Treasure Cat w/WBG @ The V

We came across yet another awesome flyer from our friend Jimbo, this one pumping Saturday's Treasure Cat/West By God show at The V Club in Huntington.

Looks like Huntington will get a taste of some Magic Town rock.

Free BBR comp download

We just heard that our good friend Tucker Riggleman (of Demon Beat fame) has just made the 15-song Big Bullet comp available for free.

Including tracks from The Demon Beat, Stephen MacDonald & The Okay Win, Dandelion Snow, Greg Loftus, The Resonators, Jude Universer, Khaos Kloud and more, we think it's worth checking out here, at a link that we're fairly certain is not spam, like that stupid MySpace bulletin said when we clicked on it.

Tucker probably tried to send the link over a MySpace message, and it got counted as spam, naturally.

Yeah we just checked it and it works, so don't hesitate; swing by the BBR MySpace, check out the artists, and check out the Terminal Ballistics Volume I comp.

Related: Graffiti thing on BBR

Cool band and a cool flyer

This flyer combines two of our favorite subjects here at the site; Shepherdstown's rock and roll trio The Demon Beat come to Huntington's V Club Saturday night, and to help raise awareness, Amalgam Unlimited's Jimbo Valentine made up this flyer.

We're looking forward to hearing new stuff from Adam, Tucker and Jordan. And we always love seeing the show art that Jimbo comes up with. Good times all around; check out The Demon Beat (w/The Receiver and Ladybird) if you're out that way and you haven't yet.

AF takes it to those A&R guys

We came across this pretty cool blog from Attack Flamingo's Sean Knisely on the need (or lack thereof) for A&R type middle men. The post is over at their MySpace profile, along with some new tunes they've recently uploaded.

Check out Attack Flamingo, check out their tunes, and why not, since you've read this much, read our recent big feature on the band.

Help Hillbilly Proud stop the thieves!

One of the nicest, coolest and most hard workin' outfits we've come across in our dealings at WVRockscene has been Hillbilly Proud. From the ATV DVDs to their work featuring local bands, we've been proud to sport their "True Rebels" art as the profile pic over at our MySpace site.

Their "Tired and Leaving" blog is a must read for all West Virginia residents.

Having been given a few of their DVDs, stickers and even a t-shirt, we were upset to hear about people ripping off their awesome logo for profit. Below is a reposted MySpace bulletin from Keith McCoy, who runs Hillbilly Proud.

The reports are no longer trickling in about people stealing our logo and selling it at flea markets and other events. They are now flooding in. Please spread the word not to buy off of these thieves.

We do not sell at any flea markets. If you see these people in action let them know what you think of them taking money away from a small West Virginia business that has fought for five years to survive.

Thank you,

Keith McCoy
Hillbilly Proud

Say It Ain't So: Sarasota's Last Show

One of our favorite bands -- Huntington's booze-fueled punk rock four-piece Sarasota -- is playing their last show this Saturday night at Shamrock's.

We won't revisit the time we got to see them at the Parrot, losing the memory card with footage of the band at the bar, and the "unpleasantness" that followed. Thanks to Dave Cantrell of The Concept, we got to hear their 10-song eponymous CD last year; one of our infamous "best of" for 2008, and, we got cool Sarasota PBR-themed stickers!

But this Saturday night will be your last chance to see these dudes rock. Here's what guitarist Jay Thomas said on the event description on their MySpace page:

We've met a lot of awesome people and made some great friends over the last 9 years. Met and played with a lot of great bands. Drank ourselves sick countless times. Thanks to everyone who has supported us, said anything nice to us, bought us a round of drinks, or just came out to a show. You people really are what kept everything together. come out and have one last drink with us! and spread the word. Let's riot! we love you all! Goodbye. - Jay

Thomas, when reached for comment, lamented that it was "too bad that things aren’t working out for us," but, spilling the beans on a potential Sarasota reunion tour and more, said that "...I'm sure it won't be the last you hear from us guys. We've got other projects in the works. Thanks for all the love! We do appreciate it."

Sarasota plays with Down Goes Frazier and Blacklist Royals Saturday night at Shamrock's Irish Pub in Huntington.

Italianfest this weekend

So you think you're way more Italian than all your friends? This weekend in Clarksburg you can find out, as roughly a dozen or so cool local bands rock out over the weekend.

Highlighted by The Concept, The Gentlemen, Cryptorchid Chipmunk and Dangerkat, this lineup is worth checking out if you're up that way.

How will our Irish friends in The Gentlemen deal with all the Italians showing up for the music, food and maybe beer? Will there be soccer riots, or ethnic fence mending?

We don't know, but it sounds like a cool fest.

Italian Fest schedule
Friday, 9.4
4:30 Caleb Karriker
5:00 Dangerkat
6:00 Hello Canteloupe
7:00 Of Truth!
8:00 The Concept
9:00 The Gentlemen

Saturday 9.5
4:00 Andy The Doorbum
5:00 Cryptorchid Chipmunk
6:00 Turbo Slaughter
7:00 The Disregardables
8:00 Dawn of The Dude
9:00 Patent Pending

'85 Flood w/The Greens @ 123 this Friday

One of the band's we've been keeping a close eye on recently is Magic Town's '85 Flood.

The Flood's Aaron Hawley recently hooked us up with advance mp3s from their upcoming release Junkbone, set for release in mid-October, which isn't as far off as it was a few weeks ago.

Hawley, over email, admitted to being excited to help ring in the new WVU school year (and football season) with their friends Andy Tuck and The Greens this Friday at 123 Pleasant Street.

"We've done a back to school show with them for a number of semesters now, and it's just awesome. They really are our brothers in arms."

Hawley was also not reticent to note the progress the Flood has made since they released Toolshed Shangri-La early in 2008.

"...this is a better album," he said. "We feel like way more of a band than on the first record. And our songwriting and arranging has gotten much better." Junkbone features two songs written and sung by guitarist Adam Van Scoy (whom you may have seen in Thred) and one by bassist Dusty Hays.

Not only has the Flood expanded their version of "high octane lo-fi" rock, they've expanded their online presence with a Facebook page, which features a few songs from the upcoming release, and video clips of the first two songs from Junkbone, "Florentine Memory" and "Sex, Drugs & Rock n' Roll," the tune Hays wrote and sung.

So, check out the Flood, and look for us to do more on 'em in the weeks leading up to the release for Junkbone. And look for the Mountaineers to beat Liberty U by, say, at least a field goal.

mp3: "Some Things" by '85 Flood

The "Last Day of Summer" is here

Not the literal last day of summer, the 11-song split release from our friends in Treasure Cat and England's Sons of Alpha Centauri, released just a few days ago.

It all started with Will Mecum and Roy Brewer skipping across the pond to merry old Kent, England to record and collaborate with the guys from SOAC.

Their Last Day of Summer is basically a few songs from each band with three songs from what they're calling "Alpha Cat" -- the successful merger of two-thirds of Treasure Cat with SOAC for a few songs on the release.

You can see a trailer of the release on Treasure Cat's MySpace blog, hear a few tracks on SOAC's page, and order the release off Underdogma Records website.

You'll notice the killer artwork for the CD and flyer, most ably done by Barboursville's Jimbo Valentine, who's done previous art for TC (which should have a new CD out by summer of 2010, we're told) and whom we featured in our recent "Focus on the Flyers" series; good show lad!

Mecum, when reached for comment, said "The streets will run red with the blood of the non-believers of Treasure Cat." So check out the split release and whatever you do, do not doubt Treasure Cat.

-- Treasure Cat plays their Last Day of Summer release show at 123 Pleasant St. Friday night w/Motorpsychos

The Gentlemen go "Back To School"

One of our favorite bands period helps ring in the new WVU school year up in Morgantown Thursday night, as The Gentlemen join Donora and Megatouch at 123 Pleasant Street, as you can clearly see from the conveniently placed flyer above.

But what you cannot see, is that The Gentlemen have been looking for a new fiddle player to help round out their polished, richly textured Celt-punk sound. Well, you can see it if you visit their page.

Think you've got what it takes? Join up with The freaking Gentlemen, one of the best bands around, from what we've heard, and while yer at it, check out our review of their CD Stick To Your Guns; the CD is even better than what our review says.

Get Re-animated w/The Renfields!

We recently heard that our favorite Transylvania-based pogo-punk outfit lost their bassist The Fiend, to what was likely a horrific, bloody incident involving a lawnmower, axe, or chainsaw.

You could say he likely "lost his head" -- again!

If you're up near Fairmont, play bass, love horror movies, have heard The Night THEY Came Home, Bastard Sons of Ed Wood, Stalk and Slash Splatterama, or, just love The Ramones, contact our friend Vincent Renfield about playing bass for The Renfields.

Oh, we forgot to mention you have to be totally open-minded to being un-dead for an undisclosed amount of time.

But check out The Renfields, and check out our all-time favorite Renfields track "Prom Night" on the perfectly functional pull-out player conveniently located at the bottom left hand side of the blog here.

-- Related: "A Night Out With The Renfields" and "A Visit With Vincent"

WBG rock show @ 123 8.22

Check out this far out flyer from Rob Summers for this Saturday's show at 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown. And while yer here, check out our segment on Summers as part of our "Focus on the Flyers" series we did recently.

New '85 Flood CD "Junkbone" out Oct. 16

Sometimes we're glad we signed up on MySpace. Really.

And this is a good example of why; just got advance word on the new CD from Magic Town's '85 Flood called Junkbone. It's not anything you wouldn't know about if you were friends with the Flood on MySpace, the platform that makes us mad more than is good for us.

But sometimes we're able to find out about cool stuff on there; look for the CD soon, and why not check out our chat with Flood frontman Aaron Hawley from back around his birthday in May?

That's a question, so we put a question mark at the end, but it's not a rhetorical question. Check out the post, find out where the Flood recorded at (where most Morgantown bands do) and look for us to hopefully snag a copy of this here CD.

Bud Carroll: Legendary (Guitar) Hero

You’ll have to forgive fans of Bud Carroll for being excited about any new music he’s putting out. And you’ll have to forgive those that cover local bands if they get a bit confused about any new lineup the 27-year old Huntington resident has unveiled in recent weeks.

For a recent show at Shamrock’s in Huntington advertised as The Legendary Heroes, Carroll, who is set to release a new Southern Souls CD in the coming weeks, threw a name out there, just to shake things up a little.

“Legendary Heroes was going to be a different project,” Carroll explained over email. “And I originally put it out there because people were bugging me about a name, and there was a mix-up as to what band was supposed to be booked. Man it’s hard enough to get people out to shows with my history and all of the things I’ve done, let alone go and slug it out under a different name. It keeps me from having to start from scratch every time I want to do something new.”

“I decided it was stupid, and by then everyone had run with it. What can you do, you scamps in the press?”

Any news organization is only as good as the info they get. But with Carroll, whether it’s on a new Southern Souls record, or a new Bud Carroll band (with a different drummer, whatever the name) you can forgive area rock fans for being excited. We recently read Herald-Dispatch writer Dave Lavender rave about the new Carroll release, and that just made us more excited to hear the new stuff.

Carroll and the Souls again made the short drive to Athens, Ohio to record with Eddie Ashworth, who they’ve worked with a few times at this point, as the Souls and with Jeff Ellis. Carroll said recording with Ashworth -- who’s worked with Pennywise and Sublime -- brings out the best in him.

“It was fucking great, he is an awesome dude with a lifetime’s worth of experience making records…we’re lucky to have him in this area, that’s the only situation as in personnel and place, in my opinion, within a few hundred miles where an up and coming artist can make a record that will put them on even footing with someone who is funded by a major record label. He is an avid listener and true fan of music. He definitely pushed me.”

“I feel like the CD is quite a departure, insofar as the sounds and directions the songs took. When I’m at the helm production-wise I have a definite sound and feel that I generally end up with, and Eddie helped me find my way to new places.”

Carroll said we can expect the Southern Souls CD/DVD released locally on Caustic Eye “…by the time school is back in…with some special packaging,” so again, Carroll fans, it’s okay; go ahead and get excited.

Speaking of excitement, back in April Carroll added his talents to a few tracks on the upcoming Black Knots release None More Fresh, helping out longtime friend and Knots frontman Jerry Lee Queen.

“Oh man, it was hilarious. With all respect due to the Knots and Jerry in particular, it was pretty much the complete opposite of working with Eddie. We did it in Jerry’s kitchen, on the oldest Pro Tools set up I’ve ever seen. The recording monitors were like some old JVC home stereo speakers that your dad would have had in like 1984. I think they were stolen from a sorority house.”

“It was like a bunch of people hanging out drinking and partying, and me laying down my tracks was just part of the whole thing. I think Jerry would occasionally kind of rock out super hard when I did something he liked, or offer some direction about being more full on, just going for it, or something really cryptic, but other than that it was like pretty much wide open. Brian Myers was mixing it that night, and they had to have it done that night. He passed out blackout drunk like right after I was done recording my parts. There’s a video of it on YouTube.”

So, it’s obvious to anyone who’s seen Carroll jam live or heard a Souls CD that he’s hugely talented. It’s not up to the press to get someone on a national label, or turn them into some kind of superstar. Carroll’s music will do that on its own.

Even though, Carroll said that he’d love to get his music out on a national stage.

“I’m devoting most of my time to this new band right now, and building a studio, so there will be a release locally, and hopefully a national one. Labels? No one really in particular that I can talk about; I fucking hate getting asked about that shit, cause you always have to explain why this or that didn’t work out.”

“But I still have all of the connections from the Minor days, and so far the responses have been very positive. So, we shall see.”

Jeff Ellis posts songs from "The Forgetting Place"

Huntington's Jeff Ellis recently uploaded a few songs off his upcoming release The Forgetting Place on his MySpace profile.

Even though he's going back overseas as part of his duties in the Army Reserves, and he just played his last show at the V Club last night before heading out, we'll look forward to hearing the new release when he gets back safely.

If for some reason you've been living in a cave with your fingers in your ears and you haven't heard of him, take the time to check his music out; he's one of our favorite area artists.