Relax, It’s Science, The Kiez (Eli Mardock); Blue Thunder, a Tribute to Galaxie 500; Sam Martin tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , , — @ 12:36 pm May 11, 2016
Relax, It's Science at Lookout Lounge, April 30, 2016. The band celebrates its debut album release Friday at Reverb Lounge.

Relax, It’s Science at Lookout Lounge, April 30, 2016. The band celebrates its debut album release Friday at Reverb Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Three Bandcamp releases to bring to your attention today.

First, Relax, It’s Science will be celebrating the release of their debut EP this Friday at Reverb Lounge, but you can check out the tracks now, right here. The 5-song EP was recorded by Bryce Hotz at Archetype Recordings and mastered by the master himself, Doug Van Sloun.

The instrumental-only trio consists of Pat Mcilvain and Craig Hoffman, each playing electric bass, surrounding veteran drummer Jeremy Stanosheck, who you may remember from Coast of Nebraska and Kite Pilot. As you’d expect from a trio with two bass players, it’s heavy shit, but there’s melodies under all that fuzz.

The Kiez is a new project that features Lincoln’s Eli Mardock, former frontman of Eagle Seagull and a success in his own rite as a solo artist. As the story goes, Eli met Hamburg, Germany-based drummer/producer Lucas Kochbeck via email from a mutual friend. After exchanging songs, Eli flew to Kochbeck’s Hamburg studio for three weeks of recording that resulted in 17 songs.

They call their project The Kiez (pronounced Keetz), the name of the local Red Light District, as well as a slang term in German that means “The ‘hood.” They describe their sound as Hamburg garage pop, though it sounds as American as anything (and it’s sung in English, in Mardock’s usual pleading voice). Only two songs here. Where’s the rest of it?

Finally, here’s a Bandcamp project with no local roots. Blue Thunder, a Tribute to Galaxie 500 is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of Galaxie 500 covers from bands who love their music. Among them Thrushes, Cantalouper, The John Candy and 13 other acts you’ve never heard of.

I typically frown upon tribute projects, be they live or otherwise, but I point this one out because I’ve always been a fan of Galaxie 500 and this non-profit project is simply a celebration of that band’s music. Maybe it’ll generate new interest in Dean, Naomi and Damon’s genius.

* * *

Tonight at Milk Run, it’s Mild High Club, the project from LA’s Alexander Brettin, who you may remember from his work in Ariel Pink, R Stevie Moore and Silk Rhodes. His debut LP was released on Circle Star (an imprint of Stones Throw Records). Opening is Ojai and the always intriguing Sam Martin, who has a new album of his own. $8, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Take a Look at O’Leaver’s new patio; more Live at O’Leaver’s (Eli Mardock, Gordon, Sam Martin, more)…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , — @ 12:47 pm September 16, 2015
O'Leaver's new patio / beer garden, looking from the back benches toward the new bar and patio entrance. The door from inside O'Leaver's that leads to the patio is on the far left.

O’Leaver’s new patio / beer garden, looking from the back benches toward the new bar and patio entrance. The door from inside O’Leaver’s that leads to the patio is on the far left at the end of the concrete ramp.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I had a chance to snap a few photos of O’Leaver’s new patio when I was at The Club the other evening. I’ve had lots of people ask what the new beer garden — which is now open for business, just in time for this weekend’s O’Leaversfest — looks like. Instead of describing it, see for yourself. It’s huge.

A look at O'Leaver's new patio / beer garden from the new bar looking toward the back benches.

A look at O’Leaver’s new patio / beer garden from the new bar looking toward the back benches.

I’m told the patio’s new bar will be manned on Friday and Saturday nights, and the occasional special event. I could see people hanging out there all night, smoking and getting blasted. I’ve used the phrase “game changer” to describe this patio before. I think it fits.

Check it out tonight if for no other reason than the fact that there’s nothing else going on and it’s gorgeous outside.

* * *

Speaking of O’Leaver’s, another batch of Live at O’Leaver’s recordings hit their website yesterday. The new batch includes Eli Mardock, Sam Martin, Once a Pawn, Roman Polanski’s Baby, Miwi La Lupa and Gordon. Check out the tracks below.

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CORRECTION to yesterday’s post: I said yesterday in the section that included my review of the new Mynabirds album Lovers Know that The Mynabirds show at The Slowdown was Wednesday when in fact it’s tomorrow (Thursday). Ooops. Sorry. Thanks to Nayef for pointing this out!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

TBT: Eagle*Seagull is back (for one night only)…

Category: Blog,Interviews — Tags: , , , — @ 12:54 pm August 6, 2015

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

You’ve probably heard by now: Eagle*Seagull is getting back together, at least for one night.

Sayeth Ian Aeillo yesterday via FB: “Eli and I are getting back together to perform as Eagle Seagull again; October 9th at the club (which is fabulous O’Leaver’s, of course). Ten year anniversary of our album. So So Sailors headlining.” Little Brazil also is on the bill.

Aeillo said the lineup for Eagle*Seagull would be him, Eli and his brother Luther Mardock, Eli’s wife Carrie Mardock and Eric Nyffeler.

So just one show? “One show only,” Aeillo said. “And no plans for any new record because Eli and I might kill each other if we were to make another ES album.” Fair enough.

In recognition of this announcement and for Throwback Thursday, here’s an interview with Eagle*Seagull from nearly 10 years ago, written in conjunction with the release of that debut album.

Eagle*Seagull circa 2005.

Eagle*Seagull circa 2005.

Eagle*Seagull: Flippin’ the Bird

Lazy-i, Nov. 17, 2005

Indie band Eagle*Seagull doesn’t take kindly to being called “Lincoln’s version of The Arcade Fire,” even if it’s meant as a compliment.

“Comparisons like that make you sound less original, like you’re trying to catch a wave or something,” said the band’s guitarist Austin Skiles while two brethren band members — frontman Eli Mardock and drummer Britt Hayes — sipped tasty beverages next to him at Caffeine Dreams.

Skiles is right, of course. No band wants to be compared to another band, especially if that band is the hottest thing currently happening in the indie world. It’s sort of like being called “This year’s Interpol,” another band, incidentally, that Eagle*Seagull also resembles, along with classic acts Talking Heads and David Bowie.

Originally called The Good Looks when first formed in October 2004, the band changed its name to Eagle*Seagull in January while recording their debut CD at producer Ian Aeillo’s bedroom studio. “Ian made these noises that sounded like an evil seagull,” Mardock said. Too much alcohol transformed that description into Eagle*Seagull (The asterisk, apparently, is meaningless).

“We’ve been told that eagles and seagulls also are natural enemies,” Mardock added for irony’s sake or to give the name a little more weight than merely being a drunken misunderstanding.

Before the band completed its nine months (off and on) in Aeillo’s bedroom, they already found a label — Nashville’s Paper Garden Records. Never heard of it? Probably because Eagle*Seagull’s debut is catalog number 001. Upon seeing the band perform in Lincoln, former Nebraskan Bryan Vaughan made up his mind to launch the label with their debut. Vaughan, a former intern at both Sub Pop and Saddle Creek Records, now lives in Nashville where he attends Belmont University.

He made a smart choice. Eagle*Seagull’s debut, released Oct. 11, is one of the year’s best locally produced CDs, capturing the band’s sweeping, urgent, yet jittery energy. The ensemble is rounded out by Eli’s brother, Luther Mardock, on guitar and vocals, J.J. Idt on guitar and banjo, Mike Overfield on bass, and newcomer Carrie Butler on violin and keyboards.

So far, Skiles said, the CD has received good notices. “It’s done well for an album recorded for as little money as possible,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty good reception for a bunch of dorks writing songs.” — Lazy-i, Nov. 17, 20015.

 

By the way, Aeillo confirmed that Mike Overfield, J.J. Idt and Austin Skiles won’t be participating in this reunion.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Live Review: Eli Mardock; Wayne Hancock, McCarthy Trenching tonight…

Category: Blog,Reviews — Tags: , , — @ 12:57 pm July 22, 2013
Eli Mardock and his band at O'Leaver's, July 19, 2013.

Eli Mardock and his band at O’Leaver’s, July 19, 2013.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

We talk about publishing rights income for musicians all the time –you know, the money a band gets when its music is used in movies, TV shows, commercials and movie trailers, etc.. Now that record sales are going the way of the dinosaur, it’s one of the few revenue generators left for independent artists. I’m not sure how it works. Labels like Saddle Creek offer agent services to some of its artists, and I’m sure other labels do, too.

I bring it up because Eli Mardock’s music is tailor made for secondary use in marketing media. I’m not sure if that’s a shot or a compliment. In the case of his new record, it’s meant as a tip of the hat. The record’s title track, “Everything Happens for the First Time,” is movie trailer gold. Attention Alexander Payne: You would be wise to seek out this track for the trailer of your next feel-good-heartbreak-romance-coming-of-age comedy. I can already see it in my mind’s eye: The green “This Preview is approved…” screen fades to black, followed by the song’s opening five-note chords (and breathy “ha’s”) to fade in on George Clooney (or whoever Payne’s working with this time) running along a beach or highway as heartfelt comedy ensues.

Why is this record’s music so well-suited for secondary use? Well, in addition to Mardock’s uncanny knack for writing stuck-in-your-head melodies, the album is impeccably recorded. This is the best-recorded record I’ve heard out of Omaha in a long time, and that includes all the Saddle Creek stuff. It is stunningly well produced, and the vinyl sounds even better (I guess because my stereo is better than my iPhone soundwise). Beautiful studio work by Mardock (with mixing by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, Strokes, Muse)). By the way, Mardock tells me this was recorded, “In my bedroom, in my basement, in an empty building on I street...” ???

The songs themselves are as well-crafted, though it’s easy to spot the (perceived) influences in this record. That title-track/opener is equal parts Arcade Fire and ELO. “Theologians Tell Me” sounds like an homage to Pink Floyd’s “Money.” Lush, tonally dense tracks like “Hold On” recall Bowie and Radiohead.

I don’t care what music you’re listening to, you’re going to pick out references in the melodies — that’s the nature of rock music. The important thing is for the artist to put his or her own spin on it, and Mardock certainly does that. His style is recognizable, from the minor key builds in his song structures to his personal vocal style, which is among the most unique in today’s indie. Listening to this record with my wife, she said she can finally clearly hear Eli’s voice — something that she said is missing when she’s seen him perform live.

Well, the wife wasn’t along Friday night, but she would have had a similar complaint. While you could hear Eli and the rest of the band on O’Leaver’s “stage,” the live set lacked the drama of the record in part due to the limitations of the sound system and the mix. Eli Mardock is one of the very few Nebraska bands that actually sounds better on records because they’re so damn well recorded. To match that level of sound quality would require a Slowdown or Waiting Room, and even then it’s tricky business. Certainly it can’t be done easily with a small club sound rig, which could make his touring a bit… challenging.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room Bloodshot Records artist Wayne “The Train” Hancock headlines. Get a taste of his live show below via YouTube. Opening is good ol’ McCarthy Trenching. $12, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Lord Huron plays at Slowdown with Enscondido. $10, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Eli Mardock CD release show tonight; John Klemmensen, La Guerre, Baauer Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , — @ 2:00 pm July 19, 2013
Presumably Eli Mardock behind the Eli Mardock album cover...

Presumably Eli Mardock behind the Eli Mardock album cover…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I love you Benson, but you’re bringing me down. How long since my last show there? It’s been weeks…

That said, it looks like it’s going to be another O’Leaver’s weekend. Hottest show of the next three days is tonight at the House that Booze Built. Eli Mardock celebrates the release of his debut, Everything Happens for the First Time (Paper Garden, 2013). This one is a loooong time coming. Hear Nebraska has the skinny on the new record right here. I like it. Opening is The Kickback and John Larson Guitar. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Then it’s back to O’Leaver’s Saturday night for John Klemmensen and the Party. Opening is La Guerre (which is Katlyn Conroy of Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear) and All Young Girls are Machine Guns. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Saturday night, We Live in Sod Houses returns to The Barley Street with Ronnys and Weather Rest. $5, 9 p.m.

Finally, it’s an EDM night at The Slowdown Saturday with Baauer + RL Grime Infinite Daps Tour w/ Jim-E Stack and Buzz Junior. Baauer is the guy behind “Harlem Shake,” btw. Do your research on YouTube and dance appropriately. $18 adv/$20 DOS, 9 p.m.

Did I miss something? Put it in the comments section.

Have a red hot weekend…

* * *

Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Lazy-i Interview: Eli Mardock taps into the porn industry; and Happy Valentines Day to you…

Category: Blog,Interviews — Tags: , , — @ 2:28 pm February 14, 2013
Eli Mardock and wife, Carrie, in the studio.

Eli Mardock and wife, Carrie, in the studio. Photo by Joe Teplitsky.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Dirty Dancing: Singer/Songwriter Taps into the Power of Porn

To say the video that feature’s Nebraska musician Eli Mardock’s song “The King of the Crickets” is NSFW (Not Safe for Work) would be an understatement.

Titled “Double the Pleasure,” the video opens with the sound of Mardock’s somber piano chords as two young women in bikinis — Francesca and Caprice — nuzzle on a cushioned wicker beach chair sipping cocktails. As they kiss, an MTV-styled song-credit graphic appears in the lower left-hand corner of the frame that includes Mardock’s website address (elimardock.com).

By the 30-second mark, both “actresses” are topless. By two minutes, one is completely nude as Mardock’s music fades away, replaced with canned ocean sound effects and moaning.

From there, well, let the video’s producer, X-art.com, describe it for you:

X-Art features beautiful, explicit, HD erotic videos that will absolutely blow your mind! Over 100 gorgeous girls-next-door and fresh-faced fashion models getting f***ed in HOT, explicit sex scenes all shot in crystal-clear 1920×1080 Super High Definition Video!

As the video comes to a proverbial climax, the models are performing an act that cannot be described without using the words “acrobatic” and/or “flexible.” In the afterglow, Mardock’s music fades back in, as the video fades to black.

There are those who will find Mardock’s decision to license his music for use in the soundtrack of hardcore pornography not only distasteful and offensive, but a tacit endorsement of an industry some consider misogynistic.

“People can say whatever they want,” Mardock said. “I will say that I think suppression is unhealthy. And often, people who have a problem with pornography also have problems with sex. You know, they’re wracked with guilt and self-disgust. They battle all their lives to suppress, control and deny the impulses within them which are fact. And it’s a huge waste of energy. Of course, obsessing about sex and watching porn all the time is a huge waste of energy, too. I don’t advocate either — both suppression and overindulgence will fuck with your head.”

Mardock said he was introduced to X-Art by a friend who runs a boutique advertising/television/film/music licensing company in New York City. “It was immediately clear that music is one of the most important elements in their videos — so I was intrigued,” Mardock said. “The plan was to compose original music specifically for a couple of their videos. But they had so much enthusiasm for the early demos of my solo material that I sent them (as examples) that we decided to go with that instead.”

To take full advantage of the video’s promotional power, Mardock timed the June 2012 release of his EP, NE Sorrow Is Born, with the online release of the video, and it worked… probably.

Mardock said his digital-only release, available in 111 countries via 80+ retailers and through his website, has been downloaded more than 7,500 times, while sales of the EP’s single, “Cut Me Open,” (also used in an X-Art video) has clocked more than 11,000 downloads. But how much of that download traffic was due to X-Art? Mardock isn’t sure.

Keep in mind, he’s had some success long before he dabbled in dirty movies. Mardock has toured in the United States and Europe both as the frontman of his former band, Eagle Seagull, and as a solo artist. He is arguably one of the area’s more successful local indie rock musicians, so it’s hard to directly credit the porn videos for his music sales.

“Judging from the numbers of views/comments on YouTube, etc., it’s definitely had an impact,” Mardock said. “But, at the same time, I’ve had promotional campaigns going in both the U.K. and the U.S. that have generated a lot of press/interest.”

The licensing fees and exposure were both factors in his decision to sell music to X-Art. So was the quality of X-Art’s past videos. “I wouldn’t be interested in working with a typical adult site,” Mardock said. “That kind of stuff just isn’t appealing to me.”

X-Art’s director, Brigham Field, is a professional fashion and beauty photographer based in Los Angeles whose work has been published in a number of magazines, including GQ and Maxim in Spain, according to his website.

“Brigham is amazingly talented,” Mardock said. “He’s an artist. And, it’s female friendly. He co-founded X-Art with his wife, Colette. You know some people will say it’s all the same and blah blah blah and that’s alright. But for me, there is a huge difference between (typical porn and X-Art), and believe it or not I’m really very picky about who and what I would want to be associated with.”

But at the end of the day, it’s still hardcore pornography. And there are those who will question whether someone who’s “enjoying” a porn video would care enough about the music to track down the artist and buy the song. “I’m sure there are,” Mardock responded. “But, there’s no doubt it’s had a positive impact on sales.”

And, apparently, no negative impacts, or so he says. But though he described the experience as being “overwhelmingly positive,” music from Mardock’s latest EP, Hamburg, which was released Feb. 14, will “probably not” be used in future X-Art videos.

Is he having second thoughts? Not likely. Whether or not you agree with Mardock’s experiment in the flesh industry, it’s hard not to admit it gave him some exposure he wouldn’t have received elsewhere. And in an era when the indie music industry seems to be on permanent life support, any creative solution to getting your music heard is probably a good one, whether you can watch it in the office or not.

Over The Edge is a weekly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.

First published in The Reader, Feb. 14, 2013. Copyright © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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Happy Valentines Day, there’s no indie shows tonight in Omaha, so drive to Lincoln and check out Day 2 of Lincoln Exposed.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

 

Lazy-i

So did Ty Segall tank? Eli Mardock gives the finger; New Thermals; Universe Contest, Guilty Is the Bear tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 1:57 pm February 12, 2013

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I never said in yesterday’s review whether or not Sunday’s Ty Segall show tanked. A glance at the crowd tells me there were twice as many people there on Sunday night than at Slow Burn’s Titus Andronicus show last year.

Sam Parker, who runs Slow Burn, said the show did “very well.” “There was over 100 in advance sales for (Sunday) night’s show alone,”  he said. Here’s hoping that was enough to cover Segall’s guarantee.

Slow Burn has another show tomorrow night at Slowdown (Corrections House featuring members of Neurosis, Eyehategod and Yakuza), and then three shows in March and April, including 2012 breakout artist The Men April 27 at The Slowdown.

* * *

Eli Mardock released the first track off the upcoming EP Hamburg yesterday. It’s the title track, but Mardock said the song’s unofficial title is “Middle Finger,” and that it is, indeed, autobiographical, which will be obvious to anyone who knows the back story. It’s also pretty frickin’ good. Check it out below and come back Thursday for an interview with Mardock about the “unorthodox” marketing behind his last EP.

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Speaking of new music, The Thermals’ first single off their Saddle Creek debut, “Born to Kill,” went online yesterday. Check it out below. Desperate Ground comes out April 16 on Saddle Creek Records.

* * *

There’s a big Fat Tuesday show happening tonight at The Sydney featuring Universe Contest, Guilty Is the Bear and Low, Long Signal. $5, 9:30 p.m. More info here.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Live Review: Eli Mardock; Domestica, Dick Dale, John Klemmensen, Youth Lagoon tonight…

Category: Blog,Reviews — Tags: , — @ 1:08 pm July 6, 2012
Eli Mardock and his band at The Waiting Room, July 5, 2012.

Eli Mardock and his band at The Waiting Room, July 5, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I hate to start this review with a downer, but the draw at last night’s Eli Mardock EP release show at The Waiting Room was disappointing — maybe 30 people? I guess everyone either was completely bushed after their 4th of July festivities or were down the street at The Barley Street Tavern for Outlaw Con Bandana, Sam Martin and Jake Bellows, who turned out to be John Bellows and further evidence that I need to start wearing reading glasses. Apologies to those who went there expecting Jake, but at least I’m told you still got to see a helluva show.

Eli Mardock was pretty good, too. The former frontman of Lincoln band Eagle*Seagull played a number of songs off his new EP, NE Sorrow is Born as well as a tune or two off an upcoming LP that he said will be released later this year. How to describe Mardock these days: How about: ‘What you’d get if Neil Diamond fronted Pink Floyd.’ We’re talking mid-tempo drone-groove songs that border on shoe-gaze, with the stellar Carrie Butler adding the necessary “ahh’s” and cool keyboard lines. “Cut Me Open,” my favorite from the new EP, sounds like classic Neil if Neil had spent the bulk of the ’60s strung out on smack — a pretty, dreamy, slow-skate of a song.

Most of Mardock’s rather short set was locked in mid-tempo — semi-slow and done in shades of dark blue. I wondered what a couple of his songs would sound like at twice the BPM. And just as I was thinking that, the band closed with a cute tune with a sweet Flock o’ Seagulls synth line and dueling vocals between Eli and Carrie that came off like a New Wave version of Neil and Babs. Next stop: The Maha Music Festival.

* * *

There’s a wealth of shows going on tonight and virtually nothing slated for Saturday. What’s up with that?

Most of the shows are in Benson tonight, which is also celebrating its second First Friday event, so good luck parking. Oh, it ain’t that bad. Surely you can walk a few extra blocks to the venue of your choice.

Among the events is the return of Lincoln punk band Domestica to The Sydney. Heidi, Jon and Todd will be playing songs off their latest self-released EP, simply called Domestica 2, which you can check out in its entirety at their Bandcamp page. Classic. Also on the bill is Chromafrost. No idea on cost, but it’s probably around $5, and starts at around 10.

Meanwhile, the King of Surf Rock, Dick Dale, is playing down the street at The Waiting Room. Don’t know who Dale is? Check out my vintage 1998 interview with the man himself. Opening is The Blacktop Ramblers. $20, 9 p.m.

If that weren’t enough, there’s a solid lineup tonight at The Barley Street headlined by John Klemmensen and The Party with Under Water Dream Machine, Family Picnic and Knife Fight Justice. $5. According to the Barley Street website, it starts at 6 p.m., but the Facebook invite says 9. Do as you will.

The sleeper show of the night (and maybe the best) is Fat Possum band Youth Lagoon down at Slowdown. If you haven’t heard Boise singer/songwriter Trevor Powers’ stuff, it’s catchy but kind of downcast, tuneful but depressing. Kind of reminds me of Perfume Genius but a tad more upbeat. Curious? Check out “Cannons” below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12894335″ iframe=”true” /]

Opening is Father John Misty. $14, 9 p.m.

I’m having a hard time finding anything to recommend for Saturday night. If you know something that’s good that I’m missing, put it in the comments section.

I’ve been notified that our friends in Well Aimed Arrows will have their television debut Sunday morning on KETV, performing as part of a package that’s promoting the upcoming Nebraska Pop Festival. Tune in at around 8:40 a.m.

Sunday night, Eisley plays at The Waiting Room with Merriment and Skypiper. $13, 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

 

Lazy-i

Live Review: Eli Mardock (and band); Skypiper’s Mini-apolis invasion tonight…

Category: Blog,Reviews — Tags: , — @ 1:47 pm January 30, 2012
Eli Mardock at O'Leaver's, Jan. 28, 2012.

Eli Mardock at O'Leaver's, Jan. 28, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s been about a month since I last visited O’Leaver’s. I don’t remember it being quite as bright as it was Saturday night. I blame the strings upon strings of white twinkle Christmas lights hung along the ceiling, turning the club into a trailer park wonderland. When I mentioned this to the soundman, he said, “Don’t worry, it won’t be long until half of them are burned out, and it will look like the same ol’ place” yes, but with strings of ugly dead Christmas lights in the ceiling. That’s the O’Leaver’s I remember, friend, that’s the O’Leaver’s I so dearly crave. Other than the Christmas lights, nothing has changed (thankfully). No matter how screwed up your world becomes, you can always depend on O’Leaver’s to bring you right back to 2004 (or whenever it turned into a rock club).

Onstage upon my 11:15 arrival was traveling band The Bears of Blue River, your run-of-the-mill jangly indie folk band with loveable hippie frontman. Pleasant enough. But I came to see Eli Mardock, who I’d been told had grown his live trio into a full-blown 5-piece band. Sure enough, there was Mardock backed by his lovely wife on keyboards, two guitarists/bass players (One of which was Ian Aiello of The Golden Age) and a drummer. You could argue that this was a natural re-evolution of Eagle*Seagull, and you’d be wrong. Mardock as a solo band seems more focused, more rocking than E*S ever was, though there are some obvious similarities in songwriting style.

The biggest change (to me) is Mardock himself. His singing no longer has that lilt, that awkward, alien affectation that had a way of overshadowing everything that E*S was doing. Mardock now sounds like a normal citizen of this country singing rock songs about love and death and art. The first three or four songs featured him on acoustic guitar while the guys handled the bass, but after halftime Mardock switched to bass for numbers with a more definitive swing, while the guys shared rhythm and leads (though, really, it was Mardock that was leading with his bass).

With this band, Mardock finally has gotten past E*S once and for all. His other incarnations — whether it was Beauty in the Beast or his trio — seemed like incremental stages on the way to something else, half-formed with residue from the past and blueprints for the future. Now his sound is fully formed and ready for a next step that is firmly outside (but next to) the shadow of E*S.  He’s pushed this band into the top level of Nebraska indie projects, and who knows how far he’ll go from there.

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One more note about O’Leaver’s: While things seem to be slowing down elsewhere, O’Leaver’s looks to be gearing up its bookings. They have nine shows scheduled through March, including this Friday night’s Digital Leather tour kick-off, which should be a surreal experience.Check out O’Leaver’s Facebook events calendar.

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr., Skypiper is hosting what it’s calling a “Mini-apolis invasion” featuring Twin Cities bands Tarlton and Zoo Animal. Opening is Omaha’s I Am the Navigator. It should be a night of Decemberists-style chamber/indie/pop. $7, early 8 p.m. start.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Odds and ends (Matador Singles, Digital Leather, Eli Mardock, Q & Not U); Rockabilly X-mas at The Sandbox tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 11:46 am December 23, 2011

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here are a few odds and ends of interest that have been cluttering up my in-box:

Who remembers what the first title was in Sub Pop’s Singles Club back in 1988? Why it was none other than “Love Buzz,” the debut single by a little ol’ band that went by the name Nirvana. The Singles Club worked this way — for a subscription price you received one Sub Pop single per month by mail — awesome.  Sub Pop has done two more Singles Club series since then, the last one in 2008. Who knows if they’ll ever do it again.

In the meantime, our old friends at Matador have launched their own singles club. Titled Singles Going Home Alone, the Matador club is offering six 7-inch singles to be distributed throughout 2012.  The first of the bi-monthly releases features Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks and L.A. Guns, with the former covering the latter’s “Wheels Of Fire” and Tracii & Co. tackling “Gorgeous George” by The Jicks. Following that, releases are set to come from OBN III’s (March) and The Men from New York City (May). Subscriptions are $45. That’s quite a chunk of cash, but you also get a tote bag, 10% off the Matador store all year and a “secret surprise” (and BTW, copies of that limited-press Nirvana Singles Club offering are now fetching more than $2,500 on ebay). Check it out at Matador. Now when is Saddle Creek going to get off its tired ass and put together a Singles Club?

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Speaking of Matador and end-of-year lists, the label recently published its contributors’ annual end-of-year lists right here. I usually skip down to the end to see what obscure shit that label guy Gerard Cosloy is listening to these days. Of note: Digital Leather’s “Mind Eraser” made Steve Glauber of Matador Direct’s list of favorite tunes in 2011.

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Speaking of Digital Leather, their song “Young Doctors in Love” is featured at SPIN.com’s “First Spin” page, where you can download it for free. The song is from DL’s forthcoming LP Modern Problems, slated for release on FDH Records Feb. 14. It’ll also be included on another year-end comp that will be announced in the coming days (can you guess who’s?)…

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Speaking of album previews, our old Eagle Seagull pal Eli Mardock is offering an online preview of his upcoming album, Everything Happens For The First Time, right here. No street date or label info was passed along with this bit of news other than we’ll be seeing it sometime in 2012.

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Finally, kind of interesting is the return of D.C. post-punk band Q & Not U.  John Davis and Chris Richards recently performed together and intend “to keep working on songs and, hopefully, playing more shows,” according to this story in the Washington City Paper. Mynabirds fans may recall that Davis was half of Georgie James with Laura Burhenn.

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And so we enter the Christmas weekend where as per usual, there’s not much going on. You know, Christmas is for families, and all that jive. That said, tonight there’s a “Holiday Hootenanny” going on at The Sandbox featuring a plethora of rockabilly bands, including Snake Island, St. Christopher, Th’ Empires, Rumble Seat Riot and Gerald Lee Jr. or The Filter Kings. $10, all ages, show starts at 7.

Also tonight, Two Drag Club and Witness Tree are playing at The Barley Street Tavern. 9:30, probably $5. And Satchel Grande, is playing again tonight at The Waiting Room, where they’re practically becoming the house band (and why not?). $7, 9 p.m. Finally, Ragged Company is playing a set this afternoon down at House of Loom with cellist David Downing. 5 p.m. and free.

And that’s it for the weekend. Here’s hoping you get a brand new guitar for Christmas.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i