SXSW

Chatham County Line "Let It Rock"

Today the Big Blue Crew truck departs the DC area for a drive across I-40 west to Nashville. Denise and Dave and I are making our final preparations for our departure tomorrow morning. The Americana Fest holds such promise as a meeting of the tribe, and as an opportunity to recharge batteries. So much music, so many incredible people getting together for fun, work, and time to explore, plan and learn. If there is one thing that all these years ‘in the biz” has taught me, it is that things are continually changing, and one needs to grow and adapt… and think differently. Yes, I am still mourning the loss of Steve Jobs, and if you haven’t read the text of his commencement speech to Stanford University in 2005, it is well worth pondering. It is an explanation to why we do what we do at Music Fog. We are dreamers, we are following the path we love. It will take us to Nashville for a three day webcast, and we can’t wait. So shall we say, “Let It Rock”? Yes, I think so.

Photo By Bergen Paul BernhardWe will encounter all the Americana sonics; the bluesy, the bluegrassy, the western swingy, the rockabilly, the folk, the gospel, and the alt. The good stuff. We have had an incredible run of artists “in the zone” for our cameras. We are so lucky to be flies on the wall for these amazing performances. They are the perfect marriage of tech and soul. And especially so for this song, from Chatham County Line, taped at Threadgill’s in March of 2009, around one mic. Their ballet is impeccable, the song’s message belies the instrumentation. We are not talking Marshall stacks here, but mando, banjo, guitar and upright bass. “Let it Rock,” indeed! Here are Dave Wilson, John Teer, Chandler Holt, and Greg Reading. Catch them this week in Virginia, before they head to the UK. 

-- Jessie Scott

Let It Rock - IV

Brigitte DeMeyer "Say Big Poppa"

Luck and love and work. Days and nights. Stress time and down time. We will reveal our artist lineup tomorrow for this week’s Music Fog Fall Marathon from Nashville, during the Americana Music Festival. You will be able to enjoy the music live here on the Fog, as we will video stream the three day event, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. You might have noticed a new addition to our website, in the upper right corner, it's the Fog Feed Fund. A long time ago someone wondered if we were a cult. Actually the line was, "are you guys a cult or a pyramid scheme?" Sadly, we are neither, but we are looking for your help to defray the cost of traveling and producing this event, since sponsorship was ever elusive this time around. So your contributions are welcome, large or small. And whether you donate or not, we will be bringing you some amazing stuff to watch, and that’s a promise.

Last year at Americana, we filmed our recording sessions behind closed doors, as we will do again this year, and presented single song videos to you one day at a time; our usual setup. But this past March, we decided to stream our sets from Threadgill’s for the Spring Music Fog Marathon, and discovered that we love the immediacy of bringing it to you right then and there. This time around, it should be very interesting for you to "sit in" on our studio recordings.

One of the artists we featured in March was Brigitte DeMeyer. Her new CD, Rose Of Jericho was released at the end of August, and on Thursday night, there was a gala event to celebrate it at rhinestone studded couturier, Manuel in Nashville. For the uninitiated, he is the artistic heir to Nudie, and has elevated the form to pop culture ubiquity. Manuel was the one who created those famous logos for The Stones and The Dead.

Brigitte is fairly new to Nashville, a San Francisco Bay area transplant. It is the first time she has recorded since moving, and it is the first time she co-produced, though Rose Of Jericho is her fifth release. There is the loveliest New Orleans lilt to the song we bring you today, “Hey Big Poppa.” Herewith, is the Music Fog version of an easy, breezy, gambling tune, the original of which can be found on the new album.

- Jessie Scott

Say Big Poppa - Rose of Jericho

Foster & Lloyd "Hiding Out"

We are a week away from Americana Fest...yippee, Music Fog is returning to Nashville! Now don’t scowl, Nashville is much more than the big bad city of Mainstream Country Music. There are so many talented people that live there. They play clubs like The Basement, The Rutledge, Music City Roots at the Loveless Barn, The Ryman, and the newly expanded 3rd and Lindsley. There are any number of world class nights that could only happen in places like Nashville, or Austin, for that matter; with renowned locals and exceptional national tours coming through. Not to mention that Nashville has long been a migration destination for songwriters, guitar pickers, singers, and producers, relocating from parts unknown to pursue a life of art.

The Americana Music Association is headquartered in Nashville, too, and every year in the fall we do our annual Festival & Conference, which includes the Americana Honors & Awards Show. I am proud to report that I will be anchoring the webcast from the booth at the Ryman Auditorium once again, as Folk Alley has asked me to co-host this year with NPR’s Ann Powers. If you are not planning to attend, you can listen online at NPR.org the evening of Thursday, October 13th.

We filmed Foster and Lloyd at the Music Fog Marathon in March at Threadgill’s World Headquarters in Austin. They are one of the many artists that will be playing the Americana Fest schedule this year. I am so glad they are gracing the world with their close harmonies again. Foster and Lloyd treated us to this Everly-esque tune, here is “Hidin’ Out.”

- Jessie Scott

Hiding Out - It's Already Tomorrow