DOWNLOAD: J Marinelli - Dirty Poncho EP

Yesterday I posted a couple videos of Morgantown's J Marinelli, so I figured it was only reasonable to provide at least one record. Dirty Poncho is Marinelli's out-of-print vinyl EP from 2007. Fitting nicely into the middle of Marinelli's discography from the last four years, all the descriptive vocabulary for Dirty Poncho is the same as any other - lo-fi, noisy, upbeat, catchy, energetic, ragged, etc. I've already mentioned the comparisons to The Fall and Young Pioneers, but others have mentioned Lester Bangs and Hunter S. Thompson. (Note: I read reviews, I don't write them.) This is a man whose talent and music are so respected in the region that Morgantown bands made a tribute album of his songs.

Dirty Poncho at four songs is a short but lively and fun listen, and just a taste of the catalog J Marinelli has assembled over the years - and I recommend all of it.

Artist: J Marinelli.

Album: Dirty Poncho.

Year: 2007.

For Fans Of: The Fall, Young Pioneers, Hasil Adkins.

DOWNLOAD: J Marinelli - Dirty Poncho.

WATCH: J Marinelli, 2009, Morgantown

Legendary Morgantown musician J Marinelli has gotten a lot of press over the years. On his MySpace page, quotes from reviews compare him to The Fall, Young Pioneers, Billy Bragg, and West Virginia's own Daniel Johnston and Hasil Adkins. So maybe you get an idea. Now based in Lexington, Kentucky, Marinelli is a one-man band of lo-fi punk-rockabilly-folk rock. As pictured above, the former Braille Drivers front man plays the guitar and harmonica, drums and sings at his shows, which include a lot of booze and singing along. See for yourself.

Here are a couple videos from two of J Marinelli's shows earlier this year at 213 Green Street in Morgantown.

From Marinelli's tribute to Daniel Johnston:

Check out J Marinelli on MySpace.

DOWNLOAD: A Radio With Guts - Beat Heart Sweet Stereo

A Radio With Guts is best known as Brandon Tussey's band after the break-up of Connie Dungs. ARWG is a continuation of the direction Connie Dungs was taking with their final record Eternal Bad Luck Charm. Like a Charles Bukowski poem - from which the band's name is taken - 2003's Beat Heart Sweat Stereo is the product of booze and heartbreak. The music is poppy yet melancholic - not unlike Leatherface, Dillinger 4 or Samiam. Brandon's vocals are from the throat of someone who may often have a cigarette in one hand and a bottle in the other - not unlike Frankie Stubbs or Bukowski. And the lyrics are about such aforementioned products - whiskey, women, tragedy, Bukowski. (The band is from the Ashland, Kentucky-Ohio River-Tri-state area, of course they're miserable.)

In a genre hijacked by contrived desperation and hopelessness, A Radio With Guts offer a harsh reality of emotions while playing enjoyable, catchy pop punk songs without even hinting at over-production. This record comes highly recommended.

Artist: A Radio With Guts.

Album: Beat Heart Sweet Stereo.

Year: 2003.

For Fans Of: Leatherface, Dillinger 4, Samiam.

* DOWNLOAD: A Radio With Guts - Beat Heart Sweet Stereo.

* This record is still available via mp3 for purchase, so if you like it, buy it.

WATCH: Flood, 1994, Nitro

In the mid-1990s, a lot of bands started forming and shows happening in and around Nitro, West Virginia (half-way between Charleston and Huntington). Brian Jarrett, who played in the band Flood, created an excellent archive and history of that scene during those years. The archive includes an extensive written history of Flood and Nitro, mp3s, photos, flyers, news articles and videos.

The Nitro scene came and went just a few years before I started getting involved in music in that part of the state, but bands such as Flood, Seven and Dirt Bear are legendary. This is a great source for learning about an integral part of the music scene in West Virginia, and hearing some new bands of all styles (mid-'90s, mind you). I recommend that anyone check out Brian's Nitro scene page. I have also included a couple videos of his band Flood from one of their shows at the LKM Auditorium from Nitro in April 1995.

With some help from friends, I plan to post some albums by aforementioned bands and more in the near future, so keep an eye out for that.

"The Contortionist."

"Lungfish."

"Martha's Menu to Exit."

LISTEN: Irene Perry - The '72 Flood

Courtesy of Eric Courtney, this song is worth a listen:

"Here's a heart-wrenching tune about a devastating flood that swept through 17 small West Virginia towns on February 26, 1972.

"The flood was caused by the catastrophic failure of a coal slurry impoundment dam built along Buffalo Creek in Logan County, WV (about 30 miles south of Madison). What the hell is a coal slurry impoundment dam? Basically, a colossal (mostly) liquid garbage dump built to contain the impurities that are left over as a result of the coal mining process. The poorly built dam in question was less than 3 years old when it gave way, the deadly consequence of a myriad of engineering deficiencies. The resulting flood killed 125 people and left approximately 4,000 people homeless. For more appalling details on this horrific disaster, check out the video clip below from the History Channel."

LISTEN: Irene Perry - The '72 Flood.

DOWNLOAD: The Warriors - Unreleased

Originally named Death Before Drunkenness, this Morgantown-based hardcore punk band (that had only one straight-edge member) changed identity after inspiration from the cult movie. Existing for only a short time around 2000 to 2001, The Warriors (not the less interesting band of the same name from California) was formed by a group of friends so they could play music and get some shit off their chest.

Influenced by the likes of Cro-Mags, Black Flag and early Sick of It All, the music was fast and aggressive, the vocals guttural and angry, but the lyrics were different from most bands of the same style. The lyrics were smart but cynical - an often humorous but serious critique of pop culture, the hardcore scene, class exploitation, relationships and more.

These nine songs from the band's unreleased album that was recorded soon before they disbanded (which all too often happens), show us what is wrong and right in hardcore - now just a genre associated with upper-middle class tough guys singing about pain and suffering and encouraging a culture of violence. The Warriors remind us what hardcore was before it got so boring.

Artist: The Warriors.

Album: Unreleased.

Year: 2001

For Fans Of: Black Flag, Cro-Mags, Sick of It All

DOWNLOAD: The Warriors - Unreleased.

WATCH: The Dick Brothers - "West Virginia, My Home"

West Virginia music veterans Michael Iafrate (The Minus Tide, COBRA) and Andrew Iafrate (The Pariah Prophecy) make up the duo The Dick Brothers. With Michael based in Toronto, Canada, and Andrew in Louisville, Kentucky, The Dick Brothers is not a full-time band but instead a sporadic collaboration between the singer-songwriter siblings originally from Parkersburg. The pair have recorded two albums and one EP consisting of original tracks mixed with Appalachian/bluegrass/traditional cover songs penned by the likes of Hazel Dickens, The Stanley Brothers and Gillian Welch.

Here is a video featuring Dickens' bluegrass state-pride anthem "West Virginia, My Home" from The Dick Brothers' first self-titled album. (Albums will be made available for download in the near future.) Enjoy.

The Dick Brothers - "West Virginia, My Home."