BEST OF FEST - SKYRIDE

If you've been to Mountain Jam before, you know that there are always a number of fun activities and exhibits at the festival. This year there will be some activities that you've seen in years past and some new ones that you will definitely want to check out. One old favorite we're showcasing today is the Skyride.

The 5,500 foot long Skyride spans 1,600 vertical feet to the summit elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level. Take a ride on it with a friend or two and half way up Hunter Mountain you can get an amazing view of the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and the majestic Catskill Mountains as you've never seen them before. The Skyride is a truly round trip experience, so once you're on there's no getting off until you're back where you started. The Skyride runs daily during the festival from 11am to 7pm, so when you want to take a break and experience a really unique view of all the greenery surrounding the festival, make some time to ride the Skyride. Keep checking back every Friday to get more info on all the cool stuff offered up at this year's Jam.

MOUNTAIN JAM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: THE WHIGS

The festival is about 6 weeks away and one of the bands I'm looking forward to seeing live is those hard rockers from Georgia - The Whigs. There's a huge amount of buzz around these guys, and they are often talked about in the popular "hip" indie rock blogs. I first caught them at the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado a couple of years ago and they were fierce. Now the guys have a new album (their third) called IN THE DARK. The Whigs have been touring recently with some other really cool bands like Kings of Leon, The Kooks, and Drive-By Truckers. It's clear that the band took a slight artistic turn with their new songs - Tim Deaux (bass) and Julian Dorio (drums) laid down the foundation for IN THE DARK and really shaped the sound of the new album before Parker Gispert (guitar/vocals) began writing any lyrics. With lots of echo and heavy guitar riffs, this album rocks really hard. I'd have to say that my favorites are "Someone's Daughter", "So Lonely", and the Pink Floyd-esque "Dying". Needless to say, I can't wait to see them do the new songs live.

The album is out in stores now and to grab some free downloads and check out some videos from the guys, especially the single "Kill Me Carolyne", be sure to head over to http://www.atorecords.com/. They are also offering free downloads and other stuff for another band at this year's Jam, Drive-By Truckers. If you like what you hear, make sure that you get your Saturday ticket for the fest, because that's when both bands will be rocking the mountain. We'll be featuring bands (and telling you where you can get free music downloads) every Monday before the festival here at the blog. Plus, every Friday we'll give you some much needed info on the cool exhibits, events, and activities happening at the fest this year, so keep checking back.