Saturday afternoon was typical at the McBean manor. The fridge needed to be stocked, the dog was pissed because she hadn’t had a chance to go outside and kill something yet…then the phone rang.

It was Ben Krech on the other end. “Beans, something is happening” he said. He sounded like one of those guys who has been locked up listening to the universe on those sat dishes in the desert, waiting for a sign of life on another planet. “Beans, something is happening with the Music Fog web site. Hits are going way up. I don’t know where they're coming from, but this pattern started last night and continues today. We’ve more than quadrupled the number of hits in the last 24 hours alone." I thought it must be a fluke, but there's no getting past Ben. He’s got all this software hooked up to the site that monitors everything from his brother in law’s web behavior, to when Elvis will appear again on this planet. Indeed, something is happening with this site. More importantly, something is happening with Americana...

Along with great sites like Galleywinter and No Depression, Music Fog is slowly becoming part of this massive reinvention of the media world. The credit goes to you: The Americana fans. The fans that have been locked up underground, and on the web for years. A genre of music that has been rejected by traditional media. Forced to go it alone. But guess what? Americana will have the last laugh. Because this genre knows how to survive and thrive. Traditional media that catapulted all of that putrid pop talent to the top is now failing, and it isn’t nimble enough to save itself.

I am not surprise to see what has happened with Music Fog in the last 48 hours. It couldn't've come soon enough for my liking. Now let’s  sit back and watch the real talent bubble to the top. Lets all watch this world be reinvented. SXSW isn’t a bad place to start.

This is going to be a great ride.

-Jim McBean

[Photo courtesy Jeff Dykhuis, AMP]