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.
There are positive signs and signs that are alarming. Do not despair. I believe we are on the right path. As we march forward toward November and January, expect the other side to get desperate and lash out - often in destructive and frightening ways. But, do not despair, just keep fighting and marching and pushing forward. Let our progress gain momentum and become an unstoppable force!
I am going to work on some submission "guidelines for E2TG" - not hard and fast rules that must be followed - I hope I am never self-important enough to do that, but rather some tips about how best to reach me, how I feature music, how I don't, and things like that. I have some ideas, but I need to organize my thoughts. One thing though, I do love personalized e-mails that show that the person writing has actually read my blog. BUT, I do not expect every submission to do that - again, I try not to have an inflated sense of my own importance.
I strive very hard to have E2TG be an unique as possible. I am aware that hundreds or thousands of sites and blogs are sent the same music - so some music I feature will likely be featured on many other sites. My quest to be unique then has to come from the variety and from featuring some local artists whose music may or may not be going to all those sites and blogs. How am I doing?
It is almost time for a new Featured Friday Playlist, but we have our final three songs to feature today. Be sure to check out the whole playlist before the new one posts tonight around midnight.
13. "Little Lion" by Teghan Devon
First up today, we have the title track from the new EP by Boston area singer-songwriter Teghan Devon . The songs were written while Devon was grieving the loss of her life-long best friend - a golden retriever named Sarge. A beautiful record - that was originally scheduled for release in March but was pushed back due to the pandemic.
14. "Stop and Rewind" by Mile Me Deaf
Next up, we have a track from the new album Ecco by Austrian synth-driver, psych band Mile Me Deaf. The music has a very strong pop vibe. I dig it.
15. "Pandemic" by Luciano Illuminati
And, we close this week's playlist with a track from Terra Vision 2020 - a very timely album filled with topical songs from this most unusual year. Luciano Illuminati is an indie/alternative artist from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
I said quite a bit in yesterday's post (posted today), so I will just get on to the music... (More will be said, you can be sure)
And now, let's review songs 19-22 from this week's Featured Friday Playlist:
19. "It Was Always Too Late" by Secret Bad Boy
Next up, we have Secret Bad Boy - a Chicago band conceived and led by Ben Joseph of Ezra Furman's band. The song is a synth driven ode to nihilism and the vastness of space.
20. "Ghosts" by Idle Noise
The latest single from this indie rock band from Coventry.
21. "Not My Problem" by Scarlet Drive
New single from this indie rock band from Perth, Australia. The song was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic between the state boundaries between Perth and Sydney. I really dig this song. By the way, in searching through my e-mail, I discovered that this band had contacted me a few times going back to 2018, so I am really glad I gave this a listen.
22. "Background Worry" by Jack Stafford
We close today's review with the new single from British singer-songwriter Jack Stafford. The song captures the negative mental processes that many of go through daily. A wonderful chamber pop sound, and a great addition to the playlist.
Tomorrow, we finish up our recap of the Playlist with songs 23-26
I am still trying to get my bearings after a whirlwind week and weekend and jumping into this week with both feet in the fire (to mix at least two metaphors).
Thinking a lot about the state of the world and the state of our nation and how the last three years have been so exhausting and demoralizing. The evil of one person or even a group of people does not surprise me. I know that evil exists in this world, but what has been so disheartening is the large number of people who have supported and enabled this evil.
I wrote in this space for a while about everything that was going on, and then I stopped. I am not sure if I can articulate why I stopped. Maybe it was that I felt I was preaching to the choir. I think for a time I thought that some people just weren't aware of what was happening. That their were white supremacists in the highest levels of the government, that the people in charge of protecting our most precious resources (people and the environment etc.) were hell-bent on destroying what they were supposed to protect.
I have come to accept that their are a significant number of people who know exactly what is going on and either support these cruel policies or choose to ignore them. And that is what has been so disheartening. I still maintain that their is a place for healthy debate on conservative vs. progressive viewpoints. But the fight we have today is not conservative vs. progressive or Democrat vs. Republican. It is a fight for the heart of our country - for our existence as a democracy against the rising tide of totalitarianism.
To be honest, the Democratic Presidential nomination process has been especially disheartening. At a time, when we should be single-minded in our goal - we are divided. People are treating candidates as if they are on equal footing with the current occupant of the White House. That is not the case.
The purpose of the primaries and the caucuses should be to find our best candidate. If you support one candidate over the others, tell me why. Convince me, but do it without tearing down the other candidates. One of this field will be the Democratic nominee and whether that person is our choice or not, we have to be committed to getting that person elected.
I do not claim to know whether we need the most progressive person or the most centrists. Certainly, there are no end of people who seem to know. Fine. Convince all of us. For the LGTBQ+ community, for communities of color, for the disabled, women - this election matters and is a matter of life and death. Act like it, vote like it.
On another note:
I am gearing up for the 2nd episode of Greetings from Nashville - my new morning show on WXNA. It will air tomorrow morning at 6AM on WXNA 101.5FM and wxnafm.org. If you miss the live broadcast, the show will be available on the archive shortly after 7AM. Here is a sneak peak at part of the show!
Featured Friday Playlist
Wednesday Morning Shuffle:
Another fun and eclectic shuffle today....
"Ain't No Right Way (To Do the Wrong Thing)" by John Rey-Reed (from Learnin' to Drive the Truck)
"The Next Tear" by James Scott Bullard (from Full Tilt Boogie)
"Dreamer" by Tim Henderson (from The Legacy Collection Volume 5: Songs of Protest)
A song dedicated to Martin Luther King - from the late, Kerrville New Folk award winner.
"Bake My Beans" by Brock Zeman (from Hey Tom)
Our old friend Brock Zeman - covering our old friend Tom House - from the recently released tribute album. In addition to Brock Zeman and his long-time musical compatriot Blair Hogan - this album also features cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne - who we met through some of our more experimental Canadian artists.
"I Can't Feel It Anymore" by Tombstones in Their Eyes (from Maybe Someday)
"Fanny Sketch" by Ty Segall (from Fanny)
From the EP by Ty Segall about his dog.
"Perfectly Imperfect" by Ten Penny Gypsy (from Ten Penny Gyspy)
"Second Wind" by John Dennis (from Second Wind)
As we continue to feature Mortal Flame, we go back and pick up the title track from his previous release.
"Werewolves of London" by Flamin' Groovies (from At Full Speed - Complete Sire Recordingws 1976-79)
A 1979 cover of the 1978 Warren Zevon hit.
"Turquoise and Silver (Reprise)" by Davis Raines (from Turquoise and Silver)
A brief reprise of the title track to the new album from the celebrated Nashville songwriter.
"Sweet Georgia Brown" by Johnny Gimble (feat. Merle Haggard) (from Celebrating With Friends)
We close with the late legendary Western Swing fiddle player - joined by Merle Haggard on a 2010 recording of the 1925 jazz standard.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
Recent and Upcoming Releases:
Recent: 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 - 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)
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)
2/07 - Jon Magnusson - Always a Rebel (Live in Studio Silverräven) (single)
2/07 - Thomas Passon - "Über" (single)
2/07 - BisonBison - "Hover" (single)
2/07 - BisonBison - Hover (LP)
2/14 - Grant Peeples - Bad Wife (LP) 2/14 - The Heliocentrics - Infinity of Now (LP) 2/14 - Johanna Kuvaja - "Back for Good" (single) 2/14 - Sarah Reynolds - "I Need Love" (single) 2/14 - Afterimage - "Six Seconds" (single) 2/14 - Kalee Smyth - "Bring Our Love Down" (single)
2/14 - Harry Stafford - "She Just Blew Me Away" (single)
2/14 - Kid Be Kid - "Blood" (single)
2/16 - Kas Havoc - "Light'em Up" (single)
2/18 - David J - "I Only Hear Silence Now" (single) 2/19 - Paisley Fields - "Ride Me Cowboy" (single)
This Week:
2/21 - Sarah Morris - All Mine (LP) 2/21 - Kindergarten - Iphigenia (Reissue) (LP) 2/21 - Hot Club of L.A.- Cinema Swing (LP) 2/21 - MUUK - Balbuceo (LP) 2/21 - Aaron Beckum - Songs from a Triangle Room (EP) 2/21 - Every 13 Days - Étant Donnés (Reissue) (LP) 2/21 - Seablight - High-Rise Mannequins (EP) 2/21 - Various Artists -Typical Girls Vol. 5 (LP) 2/21 - 12xPretty - 12xPretty (LP) 2/21 - Arkane Skye - "Don't Ask Me Out" (single) Upcoming:
2/22 - Charlotte Eagle Sings - Embracing the Old Ways (LP)
2/28 - Kristen Englenz - Ingenue (LP) 2/28 - Close Lobsters - Post Neo Anti... (LP) 2/28 - The Heliocentrics - Infinity of Now (LP)
2/29 - Jimmy Who and the Night Creatures - Tinker's Blues (EP)
3/?? - Strange Majik - 20/20 (LP)
3/04 - Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion - Chameleon (LP) 3/06 - Surrija - "Sylvette" (single) 3/06 - Dean Fields - While the Baby Was Sleeping (LP) 3/06 - Broads and Milly Hirst - Ollust (LP) 3/06 - The Mastersons - No Time for Love Songs (LP) 3/06 - Ghostwood Development Project (Feat. Kool Keith) - "Gulley" (single)
3/06 - The Mystery Plan - Ballad of JC Quinn (LP)
3/09 - Marco Bonvicini - "Colors" (single)
3/13 - The Flatmates - The Flatmates (LP) 3/13 - Kleenex Girl Wonder - Ponyoak (20th Anniversary Edition) + BLP (demos and out-takes) (LP) 3/13 - Sandwick - Reconstruct (LP) 3/13 - Foley and the Fire - "Springsteen on the Radio" (single) 3/13 - Kalee Smyth - The Ceiling (EP)
3/13 - Sha Davis - Songs I Wrote When You Left (EP)
3/13 - The Losing Touch - "Through the Night" (single)
3/18 - Marco Bonvicini - Colors (EP)3/20 - Matt Wilson and His Orchestra - When I Was a Writer (LP) 3/20 - Chris Moyse - Bitter Ballads and Cynical Prayers (LP)
3/20 - Samuel Boller - Kingdom of the Sun (LP)3/27 - Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof (LP)
3/20 - Jon Hassell - Vernal Equinox (reissue) (LP)
3/20 - Kid Be Kid - Lovely Genders (EP)3/27 - Mayflower Madame - Prepared for a Nightmare (LP) 3/27 - Alienbaby Collective - F I S H B O W L / T E R R E S T R I A L (Double EP) 3/27 - Mairena - "Weird All the Time" (single) 3/27 - Lucille - Come on,Fly (LP)
3/27 - Nicole Boggs and the Reel - "Money" (single)4/03 - Surrija - Surrija (LP)
4/03 - Chip and the Charge Ups - Lightning in Our Veins (LP)
4/09 - Ellison - "Sing" (single)
4/10 - Eliza Gilkyson - 2020 (LP) 4/10 - Dan Montgomery - Smoke and Mirrors (a phonographic memory) (LP) 4/10 - Pokey LaFarge - Rock Bottom Rhapsody (LP) 4/17 - Paul Burch and WPA Ballclub - Light Sensitive (LP)
4/24 - Nicole Boggs and the Reel - "I'm Gonna Break Your Heart" (single)
5/08 - Brian Wright and the Sneak-Ups - Lapse of Luxury
5/31 - Debra Power - That's How I Roll (LP)
6/05 - Nicole Boggs and the Reel - "None of Your Business" (single)6/12 - Sammy Brue - Crash Test Kid (LP)
7/03 - Nicole Boggs and the Reel - None of Your Business (EP)
Welcome to the second edition of First Impressions where we check in on some recent and upcoming new releases and give you our - you guessed it - first impressions.
2020 is off to a rousing start - as evidenced by the Release Calendar which you can find at the bottom of our daily posts. Periodically, we are going to offer some quick thoughts about these new releases as we take a first (or nearly first) listen. If all goes as plans, we will have some longer posts about these releases, but the purpose here is to cover as much ground as we can. Strap in...
Davis Raines - Turquoise and Silver (LP)
Davis Raines is one of Nashville's finest songwriters. His writing is in the tradition of Nashville's great writers. He writes with heart and he sings with conviction. He is a staple at Brown's Diner (as "Old Nashville" an establishment as you can get), and many of his usual cohorts show up on his latest album. My first impression is that this is an excellent album and a fine addition to respected career. The songs are top-notch and the recording is perfect for the songs.
John Dennis - Mortal Flames (LP)
Not my first impression, as I have been listening to this one for a while, but I wanted to post here on the eve of the release. Mortal Flames is a concept album, and it is an ambitious concept which John Dennis manages to pull off in impressive fashion. My first impression was one of appreciation and awe, and the more I listen, the more impressed I become. I am confident this one will high on my list of favorites of this young year.
Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall - Concrete Feelings (EP)
Reigning E2TG Band of the Year, Ryan Sobb and The Dead Mall are hitting the new year hard with this powerhouse EP. My first impression of this (full disclosure, I got to hear it a couple of weeks ago) is that they have managed to do something that many bands cannot, and that is to effectively capture the energy of their live shows on a studio recording. These are great songs, played by a killer band that has hit their groove and yet are still constantly improving. I predict this will serve as a time capsule of an important moment in time for these young artists.
If I was in town Saturday, I would be checking out this show. Evan P. Donahue is a long-time Nashville musician - whose many credits include being a founding member of the legendary Diarrhea Planet. If you read E2TG regularly, you already know how I feel about Ryan Sobb and his kick ass band. I don't know Nightingail, but given that they are on this bill, I am going to assume they are awesome. Check it out!
Well, it is the last post of our 2019 Recap. So much great music this year.
I have been asked about the Earie Awards. Last year, I awarded Earies to almost all the artists I featured in my recap. I came up with clever awards for each. I decided not to do that this year for the sake of time. But, please know that all of the artists features in this 15 recap posts are winners in my eyes.
I will be out Monday and Tuesday, but I will return Wednesday with some special Earies to give out. I close out 2019 feeling fortunate for the music that I have been exposed to, the people I have met, and the experiences I have had. I look forward to 2020 despite the turbulent and quite honestly disheartening times. Music has and will always be my sanctuary and my comfort from situations outside of my control. I have big plans for E2TG in 2020 and some of those plans involve stepping out of my comfort zone.
Here is the final recap post - more great music represented here.
*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.
Honestly, just trying to make it through this short work week... I might make it - still up in the air...
Let's get to some fine, fine Trending Tuesday music -
*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.
And we are back after an extra long weekend. Time for a Trending Tuesday shuffle.
*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.
Stepping further into the week, we have another Trending Tuesday Shuffle for you... hope you enjoy!
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)
This is the first "Wild Wednesday" shuffle since May 30! So, a reminder - "Wild Wednesday" simply means we shuffle up all the songs on my phone. In addition to the "New Music" playlist, my phone also contains a variety of other songs - songs that were once in a "New Music" playlist, songs from the E2TG archives (i.e. songs by long-time E2TG faves) and other random songs from other sources... (classic, rare, and sometimes weird tracks). If you think of a Venn diagram. Songs on my phone memory is a big circle and the "New Music" playlist is a smaller circle completely contained in the bigger circle.
Now that I have over-explained - lets' get right to the shuffle. Time is short - so I will keep my comments to a minimum. Let's go!
Another week bites the dust... it's been a challenging one, to be sure.
I'm very excited about all of the awesome new music that has come my way, and I am cooking up some exciting things. Keep coming back!
I do need to let you know that posting will be sporadic at best over the next two weeks. I will try to dart on with some updates just to keep things interesting. In the meantime, I hope you will check out my past posts for any you may have missed. Thanks in advance for your patience.
Now, let's get to today's "Featured Friday" shuffle of songs from the "New Music" playlist.
Okay... so I had a long commute to a training class, and I am pressed for time... so I am going to have to be very brief with my descriptions (especially on artist I've written about before and recently). It will be the same tomorrow....
Here goes... Sorry to be so brief... more on all of these artist/albums later.
Well, it is January 9, and I am finally digging into some of the brand new music that has come my way. This is the first Trending Tuesday Shuffle of the year. This shuffle comes from my brand new "New Music" playlist. I've added well over 200 songs from recently received albums, and I added in some "holdovers" from my last New Music playlist. This new playlist started the year at just over 400 songs.
For those new to E2TG, I want to explain. The primary outlet of E2TG is the morning shuffle - which is exactly what it sounds like - if it sounds like this: every morning that I work, I hit the random shuffle (either on a specific playlist or on all the songs on my music player), and I write about the songs that come up.
I very, very rarely will do a full-album review, however, through the shuffle I usually cover most of the albums that I select to feature. Almost all of the music on my New Music playlist had either been submitted or at least recommended to me.
I hope that clears things up. So... on this dreary, foggy, misty morning, I left my home and I hit shuffle on my brand new "New Music" playlist, and these are the songs/tracks that came up....
Well, it's Monday, the world is screw-up, life is hard, and hope is fleeting. But, it's December, and time for the 3rd Annual E2TG "Earie" Awards. "The Earies, they sound strange but they're really not".
For the uninitiated, the "Earie" awards are my annual chance to give kudos to the musicians and others who made my year better. Unlike, the Brand X awards, at the Earies, we don't mess around with nominees, our categories are... um... non-standard, and the eligibility period is liquid and determined solely by me.
As we did last year, we are going to embed many of the awards into the shuffles. The awards will continue throughout December and culminate in the awarding of the "Golden Earie" awards for band(s) and artist(s) of the year.
I have been thinking quite a bit about the state of the world and this country. Since November of last year, and especially since January of this year, I have been in a near constant state of anxiety and depression. It is hard to separate political differences. Whereas, I may find certain actions/bills/pronouncements to be abhorrent (gutting protections of the environment and our most vulnerable citizens). These are at least things that can be assessed and debated and hopefully corrected in a democratic (small d) venue. (Although, I have serious concerns about the legitimacy of our democratic process).
But, it is the abusive and offensive tweets, the thinly (if that) veiled racist comments, the boorish behavior.... how any decent person can defend these things is confounding and troubling. There really is no modern precedent for this in the United States. I try to imagine a president that I supported, and who puts forth ideas in line with my values - behaving this way. To be honest, it's very difficult to imagine, but I cannot believe that I would actively support this behavior. I am sure it would be difficult to admit that I was wrong about someone, but I like to believe I would do the right thing.
Of course, the flaw in that is that the current president did not conceal his behavior until elected. He was upfront about just how awful he was. So that is where the, what if falls apart, because I would never vote for someone who acted that way even if they seemed to support things that I support.
The rash of public figures being exposed and facing consequences for their sexual behavior is likewise troubling. It is a complex issue to be sure. It is odd which people are facing consequences and which are not. And there is likely overreaction is some cases, but not all.
Two thoughts have occurred to me - societal "norms" that I think are contributing factors to this situation. 1. Is the way men are "taught" to behave from a young age. Expectation of masculinity, poor role models 2. The way people in position of real or imagined power or prestige are treated. You see this from the highest positions with national governments and Fortune 500 companies, and down to the smallest organizations and social structures. If someone is in a position of power, they are not to be questioned or criticized. The idea of following orders without question. Excusing or ignoring or covering up abuses of that power.
Anyway, all of that is just me trying to wrap my mind around the awful circumstances of the world today.
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On with the shuffle....
By the way, I am officially over the music player that came with my new phone. Songs I delete keep reappearing, tags get messed up, the song information doesn't appear on my car stereo when I'm playing from the music player via blue tooth, and a couple of time the same song has reappeared during a shuffle. I am going to be trying out some music player apps to find a better option. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Not really sure what else I am going to say here, so let's just jump headlong into the shuffle. Here are some of the songs/artists/albums that are "trending" on E2TG.
