The Deep Dark Woods "Two Time Loser"

We live in the age of wonder, with our magic tablets, and our communication flying through the air. A couple of nights ago I watched Brandon Jenkins and his band perform via Skype™ from a club in San Antonio as I was ensconsed in the comfort of my gingham couch. At the same time, I was monitoring a gig in New York via text, and checking in with friends playing all over the country on Facebook. Action Central, from the comfort of one’s living room. Oh yes, it is pretty awe-inspiring to be so connected. I am struck again by the rootsiness of the music that I love, juxtaposed with this hi tech communication. Buddy Miller told me several years back that he was a beta tester for Pro Tools, which is the state of the art studio recording program. I found that kind of funny, that his earthy music was captured by 1 and 0s.

I am happy to have this window into the scene. Some news blip crossed my consciousness about The Deep Dark Woods, a band I love dearly. They are newly signed to Sugar Hill Records, and their debut CD on that label, The Place I Left Behind, will be out in the US this October. It was released in Canada at the beginning of the month. I have loved them since their 2007 CD Hang Me Oh Hang Me. There is something so haunting and spare, yet intricate and emotional about their music. I am delighted that goods things are happening for them. Catch them on the road. Here is the Music Fog recording of "Two Time Loser," with special guest Kendel Carson, filmed during the Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s during SXSW© music week 2010.

-Jessie Scott

Will Kimbrough "Piece Of Work"

Have you noticed the days are starting to get shorter? This bodes well for a cooling off sometime in the not too distant future. Preseason football is back, that is a harbinger too, though the weather this year has been weird, weird, weird. The kids are coming back to school; there is feverish unpacking of UHauls everywhere. All good normal stuff. Oh, summer isn’t over yet by any means, and festival season is continuing on with Austin City Limits Music Festival and Hardy Strictly Bluegrass Festival just around the corner. Then the Americana Fest is happening again, a month later than normal, it will take place in October this year.

Last year, Music Fog was holed up at the Nashville Sheraton Downtown in a conference room during Americana Fest. Will Kimbrough came to see us on Saturday of that week. He brought Lisa Oliver-Gray, Tim Mark and Fred Eltringham - they proceeded into the groove that they do so well. Will is slated for Americana Fest again this year, that is after he jets out to San Francisco for Hardy Strictly. He just played at the Newport Folk Festival a couple of weeks ago, too. Life is good. Here is a tasty morsel from his ever growing catalog, “Piece Of Work.”

-Jessie Scott

Guy Clark - Songs & Stories

Guy Clark's new CD, Songs and Stories, came out yesterday. It is just the second live album that Guy Clark has released in his illustrious career. It was recorded at a jewel of a venue, the lovely Belcourt Theater in Nashville. So much Guy stuff to tell! There is a new tribute record, This One’s For Him, nearing release, produced by a bright light that I am proud to call a friend, Tamara Saviano. The CD will include 30 Guy Clark songs performed by Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rodney Crowell, Robert Earl Keen, Patty Griffin, Joe Ely, Rosanne Cash, Jack Ingram, Steve Earle, Rosie Flores, the list goes on and on.

Tamara is also producing Wish I Was in Austin - A 70th Birthday Tribute to Guy Clark at The Long Center in Austin. The concert is a collaboration with Dr. Gary Hartman at the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University, San Marcos, which is the beneficiary. This is where you want to be on November 2, as an elite group of artists will converge for an incredible evening of song with Guy Clark; Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Terri Hendrix, Kevin Welch, Terry Allen, Rosie Flores, Jack Ingram, Radney Foster, the Trishas, James McMurtry, & many others will be in attendance.

I searched high and low for a current video and couldn’t find one, so we go a couple of years back for this tune “Hollywood,” Guy Clark with Don Was from 2007.

-Jessie Scott