Lake Street Dive "Clear A Space"

It feels a bit weird to be in Steamboat without the Foggers, but here I am. Great to be back in The Boat! And MusicFest at Steamboat is the same as it ever was, a warm gathering of fellow travelers in the snow, in the high altitude, set amidst the beauty of the mountains. I think the friendships made through the years here are what makes this so special, whether artists or fellow attendees. This is my tenth year, and I have been involved in a different kind of tech experience each time. So this year the MusicFest folks decided to stream the shows from the tent, sort of like what I used to do when I was programming X Country, XM 12, only with pictures! Today, there are four sets coming your way, all start time ares Mountain Time, of course:

3:45 to 4:55 Ragweed former members Cody, Jeremy and Rand.

5:20 to 6:40 Casey Donahew Band.

7:10 to 8:30 Roger Creager.

9:00 to 10:30 Reckless Kelly.

And that is just day one of four!

The band Lake Street Dive is heading out west in February.  We were tickled to have made their acquaintance during Americana Fest in Nashville in October. They are from Boston, and that begs the question what is in the water in Back Bay? Such a lovely lilt to so many artists out of their; from Eilen Jewell to Miss Tess, to the prodigious talents of Mike Olson, Rachael Price, Bridget Kearney and Michael Calabrese. Today we bring you an as yet unreleased tune form the Music Fog Fall Marathon at Marathon Recorders, “Clear A Space.”

- Jessie Scott

Foster & Lloyd "It's Already Tomorrow"

Today’s the day I head up the hill to MusicFest at Steamboat Springs. Only this year, the weather seems a tad weird. I always relish the twinkling Christmas lights set amidst the majestic pines and the blanket of snow. Talking to Steamboat resident and dear friend Brian Smith at the beginning of the week, he said he was just wearing a sweatshirt, as the temperature was an unusual mid 40s! He also said that there were more people breaking bones this year, as opposed to just bruising when skiing, as the deep snow acts as a buffer. The snow this year is not yet that deep. Here is the 10 day forecast, with plenty of daytime melting going on. That said, this is your friendly yearly reminder that if you are attending MusicFest, you’ll need to pack more than a thermal shirt or a sweatshirt. It is a whole lot colder than it is in Texas, and it will be dropping into the teens at night.

Thinking back a year, it was after a session we did with Radney Foster at MusicFest 2011, that he told us he was in the process of doing a new Foster and Lloyd album, the first in 20 years. He ran back to his room and grabbed a home burned CD and played us some tracks. Wow! I was stoked that we could extend an offer to Foster & Lloyd two months later to play for the Music Fog cameras at Threadgill’s during SXSW. Coming up this year in early March, Radney is getting ready to do a new acoustic recording of his breakthrough solo album, Del Rio Texas 1959. Check out the details here. But let us back track to last March at Threadgill’s, “It’s Already Tomorrow," the title track from the most recent Foster & Lloyd CD.

- Jessie Scott

The Gourds "I Want It So Bad"

This time of year is such a tangle of emotions. We zig zag from the sweet and tender moments with loved ones. Whiplash to the crass hyper-commercialization that this holiday season has become. Then we start thinking back about the past year; then start dreaming about what we would like to see happen for the next. Work toward your dreams, overcome the odds. I wish us all a better time with cash flow and employment. I wish true love finds you. And as I am coming off a low carb Christmas, and feeling very disciplined all of a sudden, since I said no to the exceptional homemade goodies that were offered, here is hoping I might just find the energy to stick with it in the new year. Of course every other commercial on TV is for weight loss, gym memberships and over the counter snake oil diet supplements, all of which serves to remind us that many of us are in the same boat.

Whatever path you take toward a healthier 2012 is OK in my book. Stop smoking, start exercising, watch what you eat, make regular yearly doctor’s appointments. Be relentless in your pursuit, ‘cause as they say, “use it or lose it.” And know this, that you CAN do it, just set your mind to it, and be relentless in the pursuit. And don’t forget to dance! Here is a song that is impossible to be still while it is playing. “I Want It So Bad,” from The Gourds. You will find it on their latest album Old Mad Joy. Yes indeed, may you find old mad joy in 2012. Here is the Music Fog version of the song, filmed at Nashville's Marathon Recorders during this year's Americana Fest.

- Jessie Scott