Paul Thorn is working it all. The charm, the sweet Southern drawl, the homespun philosophy about life. The goofy smile and the twinkle in his eyes when he is about to say something that his upbringing wouldn't have allowed in other times. I love the downright intensity of his purpose and path. It's interesting that for as old fashioned as Paul is, the fact is he is cutting-edge embracing the new music business landscape, trying to push through the minefield into becoming a household name. There is now a Paul Thorn iPhone App. He has ringtones. His blog is a hoot, and Paul has been working the fans network on Facebook, where his updates are a slice of his life and are highly recommended reading. If it were only 20 years ago, he would be known in more houses than just mine and yours, but it is so much harder today.

Also highly recommended is Paul's new album, Pimps and Preachers, due out on June 22nd. His songwriting work is articulate, having always had distinct threads running through as he casts an eye on what he sees around him. He loves to write portraits of that landscape, and he catalogs interior feelings with as much insight. On this new album, there is a heightened sense of what the Paul Thorn Band brings also; a hot, tight unit, speaking with one voice. Then there is the coffee table book, with Paul's folk-art drawings, and a demo CD of solo acoustic versions of every song on the album! In fact one can procure it all, as there is a pre-release special available through his website, for a limited time.

Here's one of our versions of the title track, recorded in Memphis while aboard the Music Fog bus.

- Jessie Scott