Frazey Ford "Firecracker"

The creative process is so interesting to me, finally to take to heart the concept that to everything there is indeed a season. To soak up, to craft, to work toward a goal, to make something happen out of thin air. For me, that is the magic to keeping it interesting, to getting somewhere meaningful, to using one's time well on this planet. Being engaged is the goal, so really, the goal is not the goal at all. I flew back from San Francisco on a full plane, to find a teeming airport awaiting in Austin. The world comes to Austin's doorstep a couple of times a year, and this is one of them. Austin City Limits Music Festival is this week, and the parties and buzz have already started. It is so cool to get to be in a roomful, a city-ful really, of people that are equally excited, that get to live the American dream of doing what they love. Music. Or as Joni Mitchell astutely wrote, "Stoking the star maker machinery behind the popular song."

The Be Good Tanyas were a band out of Canada that we played on X Country at XM, seemingly eons ago. They released three albums and it has since taken four years, but Frazey Ford is back with a solo record released in July called Obadiah. Of it she says, “I get to have the elements of solo-ness in terms of fully directing the direction, but then I'm also able to incorporate other people's visions when it feels right.” This album combines the Be Good Tanyas' folk centeredness with the other thing she loves, soul and gospel. Her voice is simply impossible to believe, that it could be as fragile as fine bone china, yet still retain the tensile strength for a moon shot in a space capsule. Frazey takes you on a ride. And not just any ride, exactly where she wants you to go. There is a ghostliness, as if just maybe her voice could unlock the mystery of the universe, the genome project and win a Nobel Peace Prize as people unite to celebrate it. It is a voice whereby everything is possible.

Frazey came by our Sweet Suite studio at the Sheraton a couple of weeks back during the Americana Fest in Nashville. Let's light this firecracker!

- Jessie Scott

The Nadas "Bitter Love"

Alright, I admit it, I tied one on a few weeks ago. I had put my phone in my back pocket, a place it rarely occupies. So I realized later that I was pocket dialing, and truth be told, I might could have even been drunk pocket dialing! And who did I dial? Jason Walsmith of The Nadas, that's who. I have no idea if he heard any of my rambling conversations as I was totally unaware that my phone had spontaneously taken it upon itself to communicate with others. I wonder if he was able to discern just who was on stage singing through the muffle of denim jeans. And if Jason heard any of that, in person or later in an endless voice mail, he was way too much of a gentleman to call me and report back. I have no idea how long we were connected. Maybe he was drunk too, and the timing couldn't have been better for that kind of activity. Maybe we had a higher communication that neither one of us actually participated in. I am set to ponder.

Photo Credit: Mandy MillerJason is wrapping up his residency at Saints Pub and Patio in West Des Moines tonight. Jason and Mike Butterworth will then be embarking on a house concert tour for the rest of the year, and much of it is by rail. Hence the name "Rock the Rails Living Room Tour," where some of these dates are semi open to the public, and some are for friends of the hosts only. The fun starts in Omaha this Friday and continues through Denver, then west to San Francisco, Portland, Seattle (Everett) and Spokane. All of those shows, except Denver, are open to fans on the Nadas mailing list. If you are interested in more information on any of these cities, email the Nadas. Or, email if you are interested in hosting a living room concert. Check out the dates here. One thing is for sure, the Nadas weave magic wherever they go. They came to visit us at Threadgill's for SXSW 2010, and we bring you a video of "Bitter Love" from that session now. Check out the original video, too, which we recorded during Folk Alliance 2009, about a year before the album Almanac came out!

- Jessie Scott

Raul Malo "Sinners & Saints"

I just logged another great week of music, as we get ready here in town for Austin City Limits Music Festival. I am happy that this year the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco was the weekend before, as business put the Music Fog crew in the bay area, for another project, so I decided to stay behind a few extra days. There are industry folks that I see from city to city, like Al Moss, Rob Bleetstein, Felton Pruitt, Bill Bowker; and then some of the artists that I ran into, Fats Kaplin, Kristi Rose, Jim Lauderdale, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock - fellow travelers all. The vibe was splendid, I hung mostly at the Banjo Stage, due to blistering my foot up on the Golden Gate Bridge trek from Saturday. That should be the worst thing that ever happens! There was the timeless music of Doc Watson, the animation and artistry of Del McCoury, and Emmylou Harris to wrap things up with perfect harmonics wafting through the mist. If you have never attended Hardly Strictly, you owe it to yourself to drink in this festival, for its aggregation of talent and its ever interesting audience. Seeing a show in San Francisco makes you remember all the great music that this city has spawned. Shall we say they bought the T-Shirt? Sweatshirt in this case!

But on to the next one! ACL is a coming! There are some of the same artists playing it, with lots of other crowd pleasers as well. Every day is sold out, so I guess I am just going to have to report back, huh! Only problem is you can't be everywhere, and truth be told, not everyone can be on the lineup, either. Raul Malo ain't making this scene this year, but if you are in the Midwest that just might be good news for you, as he's on tour there then headed up the East Coast! In fact, we were told that to celebrate the release of his new album today, Sinners & Saints, Raul is playing a special concert streamed live from Knuckleheads in Kansas City, MO. Catch the feed here at 9pm CT tonight, October 5th.

We figured that we'd also salute the day with the title track from the album. Look for cameos in the video from the Trishas, Ray Benson, Shawn Sahm and Augie Meyers. Raul is adept at mixing Latin music with country, blues, jazz and vintage rock ’n’ roll...anytime, anywhere, anyway! Here's "Sinners & Saints," a cross between Flamenco melodicism and retro surf-twang. Yeah!

- Jessie Scott