As West Virginia musicians grow in notoriety, these New Release headlines seem to look more and more like a crazy lineup at Coachella: Gospel, Country, Folk, Post Punk, Singer Songwriter and Alternative all on the same bill. Check out new releases from Michael W. Smith, Shaboozey ft Sierra Ferrell, Christian Lopez, The Bedheads, Allister Stolas, Soda Pop Gypsies and Title Wave.
Listen to all of the amazing West Virginia Music on our Spotify Playlist and Apple Playlist.
Kenosha, WV native and CCM juggernaut, Michael W. Smith released a new track earlier this month that sees him return to his early roots of 80’s synth pop and we are here for it. This song, “Arms Around The Sun” sounds like it could’ve been a poppier track from his “Secret Ambition” era. If you’ve longed to hear some original music from him, that was outside the norm of the worship driven sound he’s become synonymous with, this is the track you’re looking for.
Listen to the track below.
Sierra Ferrell has had so many unexpected team ups that now they are expected. But this one still caught us off guard in the best way possible. Ferrell is featured on a new track from global sensation, Shaboozey. The song “Hail Mary” revolves around the plea for one final opportunity to mend what’s broken, acknowledging past wrongdoings and the precariousness of their situation. It’s a raw and honest portrayal of the struggle to save a relationship when it feels like all options have been exhausted. It’s an attempt at one final play to save a relationship. Listen to the beautiful duet below.
Photo by Bobbi Rich @mamahotdog
Christian Lopez’ new track “Let It Sink In” is a heartfelt plea for the love of someone to help put the pieces of a broken mind back together and to just be lost in the moment with them. The world can feel like a hurricane on your back but the love of special person can make it feel like the summertime by the river. Listen below.
Video game enthusiasts rejoice! The BedHeads have immortalized the 1981 arcade fixed shooter “GORF” with their new track of the same name. This new track sees the post-punk new wavers from Morgantown growing exponentially from their freshman release “Sweet Dreams.” And that’s not a criticism of their first effort, it was good. This new track shows that they’ve been playing out a lot and have refined their sound and approach to the music. If you’ve not listened to them yet, this is a great place to start.
Allister Stolas is a nomadic troubadour from Shinnston, WV that literally goes where the music takes him. We’ve had a front row seat to the last few years of his career and can say without hesitation that he’s hitting his stride. The solo artist has found his voice and style that removes any disingenuousness that can appear when one is on the journey of finding themselves. And that’s very evident on this new song “When I Wake Up Again” which finds him singing about the struggle of a loved one battling dementia. Listen below.
Soda Pop Gypsies have released “Somewhere,” a slower paced alt-rock song that talks about the beginning of a relationship and the uncertainty of where it will go but knowing you want to go on the journey. Listen to it below.
Charleston based Title Wave has released their first full length album God Was Outside. This album would fit right at home between The Cure and U2. This is a fantastic blend of what made the 80s post punk era so memorable. We can’t recommend this album enough. Put the windows down and put this album on full blast and go for that spring drive. There are too many awesome tracks here to just pick one, but “BurnDown,Begin” and “ApartOfIt” are great places to start.
