E2TG 3/03/2021 - One Year Later - Let You In Mix (It's Too Easy Remix)

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One year ago, a major tornado ripped through Middle Tennessee - across the state, the storms caused loss of life and property damage.  The center of my music life, East Nashville, was hit hard - The Basement East was demolished (happily they have rebuilt and are having some celebrations this week) and friends suffered property damage.  My favorite hang, The 5 Spot, was not damaged but lost power for about a week.  They reopened one night and then closed again due to the pandemic - which shut down everything.   

For a certain group of musicians and music lovers in Nashville - the bad year (plus) started with the sudden passing of David Olney in January. His public memorial service was held just days before such an event would not have been possible - the service was also just a week after the tornado. 

It is strange to think how this anniversary might be different under different circumstances. The celebration at The Beast would be more massive for one things. But for those, like me, who were not directly impacted by the tornado... I don't know... I guess it feels like the tornado and the pandemic all got lumped together into this horrible thing that shut down the things we love and kept us apart from the people we love.  

I know, too, that people are still feeling the effects of the tornado a year later - compounded by the effects of the pandemic. 

I also know - those who lived through the storm have flashbacks every time a watch or warning is issued. I send love to all affected - physically and mentally. 

Featured Friday Playlist Recap continues (songs 23-28):

23. "I'm Supersonic" by Arrows to Fire

Up first in today's Featured Friday segment - we have the latest single from this indie rock band from Austin. The song was written from the P.O.V. of a Harley Davidson. 

24. "2023" by Jamecellow

Next up, we have the newest single from this singer-songwriter from Italy.  Really cool sounds, and the cyberpunk video for the song is awesome. 

25. "9:30 Girl" by The Tummies

Next up, we have the title track from the new album by this Nashville based band with an affinity for Brit-pop and early rock and roll.  A great song. 

26. "Hero" by Chicken Rich

Next, we have the lead single from the forthcoming fourth album by this rock band from Brisbane, Australia. 

27. "Post Blue Collar Blues" by Nineteen Thirteen

Next up, we have a track from MCMXIII - the debut album by this band from Dayton, Ohio.  The band, album, and song are inspired in part by the changes of their hometown from 1913-1918. This song examines the lives of the children of the working class in that post-industrial era. 

28. "It's Not Goodbye (To Those We Left Behind" by Campfire Social

 And we close with some UK indie-pop via this collective from North Wales/Chester UK. A great track to take us into tomorrow's final recap of the week. 

 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 12/8/2020 - You Never Can Tell - Evolution Mix (Eternal School Bus Remix)

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I'm a little short on time, but what I was thinking about with "You Never Can Tell" in the title - is  the unpredictable nature of life sometimes... I mean, sure, life can fall into routines and can seem very predictable for some time, but the fact is everything can change in a moment. That can be frightening, but I TRY to reframe it is exhilarating. It doesn't mean that the change is always what one could consider welcome or "good", but the exciting part comes when you treat life as an adventure.  None of us are getting out of here alive. Religions or philosophies can tell us what (if anything) comes next after life, but the truth is we don't know.  So, if we accept the temporary nature of this existence then I think we can face the uncertainty of life in hopeful anticipation.  

Look, my philosophy in this matter doesn't shield me from pain or from being angry or scared when life throws a curve ball, but it can and has helped me through to the other side of that momentous change. 

Nothing in my 54 years caused me to predict or anticipate all that 2020 had in store for me and the rest of the world. And, in a million years, I would not have wanted any of the bad things to happen to myself or others, what I do know is that I was forced out of a routine (and maybe into another), but it has been at least a chance to reset some things and begin to forge some new paths. 

I started to write that nothing in my 54 years prepared me for what 2020 had in store, but I don't think that is true. I was prepared - even if I didn't know it at the time. Life moves on - whatever moment I look back on is gone. That is a loss but it is also an opportunity - an adventure. 

Our Featured Friday Playlist recap rolls on with ten more songs - today: 26-35

26. "Water Rising" by Dan Lipton

We start things off with the title track of the recently released by DC based singer-songwriter Dan Lipton. A wonderful song to kick off this segment of music.

27. "Counting Up" by The 1984 Draft

Our next track is part of a 7" released called Destination Breakdown by this rock band from Dayton, Ohio.  The rock band previously released a compilation track, a pair of EPs, and full-length album. They also made an appearance in an NFL Films documentary about the actual 1984 NFL Draft.

28. "Rat vs. Mole" by The Amber Bugs

Next up, a fun track from a London indie band who enjoy exploring many different genres and sounds.

29. "Until I Find That Road" by Tinkers Lane

Next up, we have another UK band - this from Milton Keynes - 50 miles northwest of London.  The song written by the band's front man Ian Roberts from letters that his father wrote to his mother when his father moved to England from Scotland ahead of his family.

30. "Don't Play the Fool" by Karo Glazer; Zsüd

Our next track is girl power manifesto from Poland via the Eastern European Music Academy.  Zaro Glazer is a Polish vocalist, producer, and composer known as Lady Dynamite. Karo Glazer is a vocalist, composer and music producer.

31. "ITRL" by Madeleine Mayi

ITRL = In the Right Light. Next up, we have a new single from L.A. based singer-songwriter Madeleine Mayi. 

32. "The Business Deal" by Quiet Marauder

We next head to Cardiff, Wales - with a track from the Tiny Men Parts EP. The EP is a reimagining of the band's 2013 debut Men - which clocked in over 5 hours and 111 songs. This song is every bit as fun and wonderful and you might imagine from a band that would release such a debut album.

33. "Perfect Storm (Lupine Mix)" by Weird Wolves;The Singularity - Julian Shah-Tayler

We have previous featured Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity - the UK born, L.A. based artist. Here he teams with Austin, Texas based Weird Wolves for a great track.

34. "Lundi Matin" by Kaky

Kaky is a French rapper who recently signed to RCA/Sony France. This really wonderful song is filled with great energy and a fun story - even if you don't speak French.

35. "Woman in Red" by Victor Jones 

 We close things out with the lead single from a forthcoming (this Friday) wintery chamber pop album called Long Cold Night Walk.  This is really excellent stuff. A great ending to this long segment of music. 

We still have twenty songs to go in this week's playlist - more than last week's playlist in total.  Songs 36-45 tomorrow.
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 9/17/2020 - Something, Something -Am I A Fool Mix (Good Company Remix)

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I have been thinking a lot about perception vs. reality lately. I thinking I am coming to some very interesting conclusions, but I am still struggling with some aspects. As soon as I get my thoughts organized enough, I will share that here. It kind of goes back to my post about cilantro the other day, but I have taken in a few steps further. I think it is clear that two people can experience the same thing (sight, sound, feeling, smell, taste) and their experience be totally different. But, then how do you define what the "true" experience really is? Any those the directions my mind is going... more to come. 

We've reached the end of another Featured Friday Playlist - as always we saved some great music to take us out.  Tomorrow, we will be back with a brand new Playlist - it is shaping up to be a big one - stay tuned.  Now, here are songs 22-27:

22. "Killing the Dead" by Brian Cullman

We start of this segment of music with a track from Winter Clothes, the new album, by veteran NY musician and Paris Review correspondent Brian Cullman. The album was a cooperative effort with the late Jimi Zhivago - a long-time friend and collaborator. Zhivago sadly passed away during production. It took Cullman a year to get back to completing the album. This is wonderful stuff. 

23. "Shade" by Atta Boy

Atta Boy are a Los Angeles based indie/Alt-Americana band that released their first album in 2012 on summer break from their first year of college. The members have continued making music on both coasts, and now they have come back together to released their second album - eight years later. 

24. "Every Day Is A Black Day From Today - Radio Edit" by Blink

This is the first release of "new" material from the vaults of the Irish band Blink. This song was recorded during sessions for the band's 1998 album The End is High and was meant to be included on the soundtrack to the film The Butcher Boy. The song didn't make either the album or the film, but it is out now, and it seems perfect for 2020. Look for a full album of archived material in the winter.

25. "For the Wretched of the Earth" by Once Upon a Flatline

Theatrical, post-hardcore - New York band Once Upon a Flatline are up next with a powerful new single. It is always good to have some really hard stuff to spice up the Playlist - when it is also fun - it is a bonus.

26. "Lost" by SLD

In the penultimate position of this week's Playlist - we have some nifty power pop music from the Brooklyn band SLD (Sounds Like Digging).  The band builds their songs as a response to songs by some of their favorite artists - the result is original music that feels familiar on an emotional level. Great stuff. 

27. "Hate Speech" by HMO 

We close things out this week with some heavy-hitting hip-hop music from the South Coast of New South Wales.  HMO is an MC, musician, and producer - whose music is inspired by funk, soul, reggae, and blues music.  A great ending to a great week of music. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

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

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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