The world will never fully recover from the death of John Peel, the legendary British DJ who discovered countless indie bands that became household names (in certain select households), but without him, would never have pierced the public's consciousness. Aside from his Radio One show, Peel is known for recording and releasing quick and dirty "Peel Sessions" recordings of the bands he liked, usually comprised of four songs, with a limit of only one or two overdubs per track.
Peelie's no longer with us, but the concept of the Peel Sessions lives on in America. DayTrotter explains its mission thusly:
These fine people [musicians] – as they’re traveling through America’s heartland –
take two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for aDaytrotter Session at Futureappletree Studio One in downtown RockIsland, Ill. The name of the city is not ironic. They use borrowedinstruments, play with their touring mates, utilize a often unkempttoilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the lasthalf of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimesa forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs thatoften impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that thesemusicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they dowhen they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. Thesesongs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particulartour – dirty and alive. We want you to make this your new home as it isours. We promise that you will love it here.
DayTrotter currently has 617 songs, all of which can be streamed or downloaded for free (you can also browse by artist).
