Second... how about a couple of my favorite Christmas songs...
Third... Rest in Peace to Mr. Ray Price. In seeing some of the news reports, I was most struck at how his voice held up into his late 70s/early 80s. So smooth... Thanks for the music.
First off - we have a treat! How about the brand new video of a song we presented a week or so ago. Our friends Those Mockingbirds released the song "How to Rob a Bank" back on the 22nd of October. Now they have an instructional video. An Official Video anyway... Here it is!
I never quite have it together enough for a holiday-themed shuffle... but today, the Randomizer came up with alien arachnids, electrical discharges, monks, extinct birds, and puppets. Which can create some pretty frightening images if you use your imagination.
Jump to see what I am rattling on about... if you dare... bwahahahahaha!
Since today is World Suicide Prevention Day, it seems like a perfect opportunity to remind you that the supremely awesome Country Fried Rock is about to release Volume 2 of For Nuci's Space.
About
All proceeds from
this album go to preventing musicians' suicide, via the model program for
community support, Nuci's Space, in Georgia. By removing barriers to mental
health care, substance abuse services, and primary care, Nuci's Space works with
other existing providers and networks to help musicians.
The line-up this time around is stellar and includes the likes of Drivin N Cryin, Michelle Malone, Centro-matic, American Aquarium and many, many more. Trust me, it's all great music for a great cause. You can Pre-Order the album Here!
Warner E. Hodges from this past Saturday's Royal Court of China Reunion at Foobar. Nashville.
Had a blast this past Saturday witnessing a reunion show by Nashville Rock legends Royal Court of China with special guest Warner E. Hodges on guitar. As an added bonus, the band was introduced by the cover model from their self-titled debut album (she was actually Japanese). Onward and upward, we have another great collection of music this morning, and as usual, the accompanying Playlist includes the songs from the Mix or if the actual song was not available (or locatable) in video form, another song by the same artist. Pre-Shuffle (songs from my morning drive): "The Moon Dead in the River" by Wendy James "Bad Feeling" by The Beat Up (formerly known as The Beatings) "Who Are You" by Ivan and Alyosha " This Time Around" by Royal Court of China "Vanity" by Monks of Mellonwah (from their excellent new EP Ghost Story) "Blood of the Saints" by Dave Hogan (who I got to see at the Nashville Songwriter Festival a few weeks ago with a h/t to Jason from Grimm Generation) "Trip" by Canopy Climbers (from their awesom album Miles) Shuffle commences right after the JUMP
I can't think of a better way to start my day than listening to "Shine" by Great Divide - what a joyful song. Oh wait, I know.. how about starting the day with two Great Divide songs in a row. "Fast Train" is awesome because I am a total sucker for "train" songs. The Joy of Painting, in addition to being a classic PBS series hosted by the late Bob Ross, is a Nashville band who we've been digging on for a year or so. They have a brand new album called Tender Age, and today we have the catchy and generally just awesome "Back to Romance".
Back in the day, I completely fell head over heels for "Walk in the Woods" and subsequently all of Peter Case's self-titled solo debut. There was something clear and authentic and true about that album. When the follow up to that album was released, needless to say I had some pretty high expectation which Mr. Case met and exceeded many times over. The Man with Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Tradionalist Guitar contains so many enduring songs (Traveling Light, Entella Hotel, Two Angels and This Town's a Riot to name just a few). "Poor Old Tom" is for me a stand out on an album of stand outs. A heart-breaking song, it is loaded with some amazing lines. "He fought for freedom, never took a free breath". "The night wind's free to blow wherever it pleases, Tom's free to walk until the cold daybreak." "The worse disease in the world is to be unwanted, to be used up and cast away". In just under four minutes, the listener is drawn into this broken, tragic life... it's nothing short of brilliant. The other night, I decided to add some older songs into the current mix - just to shake things up a bit. I don't know how many times I've listened to this song in the 24 years since it's release, but I never grow tired of it.
Moving on... Ghost and Goblin are a New York band who first came to our attention in a shout of from The End Men. They released an album called SUPERHORRORCASTLELAND back in April or so, and we've featured several songs from that record. "Look at the Clouds" is perhaps one of my favorites. A uncharacteristically breezy melody kicks into a more characteristic menacing hook. The album is out there on Bandcamp - check it out.
The Michigan band Decades are three kids who grew up on punk, ska and metal and then discovered the smooth pop songwriting of the 70s and 80s and the alternative radio rock of the 90s. The result is something surprising. Their music rocks and the punk/ska spirit still sits at the bottom of what they do, but layered on top is a focus on great pop songwriting and a genuine love of the music. "Popping Veins" from their album Deep Deep Pink Sessions is a good place to start.
Earlier this week, June 10 to be precise, was the 103 anniversary of the birth of Chester Arthur Burnett. You may know Mr. Burnett better as Howlin' Wolf and stone-cold authentic Mississippi Blues Man. "Smokestack Lightning" is one of his earlier songs and draws upon several earlier blues songs.
We've been covering a lot of music by the Vegas band Coastwest Unrest. Today we have the song "Empty Handed Painter" from the most recent release High Times on Lowly Streets which came out back in April. I sure hope you've checked out this band by now. If not, do it!
This is my very first post, and I don't know exactly how this is going to work. A more informative post will follow, but I want to see how this works.
If you are reading this, it worked just fine. If not, well - it didn't. Or something....
- Work-in-Progress ________________________________________________________________________________ Thus began Ear to the Ground: A Music Blog - one year ago today.
By the numbers:
1 Year 12 Months 52 Weeks 366 Days (leap year) 8,784 Hours 527,040 Minutes 31,622,400 Second Over 400 posts Over 21,000 Page Views
We started at Posterous, and toward the end of 2011, we moved over here to Blogger. There is so much I want to tell you about the experience I have had writing here. Numbers do not begin to tell the whole story. I didn't know what I wanted the blog to be - I think I somehow thought my cleverness and handful of personal accounts of shows seen and songs heard would sustain this blog. Truth be told, if not for the amazing music I've come to love, the friendships (musicians, fellow bloggers, fellow music fans) I have come to treasure - I would have quit this experiment a long time ago.
I can honestly say that the best ideas I've had for Ear to the Ground have come about by following my heart. The converse is probably true as well, whenever I get a bright idea, I'm best to set it aside until it seems right.
Enough, at Ear to the Ground, we do like to look back every now and then, but what we like better is moving forward....
_____________________________________________________________________________ Added a bunch of songs to the list last night - here's a shuffle:
The Monks of Mellonwah hail from Sydney, Australia. Today we have the radio edit of the title track to the forthcoming Neurogenesis EP (May 24). (The full track is below). The band recently won The Best Indie Rock Band in the Artists In Music Awards in Los Angeles. The band worked with some real heavy weights on the Neurogenesis EP and one track in on the May CMJ Mix-tape. So the year ahead should be a big one for the band. And now they are on Ear to the Ground so... ;-)
Next, We have some aching country blues from the delta region of New Jersey... okay I'm not sure if New Jersey has a delta, but regardless - Jo Wymer's music comes from a swampy and soulful place. Stay Away from Me is from her 2011 album Living with Scars.
And finally, we have a track from forthcoming (May 29) Sun Kil Moon album Among the Leaves. The song is called That Bird Has a Broken Wing . Thoughtful, intelligent alternative music. Sun Kil Moon features Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters.
