Jessica Lea Mayfield at SXSW, March 12, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Sick as a dog all weekend with whatever roto-virus is going around or that I brought back with me from NYC. I sound like Tom Waits this morning. In fact, I intend to record my own, unique rendition of “Chocolate Jesus” in Garageband this afternoon.

It is this illness that kept me from The Slowdown last night for PUJOL and likely will keep me from The Slowdown tonight, when the lovely Jessica Lea Mayfield takes the Jr. stage. I first ran into Mayfield at this year’s SXSW. Everything I’d read had indicated she was a twangy bluegrass crooner. So imagine my surprise when she performed a set of slow, spacey grunge numbers at Cheer Up Charlies.

Mayfield has worked with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys up until her most recent album, Make My Head Sing, whose tuneage has been compared to Dinosaur Jr., Explosions in the Sky and Nirvana. This one definitely is worth checking out (unless you’re hacking up green eggs and ham). Opening is Cozad, Nebraska singer/songwriter Kait Berreckman. $12, 8 p.m.

Who knows, I may make it down there anyway. You may want to keep your distance…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.