Corb Lund "A Game In Town Like This"

Corb Lund is a real deal cowboy from a rodeo and ranching family, 100 years in Canada, having migrated from raising cattle in Utah and Nevada. He was on a horse as soon as he could walk, roping steer in the rodeo as a teenager. Losin’ Lately Gambler is his 6th album, produced by Handsome Harry Stinson, drummer and vocalist from Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives. If you are not familiar with Corb's work, there is that sense of truth that shines through it. You see the characters, feel the scenarios, relate to the stories; he is channeling life. And it doesn't matter whether you share the same landscape. These truths are universal. Corb says, "A lot of my ancestors pop into the songs. I’ve got quite a cast of characters to draw from. I feel a real kinship with the old West. A lot of my ancestors were ranchers, but one of my great-grandpas was a road gambler in Montana in the 1880's. I’ve got some miners in there. My grandpas in particular were full of lore – they had lots of stories."

Corb Lund and The Hurtin' Albertans hit the road and keep on going, as November dates give way to the XXXMas Tour in December. They are in Peterborough, Ontario tonight, and then take a swing down the east coast into the Appalachians. I asked him once about the frequently traveled route he took, touring from Alberta south through the Rockies to Texas. He said that was pretty seamless, that it all felt anchored with a similar spirit. I suspect he will find it on this latest trip as well. We are a nation of restless pioneers. Seekers, searchers. And sometimes we lose our way, without the anchoring of family, society, and mores.

Corb's great-grandfather might just be the model for the hard-luck gambler of the song “A Game in Town Like This.” Have you been obsessed? By love, by drink, by drugs, by video games, by partying until the sun comes up, and going home in your evening clothes when everyone else is going to work? Then you just might see yourself in the telling of this tale. Even if you have hung your butt over the edge, you can still come back. New dawn, new day, new chance to make it right. Every day. It's so good to have Corb Lund in front of the Music Fog cameras again, recorded last month in Nashville at the Americana Music Festival.

- Jessie Scott

Ten Cent Howl "Are We Fine"

I gage that Music Fog is on people lips mostly because not an hour goes by during the work week, that I don't get a press release from a band. Well, let me rephrase that. We hear from labels, PR agents, radio promoters, show promoters, managers, attorneys, bands themselves, or fans and relatives of bands! Oh, some are electronica, some are heavy metal, lots are indie, and some actually fit! Here is one that does, Ten Cent Howl has been together for years, being the standard bearer for Americana in Buffalo, New York. "Buffalo?" you say. "Why yes," I reply, the rust belt is rife with Americana. From Chicago through the Great Lakes to Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York, there is plenty of cool roots music being made. And why not? Americana is perfectly positioned to reflect the landscape, to address the questions that need to be asked; to comment on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Halloween makes me happy. Trick or treating with no adult supervision, the freedom of dressing weirdly. When I lived in Orlando, it was amazing to get invited to parties, what with the Universal and Disney talent infusion. As you might imagine, the costumes were over the top. Halloween is a great excuse to have a party, and it's a wonderful opportunity for creativity to ooze out of every pore. Bring people together for dandy candy and fun mixtapes, what could be better? And there are seemingly days of parties upon us with the Sunday night placement this year. So let us address the moon together with the band Ten Cent Howl. They bring us a song from their Dreamscape Americana CD, "Are We Fine," which features clips from the 1916 short movie The Mystery of the Leaping Fish. Look for more costume ideas!

- Jessie Scott

Patty Larkin "Hallelujah"

I am back in Austin, where there is endless summer and if only there were an ocean I would go surfing! It is nearly 90 degrees and fairly humid. Flowers are blooming. Grass is growing. Mold and other particulate matter is in the air. Halloween is right around the corner, too. I may have to adjust my costume choice to something more summerly. Don't want that zombie makeup melting off my face. I am deciding between Zombie Andy Warhol (could you tell the difference between the unzombie and zombie of Andy?) and being a Zom-Bee-Gee, with "Stayin' Alive" playing continuously in my gold sequin disco jacket. Maybe we should make it a vote! Let me know which I should go as! Anyway, last week, the weather in New York was about perfect. Autumn leaves just starting to turn. A chill in the air in the wee hours. I feel an excitement with the change of season. The crispness contains forward motion. Tomorrow it is supposed to be ONLY 78 here in Austin, yahoo! Bitch Bitch Bitch...I know that there is already snow on the ground in New England, I shouldn't complain!

Photo Credit: Jana LeonPatty Larkin is a girl of the northern climates, too. She spent her childhood in Milwaukee, WI and moved to New England upon graduation from high school. There, she devoted herself to music, busking on the streets of Cambridge and studying jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music and with Boston area jazz guitarists. After 25 years, she continues to burn bright. And she is wisely avoiding most of the northern tier for her fall touring season! One of the most interesting shows coming up is December 17th at The Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA, as Patty takes the stage with Lucy Kaplansky, Chris Smither, and Jorma Kaukonen. It is a benefit for The Half the Sky Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to providing the love and concern of family for thousands of orphaned children in China who have lost theirs. Their mission is for each to have a caring adult in their life. "Hallelujah" is the song we bring today, from our Music Fog bus sessions during this year's Folk Alliance in Memphis. On Patty's latest album, 25, she duets on this song with the equally magical Shawn Colvin. Here she is solo for this version...let us salute love.

- Jessie Scott