Mountain Blog

Amber Rubarth fans, take note.

As you may recall, Rubarth’s prize for winning the 2010 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest was the opportunity to go into the studio with Grammy-winning producer and mix engineer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Norah Jones). The result of that effort, A Common Case of Disappearing, is available today on iTunes.  

You can stream a couple of the songs (including gorgeous “Letter to My Lonelier Self,” which kicked off Rubarth’s recent Mountain Stage performance) over at the album’s website. Also, NewSong Music has posted a wonderful 8-minute making-of-the-album video that will appeal to fans and gearheads alike.

And of course, don’t forget to check out Amber Rubarth’s set on this week’s premier broadcast of Mountain Stage.

Click here to find out when and where you can listen, and click here to see the complete performance playlist.  

Mountain Stage with Larry Groce is back this week with an all new episode featuring pop-rock legend John Oates, along with Frontier Ruckus, Amber Rubarth, Blame Sally and Moreland & Arbuckle.

Click here to find a station and time when you can listen in your area.

As one half of one of the best selling duos of all time, John Oates needs little introduction., but for his new solo project Mississippi Mile, Oates takes a departure, exploring American roots music, R&B and folk blues -- the sounds that first made him want to become a musician while growing up outside Philadelphia.

He’s backed by his own band for a set comprised of songs he calls his “musical biography,” including R&B standards like “It’s All Right,” a minor key reworking of  “All Shook Up,” and a surprisingly retooled version of the Hall & Oates classic “Dreams Come True.”

You can preview Oates’ set here via the Mountain Stage Song of the Week, and you can get an even longer look at each of our guests this week from our Backstage at Mountain Stage videos.

You’ll also hear from singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth, winner of the Mountain Stage NewSong contest:

East Lansing Michigan-based folk-rock band Frontier Ruckus makes their first appearance on Mountain Stage:

Click here to find out when and where you can hear this show in your area. 

Don’t forget to hit us up on Facebook for the latest news about our upcoming live shows and premier broadcasts.

Thanks for making Mountain Stage possible.

Mountain Stage has confirmed three more guests for the November 6 show at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia.

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be joined by the much in demand indie soul band Fitz and the Tantrums. Headed up by vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick (and with the assistance of charismatic singer Noelle Scaggs), the music of Fitz and the Tantrums has been compared to everything from the iconic sounds of Stax and Motown to early Hall & Oates.

Widely regarded as one of the best and most exiting live bands on tour at the moment, we highly recommend that you watch one (or both) of the videos below to get a feel for what they do. It’s gonna be an exciting show.

Also appearing November 6 will be Nashville-based coed bluegrass quintet Bearfoot. Their new album American Story will be released tomorrow on Compass Records. You can check out some of their music via free downloads from their website, and Compass Records’ excellent YouTube channel.

Finally, we’ll be joined by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Katie Costello. Her music has been popping up in numerous TV shows and commercials of late, and her new album Lamplight has drawn comparisons to Aimee Man and Regina Spektor.

They’ll all be appearing with exciting rock band Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and American darlings The Sweetback Sisters.

It’s going to be an energetic, eclectic night of music her here in Charleston. 

Get your tickets now, online, by phone (800.594.TIXX), or at Taylor Books. You can also purchase tickets for future shows at the Mountain Stage merch table when you see us in person. Thanks for supporting Mountain Stage!

Mountain Stage is excited to announce that we’re adding a 5^th show for the month of October. On October 30, we will welcome incendiary blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin & the Nighthawks to the Culture Center Theater in Charleston.

Sumlin is perhaps best known for the more than two decades he spent playing alongside legendary blues icon Howlin’ Wolf, but after Howlin’ Wolf’s death in 1976, Sumlin struck out on his own, and has remained a reliable headliner at festivals and clubs for decades now.

Sumlin will be backed by journeyman blues and roots rock band The Nighthawks for what is sure to be a lively set. This will be Sumlin’s first appearance on Mountain Stage since 2001.

Also on bill are Los Angeles-based contemporary folk duo the Milk Carton Kids. The pair’s sibling-like harmonies draw instant comparisons Simon & Garfunkel, as well as alt-country trailblazers Gary Louris and Mark Olson of the Jayhawks. (Shameless plug: the Jayhawks will be joining us October 9 in Athens, OH -- get your tickets while they last!)

Recently, the Milk Carton Kids have received some attention for giving away their albums for free via their website – you can download both Prologue and Retrospect here.

Also appearing on this show are the Chandler Travis Three-O. Sometimes described as “avant-jazz omnipop,” Travis’ music has been said to have a way of defying description – but for the sake of this blog post, imagine if you will the missing link between the Kinks and Captain Beefheart. Check it out.

Tickets for this show go on sale Friday, September 23 at 10 a.m. You can get yours online, by phone (800.594.TIXX), and in person at Taylor Books books in downtown Charleston. We’ll see you there.  

This week's Mountain Stage radio broadcast features acoustic-pop greats The Weepies, the chamber-grass of Punch Brothers, instrumental virtuosos The Infamous Stringdusters, and the hard-driving Minnesota band Trampled By Turtles.

Find a station in your area to find out when and where tune in, and check out the playlist for a rundown of the show.

As always, we have a preview on our Song of the Week page. This week we're featuring Steve and Deb of The Weepies with "Please Speak Well of Me," a tune from their acclaimed release "Be My Thrill."

You can preview this week’s show via the "Backstage at Mountain Stage" videos we’ve posted over at our YouTube channel, including the above video from The Punch Brothers, along with clips from the Stringdusters and Trampled by Turtles.

And might we add that if you’re a Punch Brothers fan, you should get your tickets now for our December 4 show featuring cutting-edge Punch Brothers banjoist Noam Pikelny.

Thanks for your interest in Mountain Stage!

Mountain Stage has some live show news to pass along. First, we’re happy to announce that the energetic twin-fiddle attack of DC-based Celtic band Scythian will be joining us on October 2, at our upcoming show at the Creative Arts Center in Morgantown. They’ll be joined by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, renegade cellist Ben Sollee, Joseph Arthur and Vandaveer. 

Tickets are available online, by phone (304.293.SHOW) and at the CAC box office.

We’d also like to remind everyone that tickets are now on sale for our December 4 show featuring cutting edge banjo player Noam Pikelny, of the acclaimed Chris Thile project Punch Brothers. He’ll be bringing along a few of his wildly-talented friends for what is sure to be an energetic evening of music at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston. His much awaited new release is Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail.

Tickets for this show are available online, by phone (800.549.TIXX), and at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.

2,200 miles, six days, two shows, and many new friends later, Mountain Stage is back from our visit to the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. There's a lot of work involved in putting together two back-to-back road shows so far away from home, which lead to scenes like this -- Mountain Stage band members going over chord charts in planes, vans, hotels and airports. You'll get to see and hear more about the trip as these shows are prepared for broadcast in the coming weeks.

Until then, keep checking in with us for the latest, and as always, thanks for your interest in Mountain Stage.

This week's radio broadcast features bluegrass legends Hot Rize (above), plus their alter-ego honky-tonk troupe Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers. You'll also hear Stan Ridgway with songs from his latest Neon Mirage, an invigorating set by Peter Case backed by the Mountain Stage Band, plus country music sensations Joey & Rory with songs from their new Album Number Two.

Hot Rize is featured in our Song of the Week, led by Wheeling, WV native Tim O'Brien. The group does a great version of Hazel Dickens' "Won't You Come and Sing for Me," which you can hear now.

Tim sat down with Larry Groce for an interview "Backstage at Mountain Stage," which we've posted below. 

Here is the entire playlist and a list of stations that carry the show. Thanks for tuning in!

Mountain Stage announcing that we’ve confirmed experimental folk-rocker Joseph Arthur for the October 2 show at the Creative Arts Center in Morgantown.

Tickets to this show are available now online, at the CAC Box Office, and by phone (304.293.SHOW).

After being discovered by Peter Gabriel in the late 90’s, Joseph Arthur has released over a dozen albums and EPs, as well as maintaining a career as a highly regarded visual artist. (The packaging for his 1999 EP Vacancy earned Grammy nomination.) Recently, Arthur has devoted time to the supergroup Fistful of Mercy, with bandmates Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison.

Arthur released a new full-length solo album in May, called The Graduation Ceremony.

Also appearing on this show are Irish folk-pop singer-songwriter Paul Brady, renegade cellist Ben Sollee, and DC-based alt-folk group Vandaveer. We hope to see you there!

More big Mountain Stage news, folks.

We’re adding another exciting act to the already stellar lineup on our October 23  show. California-based rock band Dawes will return to Mountain Stage, along with Jason Isbell, Blitzen Trapper, Matthew Sweet, and James McMurtry.  

You can catch a preview of Dawes via their Backstage at Mountain Stage video, recorded during the band’s last visit in 2009. You can also stream the band's entire Mountain Stage set over at NPR Music.

In June of this year, Dawes released Nothing is Wrong. You can watch the band perform the leadoff track from the album, “Time Spent in Los Angeles” on Letterman.

You can also find out more about Dawes by reading these recent posts by wildly influential music insider Bob Lefsetz, who has high praise for the album’s final track, “A Little Bit of Everything.”

In the tradition of all great story songs, from "Celluloid Heroes" to "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald," "A Little Bit Of Everything" exists in its own vacuum, it sounds like nothing else, it’s an instant anthem.

Tickets for this show were already moving at a brisk pace, but with the addition of Dawes, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a sellout by the end of the week. Get tickets while you can -- you can order online by clicking here, by phone (304.594.TIXX), or in person at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.

This is a special show that you won’t want to miss. Thanks for supporting Mountain Stage!

Mountain Stage is excited to announce another addition to our live show schedule. December 4 we’ll be welcoming Noam Pikelny & Friends, featuring Gabe Witcher, Chris Eldridge and Mark Schatz to the Culture Center Theater in Charleston. Tickets go on sale Friday September 16 online, by phone at 800.594.TIXX, and at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.

Many Mountain Stage fans will no doubt recognize Noam Pikelny (pronounced pick-EL-nee) as the banjoist from the Chris Thile led collective Punch Brothers, along with fiddle player Gabe Witcher and Chris Eldridge.

Bassist Mark Schatz is one of acoustic music’s best and most ubiquitous players, turning up on albums by Nickel Creek, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Tony Rice; twice earning the title of IMBA’s Bass Player of the Year. 

Noam Pikelny is also the first recipient of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Blugrass – you can watch the two together on David Letterman (if you haven’t seen the video already). 

It’s shaping up to be an exciting night of music – we hope to see you there.

For the latest updates regarding our live shows, follow us @MountainStage on Twitter.

This week’s radio broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded at West Virginia  Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV. You’ll hear an outstanding performance by Nashville-based singer/songwriter and fiddler Carrie Rodriguez, with songs from her latest, Love & Circumstance, joined by our very own Mountain Stage Band.

You’ll also hear American songwriting legend Jimmy Webb unadorned at the piano, with some of his most memorable songs (including the classic “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”) as well as some unforgettable stories. His latest collection, Just Across The River, features duets with folks like Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and Mark Knopfler. Check out the playlist here.

Also on the show are The Chapin Sisters, with songs from their latest release Two. Knoxville, Tennessee’s The Black Lillies (above) have been shaking up festivals around our region and you’ll understand why when you hear their energetic set. Rounding out the show is Born Old (below), a duo from right here in West Virginia that specializes in traditional old time music.

Check out the playlist and hear our preview over at the Song of the Week page, where we have Carrie Rodriguez singing a song written by her father, “When I Heard Gypsy Davy Sing.”

Is Mountain Stage carried in your area? Check out our List of Stations to find out. If we’re not in your area, you can tune in via the web this Sunday at 3pm at wvpubcast.org, or stay tuned to NPR Music where they will begin posting guest segments from this show on Monday.

Our thanks to the staff, faculty and crew at WV Wesleyan for welcoming Mountain Stage into their new Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts.

Thanks for being a part of Mountain Stage.

Mountain Stage is happy to announce that we’re adding another show to our fall schedule. On Sunday, November 6 western Massachusetts-based pop-rock group Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers will make their third appearance on Mountain Stage, at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV.

In the thick of a busy autumn tour, the group’s fifth album, Gift Horse will be released October 11^. You can hear songs from Gift Horse, including the single “Gravity” at http://sk6ers.com/media. and you can watch a video of the band working on their new album (and much more) over at their YouTube channel.

Also appearing on November 6 are American darlings The Sweetback Sisters. Featuring Emily Miller and Zara Bode, this will mark the group’s second time on Mountain Stage. You can sample some some of the Sweetback Sisters’ music at their website.

Fiddler and West Virginia native Jesse Milnes, son of fiddle champion Gerry Milnes, is featured as a songwriter, having penned the title track of the group’s latest album Looking for a Fight. 

Tickets for this show are available now, online, by phone (304.594.TIXX) or locally at Taylor books, 226 Capitol Street in downtown Charleston.

Stay connected with us on here at mountainstage.org, and via Facebook for more information about this and other upcoming live shows.

Thanks for supporting Mountain Stage.