WV Sound
Keeping a beat in the Mountain State
 |
08/15/12WV native and former Zao member returns to rockDocumented through years of touring, hailed releases, and even a documentary, Jesse Smith has seen both types of trajectory as a rock musician. The Parkersburg native was a founding member of seminal metal outfit Zao, an act known for its own evolution through lineup changes, publicized disputes, and genre-pioneering. After leaving Zao in 2004 and moving on to other musical endeavors, Jesse began a recovery from addiction and emotional hardship stemming from his career. The multi-instrumentalist has now returned with a new act and EP under the moniker Jesse Smith & The Holy Ghost. Playing live again, Jesse’s return has been marked by warmness and excitement. “The reaction so far has been great,” he says. “Lots of love. I’ve seen some familiar... Posted at 07:37 AM Comments |
 |
08/09/12Coming Up at 123 Pleasant StreetNearly every night, music dominates the three-room building near the bottom of Pleasant Street in downtown Morgantown. A sign outside lets foot traffic know what shows are coming up—from local to national bands like TeamMate, The Hackensaw Boys, Fletcher’s Grove, and even The Melvins. Posted at 06:03 AM Comments |
 |
08/01/12Celebrating Jazz in West VirginiaAfter three years of successful Winter Jazz Weekends, the WV Jazz Society is hosting its first Summer Jazz Weekend from August 23 to 25, 2012, in Lewis and Harrison counties. Jazz Society President Eric Spelsberg was born and raised in West Virginia and has always thought jazz should be celebrated throughout the state. “A lot of people hear jazz all the time in movies and restaurants and don’t even realize it,” he says. After being encouraged by his wife, Eric decided to create a not-for-profit jazz society four years ago. “Our mission is to identify and develop a market for live jazz music right here in West Virginia,” he says. “Our state is not an urban center, but a crossroads.” He says West Virginia is positioned in the middle of... Posted at 06:06 AM Comments: 1 |
 |
07/25/12The UltimatumsFairmont-based nine-piece soul band The Ultimatums formed in 2006 hoping to add new life to the local music/bar scene with a variety of instruments and musicians. The Ultimatums’ sound includes guitar, bass, drums, baritone sax, tenor sax, two trumpet players, keyboards, and the soulful and powerful vocals of Ultimatums founder and lead singer Michael Stewart. “I more or less tagged the most talented people I knew who were also easy to get along with to be in this band,” Michael says. “It's been six years of three-hour practices every week and countless hours of recording, mixing, promotion, and beer drinking; and I love every minute of it—almost as much as I love the awesome musicians I’ve had the pleasure to perform with.” With an... Posted at 10:21 AM Comments |
 |
07/18/12The Buckhannon Chamber OrchestraThe heart of West Virginia may rest in the communities of our state’s rolling hills and valleys. In the small town of Buckhannon, music comes to life through the Buckhannon Chamber Orchestra. For more than 20 years, the growing orchestra has been led by a dedicated director named Patty Brock. Patty discovered her musical talent at an early age, learning to play the cello in grade school. She found herself surrounded by music. “My mother played the piano, so I took piano lessons,” she says. “I would also listen to my third grade teacher play for hours.” Patty played a big part in founding the orchestra. After moving from Chicago, she began her search for musicians to accompany her. In 1979, she started a small ensemble that was offered every other... Posted at 10:20 AM Comments |
 |
07/11/12Pickin' in ParsonsIn the small West Virginia town of Parsons, with a population of less than 1,500, John Bowers and his wife, Joyce, more than double the number of people in town when they put on their annual bluegrass festival. Each year, the Pickin’ in Parsons Bluegrass Festival draws in more than 2,000 attendees. Tucked in the rolling hills of Parsons just off of the Shavers Fork riverbanks, you won’t want to miss this foot-stompin’, ground-shakin’ good time. The 9th Annual Pickin’ in Parsons is scheduled to take place August 2 to 4, 2012, at Five River Campground. More than a dozen bluegrass acts will take the stage every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Campground owners John and Joyce are both amateur musicians who love music and people. John plays guitar and... Posted at 05:31 AM Comments |
 |
07/04/12Good Old-Time with The Iron Leg BoysLoving the tradition of old-time music, The Iron Leg Boys grew up inspired by Appalachian fiddlers and began to play that style of music on their own. But the group from the eastern panhandle of West Virginia has also tried another style of music—funk—which didn’t exactly work out. “Sticking to what we knew, we decided to name the band after a funk song instead,” says Ben Townsend of The Iron Leg Boys. The name comes from a Mickey and the Soul Generation song, “The Iron Leg.” Reverting back to their first love three years ago, The Iron Leg Boys bring you Matt Metz on guitar, Ben Townsend on banjo, and Andy Fitzgibbon on fiddle. Ben got his start with old-time from a Hampshire County man named Paul Roomsburg, who would have jam... Posted at 06:25 AM Comments |
 |
06/27/12Morgantown's Country StarA year ago, singer/songwriter Ashley McMillen never could have dreamed her career would have taken off like it has. In the past several months, the Morgantown native has found a home and made a name for herself in the welcoming music community of Charlottesville, Virginia. She’s also kept a packed schedule, playing and making appearances by herself or with her five-piece band at festivals and radio shows, winning a couple of awards and being selected to showcase, and even gaining interest from Dave Matthews Band’s management company, Red Light. Ashley’s certainly come a long way from her high school days at Morgantown High School and her pre-med start at WVU. And for someone who used to not like singing in front of crowds and taught herself how to play guitar on... Posted at 08:53 AM Comments |
 |
06/20/12WVU’s Steel Drum Band Takes On D.C.You might not expect that tropical sounding steel drum to be part of West Virginia music culture, but West Virginia University is considered the United States’ home of the steel drum. In June 2012, WVU’s 40-member steel drum band will bring that sound to life in front of more than one million people at the Smithsonian’s Annual Folklife Festival. Every year, the festival is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This year, WVU was invited to attend in conjunction with the theme, “Campus and Community: Public and Land-Grant Universities and the USDA at 150.” This year’s theme honors the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which allowed the creation of land-grant universities such as WVU. “Each university that was invited sends a... Posted at 06:37 AM Comments: 1 |
 |
06/13/12Todd Burge: Gone and Back AgainBorn in Parkersburg and growing up in neighboring Vienna, Todd Burge is a true West Virginian, though he couldn’t wait to leave when he was young. But it was his leaving and coming back that made him appreciate his roots and figure out where he belonged. “I spent my 20s trying to get out, and my 30s trying to get back,” he says. Without realizing it then, Morgantown is where Todd’s love for music took off as a student at West Virginia University. Morgantown was like a whole new world for Todd—where young people were hungry for music, the college radio station aired local music and let students test their broadcasting skills, and music venues were spread across town, inviting budding artists to take the stage. “The stars lined up for me in... Posted at 06:20 AM Comments |
