E2TG 1/29/2020 - Beach Notes - See the Shark Mix (Carnies and Poets Remix)

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Beach Notes 1/28/2020:

Just some observations.  Once again, I was struck by the wealth and diversity of talent here in Nashville, and what a great city it is for someone who loves original live music. Adding to this feeling is knowing that there were people attending different events all over the city who were likely feeling the same thing. 

Personally, I was struck by how much I have changed. I remembered going to shows in the early 1990s in Nashville.  Back then, I always went to shows with a friend and never knew anyone else at those shows except for the friend with whom I attended the show.  Now, I almost always go to shows alone and I always know other people. 

My friends are pursuing their passions and dreams and muses the best they know how under exceedingly and increasingly difficult circumstances. And while, they sometimes express despair or frustration over circumstances, there is more often and sense of joy.

People who make their living by taking advantage of artists (or anyone for that matter) are the lowest. 

Brian Wright and Sally Jaye's new project No. 1 Knife is fantastic. India Ramey is amazing. Taco Mouth is spectacular. Congrats to India Ramey on a wonderful residency that benefited some great organizations.  If you don't know India Ramey, get to work on correcting that. 

$2 Tuesday remains the best investment in the city.  Week after week, Derek Hoke puts together an incredible show featuring local and touring artists and bands. Week after week, an interesting crowd gathers. Week after week, I get to hang out with friends and meet new people. Week after week, I am majorly tired on a Wednesday, but I have no complaints. 

    Featured Friday Playlist

Wednesday Shuffle:

A typically mixed bag of mid-week shuffle goodness. Spanning years and genres.  Some old friends, some first listens, a great cover, and more...

"You've Got Some Nerve" by SNEW (from You've Got Some Nerve)

"Passion or Fashion" by Rusty Reid (from Head to Heart)

"I Work Alone" by Gary Daly (from Gone from Here)

From 2019 - a solo record by the China Crisis member. 

"Comes Indiana Through the Smoke" by Okkervil River (from Away)

For Sue and Mark (and others) a song about Indiana. Got this from the 2016 edition of an annual mix CD put together by a friend from my hometown. 

"Mack the Knife from The Threepenny Opera" by Nick Cave (from September Songs)

For Sue.  Not Bobby Darin and not the McDonald's moon guy either, but Kurt Weill (not Vile) and Bertolt Brecht from The Threepenny Opera. September songs is the audio version of a documentary about Weill. 

"There Will Always Be A Right Now" by Brock Zeman (from Rotten Teeth)

We recently featured Brock Zeman's album of Tom House songs. Here is one of his own songs from a favorite album of mine.

"The Spoils of Warring Hearts" by The Walla Recovery (from With Trembling...)

One of the earliest bands covered on E2TG (the 14th week of the blog they were our Band of the Week).  They are/were from Dallas Texas and played cello rock music. It seems like most of the music these days is coming via member Zack Smith.

"When the Circus Came to Town" by Danny Sandock (from Breakin' New Ground)

A really wonderful song from our old friend Danny Sandock. 

"Dinner With My Boss" by Karabas Barabas (from Degenerate National Anthem)

A first listen to the forthcoming (2/2/2020) album by the Brooklyn based absurbist rock band. Maybe offensive, maybe insightful, definitely funny and unique.  Looking forwarding to digging deeper into this album.   

VIDEO PLAYLIST

Recent and Upcoming Releases:

Recent:
11/20   Brock Zeman - Hey Tom (a collection of Tom House Songs) (LP) (E2TG First Impression)
12/? -   Lumiere Tales - Lunarium (LP)
12/1 -   Inkraktare - We Are Not Really Here (LP)
12/2 -  Terry Klein - Live at KOOP (LP)
12/6 -   Beauty in Chaos & Wayne Hussey (The Mission) - "The Delicate Balance of All Things" (single)
12/6 -   Beat Hotel - "Feel It" (single)
12/13 - 6TH CROWD - "Самозванцы (Samozvantsiy)" (single)
12/29 - Them Jones - "The Woman is a Poor Child" (single)
12/31 - Blackfoot Gypsies - Live at The Basement (LP)
1/06 -   Francesco Mariano - "Room 107" (single)
1/08 -   Luis Mojica- Shaman Food (LP)
1/10 - Palm Ghosts - "Wide Awake and Waiting" (single) (E2TG First Impression)
1/10 - Mary Bragg and Drivin' N Cryin' - "Don't Walk Away" (cover) (single)
1/10 - Them Airs - "Food Pyramid" (single)
1/10 -  Lilly Hiatt - "Brightest Star" (single)
1/10 - Strange Majik - "Lo-Fi Hi" (single) (E2TG First Impression)
1/10 - Dean Fields - "Armadillo" (single)
1/10- Chicago Farmer - "All in One Place" (single)
1/10 - Surrija - "Nothing Love" (single)
1/10 - RB Morris - Going Back to the Sky (LP)
1/10 - Guided By Voices - "Volcano" (single)
1/10 - Sunshine Boys - "Infinity Girl" (single)
1/11 - Dolour (Shane Tutmarc) - "The Snake Eye" (single)
1/12 - Francesco Mariano - "Nine Lives" (single)
1/13 - Lauren Anderson  - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (cover) (single)
1/14 - Drive-By Truckers - "Thoughts and Prayers" (single)
1/16 - Margo Price - Stone Me (single)
1/17 - Mark Hummel - Wayback Machine (LP)
1/17 - Jonny Polonsky - "The Weeping Souls" (single)
1/17 - Them Airs - Union Suit XL (LP) (E2TG First Impression)
1/17 - Innocence Mission - See You Tomorrow (LP)
1/17 - David Dondero - The Filter Bubble Blues (LP)
1/17 - MONO INC. - "Warriors" (single)
1/19 - Merrill Beach - "Geen"/"Marimba" (single) (E2TG First Impression)
1/21 - Broads and Milly Hirst - "Happisburgh" (single)
1/22 - Davis Raines - Turquoise and Silver (LP)
1/24 - Kailey Nicole - Kailey Nicole (LP)
1/24 - Mrs. Henry - Live at the Casbah (LP)
1/24 - Aeronautical Pioneer - "Hop High" (single)
1/24 - Three Rivers Project - Confluence (LP)
1/24 - MONO INC. - The Book of Fire (LP)
1/24 - Dispel - Lore (LP)
1/24 - The New Nostalgia - "Nothing is New" (single)
1/24 - The Heliocentrics - "Burning Wooden Ship" (single)
1/24 - Electric High - "Harder to Justify" (single)
1/28 - Motihari Brigade - Power from Below (LP)

This Week:
1/31 - Eric Brace and Last Train Home - Daytime Highs and Overnight Lows (album)
1/31 - Nick Pagliari - Midway (LP)
1/31 - Black Paisley - "Dreams" (single)
1/31 - Jolie Holland - Esconidida (Vinyl Reissue) (LP)
1/31 - John Dennis - Mortal Flames (LP)
1/31 - Emma Hill - How Could I Have Been So Wrong (EP)
1/31 - Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall - Concrete Feelings (LP)
1/31 - Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten) + Danielle de Picciotto (Crime and The City Solution) - The Current (LP)
1/31 - Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling (LP)
1/31 - Kristen Englenz - "Rebound" (single)
2/01 - Glenn Jones - Ready for the Good Times (LP)


Upcoming:
2/02 - Karabas Barabas - Degenerate National Anthem (LP)
2/07 -  Palm Ghosts -  Wide Awake and Waiting (EP)
2/07 - Emily Zuzik - "Trouble" (single)
2/07 - Chicago Farmer - Flyover Country (LP)
2/07 - Surrija - "Barcelona" (single)
2/07 - The Flyin' A's - No Holds Barred (LP)
2/07 - Harry Stafford - "She Just Blew Me Away" (single)
2/07 - Christopher Paul Stelling - Best of Luck (LP)
2/07 - HMS Morris - "Babanod" (single)
2/14 - Grant Peeples - Bad Wife (LP)
2/14 - The Heliocentrics - Infinity of Now (LP)
2/21 - Sarah Morris - All Mine (LP)
2/21 - Kindergarten - Iphigenia (Reissue) (LP)
2/21 -  Hot Club of L.A.- Cinema Swing (LP)
2/21 - MUUK - Balbuceo (LP)
2/21 - Aaron Beckum - Songs from a Triangle Room (EP)
2/21 - Every 13 Days - Étant Donnés (Reissue) (LP)
2/21 - Seablight - High-Rise Mannequins (EP)
2/21 - Various Artists -Typical Girls Vol. 5 (LP)
2/21 - 12xPretty - 12xPretty (LP)
2/28 - Kristen Englenz - Ingenue (LP)
2/28 - Close Lobsters - Post Neo Anti... (LP)
3/?? - Strange Majik - 20/20 (LP)
3/06 - Surrija - "Sylvette" (single)\
3/06 - Dean Fields - While the Baby Was Sleeping (LP)
3/06 - Broads and Milly Hirst - Ollust (LP)
3/06 - The Mastersons - No Time for Love Songs (LP)
3/06 - Ghostwood Development Project (Feat. Kool Keith) - "Gulley" (single)
3/13 - The Flatmates - The Flatmates (LP)
3/13 - Kleenex Girl Wonder - Ponyoak (20th Anniversary Edition) + BLP (demos and out-takes) (LP)
3/20 - Matt Wilson and His Orchestra - When I Was a Writer (LP)
3/27 - Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof (LP)
3/27 - Mayflower Madame - Prepared for a Nightmare (LP)
4/03 - Surrija - Surrija (LP)
4/17 - Paul Burch and WPA Ballclub - Light Sensitive (LP)

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - In the Backroom Mix

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 Heard Walk on the Wild Side on the radio this morning. It's going to be a good day.

Today's shuffle includes some old friends and a pretty weird ass mix of some pretty bitchin' tunes.  It's all after the jumpy thing:

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - All is Quiet Mix

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and Sunday is Christmas.  Shout out to everyone no matter which you celebrate or which you do not. Peace on Earth and Goodwill to men seems like a pretty good thing, so does celebrate miraculous lights and the beginning of days getting longer.

My Winter Holiday playlist contains Christmas songs, songs that mention winter-time themes (or seem to) and even a couple of songs that have been associated with the holiday season (albeit incorrectly):

1. The Wilderness of Manitoba released an three song of EP of Christmas Carols non-ironically called Three Carols.  O Come, O Come Emmanuel  is on the album which you can purchase and download by clicking the picture below.





 
2.  Angels We Have Heard on High is another traditional Christmas Carol by The Walla Recovery.  Get a whole set of Christmas music from the band by using the widget below.


3. I'm posting a link to a compilation called Alternative Rock X-mas which includes songs from everyone from The Decemberists to The Smithereens. It also includes the Alarm's version of the John Lennon classic, Happy  XMas (War is Over).




4. Finally, today we look ahead to the turning of the western Calendar from 2011 to 2012. New Years Day is from U2's War Album. If you don't have War in your collection rectify that right now by purchasing and downloading the album for $4.99 from Amazon - click the album cover below.




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Shop Amazon's New Kindle Fire

20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Motown Christmas Compiled from Motown Christmas collections and individual artists' Christmas albums, 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Motown Christmas gathers a dozen of the label's holiday performances, including the Jackson 5's "Santa Claus

Monday Music Shuffle - Not Morning, Not at All Mix

Quick and easy - taking  a day off so no morning walk and therefore no morning shuffle, but I offer up a Wintry  Mix of Music for your comfort and joy....




Bruce Cockburn is legend wait for it.... ary.   Cry of a Tiny Babe came from his Nothing But a Burning Light Album.  



(click on picture to download a 1995 release from the Columbia Records Radio Hour featuring Bruce along with Lou Reed, Rosanne Cash and Rob Wasserman)




The Who perform Christmas from the rock opera, Tommy. "And Tommy doesn't know what day it is..."




(Click on album cover to buy the Deluxe Edition of Tommy by the Who)


And finally, more from The Walla Recovery's A Star, A Star Vol. 3 - it's the Christmas staple Angels We Have Heard on High.



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Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Wrong Antidote Mix

Anticipation is building - look for the big unveiling of the Band of the Year around noon CST.

Meanwhile, it's a cold and wet December day, and I'm jumping right into my Winter/Holiday Playlist. I actually took a bunch of songs off from last year because I had anticipated migrating to a new MP3 player with great capacity by this time, but now it appears that isn't going to happen any time soon.  In the meantime, we have a great playlist with more songs waiting to be added.

1.  Nashville Rock icons Jason & the Scorchers tear it up on the Christmas classic, Oh Holy Night.  The song can be found on the 2005 benefit album To: Kate - A Benefit for Kate's Sake.


(click on album cover to get To: Kate - A Benefit for Kate'sSake)



2.  A repeat from Tuesday, Carol of the Bells/The Holly and the Ivy by The Walla Recovery
 (click on the Band name to go get the download which includes Carol of the Bells/The Holly and the Ivy)

(click on album cover to get "with trembling..." by The Walla Recovery)


3.  The late Alex Chilton and his band mates in Big Star do Jesus Christ from the classic record Third/Sister Lovers. 
  (click on the album cover to get Third/Sister Lovers by Big Star)


 4. A warm, winter song from Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds.
(click on album cover to get Sign No More by Mumford & Sons) 




5.  Hopefully no matter what Holiday you celebrate or don't celebrate you can get behind the sentiment of this song.  It's Peace on Earth by U2 from All That You Can't Leave Behind.
(click on album cover to get All That I Can't Leave Behind by U2) 


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Jason & The Scorchers We believe it is important to preserve what makes music special, and make it easy to craft listening experiences. At MOG, browse millions songs and play them instantly. Or just turn on radio where you can stop and replay songs. You can also create playlists for any occasion, and even download songs to your mobile. We are dedicated to employing the cleanest but most powerful technology so you can enjoy music as much as ever.

Deck The Hall Ball: Mumford and Sons Death Cab For Cutie Foster the People Deck The Hall Ball: Mumford and Sons Death Cab For Cutie Foster the People at Key Arena Seattle on 12/07/2011

A Very Special Christmas The 'Very Special Christmas' albums began appearing in the late 1980s. A series of yuletide-themed compilations that featured contemporary rock stars performing beloved Christmas songs (some secular, some not) the albums were recorded and issued to raise money for the Special Olympics. Volume One emerged in 1989, and by the holiday season of 2001-2, four sequels had been produced and issued. Now, the home video release A Very Special Christmas compiles some of the most memorable music videos and live performances of songs from those initial albums, with additional renditions of holiday tunes culled from the 1998 and 2000 Christmas at the White House specials. Performers include Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Wyclef Jean, Tracy Chapman, Jon Bon Jovi and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Keep off the Moors Mix

Good Morning... okay it's afternoon, but this is still your morning music shuffle cause I listened to it this morning.  Votes are pouring in for the Band of the Year Readers Poll. Get info on how to vote here and mainly check out all 27 of these outstanding bands and artists.

First:  Indie-Classical Sextet ymusic class up our playlist with a St. Vincent composition called Proven Badlands from their debut (Kickstarter funded) album Beautiful Mechanical.

(click on album cover to buy Beautiful Mechanical by ymusic)

Second:  Manchester Pop/Rock band The Hollies CCR-inspired classic, Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) with Graham Nash's replacement Allan Clarke on vocals (released by EMI to compete against a Polydor release with yet another lead singer).

  (click on album cover to buy Greatest Hits: The Hollies)

Third and Fourth:  A couple of Christmas tracks from Band of the Year nominees - The Walla Recovery.

The Carol of the Bells/The Holly & the Ivy combines an early 20th Century Ukrainian Christmas carol with a Traditional English carol. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is another traditional English Christmas Carol. 



    
(use the widget above to get your free download of A Star, A Star Vol. 3 by TheWalla Recovery)

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Best of the Hollies [Collectables] This 1993 (reissued in 2003) collection from Collectables is almost identical to The Best of the Hollies, Vol. 1, a 1988 EMI-Manhattan release. Like its predecessor, it sticks to a lean ten-song selection, including "Bus Stop," "On a Carousel," "Carrie An

Strange Mercy As clever and insightful as Annie Clark's first two St. Vincent albums were, she sometimes seemed slightly removed, and perhaps somewhat above, her songs’ subjects. However, she’s down and dirty with them on Strange Mercy, a collection of cracked veneers, eye-level confessions, and portraits of breaking points. It’s tempting to call this her most genuine album, but it’s probably more accurate to say it’s Clark's least academic-feeling set of songs. Contrast has always been a major part of her music, and Strange Mercy's juxtapositions of harshness, softness, truth, lies, cruelty, and kindness feel especially pointed and potent. Most apparent is her use of opposing sounds; working with producer John Congleton, she focuses on luxurious strings and woodwinds that float above wobbly keyboards and ugly, distorted guitars that emphasize that these songs are under pressure. Clark finds plenty of range within this palette, though, busting out the talkbox on “Neutered Fruit”’s confrontational jazz-rock and a dance-pop beat on the subtly frantic “Hysterical Strength.” Less obvious are the emotional shifts many of these songs undergo, and how they blur the album’s contrasts. On the title track, Clark goes from vulnerable to protective to violent as she sings “I’ll tell you good news that I don’t believe/If it will help you sleep,” and on “Champagne Year,” she confesses and deceives at the same time. “Cruel” is Strange Mercy's definitive track, putting inspired lyrics like “They could take or leave you/So they took you then they left you” atop strings and woodwinds straight from a vintage musical and a messed-up, fuzzed-out guitar solo. The song gets increasingly anxious as it closes, a pattern Clark repeats throughout the album; indeed, while these songs are some of her most fragmented, each song on Strange Mercy is tied to another. “Surgeon” shares a stuttering beat with opening track “Chloe in the Afternoon” and a similar melody to the declaration of independence that is “Cheerleader.” There’s so much going on musically on Strange Mercy that it could be easy to overlook Clark's growth as a songwriter, but “Year of the Tiger” boasts fully realized storytelling as well as a melody that would do Joni Mitchell or Carole King proud. Full of great lyrics and great playing, Strange Mercy is St. Vincent's most reflective and most audacious album to date, and Clark remains as delicately uncompromising an artist as ever. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

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.