Shawn Camp "Dying for Someone to Live For"

Back in 1975, I started working at a legendary New York City radio station, WHN. It was country, it was on the AM dial, and it became a destination for music that couldn’t be heard anywhere else in the city. I did the evening show there for six years, six nights a week. On one quiet Saturday night in 1979, I was spinning George Jones and Conway Twitty and Glen Campbell and Don Williams, when the request line rang. Well actually, it lighted up, as phones don’t ring in studios. I have always enjoyed finding out what people were up to and taking requests. (A footnote: this is not always the case, for many jocks would put the phones on hold the minute they came in to work, and never answered them.) I punched into a call, and the voice on the other end identified herself as Loretta Lynn. She said she was in a sound stage in New York recording a Crisco® commercial, and that they had done several takes, but hadn’t gotten it right yet. She asked to take a break to speak to a friendly voice. She figured she would find one at the country station so there she was. We chatted companionably for several minutes. I was tickled to talk to her, she was legend even then. The impact she has had on popular music is immeasurable, especially in giving voice to female empowerment.

Loretta Lynn celebrated 50 years in the entertainment business in November. She has had a storied career, and is still immersed. If you haven’t heard her Van Lear Rose CD, produced by Jack White in 2004, you owe it to yourself to get your hands (or ears) on it.

Today’s Music Fog tune is a co-write, Loretta with Shawn Camp. The song is called “Dying For Someone To Live For,” an old school “twist of a phrase” country title if ever I have heard one. The two of them have been writing together for over a year. What a lucky boy Shawn is, not to mention how totally worthy. He is an exceptional troubadour, writer, and instrumentalist. Here is the Music Fog recording of it, a solo acoustic performance from Shawn, filmed last September during Nashville’s Americana Fest.

- Jessie Scott

Exene Cervenka "Alone In Arizona"

In so many ways, I am a Luddite, except for the violent aspect, though certainly the meaning has changed a bit from its original usage. I refuse to combine my electronics into the one convergence unit; I am PC, not Mac; I still like to shop in stores rather than online. There is something really wonderful about the atmosphere of a well done retail environment. I am particularly sad about the closing of 200 Borders Stores nationally. I have spent countless hours perusing the racks for music, magazines and books. There was a closing sale in my local store this weekend, and I loaded up on as many books as I could stack up and carry, to stand on line for the registers with the other old school readers. What it says about publishing scares me. I look at the printing press as the beginning of mass communication, and we are seeing all that devolve. Yes, the internet is an incredible forum, but I, for one, still think books are important to have and to hold. Having worked in a digital environment, I know that data can be wiped out in a moment. I think it is important to have a backup. And I do not like the idea that one can’t impact the population the way one used to be able to do, be it via newspapers, magazines, television, radio, CDs and yes, books. But we at Music Fog believe in the internet, and we thank you for finding us here, and for telling your friends about us. This period of development is pretty exciting, as the paths have not matured yet; there is no status quo. In so many ways, it is still becoming. We ride the wave, and it is infinitely interesting seeing where it takes us and what is possible. At the end of the month, we will celebrate our 3,000,000th view on the Music Fog YouTube channel. We are forging on, pioneering in our own way.

It is so wonderful to be able to follow careers that have been iconic and innovative on these pages. Take Exene Cervenka, for instance. She has a new album, The Excitement of Maybe, coming out in a few weeks, and it continues paving the path that this Renaissance woman walks. Exene, of course, is best known for her work as the singer for the legendary punk band X, as well as The Knitters and The Original Sinners. She has lived an exotic life, has explored creation in many modes. The Excitement of Maybe is her next solo project. She graced us with a song from it when she stopped by our Sweet Suite at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown, back in September during the Americana Music Festival & Conference. Here is “Alone In Arizona,” with Cindy Wasserman from Dead Rock West, and Cheryl Lyndsey from The Breeders.

- Jessie Scott

Micky Braun "Never Been Out West"

It’s Presidents Day, whatever that means. Well I know the banks are closed and there is no mail delivery, but really, has it just become an opportunity for white sales, car sales, who knows what other kind of sales? The holiday was originally George Washington’s Birthday, designated in 1880 by an Act of Congress to honor the father of our country. It was celebrated on his actual birthday, which is tomorrow, 2/22. In 1971, the date was shifted in the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which yielded some three-day weekends. It actually makes it impossible for it ever to fall on GW’s birthday, but who is counting. And actually, the holiday is still called Washington’s Birthday, even though it is never on that day. In some states, Lincoln’s Birthday is still celebrated as a stand alone, on February 12th. In any case, we hope you have today off, and are enjoying a three day weekend, yourself, and that maybe even you are pondering the march of democracy, the history of our country.

Civilization spread relentlessly across this continent. When I think about Muzzie Braun raising the Braun sons in remote Idaho, I am awed by what it must have been like, especially as they were so self-sufficient . Two weeks ago, I toured through that spectacular Rockies landscape; Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Today’s tune is a brand new song from Micky Braun that we recorded in Colorado during last month's MusicFest at Steamboat. We expect to find it on the upcoming album, which Micky & The Motorcars will be recording in March and April. Ooh, there is a gig coming up with Micky and company, Reckless Kelly and dad Muzzie, doing a day at Luckenbach on March 12th, as Spring Break with The Braun Family. And Stonehoney will be playing a free show there earlier in the day...so you can make a day and night of it! That sounds like fun! Here is the first-ever recording of “Never Been Out West.”

- Jessie Scott