Mountain Blog

Meg Hutchinson  - Her debut CD for Red House records, "Come Up Full," was produced by Crit Harmon (Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton, Mary Gauthier). Raised up by English teachers in Massachusetts,  Meg Hutchinson first caught our ears at the 2005 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest for performing songwriters. She was a co-winner that year and it's great to finally invite her to be on the Mountain Stage radio show.

Hoots & Hellmouth - These guys play an acoustically-driven revival type of music that's as much fun as it is witty and catchy. They have a new record due out "in the spring" to follow up 2007's self-titled release  It'll be released on MAD Dragon, a service of Drexel University and home to The Swimmers and the Redwalls.

Canadian bluesman, producer and guitarist Colin Linden is a member of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings along with Tom Wilson (a.k.a Lee Harvey Osmond). His latest solo CD "From the Water" came out in February, along with a four-disc retrospect called "The Columbia Years."

In addition to his songwriting skills, he's worked as guitarist and producer. Colin has played on over 300 albums and produced more than 60 CDs working with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Colin James, The Band, Leon Redbone, T-Bone Burnett, Keb ‘Mo’, Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris.

Originally from Ohio, now living in California, singer/songwriter, visual artist and part time thought-contributor at No Depression, Tim Easton will be joining us.

Doors at 6:30pm on May 3. Showtime is 7pm.

You can get tickets ONLINE or by calling 800.594.TIXX(8499).

Tickets can be purchased locally at Taylor Books in Downtown, Charleston. See you at the Cultural Center!

You can hear Rachel Yamagata's Mountain Stage set today at NPR Music. Her latest record, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, is a record in two parts - the more reflective Elephants and the harder-hitting Teeth.

The NPR Music set features a performance of "Elephants," that had to be cut from the radio version. The ethereal guitar accompaniment to Rachel's voice and piano is the masterful work of Michael Chaves. "Be, Be your Love" comes from her first full-length record, 2004's "Happenstance." Love the way she makes her voice leap towards the end. No keyboards in that intro to "Sunday Afternoon," either - that is all Chaves.

Yamagata joined us for Mountain Stage's 25th Anniversary special back in December, 2008 along with Joan Osborne, The Low Anthem, Todd Burge and Johnny Staats & Robert Shafer.

Here's a photo of various posters from throughout the years on display at the Cultural Center. Still to come later this week, we'll meet John Kessler and Deni Bonet, former Mountain Stage band members who've gone on to do other great things across the country.