There's been an increasing stream of international dialogue about renewable energy sources weighed against the world's age-old, yet increasing appetite for burning coal.

That dialogue has become a torrent on the national music scene in the past couple months.

You can hear some of the songs from Kathy Mattea's Grammy-nominated CD, "Coal," as she played them live at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center as part of Mountain Stage.

That show will air again at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, on WVWV 89.9-FM out of Huntington. It features some great Mattea renditions of such powerful songs as Jean Ritchie's "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore."

On the heels of that amazing CD, perhaps the best of her storied career, Mattea is also involved in three other environmentally-fueled CDs speaking out against mountaintop removal.

Craig Shelburne, of CMT.com, recently gave a big thumbs up to the 14-song, anti-mountaintop removal CD "Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home," a CD that features Del McCoury, Mattea, Blue Highway, Great American Taxi and many others. It was put together in part by Lincoln County resident Jeff Bosley.

You can hear more and find out more about "Still Moving Mountains" online at www.auroralights.org/journey/.

Mattea is joined by a slew of heavy hitters on the new CD "Coal Country Music," which is a compilation produced by Andy Mahler and Jason Wilber for Heartwood. "Coal Country Music" is a companion to the film "Coal Country," whose executive producer is Mari-Lynn Evans. Evans, whose family is from the Mountain State, also was executive producer of the amazing documentary series "The Appalachians."

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the CD go to the Alliance for Appalachia to stop mountaintop removal. It features songs by Willie Nelson, Gillian Welch, John Prine, Jason and the Scorchers, Ralph Stanley, Natalie Merchant, Jean Ritchie, Tom T. Hall and Bonnie Raitt.

Go online at www.coalcountrymusic.com for more info.

Mattea is also involved in a just-released CD called, "Music Saves Mountains" that features an amazing array of artists including Kid Rock, Emmylou Harris, Randy Travis, Ben Sollee, Big Kenny Alphin, Delbert McClinton, Dierks Bentley, Matraca Berg, Jeff Hanna (of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Michelle Branch and Patty Griffin.

The artists have pooled their talents to form an initiative intended to help protect the Appalachian mountains.

Go online at www.musicsavesmountains.org to find out more info about the new CD as video and photo footage of Mattea and Big Kenny Alphin surveying damaged mountains.

Step onto the Southridge

Local bluegrass bassist Tim Corbett, who's played off and on with Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time, has got a new band going called Southridge. He put it together with some members of Step Into the Blue, which put out a great CD a couple years ago.

The band also includes John White and Adam Rutledge, who sang three songs on the Step Into the Blue CD. It makes its area debut on Saturday.

The band, which is already booked for the Appalachian Uprising on June 5, will be opening for Ralph Stanley II at the Mountaineer Opry House at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, in Milton.

Country weekly -- Catlettsburg style

Catlettsburg, Ky., native Stephen Salyers has been making a joyful country-soul-rocking noise in Nashville since 2005, and Music City's sitting up and taking notice.

Salyers is one of two new artists featured on page 54 of Country Weekly in its section called "Listen Up: Hot New Sounds You Don't Want to Miss."

Through Sunday, Nov. 29, you can download Salyers' new song at www.countryweekly.com. Also go online at www.myspace.com/stephensalyersmusic to hear more new songs from Salyers, who will be making his way back to Ashland on Dec. 19, when he hosts his 7th Annual "Sounds of Christmas" benefit concert in the ballroom of the Bellefonte Country Club.

His Music City friends Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey (Steel Magnolia) who just won the CMT's hit show "Can You Duet," will join him.

The group's first single, "Keep On Lovin' You," on Big Machine Records is now climbing the charts.

The Christmas concert-dinner will benefit the Billy Ray Cyrus Charities Foundation (a 501C3, tax deductible organization). The Foundation has given thousands of dollars to local groups helping children and has a goal of $10,000 for this year's benefit.

All monies will be distributed to groups such as CASA, Huntington and Ironton City Missions, Huntington's Ronald McDonald House, Toys for Tots, Russell, Ky.'s Shop With A Cop, Newspapers In Education, Jingle Bell Ball, and numerous other groups. The evening will include a seated dinner, silent auction with many celebrity signed items, and a musical performance from Salyers and Steel Magnolia.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and will be hosted by WSAZ's Randy Yohe. Tickets are $65 and can be bought in advance by calling 606-923-0670 or by stopping in the Ashland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Dave Lavender writes about music for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at 304-526-2799 or lavender@herald-dispatch.com.