A restrained, arty crowd (of 150?) last night at Sokol Underground got a long earful of Richard Buckner, maybe (definitely) too long. Seated with just his guitar and a sideman, Buckner put together a set of new and old that spanned at least 75 minutes, which I’m sure was a delight for fans. For the rest of it, the guy-and-guitar performance is always what I’ve never liked about him, and why his latest CD, Meadow, is such a good trip because there he’s backed by a full band, making these folkish ditties into rockers instead of snoozers. Part of the problem was the lack of dynamics — one song blended into the next, until you caught yourself looking at your watch.

Buckner finished up at around midnight (only a handful of people left after his set) then up came the towering Bachmann (There would be no sitting down for him!). From the first note of “Man o’ War,” which just happens to be the first song on his new album, Bachmann created on stage a pitch-perfect, dynamic replication of the CD — in other words, if you like the record, you liked the set (I do and did). I heard two people comment on the Neil Diamond similarity in vocals (everything but the low-end growl), and another yap about Bachmann’s precise finger-picking style (delicate pinging on a nylon-strung acoustic). The highlight, though, was my favorite track off Crooked Fingers’ Red Devil Dawn, “Bad Man Coming,” and fleshing it out with violin, keyboards and a guy playing a couple drums with mallets. Beautiful.

Tonight, all kinds of things going on. Down at Sokol Underground Two Gallants with Langhorne Slim and Trainwreck Riders. Here’s what I wrote for The Reader about this show that they didn’t publish: I’ve got to admit it — Two Gallants’ Saddle Creek Records’ debut, What the Toll Tells, has grown on me. At first I couldn’t get past the backbeat shack-shanty pirate pulse that runs thick throughout their take on ’20s- and ’30s-era blues by way of modern-day San Francisco. But now I look forward to hearing the over-the-top bash-crash ruckus of “Las Cruces Jail” and the rocking-chair blues of “Steady Rollin'” whenever they show up on my iPod shuffle. On stage they take their gritty folk elegies a step further, turning their set into a rock ‘n’ roll tent show. Don’t miss out on this revival. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Scott Severin Band is at O’Leaver’s. Scott sent me a copy of his latest CD, which reminded me of John Hiatt morphed with Stan Ridgway and some Midwest snarl. Wonder what he sounds like live? With three other bands, 9:30, $5.

And maybe the theatrical show of the evening, Father, collaborating with Dapose of The Faint, performing the first track off their disturbing just-released debut (you can find it at Drastic Plastic) along with Vverevvolf Grehv (Formerly Precious Metal), Wasteoid, and Kjeld, all at The Magic Theater, 325 S. 16th St, and by candlelight no less. 9 p.m., $5.

The rest of the weekend is Little Brazil Saturday night and Jenny Lewis Sunday. More later.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 94: Museum Makes Music
Can music explain art?

I recently was asked to serve as a “judge” for the Joslyn Art Museum’s Art for Your Ears program. But before I continue, let me say that you, too, can be a part of the series. Just go to art4yourears.org, click on the “Podcast” button and download the mp3 files listed there. Plop them into your iPod, put it in your pocket and drive to the Joslyn at least until Oct. 11 (when the winners are announced). Tell the folks at the front desk that you’re there for the show. They’ll take it from there. You’ll be glad you did.

The program’s concept is simple: Local musicians were asked (via an open call for entries) to compose original songs responding to artworks in the special exhibition, Art on the Edge: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Permanent Collection. The basic premise is to explore the connection between music and art.

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. Certainly music has inspired art from back in the days when men scrawled on cave walls while their buddies aimless pounded on drums made of stretched stomach linings up to the “gallery” of concert posters that covers the back wall of Sokol Underground. It’s rarely the other way around. How much music has been inspired by art?

So I said yes. And a couple weeks ago, I traipsed off to the Joslyn over my lunch hour, borrowed one of their mp3 players, took evaluation form in hand and critiqued seven compositions on overall quality, level of difficulty, emotional response to the artwork, originality, its influence on my experience or appreciation of the artwork, and the composer’s spoken introduction to his or her composition.

Among the composers was recent Omaha transfer (from Wichita) Matt Beat, who along with his brother, Steven, make up the band Electric Needle Room. Matt visited the Joslyn with his wife, Shannon, a few weeks after moving to town and found out about Art for Your Ears. “I thought the program would give me a purpose in my song writing,” he said. “This seemed challenging and fun, and it would force me to be a little more creative.”

The art that stuck in Beat’s creative mind was Bedroom Painting # 25 by Tom Wesselmann. Anyone who’s ever been to the Joslyn remembers it as “the giant tit next to the phone” painting. It would stick in anyone’s mind — that tit is huge.

“I thought about it for a couple weeks, and then a song just popped into my head,” Beat said. His composition “You Make Me Feel Sunny,” is your run-of-the-mill yet catchy low-fi indie pop song in the vein of Flaming Lips or Pet Songs-era Beach Boys, with lines “You make me feel special / Like I’m number one / You hang out with me and pretend like you’re having fun.” It’s childlike and bouncy, infused with keyboards and guitar riffs, and has nothing to do with large breasts and telephones.

Beat said he wasn’t trying to interpret the art, he was merely inspired by it. “It’s just a mood,” he said. “It’s like, there’s a phone right by the bed. He could have just finished making whoopee, or you could say it’s an innocent breast. Nudity doesn’t have to be sexual.”

This was typical. When it came time to explain the connection between the music and the art — especially for the more abstract pieces — the explanations became somewhat contrived. In their intros, musicians would say things like, “The two instruments in my piece represent the white and the black in the painting. The snare drum represents the converging lines.” See what I mean?

Beat said he did the song to get his name and his music out there, as well as to get in touch with fellow musicians. In fact, one of the reasons he accepted his job transfer (Beat is a valet parking manager at Methodist hospital) was to get involved in the Omaha music scene.

“That was the most exciting thing about it,” he said. “I knew about the usual Saddle Creek stuff — Bright Eyes and Cursive — but I didn’t know about the wide variety of music here,” said the KU grad. “I want to be able to do music for a living instead of parking cars.”

You can’t blame him for that. And Art 4 Your Ears ain’t a bad first step in that direction (He’s certainly getting the exposure). Now if he could just line up a few gigs in town.

In the end, whether you draw a direct line between the music and the art, Art for Your Ears has provided a well-thought-out soundtrack for an exhibition that can only be interpreted in the eye — or ear — of the beholder.

Butch Walker and the Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites!, The Rise and Fall of… (Epic) — I knew I was in for a treat upon reading the first line of the band’s one-page. Let me share it with you: “If you want a peek at Butch Walker’s speed dial, the most recent copy of Billboard might do the trick.” Ugh.

I’ll get back to that after a few words about the actual music. The Rise and Fall of… is the third solo album to come out of Butch Walker, a man who has more credits to his producing career than most people could garner in four lifetimes. For this endeavor, he involved a seven-piece band affectionately titled the “Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites!” Together the ensemble produces an incredibly tight sound with keys, organs and horn sections weaving in and out of the album. But no matter how tight the band, the bottom line is the song writing. Or in this case, the lack thereof. Cheese-ball chord progressions and elementary school vocal melodies just don’t cut it in my book. It is everything that has been done before and I’ve got a good idea where it came from.

The included one page focused on Walker’s producing credits. Did you know he is producing Avril Lavigne’s next record? Or that he flew to Las Vegas for a one-night session with the All-American Rejects? Neither did I, nor did I really care. This is a case of someone trying to dip his hand into other’s pockets. Good thing mine are empty. Rating: No — Brendan Greene-Walsh

Tim sez: The opening line to the band’s theme song says it all: “I’m tired, I’m bored, Where’s the cocaine?” Walker sounds like a ’70s rock vaudevillian stuck between gigs with Sweet and Nick Gilder. Sure, he’s a braggart, a boaster, a bullshitter. What Brendan doesn’t understand is that a certain amount of rock cocksmanship is not only expected if you’re going to plow this sort of ground, it’s required. It won’t work without it. Especially if you’re going to do songs like “Bethamphetamine” (You’re pretty strung out for a girl). And “Hot Girls in Good Moods” (My love is just a teen-age bullet belt). The complete lack of effort to update the songwriting style (Is that a cushion of strings on the stereotypical schlock ballad “Dominoes”?) makes it an homage to an era best remembered for its muscle cars. Is it cheeseball? It sure is, and I don’t mind at all. Rating: Yes.

A couple hot little items to pass along on a quiet Tuesday.

I got a call from Greg Loftis of An Iris Pattern last night, inviting me to a last-minute gig at O’Leaver’s. The reason for the show: To prepare for another show the band will be performing next Monday at an art gallery in New York City. According to Loftis, An Iris Pattern will indeed be the first band represented on Tommy Hilfiger’s new record label. The as-yet-unnamed label (Hilfiger doesn’t want his name involved, apparently) is in talks now regarding distribution (Atlantic Records is one name being tossed around). Loftis said the deal is 100 percent in the bag, and that a second act also will be joining An Iris Pattern on Hilfiger’s label. “Tommy wants to show people what we sound like,” Lofits said of the NYC gallery show. “It’s playtime for him, but it’s our lives.”

Another bit of news, word has it that Bright Eyes has wrapped up recording in Omaha and has been working in Lincoln at Presto! studios to finish up the new album. Whether any more work continues at Presto! or not, chances are that the Bright Eyes album will mark the last project before the Lincoln studio closes for good and reopens full time in Omaha. Saddle Creek confirmed that Bright Eyes will now head to California at the beginning of October to do some mixing on the project.

Allen Epley’s (ex-Shiner) new project The Life and Times will be taking the stage tonight at O’Leaver’s. The KC trio also includes Eric Abert (Ring, Cicada) and Chris Metcalf (Stella Link). Good with Guns opens. $9:30 p.m., $5.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

If you haven’t had a chance or didn’t look, there’s a live review of last Friday night’s Ladyfinger show just below this entry. The band’s CD officially hits the record stores tomorrow, yet there have been very few pre-release reviews of the disc. Aversion posted this one today that gives Heavy Hands 4 out of 5 stars. Not bad for a first review.

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Finally, after months of sitting dormant, serious work has begun again on the Slowdown compound. I was surprised to see steel beginning to go up last week from my office window and felt compelled to take a few snappies as I drove by the property yesterday afternoon (click to enlarge thumbnail). If the 24-Hour Fitness on 77th and Cass is any indication, once the steel arrives it’s only a matter of weeks before the whole damn thing is framed and walls become enclosed, and before you know it, they’ll be working on the interior. I’m hearing from various sources that one of the retail bays is now spoken for by a coffee shop, though the folks at Slowdown deny that any tenant has signed a lease. At first blush, a coffee shop seems like an ill fit for an indie music venue, offices and film house, until you realize that there will be a couple hotels right across the street (to the north, which I suspect at the rate they’re going up, will be open for business before the first band takes the Slowdown stage). I’ll continue to take pics as construction progresses.

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Tonight at Sokol Underground, Man Man, with Pit er Pat. Philly’s Man Man plays an eclectic style of music that can sound as varied as Eastern European carnival hoedowns to standard Flaming Lips-flavored psych rock. $9, 9:30.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

It was Saddle Creek night at Sokol Underground with two of the label’s “rock bands” playing back-to-back, picking their shots and landing just about every one of them. The night started with Now Archimedes! I arrived right before Criteria took the stage, and the place was already packed — a sell-out sized crowd that reached all the way to the back wall.

It was the first time Criteria has played in Omaha with new drummer Matt Sanders, best known for his work in Lincoln punk band The JV All-Stars. The story behind the exit of Criteria original drummer Mike Sweeney is cryptic. Sweeney, I’m told, e-mailed the band saying he was done. A drummer from New York filled in during part of this summer’s tour, before Sanders took over behind the kit. So how did he sound last night? It’s hard to say, since the drums were buried in a mix that was bleached out with high-end and midrange. The kick-drum was virtually nonexistent, while Stephen Pedersen’s guitar sounded tinny and shrill. The band’s guitars always sound tuned on the high-end to me anyway, but last night’s mix was so bright that everything was awash in piercing, jagged tones. That said, the performance was as honed as you would expect from a band that’s road-hardened from virtually endless touring over the last six months. Pedersen’s voice showed absolutely no wear, while AJ Mogis has become a veritable Sinatra compared to how he sounded a year ago.

Criteria’s music continues to age well live. You’d expect a band that’s played the same songs for so long to lose their edge or at least some of their intensity. Not last night. Clearly the band was feeling it, and so was the crowd. Or maybe the band was just happy that it was the last night of the tour, and now they can look forward to some well-deserved R & R while they work on their next record.

Not so Ladyfinger. As if grabbing the baton from Criteria, last night marked the band’s first gig of two weeks of serious touring that continues tonight in Minneapolis with Cursive and The Thermals. What better send-off than a sold-out CD release show? And Ladyfinger was up to the challenge. They sounded thunderous despite the continuation of that midrange-heavy mix. Anyone who’s seen this band play at small stages like O’Leaver’s or The 49’r likely wouldn’t recognize them with the Underground’s more massive sound system.

I know absolutely nothing about the science of singing. That said, you have to be concerned about Chris Machmuller’s voice. It’s not like Ladyfinger plays all that often, and now he’s headed out for two weeks of nightly gigs where he’ll be screeching in his barely-in-control vocal style. Will there be anything left by the time he reaches in Columbia, MO, Oct. 4? A couple vocal veterans assured me that he’d be just fine. Considering how things ended last night, their biggest problem will be their lack of material. The fans wanted more, but the band simply didn’t have anything left to give them.

Night three of shows at Sokol Underground continues tonight with Neva Dinova, No Blood Orphan, Tomato a Day and Drakes Hotel. $8, 9 p.m.

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I don’t know if it was the rain or the fact that the band hasn’t released an album in a year, but only about 150 showed up last night for Nada Surf at Sokol Underground compared to, what, 500 the last time they came through and played upstairs? There are those who will point to the fact that Rogue Wave opened for them last March, and maybe Rogue Wave was the draw. Who knows? Regardless, I wasn’t the only one expecting a sell out. Maybe if the show had been marketed as part of a “greatest hits” tour, more people would have come out, but more on that in a minute…

White Whale was up first (after The Plus Ones, who I missed), and despite the fact that their new album is kinda interesting in its without-borders approach, the band came off somewhat flat. You knew there was going to be trouble when they took 20 minutes to do their sound check. There was just too much stuff going on, what with three guitarists (two of whom doubled on keyboards) and a mix that was soaking in delay and echo. It sounded like the band was playing inside an empty blimp hanger. All that delay made for a mushy mess, which made it that much harder to find the songs’ already-buried hooks. Their best stuff was saved for the end (vs. the eight or nine-minute “odysseys” that made up the first half of their set). I’d like to hear these guys stripped down to the bare essentials with a more conventional mix and fewer (or no) effects.

Nada Surf came on at around 11:30 and announced that they were going to do their entire set in chronological order, starting with a cover (I can’t remember what it was) and blowing right into their all-time hit “Popular,” a song that I’m told they’ve never played in Omaha before and that they supposedly quit playing live years ago. It was followed a cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” which wasn’t half bad. From then on, the set consisted of songs from their other early albums. “We now go from 1998 to 2002,” said frontman Matthew Caws, who explained that last night’s gig was a fill-in for an open date on their tour with Guster (ironically, that tour is coming to Omaha Oct. 31, without Nada Surf). This gave them plenty of room to stretch out on the set, which I’m sure was a treat for the hardcore Nada Surf fans who braved the elements. I thought the band sounded pretty good, but when I mentioned that to the guy next to me (a big fan), he said they sounded like shit, and that they already blew it on a couple of the older songs. I couldn’t tell because I’ve only heard their last record. By the time midnight rolled around and I had to leave, they were still playing songs from 2002’s Let Go.

Tonight, it’s Ladyfinger and Criteria at Sokol Underground. I beseech anyone who followed the Omaha punk scene in the early to mid-’90s to get to this show early and check out opening band Now Archimedes! (Here’s a review of their last O’Leaver’s gig). I’m told Criteria will be playing with their new drummer (Mike Sweeney apparently left the band a few weeks ago). Expect a sizable turnout for this, the kickoff of Ladyfinger’s first national tour in support of Heavy Hands. I assume copies of the new CD will be available at the show. Pick one up. $8, 9 p.m.

As for the rest of the weekend:

— Saturday night it’s Neva Dinova with No Blood Orphan, Tomato a Day and Drake’s Hotel at Sokol Underground. That’s a lot of music for $8.

— Sunday night brings an interesting show to O’Leaver’s featuring gritty, earthy, folkie singer-songwriter Jon Crocker, on tour supporting his new album, Death.. Also on the fight card are local singer-songwriter Brad Hoshaw and the legendary Dereck Higgins (Digital Sex, The Family Radio). $5, 9:30 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 93: What’s in a Name?
The high cost of being Ladyfinger…

Before we get started, go read the feature on Ladyfinger on page __. We’ll wait. We always do….

Waitaminit… Did I say Ladyfinger? I should have said Ladyfinger (NE). After all, that is their legal name these days, despite how wonky it sounds, right? Look, no one I’ve talked to, including the band, likes the name Ladyfinger (NE). The added parenthetical albatross is awkward, confusing and just plain strange looking. But the cost of doing business without it could be higher than the retail, which in this case, is around $8,750.

Let’s start from the beginning: The Omaha punk rock four-piece who we fondly know as Ladyfinger has been using the name since their conception in August 2003. Over the past three years, Ladyfinger has played gigs all over the country with no incidents, warnings, or threats of reprisals, legal or otherwise.

Everything seemed hunky-dory until Saddle Creek Records agreed to release Ladyfinger’s debut LP. The band had already done their share of Googling and MySpacing and all the other Internet-related research, and couldn’t find another band by the name. Things seemed copasetic. “The only thing we didn’t do was check the trademark registry,” said Ladyfinger frontman Chris Machmuller. “Why would we think to when we couldn’t find a band by that name?”

But just for the heck of it, they decided to check the trademark registry of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. And that’s when the problems started. Seems there actually is another band called Ladyfinger based out of Los Angeles that apparently has owned the name for years.

Drummer Pat Oakes said the LA band has no viable interest in the name Ladyfinger and hadn’t even been playing anywhere. “It seems like they decided one day to trademark it,” he said. “We thought maybe they’d be understanding, since they weren’t functioning as a band.”

In an e-mail dated May 16, 2006, Omaha’s Ladyfinger reached out to LA’s Ladyfinger, saying yes, they had found mention of the LA Ladyfinger, but couldn’t find any contact information or active website. Since they thought it was no longer a functioning band, they went ahead and named their band Ladyfinger. “We’d really like to release our record under the name Ladyfinger,” the email said. “To do so we would need to purchase the trademark from you to avoid infringement.”

So Omaha’s Ladyfinger made an offer, which the LA Ladyfinger, of course, immediately turned down. “If you want to buy the trademark, we would consider a reasonable offer that makes more sense for us…” the LA band said in a reply.

Incidentally, a few days after Omaha’s Ladyfinger made contact, Ladyfinger.org — the LA band’s website — curiously went online. Hmm…

Anyway, Omaha’s Ladyfinger upped the ante — considerably — taking into account things like registration and lawyers’ fees. The LA Ladyfinger wasn’t biting. Instead, their counter offer included a detailed price list:

— $1,000 for all fees necessary for the LA band to come up with a new trademark (license and legal)
— $500 to cover legal fees to transfer the existing name to the Omaha band.
— $500 for new artwork
— $2,000 to repress their two CDs
— $1,000 for printing new T-shirts
— $200 for 2,000 stickers
— $50 for registering a new website domain.
— $3,500 for their perceived personal value of the name, derived by charging $500 per year for the seven years they’ve been in existence

The grand total: $8,750, not including $500 “for our time and effort.”

The price was too high. Omaha’s Ladyfinger considered fighting the claim. “And we could have won,” Oakes said, citing trademark abandonment as a defense. But there simply wasn’t time for a drawn-out legal battle.

Instead, the band considered the alternatives. Ladyfinger Jr., Ladyfinger UK, adding “The” or an “s” or a period or exclamation point. Purposely misspelling the name. Adding “Inc.” or “Ltd.” They even wrestled with new names like Bad Marks, Burger Time and Ages. Nothing seemed to work, Oakes said.

Time ticked by. The promo CD already had been held for a couple weeks at the plant. Decisions had to be made. “It got to be such a burden,” Oakes said. “We just wanted it to end so we could move on with our lives.”

Finally in June while on tour, the band sat down over coffee in an mall in Indianapolis and decided to add (NE) to their name — representing Nebraska. “We thought it would be the most unobtrusive option,” said bass player Ethan Jones.

“We were at the point where you could call us whatever the fuck you wanted,” Oakes said.

And so, the band was rechristened Ladyfinger (NE), for better or worse, for richer or poorer, til death do they part. And if you don’t like it, do what I do. I’ll continue to call Pat, Chris, Jamie and Ethan “Ladyfinger,” because that’s who they are. And if those guys in LA don’t like it, they can sue me.

This week’s profile is a massive feature on Ladyfinger that may or may not be the cover story of this week’s issue of The Reader. It was originally slated to be the cover, but now that looks doubtful, though the story is still cover-story length. It’s confusing. The story was supposed to be the main feature of The Reader‘s “music issue,” but that got pushed back until next week, which would mean this story wouldn’t run until after their big show Friday night at Sokol Underground. The band will still be on the cover of next week’s issue of The Reader along with two other bands, but not with this story (which is in the issue coming out late this afternoon).

Screw it — just read the story now. It’s right here. Chris, Jamie, Pat and Ethan talk about how the band got together, how they hooked up with Saddle Creek, how they made their new album, Heavy Hands, (including details on how they worked with producer Matt Bayles) and all kinds of other fun stuff. It’s long. It’s comprehensive. It’s Ladyfinger! And yes, I know that I’ve left off the (NE). Find out why in tomorrow’s column (which, btw, also is in today’s issue of The Reader). Yes, I believe this band could be on a rocketship, what with a primo opening slot on Cursive’s next tour and almost a month’s worth of touring in Europe. Catch them while you can this Friday. It could be a while until Ladyfinger plays here again.

Tonight, it’s Polyvinyl recording artist Headlights with Decibully and Someday Stories. Headlights just played at O’Leavers in April supporting their EP, The Enemies. Now they’re supporting their debut LP, Kill Them with Kindness. See them again. $5, 9:30 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Sorry for the delays in updates. I was out of pocket yesterday, but I’m back now with an update on how well Lincoln Calling did last weekend. Organizer Jeremy Buckley IM’d me to say that the numbers weren’t as hot as he’d hoped. The breakdown: 600 attended Thursday night’s shows, 500 on Friday and 250 on Saturday, bringing the grand total to around 1,350 — a far cry from his hoped-for 2,000. The UNL-USC “rivalry” had more of an impact on the draw than he expected. So did last Saturday night’s thunderstorms, which had the sirens going off here in Omaha throughout the game. That said, Buckley is OK with how things turned out. He’s already looking at next year’s Husker schedule for by weeks, and he’s even considering adding a Wednesday night session. Here’s to the 4th Annual Lincoln Calling…

What else…

Am I the only one to notice the new Appleby’s (or was it Outback) commercial that features a rewritten version of Of Montreal’s “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games”? There’s no mistaking the source of the commercial’s jingle, and you have to assume that whatever ad firm came up with it paid Of Montreal for the rights, which is a shame because it’s my favorite song off that album and now it’s being used to sell poorly prepared fast food. Or maybe Of Montreal isn’t even aware that the commercial exists, which means there may be a lawsuit in the making (if they ever find out about it).

A big four-band show tonight at Sokol Underground: The moody Murder by Death with Appleseed Cast, Unwed Sailor and Sam Lowry. $10, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, the velvet tones of Voodoo Organist will be heard down at O’Leaver’s with Life After Laserdisque and We’re From Japan. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for a huge feature/interview with Ladyfinger as we prepare for Friday’s big shoe.

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