Sometimes the best songs about a tragedy don't mention the tragedy at all. And songs that do mention the tragedy soon can become trite and dated.

It was for that reason, explains Brett Murray, that you won't hear lyrics about BP or oil-stained beaches in the Travis-Murray band's new song, "The Gulf of Mexico."

"We wanted people to hear the song and think about all the fun things they've done, all of their memories of the Gulf instead of putting out a song talking about the spill," said Murray.

"This song is one of our favorites in our collection because it's the perfect combination of our two favorite things: good music and the Gulf," Murray added. "We are so privileged to live in such a beautiful area and we hope this song can help promote its preservation."

Although they have not yet had time to give it the polished Nashville sound they desire, the band members wanted to get the song out there and have place it on YouTube and sent it to country-oriented stations across the state.

MudBrick Media of Mobile heard the song and was taken with it enough to begin production of a music video, Murray said. Meanwhile, the song will have a live debut tonight during the city of Fairhope's first Friday Art Walk.

Travis-Murray will perform from 6-8 tonight outside Raja MedSpa at 50 S. Church St., making the song's premier a focal point of their performance.

Greg Travis is the band's main voice. A serviceman's son, Travis has lived all over, singing as a teen in Texas, then working to refine his art at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Across the country, in the other L.A., Los Angeles, rock 'n' roll great Grace Slick has taken a more "We Are The World" approach to the environmental disaster, joining with songwriter Michelle Mangione on a new song called "The Edge of Madness."

Slick's song will be used to raise money to help Louisiana recover from the spill. The Grammy Museum partnered with the artists on the song, which had its debut July 24 at the museum.

The recording features more 20 musicians and singers including Bill Medley (Righteous Brothers), Tom Dumont (No Doubt), Billy Zoom (X), Martha Davis (The Motels), Kid Ramos (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), Larry Hanson (Alabama), Terri Nunn (Berlin), and Steven Hodges (Tom Waits, Smashing Pumpkins).

The song pays tribute to the musical legacy of Louisiana and is available for download through the Grammy Museum store.

"Grace was so pissed off by Louisiana being hit from every angle, between Katrina and now BP, that she sent me these lyrics and asked me to write the music," Mangione said. "We started putting out the word to other musicians and singers who also felt helpless and wondered what they could do. Then the parts just started coming in.

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