The line-up for February 22 has been compiled. We've just added Steve Poltz to the eclectic line-up already featuring theDrive By Truckers, Sometymes Why, Belleville Outfit and Spring Standards.

Poltz is a songwriter from Canada, formerly on Zappa's label with his band Rug Burns, who "discovered" Jewel and co-wrote the hit "You Were Meant For Me." He subsequently was signed to Mercury Records (who he, in his own words, was forced to "extend his hoary, weathered middle finger" at them).

If you couldn't tell, he's got a great sense of humor. Here's his major-label video:  "Silver Lining." He's got a track in a JEEP Commercial also.

Just added to the calendar is March 15 show featuring country-infused rockers  Backyard Tire Fire. Tickets are on sale now online, by phone (1800.594.TIXX) or at Taylor Books, Downtown, Charleston. Judging by this feature they are into Budweiser, Tom Petty and one of their biggest fans is Cheers' George Wendt. What's not to like?

Another hot band right now that's making some noise on the Americana radio charts is Yarn, who'll also visit us on March 15. Their CD "Empty Pockets" debuted at # 5.

See you at the show!

This Just In - We've got a very special show coming to Charleston on April 22. We've got the beautiful and talented alternative singer (and current PASTE cover star) Neko Case in a special venue: The Little Theater at the Charleston Civic Center, on a special night, Wednesday April 22.

Tickets are already on sale HERE.

You can get a free download of "People Got a Lotta Nerve," the first single from her upcoming CD "Middle Cylcone," due out March 3, on the ANTI records Web site. Here's a seven minute preview of the record on YouTube.

Also joining us April 22 is Crooked Fingers who had the NPR SONG OF THE DAY on October 29, 2008. 

Eric Bachmann may not ring any bells, but you "might" remember the 90s college radio dominance of Archers of Loaf? THIS VIDEO "might" refresh your memory.

Over at NPR Music we've got great things happening, including sets from Ani DiFranco, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, moe., Paul Kelly and George Stanford recorded at Ohio University last fall.

Keep an eye out next week for live sets from Jose Gonzalez, Nellie McKay (above), the everybodyfields, 17 hippies and Julia Douglass.

Mountain Stage is pleased to add WIUM 91.3fm and WIUW 89.5fm to our affiliate stations. Thanks to Western Illinois University's College of Fine Arts & Communication and Tri-States Public Radio, folks in the Iowa, Illinois and Missouri tri-state area (see coverage area below) can hear Mountain Stage every Sunday afternoon at 5pm, right after All Things Considered.  

We're thrilled to have WIUM and WIUW on board. Thanks for being a part of the Mountain Stage family of stations!

Looking for a station in your area? View our affiliates by clicking HERE. Mountain Stage not carried on your local public radio station? We always suggest a letter, e-mail or a phone call to your station to tell them you'd like to hear Mountain Stage.

In the meantime there are other ways to hear Mountain Stage. Try downloading the entire show in mp3 format in our ARCHIVES section or head over to our home at NPR Music where they post individual sets by our guest artists each weekday and archive them for continued access.

It's a great way to hear what you missed or listen to your favorite parts again and again.

Sometymes Why is a trio of female singers and multi-instrumentalists who are each identified with three separate bands. All three of which are widely associated with the post-2000s revival of string music, and all three have made separate appearances on Mountain Stage. 
Kristin Andreassen of Uncle Earl, Ruth Ungar Merenda of The Mammals and Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still have released one record as a trio with a new one on the way in February. However the sound ain't exactly string-band fare. As it states on the Signature Sound press release the sound owes a lot more to Feist, Joni Mitchell and Bessie Smith than it does to Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys.

Need more proof? Check out THIS VIDEO of the group at the Living Room, doing the sweet "Crayola" as an intro to "Too Repressed," a song that is quite risqué, no matter what kind of music you like. Let this be your explicit lyrics warning (put on your headphones).

Here's something a little more tame, but clever and distinctly feminine at the same time: the apprehensive bride's tale, "Cold Feet Blues."

Read a bit more at their Official Website and head over to their MySpace for some more music.

The trio will join us on February 22 along with the Drive By Truckers, Spring Standards and The Belleville Outfit.

Click HERE for tickets, call 1-800-594-TIXX(8499), or if you're in Charleston, head down to Taylor Books on Capitol Street.

Even though "Mix" stations will forever play his first two 90s hits and nothing more, Duncan Sheik has been nothing if not prolific in the time since. Sheik has continued to release great music (get hip to "White Limousine," his last, pre-musical, full length) and has spread his wings and his creative outreach to compose songs for Broadway, including the mutli-Tony winning musical "Spring Awakening."

He's back now with the soundtrack to "Whisper House," and THIS appears to be the first video from that lot to make it's way to the web. It's called "We're Here to Tell You," live from Nashville's famed club Third & Lindsley.

Duncan talks a bit more about the new musical in this exclusive session for Paste magazine.

Here's a bit of insight into what it's like to win a Tony from the unsuspecting Sheik himself. Duncan and band join us for February 8, here in Charleston. Get your tickets HERE.

Here's a taste of the lovely Amy LaVere singing "That Beat" on Later with Jools Holland. Pay attention towards the middle as you see Coldplay's Chris Martin catchin' the groove. He's diggin' it and so can you. Further sounds are available here, and tickets for Feb 8 are HERE.

Here's a a vintage clip of Louisiana's own Buckwheat Zydeco, telling you what's up with "Creole Country."

Eclectic Irishmen the Guggenheim Grotto have a new record out ("Happy the Man") and here's the first single "Fee Da Da Dee". Not much of a video, but I find the music to be plenty captivating.

Not even 25 years away from the music business could keep JD Souther off of YouTube. Here he is making his triumphant return to the world of music, with "Closing Time."

And while we were browsing around we stumbled upon (read: "searched for") some videos by Scrapomatic. Their new record is called "Sidewalk Ceasars" but here's a number from their last CD, "Alligator Love Cry," The Rev. Gary Davis' "I Belong to the Band." Rejoice, my friends, for Scrapomatic is coming to Mountain Stage February 15.

We've just announced that two relatively new bands have been added to our show on February 22 with the Drive By Truckers.

Here are NYC indie-rockers The Spring Standards (above) making their national television debut on Conan O'Brien. They've got a ton of videos on their website for further viewing, right here.

And from Austin's indefinable music scene comes a band with infinite influences, The Belleville Outfit, performing "Baby, Bye Bye."

Both will be with us February 22, and tickets are still available online or at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.

Virginia born country-singer and songwriter Reagan Boggs (above) will join us for a special solo performance on February 1, alongside Dierks Bentley, Grayson Capps and Jessica Lea Mayfield. 

You may recognize Reagan from our recent Mountain Stage HD TV special "Bristol, the Birthplace of Country Music." From nearby Pound, VA, Reagan epitomizes the sweet and rootsy sound that was born right out of the same region she was. Check her out her Mountain Stage TV interview and performance of "Everything Here" (a universal favorite around these parts) on YouTube and listen to some new tracks from her latest CD "Right Now," on MySpace. Oh, and tickets are going quick- get em while they're hot.

Rounding out the February 1 line-up is New York's premiere art-country singer Andy Friedman & the Other Failures. This show promises to span the spectrum of what is, was and will-be of Country Music.

The February 8 line-up has been finalized with the addition of songwriter JD Souther- best known for two monstrous hits for the Eagles "Best of My Love" and "New Kid In Town." He's just released his first album in 25 years and you can get a feel for it from his website HERE.

Tony award winning composer Duncan Sheik (above) has a brand new record and a new Broadway Musical "Whisper House," on the way, but you can still hear a sampling from his Tony Award winning musical "Spring Awakening," in our ARCHIVES section, or by clicking HERE to download.

That's February 8, along with Buckwheat Zydeco, Guggenheim Grotto and Amy LaVere. Again, TICKETS are going fast!

This weekend on the radio most of you will hear songwriting great Peter Case perform songs from his latest record "Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John" as well as an excerpt from his first memoir, "As Far As You Can Get Without a Pasport" which reads a lot like his blog. 

Also featured this week is Palestinian oud players (pronounced: "ood") Le Trio Joubran, who recieved a couple of standing ovations. Austin, TX comrades the Band of Heathans have really been on the rise since this appearance in February 2008. They've received some serious Americana airplay and their hit record, which wasn't yet released when they played the show, was produced by our good buddy Ray Wylie Hubbard. Singing and songwriting duo Storyhill and local Latin all-stars Comparsa round out the line-up. Check out the playlist HERE and find a radio station in your area by clicking HERE.

Over at NPR MUSIC this week you'll find a melting pot of string band music, melded with a little A Capella music and some of the avant-folk. String-band preservationalists the Carolina Chocolate Drops can be heard here and the biggest family band in recent memory, and surely one of the most successful,  Cherryholmes who are once again up for a couple of Grammy awards, including Bluegrass Album of the Year. Then you have the rock-steady bluegrass from the Claire Lynch Band and the sparse soundscapes of Kane Welch Kaplin, who have a squeezebox to accompany their banjo. And the week's only un-strung group is Bare Bones, (Above- Bill Kimmons, Becky Kimmons and Mark Davis) who do an a capella review of some gospel inflected classics and one original that cries "instant classic."

Don't forget you can subscribe to the content here on the blog and also over at NPR Music, so you can keep up todate on all the latest content from your home for live performance radio, from the Mountain State of WV.

Going back a little, you can still hear a live performance from Janiva Magness who just snagged a few Blues Music Award nominations, including Contemporary Blues Album and BB King Entertainer of the Year. See the nominations here and give her a listen, live, right here.