Ian Moore & The Lossy Coils "Secondhand Store"

On a Saturday night in Texas, you WILL hear a good band playing. There is just something about the gravitational pull of the local dancehall, tavern, bar, or club that attracts you to it. And people are not shy here; you can talk to anyone. Nor does it embarrass them to get up and dance, whether they know you or not. It is all fair game. I was at Billy’s Icehouse in New Braunfels, when the rush to the dance floor occurred during Flywood’s performance, not on one of their fine originals, but during a rousing version of Bob Seger's “Old Time Rock & Roll.” We were there to see the headliner out of Norman, OK, The Damn Quails, who will be gracing the stage of this year’s Music Fog Marathon just a few weeks from now at Threadgill's WHQ. Their album Down The Hatch, which was produced by Mike McClure, is sitting in the top ten on the Americana Radio Chart.

Ian Moore & The Lossy Coils brought the ’good ole rock’ themselves during last year’s Spring Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin. Ian started hitting those establishments around Austin in the 90’s. We had the pleasure of presenting the band on the heels of the release of El Sonido Nuevo. Ian Moore, Matt Harris, and Kyle Schneider played us this rocking tune called “Secondhand Store,” which appeared on that album. There are a couple of key tour dates posted for March on Ian’s website. You will have a rollicking fun time, to be sure.

-Jessie Scott

He's My Brother, She's My Sister "Tales That I Tell"

The Music Fog Marathon schedule for March 14 through the 17 in Austin, TX is just about baked. I am hoping to be able to share the whole thing with you early next week. I can tell you we are going to have a blast, though, with Reckless Kelly, Ray Wylie Hubbard, John Fullbright, James McMurtry, Chris Smither, The Sweetback Sisters, Ruthie Foster, The Hobart Brothers (Jon Dee Graham and Freedy Johnston) with Lil’ Sis Hobart (Susan Cowsill,) Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Sons Of Fathers, Mike Farris, The dB’s, Lydia Loveless, and Sugar & The Hi-Lows. Oh, there is way more, and yes, we will be webcasting it all from Threadgill’s WHQ. We are not an official SXSW showcase, so it is open to the public, with no badges or wristbands needed for entry. Remember to tip your waitresses, though, that is after having that fine comfort food: chicken fried steak with loads of vegetables, or pot roast, or my favorite, their barbecue chicken, which is the Wednesday special. If you are hungry and in Austin right now, Threadgill’s is at 301 W Riverside Drive in South Austin. While you are there, make sure you look at the memorabilia lining the walls.

We are about to make memories of our own, adding to the long legacy of the Live Music Capitol of the World, Austin, TX. If you love music, Austin in March is the place to be. There is something, actually multiple things, for every kind of music lover. It used to be that SXSW was about breaking bands, it was an insider industry event. But through the process of going direct to the audience, without the filters of record labels and radio station playlists, Austin is the epicenter of the new model. The SXSW website is featuring videos; here is one from the band He's My Brother, She's My Sister. They won’t be taking part in our Music Fog Marathon, cause we just can’t film everyone, though you know we would love to. There will be over 2,000 bands doing official showcases! He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister is a Los Angeles band featuring sibling vocalists Robert Kolar and Rachel Kolar, Lauren Brown, who is a bombastic tap dancing drummer, Oliver Newell rocking the standup bass, and Aaron Robinson, who takes his leads on a lap slide. Fun for a Saturday!

-Jessie Scott

Frontier Ruckus "Nerves Of The Nightmind"

I know that I have written this before, but it bears repeating; there is a whole new crop of twenty-something’s who are emerging. They might just have cut their teeth in an environment that included the stripped down sonics of the landmark album Oh Brother Where Art Thou? It set T Bone Burnett on an amazing path for this last decade exploring roots sounds. And I attribute this new wave to these flavors, these instruments, percolating through their formative years. I think that album marked a watershed event, and that things changed after that.

There is an explosion of young bands with great taste and unique personalities. We got introduced to Frontier Ruckus originally in Baltimore when Music Fog was new, at Andy Rubin’s eclectic book and objets d’art shop, Cyclops Baltimore. They hail from Michigan. There is yearning in the wind of their music, there is a stoicism, a questioning. Yet Frontier Ruckus’ website is poetic and quirky. They are hard at work on a new album, which is slated for release next month called Eternity of Dimming. There is a tour forthcoming as well that starts in mid-March. They weave a spell, that is for sure. We filmed them during last year’s Music Fog marathon during Americana Fest in Nashville. The track we bring you today can be found on Deadmalls & Nightfalls. This is the Music Fog version of “Nerves Of The Nightmind.”

-Jessie Scott