Know" by ASM
 

We close out this week's playlist with the latest single - from the forthcoming (Friday) album Blue Cocoon by the European trio ASM (A State of Mind). The cinematic hip-hop, soul, funk band members met in high school - one is Candaian, one German, and one English.  We have previously featured them on an earlier playlist. 
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 6/2/2020 - Enough is Enough! - The Week in Review Mix (Boot and Rally Remix)

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This is Tuesday's post.  I made the decision to join in the Music Industry Blackout and not post yesterday. It was not an easy decision, and to be honest, I am not sure if it was the right one, but there you go. And here we are, I think there are a lot of people who are trying to do the right thing. And, discerning what that is in a fluid and complicated time can be a challenge.

I ache for a time when I can just write about music for week's on end with no major crisis to divert me. E2TG was never intended to be a political or social commentary blog - although it never occurred to be to outright refuse to write about things like that, but more and more, I am being pulled that way.

I have a strong belief that there is value in many different viewpoints. I rarely walk in lockstep with any person or party or philosophy.  I mean, hell, whenever I feel like E2TG is leaning too much toward a particular genre - my reaction is to seek out music that is as far removed from that genre as possible. It is just my nature.

The events of the last last 24 hours, the last week, the last three months, the last three years, hell - the last many years - have finally driven me to point that I cannot stay silent. Let us make no mistake, the President of the United States has perverted and contaminated the office and pushed the U.S toward dictatorship and totalitarianism, and the system designed to prevent this from happening have failed due to the negligence and complicity of the people responsible to make sure it works.

I continue to be flabbergasted that people I have always seen as reasonable continue to vehemently support such a twisted and evil man. I have opposed the policies of many leaders and even seen them as bad or dangerous, but they all pale in comparison to the cancer at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I don't like feeling this way.  As I said before, I believe a diversity of ideas and thought and philosophies should be a strength to our nation.  But not this. This isn't a difference in thought on economic or even social policies. It is a blatant attempt to dismantle the things that make this nation what it is. It is someone who does the wrong thing at every turn. Violates the principles of decency and humanity.

Like many, whose political leanings are similar to mine, I was devastated by the results of the 2016 election.  Over the next week, I tried to tell myself that maybe things would not be as bad as I suspected they would be. That the magnitude of the office would chasten him, and then he started appointing white nationalist to high level posts.

I want to end this on a note of hope. This week, I have seen concrete examples of people who heretofore have been silent about the things that are happening, start to speak out - tentatively but boldly. I see a glimpse of hope that some people are beginning to see this charlatan for what he is. Not his most loyal supporters... no I fear they are lost for now at least, but people who are apolitical or moderate, but who value decency and humanity. Anyway, that is what I am holding onto on this Tuesday night.

The pause is over, but let that not be the end of our quest for justice and for learning. Now, let's hit play and get back to what E2TG does...
 
And so, we continue our review of our Featured Friday Playlist with songs number 13-18.

13. "Good Times" by The Kondoors

The latest single from London based husband and wife Gavin Conder and Jessica Greenfield (Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds). The song fits the title. It is a nice escape from difficult times.  

14. "How My Dreams They Go" by Gina Sicilia; Luther Dickinson

Next, we have another track from Gina Sicilia's new album Love Me Madly. This one features Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars), and it is just a flat out great song. Wonderful instrumentation backs Sicilia's always powerhouse vocals. 

15. "Mexican Standoff" by FLEKS

Taking a hard turn - we continue this review with the latest single from Austrian punk/alternative/metal band FLEKS. The band was just recently signed to the German label Dachshund Records. The music is loud and aggressive, and I dig it. 

16. "Pick on the Boys" by Cone of Magic

Next we have a track from California all-female country indie-pop band Cone of Magic - from their album Maiden's Rock. It is lighthearted and dead serious at the same time, and it is catchy as hell. 

17. "Waiting with a Gun" by Electric High

Next up, we have a track from the Norwegian hard rock and Electric High. This is BIG ROCK music. A great burst of guitar, bass, drums, dual vocals, and a guest saxophonist. I love the instrumental breakdown in the middle. 

18. "I" by Merv Pinny

We close with a new single from New Zealand based rocker Merv Pinny. "I" is a catchy tune about reconnecting after lock down. Although, we are not quite there here in the States, it captures what I am looking forward to. 

Tomorrow songs 19-22!

    Featured Friday Playlist

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Where's the Truth? Mix

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Cheers by JWM 7/12/2013  

As per usual, we have lots of great music to cover and not much time... so let's get to it.

Today's Mix is after the JUMP

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Rockets Mix

Well, I hope everyone had a good fourth of July.  Here in Nashville, it seems like burn bans due to dry conditions kept the private fireworks to a minimum.  The Downtown Nashville fireworks display was, as usual, pretty amazing.  With a finale that did not disappoint.

But, it's back to work now, and a pretty interesting shuffle for this 5th day of July.

First up:  We "discovered" National Grain when we stumbled across some music from an off-shoot band called The Flint Hill Specials.  We checked out National Grain found their Americana, Alt-Country sound to our liking.  This morning we had Pretty Women Won't Give Me the Time of Day from the band's self-titled album which was released in 2006. National Grain hail from Atlanta, Georgia.

could not find a National Grain video, so here's something from Flint Hill Specials.

Second up, is a new song from Joe Jackson's new album, The Duke, which is a tribute to Duke Ellington.  On this first look, Jackson teams up with the one and only Iggy Pop to take on the Classic song It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).

And finally, we have a track from former Fleet Foxes member Joshua Tillman, who has previously released solo albums as J. Tillman, but who is now recording under the moniker Father John Misty.  His first album under the new name is called Fear Fun, and the song we have today is called Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings.

 

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DUKE ELLINGTON:EARLY TRACKS FROM THE BY ELLINGTON,DUKE (DVD) *Artist:  ELLINGTON,DUKE *Genre: Music Video - Jazz *Rating: NR *Release Date: 8-AUG-2006

Artist Fleet Foxes Perfect Rock Pop Music Product Type Compact Disc Domestic Track Title. 1 Sun It Rises. 2 White Winter Hymnal. 3 Ragged Wood. 4 Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. 5 Quiet Houses. 6 He Doesn't Know Why. 7 Heard Them Stirring. 8 Your Protector. 9 Meadowlarks. 10 Blue Ridge Mountains. 11 Oliver James. Borrowing from ageless folk and classic rock (and nicking some of the best bits from prog and soft rock along the way), on their self-titled debut album Fleet Foxes don't just master the art of taking familiar influences and making them sound fresh again, they give a striking sense of who they are and what their world is like. Their song titles reference the Blue Ridge Mountains -- never mind that they're actually from Seattle -- but it's the ease and skill with which they mix and match British and American folk and rock from the far and not too distant past that makes the band's music so refreshing. While this mix could be contrived or indulgent, Fleet Foxes use restraint, structuring their flourishes into three- and four-minute pop songs full of chiming melodies and harmonies that sound like they've been summoned from centuries of traditional songs and are full of vivid, universal imagery: mountains, birds, family, death. Despite drawing from so many sources, there's a striking purity to Fleet Foxes' sound. Robin Pecknold's voice is warm and sweet, with just enough grit to make phrases like "premonition of my death" sound genuine, and the band's harmonies sound natural, and stunning, whether they're on their own or supported by acoustic guitars or the full, plugged-in band. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and "Meadowlarks" show just how much the Foxes do with the simplest elements of their music, but Fleet Foxes' best songs marry that purity with twists that open their sound much wider. As good as the Sun Giant EP was, Fleet Foxes saved many of their best songs for this album.

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Are you Sure? Mix

Greetings from Thursday! The month is almost half over. Look for a Band of the Month poll to roll out within the next day or so.  In the meantime, I know I've been slacking off on the Featured Artist posts - so I hope to have one this afternoon.

This morning, we have an eclectic mix of music. And here we go...

Slowcore band Codeine broke up in 1994 after three releases.  The New York band recently announced a reunion gig at the I'll Be Your Mirror festival in London, and the band's catalog is getting the reissue treatment with some bonus material.  A download of one of those bonus tracks is out. The song, Median is from a Peel Session, and according to the information I've seen, it will appear on the reissue of the band's first EP Barely Real. Stereogum can hook you up with a download of Median.

 

When you are named after the late and great Townes Van Zandt and are the son of the great Steve Earle and decide to get into music, you have some pretty big shoes to fill and some huge expectations to fulfill. Fortunately, Justin Townes Earle rises to the occasion and in the process makes you forget everything but his music. 

Maria is a track on Justin's most recent album, Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now.

 

Black on Blues is a forthcoming (July 17) Black Keys tribute album.  The album will feature everyone from Cajun artist Doug Kershaw, Tab Benoit, Albert Lee, and Pat Travers.  First up though and out for your preview is a pretty straight-on cover of the first Single from the Black Key's latest album, El Camino.  Lonely Boy is covered here by head Stooge, Iggy Pop and ex-Cream and Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker.

 

And next, we have track from the new album by Nashville Rock Supergroup - The Bluefields which is on the band's first album - Pure. Our track today is called Nobody Loves You.

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Codeine Dub EP Codeine Dub EP

Justin Townes Earle We believe it is important to preserve what makes music special, and make it easy to craft listening experiences. At MOG, browse millions songs and play them instantly. Or just turn on radio where you can stop and replay songs. You can also create playlists for any occasion, and even download songs to your mobile. We are dedicated to employing the cleanest but most powerful technology so you can enjoy music as much as ever.

The Black Keys Handbook - Everything You Need to Know about the Black Keys Black Keys Fan this is your ultimate resource for the fantastic Black Keys. Here you'll find the most up-to-date information, photos, and much more. In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know right away this book covers: Everything about The Black Keys, their hit songs, and all about the Black Keys, their discography and their work; Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, The Black Keys discography, The Big Come Up, Thickfreakness, Rubber Factory, Magic Potion (album), Attack & Release, Brothers (The Black Keys album), Blakroc, The Moan, Live in Austin, TX (The Black Keys album), Leavin' Trunk/She Said, She Said, Set You Free (The Black Keys song), Hard Row, Have Love Will Travel, 10 A.M. Automatic, 'Till I Get My Way/Girl Is On My Mind, Your Touch, You're the One (The Black Keys song), Have Love, Will Travel, Just Got To Be, Strange Times (The Black Keys song), I Got Mine (The Black Keys song), Same Old Thing, Tighten Up, Live (The Black Keys album), Live at the Crystal Ballroom, Garage rock, Blues-rock, Akron, Ohio, Fat Possum Records, Allmusic, Ohio Topic relevant selected content from the highest rated wiki entries, typeset, printed and shipped, combine the advantages of up-to-date and in-depth knowledge with the convenience of printed books. A portion of the proceeds of each book will be donated to the Wikimedia Foundation to support their mission.

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - I'm Back Mix

I'm back!  And 2011's days are numbered, but it's not over yet.  Added a delectable mixture of 20 songs to the shuffle.  The December 2011 Playlist stands at 54 (net of some Christmas songs I deleted for space since Christmas is over)....

Rainy morning, but the rain let up for my walk up the hill, and in any event, this list of songs kept me feeling all warm and cozy...

1.  Don Ryan finished 3rd in the ETTG Band of the Year voting.  If you haven't heard This Town (or the rest of his fantastic album Tangle Town), then this situation must be remedied. 

(you can purchase and download the whole damn Tangle Town album at amazon by clicking on the album cover - or you can go to Don's Bandcamp page and name your own price - I'd suggest $1000 but you do what feels best for you)

 2. Sister Crayon is a Sacramento-based band.  Here they are doing a cover version of Sufjan Stevens' Age of Adz Track Futile Devices 

(you can click on the album cover to purchase and download Sufjan Stevens' album The Age of Adz.  The Sister Crayon version is available at Stereogum.)

3. The Sigur Ros track from the We Bought  a Zoo soundtrack shows up again this week.  It's a cool song which originally came from their 2005 album, Takk..., It's Hoppipolla



  (click on album cover to purchase and download Takk...)


4.  Hoppipolla ends with some brass which makes a nice transition to the next song which comes from Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass' classic Whipped Cream & Other Delights.  The song, A Taste of Honey, is actually a cover of a 1960 Bobby Scott song.



  (click on the album cover to buy and download Whipped Cream & Other Delights)

  (you might also want to purchase and download Soul Asylum's EP which parodies the title and over of the Herb Albert set - Clam Dip & Other Delights can yours for a click and purchase)

5.  Finally, we take it up a few notches with Iggy & the Stooges proto-punk classic Search and Destroy from Raw Power.

 
  (you know the drill add Raw Power to your digital music collection with a click and a purchase at amazon.com)

Thursday Morning (Covers) Music Shuffle - Memories of Rain Mix

Rainy morning...

Another friendly reminder, if you haven't voted in the 1st Annual Ear to the Ground Band of the Year Readers Poll (or even if you have) time is running out.  At midnight tonight, 12/15/2011 (all times Central Standard Time), voting will be turned off. And precincts will begin reporting in... go  here  to vote.

Track 1:

Coverer:  Radiohead formed in 1985 - so they had been around 10 years when I saw them live opening for R.E.M. on a rainy evening in September 1995 which happened to be C and my first night out following the birth of our twins in July of that year.  

Coveree: Joy Division formed in 1976.  They were a preeminent force in the new music scene of the late 70s early 80s.  Lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980 just before the bands first ever US tour.  The remaining members carried on as New Order. 

The Song: Ceremony was actually a New Order song, but it was one of the last songs written with Ian Curtis and would have been a Joy Division song if...

The Cover:  Radiohead recorded Ceremony as part of their 2007 "Thumbs Down" webcast.

Track 2:

Coverer: John Zorn is an avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer and saxophonist. He has worked with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson and formed the jazz-punk collective Naked City in 1988.  Yamantaka Eye is  a Japanese vocalist and visual artist. He is a member of the Boredoms who formed in 1986 (possibly earlier).

Coveree: The Stooges (aka Iggy & the Stooges) were and are a ground-breaking band who formed in 1967 and laid important groundwork for punk and alternative music. The disbanded in 1974, but reformed in 2003.  Mike Watt of Minutemen and fIREHOSE fame is currently a member of the Stooges.


The Song: T.V. Eye is a track off the Stooge's second album, Fun House. 


The Cover: John Zorn with Yamantaka Eye on screamed vocals recorded a break-neck paced version of T.V.Eye which appeared on the 1990 compilation double-CD Rubaiyat for Elektra Records 40th Anniversary.


Track 3:

Coverer: Dave Alvin was a founding member of the legendary punk-era, roots rock band The Blasters, was a one-time member of X and is a member of X side project The Knitters.  In addition, he has had a prolific solo career.

Coveree: The Beach Boys formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California, reflected the California youth lifestyle of surf, cars and romance. Later, leader Brian Wilson took the band into a more complex sound.

The Song:  Surfer Girl was the title track to the bands 1963 album. It was one of the first songs written solely by Brian Wilson.

The Cover: Dave Alvin covered Surfer Girl on his 2006 album West of the West which featured covers of several songs which originated from the western United States.

Track 4:

Coverer: The Del McCoury Band is a bluegrass band which formed in 1967 as Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals and solidified into its current line-up in the 1980s and became the Del McCoury Band in 1988.

Coveree:  Richard Thompson was an original member of Fairport Convention, the legendary British Folk-Rock/Electric Folk band.  He left Fairport Convention in 1971, released a solo album in 1972 and then begin recording and performing with his then wife Linda Thompson.  Since their personal and professional split, he has had a successful solo career.

The Song:  1952 Vincent Black Lightning  appeared on his 1991 album Rumor & Sigh.  The song which harkens back to traditional English melodies and early 20th Century American folk songs.

The Cover: Del McCoury Band recorded a bluegrass cover of 1952 Vincent Black Lightning  on the 2001 album Del and the Boys and has subsequently become a Bluegrass staple.

Shuffle through today's artists and songs:

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New Order: New Order Story From the ashes of Joy Division rose one of the most successful dance-pop bands of all time, New Order. In this probing documentary directed by filmmaker Kevin Hewitt and produced by Paul Morley, archival footage, performance footage, and interviews with t

Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury