I don’t think I mentioned it before but Little Brazil has been added to tonight’s Go! Team show with Eagle*Seagull. It has all the makings of being one of the better shows of the summer… if anyone shows up. And they should, even if it’s 110 degrees down in Sokol Underground (They do have some sort of air conditioning down there, right?). $12, 9 p.m.

And speaking of Sokol’s air quality, a couple weeks ago I noticed that they posted signs over the bar that said they were going to start enforcing the upcoming smoking ban beginning Aug. 1 instead of the law’s Oct. 2 start date. I asked One Percent about the change, and they said they have no intention of enforcing the ban until October and that those signs were coming down. Regardless, it’s only a matter of time before Sokol becomes smoke free since it fits within the description of facilities that must enforce the city’s new smoking ban. The thought of no longer coming home from Sokol Underground shows smelling like an ashtray seems almost surreal. You read a lot about how these smoking bans impact businesses, but I can’t see it having any impact at all on Sokol turnout one way or another. You either want to see the bands or you don’t, and everyone I know who goes to shows has always understood that smoking was part of that environment. If anything, the ban could have a positive effect on attendance, especially from younger patrons whose parents are smart enough to monitor the conditions of where their kids go after dark. We may never find out, of course, since a lawsuit was filed against the City of Omaha by the folks that run the Marleybone on Leavenworth, saying the ban gives special preference to some businesses, such as Horseman’s Park, keno parlors and stand-alone bars, all of whom are granted a 5-year grace period from the ban. It could get ugly. It also begs the question of whether O’Leaver’s falls under that exception — it’s a stand-alone bar, but everyone knows they have a kitchen in there that’s been known to serve food (though I’ve never actually seen anyone eat anything in O’Leaver’s other than Taco John).

Anyway, make sure you get to the show early tonight to catch the openers. It will be interesting to see if anyone dances during the Go! Team set. I’ve warned the band that they may be disappointed by Omaha audiences’ inability to “move to the beat” during rock shows. I don’t think Ninja is going to put up with it…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

If you have any ideas, please plug them in on the webboard…

There’s no show that I’m aware of tonight at O’Leaver’s. Sokol is doing a hip-hop show. That’s it, folks. If you’re lucky enough to live in Lincoln you can check out Ideal Cleaners and The Monroes at Bob’s Tavern (no idea where it’s actually located, just find it).

Saturday there’s a little more going on. Sokol Underground is hosting Denver combo Devotchka. I like what I heard on their myspace page — acoustic balladry featuring accordion, stand-up bass, pre-Soviet Union melodies and Roy Orbison-style vocals. Opening is Outlaw con Bandana and Fine Fine Automobiles. $9, 9 p.m. Also Saturday night, Columbus, Ohio, indie pop band Miranda Sound plays at O’Leaver’s with The Upsets, Dead Man’s Hands and Shanks. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday there are… no shows worth mentioning. The River Riot is going on at Westfair with a line-up that 100 percent sucks. I’m sure it’ll be a huge hit.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 86: Fall Back, Stagger Forward
Sometimes retro works, sometimes it doesn’t.

If there’s a theme to this collection of CD reviews it’s “retro.” At least half of these records contain music inspired — for better or worse — by an era gone by. What’s that old adage: There’s nothing new about rock music — it all feeds off the corpses of its betters. That may be true, but how a band takes and makes that rich, smelly compost its own is what defines it for its own generation — a generation that’s oh so quick to forget the one that came before it.

Eric Bachmann, To The Races (Saddle Creek) — There’s a painful, almost sadly scary tone to Bachmann’s songwriting, whether solo or with Crooked Fingers. Listening to the words too closely will take you to dark places that he knows too well. That sweet lullaby is really a cry of longing from someone who knows exactly what loneliness is (He wrote this album while living in the back of his van, presumably down by the river). The best acoustic set since Joni was doing this back in the ’60s, easily one of the best CDs so far this year, and a smart, smart addition by our proud local label. Rating: Yes

Now It’s Overhead, Dark Light Daybreak (Saddle Creek) — Andy LeMaster’s spacey, echoing head-space production was just what we were looking for on his band’s ’01 debut and follow-up Fall Back Open. Now it’s getting kind of tired, especially when he stays stuck in the same ol’ mid-tempo roll, even on the harder rockers like “Walls” that sound like everything we’ve heard before. Their recent guttural live set at Sokol Underground is the direction they should be heading instead of this all too familiar road. Rating: No

Pet Shop Boys, Fundamental (Rhino) — They’re calling it a return to form for these ’80s gay-dance-club icons. Wish it was. Fans will recognize the usual thump-thump-thump, the blurting priss-synth tones, and Neil Tennant’s always inviting runway croon. But missing is the charm from the earlier recordings (even the overlooked late ’90s Sire releases), instead opting for disco camp on songs like the in-your-face “The Sodom and Gomorrah Show,” the retro single “I’m With Stupid,” and the drama-bloat ballads “Numb” and “Luna Park.” Where’s the mystery, boys, where’s the fun? Rating: No

The Rye Coalition, Curses (Gern Blandsten) — Proof that this is the genuine article: Playing it in my car resulted in my girlfriend saying, “Yuck… this sounds like all that heavy metal crap from the ’70s.” Exactly! It’s difficult — nay impossible — to pull this off without sounding camp, but somehow these guys do it, right down to the tasteless girl-covered-in-tar-and-feathers cover art. Pure Kiss meets Nugent meets AC/DC meets Kiss balls-to-the-wall rock with song titles like “Between An I-ROC and a Hard Place” and “Vietnam Veterinarian.” What more do you want; what more do you need? Rating: Yes

Towers of London, Blood Sweat & Towers (TVT) — The brick-thick cockney accent says ‘we’re London punk-thugs,’ but their music betrays a Hollywood and Vine sensitivity last heard from those tender G’n’R boys. Forget about those dark Thatcher days — they’re long gone and these native Liverpooleans and Buckinghamshire-ites are too young to remember them anyway. I’m sure they’d be plenty angry if they had something to be angry about. Blistering rock, but as hard and fast as they play, I still prefer the pretty banjo version of “F**K It Up” that begs you to sing along, and you will. Rating: Yes

Paul Simon, Surprise (Warner Bros) — Mr. 100-Year-Old’s fusion with Brian Eno is well-documented, and well done. Eno adds the depth and sonic interest that Simon hasn’t had since he went to Africa in the mid-’80s. I could do without the cloying fatherhood numbers (“Father and Daughter” “Beautiful”) and the God overtones (“Outrageous”), but there’s still more than enough Me and Julio-style storytelling to go around. And his voice never sounded better. Rating: Yes

Frank Black, Fast Man, Raider Man (Back Porch) — Of course we all only want the best for ol’ Frank because we’re all Pixies fans at heart (I still insist they were the most influential band of the ’90s). But Frank has consistently disappointed on his own, and this massive two-CD collection of thin, wandering ditties is no exception. It’s not that he doesn’t rock — he certainly tries to, in a bluesy, honky-tonk sort of way — it’s that he rocks boring. And taken over 27 tracks, that’s a whole lot of boring. What happened to that Pixies reunion? Rating: No

The Rosewood Thieves, From the Decker House (V2) — New York singer/songwriter Erick Jordan would be happy if you compared his snarling voice to John Lennon’s, even though he and his cohorts lean closer to twangy Steve Wynn territory. These simple indie folk-rock ditties, like EP closer “Lonesome Road,” are breathy love songs with warm hooks, hand claps, ragtime piano and lots of ewwss thrown in for good measure. Produced by Thom Monahan (The Pernice Bros., Devandra Banhart). Rating: Yes

Just placed online, an interview with The Go! Team mad scientist Ian Parton (read it here). Ian talks about the band’s short ride to the top… in Europe, their relative obscurity in the states, their stage show (festivals vs. Sokol Underground), and working on their new album. It’s all there in the story, except for his comments about Omaha (“I don’t know…. It’s the Midwest, middle of the country, I imagine it being flat and rural.”). The show is next Monday night with Eagle*Seagull and could be a good one if anyone shows up. Looking at some of their live footage on YouTube, they like to turn their shows into dance parties. Good luck with that one, folks.

A couple shows worth mentioning going on tonight: Denton, Texas nerd folkie rockers Fishboy are playing at O’Leaver’s with local talent Bill Latham. 9:30 p.m., $5. Down at Sokol Underground Sarah Benck and the Robbers play with Anonymous American and Zack Hexum (brother of 311’s Nick). $8, 9 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I’m listening to the new Magnolia Electric Co. album, Fading Trails on Secretly Canadian Records, as I write this. I’m thinking dusty Crazy Horse-era Neil Young sung by Roy Orbison. Simple boom-chuck rhythms, nice piano, glowing pedal-steel rise. Laid-back, mid-tempo, rural songs about regret and similar such things. If you don’t know it, MEC is Jason Molina’s Songs: Ohia, renamed back in ’03. Molina has worked in the past with producer Mike Mogis and has grown a sizable national following. Opener Ladyhawk is more of the same, only louder, with more electricity thrown in the mix, kind of reminds me of Swearing at Motorists. “Teenage Love Song,” off their self-titled Jagjaguwar debut, sounds like Silkworm doing a Richard Thompson song with an extra helping of anguish. Opening the festivities is Omaha’s own No Blood Orphan. $9, 9 p.m. at Sokol Underground…

Tomorrow here at Lazy-i, look for a feature/interview with The Go! Team’s Ian Parton. And the column is back Thursday with a handful of CD reviews…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

First off, their name. I don’t dislike it because it’s lame, but because it looks like they ripped off The GO! Team (Note the use of the word “GO”, note the similar use of exclamation points). Who had the idea first? I have to believe it was the band from England, who are quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon (Don’t believe me? Check out their mini-documentary on their myspace page or see them when they drop by Sokol Underground July 31, wedging dirty ol’ Omaha between Red Rocks and Lollapalooza).

I can hear what you’re thinking: The name of a band is inconsequential. Ah, but it isn’t, especially if the band intends to make a name for itself outside of Omaha, and judging from what I’ve heard so far, this band has the potential to do that. If they tour larger cities, they will be harangued about their name from music writers who know what’s going on in the indie scene.

Ironically, the fact that their name appears to be lifted from another band seems appropriate, since GO! Motion takes styles from a variety of bands and mashes them into something that sounds exactly like something you’ve heard before. Part of the fun is picking out their references. The vocals? Pure Robert Smith circa Boys Don’t Cry (one patron was agog over the similarity, especially considering that frontman Albert Kurniawn is Asian and speaks with a charming Asian twang). The guitars? Hmmm… early U2 circa Boy or War, maybe The Alarm or Midnight Oil — just fill in your favorite post-punk band from the ’80s whose guitars featured tons of delay. The overall style? Underground dance, in an upbeat Interpol vein, definitely VHS or Beta (but with less Duran Duran overtones), certainly retro. You getting the picture?

All that said, I liked what I heard from the five-piece, though the mix was muddy, jumbled, with entirely too much low-end. GO! Motion prides itself as a dance band, driven by fast backbeat drums and throbbing bass. Their charm comes from both the soaring guitar lines and Albert’s Cure-esque vocals, as well as his endearing between-song patter. He wants to see you dance. Really! But only a handful of the 100 or so did (This is Omaha, remember?). So desperate was he to generate a dance party vibe that he invited some of the girls in the crowd to join them on stage for the last song — always a cheesy moment, always a mistake because the chosen girls never know what to do and end up looking like a pack of strippers.

At the end of the set, the band gave away copies of their new CD, Kill the Love — a marketing ploy that’s becoming more and more common these days. Might as well put the music in the peoples’ hands and let word of mouth do the rest (if the music is any good, that is). The CD sounds way better then last night’s live set, probably because it was recorded at Smart Studios in Madison and Blacklodge down in Eudora, and superstar engineer Doug Van Sloun mastered it. The CD allows you hear all the little parts that you missed during the muddy live performance, even The Faint-inspired synth riffs (Fun, but ultimately a mistake that wasn’t replicated on stage).

There are a lot of bands doing this sort of rock-dance these days (VHS or Beta, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, etc.). GO! Motion belongs in the conversation. The only thing that could hold them back is their inability to distance themselves from their influences, allowing them to reveal their own unique voice. There is a voice in there, somewhere, waiting to get out. Until then, GO! Motion will be content just trying to get you to dance, and that isn’t such a bad thing… Now if they could just do something about that name…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

The last time Gris Gris came through Omaha I arrived at the venue just in time to catch their last song, and have been slapping myself for it ever since. This trippy Oakland band records for indie powerhouse Birdman Records (Twilight Singers, The Warlocks, Paula Frazer). Their music is a slice of ’60s psych reminiscent of Aftermath-era Stones. Cool. Check out their myspace. Opening is the always-entertaining Terminals. $5, 10 p.m. Terminals’ keyboardist Dave Goldberg tells me that his recent tour of duty with Thor (along with Steve Jacobs (Diabolic Possession and The Filthy Few) and Jeff Decker) was so well-liked by the Norse God that he’s asked them to join him on an upcoming tour. Nice. Wish I would have caught that show… but it sounds like there’s a good chance that they’ll be coming through Omaha again soon.

Tomorrow night, Outlaw con Bandana is at O’Leaver’s with Ed Gray and Peter and the Wolf. Mr. Gray, who hails from Iowa City, wrote to say that he’s got a 7-inch out on Unread Records and has a new one coming out in the fall “that was done in O-town last year w/ Joyner, Deden, McManus, Tulis, etc.etc.” Check out his myspace. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Landing on the Moon is opening for local band Go! Motion (their CD release show) at Sokol Underground. $7, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. Don’t forget to swing by Horsemen’s Park for the annual track meet (Live racing! Real horses! Big bucks!).

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

The Channel, Tales from Two Hill Heart/Sibylline Machine (C Side) — With a seven-piece band there’s plenty of room to create intricate sounds and songs. The Channel knows this very well. No part is out of place or invading the wavelengths of others on this well-orchestrated double-disc. The instrumentation is even more impressive. Anywhere from two to four keyboards, organs or Rhodes are heard at any given time. The guitars trade off from acoustic to electric while a lap steel fluidly traverses a handful of the songs.

The instrumentation remains consistent across both discs, but the sounds come together to give each its own distinct sense. They are, however, very much two of the same, set at different targets. While both are rooted deeply in the alternative-country vein Sibylline Machine is the more upbeat and Tales from Two Hill Heart is more reserved, with nice harmonies that provide a melancholy overtone. Rating: Yes — Brendan Greene-Walsh

Tim sez: Do we have Conor to blame for all these double-discs these days? This is the third one I’ve received in the past couple weeks, two of which came from unknown bands. Used to be the argument was over whether to put out an EP or a full length — now it’s between putting out a single or a double disc. No one knows who you are, folks. Why submit strangers to this much material? Edit, goddamit! My vote always will be for releasing a single CD, and if you’re a new band, an EP. I don’t need to hear 23 songs that sound oh so similar. And that’s what you get here with Austin’s The Channel. When you have a style that relies so heavily on recent Of Montreal and Shins, a little goes a long way. Twenty minutes worth? Sure. Over an an hour? Uh, no. Rating: No

First off, thanks for coming back after a week of nothingness. My report concerning the Breckenridge music scene is that there is no music scene. Going to Colorado is like going to Hawaii or Ireland — you pretty much get what you expect — ’70s-era acoustic hippy tunes a la John Denver or The Grateful Dead. The radio stations play one polyester hit after another, as if you’ve been transported to a land whose music never evolved past Poco, Firefall, Seals & Crofts, Bread, America and England Dan & John Ford Coley. Thank god for iPods. As far as live music goes, everything seems to revolve around Jimmy Buffett. Oh well, you go to Colorado for the mountains, not the music.

So, anyway, thanks for your patience. The headliner at Sokol Underground last night was Now It’s Overhead, but the crowd of around 200 was there for Art Bell, the new Saddle Creek-powered supergroup featuring Orenda Fink on lead vocals and guitar. Backing her was half of Mayday — Dan McCarthy on keyboards, Ryan Fox on bass, Steve Bartolomei on guitar — as well as drummer Corey Broman (Little Brazil, ex-Kite Pilot, ex-Son, Ambulance) and an unknown blonde woman on keyboards and harmony vocals. Quite a powerhouse line-up. Together, they sounded like Neil Young’s Harvest-era band backing Orenda on Azure Ray-style songs. It was laid-back, restrained and somewhat introspective, a natural progression for Fink, a change in direction from the haunting, tribal flow of her recent solo album. No idea who the blonde woman was, but she complimented Orenda’s vocals as well as Maria ever did, but in her own way. They played seven or eight songs, including one rather heavy rocker toward the end (the best of the night), and one song featuring McCarthy on accordion. A solid set that would please any Azure Ray or Orenda Fink fan, though I would have loved it if the band played harder and looser instead of being content merely backing up Orenda’s pretty melodies. I assume the name will be changing shortly, as Orenda introduced the group as “The band formerly known as Art Bell.” Methinks Mr. Bell caught wind of the name, or Orenda is having second thoughts about the moniker.

An Iris Pattern continues to evolve into the rock band it wants to be. Greg Loftis looked comfortable on stage, and the band never sounded better. Joining the group was April Twist from Paper Owls on keyboards and harmony vocals adding a needed delicate touch to the usual rock proceedings. Something tells me these guys could be going places sooner than we think.

Last up was Now It’s Overhead, and my only comment is that the live version their new album hands-down blows away the recording (which isn’t due in stores until August). Stripped down and raw, songs that limp along in the usual, dreamy mid-tempo pace on CD turn roaring and angry and amazing. Andy LeMaster may be a studio genius, but after last night, I’m convinced all that knob-turning wizardry is merely holding him back.

Tonight at O’Leaver’s, it’s the battle of the two-piece noise bands as The Lepers host Columbia, MO’s Megazilla. $5, 9:30 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 85: Leftovers and Afterthoughts
Outtakes from the Cursive interviews

Like the last time I wrote about Cursive, there was so much gleaned from the interviews that I simply didn’t (couldn’t) fit it all into the story, enough overspill, in fact, to fill a column. This time, the comments come from Ted Stevens.

Turns out, Stevens was aware of the column I wrote a couple weeks ago, which lauded the new Cursive album, Happy Hollow, and lambasted those who whined that “it doesn’t sound like the old Cursive I grew up with.” In the middle of our interview, Stevens went off on a tangent about criticism, and my little piggies just continued to type it all down.

“We don’t hear the shit-talking or the doubt that you’re hearing,” he said. “We went out on a limb (last winter) when we performed these songs before they were ready. Tim (Kasher) asked for criticism from the crowd. I didn’t want to hear shit. I was thinking ‘These songs aren’t finished and we’re not ready and they’re not done.’ I think people need to chill.”

Stevens went on to give his views of criticism in general. “It’s not going to change my experience at all,” he said. “Despite what we heard, we kept our heads down and kept making the record. We thought it was good and we chose the songs we chose from the batch because we thought they were good together. If these people don’t like horns, I don’t give a shit.”

He continued: “We talked about it over lunch. Everyone has a different tolerance for criticism. If you’re in a band and you go out and Google yourself you better have a thick skin and be ready to deal with some bullshit. I really hate the Internet and only spend as much time on there as I need to. As a research tool, it’s pretty awful. It’s misused and the information is poor and obsolete, and there are no fact checkers. If you’re getting your information out of a blog room, you’re not getting the real story.”

But as Stevens went on, it became obvious that he does care about criticism and reads all the reviews. He read my take on Mayday’s I Know Your Troubles Been Long, an 8-track analog recording from ’03 that I think is one of the best things that he’s ever done, but that got flambeaued by critics. “It got not a lot of love or respect,” Stevens said. “It sent me into a different phase, which was the next record. At that point, I was ready to read all that shit, but fortunately the reviews were better for Bushido Karaoke.

“Some of the criticism — the rumors that we’re sucking — that happens every time we put out a record. They say the last record was better, and two weeks later they say the new one is better. I’m resigned to not caring. If we’re going to make records, we’re going to have to put up with it.”

Whew! Strong words from deep inside the foxhole.

Stevens and Co. are well aware that criticism comes with the territory. So do all musicians lucky enough and talented enough and hard-working enough to make a living making music. A few slings and arrows are a small price to pay, especially when you’re selling out venues like The Mercury Lounge and The Bowery Ballroom in New York City like Cursive did earlier this week — which is another teaser that you’re coo-coo if you don’t catch the band this Saturday at Sokol Auditorium.

For you Mayday fans who are wondering, Stevens has dedicated himself lock-stock-and-barrel to Cursive for the foreseeable future. When I asked him if he’s contemplating the next Mayday album while he bumps around in the back of the van, he was less than enthusiastic in his response.

“I don’t know. I’m getting ideas,” he said, “but I can’t say I’m thinking about the new Mayday record. I daydream about what I should be doing next, and honestly, I have thought about maybe trying something else by myself, something creative. Right now, I’m letting Cursive be my outlet for the next couple years, and hopefully I’ll keep my sanity and will want to do more.

“I’ve given up a lot of decision-making and control of my life. Not that I’m a martyr — no pun intended. I agreed to put my life in Cursive’s hands for a long time, and I’m okay with that. It does cramp my personal life a little bit. I miss my girlfriend and family.”

Stevens draws a grueling picture of touring, “but we’re never lonely,” he said. “You have to be smiling and thanking people when the kids are rocking out. It’s a glorified lifestyle, and it’s going to shorten all of our lives.”

“All day you’re watching America pass by so fast, you get used to that change of scenery. Then you get back to Omaha and it seems slow. Being with our families and girlfriends, it’s where we feel the best. But it’s a human thing — you have to keep moving and once you stop, things get kind of weird. I’ve been getting better at switching between tour mode and down-time mode. But I’m saying that on day three.”

What will he be saying on day 33… or 333?