LISTEN: “Don’t Make An Easy Thing Hard (Theme from Red Helmet)” by Jon Wikstrom

Our new Song of the Day is “Don’t Make An Easy Thing Hard (Theme from Red Helmet)” by singer-songwriter Jon Wikstrom, a West Virginia native who now calls Baltimore home. The song was inspired by the new book, “Red Helmet” by West Virginia native and best-selling author Homer Hickam, who will will sign copies of the novel 6 p.m., Saturday, March 1 at Taylor Books, 226 Capitol St., in an event at which Wikstrom will perform this and other songs. (more…)

LISTEN: “Brandon Jacob” by Chuck Biel

Charleston-based musician, composer and music educator Chuck Biel is one of the most prolific band leaders in the region. His many groups have spanned multiple genres, from high-intensity avante-garde outfits to his current blues-boogie-hard rock group Underdog Blues Revue (next gig: Fri., March 28 at the Blue Parrot) and the forthcoming jazz fusion group Punk Jazz (catch them Thurs., March 6 at the Empty Glass). He recently self-released an instrumental CD, which has some of the last recorded sounds of the young saxophonist Derick Kirk, who died last year. Biel performs all other instruments, including all fretted instruments, a midi guitar, percussion, harmonica, a swarmandel and more. We’ll let him introduce the first cut from the CD, titled “Brandon Jacob.” You can order the CD off his website at chuckbiel.com

CHUCK BIEL ON “The Courage of My Convictions”:

“I think every musician/composer eventually realizes that the good stuff comes from outside, random occurrences. Like when John Lennon heard his daughter say “Look, daddy, Lucy in the sky with diamonds…” Ping! (more…)

LISTEN: “Ghosts of Cabell County” by ‘85 Flood

Singer and guitarist Aaron Hawley of the West Virginia band ‘85 Flood talks about the song “Ghosts of Cabell County” from the group’s new CD “Toolshed Shangri-La,” to be released Friday, Feb. 22, in a show at 123 Pleasant St., Morgantown, on a bill that also features The Emergency.
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HAWLEY: “‘Ghosts of Cabell County’ is a song that was written late one night while I was staring out my back window at pine trees in the dark. (more…)

LISTEN: “Rock Candy” performed by Winston Walls and Brother Jack McDuff

Winston Walls, a longtime Charleston resident and one of the world’s premier Hammond organists, passed away at his home in Fort Meyers, Florida, on Feb 4. He was 65 years old. As Michael Lipton’s homage to Walls makes clear — from tussling with Cassius Clay to helping discover George Benson to fumbling record deals — Walls had the kind of up-and-down musical life from which tales and legends spring.

In today’s “Song of the Day,” you’ll hear Walls perform “Rock Candy,” in this song from the album “Boss of the B3,” which reunited Walls with longtime friend and fellow Hammond player Brother Jack McDuff. See Lipton’s article for more on this recording session.

Listen: “Letters”

SONG OF THE DAY: “Letters” by the Charleston, W.Va., duo with the longest name of any band in town: Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars (which we hereby abbreviate — for the sake of our fingers — CCBQFM). They are otherwise known as Jonathan Slack and Laura Summerhill.

HEAR THEM LIVE: CCBQFM, along with Joe Slack, perform 8 to 10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8 at Capitol Roasters Cafe, 160 Summers St., in Charleston, W.Va.

WHO THEY ARE: (Cribbed from their Myspace page):
“Well, to start, I’m not even really sure what we are officially called. We’ve been called Aurora, Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen from Mars, or just our names. … Jonathan just turned 21, and Laura is 17. Both of us have been performing music of some sort… forever. (more…)