Fistful of Mercy "Father's Son"

It's Supergroup time! Fistful of Mercy named themselves after a song they wrote in their initial sessions. Joseph Arthur, Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison have teamed up together, and oh the wattage they bring! Their debut album, As I Call You Down, came out just over a month ago on Harrison's Hot Records, which was founded by his father, George Harrison. And they are hot indeed, just coming off visits to Conan's new show, Jimmy Fallon, and CNN.

Dhani and Ben met skateboarding in Southern California. Then they bumped into one another again at Lollapalooza, while Ben and Joseph had already made plans to go into the studio together. Now they were three. They ended up writing and recording nine songs over the course of three jam packed days at the Carriage House in Los Angeles, that was to become the CD. Acoustic and featuring three-part harmony; they bring soul, pop, blues, and folk together. Dhani compared the trio's process to his father's collaboration in The Traveling Wilbury's. And then a couple of other folks were brought in on the back end of the recording, Jim Keltner for percussion overdubs, and violinist Jessy Greene. Fistful of Mercy are bringing it on the road, too! Consider yourself lucky if you are able to catch them in their early incarnation!

Got the bluesy "Father's Son" for you, and yeah...it's fun! And so ironic that the blues can be so cathartic!

- Jessie Scott

Carrie Rodriguez "Absence"

The season is changing, the leaves are actually turning in Texas - burnished amber, mahogany and gold. It is time to get out the sweaters and sweatshirts, the flannel PJs, the microfiber and fleece, and to pack away the incredibly lightweight t-shirts that are favored here in the triple digit summer. There is a Zen to the task and the accompanying taking stock, the particular days that tell you time is ticking on; birthdays, holidays, the relentless march. The only peace is to be strong in yourself. Everything else is change. To think back on it is a kaleidoscope, a rich tapestry of sights and sounds, of cities and country, of friends and family, and of laughter and tears and love. Of the ones that got away, through whatever means.

"Don't the last leaves look lonely on a cold autumn day," sings Carrie Rodriguez, from the song she wrote with Mary Gauthier, "Absence." The fiddle is insistent, the voice post melancholy, steadfast, somehow accepting. Both women take pleasure and have such command in the craft of wordsmithing, and of plumbing the emotions; it is wonderful to have them writing together. You will find this song on Carrie's second solo album She Ain't Me. There is new Carrie music, too, this time with Chip Taylor, The New Bye & Bye just came out a few weeks back. Some of the best of their past work, plus four new tunes, and some tour dates have been announced. A quick word about Chip Taylor, who is a force of nature...it was so wonderful to work with him on the Americana Live in New York event last month. And so wonderful for his discoveries to become ours, as is what happened with Carrie Rodriguez. We bring you Carrie from our artist showcase at Threadgill's during SXSW 2010. "Absence," here in its simplicity with just Carrie Rodriguez and Hans Holzen sharing the stage.

- Jessie Scott

Myk Gordon "What Does That Say?"

Myk Gordon. He spells it funny, but actually it's just about phonetic. It is pronounced Mike. I just fell down a Wiki rabbit hole researching the name and all its derivatives in languages all over the world. There is a treasure trove of Michael names: Misha and Mikhail in Russia, Meik in Germany, Miquel in Catalan, Miko in Slavic; the list goes on and on. It is originally a Hebrew name, and first shows up in the Bible in Numbers 13:13. The name Michael has been the first or second most popular baby name in the United States since 1954, and is in the top 50 in England and Wales, The Philippines, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico, and Canada.

Vancouver, British Columbia singer/songwriter Myk Gordon teamed up with GRAMMY® award winning producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Jackie Greene), to produce Myk's latest CD, Set Free. It was recorded in an abandoned Masonic temple in North Portland, Oregon with engineer/bassist Jim Brunberg, guitarist Paul Rigby, pedal steel player Jon Rauhouse, and drummer Drew Shoals, all of whom put their mark on the album's 10 tracks, a classic country-soul hybrid. Those involved think that the building's haunting beauty and mysterious vibe somehow permeated the recording, making it ethereal and timeless. With his six independent releases, he has built a respected following, and Myk has shared the stage with some of our heroes along the way; folks like Emmylou Harris, Ron Sexsmith, and Joan Osborne.

We filmed Myk during our recording sessions at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville several weeks ago. Here's a timeless version of "What Does That Say?" from the album Set Free.

- Jessie Scott