Eclectopia

Hosted by Jim Lange

Fridays & Saturdays at 9 p.m. on WVPB Radio

From the Greek, ekekltikos meaning to select, and topia meaning place, Eclectopia is the place for eclectic contemporary music in West Virginia.

One kind listener remarked that host Jim Lange is “the mad scientist of cool music.” Josh Gaffin, of WTSQ, remarked, “When I first moved here from New York, I was glad to know something this cool existed.”

Recently, a very generous comment was made: “Eclectopia reminds me of the kind of programming that first drew me to WVPR, in that it IS intelligent. More than that, there are always exciting surprises, and something new and vibrant to hear.”

Mountain Stage‘s Larry Groce made this comment: “Jim is the coolest cat who ever slinked around the halls of West Virginia Public Radio. As for Eclectopia, as a great man once said, ‘You can bet your last money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey!'”

2022 marks the 20th anniversary of this WVPB original show.

New logo by Ian Bode and Brian Pickens.

Stories

Jim Lange,Oct. 31, 2023

Eclectopia Ghost Story: The Playful Prankster

Soon we were aboard the Hobby III. To my utter surprise, we learned the Hobby III was being visited by the ghost of its former owner, Harry Wilson.

Jim Lange,Oct. 06, 2023

Hello June: Arti — ‘facts’ Of Life

Hello June’s new album Artifacts drops Oct. 6. Songwriter and singer Sarah Rudy says the title refers to “people, places and stories” that “are part of me and are the artifacts of my life.”

Jim Lange,Apr. 28, 2022

Jess Baldwin: With All of Her Wildness

West Virginia native Jess Baldwin’s new EP Anima explores themes of finding her own original inner voice after years of self-repression.

Jim Lange,Dec. 01, 2021

Absurdities Observed: An Interview With Author Richard Hartman

I met Richard Hartman, West Virginia native and author of “A Night in the Woods — And Other Absurdities of Life,” through a mutual friend of ours. He was teaching history then at West Virginia State University, and we started talking about the follies of trying to get — and k…

Jim Lange,Oct. 28, 2020

Three Eclectic Ghostly Tales For Halloween

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ~ HamletThe ghost story.We’ve all heard them, but do we believe?Skeptics, like myself, find ourselves on the side of incredulity when we hear the old …

Jim Lange,Aug. 05, 2020

The Nashville Dreams Of Joe Couture (And How It All Went Awry)

Like many Appalachian musicians, Joe Couture had dreams of hitting it big in Nashville. Electopia host Jim Lange recently interviewed one his college friends abou…

Jim Lange,Jun. 25, 2020

Pick Three Songs And Guest DJ For Eclectopia

Eclectopia host Jim Lange here. The question I get most frequently is: when are you going to do the guest DJ thing again? The answer is now (and thus arose a joyous sound).Here are the guidelines:1. Listen to Eclectopia Fridays at 10 PM an…

Jim Lange,Jun. 11, 2020

"Lost" Philip Glass Piece Returns After 50 Years

"Philip likes the fact that music doesn't just exist on paper now and that these early pieces can be realized in different ways." ~Michael Riesman…

Jim Lange,Apr. 06, 2020

10 Cures For Cabin Fever From Eclectopia (Or How Not To Lose It During The Pandemic)

“When the world is running down, You make the best of what’s still around.” -The Police The forecast, as of this writing,…

Jim Lange,Feb. 06, 2020

Markus Reuter: The Perfect Touch

Markus Reuter is a master musician, inventive composer, producer and a great teacher. "Whenever something is true and authentic, it translates. It will al…

Matt Jackfert,Dec. 31, 2019

Walter DeBarr: Making Waves Across Appalachia and In-studio

Singer-songwriter Walter DeBarr is using his unique voice and turbulent past to create and spread a heartfelt message across Appalachia. Growing up a black man in mostly-white Buchannon, WV, DeBarr had it tough among his peers. “I got beat up alot a…

Jim Lange,Sep. 06, 2019

Joseph: Unrivaled Sibling Harmony

I cannot remember when I first heard Joseph, but immediately was struck by their harmonies; the way they could blend and yet retain their individual timbres. On top of that was their arrangments: solo voice gives way to two or is it all three in unison? These intricate harmoni…

Jim Lange,Jul. 25, 2019

Peter Chilvers: Creating Sound Worlds

“Ambient music creates a world without a sense of time.” Musician, composer and software engineer Peter Chilvers has worked with Brian Eno on several remarkable …

Jim Lange,Jun. 13, 2019

Tristen: A Good Obsession

I saw Tristen and her band on Mountain Stage on June 16, 2017 and was duly impressed. I love singers with a little grit in their voice and Tristen has…

Joni Deutsch,Jul. 30, 2015

Get to Know WVPB's Hosts at Live on the Levee

Get ready, Charleston! Jim Lange, Matt Jackfert, Bill Lynch and Joni Deutsch are coming to town (well, to Live on the Levee, at least). Come on down to Mo…

Joni Deutsch,Jul. 16, 2015

Get to Know WVPB's Music Hosts at Live on the Levee

Get ready, Charleston! Jim Lange, Bill Lynch and Joni Deutsch are coming to town (well, to Live on the Levee, at least).Come on down to Moses’ Live on the Leve…

Jim Lange,May. 27, 2015

Do You Want to Guest DJ on Eclectopia?

Do you like Eclectopia? Do you love it?Consider being a part of the broadcast in the Eclectopia Guest DJ Summer 2015 Series.YOU will get a chance to not only select music, but I’ll record (via phone) a short interview with you on why you selected your songs….

Jim Lange,May. 23, 2014

The Roots/Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blazing!

Special moments-performances which transcend the medium in which they are presented. Perhaps this is what we seek: those consummate performances that…

Jim Lange,Apr. 28, 2014

Sharon Lynn Stackpole: Follow the Flow

“I am always doing what I cannot yet do, in order to learn how to do it.”― van GoghSoft, watery, Impressionistic, veiled, implied, nuanced: these might be descriptions of the art of Sharon Lynn Stackpole.She describes her style …

Who Shall Smite the Scorpion?

Many things are taught on Robert Fripp’s guitar courses, but one cannot imagine that defensive tactics against scorpions is one of them. Saints preserve us!I had to point out this most unexpected entry in the …

Jim Lange,Feb. 26, 2014

Artist Ian Bode – The Passenger

After music, I love the graphic arts, photography, film and almost any variation thereof.Graphic artists, like Ian Bode, fascinate me. I am not filled with envy, but with wonder at their ability to transform a blank canvas or an ordinary sheet of paper into something li…

Jim Lange,Nov. 24, 2013

Shedding Light Into the Dark

When we are first exposed to educational topics that excite and stimulate our minds, the manner with which the information is delivered becomes the…

Jim Lange,Sep. 19, 2013

Sting Goes Broadway

  Sting is a musical icon of mine. That being stated, it pains me to recognize that his solo work is a largely uneven affair ranging from the sublime to the outright dreadful. The first couple of albums were full of fire and conviction. Listen to those albu…