Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Mid-Life Crisis Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

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

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

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

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


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

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

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Wrong Damn Bed Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

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

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

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

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


A reminder last night about how lucky I am.  To be a fan of music and to live in Nashville at this moment and to get to hang out with and get to know such incredible and creative people... It can be
easy to take it all for granted or even worse to compare myself and my experience to someone else. So, it is a good thing to have a reminder of my good fortune.

Last night, we recorded another show of Double Shot with Joe and Sue.  Sue and I have been doing our radio show on WXNA for over two years now. Let me back up. I have a freaking radio show! Even better, I have a radio show with one of my favorite people on the planet. And, thanks to Mark, we have a world-class engineer to make sure our recorded shows sound incredible.

Later, I went to Dee's for Madison Guild Monday. Heard great music - two new to me people and two that I have known for a few years. Got to talk to people who "get me" better than most. Conversations about M*A*S*H and Loudon Wainwright III and how great it is to be in Nashville right now.

Tomorrow, I may be down and feel unappreciated and unloved and unimportant, but if I do, I hope someone will remind me that today I said I am pretty damn lucky.


Alright then, it is Tuesday and we dive back into the "New Music" playlist (side note: I have a ton of new music to add to the playlist - hopefully soon). Another kind of quirky, kind of cool mix of songs let's go!

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Nineteen Thirty-Two Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

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

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

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

A few years ago, it was a big thing for me to hit several different venues in one night. I even saw it as a point of pride one night when I hit four venues in one night (or was it five?). Please understand, I don't mean to put down anyone who does that - or even myself - I was trying to see as much music as I could and see as many friends play as I could in one night - and it was fun and a bit exhilarating. I would like, however, to explain why I no longer do this very often - a big reason I stopped actively doing that is that my approach was to figure out approximately when my friend or friends were going on and time my arrivals and departures accordingly.  In doing this, I rarely saw an entire set and more importantly, I rarely saw any "new to me" music. 

A couple of years ago, I went to see a friend play - I got there when the show started and I think I stayed until the end. And I "discovered" a couple of "new to me" artists that night who have become favorites. One of those is Josh Gray. I remember being immediately impressed by his songs. When he he did a cover of the Dead Milkmen song, "Punk Rock Girl" - the deal was sealed and I was a fan. I know it may seem silly to listen to an original songwriter - who writes wonderful songs - and then to say that the clincher was a cover, but to me, it was an indication that his musical roots ran deeper than the typical singer-songwriter genre. I have been fortunate enough to see him perform live a number of times since, and he never fails to impress.  Gray released an EP in 2015, and he is preparing to embark on making his first full-length album now, and he has started a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the project. He has a ton of great incentives, and he seems to be off to a strong start.

If you feel so moved, check out his campaign. HERE 


We have only five songs in the shuffle today. My drive was not any shorter than usual, but there were several longish songs included. Today's shuffle has a couple of "first listens".  Check it out!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - No Mas Chem Trails Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!


Bad news!  Microwave Mountain have had to pull out of Thursday night's E2TG Residency Show at The 5 Spot.  Fortunately, E2TG All-Time Favorite (and 2014 Artist of the Year) Darrin Bradbury is stepping in to do a solo set.  The revised line-up.  Brian Milligram will be on first around 6:15-6:30. Darrin Bradbury goes on around 7:00, and The Coal Men take the stage around 7:45 or so.

It's going to be a great show, and I hope you will come out.  I'm hopeful to have the chance to work with Microwave Mountain again very soon.

If you haven't done so, my novel, The Drift is still available via Amazon. I will have a couple of copies available Thursday night with more on the way.

Now, it is Tuesday and we have our "Trending Tuesday" shuffle. I am still thinking of making two playlists - one for Trending Tuesday and Trending Thursday and another for Featured Friday - for now, though, all three shuffles come from the "New Music" playlist - which consists of music relatively new or relatively new to me that I am choosing to feature.

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Cherry Red Anthology Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

The Magnolia Roads American Roots Hoedown III is getting very close. You can read our preview -
Part 1 (Ben Sparaco) 
Part 2 (Don Gallardo) 
Part 3 (James Scott Bullard) 
Part 4 (Rich Mahan)


Meanwhile, it is Thursday and time to jump back into the "New Music" playlist.

Let's just jump right to it!

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Siri-ously Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!

Well, I finally ventured out of the house last night - to Dee's in Madison.  Caught most of the last hour of The One and Only Bill Davis doing his always fun weekly set.

Later, one of my favorite local songwriters Joanna Barbera took the stage playing with a new violin player. Then, she was joined by Dee's co-owner Daniel Walker for a wonderful version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown".  Walker did a short set of his own songs.  Daniel Walker was followed by E2TG's #1 Most Tagged Artist Ever - Darrin Bradbury. Bradbury's set included some songs from his forthcoming new album - including one that is being covered by Joe Pug!, a brand new song, and some older songs - like "Denim-clad Acid Wash Man" "Swordfish", and even a version of the Big Wilson River song "80 Dead Armadillos".  Big Wilson River was Bradbury's band back in New Jersey - and also my (and E2TG's) first exposure to his music.  In fact, our crack research department found that "80 Dead Armadillos" was the first Darrin Bradbury/Big Wilson River song featured here - back in July of 2012. 

In addition to the great music, I had a cool front porch hang - met some new people, met an on-line friend for the first time, and talked music and life, and I got to hang with a cool, cute dog that belongs to Brad of This Frontier Needs Heroes.

Not bad for a Wednesday night in Madison.

I added a bunch of new music - including some really cool stuff by some legendary UK rockers - one of the new songs showed up today - more will follow soon!

Let's shuffle up our "New Music" playlist and see what is "Trending" on E2TG.

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - U Can Do Anything Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!


Welcome to early spring in Nashville. Yesterday, we had warm temperatures and the threat of severe weather. Tonight, sub-freezing temperatures and a threat of light snow.

Anyway, the news of the day is depressing, the weather is a bit dreary, so how 'bout we just dive in to some music... Music helps.  It always helps....

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - Things U Do Mix

Tweet #E2TG

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!


Well, it's mid-week, and it's a rainy day in Nashville.  I had a good time last night. I checked out a showcase at The Basement with an incredible songwriter - Angie Aparo. He was playing with a full band. Great songs, a great voice, and some very original arrangements.

After that, I ended up at $2 Tuesday again.  Saw greats sets from Ayleen O, Wade Sapp, and Trisha Ivy plus an extended late set from host Derek Hoke and his always amazing band that this week included pedal steel great Paul Niehaus.

Well it is Wednesday, and on Wednesday - we shuffle from all of the songs in my phone's memory. We call it Wild Wednesday - because it like a wild card - you can expect anything: new music, classic tunes, E2TG favorites from blogs posts gone by, and other tunes that made their way through various routes on my phone memory card.

The results.... well, let's just say that you are unlikely to find this combination of songs/artists anywhere but E2TG.

Rare Saturday Shuffle - Heart of a Saturday Afternoon Mix

Tweet #E2TG  and Follow us on Twitter 

Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook! 


Well, it's been a little while. Thanks for bearing with me during my brief time away. I will be back to regular posting on Thursday, but I thought I would take a few minutes on this Saturday to listen to some songs from my "New Music Playlist".  I shuffled up the playlist while I did some errands, and I ended up with 17 tracks. I will be rather brief, but if you hear or read about something you like - be sure to dig deeper and shoot me a line if you have any questions.