Column 31: The New Breed
Two new bands elbow their way to the front of the line.

Getting tired of that ol’ indie-rock shtick?

You know what I’m talking about — all those bands that have cornered the market on jangling guitars, warbly off-key vocals, shuffling snare rhythms and bad posture? The bands whose songs are studies in introspective navel-gazing by guys who can’t seem to get over their last break-up?

I am. Seems like we’ve been hearing that same ol’ song way too much lately. Even yours truly — Mr. Indie Rock himself — is beginning to yawn and nod off during long sessions with his i-Pod. Really, how many low-fi, low-energy, introspective, pseudo-folk, sons/daughters of Pavement, REM and Sebadoh can a person stand before blacking out on an overdose of ennui?

As cheesy as this sounds, sometimes you just wanna rock. And this past week I saw a couple bands that did just that.

It started Thursday night. Ladyfinger was at O’Leaver’s playing at their coming out party of sorts, even though they’ve been out for quite a while. Too bad I didn’t get to see much of it. Oh, I heard it all, the whole blistering set, but I couldn’t see it because the place was stacked from “stage” to railing with people standing to watch the sweat fly. It was a crush mob, the type of O’Leaver’s crowd usually reserved for a Simon Joyner or Tim Kasher show.

And why not? Word is out that these guys are the next “it” band. Consisting of Ethan Jones, bass/vocals; Pat Oakes, drums; Chris Machmuller, guitar/vocals, and Jamie Massey, guitar, Ladyfinger’s style is pure throwback, buzzing and howling to a beat that’s distinctly mid-’90s agro-punk a la Ritual Device; ratcheted minor-key buzzsaw guitars bordering on metal planted atop a throbbing bass line. Listening to Ladyfinger is like putting a couple feral cats in a cardboard box, shaking it up, and dropping it down a tumbling flight of stairs. Once it comes to a stop, open up the carton and put your hand inside. Static aggression. Anger and energy. Simultaneously frightening and exhilarating, but with a beat.

Sure, you won’t remember a single melody when you get home and take out your ear-plugs, but you’ll remember it was tight; you’ll remember they were good. Repeated listenings are a must if you want to figure out what in hell it all means. I don’t know how they’ll do it in the studio. Rumors have circulated for months that labels are sniffing around these guys. Thursday night’s crowd will keep the rumors buzzing.

Then there’s The Philharmonic — a company of hard-rocking degenerates featuring guitarist/vocalist and chief pouter Chris Esterbrooks (or just “Brooks” for short) and once-handsome bassist Marc Phillips — both formerly of the rockabilly-gospel-firebreathing-freak-out act The Carsinogents. Add second guitarist Mike Saklar (No Blood Orphan, Mal Madrigal, ex-Ravine), and out-of-control drummer Jeff Heater (ex-Men of Porn, whether he likes it or not) and you’ve got yourself a bomb ready to explode.

I’ve heard them described as a cross between The Wipers and The Hot Snakes — and still don’t know what that means. I liken them to edgy ’70s guitar punk meets edgy ’70s bombastic heavy metal — brash, fast and ready to pose for the cameras, boot-up-your-ass music without a hint of ennui. Brooks, held back as a sideman for years with the Carsinogents, lets it all hang out with classic rock ‘n’ roll panache (Spitting out a burning cigarette before screaming into the mic; doing the ol’ stand-on-the-chair-during-my-solo routine).

Like Ladyfinger, don’t ask me what their songs were about. I don’t know, and I don’t care. And neither did a standing crowd at The 49’r Saturday night that looked like they were ready to pounce when Brooks said there was no more.

As the scene begins to tire of all the flaccid indie posing, these two bands stand at the forefront of where it’s all headed next. Don’t get in their way.

Online now, the skinny on Slowdown, Saddle Creek Records’ office/bar/music venue project slated for downtown Omaha (read it here). Label guy Jason Kulbel talks about the club’s booking, financial info, time line, all sorts of fun stuff. You also get detailed PDF drawings of the entire facility, giving you plenty of time to scope out the perfect hiding place for opening night. Though it all looks pretty definite, there are some issues that could slowdown Slowdown, not the least of which could be challenges involved in getting the land ready for construction, and the possible costs involved in a worst-case scenario. Not making it into the story is Kulbel’s explanation regarding “the bathroom situation.” Women will be pleased to know that there are almost twice as many stalls in the women’s john as “receptacles” in the men’s. Why? “Because we care,” Kulbel said. Actually, its all a zoning thing.

Tonight, the triumphant return of Bettie Serveert at Sokol Underground. The band was just here in February, and I’m told really playing in Omaha. Opening is No Blood Orphan featuring Mike Saklar (The Philharmonic, Mal Madrigal, ex-Ravine) and Che Arthur. $10, 9 p.m. If you’re in Lincoln, you might want to check out The Groovie Ghoulies at Knickerbockers with Teenage Bottle Rocket, Teenage Harlots and J.V. All*Stars. The early show starts at 5 p.m. $7.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Sorry for the delay in today’s entry. I was up early this morning writing a comprehensive story on Slowdown — the Saddle Creek Records bar/music hall/office complex — which will go online at Lazy-i tomorrow morning along with the drawings/plans of the new facility. Don’t miss it.

It was because of that odd deadline (the story was a last-minute assignment for this week’s issue of The Reader) I was forced to leave the show early last night before Enon came on. This makes twice that I missed them when they came through town. I was there, however, for the two opening bands, not the least of which was The Stay Awake, a hot new trio featuring frontman/guitarist Steve Micek, bassist Robert Little and some guy from Bleeders for Treats whose name I don’t know that absolutely scorched on the drums. Someone at the show described their sound as “mathy.” I’m not sure I agree. Micek and crew play intricate syncopated almost-stuttering movements in odd meters (5/8? 7/8?) braced upon a foundation of hard-angled chords and spare (if nonexistent) melodies. It sounds almost like free-form avant jazz with a distinct element of improvisation (by all three) within the songs’ rigid structures. Micek’s vocals, delivered with his back to the audience, are mostly incoherent barks used more for rhythm than anything. This reminds me of punk from five or six years ago, back when bands didn’t care if you understood what was going on because they were too busy trying to get this stuff off their backs like some sort of personal exorcism. It sure isn’t gonna please everyone, and it isn’t intended to. Regardless of the improvised feel, there were a couple times when you didn’t know if the songs were ending on purpose or if the band was simply getting tired of playing them.

Next up was Detroit’s Thunderbirds Are Now!, a band that seemed almost designed to be on Frenchkiss Records. A jittery four-piece of whirling dervishes, their songs sported a distinct dance vibe while breaking down into odd-prog territory (sort of like your typical Frenchkiss band). Guitars, bleep-bleep synth keyboards, vocals, bass and at the end of their set, two drummers (one guy alternated between multiple instruments and the occasional freak-out). Thunderbirds are as much a performance art piece as a rock band (in a Les Savy Fav sort of way). If they pulled back a little more, they’d get mistaken for a Rock 4/Rapture type band, which they distinctly are not.

Attendance when I left was around 200, not bad for a Monday night.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

There will be more on The Philharmonic in this week’s column, as I deem them and those crazy kids in Ladyfinger as two Important New Voices in Omaha Music. Sound dramatic? It is. It should be. The short line is this: The Philharmonic lit it up Saturday night at The 49’r. Are they the future of rock ‘n’ roll? I hope so.

The city was abuzz with word that our man from VH1, Eli Lehrer, was in town Thursday and Friday meeting some of the folks he’s interviewed over the past couple months as research for a possible documentary-style program focused on the Omaha music scene. I know of only a handful who met with him (I wasn’t among them, perhaps because he was none too thrilled with Column 27, which appeared back in May and which he asked me not to publish). I’m told he was probing further on bands that exist on the fringe of Saddle Creek mania. What will come of all this? One can only hope that it’ll be a Very Special Episode of The Surreal Life featuring Matt Whipkey, Landon Hedges, Brigitte Nelson and Flavor Flav shacked up together in that office space above Kris’ Rexall on Dodge that used to be Kim’s Karate. Now that’s entertainment!

Tonight is the Enon show at Sokol Underground. Enon frontman John Schmersal says that their set will be an eclectic mix of the singles and b-sides heard on their new CD along with some chestnuts that date back to Believo! Opening is Lincoln’s Thunderbirds Are Now! and the project headed by Steve Micek (The Mariannes, ex-Real Time Optimists, soundguy) known as The Stay Awake, which by itself is worth the price of admission (which is $8).

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Going to a College World Series game drains you of your will to live. After sitting through last night’s, I didn’t have the energy to make it to O’Leaver’s for Statistics. Looks like I’m going to have to wait until the end of July to see what Denver’s been up to. If you were there, tell us how it was on the webboard.

Briefly…

— If you turned on your TV or picked up a Lincoln Journal Star than you know that the Saddle Creek folks held a press conference yesterday officially announcing the Slowdown project in downtown Omaha between 13th and 14th and Webster and Cuming, which means I’ll be able to watch its progress daily from the vantage point of my office at UP. No real earth-shaking news, though I figured the club would be larger than the 400-capacity space described in the Associated Press story. Time frame is opening in a about a year. I know just as many people psyched about the facility’s two-screen indie/arthouse cinema as the club. I’m sure we’re gonna hear a lot more about the project as time goes by, like the club’s booking philosophy and how it could impact Sokol Underground. And what’s going on with that venture slated for the old Club Joy space?

— Personal critical mentor and savior Robert Christgau has the latest installment of his Consumer Guide online at the Village Voice (read it here). This one features indie music, including his take on I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (He gives it an “A minus,” saying “Like the empathy of so many young men, especially artists, his (Oberst’s) is more self-involved than saints like us prefer”) and the Neva/Bright Eyes split, which he placed on his “Duds” list.

— One British online ‘zine doesn’t like the new Faint single “Desperate Guys.” Says MusicOMH.com, “Desperate? With songs like this, I’m not surprised.” Cheeky.

What’s up this weekend? Tonight looks like a Brother’s night, as I don’t see any shows worth mentioning. You could always go see BoDeans at Harrahs, I guess. Tomorrow night, on the other hand, has two humdingers: The Terminals and The Philharmonic at The 49’r, and Shelterbelt, Papers and Feariscalm at Sokol Underground. Sunday night, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Thunderstandable, and Eagle.Seagull are at Lincoln’s 9th St. Basement. But if you miss it, TAN are opening for Enon the next night (Monday) at Sokol Underground.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Hmmm… well I guess you could say Ladyfinger has arrived. Okay, they’ve already been here, for quite a while actually. But last night was sort of a coming out party for these guys at O’Leaver’s. I didn’t get to see much of it. Oh, I heard it all, the whole set, but I couldn’t see it because the place was stacked up from the “stage” to the railing with people standing to watch the sweat fly. It was a crush mob, the type of crowd at O’Leaver’s reserved for a Simon Joyner or Kasher show.

And why not? The word is out that these guys are at the forefront of the next generation of Omaha indie bands. That said, their style is pure throwback, buzzing and howling to a beat that’s distinctly mid-’90s agro-indie a la Ritual Device; ratcheted minor-key buzzsaw guitar bordering on metal planted atop a throbbing bass line. Listening to Ladyfinger is like putting a couple feral cats in a cardboard box, shaking it up, and dropping it down a tumbling flight of stairs. Once it comes to a stop, open up the carton and put your hand inside. Static aggression. Anger and energy. Simultaneously frightening and exhilarating.

Sure, you won’t remember a single melody when you get home and take out your ear-plugs, but you’ll remember it was tight; you’ll remember they were good. Repeated listenings are a must if you want to figure out what the hell it means. I don’t know how they’ll do it in the studio, though I know they’ve tried. Rumors have circulated for months that labels are sniffing around these guys. Last night’s crowd will keep the rumors buzzing. If you missed it, you’ll have another chance to see them June 30 at The Olympic Lounge with Bombardment Society and Fromanhole, but it’ll cost you twice as much — $10 (but quarter pitchers all night long — it’ll be like going to Fat Jacks to see King Vitamin).

Tonight, again at O’Leaver’s, it’s Statistics with Latitude, Longitude. The gig is a warm-up for Stats as they get ready to head out with Maria Taylor on a tour that lasts all the way through their July 29 welcome-home show at Sokol Underground. They could be turning people back at the door tonight, so get there early.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

My interview with John Schmersal of Enon went online this morning (read it here). John talks about the band’s new b-sides compilation, finding a new member, all kinds of swell stuff. Not a lot of out-takes. He did say one of the cool things about living in Philly (he just moved from NYC) was that going to shows is less of a hassle. He much prefers being in a crowd of 100 where he can chat with the person next to him than being in a mob of 1,000 where he can’t hear himself think. “I’m from the Midwest, I like the idea that I can be a little more active somehow if the scene is smaller,” he also said. “In New York, there’s so much stuff going on and it all has to do with money; you don’t have the time or enough of a reason or angle to be involved in a lot of things.” Enon plays at Sokol Underground Monday with Thunderbirds Are Now! and legendary Omaha band (which I have yet to see/hear) The Stay Awake.

What about tonight? There are actually three shows all at once. You got Ladyfinger, Mountain High and Coyote at O’Leaver’s. You got The Fags, Lovetap and The Goddamn Rights at Shea Riley’s. And then there’s Unwed Sailor (Johnathon Ford from Pedro the Lion and Decahedron) with The Atlas at Ted & Wally’s. I hope to be at one of the three.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

It’s been somewhat quiet news-wise these days, what with Michael Jackson hogging up all the Internet space. Labels are between releases right now, and bands have already started or are about to start touring, which I suppose explains the veritable silence. Here are a couple things of interest I’ve found:

— PopMatters has a good Q&A with Maria Taylor, where she talks about her new album and the future or Azure Ray. Among the exchanges: “MT: We decided to take a break from Azure Ray and that’s where I am now. PM: Is Azure Ray over? MT: We’re just kinda seeing where life takes us right now.” Another hiatus situation where there’s no end in sight. The good news is both Taylor’s and Fink’s CDs are better than the last Azure Ray CD. Wonder what they’ll do when/if they do decide to get back together… shelf their solo songs during the live sets? Taylor heads out on tour with Statistics this month. And speaking of Statistics, the band is playing a set at O’Leaver’s Thursday with Latitude, Longitude.

— Chartattack (and others) is reporting that Radiohead’s OK Computer was picked by SPIN as the best album in the last 20 years (read it here). Good record, but strange choice. For whatever reason, SPIN is getting a lot of play out of this list. I saw the story scroll by while watching something on cable last night.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Well, I didn’t get the update done this morning because I was busy writing a feature on Enon, which will be placed online Wednesday. They’re coming back for a gig at Sokol June 27. The hot show of the week (I’m told) is The Fags at Shea Riley’s this Wednesday. The Detroit band is about to release a disc on Sire and has been described to me as a cross between Cheap Trick and The Replacements. Listening to their track on The Sire site, that’s not a bad description — more of a return to ’70s power rock a la Sweet. I’ve never been to Shea Riley’s but have been told it’s an interesting venue for live stuff (Is it the old E’s Hideaway?). Interestingly, The Fags’ show is the same night as Ladyfinger, Mountain High and Coyote at O’Leaver’s. Decisions, decisions…

That’s it for now…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Is it possible to place a cello in any song and not reap a sense of foreboding? No, I think not. Matson Jones has two cellos. Along with a standup bass played like a giant cello; along with some guy on drums who must have fallen in love with syncopation at a very early age. It’s him, drummer Ross Harada, who is the pistons in this engine. Sure, the cellos add their obvious share of chum-chum-chum locomotion, but it’s Harada that makes this rock, even though his drum set sounded like he bought it for fifty bucks at a garage sale. No guitars is always going to be a hard sale at a place like O’Leaver’s, but, god help them, Matson Jones managed to sell it to the 50 or so on hand (even though there was a small contingency of girls in the back who just would not shut up (what are ya gonna do? It’s a bar, after all…)).

Musically, think early P.J. Harvey circa 4-track Demos. In fact, that particular P.J. Harvey album — a classic example of rock minimalism — is probably the best comparison you’ll get to Matson Jones. The melodies are narrow, bounced off the cello riffs like a curled-lipped snarl. Doesn’t hurt that the duo vocalists/cellists Martina Grbac and Anna Macorella sport voices that are of the same timber and texture as Harvey’s young, distorted howl.

But what really sold the performance was the band’s sense of dynamics. Maybe I’m just getting tired of the usual indie rock shtick where the band lights up and plays everything on 11 for 30 minutes without a moment’s hold-back — red-lined to flat-line to numbness to boredom. Matson Jones took their songs up, down and sideways, at one time barreling forward like a train wreck before dropping to a hush — just the cellos sawing and vocals — before Harada brought it all back up again with his rattling drums. It’s those dynamics that made this band (and their CD) interesting, arresting and wry, with just a touch of foreboding.

Tough choices tonight — The 49’r or O’Leaver’s… see below for details. I’ll probably miss them both.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—