Topical Thursday Morning Shuffle - Hambones and Spider Queens Mix

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About 2/3 of the way through American Aquarium's set at The Basement East last night, I had a thought. I was thinking about all the people (many of them people about my age or older or younger) who say things like "Music these days sucks." or something and then they will usually compare some classic band from an earlier era to some disposable pop star of the moment (as if there have not always been disposable pop stars).  My thought, my message to those people, is turn off top 40 radio and go out and see live music. I know I am very spoiled by living in Nashville, but I also know that there is great music (crossing all genres and styles) being made every night and every day all around world.   Cordovas opened for American Aquarium, and as I have come to expect from that band, they totally destroyed.  Seriously, Cordovas are a band I will never get tired of seeing live.

American Aquarium leader B.J. Barham has gone through some major changes in the last two and half years (which is about the time I first really got into the band).  Among those changes was the departure of his entire band.  He has a newly formed band, and they were incredible last night.  Most of the band comes from Texas (Barham is a North Carolina native) and also includes Nashville's own Adam Kurtz (Buck n Stuff) on pedal steel.  I may be bias, being a big Buck n Stuff fan, but I think Kurtz was one of the stars of the night.  As of Barham, he seemed energized and he seemed to be enjoying himself - bouncing around the stage and engaging with the band and the audience.  He speaks hard truths with love, and explores his own life with honesty. 

This show came after taking in the early show at The 5 Spot - which local Sarah Clanton and a band that included the bass player from The Barefoot Movement.  Clanton plays the cello and I had just recently been turned on to her by my DJ partner Sue.   After Clanton's set, Heather Mae from D.C. took the stage. She injected some much needed positive energy into my soul. I am a fan, now. Turns out she knows my friends in FuzzQueen - proving just how small the music world is, Tom Goss closed that early show, and I dug his music, too. 

I hate that I missed Benchmarks at The 5 Spot - as it turned out, I probably could have seen most of their set....  also last night E2TG 2015 Artist of the Year Jon Latham made his debut on Music City Roots with his killer band.  I am looking forward to catching the video of this.

Anyway, from my point of view, the state of music is just fine - the business/money side of it may be a different story, but that is a topic for another time.

Today, we jump back into our exploration of E2TG history.  E2TG began in May 2011.  A vast majority of my posts are the monring shuffles like this one.  The basic premise is, "Hey, I heard some cool music this morning on my way to work, let me tell you about."  So, let me....

Music on my Mind - maybe a #tbt post????

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The other day, I posted a rag tag collection of music called Fine, Fine Music.  I kind of liked that so I decided to do it again. Song sometimes enter my head - either through hearing an old song on the radio, reading a mention, or just a random, unexplained earworm.  Over the past few days, I have been collecting some of these as they pass through, and I created the video playlist which will be posted below.

I was going to just post without comment, but well, you know me (or you don't...) so... just quick, self-indulgent observations:

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - rearviewmirrormix

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Wow! May is sure flying by, and I still have some wrap-up to do for April - ah well, when I can, when I can...   I have a nifty selection of songs today, so let's get to it.

Pre-Shuffle Shuffle:

1. "If You Would Love Me, Too" by Prattle On, Rick (A Nashville artist who I "discovered" via Twitter. Really digging this guy and wondering why it's taken me so long to catch up with him.  The video in our Playlist is for another song of his - as are several of the songs today).

2. "I Am" by Sealight (Our friends from across the pond are back with a new song - a follow up to their Dead Letters EP which I reviewed some time back in my very first Ear to the Ground record review!  I Am can be found on a Sampler put out by the band's French Label, Commission 45.

 

 

3."Stealing Romance" by Milk Carton Kids

4."Without You" by Natalie Maines

5.  "Failing Love (acoustic)" by Seth Philpott


The Milk Carton Kids and Seth Philpott tracks were grabbed from Noisetrade.  There is always fresh new music up for grabs at Noisetrade.com, and as always tip if you can, spread the word and support the artists however you are able.

The Natalie Maines' track is the lead track from her long-anticipated and brand new album Mother.

SHUFFLE is up - after the JUMP

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - The Box Principle Mix

 So here we go it's Monday, and we have some good stuff going down this week.  Tomorrow, Cosmonauts are unveiling a brand new song, and we have an interview with the band to help kick that off.  Meanwhile, voting for Band of the Month is going hot and heavy. Right now, Loners Society hold a lead over Rooftop Runners followed by The Imperial Rooster.  But, we are still in the early stages of voting which will run until right at Midnight on the 31st of August. 

This morning, our shuffle takes us into our Revolving Random playlist and offers up some tasty tunes.  So, let's get to it.

First up, we have an alternate take of a classic song from the late, great Warren Zevon.  Desperados Under the Eaves   has the dual distinction of being one of the coolest songs of all time, and utilizing two words which I wished showed up in my daily life more often (Desperados and Eaves). The version today is from the Preludes collection of rare and unreleased songs.

 

 

Next, we have a sweet dose of Southern mysticism backed by now legendary jangly guitars.  We have the sounds of a band hitting their stride.  We have Maps and Legends by R.E.M. from the Fables of the Reconstruction album (1985).

 

 

Up next, we have Seattle-based singer-songwriter Damien Jurado with a track from his 2010 album, St. Bartlett. Arkansas contains the characteristic murky goodness we've come to expect from Mr. Jurado.

 

 

 

 And finally, we have a track from one of our Bands of the Week from last year. The track is on the album Dead Letters by Sealight which was the first album we reviewed here at ear to the ground.  La Nieve Del Tiempo literally translates as Snow Time, and it is chill-inducing, beautiful music.

 

 

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Sealight - Dead Letters EP - An Ear to the Ground Review

The art of found or uncovered or discovered or recovered things has long held my interest. Someday, I’ll tell you all about my Found Object Collections and my theory about cryptic messages found on Post-It Notes along the sidewalk. Someday. But, today, we are talking about Dead Letters the debut EP by Sealight a band who come from France by way of Australia. Dead Letters – in these case are stories of lives long since ended. Missives meant to be from one to another – intimate or mundane, simple or complex, layed with many meanings or direct and to the point.

 

According to the band, “the lyrical content of the EP draws upon a collection of letters and texts surrounding the lives of the group’s families in France and Australia. Fragments of conversations, responses and reactions are incorporated throughout the five songs; reliving, retracing and reflecting upon events, relationships and the lives of the correspondents.”  - Before I’d even listened to the EP, I was in love with the concept.

 

The cover of  the CD is gray and to me suggests cold – and there is a single brown (dead?) leaf.

 

I had heard a bit of Sealight’s music before (they were a Band of the Week), and so I had some idea what to expect from Dead Letters. As a whole (and very generally), the music (to me) suggests a rocky shoreline on a cold gray day with icy spray bubbling up over the jagged rocks. The music is lovely and cold and haunting.

 

Dead Letters features a dynamic mix of acoustic and electronic sounds. The blending of these sounds works well.  At times, Sandra Rossini’s beautiful voice seems as though it is just another part of the layers of sound. By no means is this a bad thing.

 

This is music to curl up by a fire while cold rain and wind beats against a bay window which looks out upon the aforementioned rocky shoreline. It’s music curl up with a lover with – a complicated relationship made simple by the shared warmth of the moment.

 

The Songs: 

 

Dead Letters: The first and title track begins slowly and quietly until the vocals come in and then the song soars. The vocals are beautiful and haunting. Rebecca Stout was the singer with a Nashville band from the late 80s/early 90s called the Shakers. Sandra Rossini’s vocals bring that band to mind for me, though the music is much different. I found myself just becoming lost in the sounds of this track.

 

White Walk: This track starts with an acoustic guitar and this time the vocals seem more up-front. The vocals are highly evocative and I found myself transported to a different place in a different time. Synths are used sparingly and to great effect here. At around the 3:00 minute mark, the song picks up intensity as new layers come into the mix and it creates a wall of sound which suggests the winds of an approaching but not unwelcomed storm.

 

When the Rain Starts: More acoustic guitars to begin the third song on the EP. A trumpet and echoing vocals. “I feel so much better now.” Could be a simple statement of truth or an affirmation. I remember times when rain is a welcome relief  - come to wash away dirt or trouble or sin – all the bad stuff. And, I find myself thinking, ‘I do feel so much better now.”

 

The Moon: The one begins with one long sustained note from a synth perhaps. And then a gentle acoustic guitar. I’m thinking about the earth’s moon, and it’s real and mythological powers. The vocals are dream-like and then a powerful ringing guitar sound. Again the song brings me to the sea and I am reminded that the moon controls the tides.

 

La Nieve Del Tiempo:  The title of the EPs final song means Snow Time or Time of Snow. A strumming guitar and beautiful voice – it’s a slow song, but I am drawn into it, and I just want to luxuriate in the sounds - and return to my spot by the fire with my lover after watching snow falling on the rocky shoreline.

 

 Sealight is:

 Sandra Rossini – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Concertina

Dave Olliffe – Guitars, Synthesizers, Drones

Marc-Aurele Ngo Xuan – Drums and Drum Machines

 Also featuring Stephane Pigneul – Bass, Synthesizer

 

The EP is out on Commission 45, and is only the second release on the Parisian label.  

The band is playing some dates in France right now, and will launch a European tour in 2012.

 

Connect with the band at:  sealight.fr, facebook.com/sealightmusic, Twitter.com/sealightmusic and soundcloud.com/sealight 

 

Contact the band at info@sealight.fr , contact Commission 45 at info@commission45.org

Bands of the Week 2011 - Part II - Weeks 9-17

We continue our recap of the 2011 Bands of the Week.  Reminder: Please be sure to vote in the First Annual Reader's Poll for Band of the Year.

Week 9:  The Mobbs - an honest to goodness - British band with a punk attitude.  They play it fast and nasty and it makes me want to walk around saying "bloody hell" all the time.  Well here check out this video:


Week 10: Mikey Wax - is a singer and songwriter - Long Island born.  He recently released a new album Constant Motion which hit #6 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart. Here's a video for his song In Case I Go Again which has been viewed over a half a million times on You Tube:




Week 11: Elika - are an indie band from Brooklyn.  Their sound features astonishing vocals set atop a complex yet lovely combination of guitar, synth, bass and drum machine. Check out Elika's video for their song Summer here:


Week 12: Clepto - is a punk band with a definite Middle Eastern influence.  The band formed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2000 and has since relocated to Canada. The play it hard and nasty and the music is not for the faint of heart. For the unfaint of heart it's a jolly good time....  Check out this video:  NOTE:  I screwed up on the reader's poll and mispelled the band's name. I know the band's name. It was a typo.  So if you like Clepto please vote for Cleto.




Week 13: Simon Fagan - is an Irish singer/songwriter.  He has a unique voice and a great sound.  Look for a new EP coming soon.  Meanwhile check out this video of one of our favorite songs, Something I Don't Know


Week 14: The Walla Recovery - a cello-folk rock quartet from Texas.  They write moving and beautiful songs.  Here is a video of The Walla Recovery performing a cover of Coldplay's Til Kingdom Come:




Week 15: Lost Romance - are a New Jersey based rock band.  They play expansive music which lives up to the vast history of New Jersey music.  Here's a favorite of ours, Top of the World, performed live at The Saint in Asbury Park:


Week 16: Sealight - is a French/Australian band.  Their sound combines acoustic and electronic elements to make a beautiful soundscape.  They recently released their debut EP - Dead Letters which was reviewed here at Ear to the Ground.  Here is the title track from the EP:


Week 17: The Jinxes - are a melodic folk-pop band from Monterey, California. They have a rich creative spirit and a ear for sweet melodies.  Here is a video of a song, we love called Migration:

That's it for now.... Stay tuned... Part III is coming soon. And be sure to vote.