In Monday’s blog I mentioned that one of the remastered Mousetrap singles was included in the 1994 release Linoma: A Nebraska Compilation. That comp also included tracks by classic ‘90s-era Nebraska artists Frontier Trust, Mercy Rule, Ritual Device, Simon Joyner, For Against, Todd Grant, The Millions, Such Sweet Thunder and more.

The executive producer of the Linoma comp was Eric Medley. Yesterday, word began to trickle out on Facebook that Medley had died, sadly on his birthday.

Over the years but especially in the ‘90s, Medley’s name was associated with many exceptional Nebraska acts that would go on to influence what would come later when the state became the short-lived center of the indie-rock world. A glance at his AllMusic credits list includes producer, engineer, editor, mixer and/or mastering credits on recordings by a string of legendary bands including Cursive, The Faint, Bright Eyes, Mercy Rule, Lullaby for the Working Class, Wide, The Millions, Sideshow and his own band, The Young Executives, among others.

Medley would go on to run his own label, Tremulant Records, whose roster includes Floating Opera, Domestica, Robert Hinrichs and Matt Banta.

Though we corresponded a few times via email over the years, I was never fortunate enough to meet Medley. At some point he moved from Lincoln to Charleston, South Carolina. From what I can glean from the outpouring of remembrances I’ve read by friends and musicians on social media, the Tremulant mission statement could also sum up Medley’s philosophy toward music:

“We are passionate and driven to make great records. We are not accidental in our approach and not cavalier in our choices. Popular music today seems to be merely a  means to support a modeling career for a select few performers. We find this unacceptable.  We believe people listen to music to maintain a soundtrack for their lives.  They listen to add meaning to their surroundings.  They listen to reach out and know that others are experiencing life as well.”

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily (if there’s news) 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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.