CHRISTMAS MORNING MIX
a very special Thursday Morning Mix
with Scott Foley

Lovin' me some holiday airtime today! I'm the odd bird who enjoys Christmas music, and haven't been able to play enough for my tastes this year, owing to my decision to air my '08 favorites shows during the past two weeks.

This morning's program was made especially worthy with the addition of my three children (Madeleine, Logan and Gabe) joining me in the studio. Notice I didn't say "easier", just more special ... All three kids are growing into their respective musical passions, and shared a holiday song of their choice with Christmas Morning Mix listeners.

While I've enjoyed the past three weeks, I'm certainly looking forward to next week's return to "plain old music". I've already got discs lined up from Graham Lindsay, Eleni Mandell, Ben Kweller, and others. In the meantime, onward:



* Boxmasters, "My Dreams Of Christmas" Christmas Cheer
* Be Good Tanyas, "Rudy" Winter's Night
* Gretchen Peters, "Songs For a Winter's Night" Northern Lights
* Old 97s, "Here It Is Christmas Time" internet single
* Alison Brown Quartet, "Carol and the Kings" Evergreen
* Emmylou Harris, "Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem" Light Of the Stable
* Elvis Presley, "Winter Wonderland" If Every Day Was Like Christmas
~ selected by Gabe
* Bela Fleck, "Linus and Lucy" Jingle All the Way
* Buddy & Julie Miller, "Away In the Manger" To Kate: Benefit For Kate's Sake
* Robin & Linda Williams, "Mary Had a Baby" First Christmas Gift
* Antsy McClain, "Christmas At the Trailer Park" Merry Christmas From the Trailer Park
* Los Lonely Boys, "Feliz Navidad" Christmas Spirit
* Alison Krauss, "Shimmy Down the Chimney" Shimmy Down the Chimney
* Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Come Darkness, Come Light" Come Darkness, Come Light
* Ray Charles, "That Spirit Of Christmas" Spirit Of Christmas
* Johnny Cash, "Blue Christmas" Christmas With Johnny Cash
* Stephen Colbert, "Cold Christmas" Colbert Christmas
~ selected by Logan
* Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, "Oklahoma Christmas" Happy Holidays
* Over the Rhine, "White Horse" Snow Angels
* Mindy Smith, "Santa Will Find You" My Holiday
* Queen, "Thank God It's Christmas" Greatest Hits Vol 3
~ selected by Madeleine
* Dwight Yoakam, "Come On Christmas" Come On Christmas
* Rhonda Vincent, "Christmas Time's a Coming" O Christmas Tree
* Rosie Flores, "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" Christmasville
* Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, "Nothing But a Child" To Kate: Benefit For Kate's Sake

FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2008
Scott Foley KRFC's Thursday Morning Mix

The year 2008 began for me in alone in an empty, too-small house in Independence, Oregon. I had sent my wife and children ahead to Longmont to settle our roomy new place while I remained behind to sell our Oregon house.

The very afternoon I had abandoned hope and called for the moving van to load up our final left behind possessions, I received a call from our realtor. A woman had expressed interest in our place, but was just waiting until I cleared out the furniture ...

In short, '08 has been a busy, blessed year. A good portion of that blessing has come from KRFC, my new radio home in Fort Collins. While it hasn't been the Best Year Ever for new music, it feels great to be able to assemble my year-end lists once again.

Among other highlights, 2008 introduced us to the unique sound of Fleet Foxes, surprised us with promising new artists like Star Anna and Danielle Talamini, as well as stronger-than-expected offerings by stalwarts Ryan Adams and Drive-By Truckers. 2008 will be remembered for the ragged and soulful sound of the Felice Bros, and for Will Quinlan's passionate ode to an alt.country sound all but forgotten.

For today's show, I celebrated the depth of these collections by diving deeper to uncover a few less familiar tracks. I also threw in an extra tune or three from new releases.

Mark Kozelek “Send In the Clowns” from The Finally LP on Caldo Verde

20) Matt Bauer “Old Clothes” from Island Moved in the Storm on La Societe Expeditionnaire

19) The Derailers “Blood Of a Man” from Guaranteed to Satisfy on Palo Duro

18) Rodney Crowell “Truth Decay” from Sex and Gasoline on Work Song/Yep Roc

Steve Earle & Alison Moorer “Nothing But a Child” from To Kate: a Benefit on Western Beat

17) Fleet Foxes from Fleet Foxes

16) Hayes Carll “I Got a Gig” from Trouble In Mind on Lost Highway

15) Calexico “Red Blooms” from Carried to Dust on Quarterstick

14) Gary Louris “She Only Calls Me On Sundays” from Vagabonds on Ryko

13) Star Anna “Devil Don't Remember My Name” from Crooked Path on Malamute

12) Band of Heathens “Hallelujah” from Band of Heathens on BOH

11) Yarn “Can't Slow Down” from Empty Pockets on self

Raconteurs “Old Enough” from Old Enough CD single on Warner

10) Chuck Ragan “Heading Down” from Bristle Ridge on Ten Four

9) Danielle Talamini “Save Me” from The Road Rises on self

8) Lucinda Williams “Circles and X's” from Little Honey on Lost Highway

7) Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson “Devil's Inside My Head” from Rattlin' Bones on Liberation

6) Ryan Adams “Natural Ghost” from Cardinology on Lost Highway

5) Will Quinlan & the Diviners “Thieving Life” from Navasota on Ironweed

4) Samantha Crain “Last Stanchion Goes Belly Up” from The Confiscation on Ramseur

3) Drive-by Truckers “Checkout Time In Vegas” from Brighter Than Creation's Dark on New West

2) Felice Brothers “Frankie's Gun!” from Felice Brothers on Team Love

1) Alejandro Escovedo “Sister Lost Soul” from Real Animal on Back Porch/Capitol

Alejandro Escovedo “People (We're Only Gonna Live So Long)” from Real Animal on Back Porch/Capitol

FAVORITE SONGS of 2008
Scott Foley,
KRFC's Thursday Morning Mix

Artist	Song	Disk	Label
Ry Cooder	Steel Guitar Heaven	I, Flathead	Nonesuch
20) Star Anna	Black Cat Blues	Crooked Path	Malamute
19) Will Quinlan & the Diviners	Remember the Beatitudes	Navasota	Ironweed
18) Rodney Crowell	Sex and Gasoline	Sex and Gasoline	Work Song/Yep Roc
17) Tift Merritt	Broken	Another Country	Fantasy
16) I See Hawks in LA	Carbon Dated Love	Hallowed Ground	Big Book
15) Ron Sexsmith	This Is How I Know	Exit Strategy for the Soul	Yep Rock
14) Calexico	Victor Jara's Hands	Carried to Dust	Quarterstick
13) Danielle Talamini	Pack My Bags	The Road Rises	self
12) Darrell Scott	Joan Of Arc	Modern Hymns	Appleseed
11) Hacienda Brothers	A Lot Of Days Are Gone	Arizona Motel	Proper
10) Bonnie Prince Billy	Easy Does It	Lie Down In The Light	Drag City
9) Gary Louris	Vagabonds	Vagabonds	Ryko
8) Joe Pug	Hymn #101	Nation of Heat	self
7) Drive-by Truckers	Self-Destructive Zones	Brighter Than Creation's Dark	New West
6) Jim White	Town Called Amen	Transnormal Skiperoo	Luaka Bop
5) Mando Saenz	Pocket Of Red	Bucket	Carnival
4) Felice Brothers	Wonderful Life	Felice Brothers	Team Love
3) Jason Webly	Almost Time	Cost of Living	11 Records
2) Samantha Crain	The River	The Confiscation	Ramseur
1) Alejandro Escovedo	Always A Friend (live)	Live From Austin, TX	Back Porch

Artist	Song	Disk	Label
Cat Power	I've Been Loving You Too Long	Dark End Of the Street	Matador
Stephen Bruton	Fading Man	From the Five	New West
Lucinda Williams	If Wishes Were Horses	Little Honey	Lost Highway
Yarn	Music's Only Outlaw	Empty Pockets	self
Jesse Dayton	I'm Comin' Home	Voices Of a Grateful Nation, Vol 1	Welcome Home
Jimmy Lafave	This Land	Cimarron Manifesto	Red House
Michelle Shocked	Come a Long Way	Arkansas Traveler	Mercury
Chris Stuart & Backcountry	Crooked Man	Crooked Man	Backcountry
Will Quinlan & the Diviners	Plastic Rosary (reprise)	Navasota	Ironweed
Catherine Maclellan	Dreams Dissolve	Church Bell Blues	True North
Gary Nicholson	Leap Of Faith	Whitey Johnson	Palo Duro
My Morning Jacket	Behind That Locked Door	For a Decade Of Sin	Bloodshot
Bill Kelly	Here Comes Christmas	(internet single)	self
Split Lip Rayfield	Hobo Love Song	I'll Be Around	self
Jayhawks	Take Me With You	Hollywood Town Hall	American
Katy Moffatt	Midnight Radio	Midnight Radio	Watermelon
Milton	Night Driving	Grand Hotel	Maggadee
Dwight Yoakam	Train In Vain	Under the Covers	Reprise
Jenny Lewis	Acid Tongue	Acid Tongue	Warner
Guy Clark	Hank Williams Said It Best	Dublin Blues	Elektra
Van Morrison	Till I Gain Control Again	Pay the Devil	Lost Highway