A handful of posts ago, we told you about how singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins came down to DC for a flurry of appearances on the Hill in support of Low Power FM radio. LPFM is something that an increasing number of artists care about, because it's a great way for a wider variety of music to be heard on the public airwaves. (Guess what? We've got a fact sheet all about it.)A handful of posts ago, we told you about how singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins came down to DC for a flurry of appearances on the Hill in support of Low Power FM radio. LPFM is something that an increasing number of artists care about, because it's a great way for a wider variety of music to be heard on the public airwaves. (Guess what? We've got a fact sheet all about it.)

LPFM provides a platform for minority, religious and linguistic groups and offers a forum for debate about important local issues. Then there's the emergency preparedness stuff, which is definitely important. But let's not forget about the music! These mini-stations can really make a difference for artists who otherwise wouldn't get played on the tightly-formatted commercial stations. LPFM stations can give a leg up to those genres of music -- bluegrass, zydeco, jazz, etc. -- that are identified with certain regions but aren't given much room on by the bigger broadcasters. Which is why we want to see (and hear) more of 'em.

Even singer-songwriters can get in on the action. Which is why Nicole came to town to advocate for more LPFM stations in towns like hers (Asbury Park, New Jersey, to be specific).

But we should probably let Nicole put it her own words. (Maybe she'll get around to putting it in a song, too -- we'd love to hear that!) Check out her recent blog post about her adventures on Capitol Hill. And dig those snazzy pics!