The Agnostic Phibes Rhythm & Blood Conspiracy "Neckin' Party"

I am waxing nostalgic as I write this. It is my last night in the East Austin shotgun shack that has been my home for the last three years. I came to Austin to heal my heart from major losses; my husband Robert passing in 2007, my XM job ending in 2008, my son striking out on his own to his first apartment in 2009. I found an incredible community here, banded together by a love of music and a communal sense of rugged individualism. It has been wonderful on so many levels. I think you have to throw yourself into the stream, to resonate vibration in the universe, and if you do that, the path will unfold. I am letting life take me on the next journey, to the next chapter, though I take with me all that has come before.

I have been getting lots of questions if the things I do are continuing. I say resoundingly YES! I am staying on the air at KDRP, though I will be doing my show from NYC through the magic of technology. The School Night Sessions at Threadgill's will continue on Sundays and Tuesdays for October, then go to primarily Sunday nights with the occasional midweek special thereafter. And Music Fog isn't going anywhere either, we promise to continue as a trusted Americana music discovery site. Next week, I set out for New York. There will be updates along the way, as Abbey Road from Luckenbach is road tripping with me.

Today's taste is a weird little concept video, shot through the peep hole of a door featuring The Agnostic Phibes Rhythm & Blood Conspiracy. It is a meeting of the minds, a Canadian delta-punk-blues-alt-country-garage-rock quartet, with members of Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir and Forbidden Dimension. The video is the debut, "Neckin' Party," from their critically acclaimed CD Campfire Tales. It was filmed and produced by the Conspiracy's drummer Jay Woolley and features a special cameo appearance by Canadian cult
movie hero Old Man Mask. Behold the weirdness!

-Jessie Scott

Scrapomatic "I Want The Truth"

I am packing. This is my last weekend in Austin for a while, as I hit the road  to make the move to New York. A great job awaits, I have been named the Director of Hill Country Live. It is honest to goodness Texas barbecue with two locations, in New York City and Washington, DC. Hill Country marries authentic and succulent Texas barbecue with great American Roots Music, and that makes for an incredibly simpatico evening out. I am northward bound to a city that glitters when the sun goes down.

I want to turn you on to an album with a decidedly big city title; I’m A Stranger and I Love The Night, from the band Scrapomatic, which came out in August. The band is led by Mike Mattison, who also sings and writes songs for the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Paul Olsen, an in-demand New York musical director. Scrapomatic brings an amalgam of roots, r&b, folk and soul music. Mike picked up a Grammy in 2009 as the lead singer for The Derek Trucks Band for Already Free.  In 2010, he joined the newly formed Tedeschi Trucks Band as a backing vocalist and songwriter and won another Grammy for Revelator.

Today’s tune is “I Want The Truth,” from the Jammin At Hippie Jack’s Festival. Here is the sweet voice of Mike Mattison and Scrapomatic.

-Jessie Scott

Neil Young & Buffalo Springfield

I flew back from Bonnaroo on Sunday, and when ”For What It's Worth” played on my iPod, I got to savor the experience I had seeing them on Saturday night. It was a wonderful romp through the past. Neil Young, with his coltish energy; Richie Furay in fine voice; and Steve Stills ripping it up on guitar. They are obviously loving this moment together in the spotlight. At one point, Neil commented that they had never played in front of that many people before as the group Buffalo Springfield.

There was a lightning strike early on in the set, which knocked out the Jumbo-tron and some other stage lights. I was parked behind a metal barricade, actually standing on it and holding onto it, when it dawned on me that might not be such a great idea. I let go and jumped off, and the girl behind me said, "Listen, if you get killed by a bolt of lightning at a Buffalo Springfield concert at Bonnaroo, it would be epic. So I jumped back up and held on, no worse for wear, as it turned out. The set was especially memorable for the fact that I never thought I would hear any of those songs performed. There is such an interesting chemistry between their voices, which mesh to form something unique. I sang along to every song. They will play Farm Aid, and launch a 30 city tour in the fall, so see them if you can. I found a period piece video from the Hollywood Bowl that is a medley of “For What It’s Worth/Mr. Soul.”

We also want to let you know that Neil Young has a country rock album coming out today; one from his vast archives called A Treasure, recorded with The International Harvesters during the 1984-1985 tour. It features five previously unreleased songs mixed in with older ones you know like "Flying On the Ground Is Wrong," "Are You Ready For the Country?"  and “Bound For Glory.” Here is Neil to tell you all about it, in typical snarky style, with some too-cool music clips.

-Jessie Scott