Elephant Revival "Drop"

As we dig through the Music Fog still unseen archives, we came upon another gem from the acoustic Celtic gypsy jazz outfit Elephant Revival. Luscious, elegant and ever articulate, their music speaks across the chasms of pond and dale. Their name comes from the mournful tale of a pair of elephants who were separated after sixteen years and died apart on the same day. The band shared the story with Nick and Helen Forster, producers and hosts of the tastemaker syndicated radio show eTown (btw, its newest affiliate is my Austin, TX station, Sunradio.com.)

E-Town is an environmentally responsible show, while shining a light on worthy music. Of course, a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility is important to Elephant Revival, too, as they do work with non-profits like Conscious Alliance and Trees, Water and People, to name a few. Elephant Revival has stayed consistently busy since we filmed them at The Music Fog Marathon 2011 in Nashville during AmericanaFest. Earlier this month, they did a two night stand at The Boulder Theater, called The Birds of a Feather Autumnal Ball. Nobody uses the word "autumnal" much anymore, but doesn't it flow effortlessly from the folks of Elephant Revival? Let us return to Autumn 2011 for some beautiful footage - the song "Drop," which can be found on their album Break In The Clouds.

- Jessie Scott

Lake Street Dive "Hello? Goodbye!"

I come down to the river everyday, and it has filled my senses with its beauty as the seasons have changed through the year. It is, after all, my first full year back in the Northeast in a long time. I have taken pictures of greenery, icy waters, shrouded snow and rain, and of glorious autumn colors. Lately, I have been buried in my phone and have not spent as much time looking up. Kinda down with how grey it has been. It occurred to me today that spring will be here soon, though you sure can't tell from the climatic conditions in New York.

This week spring will jump start for me, though, as I head to Austin for SXSW. Maybe when I get back, spring will have sprung in the city as well. Actually, Austin has had its share of Polar Vortex this year, too! Unfortunately, as so many have asked, Music Fog will not be in attendance in Austin, and this event marks the two year point since we have gone out to capture music. We still have unviewed videos to share with you, though.

Today we bring you such video from Lake Street Dive, from Americana Fest 2011. We were very lucky to have filmed as many sessions as we did, and it is spectacular to see the growth of these folks over the last few years. Lake Street Dive just appeared on Letterman a couple of weeks ago, when they played the title track to their brand new album, Bad Self Portraits. Ahead of that, LSD appeared on The Colbert Report to perform "You Go Down Smooth" (original, unreleased Music Fog version posted below) and they even had the new album streamed on Colbert's site before it went on sale. Lake Street Dive is playing larger venues on the heels of this release, and a quick look at their touring schedule shows many shows sold out. They're sure to be a favorite at Bonnaroo this year, too!

Today's video is a song from their self-titled 2011 album. Here is the Music Fog version of "Hello? Goodbye!" recorded at Marathon Recorders in Nashville, during the autumn of 2011.

- Jessie Scott

Guy Clark "El Coyote"

Whoa Baby! Happy New Year! I am struck by how much movement there has been since we started this grand Music Fog project, January 1, 2009, five years ago. In many ways, Music Fog has exceeded my expectations, becoming a music discovery entity of note through great recordings and beautiful pictures. Not a day goes by that I don’t get 10 “asks” for coverage on our pages.

About that music, it is seriously exploding right now. There are so many artistic endeavors that are worthy of one’s time, just not enough time to even check them all out. I am struck by how many ‘Best of 2013’ lists I looked at this year; and by how many titles were on them that I haven’t heard of, let alone have had time to explore. Though the music ‘business’ is doing some serious morphing, the creativity of musicians is a growth industry for sure. Some of my favorite albums of the year are the entries from Jason Isbell, The Mavericks, Sturgill Simpson, Luke Winslow-King, Delbert & Glen, The Howlin’ Brothers, Band Of Heathens, Mike Stinson, Amos Lee, and Guy Clark’s My Favorite Picture of You.

We have a new video for you today from a session we did with Guy at Americana Fest 2011. It was an honor and a privilege to be in the same room. Today, we bring you the Music Fog version of “El Coyote,” from the album My Favorite Picture Of You. BTW, the title song was number one on American Songwriter's Top 50 Songs of 2013, and you can see our version (recorded before the album was released) through this link.

We hope, sometime in 2014, the Music Fog crew gets to reunite for a video shoot, where artists gather to make magic. We wish you a sweet New Year!

- Jessie Scott