SXSW

Jon Dee Graham "October"

My sister-in-law Lisa is here for a visit, and is experiencing the air in Texas for the very first time.  So we are not sure whether she is succumbing to allergies, or if it is actually a cold caught on the airplane.   Nevertheless, I have been hoarding a bottle of Sharon Ely’s Holy Posole for just such an occasion. The stuff is perfect to serve to someone who is a bit under the weather, as it opens up the sinus passages and provides soothing comfort. Our buddy Mike Shapiro did an animated trailer about it.  You don’t have to be sick to eat it, it is absolutely awesome, and should be available in selected stores soon.  And there will be more products under the banner of "Sharon Ely’s All Natural Products."  It's fun to see a friend become a brand!

Jon Dee Graham is already a brand. He’s been inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame three times, in 2000 as a solo artist, in 2008 as a member of the Skunks, and in 2009 as a member of the True Believers. In 2006, the readers of the Austin Chronicle named him Austin Musician of the Year. And in 2008, he was the subject of a documentary, Swept Away.  Right after that came out, he survived a one car crash that left him in permanent pain.  Jon Dee was back at work a month later at the world famous Continental Club in Austin, where he does a weekly live residency, "Jon Dee and Friend" - last night the friend was our mutual buddy, Mike June.  He put out his seventh album, It’s Not As Bad As It Looks,  last year, and today we bring you the Music Fog Marathon taping of “October," originally released on his 1999 album, Summerland.

-- Jessie Scott

October - Summerland

Bonnie Whitmore "Embers To Ashes"

It has been a delicious week of music. Today is a treat from Bonnie Whitmore, with her sister Eleanor and Eleanor’s significant other, guitar virtuoso Chris Masterson. Pure fun. Meantime, now I am reading Bonnie’s blog, and she bakes! We were too busy to read it before SXSW, and so until now, I did not know she made cookies while she was here in Austin during SXSW. I am sure by the time we saw them on Saturday, the baked goods were long gone, but they sure look tantalizing.

Bonnie is not a stranger to our cameras, as she duets with Hayes Carll in the Music Fog version of “Another Like You.” On her own project she spins honey in the funk, but dig deeper and you will find that there is a body count on her album! As she says, “Nothing says ‘go to hell’ better than an uptempo, catchy song!” Actually the album has an arc: boy meets girl, the breakup, and then the post script. It is called Embers to Ashes, which just about says it all. Today, we bring you the title track from the Music Fog Marathon in March at Threadgill’s WHQ.

-Jessie Scott

Carrie Rodriguez "La Punalada Trapera"

Hola, Bienvenido, Cinco De Mayo! Una cerveza, por favor? Tecate o Corona con lima. I can ask for the check, too, but that’s about the limit of it for me. And maybe for you too. In which case it is handy that I am stopping, because likely you couldn’t read it anyway. I wish we were all bilingual-trilingual, even! I think it is important to embrace our own and other cultures, to celebrate our heritages in this awesome nation of immigrants. My kin are from various European areas. I wish I could speak those languages too.

I don’t know if Carrie Rodriguez is fluent, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she is. I do know that she can sing in Spanish. Do you know that she moved back to Austin? And that she did something really cool called The “Woodshed Series,” as she showcased new songs at Threadgill’s WHQ on Wednesday nights, where sometimes a special guest or two stops by to join her. And that she will be playing a gig at Threadgills on June 9th?  Of course, you know that she has a new album out, a set of duets with Ben Kyle called We Still Love Our Country. It was just over a year ago, in March of 2010 that we had her come before the Music Fog cameras, at the above mentioned Threadgill’s WHQ. She sang in Spanish for us, a song that her great aunt recorded 40 years ago called “La Punalada Trapera.”

-Jessie Scott

La Puñalada Trapera - Love and Circumstance