Jon Langford "1234Ever"

Artwork by Jon LangfordJon Langford is a Renaissance Man for the 21st Century. His music stints, starting with punk and moving through the Alt. Country landscape, and his other creative endeavors lead us to the obvious, that ONE THING can't contain his energy and his vision. His art is a thing of glory and is on display at Yard Dog in Austin. He has created iconic visual images of Hank, Johnny and Elvis, among others in his prolific portfolio. His paintings appear on bottles and other items for the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. We have a bit of it for you here, too, as he crafted the poster for the three-day Americana Live In New York event which kicks off tonight! Join us if you are in the NYC area at Rodeo Bar for sets from Bill Kirchen, Jim Campilongo, and Jack Grace! And then tomorrow and Friday at Hill Country!

Jon Langford, a Welshman who now calls Chicago home, works with different groups for the different flavors needed to satisfy his soul: The Three Johns, The Mekons, Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Waco Brothers, Wee Hairy Beasties, not to mention under his own name. He has written a book, is a regular contributor to the radio show This American Life and is a father figure to many next gen Chicago musicians. His multimedia music/spoken-word/video performance, The Executioner's Last Songs, premiered in 2005. He also illustrated the comic strip Great Pop Things under the pseudonym Chuck Death. Since 2005 he has been one of the hosts of a weekly radio program, The Eclectic Company, broadcast on WXRT in Chicago. In early 2009, the Walkabout Theater Company in Chicago premiered a stage adaptation of Jon's Goldbrick, featuring a live band, two actors and video projections. At the end of last year The House Theatre of Chicago staged a production written by rock journalist Mark Guarino and based on Langford's art and his 2004 solo album All the Fame of Lofty Deeds. I am wondering if he ever sleeps, because here it is 2010, and there is a new CD out! It is called Old Devils, and from it we bring you "1234 Ever," with Jim Elkington on guitar, videotaped during our Music Fog sessions at the Sheraton in Nashville during Americana Fest last month.

- Jessie Scott

Old 97's - The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1

Maybe someone who lives in Austin can help me figure out what my latest biblical plague is. There are these tiny black bugs that bite, and they are hanging out in my living room. I don't think they are bed bugs, because they fly. I hate to use my Deep Woods® bug spray just to be at peace on the couch, but that's what I am doing. You know, before I moved to Austin, I was diligent about checking out the heat to see if I could deal with it, but I didn't think about the bugs. They are something. So is the allergen count. There is simply always something blooming here. And I don't even have allergies! So that's why it's good to go out!

Well, I did make it out last Wednesday night to the Ghost Room on West 4th Street in Austin. Funny thing about that place. Until I went inside, I thought I hadn't been there, but on some late night pub crawls during bygone SXSWs, I recall seeing amazing stuff in that space! This evening was a KGSR Listening Party for two acts on New West Records: Ponderosa, and the Old 97's! A great twin bill. Ponderosa is a brand new band out of Atlanta whose music lives in a similar Southern Rock pocket to Truth & Salvage Co. They recall the Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Faces, Black Crowes; you know, the stuff that feels good! Their debut album Moonlight Revival is due out this January, but check out a taste of it with "Old Gin Road," which is available as a single right now on iTunes. Ponderosa (shortened to 'Rosa,' if you please) heads up to the CMJ Music Marathon in New York for a gig at Arlene's Grocery on Saturday.

Then there is master Alt. Country outfit, the Old 97's. Their new CD, The Grand Theatre, Volume One came out a week ago, and they celebrated its release in their home state of Texas. This is their eighth studio record, for which they recorded over two dozen brand new songs. So they broke it into two parts, with the second volume coming in 2011. Rhett Miller did the preponderance of writing for the album while on tour abroad in 2009. He and band mates Murry Hammond, Ken Bethea and Philip Peeples, craft this new CD retaining their classic sound while bringing a Garage-Rock-meets-60's-British-Invasion flavor.

Free Download from the Old 97's (right-click to save)

Rhett Miller wrote the title track in the dressing room of Leeds, England's Grand Theatre. Enjoy this free download of that song, and take a look at their video, which previews the album and gets up close with Rhett talking about the project.

- Jessie Scott

Darrell Scott "A Crooked Road"

Darrell Scott is a performer whose talents are of mythic proportions. He writes, he sings, he plays, and it is all effortless, seamless and touched by the divine. He is a revelation. He is one of those rare people that can be totally entertaining all by himself. But now there is a band, too, and what a band it is. When I heard that Darrell was going to join Robert Plant's Band of Joy, I jumped for joy. He takes his place with the other giants in that aggregation, right beside Robert Plant, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Byron House, and Marco Giovino. We got a chance to see the band perform for The Ryman Auditorium audience after the Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville. They did a smoldering set (not for broadcast) after the awards show, ya had to have been there! The tour has gone to Europe, tonight they are in Edinburgh. The question I have is how Plant got wind of Darrell, and how much fun it must be playing with this level of artistry. I wish now I had asked Darrell when he came to see us during Americana Fest.

Kentucky born, East Gary, Indiana bred, with some California thrown in for good measure; Darrell grew up playing with his brothers and father, Wayne, in their family band. He made pit stops in Toronto and Boston, earning a degree in poetry from Tufts University before he made his way to Nashville in 1992. He was initially welcomed for his instrumental prowess. His songwriting was embraced next, with his work being covered by Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, Sam Bush, and Guy Clark, who was his mentor. His latest CD is called A Crooked Road, and it is his 6th studio album of the 9 CDs in his discography. His lyrics are simple, and quite perfect on this song, the title track, "A Crooked Road." We were totally honored to have him, and blessed by this tune.

- Jessie Scott