Keith Sykes "Gray Beard and Whiskers"

I was thinking about Memphis yesterday. Blues and Stax and Sun and Elvis. What a birthright, and what a heritage to immerse oneself in. I was researching the clubs in Memphis long distance, trying to get a feel for that scene from afar. I know and love several Memphis bred artists; Kelley Mickwee from The Trishas, Cory Brannan, Jimmy Davis, and Keith Sykes. Todd Snider moved there in the mid 80's, where he had a residency at a club called The Daily Planet. That is where he was discovered by Keith Sykes, who signed him to his first label deal. Keith was then a member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, and the label was Jimmy's Margaritaville Records. In Todd's song "Vinyl Records" he pays homage, as in the piles and piles of albums around him on the floor, he names names: "…I got Rita, Kris, Keith Sykes and Country Joe when he was singin' with the Fish you know..." We love Todd Snider; it is so good to see him doing well. His show during the Americana Fest last month in Nashville totally rocked. And we all know he has a softer side too.

A friend of mine, Laurie Strongin, wrote a book about the heroic process she and her husband Allen went through to save their son Henry from a rare illness, though tragically, he passed. The book, Saving Henry: A Mother's Journey, came out earlier this year, and in one of the chapters Laurie quotes lyrics from the Todd Snider tune "Beer Run." Todd read the book, and graciously offered to play at a benefit for the Hope For Henry Foundation, which helps seriously ill children. "Hope For Henry Rocks" is set to take place on November 13th, at The Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, DC. I am happy to report I will be there too, to interview Todd during the 'meet and greet.' See you there?

Ahhh, but now to revisit Memphis...how it felt to be there in the chill of February during Folk Alliance. How wonderful it was to have so many artists come aboard the Music Fog bus. Keith Sykes was one of them. His has been a storied career. Eyes on the prize, always writing, collaborating, gigging, keeping moving. We often link to people's websites, and especially this time, I encourage you to click-through and read about Keith's life, as he has had a phenomenal ride in these 40 years. We think this is a brand new tune, because as we researched it, we were unable to find it on an album. I did find it listed on the BMI database with the spelling "Grey Beard and Wiskers," though. Keith references a new album being in the works; maybe this song will show up there, and he says there may be a tour with Todd coming up...we'll for sure keep you posted!

- Jessie Scott

Exene Cervenka "Someday I'll Forget"

Photo Credit: Ali SmithI don't know that I can do this in our semi-usual just two paragraphs! X, the band, is a page---as lifetime in itself. That Exene Cervenka emerged, as did John Doe, into the Alt. Country world from THAT band, is a remarkable bit of seeming sociological non sequitur. Punk becomes cowpunk becomes Americana. When X was kicking up the dust in LA, it was a breath of saturated air, tainted with the sweat of writhing bodies dancing in nihilistic abandon. For Exene, X's music was accompanied by side projects with The Knitters, Auntie Christ, and The Original Sinners - not to mention solo projects. She has published four books, starting in 1982 with Adulterers Anonymous in collaboration with Lydia Lunch. There have been appearances in movies, poetry readings; and her journals, and mixed media collages became a one woman exhibition. More recently, Exene Cervenka and Modi Frank have released their short western film from the 80's, Bad Day, as a digital download. Some people just can't help it. The creativity oozes out of their pores, colors their aura. And so it is with Exene.

She floated into the Music Fog studio at the Sheraton. She brought with her the angels: Cindy Wasserman of Dead Rock West, and Cheryl Lyndsey from The Breeders. They resonated to the heavens. Exene's first solo CD since 1991 is Somewhere Gone. She came to Americana Fest to celebrate that, and sit on a very cool panel which explored the punk roots of now Americana artists, which also included Peter Case of The Plimsouls, Jon Langford of The Mekons, Sid Griffin from the Long Ryders, and Handsome Warner Hodges who brought the punk to punk-country with Jason and the Scorchers. Interesting watching the morphing, that's for sure! And wonderful to have her in front of the Music Fog cameras. We won't soon forget!

- Jessie Scott

David Jacobs-Strain "Dirt and Wildflowers"

From his Facebook page: "I'm a vegetarian blues singer from Oregon. I play slide guitar, write roots indie outlaw ganstagrass country blues songs and tour nationally." Gangstagrass, huh? I like that! We might have to steal that for a T-Shirt! David Jacobs-Strain has been the opening act on tour with Boz Scaggs, as well as hitting it hard with his band. Tonight they are in Frederick, Maryland, and that is in the relative backyard of the McBean Mansion. I wonder if Beans will take the Rolls out and head over to this evening's show? Nah, Beans works way too hard; that's why we have to take him on the road to have his fun. Otherwise, he is sequestered in a bunker below ground, making his Music Fog magic hour after hour!

Well, it's two days in a row for love songs here at the Fog. Yikes! I don't know what to make of that, either. My earliest music recollections were accompanied by their own 'sort' function. I knew Tennessee Ernie Ford's "16 Tons" was dead serious life stuff. I knew there was something going on below the belt with Jerry Lee Lewis, but I didn't know what it was. And I knew that romance was...well, it was different. To be honest, I didn't have much respect for it as an 8 year old, I just assessed it as silly grown up stuff. A bah humbug, why bother kind of thing. But today, it is a whole different story, isn't it? We yearn to be romanced, for that sweetness, that caring, and that devotion. Rare and wonderful to find. And I think, if I am honest, that so many of those songs back then had a smarmy, inauthentic quality, that in some way they just didn't ring true. But then when delivered by David Jacobs-Strain, there is no suspension of belief necessary. There is for real swooning, but in the best possible way. Here he is, from a month ago at the Americana Fest, in our Sweet Suite at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown, with "Dirt and Wildflowers." This one is both easy and earthy. You can find it on his CD Terraplane Angel, released this past spring, and produced by the legendary Ray Kennedy.

- Jessie Scott