Midnight River Choir "Mile Marker"

After eleven years, Momo’s in Austin closed its doors suddenly on Tuesday night, yet another club loss in the Live Music Capital of the World. One has to wonder about the mission of all the downtown development. People move into the new high rise buildings for the eclectic quality of the town, then they complain about the noise and the ‘riff raff.’ Downtown parking is becoming too pricey for a night of musical exploration, especially as the clusters of clubs get thinned out. One wonders what will happen to all the shows Momo’s was to play host to during SXSW, as they were an official showcase venue as well as being a favorite destination for media darling day parties. Over the eleven years, I have seen many a remarkable artists there. Not only is this a huge loss for the people that worked there, losing their jobs just after Christmas, it is a loss for the city of Austin. A friend of mine used to say setbacks are made for comebacks. They're currently looking for a new location to house the Mo. Here’s hoping.

Beginnings, ends, mile markers, indeed. We bring you the marvelous Midnight River Choir, as we are getting dang close to chalking another year up to history. They are playing at The Gig tonight in Beaumont, TX. New Year’s Day, they are at legendary Gruene Hall. Have a Bloody Mary to clear the cobwebs, and head over for their set at noon. Eric Middleton, Justin Nelson, Mitchell Pyeatt, and Jeremy Yager head ”up the mountain” after that, to MusicFest at Steamboat, where Music Fog filmed them last year. Here is “Mile Marker,” which we got to record in advance of the release of this year’s Welcome To Delirium? album.

- 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

Crooked Still "Look On And Cry"

While we are celebrating the season, as the year winds down, this week marks the tenth anniversary of a band we have not yet had the pleasure of filming, Crooked Still. They formed as the initiative of four distinguished musicians; Singer Aoife O'Donovan, Cellist Rushad Eggleston, banjo player Greg Liszt, and double bassist Corey DiMario, when they got together for an informal concert at the New England Conservatory. Along the way, Brittany Haas joined on fiddle, and Tristan Clarridge became the cellist. They grew the audience in New England for a few years before they released their debut album, Hop High, which came out in February 2005. Their second release, Shaken by a Low Sound, followed a year later, with their EP Friends of Fall being the fifth. That’s just about five releases in five years, which is pretty darn amazing.

If you are lucky enough to be in Australia, there are tour dates for you as they are at the Woodford Folk Festival tonight in Queensland. Oh to be Down Under right about now! We bring you a video that was done a year ago in August, “Look On And Cry.” It melds the seductive with the remarkable movement of the music. Crooked Still. Oh yeah.

- Jessie Scott