Dave Lavender: Huckaby pens soon-to-be hit for country star

Some good news out of "Nash Vegas" via our old buddy Rick Blair, the sky-watching, country-rocking blues man.

Blair reports his good country-fried friend and ours Rick Huckaby has penned the new Trace Adkins' single "Muddy Water" with Monte Criswell.

As Blair noted, that's a great shot for Huck with Adkins' coming off NBC's "The Apprentice" and trying to claw up the charts the hard way, the good way, the indie way.

Huck will also be featured in Country Weekly's "Who's New" section in the Aug. 25 issue (on sale Aug. 11).

Huck's award-winning single "Ain't Enough Blacktop" will be available as a free exclusive download in Country Weekly's "Listen Up!" section in the Sept. 8 issue that is on sale Aug. 25.

Sayre memorial

The late, great Huntington musician Noel Sayre, who was equally talented as a violinist and fiddler, will be honored with a memorial jam starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, at The V Club, corner of 8th Street and 6th Avenue.

There will be jams by his former bandmates and good friends, who he made a lot of beautiful music with including Good Ol' Boys and A Girl, as well as Bud Carroll and The Southern Souls, Adam Bienik Project, Aristotle and The Excellent Lovers and Genuine Junk Band.

All money collected that day goes to the Noel Sayre Memorial Fund to assist the family with final expenses for Sayre, who drowned over the Fourth of July weekend.

Go online at www.vclublive.com and at www.myspace.com/wvvclub.

Genuine Junk rounding third ... heading for home

Ashland's Genuine Junk Band has been out on the road traipsing all over the East Coast from the Carolinas to up north into Vermont and New York.

The jam-band that just released the mighty fine CD "Stories from the Hills and Sea" didn't waste time breaking out the jams here at home.

They played the Paramount Arts Center last night with kindred spirits Bud Carroll and The Southern Souls.

And tonight, GJB hits the streets of Ashland for Ashland Main Street's First Friday Art Walk edition of its Melodies and Masterpieces free concert series.

ETA takes to the streets at 6 p.m. today and GJB goes on about 7 p.m.

Next Friday, GJB makes more homemade jam in the hills at the beautiful new amphitheater at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park.

Go online at www.genuine junkband.com for more information.

Ants' marching down to the river

The Carpenter Ants, the veteran Charleston-based band that cooks up chicken-fried R&B, country funk and gospel soul, brings its sweet live sounds down to the Cajun Kitchen, the floating bar and grill in the Ohio River in Guyandotte, at 9 p.m. Saturday.

The group, which features Charlie Tee, vocals/sax; Jupie Little on drums; Ted Harrison on bass and "Mountain Stage" guitarist Michael Lipton on guitar and vocals, is set for several appearances here in Huntington. The band is also booked for Sunday afternoon, Aug. 10, at Ribfest at Harris Riverfront Park.

The band, which was just featured on NPR's nationally-syndicated show "Whaddya Know?" when it was taped live in June at FestivALL Charleston, is a smokin' group to see live and one that causes spontaneous outbreaks of dancing.

You just watch yourself now, and don't go dancin' into the river.

Check out a full feature on the Ants next weekend in The Herald-Dispatch's Life section.

Some library noise, please!

The Cabell County's Public Library is celebrating the end of its adult summer reading program with a party at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4.

Popular Services coordinator Ralph Oppenheim is on the lookout for a musician or musicians who would be willing to come down and play a short set to entertain the bibliophiles who will be gathering to see who wins the giant donated baskets of goodies.

Call 304-528-5700 if you can help a brother of the book out.

Bad Employees signed and labeled

A tip of the drink and scratch of the vinyl for the Huntington-based electronica-built band Bad Employees, featuring Andy Rivas and John McComas, and Brett Fuller as DJ Charlie Brown Superstar, have been signed by Sarasota, Fla.-based record label LBA Records. LBA Records was founded by former Huntington resident Neil Nessel who also has two singles being released, "Serene ft. Katy" and "Brazil 2008."

The label also has bands from England, Missouri, Cincinnati and Sarasota.

While working on a full-length CD, Bad Employees' first two singles, "Always Down" and "Bad Employee," will be available as mp3 downloads on Web sites such as www.junodownload.com, www.dance-tunes.com and others starting Monday, Aug. 4.

Dave Lavender writes about music and other entertainment for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at 304-526-6686 or lavender@herald-dispatch.com.

Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

Rick Huckaby performs during "Dancing on the Docks" as Wheels and Wings is held at Harris Riverfront Park on Saturday, June 21, 2008.