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

Theresa Andersson "Hold On To Me"

If you happen to be in New Orleans this weekend, here is the hot tip. The French Quarter Music Festival is free to the public in Jackson Square, with music and oh yeah – there is lots of food, so come hungry. There are carts from some of the finest restaurants in NOLA. You know I am usually ALL OVER the music, which I will get to in a minute, but ya gotta check out the food! I recommend just walking around and chasing the aromas wafting your way before you commit to anything. There are so many choices, and there is going to have to be some mighty serious decisions made! Now to the music, it will make you dance in place, and you know everyone else will be shaking to it too! Click-through for the music schedules on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Now, if you are indeed lucky enough to be in New Orleans, I want you to promise to go see Theresa Andersson. She is playing on the Abita Beer Stage at Woldenberg Riverfront Park at 2:15 on Sunday. She is a simply incredible live performer, and to see her in her adopted city of New Orleans, has to be an extra special treat. Today’s video was filmed during Mardi Gras a couple of months ago, and features Theresa marching with the Krewe of Muses. The song is "Hold On To Me," and is on the upcoming album Street Parade, which will come out on April 24th.

- Jessie Scott

James McMurtry "We Can't Make It Here"

My mother didn’t need to have a job, my father was able to support our family with just one salary. That is SO last century! Do you remember those days? Things are so different for so many people now, with two people working, sometimes needing to have two jobs to make ends meet. As I drive around the country, I see boarded up factories decaying along the rivers and train tracks bearing silent witness to degenerating buildings along their right of ways. They use to bring goods to the nation from every corner of the country. And I have to say, how do we remain a first world country when we don’t manufacture what we need?

When the song “We Can’t Make It Here Anymore,” by James McMurtry first came out in 2005 on the Childish Things CD, we were unaware of the chaos that would befall the financial world just a few years later in 2008. Upon the album’s release, Stephen King commented, "...this may be the best American protest song since (Bob Dylan's) Masters of War." I still believe that poets take the temperature of a society, and shine it back at us with white hot truth, warts and all. So you know, we were totally honored by James McMurtry’s appearance at the Spring Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ last month. And we were super stoked that he laid a solo version down of “We Can’t Make It Here.”

- Jessie Scott