Sara Petite "Doghouse Rose"

It has been so long since I have had to dissect the whys and wherefores of relationships; as I live in the land of no apologies necessary, no behavior meltdowns, and no gifts to make up for thoughtless acts. I don’t miss any of that. I admit it is pretty funny, as I did the research on the title “Doghouse Rose,” it turns out that this is a term I had never heard before. Initially, the picture that came to my mind upon hearing the words was that the stores were closed, a gift was needed and so flowers were picked. No, that ain’t it, it is the present you give when you are in the doghouse. Who knew?

Sara Petite named her most recent album Doghouse Rose, loosely after the Steve Earle book of a similar name. We bring you the title song today from our session last September at the Americana Music Festival. Sara has this gender bending thing going on, that is, songs you expect to be told from the male point of view are first person for her. By the way, she is working on new music, and an acoustic tour is underway.

Here is Sara with Steve Peavey on mandolin, filmed at the Music Fog studio during the 2010 Americana Music Festival in Nashville. Forgiveness, forgiveness...remember that before you need to bring one of these home, “Doghouse Rose.”

- Jessie Scott

The Infamous Stringdusters "All the Same"

About a month ago, I got a phone call from Felton Pruitt at Fat Music asking me to come out to the High Sierra Music Festival to co-anchor his radio webcast. He had set up the remote studio facility in a tent on the rise-up from the side of the main stage. This was a broad scope festival featuring a wide swath of the best and the brightest, like Warren Haynes, Neko Case, and Dawes. And there were some huge surprises, like Los Amigos Invisibles who do this really high energy Latin dance synth pop, and Ernest Ranglin, who is credited with being the Father of Ska. And then there were the new grass guys. While Felton and I were watching the Infamous Stringdusters and Yonder Mountain String Band, he commented that we are seeing the next generation of jam grass taking its place alongside established heroes like Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas.

That is high praise indeed from Felton, who was the first program director of the XM channel, Bluegrass Junction. As for me, I am intrigued with the repeated merging through the years of black and white music. The confluence over the last several centuries in this hemisphere has made for a very rich tapestry, a cross pollination that is still yielding potent results. The hallmarks of the blues are alive and well in this song from The Infamous Stringdusters, who came to our makeshift studio during last September's Americana Fest in Nashville. This week, they are touring out west, and will be playing the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, which Felton is also webcasting next week.

With a tune from their album Things That Fly, here are Travis Book, Jeremy Garrett, Andy Hall, Andy Falco, Jesse Cobb, and Chris Pandolfi in all their glory, “All The Same.”

- Jessie Scott

Corb Lund "R-E-G-R-E-T"

I have had a lovely week of music so far. OK, here is the skinny. You know that I am living in Austin, and that Threadgill’s has been a home to me for about a decade now. So I am doing a new series that is not a Music Fog thing, so no, you won’t see any videos of it. But Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights I am booking the talent, and hanging out for the School Night Sessions. It ends early enough to get you home in time for a good night’s sleep before work or school the next day. Sweet. And the first three days of this new series,  Beck & Cauthen, the Garrett LeBeau Band with Jamie Oldaker, and Dustin Welch with Brandy Zdan performed, and it was mighty fine stuff. You know I have been sitting in bars and venues since I was fifteen years old. Some people would say that they are done with that lifestyle. But for me, MUSIC is what it is. I am happy in real time, sitting and absorbing it all. Though there have been times in my life where I have had the realization that I have spent an inordinate amount of time in saloon settings. And that can be a hard thing for many.

We recorded Corb Lund solo during the Americana Fest in Nashville. He sings a song about being in exile in a bar, but he is not happy. R-E-G-R-E-T. He spells it out. I am not certain that this tune has ever found its way to an album, yet. This is a sorrowful country tune. Folks ain’t writing them much like this anymore. Simple. Heartfelt. Heartbreaking. Corb Lund is the whole package. He can write sad, and he can write funny. He is a wonderful musician, and an exceptional performer. Get to know him as he travels.

-Jessie Scott