E2TG 8/12/2021 - The Dawning of New Age - Call My Name Mix (Doctor Remix)

Tweet #E2TG

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

Featured Friday Playlist recap (part 5 - the finale) (songs 29-33):

29. "Beside the Deathbed" by The Tolks

We start off the last segment of this week's playlist with a new single from this Finnish band which follows their debut album Malefunction.

30. "Sneakers , Kicks, Trainers, Creps" by Youthstar

Up next, we have a track from the fine folks at Chinese Man Records - the second single from the forthcoming Out Past Curfew featuring Miscellaneous. 

31. "II. Expand" by LIMINA

Next up, we have the the second track from Hidden Spaces by L.A. based composer Tyler Durham aka Limina. 

32. "There's Someone Tryin' to Get In" by Harry Stafford

Next, we have the first single from the forthcoming Bone Architecture by Manchester's Harry Stafford (Inca Babies) and North Carolina based Brazilian-American blues punk veteran Marco Butcher. I dig this song a lot. 

33. "National Trash" by Gary Hector

And, we close with the title track from the new album from this native of Trinidad and Tobago- whose sound combines several different genres brilliantly.  A fantastic way to close us out for the week. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 4/28/2021 - Ah, Okay, I guess - Heaven Mix (Real Child Remix)

Tweet #E2TG

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

 

So, here is where my head is at today... Thinking about things returning to some "new" normal or some "hybrid" normal.. I think it is important to say that a variety of feelings about all this is normal and complex and shifting feelings is normal, too.  I am happy for my musician friends who are beginning to see a return to what they love. At the same time, as I shared before, the current new normal is not something I am always comfortable with or really know how to navigate. My normal has not returned and likely will not return anytime soon.  I will adapt, but in the meantime, it is okay for me to be apprehensive and even frustrated.  

There are also a variety of more complex feelings which aren't directly related to live music.

On a somewhat related note, I, once again, have learned that sometimes the only way to get past an emotional block is to go through it.  (This is not, by the way, a substitute for professional help if that is needed).  But, for me, I sometimes have to just do something which I know will be good for me - even if a hundred voices provide excuses not to do it. It is a lesson I continue to learn and re-learn. 

Featured Friday Playlist recap Part 4 (songs 22-26):

22. "Persian Rug" by The Strange Days

First up, we have the new single from this London based gutter rock band. The band had been playing this song live for a year and half before recording it. A great lead-off to this segment of music. 

23. "So Long" by Sir Orfeo

Next up, we have the new single from this pastoral, lo-fi, indie folk band from Western Massachusetts. Their EP Millefleur is due out in June. Really wonderful song. 

24. "Floating" by Banana Chant

Next up, we have a track from the recently released second EP (Payingt off Student Loans) from this Miami based indie rock/funk/groove band. Check it out!

25. "Hold On" by Certain Animals

Next up, we have the first single from the forthcoming second album by this Dutch band who create fresh new music with a sixties and seventies vibe. Cool stuff. 

26. "Why Don't We" by Your Academy

And, we close things out for this segment of music with the lead track from the debut album from this new power pop band from Memphis which boasts and impressive pedigree which traces back to some of the great Memphis power pop bands of the past. 
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 2/18/2021- More Snow and Assorted Other Things - Girl and Boy Mix (Stromboli Remix)

Tweet #E2TG

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

Sure - the snow is pretty, but to be honest, at this point, it is just annoying.  I have things to do, and although I am capable of driving in snow, I don't like dealing with crazy people on the roads... 

But, enough on that.  I have heat and power and food.  Some people don't... In any case, soon the snow and ice will melt away and temperatures will rise.  

Meanwhile, we have some music to present... 

Featured Friday Playlist (songs 20-23 - Final Recap)

20. "Phoenix" by Elijah Ocean

This is the other part of the split with Peter Donovan that ended yesterday's recap.  You may recall - Ocean and Donovan are co-owners of the brand new Envoy Records. Elijah Ocean is based in L.A. 

21. "Born to Bore" by John Dunbar

Next up, we have a track from this solo effort from the front man of the New York band - The John Sally Ride. The band had been gearing up for a new album, but the pandemic lead to this solo effort.  Dig the vibes of this track.

22. "Sky" by Soft Kill

Next up, we have the title track of the new EP by this Portland based post-punk band who recently opened a storefront/shop in Portland called R.I.P. City.

23. "When You Think It's Right" by Post Profit 

We close out this playlist with the first single and semi-title track from the forthcoming album When You Think It's Right It's Always Wrong.  Post Profit are an alternative rock band from Longview, Texas.  Some hard rock to close out this week's playlist. 
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 9/11/2020 - 19 Years - Clarity Mix (Solitude Remix)

Tweet #E2TG

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

Today is the 19th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I think this event affected everyone, but definitely not equally.  In the subsequent years, I have met people who were very deeply, profoundly, and directly affected by the attacks. 

For me, I was at work - and I got a news alert by e-mail that a plane had collided with the World Trade Center. I may be wrong, but I think the first report I saw said it was a small plane (or may I that was just what I read into it - like why would a big jet be flying so low over the City... I turned on the radio and I think tried to pull up something on-line. What I do remember is hearing about the second plane and immediately knowing that this was not an accident. I wasn't able to watch tv until after work. I remember walking outside at lunch time and looking up and wondering if there would be more attacks.  And I remember what a beautiful day it was. 

What I remember in the days after was a sense of unity. Not just the country but allies all over the world. Of course this didn't last, and in some sense it was an illusion... but it seemed genuine and real (and in some ways it was). 

I had recently signed up for an acting workshop put on by the Parks department. I think we had maybe met once before 9/11.  The goal of the workshop was to create and put on a production - the attacks dominated the production we created. We used parts of several different works - The Good Person of Szechwan, Waiing for Godot, the poem, "The Creation" by James Weldon Johnson, as well as bits we wrote ourselves. The participants were a diverse group and it was an amazing experience to hear different perspectives about what was happening. I considered myself well read and aware, but I learned so much about how other people experience the world. 

Nineteen years... seems a long time ago and yet it seems like it just happened recently. 

Before we get into this week's Featured Friday Playlist, we have a couple of non-Spotify songs to feature.  The first is the lead single from the first Stuffy Shmitt album in eight years. Stuff Happens will be out December 4 (and look for a few more singles between now and then).  It is so great to hear new Stuffy Shmitt music, and he has worked with some of our favorite people on this album.  The song premiered last week - and you can check it out HERE.   

Meanwhile, a group of Nashville musicians who used to perform once a month on Sunday afternoons at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge got together - virtually - during quarantine to record this gorgeous cover of the George Harrison song "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace)".  They named their new venture Sunday Someday - on the hope that we will all gather again on a Sunday... someday.  Below is a link to the song and the video. Sunday Someday features Annie McCue, Megan Palmer, Bob Lewis, Jason Quicksall, Jonathan Beam, and Erin Nelson. 

It is Friday and that does mean and whole new Featured Friday Playlist. As always, I am proud of this list, I invite you to listen and follow the Playlist and to support the artists you like. 

The first seven songs are listed below.  We will feature the rest of the Playlist in this space next week. 

    Featured Friday Playlist

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Such a Jerk Mix

Tweet #E2TG

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


Well, this post will wrap up the first full work week of 2019.  For those new here, I typically post shuffles every day I'm at work (with a few exceptions). The shuffles are just the random song shuffles of what I listened to on my way to work.

Here is a run down of a typical week at E2TG:

Monday - Music City Monday - a shuffle from a special Spotify playlist of music from people who live or have lived in Nashville. It is the only shuffle that comes from Spotify. I created this just to give a glimpse into Nashville's musically rich past, present, and future.

Tuesday and Thursday - Trending Tuesday and Trending Thursday - a shuffle of the newest of the new songs to the E2TG playlist. This is new for 2019.  I am going to try to keep this playlist fairly small and rotate music in and out more often.

Wednesday - Wild Wednesday - a shuffle of ALL the songs saved to my phone memory card. This shuffle can be anything from new stuff, classic songs, rare/weird tracks, songs ripped from CDs I've owned for up to 30 years.

Friday - Featured Friday - This shuffle comes from the "Featured Friday" playlist.  This list is also kind of new. It is basically the old "New Music" playlist (music submissions from late 2017 to 2018, but it also includes all music from the Trending playlist, plus any new to me music I get which doesn't fit the "Trending" designation - for example - I got a mix CD for a friend over the holidays - that is included here, I received a CD as a gift - that is included here.


The Video Playlist - every day there is a shuffle, I create a Video Playlist (a YouTube Playlist) as a representative playlist for the daily shuffle.  The approach I generally take is,  if I find an "Official Video" in my cursory search, I include that video, if not, if there is one of those automatically generated videos, I include that, otherwise, I include interesting live clip of the song or at last resort - I will include a "fan-made" video.  If I cannot find a video of the song at all - which sometimes happens - especially if the song is from an upcoming release, I pick a different song to represent. Rarely (although it happened yesterday), I cannot find any video by the artist in question, in which case I just skip the song.

The video playlist is really just a convenient way for E2TG readers to hear a playlist similar to the one I listened to on my commute.


Now, let's shuffle!

Featured Friday Morning - Human Clay Mix

Tweet #E2TG

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

For your holiday shopping: The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available


Well, here we are at the last day of November. We about to enter the final month of 2018.  As a friend likes to point out, the calendar year is arbitrary and has been/is different era to era, culture to culture. Regardless, it is as good a time as any to take stock.  What's working, what's not, what could be better, and where to set sights for the year ahead.  I'll be focusing on all that in December, all while continuing to bring new music to light and to reflect on the great music of 2018.

I am working on making a decision about the E2TG Artists and Bands of the Year.  As in the last two years, my thought is to have two winners in each category.  Band and Artist of the Year Nashville and Band and Artist of the Year (Non-Nashville).  Truthfully, every time I think I've settled on a list, I remember another artist who is kicking butt. It's not going to be an easy decision, but do know - everyone I write about is a winner in my book. Plus, despite rumors to the contrary, E2TG awards to not include a cash prize or anything like that.

We have a pretty nifty shuffle of songs to close out the month. Let's get to it!

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - Wrong Shoes Mix

Tweet #E2TG

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

Words No Music A Reading coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 6:30pm Radio Cafe Nashville. No Cover, tips accepted and books will be for sale. We have an incredible line-up featuring David Olney,  Rod Picott, Luke Powers, Rebecca Weiner Tompkins, and yours truly. All but me are incredible musicians and songwriters, but for this show - they will let their words speak for them without music.  I will be reading from The Drift plus some selections from a forthcoming book.   FACEBOOK EVENT HERE!

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!)
E2TG October 2018  (coming soon!)


Well - the election is over. The results were mixed. There were bitter disappointments, but I am choosing to focus on the positives that came out of yesterday.  Moreover, I am committed to doing my part to make this a kinder nation.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is mid-week, and that means it is time for another installment of "Wild Wednesday" at E2TG. A shuffle that comes from all of the songs saved to my phone's memory. You never know what will come up. We have a pretty interesting mix that covers several different genres. Let's go!

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Día de los Inocentes 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!)

Words No Music A Reading coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 6:30pm Radio Cafe Nashville. No Cover, tips accepted and books will be for sale. We have an incredible line-up featuring David Olney,  Rod Picott, Luke Powers, Rebecca Weiner Tompkins, and yours truly. All but me are incredible musicians and songwriters, but for this show - they will let their words speak for them without music.  I will be reading from The Drift plus some selections from a forthcoming book.   FACEBOOK EVENT HERE!

I am short on time so, we will get right to the Trending Thursday shuffle!  Let's go!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Mixed Emotions 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!)

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!  Thursday, November 15, 2018 - We have a pretty cool event in the works.  More to come! I can tell you this isn't really an E2TG event.  It is connected to my novel, The Drift, and we have some super cool guests lined up.  Announcement soon!


It is Tuesday. We are marching toward the end of the month and toward election day. I honestly go back and forth between hope and despair. Mostly, I have a great sadness for this divisiveness of these times. This an issue that has been brewing for years, but it has reached critical mass. I think the 24 hour news cycle and social media and extremism are all part and parcel of the problem, but ultimately it is the collective "US" that owns the majority of the responsibility. Collectively, we have the power to reject what is happening.  It is us that fall for the Russian interference that share and post - unreliable "news" stories - that watch highly partisan "news" programs that merely provide confirmation for our beliefs.  It is "US" that disapproves of Congress but keeps re-electing the most egregious members again and again. 

The problem is that "We the People" have shirked our responsibilities. Voting rates have been shamefully low, we allow ourselves to be distracted from the things that matter by manufactured divisive "issues" created by special interests who pay off the politicians we keep re-electing.  The problem isn't "conservatives or liberals" - there is room in this country for all sides of the political prism. We don't seek out common ground as a place to begin to hear and see one another.  And neither do our elected officials.

I wish I had solutions and the power to carry out those solutions, but I don't. The fact is, though, no matter the outcome of the mid-term elections (and I know the outcome I want), the fundamental problems of our society will still exist.  And until, we find a way to deal with those issues, our democracy will continue to be in danger.  Practically, I think ending Citizen's United is the most important first step. Then, comprehensive campaign finance reform. 

I wish our country had a history of more than two parties. I think the binary notion of beliefs is so limiting for us. Not every one who votes "Blue" or who votes "Red" believes all of the same things. Unfortunately, until changes are made, a third party candidate will only steal votes from the "side" that they most closely fit. A strong left-leaning third party will split the "blue" vote and a strong right-leaning third party will split the "red" vote.  "Blue or Red" should not be the only choices but until something vital changes in our systems, that is the reality.

For the reasons I enumerated yesterday, I plan to vote straight blue. Not because I think the Democrats are perfect or that they 100% represent my values. For the alternative has become toxic. There was a time when I would have considered voting for a moderate right-leaning candidate if the left-leaning candidate was not favorable to me. But, not this time. Not even a slight hesitation.


Music though!  We have a cool, diverse mix of songs to carry us through another day....

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Waves of Freedom 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!)

I have been fortunate enough to meet and come to know many powerful, amazing women in my life. In particular (in the context of E2TG), I know a ton of incredible women who are somehow connected to the world of music.

Over the last couple of years, as the #MeToo movement has built steam, I have been dismayed to learn how many of them have their own #MeToo stories. These are stories about sexual assault and about misogyny (both overt and less overt). and I have even come to recognize behaviors I have demonstrated which run counter to my stated and intended beliefs and values.

When a woman tells us what her experience has been, we need to believe her and listen. Believing women is not as I've heard some men say, a repudiation of due process, it is a demand for fair and honest due process which has been denied to so many for so long.

 From my very personal experience, those being truthful are the ones who demand investigations, demand evidence be judged, and who demand justice. Those who have something to hide - push for a rush to judgement based upon emotion and preconceived ideas. 


Well, it's Thursday, and as we do every week, we close out the week with two days of shuffling up tunes from our "New Music" playlist.   Let's shuffle!