Spanish for 100, Metric (self-release) — A friend of mine has a band that he vehemently denies is alt country even though their twang is undeniable. I bet Spanish for 100 holds that same denial. Though their rhythms are straightforward, mid-tempo fare, the vocals are Wilco-esque and the guitar roar is only missing a pedal steel. In fact, the guitar work here is the most riveting part of the recording. On any given song, the guitar counters the vocals in a preordained sloppy approach, just banging into whatever feels right, off the beat or just behind it. There are a couple songs where the guitars seem to wander off in their own strange angles, pulled (eventually) back into the fold by the rhythm section. The final result is that Spanish has a tightfisted jam band essence about it, especially on “See Now (Live at the Crocodile)” that pulls together all the elements into a crowd-pleasing roar. Go ahead and clap. Produced by the Phil Ek. Rating: Yes

Thanks to everyone who entered this year’s Lazy-i Best of 2005 compilation CD giveaway. As always, a highly scientific procedure was used to determine the winners: Tiny scraps of paper with each entry’s name were placed in a ball cap. My dog, Sam, was then forced to sniff out five “winners,” which were, in fact, stuck to her rather wet nose. It doesn’t get any more random than that. So without further ado, the winners are:

Adrian Mejorado, Weslaco, TX
Bob Longmore, Minneapolis, MN
Caitlin Adams, Marriottsville, MD
Brendan Walsh, Omaha, NE
Jessica Gentile, Poughkeepsie, NY

Your CDs will be dropped in the mail tomorrow (and they better not wind up on eBay!). Thanks again, everyone, for entering.

Tonight at O’Leaver’s Providence, Rhode Island, band Get Him Eat Him takes the stage with localites Civic Minded. GHEH’s Geography Cones was released last year on Absolutely Kosher Records — home to such acts as The Wrens, Frog Eyes, and The Swords Project. I like this band — they sound like quirky indie pop, with a fine mix of guitars and synths — and had originally intended on writing a feature on them, but the logistics didn’t work out. 10 p.m., $5.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Today is the last day you can enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2005 Compilation CD. The last day! I’ve been told that this year’s collection is among the best of the series, which goes all the way back to 1994 (Just imagine what that cassette could fetch on ebay…). Tracks include songs by Of Montreal, Eagle*Seagull, Iron & Wine, Mercy Rule, Teenage Fanclub, Okkervil River, Sufjan Stevens, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink, My Morning Jacket, Spoon and more. The full track listing is right here. To enter, send an e-mail to me (tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. Your odds of winning have never been better. I’ll announce the winners in tomorrow’s blog entry.

I only hit one show this weekend — the Hot Shops Lincoln artist/Eagle*Seagull shindig. They must have been pleased with the draw — very crowded indeed. The sound was what you’d expect in an artspace, however — very boomy — and the band was playing on the floor, which means you couldn’t see them. So while I like Eagle*Seagull, bad sound and nothing to see but people’s backs drove me away after only a couple songs. Never fear, though, because Eagle*Seagull will be playing in Omaha again Jan. 28 on a showcase the features Clair De Lune, Landing on the Moon and Ghosty.

Tonight is a big-ticket show at Sokol Auditorium — Big Head Todd and the Monsters with The Nadas. I remember BHTatM from their 1993 alt-rock hit “Bittersweet” off the Sister Sweetly album. I have no idea what they’ve been up to since. Nor do I know anything about The Nadas other than they sound like The BoDeans and have a similar following. $25, 8 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Before we get to what’s cooking this weekend, though, let me pass along various email and online articles that have been burning up my mailbox:

— Saddle Creek has followed Merge Records’ lead and is now offering free one-time digital file downloads to buyers of vinyl releases. Downloading record albums has always been the scourge of vinylphiles. I use a software called PolterbitS that takes a signal from my stereo fed into an input in my PC and allows me to record as the record plays. It’s a pain in the ass. With Two Gallant’s What The Toll Tells, slated for release Feb. 21, buyers will for the first time have access to a code that’s printed in the album sleeve that can be used to access the album in mp3 format for download onto their PC/Mac/iPod. They only get one shot at the download, but that’s all they need. There’s a brief article about it at Aversion (read it here). “We are fans of both vinyl and listening to music on our iPods, and the two don’t work very well together,” says label guy Jason Kulbel in the article. A smart move that shows Creek’s commitment to a format that reigns for its undisputed cool.

— Speaking of Saddle Creek, the company’s Slowdown project got kudos in Mayor Mike Fahey’s State of the City Address Wednesday. Fahey was listing examples of where city government served as a catalyst for new development. “A perfect example is Omaha’s North Downtown,” he said. “The area is becoming Omaha’s newest urban neighborhood and will be the home of the nationally known and locally grown Saddle Creek Records. Their project, which includes a concert venue, housing, a restaurant and independent movie theater symbolizes the energy and opportunity of this area and will provide an impressive link between the Qwest Center, Creighton University, our North Omaha redevelopment and downtown.” Meanwhile, from my crow’s loft perspective over the project site, I can report that the bulldozers have not moved on the Slowdown site for a couple weeks. Not a good sign. What’s the deal?

— Another wave of press for Criteria is hitting the internet shores, including this piece from The Boston Globe where he talks about signing with Saddle Creek. ”As good a friend as I was, and am, with these people, I never had an expectation that they would release my music,” Pedersen said in the article. ”And they didn’t for many years. . . . I had given them previous records when I was in North Carolina, and they were just not interested. They were not feeling it.” Meanwhile, The Riverfront Times has declared Criteria “Omaha’s best rock band” in the lead-in to this piece (scroll down to find it).

— Drowned in Sound is reporting that Mike Mogis is in Stockholm working on the new Concretes album.

— Saddle Creek says it’ll host a showcase at this year’s SXSW music fest in Austin in March. Among the Creek acts to perform (so far): Criteria, Broken Spindles and Two Gallants. Omaha could have a large presence at SXSW this year. More info on confirmed acts as I get it.

Now the weekend: Actually, it’s all on Saturday night:

For starters, there’s the Jason Anderson / Love Letter Band / Fizzle Like a Flood gig at Sokol Underground. All three acts will be performing solo acoustic sets. 9 p.m., $7.

Punk band Jaeger Fight is playing a gig at The Mosaic Center, 1258 S. 13th St. $5, 8 p.m.

And the area’s hottest buzz band, Eagle*Seagull, is playing as part of The Tugboat Group Show at The Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas St. The event is sponsored in part by Saddle Creek Records, Hot Shops Art Center, and Yia Yia’s Pizza Beer and Wine (which is a clue as to what pizza shop will be housed in the new Slowdown facility). More info about the event is here.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 59: On (and off) The List
The final word on ’05…

Why do critics find it necessary to put their thumbprint on the year gone by with their list of “the best” records, films, books, everything? Why can’t they let go of the past without somehow defining it in their own beady little eyes via a ridiculous numbered testament carefully considered for your benefit (certainly not theirs)? End-of-year lists are the very definition of critical egocentricity.

They’re also a lot of fun to read (and write).

Now knee deep into January, seems like every music publication — both online and off — continues to create these endless lists. They go on and on and on, constantly looking over their shoulders in introspection while the rest of us gaze courageously into the future searching frantically for the music, film and literature that’ll wind up on our best-of ’06 lists.

Before putting ’05 to bed, I considered compiling a convenient compendium (that’s a lot of alliteration) of all these lists, coming up with the most-common 10 “best releases” of the pack. But that’s way too much work. That said, after reading every single one of them (or at least, most of them), something tells me the list would have looked kinda like this:

Sleater-Kinney’s The Woods — Easily one of the most lauded indie rock releases of ’05 that I’ve never been able to enjoy. Sorry folks, I’m not hearing it.

M.I.A.’s’ Arular — A hip combination of electronica, hip-hop and dancehall that’s risen to the national consciousness strictly through word of mouth and NPR.

My Morning Jacket’s Z — An homage to a macho lifestyle that went away with sideburns and muscle cars, drenched in reverb it only gets better and better with each listen.

Kanye West’s Late Registration — An MC who’s unafraid to give the president a piece of his mind, Kanye is universally accepted (and revered) by the indie elite.

The Hold Steady’s Separation Sunday — These guys have made more than one trip to the heartland, and I admit to still having never heard a note from them.

Beck’s Guero — What can I say, it made my “best of” list, too.

Antony and the Johnsons’ I Am A Bird Now — Try as I might, I can’t get over the Tiny Tim vocals. Didn’t this originally come out in ’04? Guess not.

New Pornographers’ Twin Cinema — More of the usual retro-pop a la The Shins and Elephant 6 bands. This style has held on longer than anyone expected.

The White Stripes’ Get Behind Me Satan — Despite being hailed above ground for its under ground appeal, the husband/wife/sister duo still screams novelty to me. Blame them for the rise of guitar-and-drum bands.

And, of course, Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. But one of the more whispered-about surprises around town was how Wide Awake — along with the rest of the ’05 Saddle Creek releases — didn’t make it onto Pitchfork‘s coveted top-10 list. Heck, they didn’t make into the top-50. The lack of inclusion is significant when you consider that Pitchfork is easily the most important online music publication in the indie universe. Some point to Pitchfork for single-handedly breaking acts, like ’04 best-of list fodder The Arcade Fire.

So was the lack of inclusion on their year-end list a mere oversight? Unlikely. Pitchfork, along with most of the above-ground press, threw bouquets at Wide Awake when it was released last January along with Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. Wide Awake received a staggering 8.7 on Pitchfork‘s 10-point scale, saying the record “was made to be loved, to be obsessed over by some but remembered by everybody…” LCD Soundsystem, No. 8 on Pitchfork‘s list, received a mere 8.2.

But a year later and Bright Eyes seems to have been pushed off Pitchfork‘s cool-kids’ bus along with the rest of the Creekers, replaced by haughty acts like Wolf Parade (You’re good, sir, but you’re no Arcade Fire), Sufjan Stevens (who deserves the back seat with the rest of the rowdies) and the usual clutter of obscurities (Cam’ron? Animal Collective? Huh?).

Somehow it feels like Bright Eyes is being treated with the same disdain meted out to bands that have bolted to major labels. Death Cab for Cutie comes to mind (though DCFC’s latest album does, in fact, sound like it was pasteurized for radio play by order of The Suits in Charge). Say what you will about his music, but Oberst never sold out in the face of ever-rising popularity and visibility.

Meanwhile, I’ve already begun to draft my ’06 list, which will include the new one by Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis, Rabbit Fur Coat, slated for release Jan. 24. If it’s any indication, this could be a very good year, indeed.

Why the shift in direction with The Wreath?

New England was recorded completely live — even the vocals — with all the players — some of my best friends in the world — sitting in a circle. Two of the songs on the album were even written during the session, and my friend Phil — who produced — even threw in one of *his* songs. The entire experience was a perfect snapshot of where we all were at the time, and for that reason it is very, very special to me. I realized, in the wake of its release, that it would certainly be easy — and comfortable — to go back into a studio and make New England, Part Two, especially since haphazard, slightly-country sounding, rag-tag folk music is making such a comeback right now. But that wouldn’t inspire me, since I felt like with New England, that I had made my Neil Young record, and I wasn’t going to do it any better. Also, even though ‘NE’ is intended to be an ultimately hopeful record, I noticed that some of the reviews — albeit very positive — were putting me into the “shy, sad singer-songwriter” category.

At times, The Wreath reminds me of early Freedy Johnston, at other times Will Johnson of Centromatic or even Silkworm — bands you probably never heard of (and are probably waaay off base). What did you grow up listening to (or are listening to now) that influenced your music?

You’re right, I haven’t heard those bands, but now I really want to! Like most everyone, my parents brought me up with amazing songwriter stuff from the ’60s and ’70s: The Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel’s The Stranger, James Taylor, etc. And, like most everyone, throughout middleschool and highschool I moved from Guns ‘n’ Roses to Nirvana to Green Day to Weezer to the kind of indie rock that got me through college: classic stuff like the Pixies and the Smiths, and ’90s stuff like Pavement and Guided by Voices.

Now I just listen to everything, with an emphasis on passion and sincerity. Not in a contrived emo way, of course; rather, I’m referring to legends like Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder — two of my all time favorite songwriters — and contemporaries like Ted Leo. For the record — on an Omaha tip — I’d like to passionately add that I think the Good Life’s Blackout and Son, Ambulance’s Key are two of the greatest — and bizarrely, unfathomably underappreciated — albums that have come out in recent memory. Those albums are deep, dense, emotionally epic and just plain amazing. Everyone should own these!!

Your songs are personal without being cloying, I think because you add little pieces of yourself in the lines. Ferinstance, Our Winter. “The heating bill’s so goddamned high / I wear this pea coat all the time / My mom says I need snow tires bad / But man I just assume spend that money on records and sit /with friends /in living rooms / and sing the songs we know / by heart / they start / one two three four five six seven EIGHT!” The songs are snapshots of (your) life captured in the glare of fast-food road signs seen through windshields. It feels like journal entries. Is that where the lyrics come from?

You’re spot on with the lyrics! Totally! My entire goal, as a writer, is to write songs about incredibly — and almost embarrassingly — personal events — real life stuff! — that, even though the details are specific to me, deal with emotions and situations that *everyone* has dealt with. So, more simply, using the minutely private to connect with the shared public.

Who are Rachel and Jeremy Jensen? Are they related? Where’d you find them and how did they get involved in making the record? Will they be touring with you?

They are siblings, from Boise, Idaho. We just met and became friends through touring and hanging out after shows and around the northwest. Jeremy is an excellent producer, and we decided to make a record together in his living room. It was recorded in three days, and completed even BEFORE New England was released. And one of my most favorite songs, ‘My Balancing Act,’ was written in a spurt of inspiration after lunch one day, and then recorded minutes later. It was a very, very special experience. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to make live music together, yet, but I know we will soon!!!

I know you have friends in Omaha (and so does anyone who’s heard “When Will You Say”). Who are they and how did you become friends with them? How is Omaha and the friends you have here important to you? And while we’re at it, who is in The Legend of Zelda? Does it still exist?

Omaha is very important to me. I lived there — off and on — for almost a year, and every time I go back I wonder — “WHY DON’T I STILL LIVE HERE???” I love Joe (Knapp, of Son, Ambulance). As I said above, he is an amazing songwriter and his albums need to be heard by everyone; he also is a brilliant Scrabble player, but — it should be noted — has yet to beat me.

I think one of the greatest bands — anywhere, period — right now is Tilly and the Wall, and getting to know them was one of the most wonderful joys of calling Omaha home. They are incredible musicians, performers, and the nicest people ever. I hope we can tour some time. I don’t want to make this a name-drop fest because that seems cheap, and would be a disservice to friendships. Suffice to say, I love my Omaha friends, and miss them a lot. Oh yeah, and Legend of Zelda was me and Chris and Andy. That band was awesome and we only played two shows, but they were the absolute best. I will try to get you a copy of our tape. It’s lovely.

It’s a slow news day. So… this:

A colleague of mine at The Reader pointed out a piece that appeared in the Jan. 6 issue of The Lincoln Journal Star with the banner headline “Lincoln music scene far outpaces Omaha’s.” Accompanying the piece was a life-size photo of Matthew Sweet looking like a street guy. The story is here. Apparently it’s part of a series that compares and contrasts Lincoln and Omaha, sort of like sizing up two football teams. After reading the piece I considered responding somewhere. Maybe my column? But what’s the point? Yeah, Lincoln has The Zoo Bar. Lincoln has Duffy’s. Lincoln’s always been a better place to bar hop — you can walk from one tavern to the next, whereas Omaha’s venues demand that you drive. The writer points out that Matthew Sweet and Maroon 5 are from Lincoln, then says Omaha counters with 311, then goes on to say Lincoln trumps because its bands have sold more merchandise (*Gotcha!*). I don’t think you’ll find anyone in Omaha who wants to claim 311, anyway. You can have them, too.

Then the guy goes on to diss Saddle Creek. Instead, he should have pointed out that Creek’s roots also are firmly in Lincoln (along with Presto’s). Everyone points to the Creighton Prep ties, but really, a lot of these guys also went to school together at UNL. The question of who has more talented local indie bands isn’t worth arguing. Since when is music a frickin’ sport? I don’t get the Qwest Center argument. I guess it’s nice to have an arena here, but I generally don’t go to arena shows. Too expensive and the seats are too far away. I prefer my Rolling Stones on my iPod or the radio. The writer’s comments about One Percent are nonsensical. “1% Productions brings cool shows to the Sokol Auditorium’s basement but has trouble developing a strong audience for its offerings.” They have? He then goes on to say that it’s disappointing that Omaha gets all the cool indie shows but “That, however, is off the point to some degree.” It is? I guess it depends on how you define your local music scene.

He goes on: “It has long seemed to me that Lincoln is culturally equal if not superior to Omaha, with more films shown here, thanks to the Ross Media Arts Center, the programming at the Lied Center for Performing Arts that has been unmatched in Omaha, and an internationally acclaimed art museum in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.” And Omaha will have Filmstreams, has The Holland Center and Orpheum and The Joslyn, but who’s counting?

The conclusion: “When it comes to cultural offerings and the music scene, Lincoln is just cooler than Omaha, period.” If you say so. I like Lincoln and its bands. Though I don’t get down there as much as I wish I could. As I told my colleague, I have met a few people from Lincoln who insist on making these arguments, as if it really matters to anyone. The cities are only 50 miles away. When I have one of those Lincoln guys poking a finger in my chest about how much better Lincoln’s scene is than Omaha’s, I usually respond with “I guess you’re right. How about them Huskers?” as we order another beer from Sokol’s or O’Leaver’s or The 49’rs bar…

Tomorrow morning: Jason Anderson interview. Be there.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Saturday night’s Sokol Underground show was the first live music outing for me in a couple weeks. In fact, the last band I saw was Virgasound back before Christmas at O’Leaver’s. The funny thing about O’Leaver’s — despite the sound system, it really is a great place to see live music because it’s so damn small (that can also be a drawback, depending on who’s playing). If you pull in 40 people, the place seems packed and edgy. Well, there was probably only 50 or 60 people at Saturday night’s show at Sokol, and as you might have guessed, it seemed rather empty — that’s the disadvantage for upstart bands that play there that aren’t supporting big-draw national or Creek bands. The advantage, however, is the venue’s premium sound system. And Virgasound took full advantage of it. They never sounded better… or louder. Probably because it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to a show, but man, they sure seemed loud. I’ve written about these guys a number of times (for example), so I’m not going to go into too many details, other than to say the stage spacing and the sparce crowd seemed to have had an impact on the energy coming from the band. Cocky frontman Chris Esterbrooks told me afterward that he cracked his guitar before the set, which dampened his mood (He even said so a few times from the stage). Regardless, they sounded as good as ever, and proved once again that they’re one of the best live bands in Omaha.

Next came The Third Men. Like I’ve said before, these guys are the epitomy of ’90s sunshine So. Cal indie rock reminiscent of bands like Matthew Sweet and The Feelies — in fact, I wish they’d add a Feelies cover to their arsenal. Instead, they added a cover of The Kinks’ “Victoria” as an encore (apparently replacing crowd favorite, Wings’ “Jet,” which a small group of girls were screaming for at the end of their set). The Third Men is the type of band that you could imagine playing in the background of an early (good) Jonathan Demme film, the perfect feel-good wedding band for a very hip couple. Seek them out. You won’t regret it.

No idea on shows this week other than Lifeafterlaserdisque Wednesday at Sokol Underground and Jason Anderson this coming Saturday — look for an Anderson interview online Wednesday. If you know of any other gigs going on this week, drop me a line.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

This will be sort of a stream-of-consciousness entry as I only have 10 minutes to write it. There’s actually quite a few shows to mention going on this weekend (three to be exact):

Brian Poloncic wrote to tell that Tomato A Day is playing tonight at Shea Riley’s, 320 So. 72nd. St. In addition to Brian, the band features Dude Wyoming on bass and Doug Wray on drums (former drummer Abigail Fishel apparently moved to Cleveland yesterday). Also on the fight card is Mourning At Sea (formerly Orions Belt) and The Sleeper Hits. No idea on the price.

Also tonight, Anonymous American is gigging out at The Redeye Tavern on 84th and Center. I used to drink there years and years ago. I think this may be their first foray in original music, so go out there and support, people.

The crown jewel of shows this weekend is The Third Men with Virgasound and Cruisin’ Rosie at Sokol Underground Saturday night. In these dark days of winter, we could all use The Third Men’s brand of warm, sunshiny West Coast rock to brighten our lives. Virgasound, on the other hand, is an angry shove of cocky, brute force (very cocky). I’m in the dark about Cruisn’ Rosie, however (Mile T, give it up on the webboard, please). $7, 9 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 58: Fear of Cool
Don’t be afraid of the art

As I sat down to write this week’s column, I received this prime directive from the publisher:

Happy Old Year, TMac. Next week’s issue is New Year’s resolutions in culture, life, etc… things we’re encouraging the readership to do in 2006, based on our eternal wisdom and experience, with a dash of “You haven’t lived in Omaha until you’ve done this…” If you could write a column in this direction, that would be grand.

Beyond merely giving thrill-seekers a list of untried vices to feed their insatiable appetite for awkward situations, this topic instead highlights the unfortunate divide that exists between the “arty” and “artless,” the “cultured” and the “mob,” or simply, the line that divides those who go out and see stuff from those who stay home and watch lots of television.

What keeps people from venturing out to original music venues, art galleries and live theaters? Certainly not the cost or inconvenience — these are the same folks who will lay down hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to see an over-the-hill U2 or Paul McCartney at that hollowed-out, echo-filled, dead whale called the Qwest Center. No, it’s something else: Fear of pretentiousness. Not their pretentiousness, yours.

These folks are most comfortable watching a bowl game at a sports bar or going to a movie at the AMC. They prefer herd activities where they can blend in with everyone else, unnoticed. Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t love viewing some fine local art, watching a good play or hearing a local original band that rocks better than anything on MTV. But the thought of wandering down to a mid-town or downtown venue makes them squeamish. They don’t think they’ll fit in.

Look, I know those of you who live in a loft in the Old Market or are “working on your screenplay” don’t buy any of this. Why would you? You rarely venture west of 72nd St. You not only don’t mind getting noticed — you want to get noticed. Hell, you pretentious bastards are the problem! You assume there is no culture west of Crossroads, and you’re partially right. But I’m not talking about the unwashed masses that are already brain dead from too much bad radio music and reality television. I’m talking about people we all know who crave something different, but are afraid to venture outside of their warm, safe little cubby holes.

They suffer from “I’m-not-cool-enough” phobia. And who can blame them? Gallery openings conjure up visions of giddy, half-drunk half-stoned art-school drop-outs wearing wonky hand-made clothes flittering around the room giggling with everyone… except you, who they figure is probably a cop.

Then there’s the indie music scene. I know a lot of people who would enjoy seeing Omaha’s stellar cadre of nationally known bands, but fear they’d stick out at Sokol Underground or O’Leaver’s or even Mick’s among the bed-headed, too-small-T-shirt-wearing, angst-ridden hipster youth. If they only knew…

Those of us who actually go to art openings and rock shows at indie clubs know just the opposite is true. There is no uber-pretentious Andy Warholian “It Crowd” in Omaha (except in their minds). Most people involved in the local arts and music scene are struggling just to get by. Most aren’t super cool, they’re super insecure. They desperately want people from the suburbs to check out their art, acting and music. Unfortunately, these same people also make fun of the throngs who gush over poorly crafted wind chimes and elaborate God’s Eye yarn art at the Summer Arts Festival.

So here’s my proposal for ’06: This year, find that person or persons with a willing but fearful heart and bring them to an art opening, play, indie rock show or even dinner at a small, independently owned restaurant. Arrange everything. Find them a sitter if you have to. Pick them up and drive them downtown. Do whatever it takes. And for god’s sake, once you’re there, don’t leave them hanging. Introduce them to people you know. Show them that there’s nothing to be afraid of except maybe missing out on all the things they’re too afraid to try.

Who knows? Maybe they’ll tell all of their friends. And the next time you have an art opening or CD release show, those truly pretentious bastards who are killing the scene will be stuck waiting outside in the hold line.