Like a Raymond Carver short story come to musical life, “Shadows” by Meditating Cowboy is both gorgeous and melancholy, which just happen to be two of our favorite types of music. The sparse, mostly guitar-only arrangement and big open production serves MC’s expressive vocals well; giving them plenty of room to dive, dip, soar and expand to fill the space. And just like the best short stories, this one is just a short vignette, a snapshot of a moment in the character’s life that fades before you know it, leaving only the echo of the emotion behind.
February 22, 2021
Mike’s ‘Mericana Monday – Sun June
Mike’s ‘Mericana Mondays is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
My daughters would say both Sun June and their record label, Keeled Scales, slap. Sun June isn’t an Americana band but this twangy lushness that sounds like a cross between the Cowboy Stars and Mazzy Junky is. Did you read that recent TPS Report that says no one gives a shit about music genres? Me neither.
February 19, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we have new music from Delespin, Meet Me On Saturn, Robert Connely Farr, SHEEPLE and Flippin.
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February 16, 2021
Tuesday Tip-Off: Samantha Crain
It’s no secret that we here at PE love Samantha Crain, so it shouldn’t be hard to imagine our delight when she announced on ye olde social medias that she has a new EP on the way. The criminally underrated singer-songwriter’s I Guess We Live Here Now will be out April 9th (available for pre-order now) and you can, nay – you WILL, check out the first single “Bloomsday” in pure audio form above, or in that crazy newfangled music video format below.
February 15, 2021
Mike’s ‘Mericana Monday – Tyler Childers
Good grief 20 million views on YouTube! It felt like that many people were at The Bluebird when he blew the doors off the place during the Country Squire tour. I’ve always wanted to play this song on WFHB but can’t because it’s got an f-bomb in it. So damn good.
February 12, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we have new music from Adult Books, Freedom Fry, Sam Newton, Astronomers of the Strange and Sea Glass.
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February 8, 2021
Mike’s ‘Mericana Monday – The Young Fresh Fellows
Mike’s ‘Mericana Mondays is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
Scott McCaughey of The Young Fresh Fellows (Minus 5, Scott The Hoople, Baseball Project, REM, etc) said Bloomington, Indiana was the first town to jump start The YFF’s career. They sent their first record, 1984 release The Fabulous Sounds Of The Pacific Northwest, to maybe 40 college radio stations including WIUX in Bloomington with no expectations. Later they received a WIUX playlist report stating their record was the #1 most played on the station. The band didn’t know what that meant but they decided to go on tour so they could at least play a gig in Bloomington. And the rest is history.
February 1, 2021
Mike’s ‘Mericana Monday – Roger Harvey
Mike’s ‘Mericana Mondays is where friend of the blog, roots DJ, house show organizer, Bloomington Music Expo czar and all around nice guy Mike McAfee picks one song a week to share with the people.
This stunner from Pennsylvania artist Roger Harvey is written from a first person perspective of the storming of the US Capitol earlier this month. Harvey’s excellent band includes Mike Brenner of Magnolia Electric Co / Songs: Ohia.
January 29, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we have new music from Total Rubbish, The Shackups, Mister Goblin, Beige Banquet and Dan Potter Sings.
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January 25, 2021
Mike’s ‘Mericana Monday –
The late great Etta James was born on January 25, 1938. Randy Newman wrote and Lowell George plays the slide guitar on this gem from her 1974 Chess Records release, Come A Little Closer.