Steve Poltz "Killin' Myself (To Be With You)"

First off, I think Steve Poltz should be our next 'one name' artist. Poltz. Period. On his website, he announces his west coast tour, with a picture with a boat that looks like it could be made of Lego's. Clever fellow that he is, it's not just called his HOME page, it's his DOWN HOME page. Ahem! While we are on the Steve Poltz website, there are lots of inventively named tabs, and even more inventive text that accompanies them. "Measure of the Man" is where you will find his bio, which starts with the provocative line, "He trick-or-treated at Liberace’s house, planned a two-day stay in Amsterdam that ended a month later with him escaping the city under the cover of darkness, and was Bob Hope’s favorite altar boy." No idea whether any of that is true. But ya know, it just might be! There are still west coast dates, so we encourage you to get out and see this American original.

Poltz' latest album is called Dreamhouse, and it is where you will find the song "Killin' Myself (To Be With You)." That tune, by the way, was a Music Fog debut two weeks after it was written, as we originally recorded it in February of 2009 at Folk Alliance in Memphis. We revisit it just a year later, as Poltz brought it to the Music Fog stage at Threadgill's during SXSW 2010. Sweet.

- Jessie Scott

  Steve Poltz - Killin' Myself (To Be With You)

11 Bones "Losers"

Eleven Bones is on a roll! Since we last checked in with Matt Skinner, Dub Miller, Meagan Jones, John Ross Silva, Brian Beken, and Adam Odor, they put out their first EP, Four Day March. The reviews continue to flow in, the requests for the band to come to play shows have been like the steady beat of a jungle drum. And Eleven Bones just celebrated their one year anniversary on July 19th. That's when the bones began to break. Yes, they really did...literally!

I called Adam Odor to get an update, he checking in with "Giving you the lowdown on the hoedown!" He went on to tell us that things are going great, though they don't have any shows booked for August. They have, however, been in the studio, where they just tracked a couple of new tunes. This time they are working on doing a full length LP, not just an EP. Adam says, "We've been writing alone, and together, playing the songs for each other over the past couple of months. The last couple of shows we've been doing some new tunes on stage." Adam continues, "When part of Eleven Bones was on the John Dickson cruise (thebigmusiccruise.com), we played with Matt King and The Cutters - as the Bone-Cutters." So on July 8th the Bone-Cutters played in conjunction with Tito's Vodka, Gibson Austin and the Grammy Foundation, which was designated a Grammy Foundation benefit, and a kick ass night of music, I might add.

Look for Eleven Bones to hit the road again, as September is starting to book up, and also look for some live tunes for free download to be posted to their website soon, if you sign up on their mailing list. Oh, and look for a cool video right now from their Threadgill's Music Fog showcase during SXSW 2010. "Losers."

- Jessie Scott

Elliot Randall & The Deadmen "Good Love"

A recent Facebook post from Elliot Randall says he needs a Dallas gig in September. Oh goody! That means he is bringing the band, The Deadmen, back this way, and I will have another opportunity to bask in the warmth of the harmonies, the country rock artistry, and the lyrics that belie his age in their worldliness. His website only lists shows up to the beginning of September, so the Texas dates have not been announced yet. I wanna know!

Elliot spent much of his childhood exploring the marshes near his grandparents' home in Charleston, South Carolina. His music throbs with that lush southern landscape. His dad loved the piano, his Mom is a published writer, which proves to be a rich launching pad. The old sobriquet "there are no coincidences" comes to mind. Elliot taught himself to play the piano and guitar, and the writing came easily. His family relocated to California in his high school years, that would be the more gritty northern part of the state, which feeds his soul well. At the tender age of 27, he has a lot of fans in the industry and in the audience, as was the case when we recorded him at Threadgill's during this year's SXSW. Here's one from Caffeine & Gasoline, his latest, with the Deadmen: Danilo Lopez, James DePrato and Kyle Caprista. The groove and voices stop time. "Good Love." Good gracious!

- Jessie Scott