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."

READ: Lee Mayard - Crum

Lee Mayard's novel Crum is a great read, despite the fact that it was banned from Tamarack, the "Best of West Virginia" shopping mall of state-made (overpriced) arts.

Crum is a coming-of-age story is about a teenage boy growing up in the town of Crum in Wayne County, West Virginia. Maynard's biographical character finds himself in all kinds of mischief involving pranks, fights and sex. The book got banned not because its protagonist's sexist, mischievous and cynical behaviors. Nor because it is chock-full of offensive language and scenes. Crum was banned because its about West Virginia and therefore plays up the hillbilly stereotype that plagues the state.

Bullshit. It's not a stereotype and Lee Maynard knows that. This story is about the reality of rural life in West Virginia - but even more so the life of any ornery adolescent boy. Maynard on being banned: "[Banning books] has never worked. All it does is serve to bring attention to something that you didn't want attention brought to. I love those people who try to ban books. We need some stupid people like that around to keep us in check."

Though not the best written novel set in the hills of West Virginia, Crum is casual, often absurd, and sometimes scatological. But it always entertaining and even informative on what life in the coalfields is/was like - and how in a place so easy to get stuck, how individuals long and struggle to breakaway.

READ IT: Crum - Lee Maynard.

LOOK: Buswater Art Exhibition, Charleston, Dec. 4-6

Though, I no longer live in West Virginia, I encourage anyone who lives near Charleston to go to this. It's always great art by young, interesting local artists in a unique show space. If you go, take money, support the artists and get something for your walls.

BUSWATER Art Exhibition

1520 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, West Virginia

December 4: 6 pm - 10 pm
December 5: 3 pm - 10 pm
December 6: 12 pm - 6 pm

Artists: Erica Ash, Staci Leech, Mark Earnhart, Amanda Jane Miller, Jason Kiley, Adrian Blackstock, Jeff Pierson, Scott McMillian, Jamie Miller, Garrett Shane Bryant, Jonathan Matthews, Erin White, Betty Gay, Rob Cleland, Joey Elswick, Todd Griffith, Justin Cornell, Angel Harless, Robbie Moore, Vasilia Scouras, Kerry Bingaman.

DOWNLOAD: The Peckerheads - Songs For a White Trash Wedding

When most non-Appalachians read this blog, an image of Evan Fedorko's recreational lifestyle is probably what they envision of all of us. Evan is a geographer by weekday, but a bearded, earth-tone-clad fly fisherman and hunter by weekend. Somewhere in the last ten years, Evan also led The Peckerheads as the band's singer/guitarist.

The point of this never-overly serious band from Morgantown was to have a good time. Self-described as "Johnny Cash covering NOFX," The Peckerheads were booze-fueled pop punk (before that term came with a negative connotation) with fast songs, catchy choruses, and lyrics about... well... boozin' mostly. These Songs For a White Trash Wedding are less that, instead are sincerely tongue-in-cheek anthems of having fun with friends.

Artist: The Peckerheads.

Album: Songs For a White Trash Wedding.

Year: 2001.

For Fans Of: Jawbreaker, NOFX, Leatherface.

DOWNLOAD: The Peckerheads - Songs For a White Trash Wedding.

DOWNLOAD: The Beautiful Down - Ashes and Vanity / Of Angels and Of Men

This album includes two records by The Beautiful Down including 2004's Ashes and Vanity and the 2002 demo ...Of Angels and Of Men (tracks 1-6 and 7-10, respectively). Considering these songs were written and rehearsed in a house that's walls were plastered with magazine tear-outs of bikini-clad women and stolen road signs, The Beautiful Down was a band with mature songs and a lot of potential for commercial accessibility.

As stated in the post below, The Beautiful Down wears its influences on its sleeves. At the Drive In's Relationship of Command had achieved its pinnacle of success just as the songs on Of Angels were being written. As the popularity of bands like ATDI faded, so did their influence on TBD. On Ashes and Vanity, a sound that is not only more original but also more personal and sincere shines through - slightly (but unintentionally) hinting at bands like The Dismemberment Plan and Failure from time-to-time.

Soon after the recording of Ashes and Vanity, The Beautiful Down called it quits - so not many people have even heard this record. So please, check it out.

Artist: The Beautiful Down

Album: Ashes and Vanity / ...Of Angels and Of Men

Year: 2002-2004

For Fans Of: At The Drive In, Hum, The Dismemberment Plan

DOWNLOAD: The Beautful Down - Ashes and Vanity / ...Of Angels and Of Men