E2TG 12/9/2020 - The Best I Can - No Good Fool Mix (Minor Key Remix)

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We have reached the penultimate Featured Friday Recap Post - Songs 36-45:

36. "Oh Oh Oh" by Eckhardt And the House

Up first today, a great new single from The Netherlands. The music is meant to have a late 70s - early 80s vibe and was inspired by a documentary about Edward Snowden and a German film set in 1984 East Germany.

37. "harlem" by small dogs

Up next, we have the latest single from New York based and recent transplant from London - George Barnett who records as small dogs. Digging this. 

38. "Dance in the Rain" by James Burt

Next up - the first of two songs about rain. First up, we have the debut single from a UK based pop artist. Pop music has and still does mean different things. I like this song quite a bit. An impressive debut.

39. "Rainy Day" by Murdocco

More rain... this track comes from Mariana Murdocco who was born in Uruguay, got her musical start in Barcelona, and is now based in London. The inspirational track features piano and a heavy bass line. 

40. "Stay in Bed" by Julia Van Daam

Stay in Bed is the latest single from Providence, RI native and Boston based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Julia Van Daam. The song delivers a powerful message and asks hard questions about the state of our nation.

41. "Going Down - Ferry Corsten Remix Edit" by Kosmonova

Shifting gears dramatically, we have a pounding, electronic dance number from German DJ Kosmonova - who had some chart hits in the 2000s.

42. "Criminals, Cannibals, and Animals" by Sam Seibert

Up next, some hard rock via Delaware based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Seibert. 

43. "County Lines" by Ventrelles

Up next, we have a new single by the Manchester band Ventrelles - led by Phil Knox who formed the band after returning to Manchester after living in Chicago for a time. 

44. "End is Near" by Ferko, Rostany, Vic Villian

Next - we have our second track in this week's playlist which came to us via The Eastern European Music Academy. Ferko is based in Glasgow but originally from Budapest, Rostany is a three-piece EDM band from Belarus - their band member Vic Villian contributes to this track which like the track we featured yesterday from Karo Glazer and Zsud - is featured on  2020 Compilation put out by the Eastern European Music Academy.  

45. "Season's End" by Facing Mountains

And finally, we have a track from the debut EP by Dutch composer Xander Slikker who is performing as Facing Mountains.  Currently based in North Macedonia, the music here is a lovely mix of chamber-pop/folk and indietronica/folktronica. This was a direct artist submission, and I was pleased that Xander actually listened to an earlier playlist and dug the music of my friends The Smoking Flowers. Great stuff. 

Tomorrow - we wrap up this very long and very diverse Playlist with songs 46-55
 

    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 12/7/2020 - Music City Monday - Things Change Mix (Cold as Hell Remix)

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December 7, 1941 is a date which will live in infamy.  That was 79 years ago - when the Japanese attacked United States ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 2,000 Americans died that day. It was  the event that cause the U.S. to finally enter World War II. 

The likelihood is that more that number will die today from COVID-19. And although it may be fair to say the two things are not really comparable - I think it is worth noting that Pearl Harbor prompted a swift and sure response from the U.S. Government and that the majority of Americans supported those actions. 

I think it is reasonable to believe that this time in our history will be one that will live in infamy.  History will judge the lackluster response of the government and the lack of leadership that helped create a lack of a unified response. And how all of that contributed to many of those who have died of COVID-19.  

No American politician or government official caused the COVID-19 pandemic just as no American politician or government official caused the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, the American response to Pearl Harbor had been as poor and mismanaged and muddled as the response to COVID-19 - the subsequent events and history would be much different. 

We have a long way to go on this week's Featured Friday Playlist - so let's pick right up with songs 16-25:

16. "New Failures" by Ten Ton Hammer

First up, we have the title track from a new EP from the hardcore band that formed in Philadelphia in 2014.  They recorded this EP under quarantine from different locations across the country.  A raucous start to this segment of music.

17. "The Minit" by Fred Abong

Fred Abong is best known as the bassist for Throwing Muses.  He returned to music in recent years - having spent the time away as a Humanities professor.  His new release is called Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

18. "Nothing From Nothing" by A.J. Croce

Next up, we have the lead track from A.J. Croce's forthcoming covers album, By Request. The Nashville based singer-songwriter and musician - takes on the 1974 Billy Preston song. 

19. "City" by American Merit

Next, we have the debut single from Texas based rock band American Merit. The band has several singles planned for this month.

20. "Unbury Me" by Crows As Shepherds

Next up, we have some alternative metal from Spain. This is the first single from the forthcoming debut full-length album.  Great stuff.

21. "Old Calendar" by Paul Yoon

Next up, we have a track from the new album by Houston, Texas based singer-songwriter Paul Yoon.  A really lovely song filled with genuine emotion.

22. "Let's Call It Love" by Bailey Bigger

Next, we have the title track to the debut EP by Arkansas based singer-songwriter Bailey Bigger. The EP was produced by Bruce Watson.  The 20 year old songwriter has already drawn comparisons to John Prine and Courtney Marie Andrews.

23. "Boomerang" by Pet Envy

Next, we have the recent single by the Nashville based indie band Pet Envy.  I dig it. 

24. "Titles and Frames" by Un Rodo Cora

Next up, we have the title track to the fifth album by the Stockholm based collective whose members have roots in the US and India.  A great song.

25. "Bad Karma" by Gray Bouchard and the Dedications

We close this segment of music with a recent single from Massachusetts based Gray Bouchard of Salem Wolves along with his band The Dedications.  The track is a cover of a recent release by The Devil's Twins.  A great way to end this segment of music.

Tune in tomorrow, when we have ten more songs to recap. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 12/4/2020 - Featured Friday - Dumb it Down Mix (Delightfully Devilish Remix)

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Well, well, well - a combination of a several post-Thanksgiving releases and my catching up on my inbox means we have our biggest Featured Friday Playlist ever: 55 songs and nearly 3 1/2 hours of music.  That means I have my work cut out for me recapping, but I will do it. Maybe expect fewer words per song... maybe... I am typically not good at fewer words...

The recap begins below the jump with the first 15 songs!

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 12/3/2020 - The Home Stretch - Second Hand Nudes Mix (Clown School Dropout Remix)

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So, this is how my mind works... I was first thinking about how annoying it is when someone keeps trying to convince you that you should like a particular artist. Like, if in conversation, you say that you don't care for (fill in the band/artist) and someone keeps insisting that you just haven't listened to the right album or that you need to listen again or whatever... 

My next train of thought was to try to justify why people do that... (my theory) deep down, we all want to find ways to connect with other people (though some of us are really bad at it). Music is one way we can connect with others. So when we find someone with similar tastes in music - we may try to build on that connection. So, when we learn that this person with whom we have made a connection don't share our love a favorite artist/band - we may try to "force" that connection - and think they must not have listened or listened properly. 

Then again, some people are just jerks who think their opinion is the only one that matters. :-)

And just like that, it is time to wrap up our recap of this week's Featured Friday Playlist and prepare the way for a brand new playlist coming up around midnight (or tomorrow if I fall asleep early as I have done once before).Songs 17-19

17. "Wintering" by BlackSheepLad

Earlier this week, another track from Sleeping Alone in the Daytime showed up in the daily shuffle, and I teased this track. As a music fan, I have been inspired by the creativity that has come out of this most challenging year. BlackSheepLad (Phil Mellen) has had more than his share of challenges this year, but out of that he has crafted a really wonderful record. 

18. "Coming Home" by Lady Buds

First of all, I challenge anyone to try to type Lady Buds without at least once typing Lady Bugs.  But anyway, Lady Buds are a Liverpool-based duo who are described as travelling indie/folk urban new age rock.  This is the opening track from their new album From the Cities.... to the Shores.  By the way, I wasn't sure I understood all those descriptors/genres, but upon listening it actually makes sense - in a good way.  This is a really great track. My mind almost makes connections to several different earlier bands/artists, but truly the band as a really unique sound.

19. "Goddess Pt.1" by Shadi G 

Swedish singer-songwriter Shadi G - like Lady Buds - hits on several different sounds and genres to create something unique.  This new single has elements of jazz, r&b, soul, hip-hop, and Persian music. Shadi G has a wonderful voice. She also formed her own record label in 2017.  I always say, I like to end each playlist with some of the most interesting music in the Playlist, and all I can say is mission accomplished this week. 

This week's list was shorter than previous weeks, but it was not short on great songs. Every week, I look forward to discovering some great new (to me) artists and catching up with some old (to me) favorites.  It is my sincere hope that those who check out E2TG or even just peruse the Playlist will discover some new favorites. 

         

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 12/02/2020 - The Middle Part of the Title - More to Rust Mix (Cold Hard Curve Remix)

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As I mentioned the other day, as I do every year, I take stock of E2TG and what I might do differently.  One question that always comes to me and that I always struggle with is should I focus of featuring less music but be more in-depth or do I continue to cover as much music as I can - even if that means I can only write a little about each song/album/artist. 

Of course, I had plans for this year that due to 2020 never came to fruition, but overall, I am happy about how things have worked out. The Featured Friday Playlist has gained followers and I have gotten so hear so many great new artists. 

Initially, I thought I might just list the shuffle songs with no exposition and only focus on writing about new songs - but to be honest, I was never comfortable with that approach. I do know that longer reviews, interviews, etc. would be great, but right now, I am just not in the headspace to do those. Maybe that will change as we slowly emerge from this crisis - whenever that slow emergence begins.  

Some aspects of what I do have become harder - and it is really minor annoyances. Like tagging of Facebook. I like to tag featured artist on Facebook - 1. to let the artist know I wrote about  them and 2. so that interested readers can check out the social media pages of the artists featured. It has, however, become more difficult and  burdensome to tag pages on Facebook. To me, it used to be easier - now sometimes you have to use the exact format of how the page URL is named or Facebook brings up the artist's personal page first instead of the artist page - AND it won't let a page tag a personal page. 

The other thing which I posted about on Facebook is that it has become harder and harder to figure out where a band or artist is from. I am not sure if that is intentional for some reason I don't understand, but it is something I like to know and share. 

Any way, just being transparent about my process.  E2TG will be entering its tenth year soon, and it has survived this long by adapting to the changing circumstances and by my posting on a consistent basis. 

We continue on with our Featured Friday Recap... songs 14-16

14. "I Just Want U Here" by Xelfiy 

Up first, we have a direct artist submission that actually came in right as I was putting together this week's playlist. The e-mail was so genuine, and the song really caught me. Xelfiy is a young artist - I don't know much about him but this song is dedicated to his late father. Dig it!

15. "Tunnel" by Plastic Barricades

Next up, we have a track from the recently released Self-Theories by this duo who are based in London and Paris. Really interesting sound. 

16. "Lonely Landslide" by Perfectparachutepicture

And closing out this short segment, we have the newest single from the UK band known affectionately as PPP. Really nifty alt-rock. A great addition to the playlist. 

Tomorrow - we wrap up with weeks playlist.  Songs 17-19

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 12/01/2020 - Month 12 - Zombie Romance Mix (Foolish and Blue Remix)

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Well - it is the first day of the last month of the year. I guess I am sentimental or something - I always see the end of the calendar year as a good excuse to look back and make changes... in this most unusual of years - I am not clear about anything... but I do need to do some reflecting...

The upcoming music listing is getting rather skimpy - partially due to December being typically slow for new releases and partially due to my being way behind of going through my e-mail... 

Anyway, onward...

Our recap of this week's Playlist continues with songs 11-13:

11. "The Metro - Orchestra Version" by Berlin

The iconic L.A. synth pop band fronted by Terri Nunn reimagine some of their biggest hits with a full symphonic orchestra.  This was always one of my favorite songs by the band. Nashville's own Lemuel Hayes (Buck n Stuff) toured with the band last year as a drum tech and got to play drums for a couple or few shows. 

12. "Lord of the Flies" by Lars Finberg

L.A. singer-songwriter Lars Finberg is up next with a track from his second solo album Tinnitus Tonight.  Finberg is the leader of the band The Intelligence. Really dig this

13. "Mountains and Grooves" by Tuath

And, we close this short segment of music with the new single from the Irish band that originally formed to promote the Irish language. This fantastic single - the first in a series of singles - featured vocalist  Jude Barriscale of the band Lunch Machine. 

 

         

    Featured Friday Playlist