Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Hit the Right Spot Mix

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The 1st Annual E2TG Awards (The Earies) continues... Today's award ended in a tie (expect several to end up this way).  Today's award is "The Better Late Than Never Award" (aka "The Anti-Hipster  Award".

About the Award: As a respected music blogger (ahem!) and journalist (ahem!), I do pride myself on "discovering" new artists early on in their careers.  However, I also recognize that there is (and has been) a ton of great music out there, and that I went through periods where life and all kept me from being on the cutting edge like I am today (ahem!).  I also remember the days of trying to outdo people by claiming to have been a fan of (some band or artist) since before they had even played their first show or whatever.  So, these days, when I "discover" music that is new to me or that I have been aware of but not really checked out thoroughly, I just proudly admit that fact and move on.

The two winners of this award are both Nashville artists who released albums prior to 2015, but that I did not get my grubby little hands on until this year. Do I wish I had heard the heard the music sooner? Sure, it's good stuff, which is why I am handing out the awards (again, no actual trophies will be exchanged). 

Winner #1:  Paul Zografi - Bright (Released 10/2014)

I met Paul at Bobby's Idle Hour through Tim Carroll which is when I copy a copy of this album which I fell in love with.  Found out he shares at least one band member with Joe Nolan who was also playing at Bobby's that night.  Zografi's music has clarity and understatement and really good songs. 

 

 

 

Winner #2: Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau - Tennessee (Released May 2014)

 

 

There was a even longer interval between the release of this album and my getting hold of it, and in this case, I really don't have a good excuse. I first saw Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau late in 2014 at Rocking Roots Guitar Showcase during Americana week.  (I have been a fan of Richie's music for over 30 years).  I have been fortunate to see them live on a number of occasions since then, but I didn't get a hold of the album until a chance encounter with Farm Bureau bassist John Reed downtown over the summer. The album offers a rootsy, rocking history of the Volunteer State through familial and public stories that span the state.  Owen's besides being an amazing instrumentalist and songwriter, is able to provide an authentic and honest voice to the stories.  Plus, he has more first hand stories of the beginnings of Nashville's independent music "scene" than just about anybody I know.

 

 

Congratulations to the winners!  More to Come....

Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle - Cosmo and Seventeen Mix

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PRESENTING THE  1st Annual E2TG Awards - "The Earies"  (The Earies - it sounds kind of strange, but not really). 

Well, it is December, and as I promised, we will begin our month long celebration of all things E2TG.  Welcome to the first annual E2TG awards.  Our red carpet welcome had to be cancelled due to rain in the Nashville area, plus we don't have a red carpet, and someone forgot to book the Ryman.  So, this will be an on-line awards show this year... 

I thought long and hard about how to begin this award month, but finally it seemed fitting and proper to begin the 2015 awards with the artist who closed out 2014 by being named the Artist of the Year.

Presenting the first award for 2015 is ..... me...   Thanks, Joe.  The first award to be presented is the Flattery Will Get You Everywhere Award.  It recognizes the artist or artists who have realized that the blog host is basically a big ball of insecurities and self-doubt and that a little bit of flattery (even somewhat dubious flattery) goes a long way.

This artist not only routinely dedicates one of his signature songs to me, but he also included my likeness on the album cover of his most recent release.  I think "Bob" is a pretty handsome guy, even if I would not say that he is short or tall.     The 1st ever "Earie" goes to Darrin Bradbury.  Darrin is currently on tour out West, so I will accept the award on his behalf.  Also, we don't have actual
statues.  Maybe next year.  



Stay tuned all month for more awards....

On to the shuffle:

Monday Morning Music Shuffle - Whispered Diamonds Up Shit Creek Mix

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We are back and ready to finish off 2015 in style. I hope everyone who celebrates it had a good Thanksgiving.

After fighting off a cold for several days, I ended up pretty knocked out by Friday. I'm on meds and making a recovering. Expect my live music updates to be few and far between the first part of the week, but I will be healthy for some fun stuff coming up at the end of the week.  More on that.

On a related note, between the cold and getting ready to and going out of town, I am WAY behind on e-mails and checking out music that has been submitted.  Please be patient, but feel free to shoot me a follow-up e-mail/message.

We have a pretty awesome 8 song shuffle.

Featured Wednesday Morning Music Shuffle - Talk, Talk, Talk Mix

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Well, it is time for the last shuffle before the long Thanksgiving weekend.  I hope if you are travelling that you have safe travels, I hope you find a place of gratitude, I hope you remember those for whom the holidays are a painful or difficult time.  I hope you do all the things you want to do.  For my Canadian friends, you can like, #tbt tomorrow to Canadian Thanksgiving or whatever...

We have one more awesome featured music shuffle to see this work week off in style.

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.

Featured Monday Music Shuffle - Fell Down on my Knees Mix

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Welcome back!  I trust everyone had an okay weekend... Winter seems to have put in an appearance here in Nashville with our coldest morning of the season...

Music around town is still heating up.   Friday night, I caught a trifecta of great shows.  Joey Kneiser had part one of his album release show at Grimey's New and Used Music.  Great stuff, and be sure to check out his new album.  Next, Nellie Clay opened for Will Kimbrough downstairs at The Basement.  Nellie sounded awesome, and Will Kimbrough melted faces with his songs and his playing.  After that, I booked it across the river (following the lead of Mary Sack) to The Family Wash for Tommy Womack's birthday show.  Tommy, who is well on his way to full recovery from his car accident at the beginning of the summer, pulled together an all-star band (Mark Robinson on guitar, Ross Rice on keyboards, Daniel Seymour on bass, Brad Pemberton on drums, and Lisa Oliver Gray).  They ripped through an impressive set that opened with a version of the Velvet Underground song, "Sweet Jane" and closed (before an encore) with Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again".  In between, Womack hit some of his best songs - like "Alpha Male and the Canine Mystery Blood", "90 Miles an Hour Down a Dead-End Street", and "Nice Day" and more.

Saturday, featured another really entertaining Mark Robinson Band show at The 5 Spot.  Back by Daniel Seymour and Rick Schell. Robinson showed off his incredible blues rock guitar chops.  Honestly, one of the best live bands around.  That was followed by a short trip over to the Family Wash - this time to catch Knoxville living legend, poet, and songwriter R.B. Morris. Morris also put together an amazing band  (Greg Horne on guitar, Daniel Kimbro on Bass, and Paul Griffith on drums).  Morris was in rare form as he tore through a set that besides his original music included covers of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.  Morris will be back in Nashville one week from this coming Saturday for the 10th Annual Get Behind Mule Tom Waits Tribute and Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank.

To the shuffle - partially because Friday was so much fun and also because this is a short work week plus to help clear out some of my Featured playlist - I have made the executive decision to do all Featured Music shuffles this week.

Featured Friday Morning Music Shuffle - For Money or Against Your Will Mix

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And so it goes, and we reach the end of another work week here at #E2TG.  Heading into the weekend just ahead of Thanksgiving here in the United States. There is  a ton of great music happening this weekend at different venues.  Choose your poison and get out there. 

Among the shows coming up today and tomorrow (and no I cannot make it to all of these):  Today: Joey Kneiser of Glossary is releasing a new record, and he will play this evening at Grimey's.  Will Kimbrough is also he releasing a new record, and he will be playing The Basement at 7:00 with Nellie Clay opening. Today is Tommy Womack's birthday, and we will playing around 9:00 at The Family Wash. Also tonight, the East Nashville Underground: A Magical Reunion is going on at The Basement East.  Plus there is the weekly, Tim Carroll Rock and Roll Happy Hour at The 5 Spot. Plus probably tons of other stuff.

Tomorrow night: One of this blog's favorites Mark Robinson Band will be playing an early show at The 5 Spot (6:00 start).  Joey Kneiser will be playing that venue after that.  Meanwhile, over at the Family Wash - Knoxville poet and songwriter R.B. Morris will be playing.  Plus the aforementioned East Nashville Underground event continues at The Beast.  and More...


We have a Featured Friday Shuffle that I am really happy about today... let's take a gander...