Cindy Bullens "In a Perfect World"

I had an interesting conversation with a couple of old friends recently. It was about regrets, about the paths not taken. I said that I had made peace with most of my choices, but you know that isn’t entirely true.  There is always the “what if” game that we play, that of the parallel universe, the other life that could have been. But we soldier on, and one foot goes in front of another, always looking forward.

I am inspired by our video subject today.  It is Cindy Bullens, who came to our studio in Nashville during the Americana Fest in Nashville in September.  Her very first album from 1979, Desire Wire, has been rereleased and is available on CD Baby. Cindy Bullens Live, recorded during a 2006 European tour, is out on the German label Blue Rose. And Cindy contributed music to the documentary, Space Between Breaths, which tells the tales of families dealing with the loss of children, a subject that Cindy herself had to work through after the loss of her daughter Jessie.  Her 1999 album Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth is the aftermath of that soul searching.

Today’s song comes from her latest album, Howling Trains and Barking Dogs, a collection of Cindy’s 1990’s Nashville collaborations with Radney Foster, Bill Lloyd, Matraca Berg, Kye Fleming, Mary Ann Kennedy, and Al Anderson.  She co-wrote the song, “In A Perfect World,” with Bill Lloyd, and our performance features George Marinelli on electric guitar, Michael Kelsh on guitar and dobro, and Chris Donahue on bass.

- Jessie Scott

Danny Barnes "Get It While You Can"

On Monday night, tired from the Music Fog Marathon and the craziness of 200,000 people descending on Austin to attend SXSW, Denise and I found ourselves out on the town to see “The Italians,” at the invitation of Joe and Sharon Ely.

Earlier that day we heard that Pinetop Perkins had passed, at 97 years young.  Pinetop performed regularly, and was known to hold court at a card table at Antone’s, just in front of the shoeshine stand in back. He would sign his CDs upon purchase, whether he was playing that night or not. I bought several. His was a remarkable spirit, he was a force of nature. Missing you already Pinetop!

The Italians, comprised of Andrea Parodi and Fulvio Renzi, played transcendently at Halcyon, mixing Americana with Italian flourishes and touching your heart.  I encourage you to explore!  The evening’s music ended with a heartbreakingly beautiful version of Townes Van Zandt’s ”If You Needed Me,” with Sam Baker, BettySoo, Gurf Morlix , The Burns Sisters, Andrew Hardin, and Ray Bonneville all gathered around the microphone.  This is the community, the shared love of music, and the artistic embrace that Austin is known for.

We are bringing you a video today from another Austin denizen, Danny Barnes.  We captured “Get It While You Can,” during our sessions in September at the Americana Fest.  The studio version can be found on his 2003 album, Dirt On The Angel.  Although I know he’s talking about sex, with thinly veiled food references in the grand blues tradition, I choose to look at it from an even broader perspective. To me, it is a song written about making every day count. Danny is playing tomorrow night at the Suwanee Springfest in Live Oak, Fl. See him in these upcoming cities.  Get it while you can, indeed!

- Jessie Scott

Dirty River Boys "My Son"

My dad imparted some homespun philosophy that I take with me to this day. When I did something stupid, he would always say he wished he could just put his brain into mine, to easily transfer the knowledge that he had so I wouldn’t have to learn the lesson the hard way. The other thing that he would often repeat was that if something was going to bother you ten years from now, then be upset, otherwise, you should just blow it off. I have passed these concepts on to my son, with an added one from the Bob Dylan song “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” "...to live outside the law you must be honest.” Don’t take it for granted, whatever your blessings in life; it does not not give you the right to think you are above anyone else. What do they say, that youth is wasted on the young? I think that today’s youth will need all their energy and wits about them to wend their way through the challenges being presented to them.

So today’s song is called “My Son,” and it comes from The Dirty River Boys from El Paso, TX. They have been kicking up their heels in a big way, and making fans wherever they go. We saw it happen in January at The MusicFest in Steamboat Springs. I have checked them out at the Dogwood on 6th Street in Austin a couple of times in the last few months and the crowds are growing and their story is spreading. They just got to open for Cory Morrow at the official debut of the Texas Music Theater in San Marcos a couple of weeks ago. Check out this video, the energy and wits are evident on an unreleased tune called “My Son,” that we captured in the Music Fog studio in Colorado.

- Jessie Scott