E2TG 10/30/2020 - All Hallow's Eve Eve - The Wrong Side Mix (Creep(y) Remix)

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A convergence of happenings... still in a pandemic (and into a new wave), the U.S. elections are coming Tuesday, tomorrow is Halloween (and a full moon!), we fall back on the clocks, and I don't know, I'm sure there is more.  

Oh yeah, it is Friday, and we have another Featured Friday Playlist here at E2TG.  I continue to be blown away by the amount of music being released. We have to end this pandemic and get my musician friends back on the road touring so this poor music blogger can rest... just kidding, but I do want my friends to get back to it. 
 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/29/2020 - One Foot - Something Else Mix (Cereal Man Remix)

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Today, we wrap up our recap of this week's Featured Friday Playlist and make way for a new weekly Playlist arriving around midnight or there about.... Songs 26-30...

26. "Video Crash 83" by The Subtheory

First up today, we have a track from the new album by electronic music artist The Subtheory (Andy Hill) who divides his time between L.A. and London.  An awesome instrumental to start things off today.

27. "Numb" by The Agency

Next up, we have the lead track from the seasonally appropriately titles In the Haunted Woods by UK band The Agency.  Cool stuff. Check it out. 

28. "Why" by Shy

Up next, we have a new single from Shy - who is Eritrean-Canadian underground recording artist from Toronto. Adding some undergroup hip-hop to these week's list. 

29. "War Cry" by Ashes to Omens

We move from Toronto hip-hop to Athens, Georgia hard rock - with the latest single from Ashes to Omens. The band formed in 2017 quickly dealing with vocalist James Branton's cancer diagnosis and recovery.  This new track deals with overcoming mental illness during difficult times. A much needed message these days. 

30. "All Eyes" by The Fortune 

We always like to close out each week's playlist with some really interesting music, and this week, we have a new track from The Fortune - a duo of childhood friends from India. Their sound mixes pop music with elements of traditional Indian music.  

See you tomorrow with a new Playlist... 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/28/2020 - It is Okay - Old Copper Penny Mix (Find the Beauty Remix)

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I'm a little under the (nasty) weather - so apologies for the late and rather minimalistic post...

Our Featured Friday Recap rolls on with songs #21-25...

21. "Chasing Highs" by Griff Clawson

First up, we have the debut single from L.A. based singer/songwriter Griff Clawson - who has contributed vocals to tracks by ARTY, Matoma, Devault, Manilla Killa and Boombox Cartel.

22. "Revolution Son" by Shiva and the Hazards

Next up, we have a really cool single from Australian rock band Shiva and the Hazards.  The song was produced by the band and mixed by Mark Gardener of RIDE. It sounds fantastic. 

23. "Are You Listening?" by Lera Lynn

Next, we have a track from the brand new album by Nashville singer-songwriter Lera Lynn. Lynn wrote, performed, produced, and recorded the album on her own. It is appropriately called On My Own.  Check it out. I first became aware of Lera Lynn via the segment she filmed for Songcraft Presents premiere Songs of the Road feature which featured our friend Ben Arthur and which was directed and edited by our friend Matthew Hendershot, and which was directed by Rob Reinhart. 

24. "Golden Repair" by Sunstack Jones

Next, we have the title track from the fourth album by UK band Sunstack Jones - this is a gorgeous sounding record. Definitely check it out. 

25. "I Never Want To Leave" by The Luxembourg Signal

And we close out this segment of music with the lead track from the third studio album by dreampop/shoegaze supergroup The Luxembourg signal - the band is transatlantic with members calling L.A., San Diego, and London home. A nice way to close this penultimate recap segment of this week's Playlist. 

Tomorrow- we wrap up this week's Playlist... 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/27/2020 - Vote Angry - End of the World Mix (Rainy Day Remix)

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I, like a lot of people I know, are feeling a variety of emotions today about the appointment of an unqualified judge to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court mere days before the election.  

My words today are a reminder to vote, if you haven't. In Tennessee, we have until October 29 to early vote - take advantage of that opportunity.  If you don't early vote, election day is one week from today - make a plan and vote. 

If you are angry - vote angry.  Just vote.  You may be demoralized or depressed or scared - all valid emotions but vote anyway - vote your conscience and vote from a place of hope and love - even as you are feeling contradictory emotions. 

Don't let anything stop you from voting. If you, like me, are in a "Red State" which seems likely to vote for certain people - still vote. I believe as young people become part of the voting population and as demographics change - the state will change - be an inspiration to those future voters - do teach them that voting doesn't matter.

Since I brought up "Red States" and "Blue States", I need to say, I do not want to ever hear another U.S. President use those terms. In my opinion those terms should be reserved for the maps on television on election night. Using them as absolutes, just further pushes the American people apart. Every state is populated by people who hold a variety of positions on a variety of issues. Not to mention that demographics across a state can vary.  It is hard to think about at a time when our divisions seem so stark and so wide, but we have to envision a path where we go back to finding common ground and negotiating our difference to find a common solution. 

Onward - 

Our recap of this Week's Featured Friday Playlist continues with songs 16-20

16. "More Than an Icon" by The Plastic Pals

Our favorite Swedish twin guitar psychedelic garage paisley powerpop band back with a new single. We have been following this band for a while, and they are awesome. 

17. "Ooh Child" by A.J. Croce

Nashville's A.J. Croce just released this song ahead of his covers album By Request - due out next February. This is a cover of a 1970 song by Chicago soul group The Five Stairsteps. Croce is the son of the legendary Jim Croce.

18. "Precipice Forgiveness (Flow is On)" by Raveis Kole

Next up, we have a really incredible sonic experience courtesy of the bicoastal duo Raveis Kole.  Their new release is called 3D Immersive which as the title suggests promises intense and immersive auditory experience. This opening track begins with Middle Eastern sounds and goes on the encapsulate the duo's diverse range of influences. I highly recommend checking this out.

19. "Blindfold" by Cellarscape

Our friend Paul Terry who is known for his innovative film music work as well as his band Cellarscape who we have featured previously via his album Exo Echo - is back with a new single. Great to hear some new music from an old favorite. 

20. "Lookout Mountain" by Andrew Weiss and Friends

And we close out this segment of music with the title track from the new EP by Long Island native Andrew Weiss and his friends. Solid songwriting and a great sound. A nice place to leave off our recap until tomorrow. 

Tomorrow - we will pick up with songs 21-25 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/26/2020 - Music City Monday - Amazing Grace Mix (Graveyard Stomp Remix)

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As we head into the final two months of this most interesting year, with so much uncertainty and so many unresolved problems...on a more personal note, I am - as I do every year about this time - evaluated the State of E2TG.  Long-time readers know that I made some major changes to E2TG at the beginning of this year - changes I have fine-tuned throughout the year. I felt the changes were necessary.  As a result of the changes I have been able to cover more music than ever before, however, the trade-off has been that some music does not get covered as extensively as it might have in the past. 

So, the questions I have to ask myself every year are: What is it that I want E2TG to accomplish? Is E2TG accomplishing that? and How, I can I improve on what I am doing to better meet my goal?  

I don't have the answers yet for 2020, but that is where my head will be...  

For my readers, I have certain hopes - one is that you give at least a cursory listen to the music I present here. I can almost guarantee that you won't like it all or at least not like it all equally... but I think no matter where your musical tastes lie, you will find something you do like. If an artist or song really catches your attention- I would hope you would follow the artist on social media and follow them on your favorite streaming service. If you are able, buy a download or a physical copy of their music, when it is safe in your area and they come to town, go see them live. 

Selfishly, if you do discover new music via E2TG, I would love it if you would tell me about it. 

I do not make a dime from E2TG - that was a conscious decision I made a long time ago (although to be fair, I am not 100% certain I could make much money if I tried). I am also not a publicist or promoter for any artists- although I am grateful for my relationships with many fine publicists. E2TG is an unpaid, secondary job for me - and I am a one-man operation - so it is inevitable that I miss out on featuring some music and my timing may not be ideal. I do what I can. 

I do believe that there is so much amazing music being produced and released these days, and there are many fine websites, blogs etc that cover some of the music. I have always tried to keep E2TG interesting (to me at least) by being a diverse and inclusive as possible. There is not style or genre of music that I won't consider for E2TG. 

Anyway, this is Music City Monday and as a rare treat, we have 100% local music.

We pick back up on this week's Featured Friday recap - with songs 11-15 - the quality of these five songs just goes to show how deep this week's playlist truly is... oh and they are all based in Nashville...

11. "Surrender" by LORE

This is the debut single by the new Nashville band featured Laur Joamets and Laura Reed. Their album is due out next year and was produced by Dave Schools and Vance Powell and features Robbie Crowell and Nick Buda.  A wonderful song.

12. "Mostly Ouroboros" by Andrew Adkins

Yet another track from the forthcoming The Echoist (November 13) by E2TG favorite Andrew Adkins. This one shows off his more rocking side. 

13. "Perfect Job" by Kevin Burnstein

Kevin Burnstein moved to Nashville just head of the pandemic and found himself in a new city at an inopportune time. He made the most of the situation recording this politically charged album and releasing at a most opportune time. 

14. "I Want Out" by Will Kimbrough

By contrast to Kevin Burstein, Will Kimbrough has been a Nashville resident over well over 30 years, but he, too, found himself in an unusual situation. Used to keeping up a busy schedule of touring, recording, and producing - Kimbrough found himself - like so many others - grounded. Spring Break is the result of that time, and it is a most wonderful result. 

15. "Do You Realize" by Tayls

Taylor Cole - who leads Tayls - as been in Nashville longer than Burnstein but far less than Kimbrough - but he, too found his usual actives limited or eliminated by COVID-19. He took the time to record a collection of cover songs - often recording remotely with other Nashville bands and artists. We have covered several of the singles released but now the full Kwar in Teens: A Covers Collection is out. This is a cover of a Flaming Lips song.  

 

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/23/2020 - Featured Friday - Birmingham 2 Mix (Existential Dread Remix)

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It is Friday, and I am short on time so let's get right to it.  Before we get to our brand new Featured Friday Playlist, we have a couple of new releases to mention.  Both of these releases are out on Devil's Tower Records and available on the Devil's Tower Records Bandcamp page.  Both are live recordings, recorded at the same show last Halloween. The Smoking Flowers host an annual Halloween show at The 5 Spot as a benefit.  I have been to a few - including the show where these releases were recorded. Since, the show cannot go on this year, they decided to release these as a consolation. Check them out. 

The first features the temporary band SHAMONES doing Michael Jackson covers in the style of The Ramones.  The second features a set from The Smoking Flowers themselves doing some choice covers. I have listened and they are high quality recordings (as most of the "live from The 5 Spot" recordings are) - so please check them out!

 

This week's Featured Friday Playlist is jam-packed with great music. I think it is the same number of songs as last week but it clocks in at about fifteen more minutes of music. Our recap starts below the jump...

    Featured Friday Playlist

E2TG 10/22/2020 - I Don't Already Know - Full Blown Freak Out Mix (Too Strange Remix)

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On my mind... for the most part, I tend to just ignore the parts of youth culture that I don't understand (and as I grow older, my definition of "youth culture" expands).. I mean, I don't try to understand how and why a video of someone opening a box can get millions of views or how people can get famous on Tik Tok or Snapchat or whatever.. 

But, recently, I was thinking about the phrase - "you already know".  First disclaimer: for all I know this expression is already passé... but whenever I hear it, I think - "No, I don't already know" or "If I already know then why are you telling me again?"  But - even in this confusion, I will just write it off as my being old and in the way and move on...

But, it did make me think... how often do we assume someone already knows something...  I mean as a writer it is often a fine line between overexplaining the obvious vs. making a reference and assuming everyone reading gets the context. I guess it comes down to knowing and reading your audience. I know when I did Double Shot with Sue - she would call me out sometimes for saying - "as you know" when it was something I know but which everyone listening may not know. 

I mean, I should be able to make a David Bowie reference without adding a full biography of Bowie, but if I am a less famous musician or a lesser known fact about Bowie - I might need to add some context. 

Okay - this makes me think about something else in a similar vein.  If someone posts a quote or makes a reference I don't get, I may google it for context or I may just ignore it.  But, there seem to be some people who feel the need to comment on things like this - often missing the point being made. I think it is an annoying habit but is it or is that how some people learn... I guess in general - there are some people who seem to feel the need to comment on every social media post even if they don't really have anything to add.  For example, if someone posts "RIP *some name*". I can give a sad emoji reaction and move on - unless I have something to say about the person, but some people will comment "I'm not really familiar with them but... blah, blah, blah" I just don't understand that tendency or even people who will make a post about someone who recently died and basically say, I wasn't a fan but this is sad...  again, I just don't understand that. 

Today, we wrap up this week's Featured Friday Playlist and prepare the way for a brand new playlist debuting at midnight or tomorrow morning if I fall asleep like last week... 

26. "Girlfriend" by The Silverbeets

The Silverbeets may be the first band from Tasmania that we have covered - or not - anyway, this is the latest single ahead of their forthcoming album Halcyon Days album (Due Nov. 13).  I dig this band a lot. They craft a nifty psych/pop sound that really connects with me. 

27. "Heart Light" by Jenee Halstead

Up next, we have the latest single from Boston-based singer-songwriter Jenee Halstead. Boasting a diverse musical background, I am struck by the original way she pulls her varied influences together and crafts them into a truly unique sound. 

28. "Damage Control" by Isabelle Stillman

Next up, we have a track from the latest album by  singer-songwriter Isabelle Stillman who recently relocated from Denver to Los Angeles. This is her second album and was recorded in part in isolation during the pandemic. A really catchy sound and a great voice. I dig it. 

29. "Hot Today" by Taiwan MC

As usual, I am closing the Playlist with a couple of songs that add some variety to the mix. I believe this is the second track we have covered by this French artist on Chinese Man Records. From the new album Special Request, out now. 

30. "Not Sorry" by Hell Boulevard

And, we close out this week's Playlist with the title track from the new album by Swiss goth rockers Hell Boulevard. It is their third album, and a great way to bring this week's playlist to an end. 

 

    Featured Friday Playlist