Paul Thorn "You Might Be Wrong"

What with another round of stories in the news about religious intolerance, it is with particular interest that I listened to this Paul Thorn song again. If you want to know my philosophy (and maybe you don't), it is simple. I choose to live with love, acceptance, inclusion. Life is too short to fritter your energy away on hatred. Don't be too self important, we all die the same. Treat others as you want to be treated yourself. Don't be malicious, you wind up hurting yourself more than the target of your anger. Help others. Turn the other cheek when necessary. And find time for joy in your life, for simple pleasures. For balance and harmony.

Even though I was raised completely different, I worship at the same altar as Paul, he the son of a Pentecostal preacher. He has been grappling with the concepts of good and evil all his life. Paul is such a dichotomy. Rural, yet worldly; reverent and irreverent at the same time. And the same can be said for his persona and its radiated power; homespun, yet making the most of all the new social networking technology. I get taken away to another space and time reading stuff every time I go to his proactive website. And his posts on Facebook are a hoot. We bring you a thought captured in an incredibly well worded song for your Monday. A solo version of "You Might Be Wrong," which is one of the tunes on the new CD Pimps And Preachers. We captured it on the Music Fog bus in May at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival. And it was captivating, indeed! You know what, I think Paul should have his own late night TV show! Let's start a campaign.

-Jessie Scott

subdudes "Wedding Rites (I Already Knew You)"

I don't think we were prepared for the subdudes exposure explosion when we put up their last video, "Carved In Stone," from our Music Fog bus session with them at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival. It spread like wildfire on the web, YouTube, and Facebook, and it was fun tracking it as it spread around the world. The subdudes have such an illustrious history. In 1987, four musicians got together for what they thought would be a one time show at the legendary Tipitina's in New Orleans, and as magic was in the air that night, the subdudes were born.

Twenty-two years later, the three original members, joined by two close friends who became members in 2002; Tommy Malone, John Magnie, Steve Amedée, Tim Cook and Jimmy Messa, released their 2009 album, Flower Petals. It follows numerous albums, several years of touring, and countless nights of gigging. Flower Petals is a somewhat thematic CD, set at the turn of the last century and mostly told from the point of view of a soldier who has passed on. On this album, the guys found themselves returning to the stripped-down sound that recalls their earliest days together. The band performs their magnificent acoustic based gumbo of roots music out west this month.

There is such joy to the music the subdudes bring. They have enriched my life with their music. When I was at WMMO-FM in Orlando in the 90's, we played them prominently, and I will never forget bringing them into the studio on the 22nd floor of the Sun Bank Building to play live on the air. I was equally excited to ask them to come aboard to play for our cameras this past May in Cherokee, TX. And once again, I was given over to the beauty of their cadence, their lyrics, and the downright authenticity of their delivery. You just believe every word. And you feel it. "Wedding Rites (I Already Knew You)" is a tune from Flower Petals.

- Jessie Scott

Dustin Welch "Lost at Sea"

There are dark grooves cut into his guitar, there are dark grooves that emerge from its hollow body. His voice sounds like that of an 80 year old, but that belies his age. He is Dustin Welch, and he is another of the stellar new crop of artists coming into their own. He and I met a few years ago, and before we had a chance to get to know one another, I overheard him talking about literature. Deeply, richly, passionately. Impressive, I thought, he is a reader. Not to paint him as too serious, though, as he also has a touch of the prankster, accompanied by a twinkle in his eye. One of the hallmarks of this emerging generation is a reverence for the forms that have come before, and yes, the lifestyle, too. Bohemia lives!

Photo Credit: Ed VeroskyI am missing Dustin's presence at WoodyFest! I wish he could have been here with us in Okemah, OK. While I am at it, I have been missing him in Austin, too, which is a big enough city to not run into everyone you know just by happenstance. My bad, as I have been preparing for these road trips, I haven't been going out on my usual rounds. Dustin has a bunch of dates coming up, mostly in Texas, if you are around for the next month. You just might see me in the audience there. So, I am watching this video with that in mind...Dustin, I will catch up with you soon. This is one from the Music Fog bus at Cherokee Creek Music Festival this past May. Dustin Welch, "Lost At Sea."

- Jessie Scott