On Thursday, June 11, there is a great roots show happening at Murphy’s Lounge at 96th and L streets. The show will feature Brooklyn’s Jones Street Station along with local favorite the Matt Cox Band and Corey Quinn from Chicago. Jones Street Station is often compared to bands like Wilco, the Jayhawks and Dan Wilson with their roots based genuine pop sound. Live reviews mention the bands harmonies but always get excited about the harmonica in the band as well. The band is heading to Murphy’s for a warm up gig before heading to Denver to join up with Ben Kweller for a string of dates. Opening the show is the Matt Cox Band, who recently just released the well-received album My Last Dollar. Cox is the real deal with a pure roots sound well beyond his age. He is considered one of the next big things to come out of Omaha and is one of the city’s most active performers. Corey Quinn is also a pure roots folk singer with a timeless sound that one would hardly call modern, and in this genre that is a good thing. The Murphy’s show will have a 9 p.m. start time after the venue’s weekly early blues show, which this week features my favorite touring blues artist Ronnie Baker Brooks.

Minneapolis/St. Paul singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson was found dead this past weekend in his recently moved-into apartment. His death was reportedly the result of a fall or an accident and the actual cause of death will not be released for six to eight weeks following tissue and toxicology results. The 31-year-old musician had ties to Nebraska through the Lincoln record label Caulfield Records for whom his early band M.I.J. recorded. Hanson also regularly recorded at the now defunct Presto studio in Lincoln and has played with many Omaha musicians over the years. Hanson’s vocal style was a unique falsetto and he wrote his songs in an eclectic folk pop vein. He was an extremely underrated artist who I am sure will have much more success after his death. His latest release was last years Madam Owl, which came out on the Kill Rock Stars label. Hanson played Omaha as recently as last month with a performance at the Saddle Creek Bar.

Some exciting shows have been announced for Omaha in recent weeks. One of the current most buzzed about indie acts Bon Iver has been booked for a show at the Slowdown on September 19. Also at the Slowdown, on October 8, are industrial music stalwarts KMFDM. Rock legends the Pretenders have been added to the Stir Concert Cove lineup on August 20. Chrissie Hynde and Co. will joined by indie darlings Cat Power and Natural Born Killers actress Juliette Lewis and her band. Also added to the Stir Concert Cove series is classic British ska/pop band the English Beat, who will be co-headlining a show with one hit wonder ska band and Omaha favorite Reel Big Fish on August 13. Murder By Death, who have been show of the year contenders the past couple of years on tours through Omaha, return to town on September 11, opening for Gaslight Anthem at Sokol Auditorium. Recent Waiting Room announcements include the “Carson Daly Show’s” musical director Joe Firstman, on August 11, and the Magnolia Electric Co. on August 6. Another Waiting Room show that people may want to pick up tickets in advance for is country roots artist Junior Brown, who will be performing an intimate show at the venue on September 19.