Mountain Blog

This week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage features power pop masters Fountains of Wayne, along with Marc Broussard, Amanda Shires, Grace Weber, and Ben Lee.

Click here to find a station and time where you can listen in your area. If there’s a song you’re hoping to hear, check out the show’s playlist. And click here to see our entire schedule of upcoming broadcasts.

Anchored by the singer-songwriters Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, Fountains of Wayne was founded in 1996 and released its self-titled debut on Atlantic Records the same year. They scored one of the most memorable hits of the early 2000’s, were nominated for Grammys, and have spent countless nights on the road cultivating their sound. The band’s latest release, Sky Full of Holes is their first since 2007.

Marc Broussard also stops by, with his acclaimed brand of bayou soul. His vocals call to mind performances by heavyweights like Otis Redding, Al Green, John Hiatt and Dr. John. Coupled with his powerful stage presence, he became a favorite of the nearly sold out Charleston audience.

You can catch a preview via our Mountain Stage Song of the Week, and you can also hear him talk to host Larry Groce about his roots and influences, and see some footage of his performance in our latest Backstage at Mountain Stage video.

We'll also be joined by young Texas singer-songwriter and fiddler Amanda Shires. If you've been listening to Jason Isbell's excellent new album Here We Rest, then you've already heard Amanda sing and play. Her CD Carrying Lighting has garnered rave reviews as well, and she most recently wrapped up recording sessions for the latest release from Justin Townes Earle.

You'll also hear a set from Brooklyn-by-way-of-Milwaukee singer-songwriter Grace Weber. She's already performed on "Showtime at the Apollo," played the Kennedy Center, and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her jazz infused pop has also caught the eye of Billboard Magazine, which dubbed her an "artist to watch." Her latest album is Hope & Heart.

Finally, you hear a rare set from singer-songwriter Ben Lee. Lee first gained America's attention in the late 90's, at a time when loud alt-rock was dominant. Ben Lee does not make loud alt-rock. So if you happened to see one of his videos on TV at the time, chances are, you still remember it. His latest album Deeper to Dream, is his most personal yet.

Find a radio station in your area where you can listen by clicking here, and connect with us on Facebook and Tumblr to stay in touch with the latest information, and follow us on Twitter for even more.

Thanks for listening to Mountain Stage!

This week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce features journeyman roots rock & blues band The Nighthawks, along with acclaimed songwriter Sarah Siskind, folk duo The Milk Carton Kids, singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche, and the description-defying Chandler Travis Three-O.

Though often labeled a blues band, after hearing The Nighthawks’ signature fusion of rock, jump jazz and roadhouse blues, you’ll recognize their music as roots rock in its truest form – except that they were doing it decades before the term existed.

Led by harmonica player and singer Mark Wenner for 3 decades, they’ve spent time on the road playing with legends like Muddy Waters and Carl Perkins. And for this Mountain Stage show (which was recorded in October) the ‘Hawks were set to appear alongside none other than the late Hubert Sumlin, who had just fallen ill.

Here a preview of their set now via our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

You’ll also hear a set from The Milk Carton Kids. Comprised of Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan, comparisons to classic folk pairings like Simon & Garfunkel write themselves, and dare we say the duo's intricate guitar picking is reminiscent of David Rawlings’ work with Gillian Welch.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Siskind also appears. Highly regarded among her peers, Siskind has seen her work covered by Alison Krauss, the Infamous Stringdusters, and Bon Iver.

 Lucy Wainwright Roche stops by. Her most recent album Lucy features contributions from The Roches, The Indigo Girls, and This American Life’s Ira Glass. She finishes her set with a brilliant cover of Fleetwood Mac’s "Everywhere," which also appears on her new album.

Finally – you’ll be introduced to the Chandler TravisThree-O. Combining elements of acoustic folk, jazz, psychedelica, and pure absurdity – all you need to know is that half of the "Three-O" (which naturally, is comprised of 4 members) changed into brightly colored pajamas after their first song.

Travis and his band  spent a full decade opening for none other than George Carlin, paving the way for the modern intersection between music and comedy. Their tune “Drunk Angry People Shut Up” is not to be missed.

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Mountain Stage is back this week with a broadcast featuring folk-pop singer-songwriter Brett Dennen, string band revivalists the Red Clay Ramblers, country newcomer Charlie Worsham, European bluegrass instrumentalists The Kruger Brothers, and retro-Americana singer Nikki Lane.

 Click here to view the playlist, and click here find a time and station where you can listen. And as always, you can catch a preview of the show via our Song of the Week.

Northern California-based singer-songwriter Brett Dennen began signing fireside as a camp counselor, and slowly picked up a devoted West Coast following.

In 2004 he was championed by KCRW “the best unsigned artist of the year,” named by Rolling Stone as one of the 10 artists to watch, and songs have been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, and House. Originally set to appear with his full band, Dennen was battling serious cast of the flu the day of his Mountain Stage appearance. Ever the professional, Dennen chose to play a stripped down set, backed only by a bottle of cold medicine and a mug of hot tea.

You’ll also hear from revered string band revivalists the Red Clay Ramblers. Formed in North Carolina over 40 years ago, The Ramblers draw on everything from mountain music and country to rock and New Orleans Jazz. They’ve also maintained a long association with theater, scoring numerous American musicals (including several for playwright and actor Sam Shepard) earning them a Tony. They’ve been called “the house band of North Carolina.”

Country singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham kicks off the show. A child banjo prodigy, he appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at just 12. He went on to the Berklee School of Music, where he majored in production & engineering. Lately Worsham has been catching buzz for his forays into rootsy pop, which has earned him spots opening for opening for mainstream darlings Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift.

You can hear Worsham’s performance of his tune “Mississippi In July” now, via our Mountain Stage Song of the week.

The Kruger Brothers also stop by. Originally from Europe, and now making their home in North Carolina, Jens and Uwe Kruger were introduced to American audiences in the 90’s, and quickly gained the attention none other than Bill Monroe. Exploring the fertile ground between bluegrass and jazz, in 2010, the Kruger Brothers also premiered a new work for banjo, guitar, bass and chamber orchestra titled "An Appalachian Concerto.”

Finally, you’ll hear from Nikki Lane. Her path to country music winds from her native Greenville, South Carolina through Los Angeles, New York, and finally to Nashville, where she also operates a vintage clothing store called - what else - High Class Hillbilly. Her retro-voiced four-song EP called Gone, Gone, Gone was released in July to much interest and acclaim.

Find a time and radio station in your area where you can tune in. And don't forget to follow us on Facebook to learn the latest about our upcoming live shows and radio broadcasts.

This week, Mountain Stage revisits a show recorded live during FestivALL Charleston 2010, featuring bluegrass stars Mountain Heart, along with the Charlie Sizemore Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Diana Jones, and Shawn Camp.

Known for their uncommon ability to combine traditional bluegrass sounds with live energy evocative of the best rock & roll shows, Mountain Heart has won a loyal following across genres. Formed by members of bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson’s band Quicksilver, founding members Gary Abernathy (banjo, vocals) and Jim Van Cleve (fiddle) are joined by Jason Moore on bass, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and dobro, Jake Stargel on guitar, and Josh Shilling on lead vocals, guitar and piano.

The final track from their new album That Just Happened (and the final song from their lively Mountain Stage set) came about when Shilling took to Facebook to ask fans what they’d like to hear. The result was a fiery cover of the Allman Brothers’ Whipping Post, a compelling showcase for Shillings’ soaring vocals and piano.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Shawn Camp makes his second appearance on Mountain Stage. After leaving the family farm in Arkansas at age 20, Camp soon became one country music's most sought-after sidemen. He charted a Top 40 single of his own in the '90s with “Fallin’ Never Felt So Good,” and since then has earned respect as one of Nashville’s premier songwriters, penning hits for Garth Brooks (“Two Pina Coladas”) The Del McCoury Band ("My Love Will Not Change") Josh Turner (“Would You Go With Me”) and others.

Camp recently came to the attention of Warner Music Nashville President John Esposito, who discovered that Warner/Reprise had shelved an album he recorded nearly two decades ago. Available at last, it has been re-titled 1994. His set features a song from that album, the unsentimental tearjerker “The Grandpa That I Know,” which you can preview now as our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Greensky Bluegrass also appears. Since winning the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, Greensky Bluegrass have been playing more than 170 shows a year and sharing stages with Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth. (The group’s fourth album, Five Interstates was produced by Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone.) The group’s Mountain Stage set features a preview of their forthcoming album, Handguns. 

You’ll also hear from Charlie Sizemore. A clear, crisp tenor and a respected songwriter, Sizemore spent nine years as a singer for Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, directly following in the footsteps of Keith Whitley. Balancing his career as a lawyer, family man and bluegrass singer, Sizemore’s set includes the tune “Alison’s Band,” which spent several weeks atop the Bluegrass Unlimited’s Top 30 Single Chart. His most recent effort is Heartache Looking For a Home.

Finally, Diana Jones returns to Mountain Stage with her own blend of country, blues and mountain music in the vein of Gillian Welch and Iris DeMent. The title of her current release, High Atmosphere, refers to flooding that occurred in Nashville in 2010 and how her house - built on top of hill in 1900 - escaped damage.

Find a radio station in your area where you can listen by clicking here, and connect with us on Facebook to stay in touch with the latest information. Thanks for listening to Mountain Stage!

This week’s premier broadcast of Mountain Stage features one of our most exciting shows of 2011. Recorded live in the border town of Bristol TN/VA, in partnership with our friends at the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, you’ll hear from country music icon Vince Gill, along with Jim Lauderdale, the David Mayfield Parade, Red Molly, and John Lilly.

One of the top-selling country music artists of all time, Vince Gill appears on Mountain Stage in support of his first studio album in five years, Guitar Slinger. Gill cut his teeth in the 70’s as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist with outfits like Ricky Skaggs’ Boone Creek before joining country rockers Pure Prairie League – a group his high school bluegrass band had opened for – in 1979.

He left in 1981 to join Rodney Crowell’s renowned backing band The Cherry Bombs. By the late 80's, Gill was a bona fide superstar, releasing multiple Top 10 platinum-selling albums, and hosting the CMA awards a record-setting 12 consecutive times.

You can see part of his Mountain Stage performance, and hear him talk about his new album and musical roots via our Backstage at Mountain Stage above.

You’ll also hear from the David Mayfield Parade. A Mountain Stage veteran already, Mayfield has appeared with Cadillac Sky, Among the Oak and the Ash, and alongside his sister Jessica Lee Mayfield. David Mayfield’s solo project builds on his solid roots in bluegrass, combining it with folk, indie rock, and his trademark humor and showmanship. See Mayfield and his band in action, and hear him talk about his new record via our Backstage at Mountain Stage above.

Jim Lauderdale also stops by. A multi-talented performer and songwriter with successes in both country and bluegrass music, Jim Lauderdale’s career has taken him all over America’s musical landscape.

He’s among Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters, with tunes recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, George Jones, The Dixie  Chicks, and Vince Gill. Not content to just write hits for the stars, he’s toured with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Elvis Costello. His latest release is Patchwork River.

Red Molly makes their first appearance on Mountain Stage. This bluegrass and old-time trio began around a campsite at the 2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate New York.

After six years of touring, the New York-based group has expanded its audience and performed at events like Merlefest and the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. Founding members Laurie MacAllister and Abbie Gardner were recently joined by Austin-based singer/songwriter Molly Venter. Their latest is Light in the Sky.

Finally, you’ll hear from West Virginia’s own John Lilly. The editor of Goldenseal Magazine since 1997, John Lilly’s music recalls the sounds of a different era. Bluegrass Unlimited called 2000's Broken Moon one of the "most unusual and interesting acoustic disks of the year" while 2005's Blue Highway was a collaboration with legendary Tennessee fiddler Ralph Blizard. His current release is John Lilly: Live on Red Barn Radio.

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

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Thanks for listening to Mountain Stage.

Mountain Stage is back this week with another premier broadcast, featuring Latin-funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma, along with The Greencards, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Tracy Nelson, and Musikanto.

Based in Austin, the 10-piece, Latin-funk band Grupo Fantasma formed in 2000. Comprised of two guitarists, two bass players, three drummers and a three-piece horn section, the group quickly established a reputation for high-energy live shows. It’s earned them two appearances on Austin City Limits, and spots backing up Prince in Las Vegas and London. Just this year, their album El Existential won the group a Grammy for “Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.”

The Greencards make their fourth appearance on Mountain Stage. This multi-national bluegrass trio, led by Australians Kym Warner and Carol Young, has racked up serious accolades. None other than Robert Earl Keen said of the Greencards’ music, “It’s the best bluegrass I’ve heard in 20 years,” and in 2006, the group won “New/Emerging Artist of the Year” at the Americana Music Association Awards. With two new members, young fiddle phenom Tyler Andal and flatpicking champion Carl Miner, the band has released The Brick Album, which was funded by contributions from fans.

You’ll also hear from Canadian roots rock supergroup Blackie & the Rodeo Kings. You can get a taste of their Mountain Stage performance via our Backstage at Mountain Stage video here:

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings is a collaboration between three well-respected blues, folk and rock musicians: Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson. The three joined forces in 1996, and under the name of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, released an album of songs written by Canadian singer-songwriter Willie P. Bennett.

In 2011, The Rodeo Kings released Kings and Queens, featuring duet vocals from Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa and others.

Vocal powerhouse Tracy Nelson returns to Mountain Stage. See her backstage interview, as well as clips from her performance here:

During the late ‘60s, Nelson fronted the group Mother Earth, which added a country flavor to its rock years before it was hip. At the time, Nelson was often compared to Janis Joplin. Now based in Nashville, she has also become known as a songwriter, seeing her tunes covered by Etta James, Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt. The digital master of her current release, Victim of the Blues, was pulled by firemen from her 100-year-old farmhouse as it went down in flames.

Finally, you’ll hear from Chicago-based newcomer Musikanto. Walking the line between indie blues and urban americana, singer-songwriter Michael Musikanto grew up listening to his father's obscure folk & roots records. With heartbreaking ballads and melodic melodrama, he’s been compared to Leon Russell, Ray Lamontagne and Amos Lee. Get to know him through our Backstage at Mountain Stage video here:

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

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

Thanks for listening to Mountain Stage.

This week’s radio broadcast is a premiere episode featuring California pop-rock from Jenny & Johnny, piano wild-man Jason D. Williams and his band, power-pop pioneer Dwight Twilley, rockers The Alternate Routes and England-born New York-based songwriter James Maddock.

Click here to find a station in your area where you can listen. You can also click here to see the playlist and read more about each artist, and you can preview this week’s show via our Mountain Stage Song of the Week – this week, Jenny & Johnny’s Jenny Lewis takes the helm with the powerful ballad “End of the Affair.”

Mountain Stage has a series of live shows coming up – one in Morgantown, another in Athens (Ohio), and two more in Charleston. Tickets for these shows are on sale now and going fast.

Check out our live show schedule to learn more about the musicians featured at each of these events, as well as information about where you can pick up tickets. Thanks for listening!