Downtown Motown gets a dose of soul

Morgantown is a hub for great music. And, Morgantown-based band The Soul Miners are no exception.

The band's blend of soul and R&B give their '60s and '70s covers a unique twist. Lead singer Adrian Michaelz said he feels it is the band's duty to bring back the classics.

"We like to play what we consider real, good music," he said.

As opposed to the recently popular techno beats and mashups that rely on machines and synthesizers, The Soul Miners take pride in making music that requires hard work and talent.

The foursome is compiled of John James, Jake Hiles, Raymond Cook and Michaelz; who play drums, Fender bass, guitar and vocals, respectively.

"We're all kind of naturalistic," Michaelz said.

For the past four years, however, the band has had a great amount of support from music lovers in Morgantown.

"We've played in other places, but I don't think they appreciated what we were doing," Michaelz said.

Senior public relations student and jazz director at U92, Brian Smith, was impressed upon his recent introduction to the band.

"It's just feel-good music," Smith said. "Perfect for keeping a crazy weekend crowd pumped."

There is a huge appreciation and growing population of "good music" in Morgantown. The Soul Miners take inspiration from who fit the category and hope for their success to continue to grow.

As well as local celebrities, the group draws much inspiration from artists James Brown, Prince and The Temptations.

"Although you recognize the songs, we make them our own," Michaelz said.

"We love performing but without the fans and supporters we'd be a bunch of guys in a garage jam band," Michaelz said.

The band plays at venues all over Morgantown from Joe Mamas to 123 Pleasant Street.

They will be performing at Gibbie's Pub and Eatery Saturday at 10 p.m.

For more information about the band and upcoming events, check out their Facebook page.