garth brooks

Even as scads of music blogs start up seemingly every day, Iowa-based Daytrotter.com stands out a true original. Founded nearly four years ago by Sean Moeller, a former music and sports newspaper reporter, Daytrotter regularly posts exclusive live-in-the-studio sessions recorded by indie rock artists like Death Cab For Cutie, Spoon, Of Montreal, and Grizzly Bear, who swing by the site’s studio in nearby Rock Island, Ill.

when they have an afternoon to kill between Midwest tour stops.

This summer Daytrotter organized its first “barnstorming” tour that visited small towns and set up free shows in—you guessed it—barns. Daytrotter is back at it this month with a series of shows featuring several of the site’s favorite bands, including Dawes, Christopher Denny, Suckers, and Milwaukee’s Maritime.

Before the tour visits Turner Hall tonight (the only non-barn stop on the tour), The A.V. Club talked to Moeller about Daytrotter and his burning desire to work with Garth Brooks.