The Show Is the Rainbow mastermind Darren Keen e-mailed me a link to a soundcloud page where he’s hosting demos recorded of his new band, High Art. The page is here. High Art is Keen on guitar/vocals, Jim Schroeder (UUVVWWZ) on drums/vocals, Saber Blazek on bass (Machete Archive — yes, that guy) and Josh Miller, keyboards, vocals (Columbia Vs. Challenger).

Keen calls the music Post Elfman Experimental Japenese Punk. It’s spazzy and outrageous; sonically challenging and kind of weird, just like Keen.  I asked him what inspired the music other than drugs. “High Art isn’t just a drug refrence,” he said. “My MAIN influence here is THE GUITAR. I really miss playing guitar and I hadn’t written much music on guitar lately (except Darren Keen stuff, which is all so nice and pretty). I just wanted to play in a guitar rock band that didn’t sound like butt rock or garage rock and was still super complex and musical. And weed! but not all of us even smoke weed so seriously, that’s not like our MAIN jam.”

Muscial influences include XTC, Danny Elfman / Oingo Boingo, Sparks, Nina Hagen, Deerhoof and NOFX. So what’s Keen & Co. going to do with these songs? “We are going to record a full length in September and release it early next year. This recording will be distributed online and via CDRs.” Check out High Art when they play at The Waiting Room June 3.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, Minneapolis multi-instrumental artist Dosh performs with White Hinterland and This Is My Condition. Dosh is a one-man outfit who uses an array of technology to create arty soundscapes. His albums are released on SF label Anticon (Anathallo, Tobacco). $10, 9 p.m.

The promotional e-mail from The Reader says that the printed column only contains 20 of the 25 micro-reviews below, which means the editors had to cut for space. I have no idea which five didn’t “make the cut.” You and I will have to pick up a paper tomorrow to find out.

Second Quarter Report

25, from best to the rest…

by Tim McMahan

You can’t go wrong with any of these, but some are better than others. Hence, they appear below in order from best to the rest.

1. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone) — Everything you’ve heard is true — as pure a throwback as you’re ever going to find — a modern-day Etta, Aretha, Gladys and Marva all rolled into one, backed by a band that James Brown would be proud to shimmy to.

2. Local Natives, Gorilla Manor (Frenchkiss) — What you expected from MGMT’s follow-up to Oracular instead of that unlistenable shitstorm that is Congratulations. Infectious, deep-rhythm indie pop.

3. Frightened Rabbit, The Winter of Mixed Drinks (Fat Cat) — They continue to hone their indie-rock anthems, cutting the melodies with just enough brogue to remind you they’re Scots who grew up listening to Arab Strap. This is the one that breaks them big.

4. Zeus, Say Us (Arts & Crafts) — Power pop nirvana by way of Canada that has more in common with Big Star than the Beatles. Goes from hick struttin’ (“River by the Garden”) to filthy, organ-fueled garage grunt (“You Gotta Teller”). What more do you want?

5. Titus Andronicus, The Monitor (XL) — Forget about that new Hold Steady album, which you (*yawn*) have heard before. If it’s gritty, anthemic (more like epic) punk you’re looking for, you’ll find no better.

6. Javelin, No Mas (Luaka Bop) — Electronic dance abstractions by a couple Brooklyn boys who are smarter than us (and funnier). Keyboards, beatbox, samples and a groove — Who needs LCD? “Let’s do the monkey foot” indeed.

7. Hot Chip, One Life Stand (EMI) — They want to be the new Depeche Mode or Pet Shop Boys, but have more in common with Erasure or Röyskopp (and is feyer than any of them). At their best (the title track, “Hand Me Down Your Love”) they’ll get your ass shaking like the pros they are.

8. Holy Fuck, Latin (Young Turks/XL) — Jittery instrumental electronic dance music propelled by bass and charisma. High BPM equates to a fine aerobic workout and leaner, meaner abs.

9. The Mynabirds, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood (Saddle Creek) — A hodge-podge of styles made popular by some very familiar female artists (Mazzy Star, Bonnie Raitt, Jenny Lewis, Chan Marshall, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink and so on). But I’m still not quite sure I know who Laura Burhenn really sounds like. Creek’s best release since Mama, I’m Swollen.

10. Sally Seltmann, Heart That’s Pounding (Arts & Crafts) — Gorgeous and catchy, it stands among the best female-led pop rock records since Sam Phillips was around. PS: She co-wrote Feist’s iPod commercial (“1234”) — Don’t hold it against her.

11. Serena-Maneesh, S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor (4AD) — Oslo shoegaze comes close to noise, but it’s too poppy for that. Is it any coincidence that I’ve been listening to a lot of My Bloody Valentine lately? I blame this record.

12. The New Pornographers, Together (Matador) — The first album by this band that I’ve actually liked, thanks to their willingness to break out of the Belle & Sebastian mold for something more inspiring (and funky. See opening track “Moves” for evidence).

13. A Weather, Everyday Balloons (Team Love) — Laidback, moody piano/guitar folk sung underneath blankets by breathy youth in love with Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac and Roxy Music. The best record from Conor’s label since Jenny Lewis.

14. The Whigs, In the Dark (ATO) — Heavy guitars, heavy hooks, heavy alt rock by a band that probably hangs out with The Killers or Franz Ferdinand (if they weren’t from Athens); something tells me they’ll be selling cars soon (on TV).

15. Teenage Fanclub, Shadows (Merge) — This quieter, gentler Fanclub lacks the punch of earlier, better albums, but still has all the hooks you want (and expect), though you’ll have to stay awake to hear them.

16. The Kissaway Trail, Sleep Mountain (Bella Union) — So close to Arcade Fire you’ll think you’re listening to outtakes from Funeral. So close to Arcade Fire, you’ll laugh bitterly at the vocals on “Don’t Wake Up” and the keyboard line on “Beat Your Heartbeat.” Still, it’s better than Neon Bible.

17. Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record (Arts & Crafts) — A model in extremes: “Chase Scene” is the worst song they’ve ever recorded, while “Texico Bitches” may be their catchiest. Weed out half the tracks and you’ve got a winner instead of a whiner.

18. The National, High Violet (4AD) — The question is: How much does it differ than the last National album? The answer: Not much. If you liked that one, stand by for more of the same low-voiced drama that can’t seem to get to the point.

19. High Places, High Places Vs. Mankind (Thrill Jockey) — This is the moody electronic dance-floor album that Kate Bush never made but Blondie should have. Demoted for too many tracks that could be confused for trance.

20. Quasi, American Gong (Kill Rock Stars) — It lacks the playfulness of their earlier albums (i.e., Featuring “Birds,” which came out a staggering 12 years ago and remains their masterpiece) and as such, is too heavy handed to call fun.

21. Broken Bells, self-titled (Columbia) — Don’t know why I expected more from this A-list combo (Danger Mouse and The Shins), whose middle-of-the-road blend is blander than its individual parts.

22. Delorean, Subiza (True Panther Sounds) — Dance-floor indie dream pop built on a thump-thump-thump foundation borrowed from DM circa 1988. The thumping is present on every track, and like disco, quickly goes from cute to kitsch.

23. Owen Pallett, Heartland (Domino) — Pitchfork heart throbs, I, too, fell for the hype, and while there is some epic songcraft here, he’s no Sufjan Stevens.

24. She and Him, Volume Two (Merge) — Zooey and Matt continue to create modernized, soulless Sam Cooke-era balladry merged (get it?) with TV jingle melodies. No worse than Volume One, and no better.

25. Emanuel and The Fear, Listen (Paper Garden) — More Of Montreal than Sufjan and not as good as either despite the 11-piece “orchestra.” It’s ambitious, which is what we say when we respect the effort, and not much else.

* * *

Matt Pond PA at Slowdown Jr., May 11, 2010

About two songs into last night’s laid-back set by Matt Pond PA at Slowdown Jr., Mr. Pond said he was struggling with his between-song patter. His reticence to chat with the crowd likely had something to do with the fact that a couple stooges stole product from his merch table the night before in Milwaukee during one of his humorous monologues, which Pond said resulted in him giving chase followed by general mayhem. There was none of that last night as the (surprisingly large) crowd of around 120 soaked in every earthy note from Pond and his band (three guitars (including his) bass and drums). While Leslie Sisson provided some barely heard backing vocals/harmonies (turn it up, Leslie), Pond’s secret weapon was Chris Hansen, who I remember also being a standout at the SXSW performance. His guitar-work was subtle and amazing, never got in the way, but added necessary depth to the music. I can see why Pond has made him an integral part of his band and his sound. All that said, this was a more restrained band than I heard in Austin in March — they seemed a bit tired, though Pond was once again in amazing voice. You could argue (as one person did) that his music is too middle-of-the-road and somewhat samey-samey, but to me, it’s the tone and style that matter. Matt Pond’s music is easy on the ears, and some nights (like last night) that’s all I want.

Opener Bobby Long played a fine solo-acoustic set that broke out of the traditional singer/songwriter mold with its intensity and intricate guitar arrangements. He said from the stage that he’s got an album coming out on ATO, so I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot from this talented Brit in the near future.

Interpol announced on its website yesterday that founding member, bassist Carlos Dengler (a.k.a. Carlos D), has left the band. The parting, apparently, was amicable.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Carlos back in January 2003, just as Interpol was beginning to explode (read that interview here). The story was written in support of the band’s one and only Omaha appearance — a sold-out show at Sokol Underground that took place during a blizzard. Those who made it through the snow that night saw one of the best shows ever hosted at that smoky dungeon (My review of that show also is still online, right here). Since then, Interpol has released two more albums, the last one — 2007’s Our Love to Admire — peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. But for my money, they never achieved the creative or artistic peak reached with 2002’s Turn on the Bright Lights, and they probably never will again.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it’s the long-awaited return of Matt Pond PA (which you read about here). I saw Matt and Co. at SXSW this year, and if this band is half as good as that one, well, we’re all in for a memorable show. Opening is Bobby Long. Show starts at 9 and is $12. Go!

* * *

Tomorrow: 24 CD reviews in one column…

Well-Aimed Arrows at O'Leaver's, May 7, 2010.

Friday night at O’Leaver’s. The usual crowd.

I was told by one of my network of spies that The Prairies are part of a new clique/cult of bands whose members hang out at The Antiquarium and who all have a deep-seated love for Times New Viking. The TNV influence is very real, but not definitive, not for these guys. TNV plays blown-out post-wave punk that’s low-fi, brutally primitive and yet, strangely catchy. Prairies have a lot of those same characteristics, but sprinkle in bits and pieces of fun-loving garage rock flavor. The result is a band that sounds like a combination of early, noisy Pavement cross-bred with Box Elders. I dug it, and so did the 12 people in O’Leaver’s Friday night, thanks in part to their giggly (i.e. drunk?) stage banter that pitched back and forth whenever the line-up changed instruments — everyone played drums at some point in the set, actually everyone seemed to play everything once, and sing. Impressive, especially considering that they’d played a set just an hour earlier down at Slowdown.

Well-Aimed Arrows just keep getting better. As I said the last time I saw them, the band has the Protoculture‘s same dissonant song structures driven by punchy rhythms and frontman/drummer Koly Walter’s flat, barking voice. Michelle Petersen provides a slightly atonal counter vocal that borders on harmony (or necessary dissonance). Clayton Petersen continues with his trademark jitter-rhythm, angular guitar. Why it works so well? The rhythm section, balanced out by free-wheelin’ hat-wearin’ bass player Brian Byrd; and arrangements that call for hands-off-the-instruments repeated choruses that sound more like angry punk chants than songs. Just think how high those songs will fly once the crowd learns the words (or learns how to Pogo).

Digital Leather at The Waiting Room, May 6, 2010. Photo by John Shartrand.

Not that it matters, but last night’s Digital Leather show at The Waiting Room was what I was looking for when I wrote this column a few weeks ago. As a stripped-down three-piece, I could hear the songs closer to the way they sound on the recordings, but with a different spin that comes from a live performance. That’s not to say the band shouldn’t perform as a five piece. They just need to balance things so that everything can come through, which hasn’t been the case. Last night I could hear the keyboards, I could hear the guitar, I could hear the drums, I could hear frontman Shawn Foree, and nothing was overpowering except for the songs, which as I said, are some of the best things going on in Omaha (or anywhere). I realized while I was watching that it would probably be the only time that I’d hear the music this way, as the five-piece will be back in action next time, and Digital Leather will likely once again transform into just another garage band. I did talk to one person who said that while he enjoyed the performance, he preferred the noisier garage version of the band. No doubt he’s not alone.

Speaking of “just another garage band,” Matador Records act Harlem came on next and filled that role nicely. Stoned or drunk or just plain having fun, the trio ripped through a set of the usual garage rock fodder with nods to The Zombies, Them, The Yardbirds, surf music, low-fi indie, the usual shtick. They were at their best when all three were belting out harmonies. After about six songs with the same tempo and same crash-bash dynamics, I got the drift.

* * *

Busy, busy weekend…

Tonight (Friday)

At sexy, sassy O’Leaver’s it’s Well-Aimed Arrows (ex-Protoculture) with Lincoln band Husbands and The Prairies. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr., Capgun Coup, Landing on the Moon and The Praries play with Lawrence band Rooftop Vigilantes. $7, 9 p.m.

And at Harrah’s Stir Casino, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies roll out a 3-hour set, where I’m told the center portion will feature an hour of new music that will likely appear on the new album. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday

Lincoln’s Ideal Cleaners headlines a show with Baby Tears and The New Loud at O’Leaver’s. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Over at The Sydney, Eli Mardock of Eagle Seagull takes the stage along with Pharmacy Spirits and Thunder Power. $5, 9 p.m.

The Waiting Room is hosting a reunion of ’90s band Janglepop, along with a short set by The Filter Kings, and full sets by Surfer Rosa (Pixies tribute band) and Brave Captain (fIREHOSE tribute band). $5, 8 p.m.

Sunday

The weekend is capped off with the Community Bike Project benefit  at Slowdown, featuring UUVVWWZ, Talking Mountain, Flowers Forever and the Nebraska Bike Ensebow. $5, 9 p.m.

And finally, Lincolnites will get a chance to see the guy who I’ve been talking about (here) for the past few weeks — Jeremy Messersmith plays at Duffy’s Tavern. According to Duffy’s online calendar, Messersmith plays a super-early set — 6 p.m.! As always, call ahead for confirmed times (and price).

Tonight at The Waiting Room, Austin garage-punk band Harlem takes the stage. The trio is out on the road supporting their just-released Matador debut Hippies. The Reader‘s Chris Aponick interviewed the boys in the latest issue, or you can read it online right here.

Harlem isn’t the only trio playing at TWR tonight. Digital Leather opens the show… as a three-piece. I guess a couple of the guys aren’t available tonight, so expect to see and hear the band in a different light. Show starts at 9 p.m. (I double-checked) and cover is $8.

The Return of Matt Pond PA

The Brooklyln band keeps on keeping on…

by Tim McMahan

Seven years ago on a rainy Wednesday night indie band Matt Pond PA rolled into Omaha to play a show at Sokol Underground with Bitter Bitter Weeks and Lefty’s Deceiver. Five people were there to see it. And that was the last time Matt Pond PA played in Omaha, until this coming Tuesday night.

Pond thinks things will go better this time. “There couldn’t be less people there than at that other show,” he said. “We have nothing but optimism.”

He’s optimistic for good reason. Pond is on the road touring with a new band supporting a new album, The Dark Leaves, released last month by Altitude Records. The album was recorded in an isolated cabin in Bearsville, New York, a tiny town near Woodstock, with his pal Chris Hansen, who played guitar, sang and handled the engineering chores. “It was just me and him sitting there, doing and undoing the album,” Pond said.

That sense of freedom and space — and aloneness — surrounds the album’s gorgeous, flowing pop on gently rocking songs like “Brooklyn Fawn” that glow with insight and soul from a musician who has continued to refine his craft for more than 10 years over seven full-length albums, always flying just beneath the radar.

Little has changed since that ’03 concert.  “I’m probably at the same point in my career,” Pond said via cell phone while driving back from the forest into NYC. “Things are probably simpler because we have an album coming out, and there’s optimism and fear and all sorts of little things.

“The biggest change is that I’m not as tied to things as I was back then. I’m tied to my songs, but not tied to what critics say or what does or doesn’t happen. It’s a lot easier to let things go now. When you get knocked around a bunch, you stop feeling it. I love doing this, and if you love doing it, you can’t get so worked up about details and people or reviews.”

Matt Pond PA, The Dark Leaves

Pond sounded a bit surprised to still be working in the music business. “I probably didn’t think I’d still be doing this back in ’03,” he said. “There’s that pang for the supposed ‘real life’ that I’ve had since I was a kid — this idea that you’re supposed to have a job. You imagine you’ll have a stable career and some kind of family.  I never thought I’d be playing music, but it’s better than being a doctor or lawyer or a professional. Now, even though it’s not the most stable job or career, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Another reason for optimism was the reaction Pond received at this year’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin. “I swore I’d never play (SXSW) again,” he said, adding that the last time he was there was (again) back in ’03. “I did two shows — one was for 15 people; the other the soundman was too drunk to lift his head off the soundboard — so one had no sound, the other had no people.”

The only reason he did SXSW this year was because another band he plays in– the Wooden Birds — was scheduled to be there.  On the day of his performance, the venue — the Galaxy Room on Austin’s 6th St. — was packed with a few hundred people (myself among them), all of whom looked as if they were greeting a long, lost friend. Pond, who looked like a bearded Jimmy Fallon, smiled from the stage. “People were singing along,” he said. “It was fun.”

It was a nice welcome after taking a couple years off from performing. “I’m excited to do this again,” Pond said. “I love playing live. And there’s more focus now on music rather than extracurricular people in the band.”

Pond wasn’t sure who would be playing with him when he returns to Omaha, other than Hansen and most likely Leslie Sisson of The Wooden Birds, who he said are now the core of his band. “You end up being closer to these people than you are with girlfriends,” he said.

And despite The Dark Leaves only being out a month, work has already begun on the next Matt Pond PA album (The “PA” tag, by the way, is an homage to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, even though Pond hasn’t lived there since he moved to Brooklyn years ago). “We’ve recorded six songs for the next record,” he said. “(Recording is) the one part of this process that I don’t have a problem with. There will always be a good and bad part to this life, but that part is pretty pure to me.”

Matt Pond PA plays with Bobby Long, Tuesday, May 11, at Slowdown, 729 No. 14th St. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $12. For more information, visit theslowdown.com.

It would just be a shame if the best bands in Omaha never get a chance to play at the MAHA Festival simply because the Committee wasn’t willing to make the choice themselves… By the way, has anyone seen any posters around town advertising the event? Daylights a-wastin’, folks…

Column 269 — Battle of the Blahs

MAHA lets you pick the winner…

The fine folks at the MAHA Music Festival just announced two band showcases to be held this summer at Slowdown and The Waiting Room. It is through these free events that bands will be selected to play the festival’s Kum & Go local stage at the July 24 concert at Lewis & Clark Landing. The showcases are battle of the bands competitions where you — the concert goer — will choose the winner. Slowdown’s showcase is May 24, while The Waiting Room event is June 24. A third band will be chosen (again, via public vote) from those performing at an Omaha Entertainment and Arts Association summer showcase July 16-17. The fourth local band, Satchel Grande, already has been selected by the MAHA Committee.

If there’s an obvious flaw in the MAHA Festival it is this democratic approach toward selecting the local bands. Waitaminit, how could something democratic be bad? It starts with the nomination process. Only bands that are willing to play for free at the three showcases can be considered in the “election.” That immediately eliminates some of the area’s best bands, who have reached a point in their careers where they expect to get paid for their performances, and who look upon battle of the bands competitions as publicity stunts for those who haven’t paid their dues by recording, touring, doing what it takes to get their music heard.

In an effort to change my mind about their process, MAHA Organizer Tre Brashear sent me an e-mail where he argued that the showcases build community awareness, give bands a chance to promote the event (and sell tickets), and give the audience a voice in the selection process.

“We do not want MAHA to be perceived as three guys holding their own concert,” Brashear said. “Us picking all the bands would run that risk.”

Well, I hate to tell you Tre, but that boat left the dock a long time ago. The “three guys” already picked the festival’s headliners. Why not go ahead and pick the locals as well? One could argue that by surrendering the selection process to “the public” (which in the case of the OEAA showcase, is the folks who frequent Benson bars on any given weekend) you have backhandedly voiced a certain level of disdain — or your isolation from — the local music scene that you’re supposed to be supporting.

Tre goes on to say, “If we just ‘picked’ all the bands for the local stage, who’s to say that we’d pick ‘correctly’ in the eyes of the community? Some would agree with the choices, some would disagree.” That same argument obviously could be made toward their main stage selections. And in the end, it’s the concertgoers who will say if MAHA chose correctly when they decide if they’re willing to shell out $33 for a ticket.

The real problem with battle-of-the-bands situations, though, is that the best bands — the ones that truly need the exposure, the ones that are leaning out the furthest on the delicate limb of creativity — never win. What if, say, The Mynabirds were up against Paria, who do you think would get the most votes? How about Emphatic vs. It’s True? Or Digital Leather vs. any one of the area’s most popular cover bands? Who would the pubic choose? In the end, we’ll never know the answer, because none of those bands will likely be taking part in these showcases.

See, it’s not about ticket sales. No one is buying a ticket to see the Kum & Go local stage. They’re going for Spoon, Superchunk, The Faint and Old ’97s. MAHA is designed to be a sort of celebration of indie/alternative culture, not a money-grab. If it were about the money, they’d be booking Ke$ha or Justin Bieber.

Come to think of it, I wonder who would win a battle of the bands between Spoon and Justin Bieber. See my point?

* * *

O’Leaver’s is gutting its Myspace page, which was the only semi-reliable place where you could find a schedule of their upcoming shows. Instead, they’re moving their schedule to the O’Leaver’s Facebook page. Go there and click on the Events tab. Remember when Myspace was thee hot music website just a few years ago? We’ll be talking about Twitter and Facebook the same way in a few years…

Tomorrow: An interview with Matt Pond PA.

First, an apology. Last night’s Locksley/Butch Walker show at The Waiting Room started at 8 p.m., not 9 p.m. as I stated in yesterday’s blog. When it comes to details, like the times shows begin, you can generally count on me, but occasionally I forget to double-check, like yesterday. So, sorry to anyone who missed the opener… like I did.

Luckily, pro writer (and pro surfer?) Steve Gates was smart enough to double-check the start times. He graciously provides this review of the Locksley portion of the show:

A Blind Date With Locksley (a special report to Lazy-i correspondent Steve Gates).

I first became aware of Locksley about six months ago from some regular play of a few of their songs on the XM/Sirius station Little Steven’s Underground Garage.  A few of their tracks we’re even named “Little Steven’s Coolest Song in the World this Week”…so that has to count for some garage rock cred…right?

In all fairness as a reviewer of their show Tuesday night at the Waiting Room, I was immediately hooked on their stuff the second I heard it last fall.  The last band I can honestly say that about is The Ramones, so that is some of the highest praise I can offer.

But, seeing a band live for the first time that you love via the Internet and satellite radio is the equivalent of trying to meet a soul mate on Match.com.  Sure everything seems perfect from a distance, but how will this new-found admiration translate to the first meeting in person?  As it turns, this blind date with Locksley had me go from hoping I would not be disappointed at the end of the night to thinking I could marry them on the spot (OK, enough with the analogies).

How do you sum up their music?  If you read their press materials, they consider themselves doo-wop punk…now there’s a first.  As I stood right next to the stage watching the show, several generations of music instantly popped into my head.  Locksley brings the tight vocal harmonies of the Four Seasons, the musical sense of the Raspberries, the 10,000 rpm drive of The Knack, and the geek chic look and feel of Wheezer. Not to mention that singer Jesse Laz has, by far, the best on-key scream since John Lennon.

For more than 60 minutes, they never took their foot off the throttle as they blew though some of their best songs (all of which I highly recommend checking out if you get the chance), including “Darling It’s True,” “Don’t Make Me Wait,” “All Over Again” and crowd pleaser “The Whip.”

What impressed me most in watching the set is how band members — including Laz’s brother Jordan and other Locksley frontman Kai Kennedy — all have pitch-perfect rock voices and share the lead vocal duties.  Any of these guys easily could be the only lead singer in the band. But then add in flawless musicianship, plus a machine of a drummer in Sam Bair, and you have one of the most accomplished bands I’ve ever seen play live.  And unlike an entire generation of bands who stand on stage barely moving, Locksley is all over the stage in Tasmanian Devil-like fashion.

In talking with another Locksley fan after the show, I presented him with the question: “How do you sum up the show in one word?” His answer was “unclassifiable.”  While I had a hard time disagreeing with the sentiment, I thought that Tim would get mad at me for sending him a one word review…even though the comment was right on the money.

Locksley might be the Best Unsigned Band in the World.  Ultimately, when you have the musical ability to turn a song from the 1950s (the Del Rios’ “There’s a Love”) into something that would have sounded like a perfect fit in any decade over the last 50 years…you just might be unclassifiable.  Or, maybe you’re just Locksley. — Steve Gates

My, my… Sorry I missed it. As for Butch Walker…

He went on stage at around 9:15 to an (estimated) crowd of 200 crazy, suburban fans. That’s right, I said fans, which brings up the unsolved mystery of the evening: Where did all these people hear Butch Walker’s music? Certainly not on the radio. While Walker is a genius at creating FM-safe ’80s-style rock ballads, to the best of my knowledge he’s never had a hit. So how did a sizable portion of the crowd know the words well enough to sing along throughout most of his set? I’m not kidding — it was the largest sing-along crowd I’ve seen at TWR in a long time. Who were these people; where did they come from?

As for Walker, the pencil-mustachioed Bryan Adams look-alike played nearly two hours of swashbuckling power ballads backed by a five-piece band of very seasoned musicians. After watching more than my share of lifeless, slumped-shouldered, arthritic-looking indie bands mumble through their sets, it was refreshing to see someone who knew how to perform on stage. Perform, as in he’s an ENTERTAINER. Walker’s ’90s arena-rock flamboyance translates into a Vegas act when confined to a club environment, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It meant he was into the audience, doing everything he could to get them to connect with his rock persona, and from what I saw, he succeeded despite the fact that I only recognized one song from his catalog (“Bethamphetamine (Pretty, Pretty)” from The Rise and Fall…), while a majority of the songs strangely resembled more familiar hits from other artists (One song was the spitting image of “All the Young Dudes.” When asked by a fellow patron if he knew the name of the song, wingman Steve Gates quipped, “It’s an old Mott the Hoople track, or at least it might as well be”).

It is a testament to his vocal prowess that after playing well over an hour, Walker could pull out a cover of Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl” and sing it flawlessly — no easy task. His knack for writing and producing power ballads is legendary, but despite that — and the fact that he really is a first-rate performer — I doubt that he’ll ever break through to a wider audience. His style of music appeals to those of us who grew up listening FM Rock on Z-92 blaring from our Spark-o-Matic car stereos with the 6×9’s mounted on the hatchback deck. We remember it, and we like it. But time has moved on, despite everything Walker is doing to hold it back. To a younger generation that has moved on to hip-hop, to electronic, to indie, to death metal, to modern Americana, his style of pre-cellphone, pre-iPod music will always sound dated and alien, even if it’s better than whatever it is they’re listening to now. As for Walker, as long as he has crowds like he had last night, he could care less.  For the final song, he turned on the house lights and dived into a sing-along ballad (that I, again, didn’t recognize) and turned the floor in front of the stage into his own private choir, directing the audience as it sang a repeated chorus long after the rest of the band had headed to the green room, slowly bringing it down, down, down to a whisper before saying goodnight.

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Later today: Column 269 — Battle of the Blahs… come back.

The MAHA Festival folks just announced that they’re hosting band showcases May 24 at Slowdown and June 24 at The Waiting Room to pick who will play the Kum & Go local stage at the festival July 24. Satchel Grande already has been selected to play by the MAHA Committee. I comment on why I think the showcases are a mistake in my column, which will be online here tomorrow.

The bands competing at the May 24 Slowdown event are Betsy Wells, Dim Light, Flight Metaphor and Noah’s Ark Was A Spaceship. Good luck to all four. My vote would go to Dim Light, but I already know that Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship will win this competition — after all, they played at MAHA last year.

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Clarification on yesterday’s blog item: The name of So-So Sailors’ drummer is Dan Kemp, the former drummer from Bloodcow. And Dan McCarthy plays Wurlitzer in S-SS, not bass, as reported.  Oops. Sorry.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room, it’s rock-pop-meister Butch Walker and the Black Widows. Read Chris Aponick’s story on Butch online here (or in The Reader), where he mentions that Walker has produced albums by Weezer, Pink and Katy Perry, among others. Walker’s 2006 album, The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites is one of my faves from that year, thanks to its nod toward classic cock-rock. I don’t know what he’s been up to lately, but I’m sure it’s no good. Opening is Madison Wisconsin’s Locksley, an unsigned band that’s played on Conan O’Brien, Kimmel and spent a couple weeks performing as Ray Davies backing band. Tonight is Locksley’s first date on the Butch Walker tour, so it could get interesting. $15. 9 p.m.