Susan Cowsill "Dragon Flys"

Instances of animals behaving weirdly are often reported after one has suffered the loss of a loved one. And if you have had something inexplicable happen to you in one of these circumstances, I know you will be affected by this song. Susan Cowsill lost her brother Barry in the flood waters of Katrina. When she was about to sing this song for us, last September at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, she set it up by telling this tale. She said Barry always wanted to come back as something with a very long life, like a strong majestic oak tree. But instead, Susan said, he came to her as a dragon fly outside her car window. She was happy to have the visitation, in whatever form it took. When out of the ordinary things happens, you can thank the cosmos for slowing life down enough to make sure you take a look.

Susan has had some rough times and has poured the emotion into her work, into the Lighthouse album. She has been on the road a lot, and has added a new offshoot, as she has appeared on camera in HBO’s gritty series Treme. There is a lovely blog on HuffPo about Susan’s set during April's French Quarter Fest written by Karen Dalton Beninato. Susan and Russ Broussard are playing St. Louis tonight at Off Broadway. If you go, tell her we sent you. And here goes, Susan Cowsill with her band: Russ Broussard, Sam Craft, Jack Craft, and Mary Lasseigne. I predict there won’t be a dry eye in the house. This is the Music Fog version of “Dragon Flys.”

- Jessie Scott

Midnight River Choir "Light of the Moon"

As a teenager, I used to hear stories about the American Southwest in summertime; how it was so hot that you shifted your life from day to night. It all seemed very exotic to me then. Shopping, socializing, miniature golf, all were much more comfortable when the sun went down. As this summer’s heat wave has spread to engulf 17 states, I wanted to revisit the concept of “we only come out at night.” Seriously, when the thermometer tops 100 in Texas, I don’t even get my mail until the sun goes down. Ice cream, fruit smoothies, snowballs from New Orleans, sprinkler systems to run though, pool, springs, tubing, the beach, AIR CONDITIONING. And water, water, water, every which way and for every application. It’s so important to keep hydrated.

The Midnight River Choir have it right. First off, the vision their name alone conjures up immediately cools you off. Their second album is upon us, Welcome to Delirium?, with a release date of August 2nd, and that’s a very cool thing. And then it is driven home further by the time and place we recorded them, which was at MusicFest in Steamboat Springs this past January, and it was massively snowing outside. OK, all together now...AHHHHHHH! What can I say, the grass is always greener.

Let us bask now in the glow- today’s tune is “Light Of The Moon.” There are some dates to catch up with the MRC boys in air conditioned comfort. They play at Billy’s Ice in New Braunfels, TX tomorrow night. That sounds about perfect!

- Jessie Scott

Butch Hancock "Danglin' Diamond"

WoodyFest, the tribute weekend to Woody Guthrie starts tonight in the town of Woody’s birth Okemah, Oklahoma, to celebrate his birthday. There is a twist though, with a sold out show presented by the festival tonight at Cain’s Ballroom, up the road apiece in Tulsa, with David Crosby and Graham Nash.

So many of the folks we have brought you on the pages of Music Fog are on this year’s WoodyFest roster. I can tell you we will all be missing the vibe and the music this year. Since this is a birthday tribute, it needs to stay put, but dang, it sure is hot in Oklahoma this time of year! 

Butch Hancock is on the line up again this year, as well he should be. He is a consummate songwriter, a wordsmith, a poet, a troubadour. He is doing some touring this summer, both with The Flatlanders and solo. Maybe it’s all the things he does that makes his writing so expansive; he is a student of architecture, a photographer, river-rafter, philosopher, and studies Buddhism. All we know is that he gave us chills when he came to visit us during last year’s WoodyFest, while we were holed up in the Thompson’s Loft. Long live the spirit of Woody, and long live Butch Hancock. This is a song he wrote a couple of years ago that we don’t think has made its way to an album just yet...or at least, we know you haven't heard this version yet! Here's the Music Fog recording of “Dangling Diamond.”

- Jessie Scott