James McMurtry "Peter Pan"

Peter Pan is still one of my favorite childhood tales. 'I'll never grow up. I'll visit the wondrous Never Never Land of the fantabulous for unimaginable adventures. I'll take my gang with me, and we can be together forever with no parental supervision.' These are all potent images. Easy to dream of it, hard to actualize, and as my mother told me countless times, moderation in all things is the best policy. And also, she said be careful what you wish for. We Baby Boomers may just be the ultimate Peter Pan generation. We defy the conventional sedentary wisdom of old. We want to rewrite the book, turn back the clock, keep on truckin'. I heard today that venereal disease is on the uptick for the Viagra Generation. Maybe pharmacies should dispense dual prescriptions! Whatever, all I can tell you is our ways are embedded. We are what we are. I used to want to have a sticker on my rear bumper that would read "Victim Of A Prolonged Adolescence." We are so set in our youthful ways, and that may not be such a great thing all the time.

This rant is brought to you after watching James McMurtry do the song "Peter Pan." By the way, James LIVES in the telling of his songs. The intensity comes as if he is looking out of the mask of the biopic contained within. It is remarkable to have the Music Fog cameras be close enough to see the embodiment. The hopelessness. The desperation.

Have I told you this month how much I love James McMurtry, what a master I think he is? Have you checked out his blog? His latest is called Catfish. Plus, there are not to miss tour dates, and the latest album is Live In Europe. He was live in Austin for the Music Fog showcase in March, at Threadgill's. The song "Peter Pan" is from his 2006 CD It Had To Happen.

- Jessie Scott

Stonehoney "I Don't Wanna Go Home"

They are tearing it up out west. When last I talked to Shawn Davis of Stonehoney, he was telling me of the vista, up in the high Sierra Nevada Mountains, with limited phone service but maximum beauty. You still have time to catch a few west coast dates before the guys swing back through WoodyFest in Okemah, OK and then on to Texas. They alight for just a bit before they take back off for a Nashville, Kentucky and then east coast leg. Busy, busy, busy!

But it is about damn time for Stonehoney to strike, because today is release day for the Stonehoney CD The Cedar Creek Sessions. In April, they recorded 40 tunes in the studio the old-school way; with no overdubs, auto-tuning, or any other recording manipulation. It is an album of just the pure wholesome goodness of a band that can really bring it with each other. They are comfortable in their skin. They live for their music in an 'all for one' kind of way.

We filmed the Stonehoney guys doing the song "I Don't Wanna Go Home" in two places, each with different configurations. They stripped it down to a three piece on our bus at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival. They performed it full band on stage at Threadgill's for our artist showcase during SXSW. Either way, this is a song that stands up next to classics like The Eagles "Take It Easy," Sammy Johns' tune "Chevy Van," and "You Better Think Twice" from Poco. Tight, tuneful, sweet. We couldn't make up our minds which version to post, so here are both of them! Nick Randolph takes the mic for "I Don't Wanna Go Home," which he co-wrote with someone else you should get to know, unsung hero Bob Woodruff.

- Jessie Scott

Melissa McClelland with Luke Doucet "God Loves Me"

Time was when there were some grand opportunities for an artist to showcase in front of an appropriate audience. If you could bring it, if the booking was smart, it was like capturing lightning in a bottle. The business is so different now. What with album sales down, and the record labels in disarray, up until now, arguably the healthiest part of the business was touring. This summer, that came to a screeching halt, too. While we bemoan the loss of ticket sales, let us pause a moment to salute Lilith Fair. When it was founded in 1997, it heralded the coming of age of imaginative women artists. There was the feeling of collectiveness and celebration. This year's line-up has been inspired...only one problem, they have cancelled ten shows so far. Which is a damn shame.

Luke Doucet is Sarah McLachlan's (Lilith Fair co-founder) long time guitar player. Melissa McClelland sings back up for her, and has been taking the stage under her own moniker. We are talking herald angels here, as they performed for Music Fog in March. You know what? At the end of the day, the grass has to grow through the concrete. However! Witness this haunting version of Melissa's "God Loves Me."

- Jessie Scott