Guy Forsyth "The Hard Way"

Here is an impassioned plea for the sake of the music, or art in general for that matter. I don’t know exactly when we screwed the pooch on all this, but one thing is for certain, we no longer live in a time where the true value of culture is recognized and honored. Music and art have been treasured through the millennia; and were even economically viable pursuits. It might be because of the digital dilemma, the consolidation of media, or the democratization in the process of making art leading to an imbalance of supply and demand, but we are in the middle of a seismic shift. It is hard to get it out there, it is hard to make money doing it. We no longer have a delivery system which allows for fame and fortune. The days of becoming a household name with one’s music are pretty much over.

Take Guy Forsyth. If the world was as it used to be, a couple of decades ago, he would be front and center in the global spotlight. Now, it is hard to find a national one, let alone one that is worldwide! Guy is charismatic, thought provoking, and hugely talented. I hear we will see a new album from him this year, and that is always a treat. When he played for the Music Fog cameras at the 2011 Spring Marathon at Threadgill’s, he shared this unreleased song, “The Hard Way.” Something to ponder, for sure.

- Jessie Scott

Sunday Valley "Life Ain't Fair"

Awright, awright; Nashville is a blast, as always. I spent the day behind closed doors on Thursday, but then the night came and I found myself being treated to a rousing performance from the legend Sleepy LaBeef at Douglas Corner. The it was a quick dinner, and a set from The Masterson’s, who are newly signed to New West Records, and have an album coming out in April. They accompanied Eleanor Whitmore Masterson’s sister Bonnie when we filmed them at SXSW last year during the Music Fog Spring Marathon at Threadgill’s. It truly blows my mind how much great new music there is, you just have to dig for it a bit.

We filmed something like 32 artists during Americana Fest in October in Nashville, among them Sunday Valley who were dubbed “Best New Outlaw Band by the Nashville Scene (Best of Nashville 2011.) We concur. It was a blast to have them ‘in the house’ at Marathon Recorders during our Fall Music Fog Marathon. There are a string of Southern dates coming up Here is an as yet unreleased tune from SV called “Life Ain’t Fair.”

-Jessie Scott

Cody Canada & The Departed "Better Get Right"

You know I love being on the road. Usually, I have a day between trips, but I didn’t this time as I left Colorado and flew out directly to Nashville. I am proud to continue to sit on the board of The Americana Music Association, and we have our yearly planning meetings in early January. So here I sit, after a sumptuous dinner at Randy Rayburn’s Sunset Grill. I am staying at a hotel I have never been to before; The Maxwell House…yes, THAT Maxwell House. The brand was named after the hotel in 1892. This is a music themed hotel, and there are glorious Hatch Prints and other memorabilia everywhere you look. The South is such an interweaving of cultures. Of course, I am not in the original building, which burned down on Christmas Day in 1961.

I am, quite frankly, basking in the afterglow of MusicFest at Steamboat Springs. There was quality time with so many people, fun, philosophical, and interesting conversations. It was so good to see The Ragweed reunion (man those songs are burned into my brain), and then a smoking set from The Departed in the ballroom of The Steamboat Grand. I got some hang time with Cody and Seth - that was especially cool. They are taking the Mid-Western route back home, and are playing tonight in North Platte NE. It seems fitting to bring you a gospel infused tune today that Music Fog filmed during last year’s MusicFest. “Better Get Right.” Hell yeah.

-Jessie Scott