Music Fog - Americana Music

Bishop Gunn "Keep It in the Red"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 17:31:27 +0000

Are you digging the Olympics? Not that I watch a lot of sports, but the choices are so varied, and the team spirit of it all has me enrapt. I am ever impressed with watching folks that have dedicated themselves to their sport, and kudos to all who have seen their dream take them to Tokyo, even without crowds in the stands. Life in rock and roll seems to be equally tough, as audiences are filtering in finally and bands are beginning to tour again. I have my hopes high that things will continue to open up, and that we will return to whatever “normal” looks like in the after times. Heck, here’s hoping that the Foggers will be making a trek to Nashville soon to record!

As we look forward, I’d like to revisit something we have been holding on to. Bishop Gunn came before our cameras in February of 2019, and they asked us to wait to post this song, as it was meant to be on their next album. And then the band dispersed. The group has not reformed, but they have decided to release that final album they recorded together, so Gypsy Cadillac just came out. We thank Travis McCready for permission to post, and look forward to his upcoming solo album to be released soon! Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy the Music Fog recording of “Keep It In The Red!”

This was filmed during a private Music Fog recording session on February 10th, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Travis McCready (vocals, electric guitar), Drew Smithers (electric guitar), Ben Lewis (bass), and Burne Sharp (drums).

Jessie Scott

Parker Millsap "Your Water"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 28 May 2021 23:15:32 +0000

Here we stand as it’s the unofficial start of summer. I hope things are opening up for you and the season ahead will be sweet with fun and frolic. It’s been a cold and dark winter but the sun is now shining.

Photo credit: Monica Murray

It is almost time for Music Fog to film again. Of course, we were about to hold the next round of sessions before all whistles blew to a stop with the quarantine. During our last sessions, Parker Millsap had a new album, Other Arrangements, and we were able to film him solo. From that session is today’s video, “Your Water.” What’s funny is that Parker has a new album out and it just might be time to get back together with him to capture songs from his latest, Be Here Instead. We seem to be on the same cycle!

Jessie Scott

Will Kimbrough "I'm Not Running Away"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 13:52:31 +0000

Does your car have a nickname? I have had The Marshmallow for the last ten years, a trusty steed that has taken me from Texas to NYC to Nashville, and far and wide beyond that to explore music, food and culture. A new car is in my sights, and the first thing I’m gonna do is head for The Delta, NOLA, and Austin. I call these adventures “rambles” and what with quarantine lifting, I am about due for a road trip in the new car. I’ll let you know what its name is when I get it. And yes, I am fully vaxxed, double masked, and ready to observe whatever rules and regs I need to to keep us all safe. I think the faster we do these things, the faster we can see live music safely again.

Today’s song regales us with the romance of the open road, from Will Kimbrough, who put the I Like It Down Here album out a couple of years back. On his more recent release, during the 'dark times,’ I got to talk to him for my WMOT Words & Music interview series. You can find it here.

Music Fog filmed Will Kimbrough, with Bryan Owings on percussion and Chris Donohue on bass, during our last outing to Nashville, and we can’t wait to do it again. To quote the song, “we’re not running away, we’re just running.” Or hoping to real soon! Let’s kick back and make a wish, with Will Kimbrough, that the road opens up for us all.

Jessie Scott

Why Is My Favorite Video Gone?

Aaron Lee — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 02:11:52 +0000

This photo is a representation of what a video looks like when we remove it from YouTube…this is not an actual link. We usually move the video to “Private” rather than deleting the video entirely, in hopes the matter will be resolved and we can return the video to public viewing.

Today we received a copyright claim from Sturgill Simpson’s publisher for our video of Sunday Valley (Sturgill’s band prior to recording under his own name) performing “Life Ain’t Fair.” This video has over 8.2 million views so far. It was filmed in 2011, long before Sturgill Simpson was widely known in Rock, Country and Americana music.

Before we go into greater detail, let it be known that we have absolutely no animosity or ill will towards Sturgill. Many times the artists themselves are unaware of these behind-the-scenes issues, and/or they have no course of action themselves to retract management claims or acts of protection. Therein lies the irony. On one hand, the publishing rights holder, or their manager, or the record label, is doing what they’re supposed to be doing; which is to protect the artist and their works. But on the other hand, when agreements are made, and legal contracts are signed, those should be honored.

Music Fog always operates with signed paperwork from the rights holder in our quest to provide a platform for discovery and promotion of Americana Music. This is way more than a “business” for us. Sure, we have to run it like a business legally, but the real mission is a labor of love. We do it for the music. The four partners of Music Fog all have full-time jobs which sustain us. The ad revenue we earn from our YouTube videos funds the thousands of dollars we spend to film our sessions, including location rentals, gear purchases, equipment rentals, travel, housing, personnel, post-production resources, etc.

We offer a simple arrangement with each artist we record. We do not charge them for the recording session—we foot the bill entirely. The artist comes before our cameras willingly, and they get introduced to a very large audience on Music Fog, our YouTube channel and the rest of our socials. They may make use our high-quality videos for any other promotional opportunities that arise for them. Our recordings have been featured by CBS TV, The BBC, and sometimes have been released on their albums, with no cost to the artist. In exchange, we ask for a few rights, including use of their likeness and use of the underlying song for promotional purposes. We record new versions of these songs. Having that agreement allows us to collect advertising revenue on the videos we feature on YouTube. This is the sole source of income to fund our music production.

Certainly, one video removed can’t threaten the future of the Fog, but several videos can sure risk our ability to film future sessions. And it has been happening a lot lately. A video here, a video there. All we can do is dispute the claim to try and retain ownership, but the publishers and record labels have the upper hand. If they decline, we lose the dispute and any ad revenue goes to the publisher/label. So, instead, we remove the video since our original contract has been broken. This hurts the artists and the growth of Music Fog's audience. In some cases, the videos are removed completely from the platform without our say, as was the case with our first posting from Sturgill Simpson, Sunday Valley’s “I Wonder.” So, today Sturgill Simpson’s music no longer resides on Music Fog, as his one remaining video has been taken down. These videos represent historical moments, and they are being wiped away by the entities hired to protect copyrights.

More times than not, publishers and labels have retracted their copyright claim against us once they were aware of the arrangement or mistake. However, other artists that have had a video taken down, or in some cases their entire Music Fog collection removed, include then-unknown to more widely known artists: Sierra Hull, Ward Davis, Over the Rhine, Carrie Rodriguez, SteelDrivers, John Fullbright, Lynn Miles, Dash Rip Rock, Hayes Carll, The Coal Porters, Sarah Jarosz, Marshall Chapman, Sahara Smith, David Olney & Sergio Webb, Reckless Kelly, Belleville Outfit, Donna the Buffalo, and Will Hoge. In some cases the video has never been seen, as the copyright claim was filed while we were preparing the video for public viewing!

We’ve been told many times that it is an honor to be invited to play in front of the Music Fog cameras. We hold that recognition close and hope to continue to be a pivotal conduit between the artist and the audience. But our model is at risk if agreements are not kept. We are powering through this pandemic just as you are, and plan on recording new sessions once it is safe to do so. But if every publisher were to dismiss our agreement, there’s no way we could fund future shoots.

If you’re a fan, please reach out to your favorite Music Fog artist and let them know how much they mean to you, especially if you have discovered them via our videos. If you are an artist with dropped Music Fog videos, please convince your publisher, your record company, or your management, to release any claims against Music Fog. Contact us directly if you need clarity. We would be grateful for the opportunity to continue promoting you and your incredible body of work.

Now that’s Americana!

- The Music Fog Crew

UPDATE - March 24th, 2021: The publisher has released their copyright claim against us, so this incredible performance is back out in the world! A big thanks to the industry for believing in us and supporting what we do. Here’s the video!

Chuck Mead "Daddy Worked the Pole"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 19:21:32 +0000

Maybe it’s the holidays being behind us, and maybe it’s that I can already feel the days getting longer, but I am starting to dream of a time when we can all get back to normal. I can hardly wait for the return to restaurants, shows, vacations, meetings, and for the Foggers being back together to capture music. We have been making as much of the small blessings of life as we can, and Music Fog has a couple of new things to be grateful for. We just hit 100,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel! That’s quite a milestone when you realize this has all been organically grown by word of mouth! We thank you for your continued support. Also, we are rolling out a new website, with some new bells and whistles, and an updated Music Fog logo, so thanks for stopping by to check it out.

Today’s video comes from Chuck Mead, of course of BR5-49 fame. His credits also include helping birth the modern era in Nashville, bringing folks back to Lower Broad, when no one dared venture downtown. He is a producer for the Memphis’ legendary Sun label, where he also was Music Director for the Million Dollar Quartet show. He has a frequent presence online, for his Lil’l SOB Jamboree, which you can find on his YouTube channel! We bring you a song from Chuck today about being there for one another, ‘cause after all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Here is the Music Fog recording of “Daddy Worked The Pole,” filmed during a private session in Nashville. We can’t wait to start recording again, after the pandemic!

Jessie Scott

The Shootouts "Quick Draw"

Aaron Lee — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 20:02:38 +0000

Rock this instrumental barn burner nice and LOUD! "Quick Draw" is the title track from The Shootout's debut album. This Music Fog version was filmed during a...

What a year! Here is hoping we are ready to move on, and that we can put this all behind us. It has been especially tough here in Nashville, between the tornado and the Christmas Day bombing, plus all the disruption in between. The plague continues to rage everywhere, as does the political debate. It is like our whole world has been in the white water. Better days are my New Year’s wish for us all.

A footnote, Music Fog will hit 100,000 subscribers on YouTube very soon, and we Foggers are all so thankful to be sharing music with you. Thanks for doing the dance with us. We can hardly wait until the coast is clear to get back into the studio, which we are expecting to be able to do sometime this year. Prayers up!

Photo Credit: Aimee Lambes Photography

Speaking of dancing, today we bring you a short and sweet instrumental, to mark the end of the year and to usher in the new one. Ryan Humbert wears two hats (haha, aside from the one in the video…!). He is a radio show host, as well as a musician, leading his band The Shootouts. Listen for him on The Summit (WAPS Akron, Ohio) and check out his new 24/7 stream The Americana Roundup. Here is the song “Quick Draw” from Ryan and The Shootouts which Music Fog filmed during a private session in Nashville last year. Let's all do a little dance as we say goodbye and hello!

- Jessie Scott

Seth Walker "Are You Open?"

Aaron Lee — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 02:01:17 +0000

Filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, Seth Walker performs the title track from his 2019 release. Music Fog recorded this version as part of our 10th Anniversary S...

The waiting is still the hardest part. We live these days with drama and stress, and the unknowable length of this marathon before we can stem the tide and start returning to normal. It is still one day at a time. And a day and another day, they string together like pearls. I actually had to think about whether we had summer yet, and realized that yes, we are almost at the end of 2020, so we must have had. At the beginning of the year, I had the good fortune to go on a Caribbean cruise, Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches. We were in port in Old San Juan, when I ran into Seth Walker coming around the corner, we chatted for a few minutes, catching up on what was new. He was performing on the ship, along with many other folks I consider friends.

Photo Credit: Chad Crawford

Seth has used the quarantine time to put pen to paper, and just announced that he will be releasing his first book after the first of the year, Your Van Is On Fire: The Miscellaneous Meanderings of a Musician. It’ll be part memoir, part meditation, and part art gallery. There is a sucessfully funded Kickstarter campaign to aid and abet its release. Seth does it all so effortlessly. Well, that is how it seems.

Seth’s most recent album is Are You Open? Today we bring you the Music Fog edition of the title track, filmed in a private performance in Nashville last year. Easy peasy!

- Jessie Scott

Joe Robinson "Whisper Your Name"

Aaron Lee — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:41:47 +0000

From a private Music Fog recording session on 2/9/19. Joe Robinson performs a song found on his album Undertones, "Whisper Your Name." #Americana

We were so sad to hear over the weekend of Jerry Jeff Walker’s passing. He was a Texas singer songwriter extraordinaire, and a revered elder statesman, and moreover, he was a friend. Jerry Jeff was a pied piper, connecting the next generation after Willie, to what came next---Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, The Robisons, Ragweed and Randy Rogers. And, of course, today there is yet another generation of truth tellers crafting music for our times. When I joined XM Radio in 2000, and we sat down to conceptualize my channel, X Country, I asked where Jerry Jeff, Doug Sahm, and Gram Parsons music would live. And those artists became how I anchored it. Back in the 70’s, it was called Progressive Country, and that's how we referenced it at XM, before we transitioned to Americana as the descriptor a few years later. I have lots of fond memories of Jerry Jeff Walker, the most recent earlier this year when he reached out to ask how I was. He told me he could no longer sing, but that he cared enough to make contact will be forever in my heart.

Photo Credit: Kane Hibberd

Today’s tune is a prayer and a wish for peace of mind through the turbulence from guitar maestro, Joe Robinson. Originally out of the Australian Bush, he studied with the master, Tommy Emmanuel, and has worked with Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and Robben Ford during his relo to Nashville. Music Fog was happy to have him on camera last year during our 10th Anniversary Sessions, as his new album Undertones was just releasing. Joe has been working on a new album in quarantine, and we can’t wait to hear what he has cooked up on the forthcoming Borders. In the meantime, here is the Music Fog capture of a tune that is pure spirit from his 2019 release, this is “Whisper Your Name.”

- Jessie Scott

Watson Twins "Southern Manners"

Aaron Lee — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 19:49:54 +0000

Chandra and Leigh are joined by Russell Pollard for this version of "Southern Manners," from the album of the same name. The Watson Twins were filmed during ...

The Watson Twins most recent album, Duo, came out in 2018. I don’t know about you, but that feels like a lifetime ago! Long ago and far away there was a time of fraternity and community. It doesn’t seem possible now, but back then people actually helped each other. Yes, there were standards, mores, and a social code that most of us agreed upon. Now, I am not suggesting a return to the bad old cookie cutter days of the 50’s, because that was so buttoned down that it was stifling, but I do wish we could just get along.

Chandra and Leigh Watson, and Chandra’s husband, multi-instrumentalist, producer Russ Pollard, take us back to their first release, the Southern Manners EP from 2006 in this Music Fog performance. And they return us to a simpler time of gentle breezes and being good to each other. This is the title song, “Southern Manners,” filmed in a private session last year in Nashville. Take a moment to bask in the quiet beauty of it all, while you remember the innocence.

- Jessie Scott

Noel McKay "The Old Pawnee Waltz"

Aaron Lee — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 19:47:47 +0000

Texas calls you home to dance "The Old Pawnee Waltz." Noel McKay with Brennen Leigh (guitar, backing vocals) and Melissa Carper (bass, backing vocals). This ...

Last week we would have convened in Nashville for AmericanaFest! Sure did miss the folks and the fanfare, and especially the music. Thriving Roots took its place, as a virtual Music Conference online, but I sure do hope that we get to come out of the house and be together someday. In the meantime, we have streaming to deliver live music, and thank goodness for that! And since we aren’t traveling the way we used to, there is the romance of the music of far away places that we can virtually travel to. Brennen Leigh’s new album Prairie Love Letter is just out, and it transports us to the turf Brennen grew up on in the upper Midwest. Just beautiful, seeing and feeling those wide open spaces through her music.

Brennen joins partner Noel McKay for this Music Fog video of “The Old Pawnee Waltz,” which transports us to yet another grand vista, in Pawnee, Texas. Noel is also accompanied by Melissa Carper on upright bass and backing vocals. Of course, Noel and Brennen made their way from Austin to Nashville a couple of years ago, and have found a home of like minded artists who honor the grand country music traditions. Here is the Music Fog rendition of “The Old Pawnee Waltz,” filmed during a private session in Nashville last year.

-Jessie Scott

Parker Millsap "Fine Line"

Aaron Lee — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 18:55:14 +0000

From his album Other Arrangements, Parker Millsap lays down a heavy acoustic version of Fine Line. Filmed during a Music Fog Nashville recording session in F...

Labor Day has come and gone, without much in the way of work going on in the music business. Rumor has it that things will start to return to normal in 2021, or even 2022. I don’t know many people who can hang on that long without a paycheck. We remind you that for big crowds to gather safely again, we need to get a handle on Corona Virus, to tamp down the spread of this pandemic. I fear for the venues, the artists and everyone else who supports music behind the scenes. PLEASE wear a mask. And ask your friends to wear one, too.

Today’s video comes from Parker Millsap. When last we checked in, he was getting ready to test some new songs out with an audience. “Fine Line” is from his 2018 album Other Arrangements, where he experimented with edgier sounds and rocked out some more. When Music Fog filmed him, he performed solo, so the song really shines. "Walking a fine line between the feast and the famine," are prescient lyrics for sure. Our prayer for everyone is that we get Covid under control so we can have events again.

- Jessie Scott

The Cerny Brothers "Night on the Town"

Aaron Lee — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 14:18:35 +0000

Remember that? A Night on the Town? "Home is a place where you go to when all other places are dead." The Cerny Brothers perform this song from their album L...

Oh, for a good steak in a restaurant, or a beach vacation, or for a music festival, heck even a single night of music! I know, we are in a marathon, and I hope you too are still quarantining. We do the best we can with the comforts of home and our electronic toys. Oh, and the socials, truly what would we do without the ability to connect through Zoom, Facebook, and the like. It has been a lifesaver. I am even picking up the phone to take an actual phone call here and there. Reach out and touch someone. I am sure you will make someone’s day by caring about them enough to call.

I’m not crying, just trying to come to terms with our new normal. How long will it last, who knows? In the meantime, we have turntables and streaming services and radio. And we have videos. Today’s Music Fog selection comes from the Cerny Brothers. The latest from them is a bona fide dance remix of the song “Days of Thunder.” But today we bring you another from our private shoot with them last year, “A Night on The Town.” We can put on some party clothes and pretend, can’t we?

- Jessie Scott

Will Kimbrough "When I Get to Memphis"

Aaron Lee — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:29:29 +0000

Live performance of "When I Get To Memphis," from Will Kimbrough's album "I Like It Down Here," featuring Bryan Owings on percussion and Chris Donohue on bas...

Before our world became so accessible, with highways and easy air travel, songs conjured up feelings about far away places. One could listen and imagine what they were like. There was such romance to it, such an interconnected sense to hearing about Old Cape Cod, Saginaw Michigan, or Santa Catalina. It is strange now to be yearning for far away places, but most of us have the quarantine blues as we stay at home and hardly venture past the city limits.

Photo Credit: Epiphone

Today we head down the Mississippi with Will Kimbrough. New Orleans brings sultry weather and a banquet of flavors and music. Of course, one could hit I-10 for Mobile, Alabama, where a couple of songwriters met a while back, Jimmy Buffett and Will Kimbrough. You know, Will has just contributed four tunes to the new Jimmy Buffett album Life on the Flip Side, which speaks to how fine a songwriter he is. Last year, Music Fog captured “When I Get To Memphis” from Will’s I Like It Down Here album, with Bryan Owings and Chris Donohue.

- Jessie Scott

Sarah Potenza "Dickerson and Queen"

Aaron Lee — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 14:22:09 +0000

Sarah Potenza with Ian Crossman (electric guitar). Exclusive recording of "Dickerson And Queen" from a private Music Fog session filmed in Nashville, Tenness...

Happy 4th people! This is a weird one for sure, but we still can declare independence. COVID numbers are rising around the country, so remember to social distance and wear a mask if you are heading out. Me, I’ll make do in the back yard. Thinking back on the last few times I was out, before we scattered to the wind, there was a very cool night at City Winery Nashville, where there were worthy shows upstairs and downstairs. Delbert McClinton was in the big room, having just won another GRAMMY©, and upstairs in the lounge was Nashville’s own Sarah Potenza.

Photo Credit: Val Hoeppner

Sarah, being the force of nature that she is, was her ever bawdy, no holds barred, diva persona. As we used to say, “Too Much Ain’t Enough.” That just might be her slogan. When she came to play at my WMOT 895 Fest last year, she wore a bathing suit, and her guitar slinger husband, Ian, wore a Hawaiian shirt and jam set. Fetching couple for sure. I miss all that; live music and hugs and applause, the next best thing is watching from the comfort of your home. Here is Sarah from last year’s private sessions in Nashville with one off her Road to Rome album, with the Music Fog recording of “Dickerson & Queen." (Note: there are some explicit lyrics)

- Jessie Scott

Will Hoge "The Reckoning"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:14:25 +0000

"The Reckoning" is the opening track to Will Hoge's 2017 album Anchors. This live recording session was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee on 2/10/19.

Today we celebrate Will Hoge, as it is the occasion of the release of his new album, Tiny Little Movies. Man, what a fine songwriter he is. And thank goodness, he is keeping the rock and roll spirit alive. I am ever in awe at the ease with which he writes, and I'm blown away by his performances, whether solo, or with his kick-ass band. Recently, Will came to play for WMOT’s Public Radio Music Day broadcasts in April, just before we shut it all down, and I have a new interview coming up with him on the radio in the 6pm Central hour today. We did a Zoom for release day, and you can find it on WMOT.org, Live Sessions on NPR, or listen live to us on your favorite smart speaker, or on the radio if you live in middle Tennessee, at 89.5 FM. By the way, we play a bunch of his music.

Music Fog goes back a ways with Will, too, having recorded him in 2009, and at AmericanaFest back in 2011. A year ago, Will Hoge returned to the Music Fog set to lay some more tunes down. One that he performed for us is on his 2017 album Anchors, and we bring that to you today. Here is “The Reckoning,” filmed during a private session in Nashville last year.

- Jessie Scott

Mike Farris "Selah! Selah!"

Aaron Lee — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 19:24:00 +0000

From his classic 2007 album "Salvation in Lights," Mike Farris performs "Selah! Selah!" at a private Music Fog session in Nashville, TN.

Wow, who wrote this script anyway? Each week seems to bring twists and turns that are totally unexpected and that stop you in your tracks. Since we are all in it together, here is to healing, both physically and spiritually. We can always lift our voices in song or take a knee in prayer, and I have just the person to bring it, Nashville treasure Mike Farris.

Farris is a force of nature. He possesses one incredible voice, with the power to find common ground. He has been doing some live streaming events, like Wheelie Wednesdays, because of course Mike was lead singer for the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies. And then there is Light Up The Lockdown on Sundays . His shows are live streamed, so please remember to tip or buy some merch. Support is so important right now. Mike’s latest album is Silver & Stone, but when Music Fog caught up with him in a private session in Nashville, he dug back into the Salvation in Lights album for a classic, “Selah! Selah!” Its about perfect for right now.

- Jessie Scott

Jenny Leigh "Good Men"

Aaron Lee — Fri, 29 May 2020 17:27:31 +0000

"There ain't enough God Men to go around." Is Jenny Leigh writing about you?! This private Music Fog recording was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee in February...

Are you still sequestered? Are you getting antsy? Have you been interacting on FaceTime or Zoom, or are you at home with only your core folks? What kind of things have been keeping you busy, what is giving you joy? Music still does that for me, thank goodness. There are a dizzying array of streams to check out and I find that I am listening to more music in general. My radio station, WMOT, was planning to do our second live festival this weekend, and we didn’t even get a chance to unveil the line up before all was silenced due to the pandemic. So, this weekend, we are streaming and broadcasting last year’s 895 Fest sets, all 18 of them! It goes 12p to 6p CT Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and you can listen at WMOT.org or go to NPR Music/Live Sessions/WMOT if you would like to watch.

Today’s video comes from Nashville songstress Jenny Leigh, who just put out a new track a couple of weeks ago with Adam Wakefield. Check out “Where The Real Love Starts." The thing about music that I most love is that it stops your mind from reeling, and centers you while you are experiencing it. Jenny does that on this tune, which Music Fog filmed in a private session last year in Nashville. Here is our exclusive studio recording of "Good Men."

- Jessie Scott

The Howlin' Brothers "Watermelon Bucket Band"

Aaron Lee — Mon, 18 May 2020 21:23:51 +0000

Can we trust that summer is almost here? I dunno, the weather has been so tentative, warm one day, and then there is a chill in the air again. But I think it is ever closer, and I welcome the idea of summer, though I suspect this one will be unlike any we have ever experienced. Of course, we are all wishing to be back in those easy pre-quarantine days.

Back before things got nuts, I was on the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches Cruise with lots of fine artists and friends. We disembarked in Ft. Lauderdale, the home of one of my favorite restaurants, The Rustic Inn. The Howlin’ Brothers had played on the ship, and I convinced them to accompany me for a midday feast of garlic crabs, served waterside on a canal. Now this was back in January, but it was a wistful taste of the season changing.

Today we feature a carefree summer-feeling tune from The Howlin’ Brothers. Music Fog filmed them doing “Watermelon Bucket Band” during a private session in Nashville last year. The original can be found on their most recent album Still Howlin’. Not sure when we will be able to gather, but you can roll the rug up and dance around the room anyway!

- Jessie Scott

The Shootouts "Who Needs Rock & Roll"

Aaron Lee — Sat, 02 May 2020 01:07:16 +0000

The Shootouts tear it up in under two minutes with this tune from their debut album, Quick Draw. Ryan Humbert (lead vocals & acoustic guitar), Emily Bates (b...

I dream of simpler times from not that long ago. Back in those day we danced cheek to cheek, or we two-stepped the night away to our heart’s content. Doesn’t that feel like another lifetime? Seriously, I hope your shut in time is not too hard to bear. I have been growing a vegetable garden in my spare time. I can’t wait for the harvest, but I gotta say it just makes me feel better to look at the greenery of it.

Photo Credit: Aimee Lambes

Before everything got shut down, we had Ryan Humbert and Emily Bates over to the house for dinner. Even that seems quaint! The band was in Nashville, working on a new record with Chuck Mead producing, and we don’t yet know the release date, since things are so weird. Ryan and Emily, along with Brian Poston, Ryan McDermott, and Dylan Gomez are The Shootouts, and they are spiffy dressers...and we like that when we film. They were recently nominated for an Ameripolitan Award, for Best Honky Tonk Band, and yeah, they like the Western Swing, too. That is evident on this tune originally found on their 2019 Quick Draw album, “Who Needs Rock & Roll.” This here is the Music Fog recording, from a private session last year in Nashville. Yee haw!

- Jessie Scott

Chuck Mead “Tap Into Your Misery”

Aaron Lee — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 16:26:58 +0000

Go ahead. Embrace it. Tap Into Your Misery. Chuck Mead performs a song from his album Close to Home. This private Music Fog recording session was filmed in N...

Thursday, April 16th, was the first ever Public Radio Music Day, and some 70 stations in 30 states took part in it. Every station did different specials, and ours, WMOT Nashville, was a radio festival. We broadcast 15 sessions from different events that took place in the last year. 15 hours is a lot of live music, and I was living vicariously through it. I actually tried to feel what it is like when we presented these events which is very physical. By the end of the day, I felt like I had run a marathon and danced through all the sets. I would say that is “Mission Accomplished” in the new normal. We presented amazing music all day long, including from The Wood Brothers, Yola, Sierra Hull, The Mavericks, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and ten more. Can’t wait until we can present live music again, in person.

Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

Ah, the virtual will have to do for now. Me, I am loving how much live music is bubbling up all the time on the socials. Chuck Mead, of BR549 fame, is doing a series of shows. The Lil’ SOB Jamboree is happening again today at 5pm CDT. Well worth your time to grab a libation, roll up the rug and get busy. Cause, you gotta get your exercise, so why not dance? Today we bring you “Tap Into Your Misery” from a private session Music Fog did with Chuck last year in Nashville. Not that he is talking about tap dancing, but hey, why not?

- Jessie Scott

Music Fog - Americana Music

Bishop Gunn "Keep It in the Red"

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