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Christmas Songs of The South

Christmas Songs by bands of The South

You can't have a Christmas Time without Christmas songs. Everywhere you go during this time of year you hear them and, often, they stick in your head and eventually drive you crazy if you're not particularly a fan of that song. But, everyone has their favorites and many of those songs have been written or performed by Southerners. Here are a few of the best Southern Christmas songs.

Alabama - Christmas in Dixie

This song is heartwarming, but it projects a bit of a lonely feeling that stirs mixed emotions. The mood is of one who, perhaps, isn't with his family this Christmas and has a long way to go. With the leaves off the trees and the everyone staying inside all the time, wintertime already has a slightly depressing aura surrounding it and this tune really highlights it. However, if you are lucky enough to be with your loved ones on Christmas and are possibly drinking some wine or eggnog or Irish Coffee then I could see this song really making you feel all fuzzy inside.

Band of the Week: Blood On The Harp

Blood on the Harp

A fiddle, a stand up bass, acoustic guitars, keys - Blood on the Harp states simply that their rustic mountain music tunes are about death. I can imagine that this time of year is when they feel most inspired--the coming dreary days, the falling leaves and the general spookiness in the air - their tunes are in no way upbeat, but they do project an rosy somber vibe with their spot on harmonies and matter of fact stories concerning the ill-fated. There is a noticeable Irish Folk music influence within the core of their tunes, but, also touches of vintage country and a sort of gloomy Bluegrass.

Fall 2016 Light Jackets

In the South, we're lucky to not have to deal with bitter cold, usually, 'til 'round January. Unless you live up on top of a mountain, you don't need a heavy coat for the latter part of the year. Below are just a few ideas to keep the crisp autumn breeze from making it's way completely to your bones and, ideally, making you look good at the same time.

SOUTHERN TIDE - Maritime Jacket

Southern Tide was started by a native Southerner who saw a gap in the marketplace for Southern Style. They're based out of Greenville, South Carolina. In the tradition of fifteenth century sailors, this wax coated cotton jacket has a corduroy collar and hound's-tooth cotton interior to keep you dry, and warm. And the navy blue color will go great with 'most everything, except maybe black slacks.

Southern Tide - Altitude Down Vest

Another classy vesture by Southern Tide--Can't go wrong with this light Down-Filled vest over a nice flannel while attending a football game or an rambling through a corn maze. I might suggest a big less typical flannel though - perhaps this one or this one? It even has zippered hand warmer pockets and elastic cuffs to keep in heat.


GAP - ColdControl Lite Stretch Colorblock Puffer Jacket

Modernly masculine and straight to the point. The Colorblock Puffer Jacket is made with quilted stretch weave with contrast lining to keep you extra comfortable and free to move about. The zippered front with a storm flap will keep out the wind and keep you nice and toasty no doubt on a hike up a mountain with the chick you just matched with on Bumble, if she ever sends you a message.

Photo Album - June/July 2016

Just a few images taken over the course of a couple months around the Southeastern United States.

Northwest Georgia

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this photo was taken from in an unincorporated area of  Chattooga county, Georgia called Taylor Ridge. Taylor Ridge, named after Cherokee Indian chief Richard Taylor, runs roughly forty miles through Northwest Georgia and is composed of sandstone on one side and hard chert on the other - leading to differing types of flora on either side of the mountain.

Coming south from Chattooga county, and just inside Floyd county, if one veers from the beaten path of Highway 27 you'll find yourself in the rustic countryside of Armuchee (pronounced Armurchee by the locals) and Johns Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Sparsely populated and no signs on the main highway advertising hiking or camping or the like it is an area filled with barns, creeks that at least appear they'd be good for tubing or kayaking, quaint churches and rolling hills, leading up to small mountain peaks that bear resemblance to the taller and more vast Smokies further to the east. There are also multiple hiking opportunities in the area, mostly accessed by the Pinhoti Trail including Horn Mountain, Rocky Face, Dick's Ridge, Taylor Ride, and Little Sand Mountain.

Summer Festivals Around The South

Liver Mush Festival - Marion, NC

June 3

I had liver mush once. It was in the general area this festival was taking place. I'd spent a couple days in Asheville, NC and was driving back home and stopped at a roadside diner to get some breakfast and liver mush was on the menu and, of course, I had to try it. The taste is nothing really out of the ordinary. It is rich and greasy and has a flavor not unlike regular ol' patty sausage, which is common across The South. One could also say it has a flavor resembling blood sausage or, perhaps, even a light in texture meatloaf. It was pretty good.

This festival takes place in beautiful Marion, NC and celebrates the conglomeration of different pig parts and cornmeal with such events as Best Dressed Pig contest, a Liver much sandwich eating contest, a Pig Calling contest, live music and a corn hole tournament as well. The grand prize for the Best Dressed Pig contest is twenty-five dollars.

Mountains of Music Homecoming - Virginia

June 10-18th

Nine counties, four cities and over and fifty towns. Over an eight day period the hills and mountains of Virginia come alive with the sounds of a musical heritage that traces its roots back to the European and African settlers that arrived there hundreds of years ago. The Crooked Road that links these municipalities is the marker you'll need as you travel from town to town to see acts such as The Crooked Road Ramblers and Flatt Lonesome, just to name a couple. But music isn't the only draw to this eight day hoedown. In the Central Zone in Cedar Bluff, there is a Community Quilt Challenge, and in Haysi, in the West Zone, there is a folk art exhibit by painter Shawn Wallace. What I've mentioned here is just a tiny snippet of a truly vast experience and exhibition. Find out more here.  

The Bride: Early 1900s How-To Book for Newlyweds - Part 2

This is the second portion of a book found at my grandmother's house (R.I.P.). You will find many peculiar, vintage recipes advertisements and a lot of things spelled differently than one would spell them today. To zoom in on the image - press ctrl +. 

This will, no doubt, be many people's favorite section as the craft cocktail trend is surging right now and these are about as vintage recipes as one will find. There were more pages of recipes besides these actually, but I'd been scanning the pages of this book for an hour and felt that these were sufficient.

FOR THE ENTERTAINER