I’ve featured Joe Pug here on these pages before. He’s a local Chicagoan and sings these Americana-folk songs that have probably some of the best, modern lyrics I know of. I’ve been hiding from this here blog for a couple of days, not sure exactly why. It seems to be full of things I feel I have to talk about, in terms of reviews promised and artists wanting mentioned. I hate when it gets that way instead of being a place where I’m excited to sit down and spout off about what’s turning me on. I think I need a good dose of live music – something to lose myself in and really feel, ya know? There’s some great shows coming up; I’m certain I’ll get that blogging mojo back soon.

In the meantime, Joe Pug is speaking to me. He sings these slow, sweet, simple guitar/vocal melodies that aren’t sappy and aren’t sad. Yet they do make ya think. The words are often just fucking smart. He’s smart. He makes you feel smart. This is folk music made art. If you like the old kind of music that Dylan used to do before he went electric, you’ll dig this. If you like the bits of Billy Bragg that delve back into Arlo Guthrie, you’ll find a soft place here. Even if you don’t really like folk music I think you’ll like Joe Pug’s words, and that harmonica…. ”Speak Plainly, Diana”… wow, I’m increasingly becoming quite a sucker for a good harmonica, xoxo

Go download Joe’s entire EP In The Meantime by just joining his email list. I usually don’t post these gadgets that make you give out your email addy. But this is worth it, and Joe’s a good guy. He has been invited to join Steve Earle’s European tour, and in between will be cramming in as many headlining US dates as he can in anticipation of the release of his debut LP Messenger in early 2010. There’s also a widget to order his album Nation of Heat. I’ve got that playing now, and it’s really something else. Buy it. End of story. xoxo

Tour Dates
9/3 Yosemite, CA–Strawberry Music Festival
9/9 Basingstoke, UK–The Anvil +
9/10 Manchester, UK–Bridgewater Hall +
9/12 Derby, UK–Assembly Hall +
9/14 St. Albans, UK–St. Albans Arena +
9/17 Champaign, IL–Pygmalion Music Festival
9/18 Nashville, TN–AMA Music Festival
9/19 Madison, WI–Forward Music Festival
10/1 St. Louis, MO–The Billiken Club
10/2 Rock Island, IL–Rock Island Brewing Co.
10/3 Chicago, IL–Americana Staqe @ Chicago Country Music Festival
10/15 Boulder, CO– The B-Side Lounge
10/16 Denver, CO–Daniels Hall @ Swallow Hill
10/27 Seattle, WA–Tractor Tavern
10/28 Portland, OR–The Doug Fir
11/6 Ann Arbor, MI–The Ark
11/13 Ennis, Ireland–Glor +
11/14 Castlebar, Ireland–TF Royal +
11/15 Derry, Ireland–Derry Millennium Forum +
11/17 Dublin, Ireland–Dublin Olympia +
11/19 Eindoven, Netherlands–Effenaar +
11/23 Groningen, Netherlands–Groningen Oosterport +
11/25 Stuttgart, Germany–LKA Stuttgart +
11/26 Berlin, Germany–Columbia Club +
11/27 Nurenberg, Germany–Hirsch +
11/29 Kaiserslautern, Germany–Kammgarn +
12/1 Milan, Italy–La Salumeria Della Musica +
12/2 Rome, Italy–Roma Circolo Degli Artisti +
12/3 Faenza, Italy–Strade Blu Festival at Teatro Masini +
12/6 Glasgow, Scotland–Glasgow Royal Concert Hall +
12/7 Perth, Scotland–Perth Concert Hall +
12/8 Aberdeen, SC–Aberdeen Music Hall +
12/10 Inverness, SC–Inverness Ironworks +