Truth & Salvage Co. "Call Back"

This year has been a treat with travel spanning five different metro systems, countless airports, train stations, and the occasional tour bus transporting me to towns and cities all over the country. It has all been incredible. Sometimes there are first time runs, as it was a couple of days ago getting on the Path train to go from Newark to Hoboken, hoping I was going the right way. And chilling when I asked a fellow rider for directions, and he said "This train goes to Ground Zero." There is still a hesitation in New Yorkers' eyes, the realization that they could be targeted again. Anytime. But at the same time, there is a joy to the holidays in NYC that is palpable. Window shopping down Fifth Avenue, where the displays are fanciful, imaginative, incredible. And the thermometer seconds the motion, providing the perfect crispness to be outdoors. I love the faces, the accents, the people being people, wherever I go. Also, for sure, this year has given me more of a feel for what bands have to go through to keep it going down the pike.

 Truth & Salvage have been hitting the road pretty non-stop, too. That's what you have to do these days to make it in the music biz, to turn people on to your music. Great articles continue to be written about them, and they keep cranking down the highway. They are out west early in December, playing a few shows with the Black Crowes, and have just announced two big dates, December 30th with The Avett Brothers in Ashville, NC, and on December 31st they will be New Year's Eve-ing in Seaside, Florida, with Dawes. Also, there are new Truth & Salvage shirts, which might just make a mighty fine gift for someone you know!

We caught up with the guys at the Gibson Guitar showroom in Washington, DC earlier this year. Enjoy the Music Fog version of "Call Back."

- Jessie Scott

The Low Anthem "To Ohio"

Recently, somebody asked us Music Foggers why we hadn't covered the band The Low Anthem. Though we try, we haven't yet mastered the art of being everywhere all the time! Even when we are as many places as we can be, sometimes we don't catch everyone we want to get on camera while we are there. To be honest, I am sure at some point we have been in the same city as they have, but our paths have not yet crossed. So we had to resort to OPV, other people's video, to bring you today's article. Nothing wrong with that, as it expands the horizons of the possible.

And we are very excited about the following particular development. The Low anthem and Emmylou Harris have been on tour together! Ten cities on the East Coast were treated to this splendor. The Low Anthem regaled the audiences with tracks from their upcoming CD, Smart Flesh, due out on February 22nd. Plus, on many of these nights, Emmy got on stage with the band, taking lead vocal on "To Ohio" from their 2009 album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. And she returned the favor, by inviting the band back out for her encore sets. Sounds pretty simpatico! Emmylou has even asked The Low Anthem to join her at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on December 11th for a Grand Ole Opry performance. Jubilant news indeed. And The Low Anthem has already announced several fall/winter tour dates with more coming soon.

We bring you "To Ohio" from Later...with Jools Holland. We can only imagine what it sounds like with Emmylou Harris. Maybe there will be Other People's Video of that one day, too.

- Jessie Scott

The Deep Dark Woods "All the Money I Had Is Gone"

OK, so let me get this straight, because it is getting to be the twelve days of Thanksgiving: Red Wednesday, T-Day, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, (we have had no reported name for Sunday...yet, but if I had my druthers, it needs to be something football and food related. Dang, I wish Super Bowl Sunday wasn't already taken!) and then Cyber Monday. All cutesy, tied up with ribbon for the holidays. Shop, Shop, Shop, it is the mantra, and the push is on everywhere. Commercials abound, sales in every store and online, and all I can say is it's very hard to escape the magnetic pull of the sport of Christmas. Let us not forget that it is not even DECEMBER yet! I think they should just rename the 4th quarter Christmas, and be done with it. So transparent, but that's just me! I am reminded, coming off the feast of this past Thursday, that for me, what this is really about is being with people you love. I am touched by the stories you see this time of year about families donating time and resources to work in food banks to provide Thanksgiving for those that couldn't do it for themselves.

Photo Credit: Patrick Schmidt

Today's video comes from one of my favorite bands out of Canada, The Deep Dark Woods. They have just recorded a new album with engineer Darren Van Niekerk, which we hear will be out next year...hey, that isn't too far from now, ya know! I think the band is taking a bit of a breather, before they continue their frenetic tour schedule in Canada and the US in 2011. DDW member Ryan Boldt has started a new blog to keep in touch called Old Time Hour. Check it out. And for you now is the ever appropriate "All the Money I Had Is Gone," from their most recent album, Winter Hours. We filmed this, with guest Kendel Carson, at Threadgill's WHQ in Austin, Texas during SXSW 2010.

- Jessie Scott