Wheeler Brothers "Sleep When I'm Dead"

Old Settler’s Music Festival is almost upon us, April 19--22, and this week, Music Fog is featuring some of the fine folks on the line up. It takes place just 11 miles south of Austin at the Salt Lick Pavilion on the outskirts of Austin. Yes, it is the same Salt Lick that has been featured on so many of those cable food and travel shows. By the way, Salt Lick has a hint of Hawaiian influence with pineapple in the barbeque sauce. That last link is a rabbit hole of its own, if you are of a mind to go chasing down the secret recipe. Old Settlers Music Fest has camping at Camp Ben McCulloch, so if you have some vacation time coming, or just get a wild hair, or is that wild hare (sorry, another rabbit hole for you!), c’mon down to Texas for a while.

There are several artists that we have had the pleasure of filming on this year’s OSMF roster: Ha Ha Tonka, James McMurtry, New Country Rehab, Sarah Jarosz, The Bottle Rockets, Bob Schneider, Eilen Jewell, and Sam Baker. Sounds like a party, right? Austin natives, The Wheeler Brothers, will be there too. They are one of the crop of new buzz bands showing up on must-see and must-listen-to lists. In fact, they just made their national TV debut with Carson Daly on March 22nd. Brothers Nolan, Tyler and Patrick Wheeler met Danny Matthews at LSU. Once back in Austin, the group added guitarist A.J. Molyneaux, and the combustion began. Portraits, their debut album, came out in June, and they played us a song from it when they stopped by Threadgill’s for the Spring Music Fog Marathon last month. It was the day the Austin Music Awards were announced, and the Wheeler Brothers picked up Best New Band, Best Acoustic Guitar – Nolan Wheeler, Best Bass – Tyler Wheeler, Best Misc. Instrument - A.J. Molyneaux, and Best Roots Rock. Here is “Sleep When I’m Dead.”

- Jessie Scott

Alabama Shakes "Hold On"

Have you heard about Alabama Shakes yet? They are a breakout band fronted by former postal worker Brittany Howard, that is poised to kick some serious ass this year. They got together a few years back, while in high school in Athens, Alabama. Brittany, who had taken up the guitar, reached out to Zac Cockrell ‘cause he played bass. Then they found drummer Steve Johnson, and lead guitarist Heath Fogg joined after that. So cool that the flavors of soul, funk and Southern Rock continue to the bubbling up. There is still so much righteous music emerging from the Mojo Triangle.

Alabama Shakes set out to write original songs while they jammed on others from James Brown, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC, as they were looking for common comfort. And that informs what they do now, but their fusion is unmistakably their own. The plan was to start capturing their music at Brittany’s house, but she lived right next to some railroad tracks making it hard to record there, what with the random rumble of trains. In early 2011 they made their way to a Nashville studio, where they recorded “You Ain’t Alone” and “I Found You.” The band played its first Nashville gig on Record Store Day 2011 at The Groove New & Used Vinyl & CDs in East Nashville to something of a Big Bang. It is just a year later, and their debut album Boys & Girls comes out today. The band is picking up some East Coast dates, and then they head to Europe later this month. Needless to say, ya gotta go see them. Oh yeah, and be prepared to dance!

- Jessie Scott

Shurman "Back to Texas"

Denise is road tripping, driving to the West Coast with Sharon Ely on a Holy Posole run. Sharon’s Holy Posole is taking off, from initially being something she prepared as a Christmas gift for friends, and is now starting to appear in HEB stores in Texas. It is available on Amazon, too. It is magical soup, good for what ails you.

Denise texted me from Lubbock a couple of days ago, a place where I spent a bit of time in the mid-80s. When I was there, it seemed like time had been standing still for decades. The town felt as if it was in black and white, and hadn’t gotten to Technicolor yet. An old fashioned soda fountain in a pharmacy was even still in business back then. I haven’t returned to Lubbock since I moved to Texas. One of these days, I just have to get back there.

It might be a perfect time to do just that, as the band Shurman heads to The Blue Light in Lubbock this Saturday night. More Texas dates are in store, as they are still celebrating the February release of their new album, Inspiration, which came out on their own label, Teletone Records. Cool, too, that there is even limited edition 180-gram vinyl. Aaron Beavers, Mike Therieau, Harley Husbands, and Craig Bagby were in fine form when they came to visit us during the Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin a few weeks ago. The release of this album is the culmination of some pretty radical twists and turns through the last few years. I am proud of their perseverance, and on top of that, congratulate the Shurman guys for just how good this CD is. Here is the Music Fog version of one of the songs on the new album, “Back To Texas.”

- Jessie Scott