Mountain Stage Song of the Week

Hear one of music's most distinct vocalists perform songs from her new album in this week's episode of Mountain Stage, recorded at the Augusta Heritage Festival in Elkins, W.Va.

Emmy-winning actor Jeff Daniels is also an accomplished singer, songwriter and guitarist, who recently appeared on Mountain Stage along with the Ben Daniels Band, led by his son Ben, which also includes Jeff's  daughter Amanda.

Hiss Golden Messenger appears on this week's Mountain Stage, with songs from their album "Hallelujah Anyhow," as well as this tune from their 2013 release "Haw."

Country music star Lee Ann Womack released her album "The Lonely, The Lonesome, & The Gone"  last year to critical acclaim. Our Song of the Week is her performance of "All The Trouble,"

A throwback to classic southern soul music from a modern-day band, our Song of the Week comes from Alabama's St. Paul & the Broken Bones. Making their second appearance on Mountain Stage with songs from the highly acclaimed second full-length album "Sea of Noise," here's "Flow With It."

Conductor, multi-instrumentalist and composer of more than 100 orchestral and chamber works, "the Renaissance man of American music" David Amram performs a stunning rendition of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World."

This week's encore broadcast of Mountain Stage celebrates the program's 900th episode.  Our Song of the Week is the best-known hit by the hardest of hardcore troubadours, Steve Earle. Here's Earle with his band The Dukes performing 1988's "Copperhead Road."

In the fall of 2017, Bruce Cockburn joined Neil Young in being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Our Song of the Week, "Lovers In a Dangerous Time," helps justify that distinction, and can be heard on this week's broadcast during Cockburn's sixth appearance on Mountain Stage with Larry Groce since 2004.

On this West Virginia Morning, the House Judiciary Committee has begun to examine evidence in the possible impeachment of one or more West Virginia Supreme Court justices. Members heard testimony Thursday from auditors on the improper use of state vehicles and rental cars, a justice’s possession of a historic desk and a fast spend-down of a budget surplus.

Lovingly referred to as The First Family of the Banjo, partners in love, life and music Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn join us on the Mountain Stage for an extended set during this week's encore broadcast.

On this West Virginia Morning, this weekend’s Inside Appalachia episode features the extended story of Iraq War veteran and aspiring comedian Mark Combs. It’s part of our national award-winning series, The Struggle to Stay. Inside Appalachia host Jessica Lilly sat down with producer Glynis Board to talk about the story, and the struggle to stay or leave Appalachia.

Singing-dancing-acting duo Nancy And Beth (a.k.a actresses Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt) made their Mountain Stage debut in grand style with songs from their self-titled first release. While their set had plenty of good humor and levity, our Song of the Week is their moving performance of a soulful classic, "Waiting for My Child."

One of the best break-out Americana acts out of the Keystone State, Pennsylvania trio The Stray Birds return to the Mountain Stage with this radio-ready performance of their tune "Radio." Catch it on over 240+ NPR stations during this week's encore Mountain Stage broadcast.

On this West Virginia Morning, we’ll hear about a new program at Marshall University that aims to accommodate all students. It’s called the Trans Closet -- where students who identify as transgender can find clothing in a judgement-free zone. This story and more on West Virginia Morning.

"A voice that's part Memphis, part Chicago and all woman," Shemekia Copeland returns to the Mountain Stage with a fiery performance of "The Battle is Over (But the War Goes On)." Catch it on over 240+ NPR stations during this week's encore Mountain Stage broadcast.

No stranger to the Mountain Stage, acclaimed singer-songwriter and West Virginia native Tim O'Brien makes his returns to the program with a set of songs from the Mountain State, including this cover of Larry Groce's own "When the Mist Clears Away," which you can hear during this week's encore broadcast.

If Judith Owen had not gone off to become a powerhouse singer-songwriter, she could have easily become a full-time humorist with her sharp wit and self-deprecating charm.

For her fourth appearance on Mountain Stage, the Welsh chanteuse is joined by Portuguese percussionist Pedro Segundo and the legendary bassist Leland Sklar for a performance of "We Give In," which you can also hear during this week's broadcast.

Country music's reigning honky-tonk queen, Margo Price, performs "Hurtin' (on the Bottle)" from this week's encore broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce. 

On this West Virginia Morning, researchers at Duke University are investigating how renewable energy sources like wind or solar might affect people in traditionally coal-dependent communities. Duke professor Jonathan Free is overseeing the project called “Coal and America; Stories from the Central Appalachian Coalfields.” He and a group of undergraduate students will be interviewing folks throughout Appalachia this summer. Jessica Lilly spoke with him to find out more.

Our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes from enchanting jazz and pop vocalist Kat Edmonson, who makes her third appearance on the show with songs from her new album called "Old Fashioned Gal."

On this West Virginia Morning, one of the ripple effects of the opioid epidemic is an increase in blood-borne diseases like hepatitis or HIV. A key method to prevent the spread of such diseases, its needle exchange program, is proving to be controversial in West Virginia’s capital city. The program was eventually suspended. Inside Appalachia host Jessica Lilly recently spoke with the Charleston-Kanawha Health Department’s spokesperson to find out more.

Our Song of the Week comes from acclaimed Nashville singer and songwriter Kim Richey, along with her band and San Francisco's Chuck Prophet, who was a guest on this episode and also appears on Richey's new album "Edgeland."

The seeds of our Song of the Week were sown from a tune that Los Angeles area musician Joachim Cooder would sing to his houseplant, called a Fuchsia Machu Picchu.

John Gorka has our Mountain Stage Song of the Week. Along with the Mountain Stage band here he is performing "Tattoed" off of his newest album released earlier this year. 

On this West Virginia Morning, two years ago, for our Struggle to Stay series, we began following two apprentices with a job-training program called Refresh Appalachia. The program is teaching Crystal Snyder and Colt Brogan to farm, while also helping them go to college. On this weekend’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we’ll look back on the challenges Colt and Crystal faced at work, and in their personal lives. Roxy Todd caught up with Colt and Crystal earlier this year at a Refresh Appalachia work retreat, to hear how things are going at work, and what their plans are after graduation.

On this West Virginia Morning, the upcoming senate race in West Virginia has drawn a big crowd of Republican contenders who are vying for Manchin's seat, the long standing Democratic incumbent senator. A group of college students in a political science course, at West Virginia Wesleyan College, recently made their predictions for which Republicans they think will come out ahead in the primary senate race. Roxy Todd sat down with them to hear their analysis.

Ranky Tanky are a South Carolina based band that specializes in "Gullah" music- a style born out of the coastal region and influenced by West African traditions. Here's the band's take on the American folk song, "O Death," for our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

On Sunday, April 15, Temple Beth El and the Beckley community will gather at WVU Tech to remember those who were killed during the Holocaust. On this West Virginia Morning, Alderson Broaddus journalism student Lora Owston reports the annual event was inspired by the story of the late Max Lewin, who moved Beckley after escaping the horrors of the holocaust himself.

This week's Song of the Week is from Kenny White, a highly regarded session musician, producer, songwriter and pianist.

On this West Virginia Morning, President Donald Trump held a roundtable discussion Thursday in White Sulphur Springs that was originally billed to highlight the impact of last year’s federal tax reform legislation. But, at various points, Trump veered off course to address issues such as immigration, trade, energy policy and the race for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s seat. Dave Mistich brings us the details.