Mountain Blog

This week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded at the Creative Arts Center on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown. You’ll hear from Irish singer Paul Brady, genre-bending cellist Ben Sollee, singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur, folk duo Vandaveer, and up-tempo Celtic group Scythian.

One of the greats of folk music, beloved Irish singer Paul Brady grew up listening to R&B and soul, playing in bands throughout his college years – and later, when he started to make a name for himself as a folk and traditional singer, it was this background that added a truly unique dimension to his sound. Preview his performance via our Song of the Week.

Cellist Ben Sollee has appeared on Mountain Stage many times – recently with the Sparrow Quartet and with the Appalachian Voices project. Born and raised in Kentucky, his solo work combines elements of folk and Americana with rock and hip hop rhythms – skillfully executed by his drummer, fellow Kentuckian Jordon Ellis. You can get a taste of Sollee’s performance in our new “Backstage at Mountain Stage” video above.

Akron, OH, singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-'90s and signed to his Real World label. Often compared to Leonard Cohen and the late Jeff Buckley, Arthur also is known for using an impressive assortment of electronic gadgets and effects to give a unique sonic dimension to his songs. His most recent release is The Graduation Ceremony.

DC-based folk duo Vandaveer make their first appearance on Mountain Stage. Headed up by alt-country musician Mark Charles Heidinger, he’s joined by vocalist Rose Guerin, they’ve shared the stage with Bon Iver, Alejandro Escovedo, Vashti Bunyan and Joe Pug.

And you also hear from DC based Celtic band Scythian. Featuring twin fiddles and energy to spare, Scythian sets themselves apart from most traditional bands by blending Celtic music and bluegrass with decidedly gypsy edge – a product of founder Alexander Fedoryka Ukrainian ancestry..

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