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World Cafe Next: Joan Shelley

Joan Shelley.
Mickie Winters
/
Courtesy of the artist
Joan Shelley.

World Cafe first heard about Joan Shelley from WFPK in Louisville, Kentucky, during our Sense Of Place visit earlier this year. Then, we offered a track from her second album, Ginko. Now, the singer-songwriter has a new album out, her third, titled Electric Ursa.

It's a quiet, intimate record that reflects Shelley's knowledge of folk history — she recorded versions of antiquated American ballads and lullabies with the group Maiden Radio — while remaining tied to the present. "First Of August," featured on today's playlist, has also been recorded with contemporary and fellow Kentuckian Daniel Martin Moore. Hear or download the full episode at the audio link.

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