john Arthur martinez "Before I Could Even Learn Her Name"

I am in Nashville, having a wonderful time driving around this verdant city. I lucked out on the weather this week, as last week there was a heat wave; but a couple of nights ago I needed a long sleeve shirt! It is always interesting to return to a place you know. Nashville is growing, sparkling. Truth be told, I haven't been in the neighborhoods with flood damage, but I must say, places that were blighted or undeveloped when I lived here in the 90's are blossoming today, and it feels great. And you know I love to travel. Later this summer, I get to return to DC, to The Mansion on O, where they have quite the SRO lineup: Freedy Johnston on August 8th, Tom Freund on August 14th, then on August 16th it's Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros and Bill Small. The Mansion, it is a place of awe, art and ideas. So looking forward!

In January, john Arthur martinez showcased at The Mansion with Chris 'Superman' Reeves on guitar, and we were lucky enough to film a private session before the show. john Arthur performed an unreleased song, in fact this is the first ever recording of "Before I Could Even Learn Her Name," set in New Orleans with a touch of French lyrics, and a loving Spanish roll to the guitar. The melting pot at work, and poignant stuff indeed. I need to get back to NOLA, haven't been in a while, but that city, that whole region actually, sure could use an infusion of tourism dollars especially in light of the Gulf disaster. Don't forget, we are America from sea to shining sea. With liberty and justice for all. And a hand UP to those that need it, because after all, we are all in this grand experiment together.

john Arthur will be on the road off and on until the end of the year, so check his website often as new dates are being posted.

- Jessie Scott

Shinyribs "Bolshevik Sugarcane"

The first time I booked Kevin Russell to play for us at Threadgill's, it was three years ago for our SXSW coverage on X Country (XM). He came in just as the menu specials were being written on the blackboard and before we started taping his set, he sang down the list of what was being offered that day. It was a long, involved, mouthwatering ad-lib of a riff to be sure. But that's just the kind of guy he is.

Inventive, loose, living in the moment. From MySpace, here is an, um, explanation(?) - we think self penned, "The mysterious quantity lurking in the afterglow of yesterweek. A gamey diamond of a find for any fan of the utmost mystical wooden teapot of song known as American Song Bag. A modern day renegade born of the white rice and rain in the lonely, humid southeast of Texas. Raised by Karankawan Wizards. Awarded the congressional medal of the obtuse in 1967 by then President Lyndon Johnson. Inventor of Frequency Shifter used in the growing of medicinal eggs. Educated at Glory Abounds Academy For Isothermal Static. Professor of Economic Threat Access. Steaming with uncertain attributes only seen in the general population during the Scotch-Irish domination of Western Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Dangling participle of roots music." Well hell, THAT explains everything!

Though this is a band project, things get fuzzy when you know that Kevin is AKA Shinyribs Russell, and that he is the frontman from The Gourds. With him on stage is Keith Langford's pounding drums, Jeff Brown running on bass, and Winfield Cheek smoking the Yamaha. There is a brand new CD that came out two weeks ago called Well After Awhile, produced by George Reiff, with appearances by Ray Wylie, Mark Rubin, Bukka and Sally Allen, Scrappy Judd, Phoebe Hunt, and Michael Fracasso. And there is a video for you here of a song not on the CD. Ha-ha. If you click on the link for "Bolshevik Sugarcane," it takes you to an interesting place. What does it mean - Orwell anyone?

Kevin sends this out for all the hard work they are doing over at the capitol. Whatever capitol that might be. Remember to take you hands out of your pocket and roll like a rocket, while you groove at the end of the song to a musical lick from the Marvin Gaye tune "Hitchhike," coupled with a vocal piece of R-E-S-P-E-C-T, just a little bit!

-Jessie Scott

The Winchester Twin "Good Old Days"

On the back of our Music Fog business cards, Beans came up with something of a signature slogan for us...the flip side says "Hazy Details," under which there are some lines for you to write on, that hopefully will be a directive when you get home after a night at the bar, to tell you about who you talked to and what you talked about. That's if you even remember to write something. Otherwise all bets are off. Today we are posting a video from The Winchester Twin. I know almost nothing about them. But they've been playing around Austin, in some form or another, for a few years. We're friends with their drummer, Steven Anderson, and I think he describes the band as this:

"If a lost Okie, a type-writer-pipe organ inventor, and an Eagle Scout met Buddy Holly's ghost and simmered some grits, there in the haze of the steam you might begin to see the secret TheTwin has been keeping hidden in the cornmeal. Broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken bottles is our story, but a great love song is our curse. So, grab a bowl and a scoop of 'dem grits. As they say...music is the food of the soul."

I have not turned up an official bio. I don't know where the name 'The Winchester Twin' comes from. Are they named after the former movie theater in Lubbock, TX? How about a bed set, or linens? There is a young Canadian author that has written a series on "The Winchester Twin." I am sure there is a damn good back-story, we just don't know what it is. Hazy details indeed!

What we do know is that there's an EP on the way very soon. So, meanwhile, grab a bowl of grits, some red-eye gravy if you please, and listen to the tune "Good Old Days" from the stage at Threadgill's this past March.

- Jessie Scott

P.S. You can appropriate our 'Hazy Details' line on the back of your business card if you like. Just give Beans credit if you do!