NPR Music Story Archives - Page 5 of 9 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Remembering Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger

One of the most prolific and decorated songwriters of his generation dies at 52 after contracting COVID-19 Mountain Stage joins the music community in…

One of the most prolific and decorated songwriters of his generation dies at 52 after contracting COVID-19 Mountain Stage joins the music community in mourning the loss of Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. You can read more about his work, which found success in popular music, film and television, via NPR’s recent posting.

Fountains of Wayne joined us twice on Mountain Stage. First in March 2009 in Morgantown, W.Va. and a second time in February 2012. You can listen to their second performance below via NPR Music.

Here’s the set list.

“Someone To Love”
“A Dip In The Ocean”
“Richie And Ruben”
“It Must Be Summer”
“No Better Place”
“A Road Song”
“Bright Future In Sales”
“Radiation Vibe”

Premiere: Watch Miss Tess & the Talkbacks – "True Flood" Live on Mountain Stage

Today we’re excited to premiere this live performance video of Miss Tess & the Talkbacks with “True Flood,” a track from their brand new album The Moon Is An Ashtray, available now to purchase and stream.

Miss Tess had this to say about the track, which features Lake Street Dive’s Rachel Price on the album version:

“This tune started with a bass line. I was at a songwriting retreat on a rustic island in the middle of a lake in New Hampshire, fooling around on my guitar. I started making a basic demo and wanted to experiment with an interesting vocal harmony, so I asked Rachael (Price) to come over to my cabin to sing it with me, knowing she would be the perfect duet partner. Rachael and I have been friends and musical soul sisters ever since we started sharing a Boston apartment in 2005 as a result of a craigslist ad. We have a very similar singing background, and used to have a band together (The Sweet & Lowdown). When it came time to record she came down to Nashville and we cut the vocals live in the studio, both singing into the same vintage RCA mic.”

The band is supporting The Moon Is an Ashtray with extensive tour dates scheduled through the end of March.

You can hear Miss Tess & The Talkbacks entire performance from Mountain Stage starting Friday March 6 via these NPR Music stations. The episode also features Tyler Childers, Mary Gauthier, West Virginia super-picker Johnny Staats & The Delivery Boys, and a special appearance from storyteller Bil Lepp.

Listen: Balsam Range on Mountain Stage

Award-winning bluegrass group Balsam Range made their first appearance on Mountain Stage last March with songs from their newly released album Aeonic. Our Song of the Week, “If I Needed Someone,” finds the band blending bluegrass with The Beatles, which helps explain why the band was awarded the prestigious “Entertainers of the Year” at the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s awards and honors.

Gathering for the finale song are members of Yonder Mountain String Band, Balsam Range, Oh Pep!, Le Poules a Colin and Peter Case.

You can hear the entire set from Balsam Range, as well as sets from jam-grass innovators Yonder Mountain String Band, Australian roots-pop group Oh Pep!, plus Quebec’s Les Poules à Colin (now known as Rosier) and alt-folk luminary Peter Case, on this week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage.

Find out where you can listen on one of our NPR stations, and be sure to look for more performances at NPR Music.

Listen: Mandolin Orange on Mountain Stage

North Carolina’s Mandolin Orange have been guests on Mountain Stage four times since 2013. Their latest album, Tides of a Teardrop, was released shortly after their most recent appearance, and it landed at the top of four different Billboard Music Charts.

Here’s the duo’s performance of “The Wolves,” from this week’s encore broadcast, recorded in Morgantown, W.Va. with WVU Arts & Entertainment in January 2019.

Listen this weekend for the entire set by Mandolin Orange, plus more music from Gregory Alan Isakov, Elysian Fields, The Brother Brothers and Hush Kids.

Find a station in your area to listen, and watch for new podcast episodes when our Spring season premieres in March 2020.

Members of Elysian Fields, Mandolin Orange, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hush Kids and The Brother Brothers join in on the finale song in Morgantown.

Listen: River Whyless on Mountain Stage

Asheville, N.C. based roots-pop group River Whyless make their second appearance on Mountain Stage during this week’s broadcast. Our Song of the Week comes from the band’s latest album Kindness, A Rebel, released in June, 2018.

“Born In The Right Country” touches on privilege, race, classism and a ruler with “teeth laid in this crown.”

You’ll hear the whole set from River Whyless, plus performances from Martha Scanlan with Jon Neufeld, Royal Wood, and #NPRSlingshot artist Hello June, on this week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage.

Find a station in your area where you can listen and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a note.

We also have a video of this performance on our channel at LiveSessions.NPR.org, which we’ve posted here.

Members of River Whyless, Martha Scanalan, Royal Wood, and Hello June join with Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage Band for the finale song.

Listen: Birds of Chicago Have our Song of the Week

JT Nero and Allison Russell release music as Birds of Chicago, who make their third appearance on Mountain Stage on this weekend’s show, hitting NPR Music stations starting December 13.
Joined by guitarist Steve Dawson, our Song of the Week is Birds of Chicago’s “Lodestar,” which appears on Love in Wartime, the band’s 2018 full-length release.

Guest artists gather around for one last number on this week’s broadcast. Find a station and tune in for the whole episode starting Friday Dec. 13.

You can hear the rest of Birds of Chicago’s set, as well as live performances by San Fermin, Fruit Bats, Office Culture and Cataldo, on this week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce. Click here to find a station that carries Mountain Stage in your area. Be sure to check out our page at NPR Music and subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a note.