Man, where did this decade go? I am taking stock, thinking about the kaleidoscope of music I got turned onto these past ten years. And sometimes it just happens so randomly!

I had been hearing about the band Shurman since their Vanguard Records days. The amount of CDs that would wind up on my desk every week was overwhelming. And so I wasn't even able to LISTEN to it all in a timely fashion. And off I went to the Americana Music Festival and Conference a few years ago. Hanging out at Third and Lindsley, watching the amazing Stacie Collins blow harp, and someone said Jesse Dayton was about to go on at The Mercy. So I went outside with them, and tried to get into a taxi, which thankfully was a van, to make the short hop. When the door slid opened, it was sardine packed. Not even a sliver of seat for me, so I "stage dove" in across the laps, and rode "in style" to the next club. One of those laps belonged to Aaron Beavers, and I am happy to now count him as a dear friend.

Aaron moved to Austin from LA a few years ago. Shurman's music totally resonates here. The album Still Waiting For The Sunset is about to be re-released on January 26, but if you can't wait, the downloads have already been made available, with vinyl coming on January 12th. Looking forward, we bring you a stripped down version of one of my favs from the CD, "Country Just Ain't Country."

-Jessie