Mountain Stage

The hardest of hardcore troubadours, outlaw country's own Steve Earle returns on this week's brand new broadcast of Mountain Stage with a turn back of time to 1988's "Copperhead Road." 

This week's broadcast of Mountain Stage marks the return of two voices: the first in special guest host Joni Deutsch, and the second in classically eclectic pop maestro Kishi Bashi. 

In the fall of 2017, Bruce Cockburn will join Neil Young in being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. But before he does, you'll be able to hear his brand new Mountain Stage performance on 200+ NPR stations. That includes the song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," a quite-relevant piece of Top 40's pop culture that highlights the hopefulness in a hopeless world.

On this West Virginia Morning, this week's episode of Inside Appalachia celebrates getting outdoors with a new series called "Hidden Gems of Appalachia." Host Jessica Lilly spoke with a children's book author Katie Fallon, who wrote a book that's meant to encourage children to get outside and check out the unique birds you can find in West Virginia.

Wynonna Judd makes her Mountain Stage debut during this week's episode, where she wins a new audience over in a matter of seconds with her powerful voice and magnetic stage presence. She closes her set with the song "Things That I Lean On," in a show that also features sets by the Indigo Girls, Lydia Loveless and Patty Larkin.

On this West Virginia Morning, President Donald Trump’s visit to West Virginia Thursday was eclipsed by a major announcement from a state official during his campaign rally in Huntington. Trump was joined on stage by Democratic Gov. Jim Justice, whose announcement that he is switching party affiliation is sending shockwaves through the state’s political circles.

Jamgrass heroes Leftover Salmon return to Mountain Stage this week, with a song that contemplates West Virginia History: "Blair Mountain."

On this West Virginia Morning, compassion training is taking hold in schools across the country. The object is to improve student achievement and foster healthier communities by cultivating things like focus and empathy. Glynis Board reports the movement has inspired a school in West Virginia to take on a pilot compassion curriculum project of their own.

We also hear The Earls of Leicester perform “Salty Dog Blues” on Mountain Stage's Song of the Week.

Under the direction of dobro master Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester perfectly conjure the sounds of bluegrass legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs — and in the process, have created one of music's great band-name puns. Recreating the spirit of bluegrass giants is serious business though, and it paid off when the group took home a 2015 Grammy for its efforts.

They appear on this week's broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce, alongside Lera Lynn, Cheryl Wheeler, Rob Ikes & Trey Hensley and Nora Jane Struthers.

"Keep on pickin'"-- That's one of the many mantras of legendary composer, conductor, and performer David Amram. He used that mantra when sending out his composition portfolio to job prospects. Several times that portfolio was returned to him unopened, so he simply changed the address on the package and sent it out again. In 1966, however, his portfolio caught the attention of another legendary composer and performer, Leonard Bernstein, and he received the position of composer-in-residence with the New York Philharmonic. 

This week's broadcast of Mountain Stage proudly introduces two very deserving West Virginia voices: the first in special guest host Joni Deutsch, and the second in Mannington native William Matheny in his solo debut.

Here he performs "Living Half to Death," from his new album Strange Constellations, on a show that also features sets by Lucius, Rachel Yamagata, Adia Victoria and Margaret Glaspy.

On this West Virginia Morning, the special session of the West Virginia Legislature this year was supposed to be focused on one thing—putting together a budget for the 2018 fiscal year, but over the course of several weeks, lawmakers spent most of their time debating a separate issue: tax reform.

It turns out, West Virginia wasn’t the only state having the conversation about changing its tax code this year. In fact, 23 states attempted to make changes specifically to taxes charged on services.