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"I mean, I'm not disagreeing with what they are trying to say but..."
"...they could have found a better way than dumping all that tea into the water."
"...why'd they have to sit at the lunch counters during lunch time? I just came to get a sandwich not to see this."
Civil disobedience is supposed to be civil, it is not supposed to be convenient. (although I'm having a hard time understanding why someone respectfully kneeling during the National Anthem bothers people so much. (that is a rhetorical question).
Racism and other forms of bigotry are not new, but it is disheartening to see so many racists and bigots being emboldened by the current administration. Maybe it is necessary to bring evil into the light in order to destroy it. That, at least, is my hope.
"I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice." Theodore Parker (later paraphrased by Martin Luther King Jr.)
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Wow, the 3rd Quarter of 2017 is almost over... It's just about time for me to start thinking about the 3rd Annual Earie Awards and the 2017 Band(s) and Artist(s) of the Year. As is often the case in recent months, I find that I cannot possibly get to all of the music sent my way. I try my best because I know some really awesome stuff is slipping by me. And, even with those that slip by... my "New Music" playlist recently topped 500 songs. Beginning Monday, I am going to adjust my schedule to cover more of the "New Music", and I will also be working to clear some older songs from that playlist. I am really excited about some of the new music that has been coming my way...
Today is Wednesday which is "Wild Wednesday" here at E2TG. We shuffle up all the songs in my phone memory and present a decent cross-section of the diversity of music that I dig. Sometimes, I will think that maybe I could have a bigger audience if I narrowed my focus... but I could also have a bigger audience if I used click-bait headlines and made controversial statements about popular artists just for the sake of being controversial. I don't want to do any of those things... so here is E2TG just being E2TG..... Peace...
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle- Lipstick Tubes and S**t Mix
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I'm running short on time... It's Tuesday where we take a look at what's "trending" on E2TG. By the way, my "New Music" playlist just topped 500 tracks. Which means I have a ton of new and newish music yet to be featured here.... it's a great problem to have - especially since I only add music I dig.
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
I'm running short on time... It's Tuesday where we take a look at what's "trending" on E2TG. By the way, my "New Music" playlist just topped 500 tracks. Which means I have a ton of new and newish music yet to be featured here.... it's a great problem to have - especially since I only add music I dig.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Music City Monday Morning Shuffle - History and Hell Mix
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My take: For a nation that is built upon the idea of freedom, the most patriotic thing one can do is to exercise that freedom in whatever way one deems necessary. I saw video of people shouting obscenities during the National Anthem at men who choose to respectfully and silently protest by kneeling during the National Anthem. I have to ask, who was being disrespectful? And these people who are shouting obscenities are being inflamed and encouraged by the President of the United States. These are difficult and discouraging times, but I do feel some hope that the resistance is growing and the investigations are deepening...
Well, it's the last full week of September. It is officially Autumn -and yet the temperature is going to be near 90 the first part of this week...
And, it is Monday - which means Music City Monday on E2TG. It's no secret that Nashville is experiencing an incredible period of growth. And there are pains associated with that growth. There is the fear of losing somethings that make Nashville distinctly Nashville. There are traffic woes and parking woes and cost of living woes.
I never know how the shuffle will play out any given day - that's part of the fun of using the random shuffle feature... but I purposefully front-load my playlist with a mix of old and new music from people who have been in Nashville longer than I have to those who are recent additions to our fair city.
My hope is that the newcomers will pay attention to the voices of the long-timers. The history of Nashville and its music matters. The best local artists, in my opinion, recognize this and then thoughtfully and purposefully add their voices to that history.
My hope is that the long-time Nashville artists and residents, will open their ears to the voices and songs of the newcomers. Some amazingly talented people are moving here everyday - trying to find their place. They bring with them their own history and stories that will help shape the Nashville of tomorrow.
The fact is, the old Nashville is not coming back. But, as to exactly what new Nashville is going to be is still being written. I hope both the newcomers and long-timers will contribute and help make that new Nashville the best it can be.
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
My take: For a nation that is built upon the idea of freedom, the most patriotic thing one can do is to exercise that freedom in whatever way one deems necessary. I saw video of people shouting obscenities during the National Anthem at men who choose to respectfully and silently protest by kneeling during the National Anthem. I have to ask, who was being disrespectful? And these people who are shouting obscenities are being inflamed and encouraged by the President of the United States. These are difficult and discouraging times, but I do feel some hope that the resistance is growing and the investigations are deepening...
Well, it's the last full week of September. It is officially Autumn -and yet the temperature is going to be near 90 the first part of this week...
And, it is Monday - which means Music City Monday on E2TG. It's no secret that Nashville is experiencing an incredible period of growth. And there are pains associated with that growth. There is the fear of losing somethings that make Nashville distinctly Nashville. There are traffic woes and parking woes and cost of living woes.
I never know how the shuffle will play out any given day - that's part of the fun of using the random shuffle feature... but I purposefully front-load my playlist with a mix of old and new music from people who have been in Nashville longer than I have to those who are recent additions to our fair city.
My hope is that the newcomers will pay attention to the voices of the long-timers. The history of Nashville and its music matters. The best local artists, in my opinion, recognize this and then thoughtfully and purposefully add their voices to that history.
My hope is that the long-time Nashville artists and residents, will open their ears to the voices and songs of the newcomers. Some amazingly talented people are moving here everyday - trying to find their place. They bring with them their own history and stories that will help shape the Nashville of tomorrow.
The fact is, the old Nashville is not coming back. But, as to exactly what new Nashville is going to be is still being written. I hope both the newcomers and long-timers will contribute and help make that new Nashville the best it can be.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Featured Friday Morning Shuffle - Lips are Moving Mix
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All right. It's Friday.... saw Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack doing their Daddy (duo) thing last night at The Family Wash. Lisa Oliver Gray joined them for a couple of songs. Always great to see the two of them. There are working on the third DADDY record and it is open to pre-orders now - through Will Kimbrough's PayPal account.
I'm going to jump right into the Featured Friday shuffle...
"Funny Feeling" by Luxury Mane
"Gluten Farmer" by Discount Ravioli
"I Know" by The Maxx
"id" by Ugggy
"Stagger Lee" by Taj Mahal
"Warning Sign" by Black Needle Noise with Kendra Frost
"News Blackout" by Tim Easton
"Song for Brenda" by Taj Mahal with Cool John Ferguson
"Nedobity" by The Foresters
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
All right. It's Friday.... saw Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack doing their Daddy (duo) thing last night at The Family Wash. Lisa Oliver Gray joined them for a couple of songs. Always great to see the two of them. There are working on the third DADDY record and it is open to pre-orders now - through Will Kimbrough's PayPal account.
I'm going to jump right into the Featured Friday shuffle...
"Funny Feeling" by Luxury Mane
We start things off with the last track we have to feature from Lux Runnin Out - the 2016 album by this band from St. Petersburg, Florida. I look forward to what's next from this band.
"Gluten Farmer" by Discount Ravioli
It's becoming a regular Friday thing to have a Discount Ravioli track or two or four as part of every Friday's shuffle. This is (apparently) a sequel to the classic Circus Propaganda song, "Gluten Farm" What is a Gluten Farmer? Check out Discount Ravioli's Baby Arm Sessions and find out.
"I Know" by The Maxx
Next up, we have another track from Funk Box - the latest album by this long-running 70s-style funk/soul band from Atlanta. Adding some groove to my Friday commute.
"id" by Ugggy
This is the opening track from Ugggy's May 2017 release, STŒND ALŒN (uncollected thots), (the third of seven so far this year). It is a fifteen second introduction to the release.
"Stagger Lee" by Taj Mahal
or "Stack-o-Lee". The first of two tracks from the Labor of Love album released in conjunction with the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Taj Mahal originally recorded a version of this song (which dates from 1911) on his De Ole Folks at Home album in 1969.
"Warning Sign" by Black Needle Noise with Kendra Frost
Next up, we have another track from Black Needle Noise - which features John Fryer of This Mortal Coil. The most recent album, called Lost in Reflections features a number of collaborations included this one with Kendra Frost.
"News Blackout" by Tim Easton
Next, we have another cut from Strange Freedom: Songs of Love and Protest which Cafe Rooster put out recently. This track was originally released on Easton's 2008 album Ammunition. The words seem pretty appropriate today.
"Song for Brenda" by Taj Mahal with Cool John Ferguson
Next, we have an instrumental - and a cool one at that - from Labor of Love featuring Taj Mahal and Cool John Ferguson. Ferguson is a frequent collaborator with Taj Mahal (and others). Taj Mahal has said that Cool John Ferguson is among the top five guitar players in the world. He is also the Director of Creative Development at Music Make Relief Foundation.
"Nedobity" by The Foresters
And we close out the shuffle with a track from the latest album (House Stories) by E2TG faves, The Foresters. There is some crossover between Discount Ravioli and The Foresters. Near as I can tell, "Nedobity" is a reference to something or someone or somewhere in Connecticut. In other words, it's a Connecticut thing. Follow E2TG on Facebook and maybe someone from The Foresters camp will explain what it means or not.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Topical Thursday Morning Shuffle - Down by the River Mix
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And then it was Thursday...
Last night, after work, I headed down to The Country to check out Ben de la Cour and Gaelynn Lea (who you read about in Collins' guest post earlier this week). (if you missed it, click the link).
Ben is one of my absolute favorite songwriters.
Gaelynn Lea (who won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest) is nothing short of brilliant. Playing traditional fiddle music and originals using a loop pedal and her unique playing style, she makes otherworldly and music that is at once dark and beautiful.
After that, I headed to Kay Bob's to hang out with some of my fellow WXNA DJs. Every third Wednesday, Kay Bob's hosts WXNA Night and donates 15% of all sales to the station. It's a fun hang with good food and a great beer selection.
Then, I crossed the river in time to catch Brian Milligram at The Crying Wolf. I was reminded about how much I love his music. Folk-punk delivered with passion. And he can pull off a sad song pretty well, too.
Today being Thursday, we return to our special Topical playlist - said topic being self-referential and we delve into the history of E2TG. It's an interesting history (if I do say so myself) covering a wide swath of musical styles. From the beginning, my approach to E2TG has been to write about music that moves me without much regard to the relative notoriety (or lack thereof) of the artists. To that end, some bands I have written about have gone on to achieve greater notoriety and others have seemingly disappeared - at least from social media. I take no credit and accept no blame from either. In my estimation, the value of the music itself is not really affected at all by what happens next for the artist. But, that's just my take...
Without further ado, here is the Topical Thursday (E2TG-centric) shuffle....
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
And then it was Thursday...
Last night, after work, I headed down to The Country to check out Ben de la Cour and Gaelynn Lea (who you read about in Collins' guest post earlier this week). (if you missed it, click the link).
Ben is one of my absolute favorite songwriters.
Gaelynn Lea (who won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest) is nothing short of brilliant. Playing traditional fiddle music and originals using a loop pedal and her unique playing style, she makes otherworldly and music that is at once dark and beautiful.
After that, I headed to Kay Bob's to hang out with some of my fellow WXNA DJs. Every third Wednesday, Kay Bob's hosts WXNA Night and donates 15% of all sales to the station. It's a fun hang with good food and a great beer selection.
Then, I crossed the river in time to catch Brian Milligram at The Crying Wolf. I was reminded about how much I love his music. Folk-punk delivered with passion. And he can pull off a sad song pretty well, too.
Today being Thursday, we return to our special Topical playlist - said topic being self-referential and we delve into the history of E2TG. It's an interesting history (if I do say so myself) covering a wide swath of musical styles. From the beginning, my approach to E2TG has been to write about music that moves me without much regard to the relative notoriety (or lack thereof) of the artists. To that end, some bands I have written about have gone on to achieve greater notoriety and others have seemingly disappeared - at least from social media. I take no credit and accept no blame from either. In my estimation, the value of the music itself is not really affected at all by what happens next for the artist. But, that's just my take...
Without further ado, here is the Topical Thursday (E2TG-centric) shuffle....
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Wild Wednesday Morning Shuffle - Off the Beat 'n' Path Mix
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You know, I am generally a pretty optimistic guy. I mean, I don't think I'm Pollyanna about it, but I do tend to look for the bright spot in things or at least the light at the end of the tunnel (that is hopefully not an on-coming train.)
Lately though, it is not easy to maintain optimism. It's not just the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... I actually think he is more of a symptom (although a potentially fatal symptom) of a large problem. I often hear the suggestion that we are part of an empire in decline. And maybe we are... maybe we have been for some time. There were certainly warning signs at various points of my life.
As someone who is deeply passionate about music (and art and creativity of all kinds), it is very hard to see incredibly talented people - who pour their souls into their art and who make vital and beautiful things - struggle to find an adequate platform for their work. And then to read about a junk culture flash-in-the-pan figure getting signed to a record label... I just don't know. It's easy to lay blame on the record companies... or on Spotify or whatever... but I think this all goes to a deeper problem in our society - where as a whole, we don't value truth or beauty or substance...
For the most part, I try to focus upon the communities of which I am a part that do value those things... and I do my part to put truth and beauty and substance into the world...
To that end... it is Wednesday... I call it Wild Wednesday... but really it's like classic E2TG day... from the beginning, I hoped to place new and under-heard music alongside some of my all-time favorites and recent discoveries (of older music) and oddball choices that stretch and challenge genre boundaries... Eventually, things got so big that I needed to create specialized playlists for new music or Nashville music or whatever... but I am glad that I can have one day a week to shuffle all of the music I have on my phone and see what madness ensues....
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
You know, I am generally a pretty optimistic guy. I mean, I don't think I'm Pollyanna about it, but I do tend to look for the bright spot in things or at least the light at the end of the tunnel (that is hopefully not an on-coming train.)
Lately though, it is not easy to maintain optimism. It's not just the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... I actually think he is more of a symptom (although a potentially fatal symptom) of a large problem. I often hear the suggestion that we are part of an empire in decline. And maybe we are... maybe we have been for some time. There were certainly warning signs at various points of my life.
As someone who is deeply passionate about music (and art and creativity of all kinds), it is very hard to see incredibly talented people - who pour their souls into their art and who make vital and beautiful things - struggle to find an adequate platform for their work. And then to read about a junk culture flash-in-the-pan figure getting signed to a record label... I just don't know. It's easy to lay blame on the record companies... or on Spotify or whatever... but I think this all goes to a deeper problem in our society - where as a whole, we don't value truth or beauty or substance...
For the most part, I try to focus upon the communities of which I am a part that do value those things... and I do my part to put truth and beauty and substance into the world...
To that end... it is Wednesday... I call it Wild Wednesday... but really it's like classic E2TG day... from the beginning, I hoped to place new and under-heard music alongside some of my all-time favorites and recent discoveries (of older music) and oddball choices that stretch and challenge genre boundaries... Eventually, things got so big that I needed to create specialized playlists for new music or Nashville music or whatever... but I am glad that I can have one day a week to shuffle all of the music I have on my phone and see what madness ensues....
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Trending Tuesday Morning Shuffle - Angels in the Architecture Mix
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I think I am well on the road to recovery from Americana Fest. I've been laying low trying to make sure that I get this crud out of my system.
It is Tuesday. We call this day, Trending Tuesday (because... well, Trending and Tuesday both start with T... and that sort of thing is cute - apparently).
But seriously, we shuffle up songs from our "New Music" playlist - which features primarily songs that have been submitted to us or songs from long-time favorites. It's all relatively recent - sometimes not yet released. It covers about every genre you can think of and a few you probably have never thought of.. it's all good, and that seems like a good reason to stop writing and get to the songs...
Be sure to "Like" Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
I think I am well on the road to recovery from Americana Fest. I've been laying low trying to make sure that I get this crud out of my system.
It is Tuesday. We call this day, Trending Tuesday (because... well, Trending and Tuesday both start with T... and that sort of thing is cute - apparently).
But seriously, we shuffle up songs from our "New Music" playlist - which features primarily songs that have been submitted to us or songs from long-time favorites. It's all relatively recent - sometimes not yet released. It covers about every genre you can think of and a few you probably have never thought of.. it's all good, and that seems like a good reason to stop writing and get to the songs...
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