Marvin Etzioni "Grapes Of Wrath"

I want to take you into the annals of music history. The year was 1982. I had been doing Country Radio in New York for 6 years or so and was very familiar with all the flavors of music that were being made under that umbrella. It was a righteous palette in those days; there were the likes of Don Williams and Porter and Dolly, George and Tammy, Waylon and Willie. I was in New York City working at the country station WHN. I think even then, there was an “other” music not included in the mainstream of the time, that was country infused with a rock and roll vitality. There were several bands playing around town that we called cowpunk, one of them was Rubber Rodeo. In other cities, X, The Blasters, Jason & The Scorchers, and  Rank & File held court. Lone Justice came out of the LA cowpunk scene, to be signed to a record label deal in 1982. It was a new wave, but it never found a mainstream audience. That isn’t to say they weren’t worthy, but just that the music wasn’t in sync with the moment. Maria McKee was an iconic presence, there was simply no one like her; sensual, intense, lusty-voiced. She partnered with Ryan Hedgecock to form Lone Justice , and they were joined by Don Heffington and Marvin Etzioni, to put out two albums back in the day.

Cut to today - Marvin Etzioni is still infused with the spirit, and has just put out a solo album called Marvin Country!.  He recruited some heavy hitters to help him out, including Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, Richard Thompson, John Doe, and his old Lone Justice band mates Maria McKee, Don Heffington, and Shane Fontayne. Marvin came solo to the Spring Music Fog Marathon in March at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin. He played us a tune from the new album, here is the MF version of “The Grapes of Wrath."

-Jessie Scott

Ange Boxall "Fool For Now"

You may think this is crazy talk. I am not sure I quite believe it, but I have spent most of my adult life in radio stations, and I evidently have been absorbing the negative ions that abound there. I was complaining recently that my touch screen phone was ignoring my touch, when someone told me it was because I had spent so much time near radio waves. I have no earthly idea whether any of that is true, but doing some research I guess that is not a bad thing. It appears that negative ions are good for one’s health. And of course being under a waterfall is one of the most energizing experiences ever, and that is smack dab in the cradle of the negative ionization epicenter. But then so is the shower in your house (ahhh!!) Here is WebMD’s take on it. I really don’t know whether radio stations emit these molecules, but it would explain why I have been so happy to sit in a room for 40 years, basically talking into a microphone with no one in sight on the receiving end of that monologue. Sitting in a room talking to yourself…hmm that sounds a little odd. It IS a little odd for that matter.

I am always baffled by the songs that tie the concepts of love and foolishness together. This makes as much sense to me as negative ionization does. If it doesn’t feel good why do it? If you are heading for the rocks, why prolong the agony? My inability to process all this stuff may just be the reason why I am not dating, and honestly, I don’t mind that at all either. Don’t get me wrong, it is great to listen to songs about being love struck. I remember, vaguely, all that love stuff. Tasmanian songstress Ange Boxall played a song for us during our Americana Fest on October in Nashville called “Fool For Now.” I guess you put up with it for a little while, if the sex is good…right? Anyway, here is Ange with Tom Mason on guitar and Bones Hillman on bass, with a song found on her 2011 album, Writing Letters. Here is the Music Fog version, filmed at Marathon Recorders.

-Jessie Scott

Carolina Chocolate Drops & Shawn Mullins

The album Mercyland: Hymns For The Rest of Us comes out today. Don’t know if you have heard about it yet, but producer and writer Phil Madeira set out with an interesting goal; to find the common ground and positive qualities of faith. Phil put together a diverse and amazing group of musical friends, including The Civil Wars, Shawn Mullins, Buddy Miller, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, The North Mississippi Allstars, Dan Tyminski, and Emmylou Harris who contribute ten original and two  traditional songs to the compilation album. The selections come from varying philosophies and beliefs; in humanity, the joy of music itself, or the affirmation of a higher power, be that God or spirituality or transcendent love.

Today Music Fog gives you a special (hush, we are not EVER going to call it a two-fer!!!) But indeed, we are giving you two videos to peruse from the album Mercyland. First is a spirited song from the Carolina Chocolate Drops called “Lights In The Valley.”

Second is a simmering, politically charged tune from Shawn Mullins, “Give God The Blues.”

-Jessie Scott