by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There are two CD release shows tomorrow night. The one with the most pre-show hype is the Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque show at The Waiting Room. Severin has managed to nab big write-ups today in the big three media outlets: The Reader, The Omaha World-Herald, and Shout! Weekly. I have no doubt that all of his media work will pay off.

The Sleepover - Oceans of Ice, Island of Terror

At the same time tomorrow night over at O’Leaver’s, Lincoln band The Sleepover will be celebrating its CD release show for Oceans of Ice, Island of Terror, one of the best locally produced indie albums I’ve heard this year. Fronted by guitarist/singer/songwriter Cory Kibler and released on Lone Prairie Records (Ember Schrag, Loup River Band, the label is run by Lincolnite Eric Wickizer) it’s recommended for anyone who digs melancholy, brooding bands like Bedhead/The New Year or Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon. Kibler has a soft, mewing voice that at times is a spot-on match to Mark Kozelek, especially on songs like “Island of Terror” and “Glowing New-Century Town.”

Not surprisingly, Kibler references none of these bands on his one-sheet, and told me he is only vaguely familiar with Kozelek. I’ve heard a lot of bands purposely reach for this sound and fail because they don’t understand how to write these kinds of hooks and return to them over and over (There, indeed, is joy in repetition). But unlike Kozelek, who can drone on and for more than 10 minutes per song, Kibler keeps these at pop-song length (nothing over five minutes) without losing any power. Like Bedhead’s Kadane brothers, Kibler’s arrangements are deceptively simple and lean. But he strays from their formula with his bouncier, more upbeat and slightly fey songs — I guess a guy can’t be depressed all the time (though when it comes to Bedhead (especially on What Fun Life Was) you never want to wake from the stupor).

Still, there is a Midwestern darkness to the best of Oceans of Ice that reflects a coming-of-age sense of futility. “I will say that the most inspiring recurrent theme on the record is that, as a guy in my late 20s, I have shit WAY less figured out than I thought I would,” Kibler told me in an email. “I thought after grad school (I got an MA in philosophy, ha-ha), I’d have started a really solid career by now, but I’m still getting shit figured out.  Add that to the fact that many of my friends are doing really well because they planned ahead and were more realistic than I was, and there’s some residual bitterness.  Directed at myself, not my friends.” Live and learn, Cory.

The album was recorded last fall by Chris Steffen (www.steffonicrecording.com), mixed and edited over the winter by Eric Medley (www.ericmedley.com), and mastered this past spring by C. Howie Howard (www.mrfuriousrecords.com). “For what it’s worth, it’s awesome that Eric agreed to mix/edit the record remotely from his home in South Carolina,” Kibler said. “He’s an ex-Lincolnite who has been recording for years and years.  He’s worked with a ton of amazing bands including Mercy Rule, The Millions, Bright Eyes, Cursive, Her Flyaway Manner, Happy Dog, Lullaby for the Working Class, and many more.”

Backing Kibler is James Tucci, bass; Bradley Kester, drums, background vocals, and Sarah Korf, piano/keys and background vocals. Steffen is the guy providing the trumpet on a few tracks.

On the surface, the album is somewhat plain-jane, yet I never found myself bored listening to it, which is something I can’t say about most of the music being released locally these days. That said, this is merely an interim step for Kibler and Co. With the clear split in this record’s style between mope and lilting pop, we’ll have to wait and see which direction he ends up going or if, like Bedhead and Kozelek, he can refine a style that turns down into up, black into white, and desolation into power. You can hear four tracks off Oceans of Ice and order the album online here.

The only way this record could be more opposite from Severin’s is if it incorporated a gay choir and an orchestra of vuvzelas. Needless to say, neither CD release show will bite into the other’s draw. More on Severin’s disc tomorrow.

* * *

A couple housekeeping items concerning yesterday’s blog entry: Darren Keen wrote in to say that Bad Speler isn’t going to compile its mixes onto an album, but instead is going to use the money raised from the mixtapes to release an album that will “be a little more focused and produced” then the mixes. Mike Tulis wrote to say that the Soapbox Riot is being brought to you by O’Leaver’s, not Speed! Nebraska (though the press release says both are involved in the event).

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, San Diego Americana band The Delta Spirit (Rounder) performs with Chicago’s Ezra Furman and the Harpoons (Minty Fresh) and LA’s The Romany Rye. $12, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First off, Column 275 (printed in this week’s issue of The Reader) combined the Landing on the Moon and Mountain Goats reviews posted here last week, along with the Workers Takeout closing mention. Among the comments posted on the MG review was someone pointing out that not only will bands cover the Hold Steady, but that the Mountain Goats covered Hold Steady’s “Positive Jam” late last year. So take that, mofo.

* * *

Darren Keen (The Show Is the Rainbow, High Art) emailed last week to say that his laptop project, Bad Speler, just got signed to Illegal Arts Records, the home of Girl Talk (among others). Keen said Bad Speler will record everything digitally and put it online using a pay-what-you-want model that Radiohead pioneered and performers like Jeremy Messersmith continue to use. Keen plans to produce a free mix tape every four to six weeks, (edit) each 40 to 60 minutes long. “We are going to use the money raised from the mix tapes to release an album that I’m gonna put together that will be a little more focused and produced then the mixes,” Keen said.

I get the feeling that the “free” or “pay-what-you-want” approach to music distro is going to become more and more common as the industry continues to slowly erode. Is there an easier way to get your music out there and heard? Then there’s the approach that everyone’s favorite new wave band, Devo, has taken — write and record songs on commission. In a recent interview on APR’s Marketplace (recording and transcript here), Devo’s Gerald Casale talked about how “Watch Us Work It,” off their new album, was commissioned by Dell for a series of PC commercials.

(host) Kai Ryssdal: Did I read some place you actually prefer your music to be commissioned, that’s the way you like to do it?

Casale: Well, at this point, what’s happened is, artists no longer make a living by selling music. They only make a living by tour grosses, merchandising receipts and having their songs licensed to commercials video games or films. That’s it. Trying to make a living as a recording artist, that’s the only way you’re going to survive.

Amazing how the concept of “selling out” has turned 180 degrees over the past decade.

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For all you backyard mechanics, here’s a head’s up about Speed! Nebraska’s second annual Soapbox Riot, Saturday July 17. Like last year, the adult soapbox derby will he held at Seymour Smith Park, 72nd & Washington. To take part, just drop by O’Leaver’s Pub and register. Then start building your chariot. If I remember correctly, Mercy Rule’s Jon Taylor won last year’s derby, but paid the price when he took a header along the course and ripped open one of his arms. This is, indeed, a blood sport. After the festivities (at 9 p.m.), O’Leaver’s will host a Speed! Nebraska after-race showcase for the survivors, featuring Mercy Rule, Ideal Cleaners, Wagon Blasters, The Mezcal Brothers, The Third men and Techlepathy. Fun!

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it’s a punk show featuring Phoenix folk-punkers Andrew Jackson Jihad along with Destroy Nate Allen, Thunderbolts and Hoof Hearted. $10, 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Hot shot Saddle Creek Records executive Jason Kulbel is quoted in an article on the Green Shoelace blog that asks the burning question: Is Indie Turning Into Pop? From the article:

Jason Kulbel, label manager for Saddle Creek Records defines the mainstream as somewhat positive. It’s simply “What the majority of people listen to,” he said. “Every band has its own unique circumstances; I am sure it applies to some bands and not others. Each band has different goals and ways they shape their career,” states Kulbel.

As with most indie record labels, Saddle Creek Records leans toward not conforming to the mainstream, yet “[the] mainstream doesn’t always mean ‘bad,’ just that it’s the most popular,” Kulbel said. The general philosophy of Saddle Creek Records is that “the artists must dedicate their lives to the music they love, which represents the band personally and musically.”

The problem with the article’s premise is that it never really defines  “Indie” or “pop.” Pop means popular, right? You could argue that indie “turned into pop” in 1992 when Nevermind broke through and became a nationwide hit. In fact, you could say that any indie band that busts into the Billboard top 20 — such as Bright Eyes — has turned pop. But no matter how you look at it, the premise is absurd.

The real question: Is the artist 1) making music primarily to satisfy himself, or 2) compromising his/her artistic vision in an attempt to write a “hit record.” The former historically has been associated with indie artists; the latter typifies commercial shlubs (many of whom never had any artistic vision to begin with). Jake Bellows, for example, is going keep to writing and recording music no matter who listens to his songs. The only thing keeping him from becoming the next Jack Johnson is a few million dollars in marketing. It has nothing to do with quality (Jake’s music is obviously better than Jack’s). But if one of Jake’s songs ever became a hit, well, he’d be considered a pop star (and is there anyone more deserving?).

If Saddle Creek poured a couple million bucks into marketing the latest Mynabirds album I promise Laura Burhenn’s name would become a household name alongside any other MTV/VH1/CMT diva.

So is marketing the only difference between indie and “pop”? We’ll find out with the new Crystal Castles album cited in the article — something tells me that it would sound the same whether it had been released by Universal or their first label, Canada’s Last Gang Records.

* * *

Two shows on the radar screen tonight:

At Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St., Bear Country is playing as part of the garden’s Tempo at Twilight series on the green. Bring your lawn chairs and something to eat. The performance starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 8. Admission is $6 (but free if you’re a Lauritzen member). I saw Brad Hoshaw do a solo set (opening for Orenda Fink) as part of this series last year, and it was a lot of fun, though no one seemed to be paying attention to Brad. The Mynabirds will be playing the series Aug. 17 and Outlaw Con Bandana plays Sept. 14.

Afterward, head on over to the Waiting Room for Dim Light, DJ Kobrakyle and Brave Captain. Get this: It’s some guy named Alex’s birthday — so there’s no cover charge! 9 p.m.

* * *

Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Mountain Goats at The Slowdown, June 13, 2010.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I reached into my pocket just prior to entering The Slowdown last night and realized that I’d forgotten to bring my earplugs. No matter, I thought. I’ve seen The Mountain Goats before and had nothing to worry about. After all, John Darnielle is an acoustic balladeer of the best kind; he’s no rock star and he certainly isn’t loud, right?

Well, I began to wonder if I’d made a mistake when the MG’s “pre-music” — the music played just before they entered the stage — was some sort of metal Judas Priest/Slayer extravaganza. I took it as a not-so-subtle form of irony. But I was wrong. These days the Mountain Goats is a full-fledged power trio, something they’ve evolved into since the last time I saw them oh so many years ago, and despite the laid-back acoustic sound of their records. They may be acoustic, but they rock nonetheless, with Darnielle spending most of the evening on an acoustic guitar backed by a thunderous bass/drums rhythm section.

I have three Mountain Goats albums — 2002’s Tallahassee, 2008’s Heretic Pride, and their latest, The Life of the World to Come — along with a split single Darnielle made with Simon Joyner called Why You All So Thief? released in 1994 on Omaha’s own Sing, Eunichs! label. I recognized a lot of songs from Tallahassee, an album he was touring last time I saw him. But this time they were revved up and anthem-like and a lot better than I remembered. In between songs, Darnielle did a Storytellers schtick, with bits about life on the road or what inspired the next song, delivered in the rapid-fire style of a well-seasoned stand-up comic or monologist. Funny stuff. It was the combination of the music and the chatter and the overall vibe among the 300 or so in attendance that made last night’s show a top-tenner (or top-fiver) for the year (so far).

There’s something about the Mountain Goats now that reminds me of The Hold Steady — maybe it’s the way the songs are written or Darnielle’s barking vocals or the story-telling lyrical style.The energy level of their live show certainly rivals The Hold Steady’s. But there are just as many differences as similarities. Darnielle can actually sing. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn can’t and doesn’t even try. Darnielle mixes his set up well — 20 minutes into last night’s set, the rest of the band left the stage and he asked the crowd if they could handle something slow and sad. He then started singing a pretty, dark tune with the opening line, “They hooked her up to a Fentanyl drip / To mitigate the pain a little bit.” It was “Matthew 25:21” from the latest album, a song that recalls a time when Darnielle broke off from a tour to travel to Santa Barbara to see his mother-in-law before she died of cancer, a song that ends with, “It’s three days later when I get the call / And there’s nobody around to break my fall.” It was a dark, touching moment that helped put the performance into perspective. I heard nothing even remotely close to that at last year’s Hold Steady show at Slowdown — it was just one crash-bash one-note rocker after another sung by a professional auctioneer — and that’s exactly what fans go to a Hold Steady show to see, and why (conceivably) they’re so much more popular than The Mountain Goats. But the fact is, as the years go by, other artists and bands will cover Mountain Goats songs just like they cover Magnetic Fields songs and Neutral Milk Hotel songs and so on. I don’t see that happening with Hold Steady songs, but I could be wrong.

Darnielle and Co. left the stage after about 45 minutes — a fairly short set. When they came back for the encore, the crowd became a mob yelling requests, including one that Darnielle said he hadn’t played in years, but was going to try because it was Omaha and, presumably, we are special. He pulled the rest of the band together in a small side conference, and then started pounding out the chords, yelling the chord names to bassist Peter Hughes because they’d never played the tune together before. The song was “Golden Boy,” a single compiled on 1999’s Ghana, with the catchy line: “There are no pan-Asian supermarkets down in hell / So you can’t buy Golden Boy peanuts.” Who knows why he’s stayed away from that one for so long. Also played in the four-song encore was crowd favorite “No Children” from Tallahassee that featured 200 people singing the touching lines: “I hope you die / I hope you all die.” — what a way to close out the evening.

* * *

Tonight at O’Leaver’s it’s Alive Records band Black Diamond Heavies with Bazooka Shootout and Gyromancer. $5, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Landing on the Moon at O'Leaver's, June 10, 2010

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First, some sobering news after a night that was anything but…

Workers Takeout, the sandwich shop next to O’Leaver’s owned and operated by Chris Machmuller of Ladyfinger, shut its doors for good this week. Last night I noticed a “Closed” sign written in Sharpie on the door that said “Thanks for the memories.” I didn’t get a chance to talk to Mach about what happened, though I’ve been told by people close to the business that you haven’t seen the last of Worker’s Takeout, just the last of it from that location. As discussed in this interview/column, Workers opened at the height of this country’s most recent Great Recession in August 2008 with only a sandwich counter and a helluva menu. They just opened a new dining room this past January. It seemed like the perfect location — right next door to O’Leaver’s, across the parking lot from the Pub’s popular sand volleyball courts. But Workers just couldn’t get the army of toned, tanned athletes to step foot inside their shop, I guess because they feared it as much as they fear the inside of O’Leaver’s, which also rarely seems to attract any spikers. The irony to me is that Workers is the first place that I ever ordered a Cuban sandwich — a sandwich that recently was added to the Panera Bread menu. My suggestion (which has no wings whatsoever) would be to move Workers into  O’Leaver’s old kitchen and turn the bar’s pool table room into an order window. I’m sure it would take many thousands of dollars to get O’Leaver’s kitchen up to code, however. Here’s hoping that Machmuller finds the right location, and that Workers reopens soon…

As for last night’s gig…

I have now seen Students of Crime — Robert Thornton’s new band — twice, but it seems more like I’ve seen two separate bands with the same personnel. They even looked different. For their debut back in April (also at O’Leaver’s), the band was dressed to the nines in suit and tie. Last night, however, they wore the usual O’Leaver’s uniform of jeans and T shirts. Just as different as their costumes was their sound. On night one, SOC leaned toward Americana – almost to alt-country. Last night they were a punk band in the vein of Carmine (one of Thornton’s old bands), but with a harder, SST edge. And without a hint of twang (this definitely wasn’t Whipkey Rock). It was the band I expected to see/hear back in April. I have no idea why they changed styles, and frankly don’t prefer one over the other, though Thornton looked more relaxed playing the punk that we’ve come to expect from him.

Having just returned from a few weeks of touring, Landing on the Moon was as tight as you’d expect. In fact, last night’s performance was the best I’ve ever seen them. I guess that road does something to a band — it changes them. Or maybe it was just the booze because they’ve never felt more cohesive. And for the first time I was able to put my finger on who they remind me of. In fact, LotM has a style that is distinctly its own, especially compared to the rest of the Omaha scene. No one does quite what they do — a fusion of indie and throw-back radio rock with a groove that heralds all the way back to the ’70s. I’m going to get skewed for this, but I was reminded of late-’70s Journey. Someone else in the audience referenced Mates of State, which also was a stretch, albeit a more indie (and realistic, and probably less offensive) stretch.

The real difference last night came from folks who I hadn’t noticed before. I point directly toward bassist Eric Harris, who has never sounded more up front and important to the band’s sound. His deep groove swing is the secret weapon that is (now) impossible to ignore. So is frontman John Klemmensen. I use the “frontman” moniker loosely, since there are three lead vocalists in the band, with Megan Morgan taking a more prominent role especially on the new material. Still, it’s Klemmensen who stood out — part of the reason is that O’Leaver’s PA simply isn’t kind to female vocalists, who have a way of getting buried in the mix. No single member of the band is ever the center of attention, however. The most “out there” player is drummer Oliver Morgan, who doggedly looks for any and every opportunity to decorate his percussion with fill upon fill upon fill upon roll upon fill. There is nothing unfancy about his drumming style, which will not — cannot — be ignored.

The band announced last night that their latest album, We Make History Now, will be released by Young Love Records Aug.10 (with a Young Love showcase scheduled for The Waiting Room Aug. 12). With a label, distribution and publicity behind them, who knows where they’ll land.

Finally, after midnight, it was time for the dynamic duo of Cloven Path, who apparently was having an off night, as the guitarist mentioned a few times that his pedal was broken. He only played two or three songs before leaving the stage. Their shtick is to play shredding electric guitar and trigger-happy drums over dense, heavily textured electronic tracks — very EDM-meets-metal. It’s dramatic and fun. The only thing missing is a vocalist, preferably a wonked-out bleached-haired goth chick with a Debra Harry voice clad entirely in black latex. Surely they can find someone around this town to fit the bill.

* * *

You’ve got ’til the end of the day to get in on a sweet offer by Digital Leather designed to raise some money to buy sound equipment. The fund-raising project had a goal of $600. They’re currently at $1,695 — a success (that is if shipping costs don’t eat away at their profits). The details again:

There are two levels in which you can pledge:

1. $10. You’ll receive a free download of their new, yet-to-be-released album.
2. $15. You’ll receive a free vinyl with a numbered, super-limited-edition cover, along with the free download. The vinyls are limited to 150.

To get in on it, just go to the site and fill out the online form. The offer ends in just a few hours.

* * *

It’s back to O’leaver’s again tonight for My Pal Dragon with D.L. Diedrich and the Devil, She’s the Fastest and Thunder Power. $5, 9:30 p.m.

If you’re in Lincoln tonight, check out the Son of 76 and The Watchmen CD release show at The Bourbon Theater. Also on the bill are Tijuana Gigolos, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies and The Killigans. $6, 8 p.m.

Saturday night’s main event is the Benson Day: After Dark showcase, featuring more than 30 bands on five Benson stages — The Waiting Room Lounge, Barley Street Tavern, PS Collective, The Sydney, and Burke’s Pub. $5 will get you into all of them all night. Shows start at 9 p.m.

Finally, Sunday night boasts two huge shows. At The Slowdown, it’s the return of The Mountain Goats. The trio of John Darnielle, Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster will be playing songs off their latest 4AD release, The Life of the World to Come.  Opening the show is The Beets. $15, 9 p.m.

Competing with that show are ’80s legends The Psychedelic Furs with frontman Richard Butler at The Waiting Room with She Wants Revenge. $35, 9 p.m.

* * *

Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area.

The Orange County Register has a nice review of The Good Life’s June 8 show at The Glass House, where the critic admonished his readers for not showing up at the gig. From the review: “The band was having a blast, with all members smiling ear-to-ear while covering Fleetwood Mac’s  ‘The Chain’ to close. Stephanie Drootin, very much in the family way, didn’t let her baby bump get in the way of some fast bass work and nimble keyboardistry.” Read the whole thing here.

That baby on board is obviously going to impact the band, as this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle today seems to indicate. Hyping tonight’s Good Life gig at Bottom of the Hill, the story warns: “Catch the longtime cowpoke in the Saddle Creek stable while you can: The combo claims these are the last Good Life shows for a good while.”

* * *

Speaking of shows tonight…

There’s a benefit concert for the organization Women for Women International tonight at Slowdown Jr. featuring Skypiper, Capgun Coup and Conchance. $7, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at O’Leaver’s, Landing on the Moon is headlining a show with Cloven Path and brand new band Students of Crime (whose first show in April was reviewed here). The students are led by legendary local punk rocker Robert Thornton (The Wagon Blasters, Now Archimedes!, Past Punchy and the Present, Culture Fire, Clayface Regular). $5, 9: 30 p.m.

This week’s column is a redux and addendum to last week’s blog entry on Lincoln Invasion and the Lincoln Is A Music City organization (which is here). As you’ll see, Son of 76 and The Watchmen frontman Josh Hoyer read that piece and sent a thoughtful, well-written response explaining the name and the mission. Interestingly, Omaha doesn’t have anything like LIAMC, unless you count Benson as a whole. One could also point toward the OEAA’s, but that has evolved into another Benson-music-boosting organization, and doesn’t really represent the city of Omaha as a whole.

Column 274: Bold Statement

Will the real Music City please stand up?

Nobody likes the idea of competition when it comes to art and music. And yet… whenever “Omaha invades Lincoln” or “Lincoln invades Omaha,” it begs the question as to which scene has the strongest roster of bands — maybe only to me and a few other a-holes, but the question does come up.

And it’s becoming harder and harder to defend Omaha, especially when you look over the line-up playing the second annual Lincoln Invasion festival July 9 in Benson: The Amalgamators, Amy Schmidt, Diamond Kazzoo, Dirty Talker, Ember Schrag, Husbands, Kris Lager Band, Machete Archive, Manny Coon, Masses, Mercy Rule, No One Conquered, Wyoming; Once A Pawn, Orion Walsh, Pharmacy Spirits, The Power, The Renfields, Ron Wax, Shaun Sparks and the Wounded Animals, Shipbuilding Co., Smith’s Cloud, South Of Lincoln, Tie These Hands, and The Vingins.

Very solid. The only bands missing (that come to mind) are High Art (The latest project by Darren Keen of the Show Is the Rainbow), For Against, UUVVWWZ, Son of 76 and The Watchmen and Ideal Cleaners. Event organizer Jeremy Buckley said High Art is playing the night before at The Waiting Room; and the rest simply were unavailable. “I think we were able to balance a lineup of established acts with a good number of newer bands that have made waves in Lincoln, but haven’t had much exposure in Omaha yet,” Buckley said.

The venues involved in the one-day music orgy: The Barley Street Tavern, Burke’s Pub, Benson Grind, Louis, The Sydney and The Waiting Room. A mere $8 will get you into all six venues all night, or $5 gets you into any one venue for the evening.

According to a press release, the fest is being “supported” by an organization lamely called “Lincoln Is A Music City” — a “collection of people who are interested in promoting and growing the local music scene in Lincoln, NE,” according to their website.

The title is a bold statement. Most people consider Lincoln to be a “Football City” or the state capital or a great place to get drunk, but “A Music City”? And if Lincoln is “a music city,” then what is Omaha? Can Omaha be a “Music City” too? Which one really deserves the title? And here we go again…

The whole thing sounds silly. Most people think of Nashville as “a music city,” or New Orleans. But not Omaha, and certainly Lincoln, but I guess to the handful of bands behind the effort, Lincoln can be whatever they want it to be.

Lincolnite Josh Hoyer — Son of 76 frontman and reluctant spokesman for the effort — explained that “Lincoln Is a Music City” started as a slogan printed on a banner used for a group photo of more than 200 Lincoln musicians. “From that there were some folks wanting to make T shirts with the same phrase,” he said. “So I asked that we get together and talk about raising money from the sales to promote our growing music scene. From those meetings a few things happened, one of which was a decision to call the group ‘Lincoln Is a Music City’ instead of Lincoln Music Union or Star City Music Nerds, etc. That idea was put forward by Jon Taylor of Mercy Rule. We dug it, and hence the name was born.”

Hoyer said he has no delusions of Lincoln being anywhere near the stature of Nashville or New Orleans, Chicago, Seattle, NYC or even Omaha for that matter. “We are a sports town,” he said, “but that is exactly why we are making the effort to raise awareness in Lincoln — to the population that doesn’t go out for live music — that our city really does have some great musicians and bands. The slogan is kind of the carrot before the horse carriage. It was our thought that with work, publicity, organization and passion, Lincoln could become a music city as well as a sports city.”

Helping him with his cause is a handful of musicians, promoters and club owners, including Buckley and Lincoln Invasion co-conspirator Dub Wardlaw, Brendan Evans, Jon Taylor and Brendan McGinn of Her Flyaway Manner. So far they’ve started a free all-local concert series at UN-L, launched a local music radio show on community station KZUM Friday nights at 6 hosted Taylor and his lovely bass playing/singing wife Heidi Ore, and helped organize the Lincoln-named festivals, such as Lincoln Invasion, Lincoln Exposed and Lincoln Calling. They’re also thinking about starting a ‘zine that would be an alternative toGround Zero, Lincoln’s entertainment/arts rag.

For Hoyer, making Lincoln a “music city” was part of his decision to plant roots there. “I have a 1-year-old daughter, and instead of moving back to New Orleans (where he lived for six months) we decided to raise her in a safer place with a better support system,” he said. “However, I was in love with NOLA because music is a way of life there. I want to make a living playing music… and I am. I believe Lincoln is a musically diverse and talented city. The trick is getting a larger mass of people here to embrace that and start filling the clubs.

“Who knows where it will end up? But what I do know is, the people that have a passion for music in Lincoln are true blue, as well as talented and creative. Lincoln is a Music City. At least in my eyes it is. I’m just trying to persuade a few other folks to feel the same way.”

* * *

Tonight, local legendary hardcore band Hercules plays a rare show at The Hole on a bill that includes Minnesota band In Defense, High Dive and Agress. No price listed on the Myspace page, but it’s probably $5, and starts at 7 p.m. No Booze!

Also tonight,  Korey Anderson and Edge of Arbor open for Matt Cox Band at The Waiting Room. $5, 9 p.m.

The following came in the ol’ email this morning from Liz Lawson at deusexmachinapr:

“About a couple weeks ago, producer Steve LaBate (formerly of Paste Magazine) and director Scott Sloan, the filmmakers behind the upcoming documentary 40 Nights of Rock & Roll, were in town, where they were fortunate enough to watch one of Omaha’s best bands Capgun Coup.  You can watch a bit of the footage here: http://www.40nightsofrock.com/videos/119-day-20-omaha-capgun-coup.”

The filmmakers were apparently at a Capgun show at The Brothers’ Lounge, judging by the clip, which includes some footage of Sam Martin and Co. talking outside on the sidewalk — there’s no actual performance footage. It’s a strange clip. According to the project’s website, the filmmakers are trying to answer the burning question: “What’s the current state of rock & roll in America? Has true rock and roll been reduced to a few dark corners and dive bars? Are there modern rock bands that are ready to fill the arena-sized shoes of bands like AC/DC and Judas Priest?”

The publicist mentioned that the filmmakers recently interviewed Paul Westerberg and taped him performing a couple acoustic songs. “They’re just about done their road trip, but the hard work is still ahead of them, as they begin the editing process on the thousands of hours of film that they’ve collected, and start work on the companion book.” Will we ever actually see a finished film? Your guess is as good as mine…

Well, Nick Carl’s new band, The Meadowlarks, was not on hand last Saturday night at The Barley St. Tavern, due I’m told to scheduling and transportation-related issues. No matter. Carl did the show alone, and like the last time I saw him, laid down a good set of simple acoustic love (or lack of love) songs sung in his easy-going coffee-shop folk fashion. I dug it, and so did the 15 or so people in the room. Singer/songwriter Nick Jaina and his band closed out the evening with a rowdy set of crash-bash folk rock featuring stand-up bass and trumpet along with the usual instruments. Jaina sort of reminded me of Elvis Perkins, though his music swings closer to folk than Perkins’ dusty Americana.

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Tyson Vogel, one-half of Saddle Creek Records band Two Gallants, announced that his solo debut, Devotionals, is being released July 13 by Alive Records. “Devotionals music is based around Tyson’s guitar compositions, with Anton Patzner (Judgment Day, Bright Eyes) invigorating the musical space with his violin mastery, and they are joined by various guests and collaborators,” says the press release. “The result is a unique combination of simplicity and raw emotion that will delight new and old fans of Two Gallants, a kind of street music with nods to Rachmaninov and John Fahey. The recording is entirely analog.” Really? Wonder if it comes in cassette and/or 8-track tape format. BTW, Two Gallants’ last full length for Saddle Creek came out in 2007.

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Tonight at The Slowdown, it’s red hot indie band Blitzen Trapper with The Moondoggies. $12, 9 p.m. It’s also Slowdown’s third birthday (remember this article?). Stop on down and buy the staff a round. They deserve it.

It’s been awhile since I did a live review, mainly because I haven’t been to a show in awhile. Things have been quiet when it comes to big national touring acts, though there’s been plenty of local stuff going on. Such is the case this weekend — no big national shows come to mind, but a couple local gigs are worth checking out.

Tonight at The Waiting Room, The Filter Kings headline a show with Loyd McCarter, The Willards Band and 24-Hour Cardlock. Cowboy hats/seed caps are optional. $7, 9 p.m.

Saturday night, singer/songwriter Nick Carl and his band, The Meadowlarks, are headlining a show at The Barley St. Tavern with Harlot and Portland guy Nick Jaina. $5, 9 p.m. While just up the street, Ames/Des Moines band The Envy Corps is playing at The Waiting Room with Broken Spindles and 1/Fourth DJs. They’re calling it the “Carnival Dance Dement” — a dance party with masks and lights and stuff, which may be just enough to keep me from going. $8, 9 p.m.

If you’re in Lincoln, check out Damien Jurado Saturday night at The Bourbon Theater with Manny Coon, Ember Schrag and a few others. $10 today/$12 tomorrow. 9 p.m.

And Sunday night at Lincoln’s Clawfoot House, 1042 F St., Nick Jaina and Bear Country are playing with Ember Schrag and her new band.  Clawfoot is in the heart of its summer season. Schrag said that the house will end its show season in late July or early August and take a few months off. In addition to her new band, Schrag has her hands full with a new job booking shows at Lincoln’s Cultiva Cafe, a just-opened coffee house at 11th & G streets that will feature live free performances nightly from 8 to 10 p.m., with an open mic on Thursdays.