Meadownoise
“Mousey”
It’s 4:00

Another quality video from the forthcoming It’s 4:00 album courtesy of Meadownoise. If you ever needed inspiration to Do It Yourself for a music video that still has charm, an artsy quality and entertainment you need look no further.

How about some new music for your Tuesday? Always a good thing, right? First up, a new digital 7″ from Faux Ferocious for I’ll Go Home / Get Out Of Your Town. It’s a bit more lo-fi / less garage-y than their previous offerings but good to hear them branching out.

So, the next full-length album from JEFF the Brotherhood will be entitled Hypnotic Nights and will be released on July 17th (via Warner Bros / Infinity Cat). However, you can preview four of the tracks via their new Hypnotic Knights EP right now. They’ll also have physical versions on tour available with a pre-order for the whole album. You can hear “Sixpack” here.

I don’t know anything about Murfreesboro’s Technikiller aside from the fact that they have song titles like “Marrio Karte”, “Baby is a Chest” and “The Smallest Positive Integer Not Definable in Under Eleven Words.” Historically, you should know that clever and silly song titles almost always catch my eye. Go listen to the experimental / math-rock / post-rock / instrumental undertakings here.

Amerigo Gazaway
“I Can’t Get Off Of The Facebook”

Typically the Gummy Soul crew puts out some extra thick soul or hip-hop numbers – like “Spring Came Early” – but occasionally they just bring out the fun, and sadly relatable, times. They even put together a pretty righteous video for the whole thing.

Shaky Voices
“Grimey’s”

Shaky Voices is no stranger to the amusing tune (see “Phil Collins Head“) but he added in an extra dose of sweetness in this ode to everyone’s favorite local record store. It’s teetering on that line between professed line and store jingle but, either way, it’s bound to be smirkfully enjoyed locally.

Umbrella Tree
“Josephine”
To the Memory of a Once Great Man

Playing this Saturday at Exit/In with Uncle Skeleton and Poly.

The best problem a podcast can have is that there’s so much new stuff to feature that a monthly release doesn’t seem to cover enough ground, fast enough. It seems that, lately, we’ve definitely been having this problem. There’s a ton of stuff coming out all the time and it’s worth hitting your ears. This installment of the podcast serves as a nice time capsule of a selection of those jams. Enjoy.

• 1. Evan P Donohue – “Wish I Was 19″
  Wish I Was 19
• 2. Turbo Fruits – “Sweet Thang”
  Butter
• 3. Century Club – “Over the Edge”
  Keep It In The Fairway
• 4. Calicocat – “Best Friend”
  Soup du Jour
• 5. The Features – “Take You On”
  Still Lost: Volume 1
• 6. get better – “19992″
  Two-Way Power
• 7. Financier – “Reading Ritual”
  Soundscape Singles 1
• 8. Uncle Skeleton “Creature Set”
  All Too Human
• 9. Honey Locust – “Softer Someday”
  Fear Is A Feeling
• 10. Shaky Voices – “Grimey’s”
  Grimey’s
• 11. B.U.G. – “Exploding Dragons”
  You Will Hate This

Phantom Farmer
Alpha
Free Download

I’m actually out of town this week so the news updates on WOTT will be slower than normal. Thankfully, The Cream is on top of their game (as usual) and giving the heads up on all kinds of good stuff. So, yea, I’m repeating their content here but I’ve been a fan of Joel Dahl’s musical undertakings since before he was even known as Joel Dahl. Phantom Farmer is a much simpler, and less chaotic, undertaking than many of his other outlets but it’s a great way to let his lyrics and vocal style shine through without distraction. I recommend starting with “Let Me Down Easy” – my current favorite from the album.

The Features
Still Lost. Volume 1: Demos, Outtakes and Alternate Versions
Free Download

I can think of no better band to have a b-sides & rarities compilation than The Features. To my knowledge, they have at least three full-length records that have never officially seen the light of day. So, it’s just sensible to mine that wealth of goods and put together packages of tracks that many people may not have heard. The first volume is available as a free download and, I’m told, will be available as a free promotional 12″ when the band re-releases Wilderness this summer (this time with legit distribution).

The craziest part about this gathering of random tracks is that it shows how strong the band is at their craft. Even their throwaway songs are great. If you’ve never heard “Take You On” or “Kari-Anne” I would suggest ceasing all other browsing activities immediately and going to get it.

The Flea Marketeers
Self-Titled
Digital Download

Typically if you told me about a new band that was mostly acoustic instruments and heavily influenced by the likes of “gypsy jazz, western swing, rock, bluegrass, pop” I’d probably politely tell you I’d check it out but, honestly, not do a whole lot about it. However, in the case of the Flea Marketeers I’d be wrong in that decision. From “High Society” down to “Lullaby” they manage to keep it interesting. Plus, as an added bonus, you can always imagine yourself like this dancing about to the offerings.

Honey Locust
Fear is a Feeling
Digital Download

I know I’ve mentioned them before but the entire EP from Honey Locust is now available for your procurement should you see fit to do such a thing. Hopefully, like myself, you enjoy their dulcet tones.

Remember when I mentioned that Makeup and Vanity Set would be releasing the soundtrack to the film 88:88? Well, from what I’m told, the plan is for the album to come out on VHS. The above video serves as teaser for this release. I have many mixed thoughts on releasing an album in such a ridiculous format but the teaser clip makes me feel like it’s kind of the most appropriate artist to pull it off.

Mystery Twins
Love Is Strange
Digital Download

If you can’t wait until tomorrow to officially procure the first EP from Mystery Twins you could: A) go to Grimeys or The Groove and pick up the limited edition cassette, B) hit up this full-length video preview that is surprisingly engaging or C) find the patience to wait until Tuesday, May 8th because it’s obviously worth the wait.

Century Club
Keep It In the Fairway
Free Download

Century Club is a band comprised of Todd Kemp, Ryan Ervin, and Sam Powers, three Southern gentlemen from South and West Nashville, respectively. Previously, they played in other bands. Now, they play in this one. They specialize in a brand of music that the critics like to call “white guy guitar rock.”

The above snippet of facts, taken from the bands own mouths, is the perfect summation of the new project. You likely recognize some of the names from many other Nashville bands – The Carter Administration being the most likely candidate – and the music they create is definitely of the rock variety. Though, to call it “white guy guitar rock” implies an aggression that isn’t present here. Keep It In the Fairway maintains a nice balance of melancholy tunes, sweet songs and the high energy pop goods. Make sure you hear their cover of The Wipers “Over the Edge” – so damn good.

Uncle Skeleton
All Too Human
Digital / Double LP

As has been established many times before, I am quite biased when it comes to the proper judgment of Uncle Skeleton. His albums are released under my hobby of a record label, yk records and, regardless of that, we’re actually just good friends. So, with that disclaimer out of the way…

The latest offering from Uncle Skeleton, All Too Human, manages to cover a lot of stylistic ground in it’s sixty-eight minute running time. Spread across the four sides of vinyl that it resides on it manages to tackle danceable electronic songs, pop, bossa nova, lo-fi explorations and the drawn out world of ambient. Hopefully the massive tracklisting won’t scare you off from trying it out, as it really is a properly consumable running time. At least dabble in with Berlin to Frankreich or Beeshie for a little variety.

Calicocat
Soup Du Jour
Free Download

Calicocat has multiple things going for it that I find appealing. 1) The cat reference that is their name. I am, admittedly, a sucker for such things. When you spend as much time on the Internet as I do, you kinda have to be. 2) Straightahead rock that finds that balance between fist-pumping energy and memorable catchiness isn’t easy but they nail it consistently. 3) Matt Robinson’s vocals have a languid nature to them that stirs up a feeling of genuine emoting – it’s a believable melancholy and I appreciate that. Soup Du Jour fits within these parameters and, therefore, I recommend it to you. Plus, it’s free. What have you got to lose?

I contend that James Wallace & The Naked Light is one of the more underappreciated bands in town. Their album, More Strange News From Another Star, is incredibly enjoyable and their live show takes things to another level. With that in mind, I’m happy to see they’ve been selected for the Bonnaroo 2012 Cafe Stage among many other locals.

Conestyle
Born Warm
Streaming Preview

If I were a lazy music journalist (I am), I would say that Conestyle is the Nashville Oneida. It’s a mixture of aggressive, psychedelic, experimental, keyboard-y, sometimes drone-like sounds and I like it. “Land of the Larry Queens” is the first preview track from their forthcoming Born Warm release.

I’m going to assume that Turbo Fruits release various tracks, 7″‘s and other such goodness without my knowledge on a regular basis but I just stumbled on “Sweet Thang” and I’m disappointed in myself for not having heard it earlier. Vinyl version available here.

I know nothing about the band B.U.G. except what I can glean from their page profile. They’re tagged with “Murfreesboro” and “Nashville” – a good sign. They have two albums entitled You Will Hate This and You Will Hate This, Too – challenges I fully accept. They have song titles such as “Free the Pedos!”, “Club Hit II (Ladies Night)” and “Dysentery Annihilation” – all very amusing to my infantile mind. But here’s the thing – I don’t hate what I’m hearing; at all. It’s all over the place musically, quite ridiculous most of the time but it’s consistently entertaining.

Kim Logan
Kim Logan EP
Free Download

On the whole, this EP from Kim Logan is probably not something I would typically post. However, there’s something to VooDoo Man, Swing and the fact that she’s labeled herself as “Swamp Rock” that gave me a bit of pause.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 21st, is Record Store Day. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a whole lot going on around town to celebrate the occasion. More than likely you’ll spend the majority of your day spending time at The Groove or Grimeys seeing the likes of Meadownoise, JEFF the Brotherhood, Caitlin Rose, Fly Golden Eagle, Ranch Ghost, PUJOL, Community DJ’s, etc. etc. At night you’ve got plenty of options for continued entertainment with Scale Model, The Goldroom, Anchor Thieves, Rites of Spring, QDP at The 5 Spot and Melrose Billiards antics. Basically, if you play your cards right you can have a helluva Saturday. Be sure to bring a few dollars along with you to buy some records from our fine Brick and Mortar establishments continuing the fine tradition of selling fine music – we’ve got it real good here in Nashville in that regard and it’s all too easy to forget.

I Believe in Hotpants have a new EP coming out at the end of May but you can preview the offerings over on their official site and/or at their early show at The Basement on May 1st.

Calicocat recently released a new two song single over on their Bandcamp for “Whatever” b/w “Young Hearts”.

Evan P Donohue released two tracks – “Jazzputin” and “Wish I Was 19″ recently on his Bandcamp for free. They exist in the same quality realm that all the other Evan P. Donohue undertakings reside in – great.

Newcomers Honey Locust will release their EP Fear Is A Feeling on May 8th. You can hear the title track now.

Caitlin Rose
“Piledriver Waltz”
Directed by: Will Holland

Record Store Day exclusive cover of Alex Turner’s “Piledriver Waltz” – great song done total justice by a clowned out Caitlin Rose. Excellent work all around.

Hurts To Laugh
“Nerve”
Guitarded
Directed by: Roderick Trestrail

Crap! The last installment of the podcast came out in mid-February. When it’s been two months between release you know you’re doing something wrong. So, here’s an installment of some of the goods released in the interim – loads of good albums to dive into further. Another podcast edition is right around the corner, so devour this one quickly.

• 1. Meadownoise – “Little William”
  It’s 4:00
• 2. PUJOL – “DIY2K”
  The United States of Being
• 3. Echo Group – “Supra”
  Challtalk Record Collection. Vol 1
• 4. imagine asians – “Special Effects Man”
  We Are the Future
• 5. Cherub – “Doses & Mimosas”
  MoM & DaD
• 6. Uncle Skeleton “The Well-Tempered Albi”
  All Too Human
• 7. Melody Map – “Spring Forward (Fall Back)”
  Single
• 8. Quichenight – “Shores of Lake Champlain”
  Demos
• 9. All Them Witches – “Elk.Blood.Heart”
  Elk.Blood.Heart
• 10. n o i – “Problem Child”
  Albino Rainbow
• 11. Makeup and Vanity Set – “System Override
  88:88

Roy Ira
One Day
Kickstart It

Today’s a big day in the world of local county, alt-country, sorta-indie-sorta-country outfit Roy Ira. They put their new EP One Day up on Bandcamp for your enjoyment, they’ve posted a tongue-in-cheek / legitimately entertaining Kickstarter campaign (featuring Battle Tapes himself, Jeremy Ferguson) and they’re playing The Basement tonight as part of the D. Striker RR party.

Please take some time to watch the video, consider throwing a few bones their way and then listen to the stream of One Day – aside from the title track being rather good it also features two covers; mewithoutyou and Pedro The Lion.

Echo Group / Mom & Dad
“Work It” / “High Art” split 7″
Preview It

The previously released Challtalk Record Collection Vol 1 from the Echo Group really caught my ear so I was pleased to hear that they’d quickly be following it up with a split 7″ with the equally pleasing Mom & Dad. Both bands will be playing The High Watt tonight in celebration of this vinyl release and I suggest you attend.

n o i
Albino Rainbow
Free Download

Oh, n o i, we hardly knew ya! Turns out the band, for whatever reasons, has called it a day and released Albino Rainbow as their last EP. Aside from losing a quality band in town, the worst part is that this is certainly their finest effort. Granted, it’s only three songs but it’s a great balance of post-rock and whatever you call bands like Jaga Jazzist – nu-jazz? electro-jazzy? Whatever you want to call it, it’s a pleasant listen and it’s a shame that there won’t be more of it.

Calicocat
The Vault: Vol 1 2010 – 2012
Free Download

If you haven’t heard This Is Heavy yet, go ahead and check that out to give yourself some context for the band. If you enjoyed that then listen to this compilation of b-sides, covers, outtakes and weirdness to round out your opinion of the band. I actually love hearing these kinds of lo-fi tinkerings and explorations; the true essence of people just having fun playing in a band.

The Ettes
“You Were There”
Balcony TV

Sorta crazy that the band had to go to Austin to get an episode of Balcony TV recorded when they also record sessions here in Nashville but, regardless, it turned out well.

The Memetic Society is a Chattanooga based label dedicated to the notion of exposing a variety of bands from across our great state of Tennessee. This is pertinent to Nashville for a number of reasons. First, while the site is vaguely unclear about this, they’ve got a number of 7″‘s together featuring the likes of Fly Golden Eagle, Majestico, Faux Ferocious, Nite Nite and Square People. The musical contents of these releases, along with music from other quality TN bands, can be heard here.

Secondly, and perhaps more timely, is that the label is having a showcase tonight at The Basement. The details are here but really all you need to know is that Majestico, Faux Ferocious, Fly Golden Eagle and Justin and The Cosmics will be playing. $7 gets you in the door – along with a free 7″ – and you’re supporting a TN label with its head in the right place.

Get Better
Sunwarm EP
Download

Still forming a full-fledged opinion on this EP from new-around-town Get Better but the general consensus is that’s some fun indie pop; perfectly geared for summer. Be sure to hear U Better Get It.

Vinyl Thief
Rebel Hill preview
Free Download

If we’re being honest (and why wouldn’t we be?), I find the vocal stylings of Vinyl Thief to be a bit much for my taste. There’s an earnestness (and occasional falsetto) to it that just cuts me the wrong way. However, the music behind the vocals is certainly worth taking note of and my opinion is just that, a subjective take. They’ve got a lot of good keyboard sounds going, enjoyable amounts of energy and are pounding the pavement in terms of promotion in an admirable way. Give it a spin and see what you think.

Heypenny
“Purple Street”
Directed by: Carson Catlin

The frantic energy of Heypenny can be fairly polarizing but I think there’s no argument that this video ranks pretty high up there in terms of visual engagement. Nice work!

Uncle Skeleton
“The Well-Tempered Albi” single
Free Download

At this point you should, in terms of full disclosure, that I put out these Uncle Skeleton singles / albums / what-have-you’s as part of yk records. So, aside from being incredibly biased about how enjoyable they may be I am also abusing my ability to fill up this blog stream with information that, in a round about way, benefits myself. That being said, I think you’re gonna love this! There’s remixes from Shaboi, DPAUL, Makeup and Vanity Set and two unreleased b-sides. Give it a listen, I do hope you enjoy.

The above trailer is for the documentary Brick and Mortar and Love, a look at story of Louisville, KY’s ear X-tacy record store and, more broadly, the state of the Independent Record Store in today’s digital download culture. Watch through the footage above and you’ll see Chuck D from his Record Store Day appearance at Grimey’s, as well as Grimey’s co-owner, Doyle Davis, speaking on the state of things.

If you’re curious to see the whole thing you’ll have your chance when it premieres at the 2012 Nashville Film Festival.

Meadownoise
“Little William”
It’s 4:00

Makeup and Vanity Set
88:88 OST
Free Download

Makeup and Vanity Set teamed up with filmmakers Joey Ciccoline and Sean Wilson, as well as design aficionados Version Industries to create a nice teaser package for both the forthcoming film, 88:88 and his accompanying soundtrack. The free Bandcamp download gets you a double teaser – one song from the soundtrack and the teaser trailer for the film. Each will properly whet the appetite for more from both.

On Saturday, The Guardian ran a great article on Why the garages of East Nashville are now American rock’s hottest property. It focuses on the likes of PUJOL, JEFF the Brotherhood, Battle Tapes, D. Watusi, Nashville’s Dead and a host of other bands. As with any article about the town you reside in, it doesn’t tell you a whole lot you don’t already know. However, it does a great job of exposing a deserving facet of our fine music scene to a wider audience and that’s always good. Read it, if not just to confirm you live in a great place but to fully appreciate the All Star Photo that goes along with it from Jo McCaughey.

Nashville has no shortage of phenomenally talented photographers (i.e. We Own This Town founder Doug Lehmann). Lately, I’ve been enjoying the works of Dabney Morris and his blog, DMDR. Given that he’s also a musician it’s no surprise that plenty of local artists find their way into his images. I realize this isn’t a direct music posting but there’s room on this site for reaching out into some other artistic realms – and musician photography like this should certainly be appreciated.

Does anyone remember that mid-90′s electronic outfit hollAnd? They made a particular sound of catchy, bedroom lo-fi, electronic music. It was just the right amount of dirty production, some forelorn sweetness and beats. The same statement could be applied to the first track from Melody Map, “Spring Forward (Fall Back​).” It is both immediately familiar, comfortable and totally enjoyable. If I could Follow them on some sort of social network, I’d do so immediately.

Every time Quichenight comes up on my shuffled music library I find myself enjoying it more and more. Sure, “Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap?” was a permanent favorite upon first listen but the rest of the album keeps creeping its way into the forefront of my enjoyment lobe. With that in mind, I’m happy to hear this new track, “Shores of Lake Champlain“, from an even newer forthcoming cassette.

When I first saw All Them Witches listed for an upcoming show I assumed they must be from out of town. Nashville, to my knowledge, doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of psychedelic stoner rock – particularly not the kind done as well as Elk.Blood.Heart EP. It’s not easy to create a proper musical atmosphere that feels equally like true rock-n-roll and being high as a kite but they manage to pull it off.

Long story short, WOTT is closed until Monday. Go listen to that Mystery Twins song one more time for good measure.

Echo Group
Challtalk Record Collection
Free Download

Ah, the ole random Bandcamp browsing; it always yield some interesting results! Truth be told, I know next to nothing of Echo Group except that they have this Challtalk Record Collection EP, a split with Mom & Dad and will be playing Tour de Fun this year. Beyond that, I know I like what I hear. There’s plenty of quality influences peeking their way through with the jangly guitars, the occasional upbeat horn section and sometimes sneering croon of the lead vocals. But enough with the excessive adjective posturing, just go listen to it and add them to your list of bands to keep an eye out for.

I wanted to share something with you all that I began working on in 2006, if memory serves. Back then I was zealously pursuing an “advanced hobby” in music, and I recorded an album with a bunch of friends from Nashville under the band name imagine asians. Unfortunately, my perfectionist side never allowed me to release this album, titled (rather ironically, looking back), “We Are the Future!”

This project, which was created on a shoestring budget of well under $2000 (including artwork), was something that I worked on for nearly a year, and for a long time I held onto hope that I’d return to it when I had more time and money to polish it to my heart’s content, but, at least for the time being, that isn’t in the cards. And so I’ve decided to make it available in ultra high quality .wav format to any of you that would like to have a copy.

Download We Are the Future!

Don’t let the unreleased nature of the album fool you – it’s polished and enjoyable from start to finish. In fact, it’s a shame that it’s been banished to the World of Lost Recordings because it deserves much more than that.

Today marks the official launch of Nashville’s Dead multi-night, multi-venue extravaganza; The Freakin’ Weekend. Aside from having extremely solid lineups down in “The Rock Block” of Elliston place, they’ve also lined up a Pop-Up Shop at Local Honey with All Ages shows, exclusive vinyl and likely a ton more that I’m not even aware of. Though it probably goes without saying, I’m going to say it anyway, this is important. I think the local cultural impact of Nashville’s Dead is probably underrated; a fact that I am sure they could care less about but still is worth mentioning. Their consistent championing of bands, local and elsewhere, has led to a whole lot more than just a successful blog.

Long story short, my hat is off to them. They are doing things their way and it’s working incredibly well. Hopefully you make it out to any and all of the events this weekend.

Faux Ferocious
“Striking Distance”

Not only is there a new video from Faux Ferocious for “Striking Distance” (I’m assuming this is from a forthcoming full-length) but there’s also the 5 no 2 no 3 no none single that somehow slipped right through the ole WOTT radar despite being released last August? Either way, it’s a deluge of new goods from the band and I endorse diving right in.

Sharpneck
Sharpneck EP
Bandcamp | Amazon | | iTunes

I previously mentioned the forthcoming EP of Sharpneck – the solo work of Buddy Hughen – and was super pleased to see that it is now officially available in full. The full EP doesn’t diverge from the two preview songs – solid, psychedelic pop songs. If you don’t find yourself playing “On To You” ad nauseam you are a stronger individual than myself. If I kept a Pitchfork-esque “Best Of Nashville” list; this would be placed on there immediately.

Meadownoise
It’s 4:00
Free Download

Meadownoise is Matt Glassmeyer. Matt Glassmeyer is Meadownoise. He’s also a member of The Church of Cleanliness and an actual person among other things but that’s not the point. The first EP from his solo undertaking, It’s 4:00, is now available and based on my first quick listen I can tell I’m going to be coming back to it quite often. “Avant Eclectic Indie Rock” is certainly an apt way to describe it. Plenty of traditional indie rock pillars in place mixed with strange sounds, horns and lyrics that exist in that realm between troublingly insane or intentionally amusing. Looking forward to more.

Kat Brock
“Fall When I Fell”
Fall
Directed by: Amy Hobbs

There are several important items of note to be aware of in this new Kat Brock video. One, it’s directed by Amy Hobbs – who has really proven lately that a music video doesn’t have to be complex or over produced to be effective and engaging. Secondly, Kat Brock’s voice is crushingly heartbreaking. Typically, I tend to stray from music that reminds me of the utter emotional weight of the world but from what I’ve heard of the forthcoming Fall album, it’s too compelling to ignore. I look forward to hearing it in its entirety and gazing into the abyss as it gazes back into me.

Bedroom – Toys EP
Noah Kittinger says of his Toys EP, “I wrote these songs in a time of depression and it really helped me get through it all.” Couple that with his bedroom style recordings, shoegaze-y nature and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a delightfully melancholy little audio journey.

Moped Sally – Cadaver
Honestly, I was initially drawn in by this bands prior release, Pretentious Garbage, a much weirder collection of sound collages and experimental electronic meanderings. However, Cadaver is more recent and shows leanings toward more traditional pop song structure but with the weirdness learned from the prior releases intermingled quite nicely.

What Up, English – The Vaughn Sessions
Remember when I told you about these guys EP Das Scuba? Well, imagine the energy level and enjoyability of those songs but recorded better. It’s a nice progression from the earlier release and I hope these guys continue to play around town with great regularity.

Ranch Ghost
“New News” 7″
7″ Vinyl

Before we even touch on the music of Ranch Ghost I would like to state the superficial observation that their band name and logo treatment are among the best in the city. Ultimately meaningless? Maybe. But still worth putting out there. The new 7″ won’t actually ship out until mid-March but you can enjoy the lo-fi garage-y surfy duo of tracks to your hearts content right now.

Uncle Skeleton
“Tomart’s Haunted Heart” single
Free Download

As a healthy reminder, here’s the full disclaimer. I’m promoting the latest single from Uncle Skeleton whom I happen to represent via my quasi-label endeavor yk records. Yes, I’m biased that I think it’s great and, of course, I want you to download it and help grow the mailing list.

With that out of the way, here’s a fun fact for you. The original vocal track featured on “Tomart’s Haunted Heart” is from a forthcoming Nahnee Bori solo record that Uncle Skeleton procured, re-arranged and used for his own purposes. Now it’s been remixed into another new form for the Nahnee Bori remix version. It’s a cycle of music life that never seems to end.

By Lightning!
Left Hand Right Hand

This weekend marked the official release of By Lightning!’s full-length album Left Hand Right Hand. I’m not sure where to procure it online – hopefully it pops up here soon – but whatever effort is involved in getting a physical version is well worth it. There’s a lot going on throughout the album but the consistent elements – the male / female vocal exchanges and Melancholy Yet Pop songwriting style – kill it every time. Much like De Novo Dahl and Dixie Dirt, it seems likely that By Lightning is poised to be embraced by a larger audience; there’s something undeniably enjoyable about the overall energy and passion in every song.

Preview it here and here while you wait for the full collection to show up here.

Tonight, Caitlin Rose will be headlining with Buffalo Clover and Evan P. Donohue in support. This is noteworthy for a number of reasons. 1) Caitlin Rose won’t be playing at venues this size for long. She’s already taken on The Ryman and continues to tour relentlessly. Consider this a special treat. 2) Long time Evan P Donohue collaborator Mike Kavouras will be playing his last show with the band tonight as he departs for New York. While I’m sure Mr. Donohue will find a worthy replacement you gotta assume he’s going to put on an extra special show to properly send his friend off into the world.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 18th, will be the record release celebration for By Lightning!. Portions of the record, Left Hand, Right Hand, has made their way out into the world via free downloads, previews and podcasts. If that weren’t reason enough to come out they’ll also be playing with Glossary and Cortney Tidwell – two acts that are, rightfully, known for putting on a helluva live show themselves.

If neither of those shows float your boat there are plenty of other options this weekend that will likely be right up your alley. As always, if I missed a listing please drop a line to make sure it is included.

Matt Moody
“Party of the Decade”
El Baile de los Muertos

I told you Matt Moody was an unstoppable force. He’s got another video from his latest record, El Baile de los Muertos, and this time around he’s got fellow members of By Lighting! supporting him throughout.

Additionally, Moody tells me that he’ll be releasing his next album, EVA, on March 11th. The man never stops.

Chancellor Warhol
Playlist for Edie
Free Download

When I heard that Chancellor Warhol would be releasing new music today, Valentines Day, I assumed that it would be a short EP of tunes. Maybe 3 or 4 tracks to tease a forthcoming full-length album. Turns out, his Playlist for Edie is ten fully fleshed out songs ready for your free consumption. He continues to sample high profile indie and rock artists for a good deal of his beats – you’ll hear M83, Gotye, Lana del Ray and even some Coldplay in there. His presentation comes across as emphatic, energized and honest as ever. It’s easy to see how this could grab a great deal of attention; deservedly so.

Not off to a great start having twelve podcasts this year but, regardless, I think this one should be quite the pleasing listen. Quality over quantity, right?
If you’ve been reading the blog regularly you’ll likely be familiar with several of the included bands already but the podcast will still serve as a good reminder of some of the best new goods to come out lately.

I did break one of my own self-imposed cardinal rules and included an artist that is probably too big to be considered truly “local” but I’ll be damned if that Jessie Baylin record isn’t something everyone should hear.

• 1. By Lightning! – “Take a Rest on Me”
  Left Hand, Right Hand
• 2. Joy of Painting – “Instrumental Track”
  Asterik
• 3. Scale Model – “You Can Be a Star”
  You Can Be a Star
• 4. What Up, English – “Is It Wrong”
  Das Scuba
• 5. Mom & Dad – “Still Life”
  Pieces/Parts
• 6. Hurts to Laugh “Na Na Na”
  Guitarded
• 7. Cinema Cycle – “Sing It Out”
  Sing It Out
• 8. King Arthur – “Tin Cans”
  Touchy Feely
• 9. Uncle Skeleton – Sophisticuffs
  Sophisticuffs
• 10. Jessie Baylin – “Love Is Wasted on Lovers”
  Little Spark
• 11. Kat Brock – “A Promise Made Is A Promise Good”
  Pink Room
• 12. Beat Bums – “Thing Love”
  “Thing Love”

Bucket City Bawdy House is a new undertaking intended to group up various groups of musicians into a studio for 6-8 hours and knock out some new ideas. Their official description spells out the process quite nicely:

Middle Tennessee has a vast pool of talented musicians. The idea behind this project is to assign local musicians to 8-12 groups of 3-5 people. These groups of artists will be asked to write and record an original composition in a 5-8 hour session at dB Studio in Rockvale, Tennessee. The resulting compilation will be released world-wide through the Tune Core music distribution service. After the recording fees have been recouped, all participating artists will be free to promote and sell the compilation. There will be a small ($10-$20) participation fee to offset the initial recording and Tune Core fees. Please contact Wm. Shane Ball for more details and feel free to share this page to any local artist you think might be interested.

There’s a lot of potential here for greatness. The first session went down last night with Jeff Keeran, Tiffany Minton, Mike Leffler, David Sullivan and, apparently, went quite well. I, for one, look forward to hearing the results.

Cinema Cycle
Sing It Out
Digital Download

Do you recall The Champion and His Burning Flame? If so, you may remember band member David Arnold – who also makes music as Cinema Cycle. There a number of releases available but the new Sing It Out EP really caught my ear. There’s a dark, foreboding tone to the title track and a melancholy sweetness to the second – a quality combo as far as I’m concerned.

From what I can glean off the Forest of Tygers page, it’s the latest project from Jim and Rachel Valosik and Shannon W – focusing on the harder side of rock. The tags go as far as to categorize it as “metal”, “blackened” and “post-hardcore.” I’ve even heard through the grapevine that it’s Serotonin level enjoyable. All that is speculation though, as all they’ve really posted is a ten minute sound collage of noise. If they’re looking to build anticipation, they nailed it.

I’m at a loss for words with The Greater Good. Musically, I think I’m in. Lots of funky little flourishes, great basslines and an obvious knowledge and respect for the soul / R&B / funk tracks that came before them. However, at its core it is a Party Rap undertaking. I’m not one to judge flow or rhyme schemes but it does give me pause. However, I will say that while listening to the EP, by the time Cuidado came on, I was invested. The gang vocal chorus is hard to deny. More listening required…

I will admit that I first clicked through to check out Timberwolf solely based on the cover art – a Devendra Banhart-esque truant just hanging out on a grassy knoll with some semi-traditional Indian face painting? I’m in. The music is a jangly indie folk number – upbeat with melancholy vocals. The singing style rides that line of being too affected (keep in mind this is entirely subjective) but stays within an acceptable range. I’d love to hear more from ole Timberwolf just to see where he takes his mountainside journey.

Siberian Traps
File Under: Demonstration EP
Free Download

I’m not going to lie, the cover art to this one is what caught my eye. Yes, it’s ridiculous but that doesn’t make it any less attention grabbing. That being said, I’m also a big fan of getting to hear demonstration recordings from bands for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, the ideas for songs are at their most raw and, typically, not overthought. Whatever kernel of goodness may exist in the work stands out because there hasn’t been a bunch of studio second guessing. Secondly, assuming that the band doesn’t overnoodle for the final product, you get to hear the scaffolding for what may come next. Sure, they run the risk of fans falling in love with the stripped down versions moreso than the final versions but loving a song is loving a song; it doesn’t matter which version gets the adoration. I’m particularly curious to hear where “Commanche Moon” ends up.

King Arthur
Touchy Feely
Digital Download

Thus far, King Arthur has yet to put something out that hasn’t caught my ear. Their newest release, Touchy Feely is much the same – quality indie pop rock with a touch of a melancholy vibe. The way it should be.

Scale MODel
“You Can Be a Star”
Digital Download

It’s unfortunate that there isn’t more music available from Scale Model because the two tracks they have made available are a sweet dose of synth-y indie rock. I’ll just have to keep my eye out for more as it becomes available.

The Flamingo’s are a “Hip/Hop, Electronic, and other various kinds of art collaboration” that recently released “Garden State of Mind” – a hip-hop track based on Zero7 sample. You can hear more of their various offerings over on their Soundcloud or Facebook page. They cover a lot of ground in terms of genres so be sure to click around if you’re not entirely smitten with the first thing you listen to; it’s entirely possible there is a gem in there waiting to be unearthed for you.

Paul Horton, also known as No Stress is by his own description an improvisational pianist that started tinkering around with beats the past five years. His first EP, available here, is a laid back journey of break beats and various movie samples. Definitely piqued my interest to hear more as he creates it.

Umbrella Tree
“The Watcher”
To the Memory of a Once Great Man

Another preview of the forthcoming April 17th album.

Gotta love it when you get a random track emailed in from an unknown band and it’s actually a worthwhile listen. “Thing Love” is a very low key piece of work but there’s something appealing about the languid drawl of the vocals. And that cover art is a slightly terrifying and disgusting pairing with the song (well played!). I’m certainly looking forward to future offerings from Beat Bums; whomever they may be.

Brothers Joshua and Jason Moore are probably best known for being two-thirds of Murfreesboro’s The Katies but it’s been a long time since that undertaking and they’ve been plenty busy since then. The latest project is a two-fold undertaking; Lost Pages is the new rock band from Jason and Bro Bro Productions is the duos Songwriting For Licensing outfit. They recently released the track “House” that falls somewhere in between; straight ahead rock band and intentional throwback to 90′s style delivery. It’s solid and worth taking note of all the music they’ve been creating.

Kat Brock
Pink Room
Digital Download

Pink Room is an album of quick-and-dirty takes on a number of songs being fleshed out for the proper Kat Brock full-length Fall. You may recognize her voice from By Lightning (or, if you’ve been around for awhile – Dixie Dirt). The album is subdued, introspective and carries plenty of emotion but it’s never contrived due to the nature of her delivery and infectious sound of her voice. You’ve heard two of the tracks from her previously released videos. It’s kind of the perfect companion for these cold days when all you want to do is sit inside.

Uncle Skeleton
“Sophisticuffs” single
Free Download

As you may know, not only do I haphazardly curate We Own This Town but I also put out some records from time to time as yk records. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, let it be known that this new digital single from Uncle Skeleton is being released under my umbrella and I’m entirely biased as to how great I think it sounds. Granted, it’s not indie or garage rock – it’s electronic music that is upbeat, dance-y, orchestral and even the tiniest bit melancholy (if we’re talking undertones here) but don’t let that dissuade you.

We threw in a remix from Burgers, a live rehearsal outtake of the song and a somewhat scary b-side (sorta). It’s all free for the exchange of an email address – so, please, go get it and then come out to the show tonight at Mercy Lounge.

What Up, English
Das Scuba

I can only assume you saw the fun video posted on The Cream yesterday from new-to-me locals What Up, English. If not, go watch it not. It’s a nice preview of what to expect from their next EP. If you’ve already caught it, give a listen to their already released EP Das Scuba.

New track from Hanzelle now available. Check out “I Know.”

Over at Quiet Entertainer there’s a great interview with local music critic, literary scribe, comedian, professional drinker, etc. Sean Maloney. His insight is into the local scene has the kind of honesty and to-the-pointness that you have only in private conversation but wish was spoken of publicly more often. Example:

QE: What’s your best advice to an artist trying to get press coverage or trying to get on your radar?
SM: Don’t be a dick. Get your shit together. Work hard on the art of music and don’t try to impress me with you tangential knowledge of marketing lingo. Nobody gives a fuck about your “brand”, just concentrate on making good records. Make sure your links work and your meta-data is complete. Don’t expect a response. Don’t let that discourage you. Go to shows, all the fucking time. Talk to people, meet people. Stop spamming Twitter if you ain’t gonna show up when it counts.

I enjoy any interview that both throws down the gauntlet for making good art and makes any mention of “meta-data.” Good stuff, go read it all.

n o i posted some demo tracks that they never got around to mixing titled Demos That We Never Mixed. Even though they aren’t entirely polished you can still get your post-rock, shoegaze-y, feedback, hardcore influenced fix.

I am very open about my ignorance of the Nashville hip-hop scene (I leave that insight to Mr. Maloney) but every new thing I’ve heard from Gummy Soul is great. Their latest offering, Time’s Flying from Kurtis Stanley, was actually recorded in 2007 but they’ve recompiled, recut and streamlined the previous sessions into this goodness. Oh, and that cover art is brilliant.

The only thing I know about Charles Butler and his Terra Incognita Vol. 2 album is that it’s labeled with the following tags: “acoustic, bluegrass, jazz, banjo, electronica, dobro, steel.” As if that weren’t a bizarre enough combination in and of itself he actually manages to deliver on all fronts. Did you know you could integrate traditional banjo sounds and still maintain being an ‘electronica’ song? You can. He does.

I believe The Cream posted about this way back in 2011 but I’m just now getting around to really listening to this compilation from Blacktooth Records featuring the likes of Majestico, Ranch Ghost, Natalie Prass, Fly Golden Eagle, Chrome Pony, Hepatitties, James Wallace and The Phantom Farmer (a new endeavor from Joel McAnulty).

• Download the Compilation
• Phantom Farmer – “Resist Not Evil By Force”

King Arthur
“Man Made”
recorded live in their living room.

Long story short, you’re in for goodness no matter what you choose. Give your local booking agent a big pat on the back for making Nashville a city of choices; the best problem to have.

The Ettes
“Teeth”
Wicked Will
Directed by: Poni Silver

New video and new 7″ available now with “Safely Down the Road” as the b-side.

Kat Brock
“Avalanche”
from the forthcoming Fall
Directed by Amy Hobbs
Related: “A Promise Made Is A Promise Good” video

Mom and Dad
Pieces/Parts
Free Download

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I’ve seen the name Mom and Dad floating around the show listings for some time now but haven’t really taken the time to listen to it until quite recently. Don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made. Learn from me. Point your browser to Pieces/Parts (or Cave Art or any number of their other releases) and obtain it for yourself.

This Friday will be the first Friday the 13th of 2012, which means (like all Friday the 13th’s) D. Striker will emerge to release another issue of his RR zine and entertain the masses with a set of quality tunes from himself and like minded friends. This particular gathering will take place at The Basement with the help of Ri¢hie, Birdcloud and Doug Lehmann’s new project Mystery Twins.

The above promo video is a cut-for-cut remake of the Three’s Company opening sequence from Season 6 featuring all the above bands and a handful of Nashville Zoo inhabitants. I may be going out on a limb here but I’d say it’s the most ridiculous and most entertaining promotional video I’ve seen in some time. Short, sweet and effective. See you Friday at The Basement.

Tender Moments is a limited edition book collection of polaroids from Garland Gallaspy. If this does not seem like relevant content for a local music blog, you’re wrong! Local photographers such as Garland help to document all sorts of happenings around us. See also Bekah Cope, Heidi Jewell, Lance Conzett, etc.



But I digress, I have had the privilege of seeing this book and it’s an incredible collection of Polaroids. If you’ve got the funds, pick up a copy, if not – find Garland around town and see if he’ll let you flip through a copy.

Thanks to everyone that continues to read this site and, hopefully, I can find a way to make it even better in 2012. Have a great remainder of 2011!

Thanks to a handy heads up from Turbo Fruits I’ve been cruising this set of videos from Grooveshark entitled The Nashville Sessions. You can watch them on vimeo, in the player above or in our huge player. Your choice!

• Turbo Fruits Nashville Session
• Tristen Nashville Session
• Caitlin Rose Nashville Session
• Kopecky Family Band Nashville Session

There are also sessions from Ben Sollee and Justin Townes Earle if that’s your thing!

One thing is for sure, Nashville has absolutely no shortage of great musical offerings well outside the Music Row realm. Granted, ole WOTT didn’t have quite as many actual podcasts as there were months in the year but I’d like to say we covered a good deal of the highlights from the last twelve months. But how do you boil down an entire year of releases into one comprehensive package? Unfortunately, you can’t.

The likes of The Ettes, Sugar Sk*_*lls, Kyle Andrews, Heypenny, By Lightning, Southern and many others all had superbly quality releases this year that everyone should spend time with. They are not, however, included in this mix. Being entirely comprehensive just isn’t possible. Their exclusion is not derived from a lack of enjoyment.

Other bands exist outside the scope of what We Own This Town is trying to expose. While I love The Black Keys as much as the next person, they don’t exactly need our help getting their name out there. Or someone like Jonny Corndawg, who put out a phenomenal record with Down on the Bikini Line, doesn’t actually live here anymore; so is ineligible.

Long story short, I hate that I was unable to include everything great from the last year. I am endlessly proud of the diversity of music that Nashville creates and wish there was a way for everyone to hear everything great; its just not practical. Despite that, I’ve compiled an hour and half of some of the most enjoyable tunes, to me, officially released in 2011 in these United States. Please enjoy.

• 1. The Clutters – “Twice Bitten”
  Breaking Bones
• 2. Norm – “Wasted”
  Norm
• 3. Happy Little Trees – “This Is How To Save A Soul”
  We Are Happy
• 4. Those Darlins – “Be Your Bro”
  Screws Get Loose
• 5. Glossary – “When We Were Wicked”
  Long Live All Of Us
• 6. Anchor Thieves – “Romeo”
  Prerequisite
• 7. Tristen – “Heart and Hope to Die”
  Charlatans at the Garden Gate
• 8. Birdcloud – “Indianer”
  Birdcloud
• 9. James Wallace and The Naked Light – “Colored Lights”
  More Strange News From Another Star
• 10. Eureka Gold – “Wayward”
  Land of Imaginary Suffering
• 11. PUJOL – “Mayday”
  Nasty, Brutish, and Short
• 12. Makeup and Vanity Set – “The Point of No Return”
  Never Let Go
• 13. Casa Castile – “Desert Cat”
  Umbra
• 14. The Non-Commissioned Officers – “Love Will Conquer All”
  Money Looking for Thieves
• 15. Ducko Mcfli – “Wouldn’t Change a Thing”
  Smoked Out
• 16. Chancellor Warhol – “Weapon”
  The Silver Factory
• 17. Classic Williams – “Head to the Sky”
  The Soul of Nigger Charlie
• 18. Bad Cop – “Animal”
  I Can’t Slow Down EP
• 19. The Features – “How It Starts”
  Wilderness
• 20. The Goldroom – “New Drifter”
  The Surrounding Hours
• 21. Tetsuo – “Donkey Lips”
  Inmates
• 22. Diarrhea Planet – “Warm Ridin’”
  Loose Jewels
• 23. JEFF the Brotherhood – “Shredder”
  We Are the Champions
• 24. Nikki Lane – “Gone, Gone, Gone”
  Gone, Gone, Gone
• 25. Caitlin Rose – “That’s Alright”
  Own Side Now
• 26. Kindercastle – “D’s All Around”
  number b
• 27. King Arthur – “Matterhorn”
  Matterhorn
• 28. Evan P Donohue – “My Odds (Live & Reel)”
  Live & Reel
• 29. Jensen Sportag – “Everything Good”
  Pure Wet
• 30. Nahnee Bori – “The Waterbear”
  Lotic Prattle
• 31. Coupler – “Gardening”
  America in the Coming Age of Electronics

Matt Moody
“Name Your Heart”
Name Your Heart
Directed by: Amy Hobbs

Watch it Large

Black Caverns
EP
Free Download

When a band tags their music with “Isis”, “Ocoai” and “Mogwai” you can be pretty confident you know what you’re getting into before ever hitting the play button. The debut EP from Black Caverns delivers exactly what you’d expect – seemingly quiet songs that build into an explosion of guitar brutality. It’s not a new trick but it’s a welcome one. The free download is worth a listen but I suspect an ear splitting live show would be even better.

Caitlin Rose teams up with Keegan DeWitt for this original melancholy diddy. It sounds, unsurprisingly, like it could be a classic country tune you just never had the pleasure of hearing before. Download exclusively from RCRDLBL.

Kyle Andrews had a busy year with the release of Robot Learn Love but he’s going ahead full steam with this EP of slightly silly Christmas tunes. Okay sure, it’s from 2009 but it’s new to Bandcamp and, potentially, new to you. Listen here.

Madi Diaz released her holiday tune “I Hope That It Snows” on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify and features a collaboration with the previously mentioned Keegan DeWitt as well (he’s the Go To Christmas collaborator). It’s a song about a sentiment that we can all recall from our childhoods – nothing better than a Snow Day.

For awhile now I’ve been saving Nashville related videos into a Youtube playlist and a Vimeo album, hoping to create central spots for people to catch up on the video offerings from Nashville musicians. However, visiting two separate places is a pain in the ass. Fortunately, a little service called VHX made it easy to merge video sources from YouTube and Vimeo into one embeddable stream. And with that, I give you the WOTT Video Archive. Granted, it needs a better name and some nerdy technical sprucing up but, on the whole, it’s nice have a central spot.

TL:DR version – I’m storing videos from YouTube and Vimeo into one central repository for your convenience. Be sure to submit your new videos when they come out so I can add them to the list.