Leave it to David Menconi to give us some great news about new music on the way from TM:

Even though "Another Country" has only been out for about six months, Merritt already has more new music in the pipeline. This fall will see the release of "Please Break the Stillness of the Middle of the Night," a digital-only mini-album with outtakes, covers and a few new originals.

One of those new originals, "Wayward and Weary," will also appear on the upcoming DVD version of "Gonzo," director Alex Gibney's documentary about Hunter S. Thompson (the late gonzo journalist who committed suicide in 2005).

If a bunch of fans show up to tomorrow night's show with fruit (or is it a vegetable?), Tift may regret making the comments that led to the article's opening paragraphs:

If you go to former local Tift Merritt's homecoming show this weekend, bring along some tomatoes. But not the kind you'd throw to express displeasure. Make sure they're fresh and ripe and juicy -- like the ones Merritt used to buy at the State Farmers Market, when she lived in Raleigh and her practice space was right down the street.

"Man, I am so missing the Farmers Market," Merritt says with a sigh, calling from her New York City apartment. "I've not had a good tomato sandwich all summer, and it's killin' me."

Awesome Mitch!  Thanks for finding that juicy bit of news!  (I mean the new songs, not the tomatoes!)

If I remember correctly, Tift recorded at least one of the new tracks Wayward & Weary in London in
May this year, the night before we saw her play in Buckingham - said she was up until 4am
recording the song!

Can't wait to hear the rest of 'em!

That is excellent news about the new music. Looks like Tift is going to take some time this fall to work on some new music, too.

Awesome news!  Mitch, your Internet detective skills are superlative and much appreciated.  Really excited for a release of new music from Tift.  The covers part has me most excited, I wonder what artists she's chosen?  Also hoping the outtakes are some songs we haven't heard yet or maybe the demo versions of Another Country tracks that had Greg Readling on pedal steel?  I'm dying to hear more from that session. 

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I could claim superior deterctive skills, but this article appeared in this morning's local paper.

I did find the following on the Internet: TM's rhythm section moonlights on the the new album from Hotel Lights. I'm not an aficianado of Darren Jessee's work, but I enjoyed the set he performed before a TM show at the Lincoln Theatre in 2004 or 2005.

Yeah Mitch, the best detective let's the info come to him, so that makes you the BEST detective. That digital mini album has my interest up as well, should have some interesting stuff on it. I imagine the orginals would be live recordings done on her summer tour.