David Jacobs-Strain "Halfway To The Coast"

There is so much music coming out right now, I simply don't see how it is possible to process it all. So you know, I am fielding requests to play the stages in both Hill Country Barbecue Market locations; in New York and in DC. Then there is the radio station that I curate in Austin, Texas, KDRP, and that provides another river of local and national artists looking for air play. For those of you still mourning the loss of my channel, X Country on XM, KDRP is something to explore. I wouldn't say it is exactly the same, because at XM, we all had to define our channels more narrowly to fit into the neighborhood we lived in. X Country was considered part of the Country cluster, while KDRP incorporates some R&B, Blues, and lots of early R&R. Check it out at KDRPlive.org, or download the App for Android, Blackberry, and iPhone.

So it goes, right? I don't want to even bring up how many requests I get in a day to do interviews, post videos, and do giveaways right here on the pages of Music Fog! And it is hard for us to even post one of our OWN videos every couple of weeks! You see, we all now have other responsibilities! But every once in a while, we dig into the archives for something that has yet to see light of day, like this video from David Jacobs-Strain. Ya know he has a new album out, right? Geneseo just hit the street a couple of weeks ago. David is a pure performer, masterful at everything he does, from his songwriting, through the vocal and instrumental skills he brings. We had a magic moment with him on the Music Fog bus, at Cherokee Creek Music Fest 3 years ago. Bob Beach joined on harp, on a song that can be found on the Terraplane Angel album. Here is the Music Fog version of "Halfway To The Coast."

-Jessie Scott

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings "Shelter Me Lord"

There are times we are utterly overwhelmed by the sheer power and unpredictability of the weather. We wish healing and rapid rebuilding of lives for the tornado victims in Oklahoma, for the wildfire victims in California, and for the flood victims on the Mississippi River and elsewhere. Here is hoping for a quiet weather map this coming week. And this is a reminder that if you can help, the Red Cross is a good place to donate to disaster victims.

Photo Credit: Brian O'Brien

How about a song of faith? “Shelter Me Lord” is today’s tune, and it is from the pen of Buddy Miller. It was originally released on his album, Universal United House of Prayer. Though just a few years old, it has already been covered by Paul Thorn on What The Hell Is Goin’ On, as well as Blackie & The Rodeo Kings on their Kings & Queens. Almost two years ago, Music Fog set up shop at Marathon Recorders during the Americana Fest in Nashville. Of course plans are well underway for this year’s conference in September. Here is Blackie & The Rodeo Kings: Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson, along with John Dymond and Brian Owings, captured by the Music Fog crew at Americana Fest in 2011.

- Jessie Scott

Kevin Gordon "Watching The Sun Go Down"

The blues is deceptively simple, a framework really, upon which can be laid gold and silver, curlicues and cold hard insistent riffs, you know, the kind that lay down the law. I was on Bleecker Street in NYC a few weeks back at a club called Terra Blues, populated by Brit, German, and French tourists. It was exactly what you would expect from a downtown Greenwich Village Blues bar, way too small, way too many people, but the music washed over you with its heat and sensuality.

The blues haunted me as a teenager. It hinted at the mysteries, of love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow. Because of that, I especially cherish the time I spent living in the south and getting to travel the Delta, furthering my understanding of where the blues came from. In April, I visited Louisiana State Penitentiary, which is bordered on three sides by the Mississippi River. I was there for the Angola rodeo, which was a trip unto itself. I will tell you about that soon. It is not a place you would want to try to escape from, bloodhounds on your trail.

On the plane flying down to NOLA, I couldn't wait to feel the earth under my feet. Today, we offer a tune replete with the moss of the delta in its DNA, “Watching The Sun Go Down” from Kevin Gordon. I got to watch Kevin play this week, as he came to Hill Country Live in NY for a performance on Thursday. I can tell you it is great to have a home for his music in NYC, with so much Delta influence, as will it should be for this Louisiana native now living in Nashville. Music Fog captured this version of “Watching The Sun Go Down” at Americana Fest in 2011.

-Jessie Scott