Jason Eady "AM Country Heaven"

It’s been bugging me again lately how many really cool bands I know who are being almost totally ignored by radio. Yes, you have heard this rap before. This time, I have a bit more of a solution. This coming Monday, May 7th, I start doing an afternoon radio show at KDRP in Dripping Springs, TX. You can listen live from anywhere, download the app to your smart phone or tablet, or listen locally at 100.1, 103.1 and 99.1 FM, depending on where you are in the Hill Country of Texas. The absolutely cool thing about it is I am curating my own show, which will air from 2 to 7pm CT Monday through Friday. This week, I have been pulling the music together for the library, and can’t wait to hit the ground running. The new show will be called Southbound with Jessie Scott. For former X Country listeners, this should feel like home.

There are so many artists that I have made the acquaintance of that SO deserve to be heard by a larger audience that I am going to get to play on KDRP. One of them is Jason Eady. I mean truly, the dude has it all. Great pipes, great songwriting ability, great stage presence, and he is a really nice guy to boot. I asked him what he wanted from his career one time, several years back, and he said he just wanted to make music, that he didn’t want to take the slick path to the top by selling out. His new album, AM Country Heaven is a testament to that vow. It is old school country. Nashville just ain’t making music that sounds like this anymore. When he came to visit us for the Spring Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ several weeks ago, he had Cody Canada in tow, which made for a really simpatico set. (Video featuring Cody is forthcoming.) Here is Jason solo from that session, with the title track to AM Country Heaven.

- Jessie Scott

K Phillips & The Concho Pearls "Rambler"

The School Night Sessions, a continuing series which I get to host at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin, Texas, have been rocking this week. Last night, San Marcos’ Texas Renegade came by for a cool acoustic set with Jeff Whitehead opening for them. The night before, Lincoln Durham brought the stomp blues and wowed the crowd, as he opened for traditional Irish outfit Aidan. And Sunday night, Mike June & The Wilson Street Refugees kicked it out. They are Jersey boys, and they delivered a fine set of roots rock, with Jess Klein on hand for backup vocals. The opening set that night was K Phillips solo. He is such an interesting performer, any configuration you get to see him in is good.

K Phillips & The Concho Pearls' brand new album American Girls was just released, to glowing reviews from the folks at No Depression I might add. Take it from me, if you like your music soulful, with some dark, rich and mysterious overtones thrown in for good measure, this album is worthy of exploration. K brought the band when he came to play for the Music Fog Spring Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin this past March, including Stephanie Macias on bass, Daniel Thomas Phipps on guitar, J King on lead guitar, and Drew D'Entremont: playing drums. So let’s rock a while with the Music Fog recording of “Rambler.” (Note: explicit lyrics)

- Jessie Scott

Reckless Kelly "I Stayed Up All Night Again"

There is a fine art to staying up all night long. Whether it is pulling third shift, partying til dawn, going fishing in the morning, or working late on a book or a project, the quiet hours belong to you. There is a delicious solitude about it, and a special bond amongst those who share it. Sometimes up all night is about suffering, mourning losses.

It is a bit surprising to find the song “I Stayed Up All Night Again,” on the new Reckless Kelly Good Luck & True Love album, for it is revealing, sensitive, sad. And the story is all too true, as we consider how the life of a troubadour doesn’t often lend itself to relationship stability. The interesting thing about art, though, is that one can take the angst of the moment and channel it into the creative. And come up with this amazingly sorrowful tune. Reckless Kelly’s repertoire runs the table on emotions from jubilant to blue, with pit stops at the shades in between. I recommend a RK concert for a night out in the not too distant future. It will prove a cathartic experience. And the guys are road dogs, so check this schedule out and see if they will be close to where you are. Willy Braun, Cody Braun and Jay Nazz came by the Music Fog Marathon last month at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin, and played “I Stayed Up All Night Again “for us.

PS: The Reckless Kelly Celebrity Softball Jam a week ago at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, TX was a great day once again, and a huge success raising money and goodwill for its charities.

-Jessie Scott