Lynn Miles "Three Chords and Truth"

Sirius XM Radio just took the folk channel, The Village, off the XM Satellite lineup, and relegated it to the internet. There are posts from irate listeners on their Facebook page and a petition has been started to bring it back. I wish everyone luck, as we have seen that movie before up close, what with the removal of X Country, the channel I programmed up until three years ago. So it seems to be for the underserved genres of music. And Folk is such a rich and iconic world. I, for one, refuse to believe that there is too small an audience for this to be a viable format.

Yeah buddy. A life of music. Hang it all out there, learn the lessons, make the mistakes, and somehow someway, stay alive in it for as long as you can, if that is your calling. In the spotlight today is Lynn Miles, from a session we did almost two years ago at Threadgill’s during SXSW® music week in Austin. The song can be found on her most recent album, Fall For Beauty, which came out about a year ago. In December, Lynn picked up the Canadian Folk Music Award of English Songwriter of the Year for the new album. Congrats are due. Here is the Music Fog version of one of the songs from it, “Three Chords and Truth.” Amen.

- Jessie Scott

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

Deadman "Take Up Your Mat and Walk"

MusicFest at Steamboat Springs 2012 is now just a memory. It is such a wonderful communal experience, being wrapped in the warmth of each other and this glorious Americana Red Dirt and Texas music. This year, I heard a new slogan; instead of people saying "Happy New Year," they were saying "Happy Steamboat!" It has become its own holiday. There are so many fine people to thank, I'll just get right to it. John and Robin Dickson from Dickson Productions throw the best party ever. Thanks also to Liz, Judy, Amy, and Matt in the office. Kudos to the production coordinator Adam Odor and stage manager Joel Schoepf; Jeff Garbaz' and his video team at Garbaz Video Screens, which is where the MusicFest webcast feed originated. Vince Kapchinski and his crew at Backstage Sound and Lighting. Brian Smith for his unerring ability to get things done. Everyone at Steamboat Resorts was so nice - a huge thanks to them too. It is hard to leave. I say that every year.

Today's tune speaks of faith and of healing. It comes from the Austin group Deadman, with a reference, of course, to John 5:8. We filmed Deadman during our Music Fog Spring Marathon last year at Threadgill's. They are one happening band, let me tell you. The band toured in Europe again, and there were two releases, Live at The Saxon Pub and Take Up Your Mat and Walk. The latter hasn't been released in the States yet, but Deadman is working on making that so. The band will be heading to Germany in February and then revisiting Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and more in late April. Here with, the Music Fog version of "Take Up Your Mat and Walk." Sure is good for what ails you!

-Jessie Scott