E2TG 8/25/2020 - Some things on My Mind - Pokin' Round Mix (Gloves Remix)

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On my mind... I dedicate a sizable portion of my average day listening to and writing about new music. E2TG is dedicated to featuring new and often underground or lesser known music of various genres. I have long pondered this and myself as an oddity - not necessarily among the people I hang around but is terms of people in general. Many people are content to just listen to the music they already know. Or at most to check out the latest "hot" band according to someone. And, I get it. I was there several years ago, which is part of the reason I started E2TG. 

So, anyway, recently, I created a playlist on Spotify - at first it was going to include a handful of my all time favorite albums - just as a place to gather them. As I went on, I started adding more albums and ultimately, I decided to add as many albums as I could think of - albums that I own or owned and have listened to over and over through the years. My mind kept going down new paths and I kept adding music this playlist and now it is almost 62 hours long. At first, I called it Joe's Faves - but I eventually realized what it really was, and I renamed the Playlist "Comfort Food". When I shuffle songs from this playlist, it is like revisiting an old friend or having fried chicken or whatever at the end of a hard day. Some may bristle at the "Comfort Food" label being applied to some of the albums and artists on the list. But for me, in 2020, that is what they are... and that is not a bad thing at all. These are wonderful albums by wonderful artists across many genres and spanning years. 

Here is the thing, there is nothing wrong with comfort food - but if all I ate was comfort food, I would probably keep getting fatter and have other health issues. Listening to this "comfortable" music is not a bad thing, but for me, it can't be all I listen to... 

Onward...

Today, we present the next segment of this week's Playlist. Songs 16-22:

16. "Bare" by Matte Blvck

We start off this segment of the playlist with some darkwave, industrial., electronic music from San Diego, California. The trio of musicians have worked together in various incarnations, but decided in 2019 to work together on their own project. Their forthcoming album I'm Waving, Not Drowning was recorded during the COVID-19 shutdown, and this is their debut single. Happy to have more great darkwave music in this week's playlist. 

17. "Television Mister" by Jessica Luise

Next up, we have the new single from UK singer-songwriter Jessica Luise. This is first release with a full-band, and the press release name checked The Beautiful South - so I had to listen, and I this is a cool tune. Check it out!

18. "Dangerous Leon!" by The Aquabats!

Next up! We have the new single from the new album (Kooky Spooky ... In Stereo!) by costumed superhero punks, The Aquabats!  This is a ton of fun and thanks to Crashing Through Publicity for bringing this to my inbox!  Recommended for fans of exclamation points and cool fun music!

19. "Reckless" by Miss Molly Simms

Next up, we have a track from the wonderful new album by St. Louis' Miss Molly Simms. Miss Molly Simms came to prominence in St. Louis as a member of the rockabilly band Bible Belt Sinners. Her solo work has been more stylistically diverse, and with her latest album (her fourth) of which this is the title track, Miss Molly Simms has hit upon something special. The album features members of the Bottle Rockets, Old Souls Revival, and River Kittens.  

20. "Isolation" by Depression, Baby

Next up, we have a quarantine-influences single from North London 5-piece Depression, Baby. It is the follow-up to their earlier single "Home Again".  The band formed in 2019 and were on an upward trajectory heading into 2020. And then 2020 happened. They have focused on releasing music, and this is a song worth a listen. 

21. "Lock & Key" by KnightressM1

Next up, we have some Bay Area metal/rock from this impressive power trio featuring violinist, vocalist, pianist, and composer Emily Palen. The band also features drummer Rob Ahlers (50 FT Wave, Kristin Hersh), and bassist Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake).  I dig the sound and Palen's vocals are awesome. A great injection of metallic variety into the playlist. 

22. "Window" by Eric Bolander

The fertile grounds of Kentucky songwriters seems to be endless, and you can add Eric Bolander to a growing list of talented songwriters emerging from the Bluegrass State (or is it Commonwealth?). As with many of his contemporaries, Bolander brings a deep range of influences to his music that is rooted in the traditions of the folk/country genre. This is his latest single. 

Tomorrow 7 or so more songs...  

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

Topical Thursday Morning Shuffle - Hole in my Heart Mix

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First of all, I want to thank everyone who made it out last night for the first week of our month-long residency at The 5 Spot - celebrating six years of E2TG.  Those who were there were treated to powerhouse set from Mark Robinson Band.

If you didn't make (or even if you did), we will be back every Wednesday in May with a great line-up each week.  I'll take a one day break from promoting....

So, it is Thursday, and of late, that has meant Topical Thursday.   As I mentioned, for now at least, I am shifting gears for Topical Thursday.  Since it is our anniversary month, I dug back into my archives and created a playlist of artists we have featured or at least posted about on E2TG. For clarity, there are artists/bands that either were specially featured or at least artists that I likely only got to hear because of E2TG.  The playlist - as this month begins is about 450 songs strong (I picked one some each artist/band). To be honest, some of these artists may not even remember or know that they were part of the E2TG story, but they were nonetheless.

Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Thin Ice Mix

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Ugh...  a summer cold got to me yesterday, but I am back at it today...

For the record, this is not a "gym" and there are no pokey's or man's or whatever here... we just have some cool tunes.  No app needed... just enjoy.

Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - This One Last Hope Mix

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These are hard times. These are tense times. These are scary times. These are sad times. These are disheartening time.  The issues are systemic and complicated and cannot and should not be reduced to memes. But that is what we do.  This is not a political blog or a social issues blog. This is a music blog, but I am a human being writing this and I notice things.  I do not propose solutions to all of the world's ills. But I do have a modest proposal..

STOP! RIGHT NOW!  Stop treating everything as an either/or, black/white, pro/con issue. My opinion is that very few things in this world work this way.  There is a philosophy that I used to be a proponent of (and sometimes still am) that our choices are either love or fear. In other words, in any given situation we can choose to react out of love or react out of fear. Honestly, I think as a way for me to evaluate my own reactions, it is a good philosophy. The problem is when I start using that to evaluate another persons motives is where I get into trouble. It's where I fall into that either/or trap.

I don't think either side is exempt from falling into this trap and it cuts across just about every issue. Guns, abortion, gay rights, police shootings, terrorism, even silly things like the Beatles vs. the Stones.   This idea that if I concede even a small minor point that I am now an enemy of a cause I consider myself a supporter of... It is how "Gee, maybe we might want to consider looking into how this thing is being done" is interpreted "so, you want to scrap the whole way of doing things?"

Or more pointedly, "There is a systemic problem of how some law officers interact with people of color." is heard as "So, you hate all cops?"

On social media, this attitude just creates fruitless and frustrating flame wars.  In life, it has deadly consequences as we have seen over the last couple of days.  So, I think we all need to STOP.  It is possible to support the good work that law enforcement officers do on a daily basis AND to demand that when one or some of those officers do wrong that they not be given a pass.  And to realize/admit that those bad apples are more than just aberrations (even if they may be in the minority), to realize that there are systemic and societal issues of race that we need to have honest conversations about. But, we cannot have those vital conversations if we approach it from a position of protecting our view of either/or.  Being willing to listen and to try to understand another viewpoint is not the same as agreeing with or giving into that viewpoint. But, it does, I think, demand a willingness to concede small points while standing firm on others.

I have no idea if any of what I have said makes any sense. I am frustrated and sad and scared and disheartened. I just feel like in our discourse we need to find some small point of agreement and build from that.  Sadly, I do not think this happens very often in our world.

But, this is a music blog.  I love music, and I believe that love is ultimately the answer to everything.  Love with hard work, love with compromise, love with actions, love with heart-felt disagreements, love in all of it's complicated versions and varieties.  As I said, I love music - so for today, I will share the love by sharing some music. Some of it you may like, some of it you may not, but I send it all out with love.

Speak powerfully against hate and fear, but speak powerfully out of love. Combat hate and fear with love not with more hate or fear.

So... music!

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - On the Road to Alcohol Mix

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The Heartbreaker Tribute show at The Basement East last night was pretty darn amazing.  I had engaged in a philosophical discussion with Jon Latham about what I perceived to be a large number of tribute shows of late.  He made some really good points. Hell, maybe I was just jealous because I had missed some good ones.  In any case, just remember all those people on-stage killing it covering your favorite classic songs, are all making original music that you need to check out.

Anyway, speaking of Jon Latham - serving as the band leader/emcee/stage manager, he totally owned the moment, and boy he made me proud to have named him my Artist of the Year at the end of 2015. As I told a couple of people last night, and which I will put in writing here, Jon has been getting some amazing opportunities of late, and it seems as if he has been training his whole life to be ready for this moment, and he is making the most of it. Way to go, Jon!  Now that I have embarrassed him enough, I will say everyone was amazing.  (Joseph Robert Krauss, Emma Swift, Peyton Parker, Taylor Cole, Lauren Farrah, Joshua Wilkins Black, Hugh Masterson (who was backed by The Lone Bellow), Allen Thompson, Josh Farrow, Tim George, Larrisa Maestro, Andrew Leahey, Megan Palmer, and Joseph Robert Aaskov - plus whoever else I missed). Hats off to The Basement East and Terry Rickards for putting on a great show.

Tune in to WXNA-LP Nashville (101.5FM) or streaming at WXNAFM.Org this weekend to hear previews of all of the shows which will begin debuting on Monday June 6.  Sue and I will be in the studio at 2:00pm Sunday to preview Double Shot with Joe and Sue.


Now, believe it or not, it is Wednesday already, and that means we get a little wild...

Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - It's Only Natural Mix

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Remembering George Martin on his passing at age 90.  I don't think music over the past half century would be what it has been without the Beatles, and I don't think the Beatles would have been what they were without George Martin. Rest in Peace.

ICYMI, E2TG premiered a new video by Jon Latham.  You can check it out here.

Been checking out some music to be released in the next couple of months.  Really excited about Eli Rhodes (Benchmarks) new album and the new one from Knoxville-based Adeem the Artist (formerly known as Kyle Adem - who I saw at a New Faces night at The Basement some time ago). 

Several names you read about on E2TG will be releasing new music in the coming months. Some of them have preorders going on. Keep your ears to the ground.

Also, there is some cool live music tonight in Nashville - on the west side, Tim Carroll, Joe Nolan, Andrew Adkins, Jon Byrd, and Tommy Womack will the sharing a stage at The Country beginning at 7:30.  Across the river, Lindsay Ellyn, Sara Syms, and Carrie Welling will be playing the late show at The 5 Spot which is set to begin around 9:00.

Keep checking E2TG for an exciting announcement coming soon.

Now, it is Wild Wednesday!  Today's shuffle fulfills by loosely defined expectations for this theme nicely.

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Set Me Free Mix

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And we are back!  Life happens...  Here is a brief musical recap:

Sunday night. It was Valentine's Day and it was Sunday and it was a messy, cold and rainy night.  A relatively small crowd (relative to the Nashville crowd this show should have brought out) witnessed a text book demonstration of what Rock and Roll guitar music should be.  Brian Wright opened with an amazing band that boasted three powerhouse guitar players (including Wright himself). As I have come to expect from Brian Wright, the songs were excellent and the energy and music were intense. Easily one of the best Brian Wright shows I have seen (and I have seen some good ones).  The headliner was Dan Baird and Homemade Sin. The band fronted by ex-Georgia Satellite Baird and featuring the legendary Warner Hodges on lead guitar - tore through a set of songs that spanned Baird's lengthy catalog.  Backed by fellow former Satellite, Mauro Magellen  on Drums and Micke Nilsson on bass, the band was on point and played as though they were playing a sold out arena show.  The band tours extensively in Europe, but Nashville shows are rare.  I hope next time around, the weather and calendar aligns and Nashville will pack out wherever they play.

A very different evening last night at The Post East coffee house/juice bar/smoothie joint for East Nashville Storytellers #77 which featured renowned poet Bill Brown and Darrin Bradbury (accompanied by Megan Palmer).

Due to circumstances, I missed seeing Jon Latham, Zach Schmidt, Jeremy Pinnell, and Carson McHone on Monday night, but by all accounts it was every bit as awesome as I would expect.

On to the shuffle - since I know you got to be jonesing for one by this point...

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle - Suffered for Your Sanity Mix

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I had a fun time last night.  Jeff Blaney and band started a month long residency at The 5 Spot.  Renee Wahl was the special guest the first night. She was backed by Daniel Seymour and Patterson Barrett.  Her songs and her voice were as spectacular as always.  Jeff Blaney's band included Seymour, Justin Amaral, and Chuck Foster on keyboard.  They sounded great.

Before that show was over, I had the great opportunity (thanks Mary) to get a sneak peak at the newly renovated 12th and Porter which is set for some Grand Opening shows this weekend with shows by Chuck Mead and Humming House.  The venue had a long history in Nashville, and it was good to see it ready to open once again. The free food and drinks were nice, too.

Back to The 5 Spot in time to catch the tail end of the beginning of the Whiskey and Women night with Michaela Anne.  Also on the bill, Joanna Barbara, Lauren Farrah, and Jesse Lafser.   Quite an amazing night of music.

Tonight, The 5 Spot is the place again to settle in for the night...  It is night one of another residency, this one featuring the great Paul Burch and the WPA Ballclub. Burch was one of the artists who helped to revitalize lower Broadway in Nashville in the early 90s. Burch and the WPA are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year with the release of Meridian Rising (about the life of Jimmie Rodgers) on Plowboy Records (featuring Jon Langford, William Tyler, Billy Bragg, and Tim O'Brien).  This residency is a don't miss kind of Nashville event. Special guest tonight is another of Nashville's finest songwriters, Kevin Gordon! 

A last minute cancellation set the stage for a pretty killer late night show featuring 2014 E2TG Artist of the year, Darrin Bradbury; 2015 E2TG Artist of the Year, Jon Latham; Chris Watts, Elli Perry, and Buck N Stuff (a Buck Owens tribute band that features East Nashville stalwarts, Adam Kurtz, Cameron Carrus, and Lemuel Hayes). 

I am looking forward to tonight!

On to the shuffle:

Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Life's Revolving Door Mix

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Thinking today about those pivot moments in life, when trajectories get changed...

I have been reading a book called Outlaw about Waylon, Willie, and Kris that is a lot about Nashville in the 60s and early 70s... Much about the "establishment" and the creative forces that bucked the system to carve their own path - or to follow a path blazed by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. It has me thinking a lot about Nashville in 2016....

Tonight is promising to be another of those nights... first off, it is the final night of Jason Ringenberg's residency at The 5 Spot with tonight's guests Kristi Rose and Fats Kaplin.  After that, The Family Wash is hosting a tribute to the late great J.J. Cale that has a cast of performers that is pretty amazing.

Shuffle time....

Featured Friday Morning Music Shuffle - Just the Same as Dyin' Mix

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"Being afraid of living is just the same as dying."  This line from Two Cow Garage seems like one of the most important for me to remember today.  More about Two Cow Garage and last night's other great music is few...

First, the next 2015 E2TG "Earie" Award:

The premise:  "Kids these days."  I write those words, but how did I mean it?  Was it said with exasperation, as it has been said for generations?  Well, in this case, that is not how it was meant. We live in a time of incredible possibilities - really!  Just thinking about music (keep in mind, I know next to nothing about the recording, mixing, mastering etc. process), the potential for DIY recording, distribution etc. seems pretty amazing.  But of course, availability of technology is just a part of the equation.  It is when and where ripe and fertile minds meet this "new" technology that things start to get exciting.  The driving force for me when it comes to music is the constant search for something new.  E2TG has always been (in part) a balancing act between incredible new music being made all over the globe  and maintaining a health appreciation and passion for the music that made the new music possible.  It's about connections. Right?  Yes!  Some "kids" these days are using the tools of the day to make some really cool music, and sometimes, this exciting new music is forged by an appreciation of music way older than those who are making it.

About three years ago???? I was introduced (by Papa Tune's - of course) to a young band of brothers from Connecticut called The Foresters.  At the time, I think only one of the brother was a teenager - the rest were pre-teens.  I made a joke that their average age was 10 3/4 but that their amps go up to eleven. (or something like that). The Foresters were a pop punk band - formed after the three brothers, named Nork, attended a Green Day concert and asked for a received instruments.  The early music was really good power, pop punk. Over the past couple of years, The Foresters have released a couple of EPs, recorded with and as several different side projects. The influences have expanded and diversified and the music has gotten more complex and better.  The band's latest album, Sun Songs, finds the band reaching a new plateau - while the possibilities remain endless. A couple of years ago, the band were given the Hope For the Furure award by the Couch by Counchwest Music Festival. Well, the future is now, and The Foresters appear poised to find out what happens next - which at this moment is a 2015 "Earie".  Actually, special mention for this award needs to go out to all of the artists on the band's homegrown record label, Dord Music Group.

Congratulations to The Foresters - you are the 2015 "Kid These Days..." Award winners.

Last night was a quintessiential Nashville live music night - with some great shows going on in different venues.  Me, I hung out at The Five Spot.  Early, was a show featuring Fats Kaplin, Kristie Rose, Paul Burch, and more.  Later, I was introduced to my new favorite band.  They are called Red Collar from Durham, NC. They are a high energy, punk influenced band.  Austin Lucas - who I saw for the third time this year was as amazing as ever, and Two Cow Garage who I saw for the second time this year (and who barely made it due to mechanical issues) blew me away as they did the first time I saw them.

Tonight, I'm excited to see Jon Latham opening up for the legendary Malcolm Holcombe at The Basement (not East).

Now, we have a Featured Friday shuffle to close out the post-holiday work week.

Featured Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - At the Crack of Noon Mix

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Rolling on toward Thanksgiving.   Keep an eye out for the 1st Annual E2TG Awards - 2015 - which I calling "The Earies". (Tagline: "The Earies, it sounds strange but it's really not"). 

About "The Earies":  I will begin announcing the awards around the first of December and continue on and off throughout the month.  There will not be nominees - because no matter how much people say that it was an honor to be nominated... well, you know.  Also, we will have recipients and not "winners".  This is for two reasons, 1. Calling someone a winner may imply that others are "losers".  2. The recipients may think there is some sort of cash reward, which there is not.  Nor are there actual awards.  It is an honorary honor.

The awards will culminate with the naming of the 5th Annual Ear to the Ground Artist of the Year.

There will not be fan voting, sorry.  Although we had fun in 2011 and 2012 running Readers Polls, I decided at the end of 2012 to suspend the practice. 

Bribes will be accepted and the awards will probably go to the highest bidder. 

Anyone caught taking the awards too seriously, will be severely teased.

All the awards are not all that serious, what I am serious about is taking another opportunity to recognize some of the great music that came my way in 2015.

In other news, after Thanksgiving, pending my getting in a bunch of seasonal music, I am thinking of having a once-a-week shuffle from a playlist filled with such songs. I am debating what to call the playlist.  Christmas is too specific as their may be songs that have nothing to do with Christ's birth.  Holiday Playlist will probably piss off people - since apparently Holiday is a nasty word or something.  I may just call it the Red Cup Playlist.  We shall see.

We have another featured music shuffle today - featuring some favorites (old and new) and some artists hitting the shuffle for the first time.