Guy Forsyth "She's Crazy Now"

Ah, what to do with just a little bit of free time, but a large desire to get healthier? Well, if you are in Austin on a Tuesday afternoon, it might just be Tai Chi with Guy Forsyth, which happens weekly at Ruta Maya, coffee purveyors of the first order. Their Cubita coffee beans are to die for! Guy’s Tai Chi sessions are sponsored by the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians which helps musicians get the care they need if they don’t have insurance. For the uninitiated, Tai Chi is a martial art therapy to foster health and longevity. It teaches balance, and makes it easier to roll with the highs and lows of life, and to remain in the middle somewhere, both mentally and physically. Oh yeah, everyone is welcome to attend.

Guy Forsyth is a man of many colors, Tai Chi notwithstanding. He is a talented guitarist, singer and songwriter, and has spanned the genres through the years from the theatrical, to the blues, folk, rock, and beyond, all the way to playing the saw. You should hear him deliver “Silent Night” on that thing. It makes you melt. There is news to tell you about, if you have been wanting to get your hands on some of his earlier music. Three albums, Steak, Can You Live Without, and Needlegun, are all available for digital download, thanks to our friends at New West Records. Some mighty fine stuff to tuck into there. There is also a new album on the horizon, which will be out in early September. Music Fog welcomed Guy Forsyth back in front of our cameras during the Spring Marathon in 2010 at Threadgill’s. Here is an unreleased tune from that session "She's Crazy Now."

-Jessie Scott

Mike Stinson "Late for My Funeral"

There is a magic to the craft of songwriting, how the words come, how the music gets married to it. And there is the mystery to how the rest of it all works; getting it heard, getting it published, making the most out of it. Dave Goodwin is throwing the first annual Big Sky Songwriters Festival in Big Sky, Montana August 15th through the 19th. He is assembling some premier folks for workshops, panels and performances, including Kostas, Bruce Burch, James House, Suzi Ragsdale, Walt Wilkins, Kevin Welch, Dustin Welch, John Bohlinger, and Jon Pousette-Dart. Industry leaders will be on hand as well for sessions on publishing, and other music biz topics. There is an early bird rate in place and there are surprisingly affordable accommodations.

Speaking of amazing songwriters, it is about damn time that we got to record Mike Stinson. He is a Virginian by birth, after 18 years in LA, he relocated to Houston, Texas around three years ago. It was a move that was to spur his creativity, evident as he is recording his fourth album in Austin with legendary roots producer R.S. Field. Throughout, he has been writing simple, and simply beautiful, songs. You might know Dwight Yoakam’s version of Mike’s tune “Late Great Golden State.” The new album is coming soon, in the meantime, allow us to tide you over with one of the songs that will be on it. We filmed Mike during the Spring Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin this past March. Here is a solo rendition of “Late For My Funeral.”

- Jessie Scott

Bryan Dunn "Sweetheart Of The Music Hall"

Saturday, ahhhh! It feels so fine this time of year, I am loving these long days, they are made for playing in the extra hours of light. When the night comes, there is that delicious warm air to envelop you. And the sense of adventure and freedom that comes with not having to wear an overcoat. Especially on the streets of New York, it is glorious the less you have on - or have to carry.

Bryan Dunn has credentials that include Austin, TX and NYC. There seems to be a lot of that going on these days. His new album, Sweetheart Of The Music Hall came out in early April. The album title is as much of a nod to the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo as it is acknowledgement to the musician's collective at New York's Rockwood Music Hall.  "For a long time, it seemed like Austin had a community of musicians but New York had a scene," says Bryan. But, when Rockwood opened and the late nights started, that changed. Suddenly you were playing for, and with, people because it was fun, not because you had an agenda. There were nationally known acts mingling with locals, but it didn't matter. People went there to listen, not to be seen."

We have an exclusive video premiere for you today, the title track, "Sweetheart Of The Music Hall," is loosely (and totally fictionally) based on musician Misty Boyce, who plays piano on the song. Bryan comments, "We had this beautiful album cover and thought it would be cool to give it a backstory. We'd discussed this whole elaborate detective/femme fatale noir style thing but the budget was a little small so we thought 'oh, let's just kill everybody in the band." More murder and mayhem? Delightful...Cheers!

-Jessie Scott