E2TG 4/22/2022 - Featured Friday - Drunkard's Dream Mix (Girls of LA Remix)

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E2TG Favorites Natchez Tracers close out Night 1 of Magnolia Roads American Roots Hoedown VII - which takes place at Dee's on April 29.  

Formed in 2014, Natchez Tracers are an original rock band based in Nashville, TN. While offering a healthy dose of improvisation-oriented, dance-friendly grooves reminiscent of the originators of this style from the 60's and 70's, Natchez Tracers deliver a modern take on a classic format focusing on thoughtful lyrics, inspired melodies and unexpected instrumental excursions. Co-Band Leaders Lewis Stubbs and Josh Womack are a formidable anchor for the group, equally sharing the song-writing, vocal and guitar-playing duties. Natchez Tracers keep the live show interesting and unpredictable by utilizing a couple of different rhythm sections and often have repeat guest instrumentalists sit in to add unique spins and colors to the performances. The band is currently booking and playing regional shows throughout the Southeast and beyond supporting their 2021 third EP titled Hug You All on the Other Side. More new music is coming in 2022!

Here are the Facebook event  links to all three nights of the Hoedown

Night 1: https://www.facebook.com/events/1939400169576291

Night 2: https://www.facebook.com/events/1419133068518217

Night 3: https://www.facebook.com/events/4797318793728832

Another Friday and time for another Featured Friday Playlist... 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 3/18/2022 - Featured Friday - Swamp Sistas Mix (Intercom Remix)

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Guess what? It is Friday, and that means we have a brand new Featured Friday Playlist. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 2/4/2022 - Featured Friday - 400 Cigarettes Mix (The Road Ahead Remix)

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Guess what! I am back after an unexpected day off.  I also took off from Greetings from Nashville yesterday so no archive to post. 

It is time for another Featured Friday Playlist.  The entire list is below - with a few comments - just because I am short on time. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 1/9/2020: 2019 Artist of the Year and more - Good Times Mix (Revolution Remix)

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Beach Notes 1-8-2020

The first ever Decline of Southern Civilization was a success.  Musical performances by Slump Test (Ben Douglas, Twon, and Ryan Dishen), Jibber Jabber, and Stuck Lucky, plus the comedy stylings of Shakes.  Plus, Slump Test opened with a theme song for the show featuring guests Joe Lekkas and some of the Nashville Horns (include Diego on trombone).  Lots of good punk rock music. Met two people, a young bass player new to town from Monterey, California - it was his birthday and a DJ from Australia who plays punk, post-punk, and garage on a station very similar to WXNA (she was with Nashville and Australia musician and DJ Anne McCue). I believe it is going to be a monthly thing, and I can't wait until the next one.

Slump Test (photo by Me)

2019 E2TG Artist of the Year (Golden Earie Award - Part 1)

My decision to make some changes to E2TG for 2020 and my thoughts and thinking about that led me to change how I approached the end of 2019.  From deciding not to hand out or at least name tons of Earie Award winners to my approach to the Artist and/or Band of the Year. Honestly, I think this decision will vary every year based upon circumstances.

In the history of E2TG (8 and a half years or so), we have never awarded Band/Artist of the Year to the same person*.  (*Ugggy won Band of the Year with Valued Customer and then Artist of Year solo (but he had to release new music every month for a year to accomplish that).  Well, that is about change. When I looked over 2019 (where there were a ton of great releases and a bunch of new music from people I adore), at first I was unsure of what I was going to do, but I kept coming back to one person.  If you read E2TG, this will likely not be a surprise. On January 14, 2019, he officially announced that he had signed with ANTI Records.  His year was one of changes and challenges. In midst of all that he released an album which I named as my favorite album of the year on WXNA's website. He completed his first ever tour of England and Norway (in spite of an intense dislike of flying). He toured with some big names in the Americana world, and he had a triumphant showcase at Americana Music Festival.  Of course, I am talking about Darrin Bradbury who released Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs in 2019.

Regular readers know of his importance to this blog. He was our Artist of the Year in 2014 - the year he began to be established in Nashville (he arrived in November of 2013). He champions other songwriters (I can scarcely count the number of people I have met directly or indirectly because of Darrin).  On a personal note, I made a friend when I met Darrin. But it is this most recent year, and the future which earned him this year's Artist of the Year title.  Since, I have been naming Artist/Band of the Year, the award has always represented a recognition of the accomplishments for the year just ending and the promise of the year just starting.  Based upon the post Talking Dogs... songs that I have heard, I am excited to see what comes next for Darrin Bradbury.

                                          Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs Album Cover                    Darrin Bradbury (Facebook Profile Picture)


Here is today's shuffle from all the songs on my phone....

2018 E2TG Earie Awards - # 10 - Recap October 2018

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The Drift - A Novel by Joe Wolfe-Mazeres Available at Amazon.com (Kindle edition also available


I  hope everyone is having a good holiday season or at least making it through,,,,

Best laid plans... well, I had timed it out so that I could recap January through November - one month at a time to end on my last day of work for the year, which was December 21.  Unfortunately, in between I had a couple of days where I didn't have time to finish and post my shuffle.  Meanwhile, my holiday has flown by and now here we are on the last day of the year.  So, let me see what I can do.

Today's shuffle - which I listened to back on the 20th is from October 2018.

November 2018 recap should follow shortly, if all goes as planned - which it rarely does.

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Blackbird Under Water Mix

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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!


Here we go!  I added a bunch of new music last night.  Not sure any of it came up today, but nonetheless, we have a cool and very diverse shuffle - including at least one "E2TG First Listen"

Let's go!

Trending Thursday Morning Shuffle - Waves of Freedom Mix

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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!

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Basic Cable Mix

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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 three - January - May 2018.  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 NEW


Had a great time at Dee's last night.  It is always a pleasure to see Wild Ponies - to me they are the best of what Nashville has to offer - both musically and as people.   They were fantastic last night.  Also on the bill was Suzanne Harper and Lindsay White.  Suzanne Harper is from the band Talks Like June. You may recall that about three years back, I humble bragged about getting to go to the famous Cash Cabin Studio - built by Johnny Cash and now run by John Carter Cash.  The event that brought me there was for Talks Like June. It was my first time seeing her since that day, and she was great. It was my first time (period) seeing Lindsay White. I really enjoyed her performance. Music was great, the hangs were great.

Tonight, I will make another pilgrimage to The 5 Spot for Tim Carroll's Rock n Roll Happy Hour.  The best free event (hell the best event (period)) in Nashville.

Well, we've made it to end of another week.  We dive back into our "new music" playlist.

Let's just get to it.

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Dreaming of Snakes Mix

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My novel, The Drift is out now!  Paperback or Kindle (Buy the paperback and get a Kindle version for just $.99)

E2TG 7th Anniversary Residency is coming in June to The 5 Spot! The first night is LESS THAN ONE WEEK away.  Come early for Clark Paterson, Rayvon Pettis, and The Big Dumb. 

Week 1 June 7:  Clark Paterson, The Big Dumb, Rayvon Pettis (LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY)

Week 2 June 14: The End Men, Ted Drozdowski's Psychedelic Circus, Ben de la Cour

Week 3 June 21:  Brian Milligram, Microwave Mountain, The Coal Men

Week 4 June 28: Joanna Barbera, Bee Taylor, Eli Cook

As you may be aware, for the past two years, I have been fortunate enough to co-host a radio show (Double Shot with Joe and Sue) along with my good friend Sue Havlish on WXNA-LP Nashville. This experience has been one of the most wonderful of my life. 

WXNA went on the air just under two years ago. It is a low-power, all-volunteer community, non-profit radio station, and it has taken this city by storm. I am so proud to be a part of it. It is time for the Spring Pledge Drive.  WXNA is People Powered Radio and relies on the generous support of the community to keep things going.  You investment (small or large) pays off everyday - by helping the station to keep on providing a home for independently programmed shows covering a variety of musical genres and topics of interest and benefit to the community.  The drive runs through Saturday at midnight. You can donate at wxnafm.org or by calling 615-933-WXNA (9962). 

Also, WXNA is throwing a huge birthday bash Sunday at The Basement on 8th Avenue from 3-6pm.  I don't know many details yet, but I will share them when I do. Nevertheless, I hope folks in Nashville will come out - this is a celebration of what YOU have helped to make happen. 

It is FRIDAY!  It has been a very weird week - holiday on Monday, working from home Tuesday, plus other things... I'm ready for a bit of reset - and then next week - I can hop back in... lot's going on!

I loved today's shuffle- a couple of first listens plus some other new and relatively new things... a wide variety of music from all over the world - in other words everything a good music shuffle needs.  Let's do it!

Featured Friday Morning Morning Shuffle - Wicked Predatory Technocrats Mix

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Week 1:  Rayvon Pettis, The Big Dumb, Clark Paterson

Week 2:  The End Men, Ted Drozdowski's Psychedelic Circus, (Special Guest TBA)

Week 3:  Microwave Mountain, The Coal Men, Brian Milligram


And finally, for our fourth and final week, E2TG is pleased to announce that our guests will be!

Eli Cook:  Hailing from Charlottesville, Virginia, Eli Cook's latest album High Dollar Gospel has been getting rave reviews. He is fresh off some dates opening for the legendary Robin Trower.  E2TG is thrilled to have him help close out our 7th Year Anniversary Residency!


Bee Taylor:  One of Nashville's most electrifying artists, Bee Taylor, will be joining us - backed by her stellar band!  Described as a cross between Amy Winehouse and Tom Waits - if you've never seen Bee Taylor live - you have to experience to fully appreciate her power!

Joanna Barbera:  Opening our final week will be one of my favorite local songwriters. Joanna Barbera recently had a song prominently featured in the CBS television series Criminal Minds. Her most recent EP Imago is a favorite of mine. Get there early to catch her set!


Now, it is Friday and time for our Featured Friday shuffle. Guess what, we have another wildly diverse set of songs... so let's do it!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Life without Parole Mix

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I was a little under the weather yesterday, so this is my first shuffle of the week.  I hope you've been following my previews of the upcoming Magnolia Roads American Roots Hoedown III.  Part 1 was posted yesterday and featured Ben Sparaco.   Part 2 posted this morning and featured Don Gallardo.

It's Trending Tuesday and we have a few "first listens" plus some tracks from albums we have been featuring for a little while. 

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Sleepless in Nashville Mix

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Honestly, I try to keep my commentaries at least semi-cordial - not that the current administration does that not even necessarily deserves it, but there have been so many straws.  Seriously, how more reprehensible can this administration be?  I can't believe this will go on for four more years.  I just can't.  About "covfefe" - you know if you are someone who cares about other human beings - then this year has been horrendously painful. You got to get your laughs when you can. Every once in a while, I will visit the Facebook page of one of the handful of "T-Rump" supporters I am friends with  (I generally do well with muting these posts from my newsfeed). Anyway, I wanted to check in to see what they were saying about "covfefe" - and there is actually a  (now debunked) piece that claims the "word" is a translation of an Arabic term meaning We Will Stand or some such.  By debunked, I mean the original article has some convoluted Google Translation that seems to indicate the meaning. It is based upon a false use and reading of Google Translate. Which means, even if the president intended to use it in this way, he was basing the usage on a erroneous source (not the first time there).  But, it got me thinking about a bigger issue... let's say the translation had been correct and that had been the intent of the "Tweet"... imagine if it had been President Obama who had tweeted an Arabic term - can you even imagine the outrage from the right?  Ugh!  Look, I don't care about weird tweets, I worry about the damage being done to this nation's reputation and standing in the world.  Honestly, I would be among the first to tell you that the Democratic party is less than ideal, and I hope they will improve and make some adjustments in policy and strategy, BUT,  the situation now is so dire that I feel even some options I previously viewed as odious are looking better,,,,,
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Anyway, it's Friday and we have some Featured tunes for the day!  I love that even my "New Music" playlist is so diverse. It's easy to get pigeonholed and I have worked hard to keep E2TG as wildly inclusive as possible, and the variety of submissions I get reflects that I am succeeding on that count - at least.

Shuffle!

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Demon Gold Mix

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#E2TG6 Coming May 2017 - Details soon!


Greetings from a rainy Tuesday.  Last night, I attended the premiere (I think) edition of Madison Guild Mondays at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge.  Last night was hosted by none other than 2014 E2TG Artist of the Year Darrin Bradbury.  Songwriters featured included: Zach Schmidt, Adam Kurtz (of Buck N Stuff fame), Tim Easton, Don Gallardo, Matt Haeck, Steven Knudson, Javi Jones, Jon Latham and more. Darrin closed the night joined by Laur Joamets on guitar.


I will probably be ranting more tomorrow about the insanity in which we find ourselves. Until then: #Resist!

It is Tuesday and time to shuffle up some songs from the "New Music" playlist. Enjoy! (by the way, I could not find many of the exact songs on YouTube - so enjoy a mix of other songs by the artists featured)...

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - Like No One Else Mix

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Well, I am back after an extended weekend - some much needed time with my daughter.

Let's see... so Lady Gaga is keeping it real by playing a "dive bar" tour which tonight will be my favorite joint - The 5 Spot. And by keeping it real, I mean shutting the place down for two nights, barricading streets, buses, trucks, (and from what I hear) a ton of gear to play two songs tonight.  Cool, cool..

Anyway, I will be across the river at The Basement for the fourth ever show by Buck N Stuff.  Regular readers will recall that Buck N Stuff is THE best Buck Owens tribute band that I have ever seen.  Okay, they are the only Buck Owens tribute band I have ever seen, but I'd be willing to bet that if I had seen others, they would still be the best. Breathing new life into Buck's great songs, it is sure to be a wild, fun, totally awesome experience. 8:30pm.  My prediction: Buck N Stuff will melt faces, reassemble faces from the melted remains, and then melt faces once again.

Now, it is Wednesday and we are about to get "Wild"

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - The Sun's Alive Mix

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Well - about seven and half hours of live music last night...  Mark Robinson Showband and Rhythm Revue with guests David Olney and RB Morris was as spectacular as I expected.  With bullhorns, Robinson's always amazing guitar playing, and the whole company doing "Stagger Lee"  duet style with Olney (with bullhorn) and Morris trading vocals.

After studying the schedule and weighing the options some of which involved multiple trips across the river and back, I decided to just set down roots at The Basement East for AMA night. I had a little time before that, so I joined some friends to catch Tim Carroll, Luella, Cameron Carrus, with David Strayer on drums.  It was like a partial reunion of the old Fran's Eastside days.

When I finally made my way to The Beast, I ran into more friends and got to meet the one and only Mojo Nixon!  I have heard at Americana to enjoy what you decide to do and not overthink the things you are passing up.. so in that spirit.... Bottle Rockets were incredible and they brought out special guest Eric Ambel for a couple of songs.  Next up was Grant Lee Phillips who I had never seen live before.  I really dug his set.   Next was John Paul White with special guests The Secret Sisters.  I have not really had the chance to dig into White's recent work, but I was really impressed by this set.  I was starting to fade a bit during his set, but it did not have anything to do with the music.

I managed to drink some water and move a little and then moved closer to the stage for Brian Wright's night closing set.  He had Aaron Lee Tasjan playing guitar and a great band backing  him, and it was every bit as good a set as I could ever imagine. His special guests were Ladie Gun Club, and the sit included the band gathered around one mic - like they do on the Opry...  Wright's set closing, "Glory Hallelujah" was everything you want a closing number to be.

So, tonight... I am trying to wrap up things at work - so the shuffle post may be quick... Jill Kettles and Rodney Metroyer are hosting  an unofficial AMA event this afternoon with Marvin Etzioni, Brian Langlinais (remember that name as the shuffle proceeds) and more.  Bloodshot Records is throwing a party in the back yard of The Groove record store - with Lydia Loveless, Bottle Rockets, Robbie Fulks, and Cory Branan.  Plus, Tim Carroll Rock and Roll Happy Hour has been moved up one hour.  But, my night will be centered on The Station Inn. WXNA is hosting tonight's AMA showcases (and tomorrow night, too). Tonight, I will be hanging out with Richie Owens and Howard Yearwood from Wagon Wheel, and one of my tasks is to get to introduce Syd Straw! and talk about WXNA!

Also, Aaron Lee Tasjan is at Cannery Ballroom, Zach Schmidt is at ACME, and and and....

Featured Friday shuffle ahead...