Maria Taylor at The Slowdown, Oct. 30, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Notes from last night’s Maria Taylor/Big Harp show at The Slowdown…

Big Harp at The Slowdown, 10/30/11.

Big Harp continues to be a special project. Chris Senseney has a unique, memorable voice. When it reaches way down low it sounds like a bull frog trying to seduce a butterfly, all deep and buttery. That voice stands slouched at the center of Big Harp. It’s the band’s defining statement, more so than the songs, which are good in a neo-traditional Townes Van Zandt sort of way — nice, pleasant tunes, bluesy and fun. And more so than the instrumentation, which is better than good. Senseney always was one of the area’s best guitarists as well as a fine keyboard player (which he proved again last night). But it’s that voice that stands out; especially on stage. You can hear it in fits and starts on the record, but on stage, it’s startling, the kind of voice people discover and never forget.

On the other hand, I always get the sense that Maria Taylor is holding back oh so slightly on stage and in recordings, like a woman on the verge of a “Communication Breakdown.” Yeah, that’s a weird reference to Zep. Because despite being known for her sleepy, Sunday-morning folk ballads, Taylor can rock. Really. She did last night during “Xanax” (from 11:11) propelled by her new brother-in-law, Taylor Hollingsworth, whose band Dead Fingers opened last night’s show. For those five minutes or so during “Xanax,” Taylor unclenched the reigns on her voice, on her band, and let go. I wish she’d do that more often. The rest of the set was the usual collection of pleasant Maria tunes, laid back but restrained, as if she’s hiding something just below the surface. If she was, the smallish crowd (especially for a “big stage” show) didn’t mind at all.

* * *

Two big shows tonight, the biggest of which is Cold War Kids at The Slowdown with Young Man. CWK is touring on Mine Is Yours, released in January by V2/Interscope, the record sounds like an obvious stab at the mainstream. $18, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, it’s a night of Americana at The Waiting Room with Joshua James, HoneyHoney and Levi Lowrey. I’m told by a certain person who works at Homer’s that “HoneyHoney is about to explode.” We’ll see. The band is playing a free in-store at Homer’s today at 6 p.m. Tonight’s gig at TWR is $10, 8 p.m.

Neither show has been promoted as a costume thing, so hand out the candy then head to the club.

* * *

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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

After god only knows how many years, Saddle Creek Records has redesigned its website. It’s worth noting if only for how well the site combines news, music, reviews and touring info for all of its acts, along with merch. There are a few hidden gems, like the staff playlist section, where the Creekers tell you what’s in heavy rotation on their turntables/iPods; and the FAQ, which answers such burning questions as “Why is vinyl so pricey?” Designed by Saddle Creek’s Jadon Ulrich and tooled by local web wizards What Cheer, it’s definitely worth a peek at www.saddle-creek.com. Now, if I could only figure out where they’ve hidden the “weekly movies” section…

* * *

I guess you could call this Halloween weekend, even though Halloween isn’t until Monday night. As a result, most of the clubs are hosting costume parties with DJs or cover bands rather than live music. I prefer St. Patrick’s Day for my “amateur night” activities, but then again, I’ve never liked dressing up in costumes.

That said, I don’t think you’re going to see many costumes tonight at The Slowdown when folk journeyman Mason Jennings takes the stage for a solo set. Jennings records for Jack Johnson’s Bushfire Records label. Opening is The Pines (Red House Records). $17, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Millions of Boys reinvents itself as Millions of Ramones for a Halloween party at The Sandbox, 2406 Leavenworth, that also features Omaha giants New Lungs (D-Max from Little Brazil, Craig Fort and Corey Broman). Lansing band The Plurals and Clash Howl (Scratch Howl covering The Clash) also are on the bill. This is a costume thing, so be prepared. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally, Sunday night, it’s another homecoming show for Maria Taylor at The Slowdown with Big Harp and Dead Fingers. $10, 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

An addendum to yesterday’s Maria Taylor interview… A Lazy-i reader commented that s/he wasn’t aware that Taylor’s new album, Overlook, was so divisive. As I told Taylor during the interview, I’ve never seen such polarity from review to review for an album. Or for that matter, for a specific song.

The song in question is “Bad Idea?” a charming little acoustic guitar rag in the middle of the album that features Taylor cooing the line, “What if I turned 49 / With no husband in mind / Well I guess that ‘s just a glitch in my design.” It’s a summertime back-porch lullaby with an authentic old-time feel, very much in the same vein as “Speak Easy,” from 11:11. But judging from the reviews, you’d think Taylor was singing something as controversial as a protest song.

For example, Triangle Music blogspot loved the track, saying in its review: “In fact ‘Bad Idea’ is so much better than the rest of Overlook it makes me wonder why Taylor didn’t include more purely Americana songs on the album.” Americana?

Meanwhile, our old friends at PopMatters.com would love to see the song buried for all eternity. From their review: “The best track on the record is followed by the worst track on the album. ‘Bad Idea?’ is an annoying grassroots ripoff, with a bored Taylor singing in such a way as if to teach you a lesson. You can just picture her wagging finger. The chorus is awful and will stay in your head for weeks and weeks until you’d rather pierce your eye just to switch focus.”

I read the reviews to Taylor during our interview, and we both laughed. “That’s why I don’t usually read reviews,” she said. “I don’t trust them, they’re so contradictory. I’m always wondering if this person (writing it) is a musician. Why would I trust them over what friends think? It doesn’t influence the way I do things at all. It doesn’t make a difference.”

Decide for yourself. Download the track for free here at Paste.com. My take: The song clearly stands out on the record, and whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your ability to appreciate this style of music. I asked Taylor if she ever considered doing an entire album of traditional-style ballads that would mix remakes of old standards with new material done in a similar style.

She said the thought has crossed her mind. “That song was done entirely live,” she said. “I had dad on the mandolin, my brother on banjo, two friends on guitars, a standup bass. We all stood in a circle and sung it live. It was so much fun and it only took an hour. I’ve thought of doing a whole record of songs in that vein, live, with those kinds of instruments and touring in seated theaters with everyone playing in a circle.”

Sounds like a good time to me, but we won’t be seeing that Sunday night at Slowdown when Taylor and her band (and family) perform with another act that has a sort-of old-time feel, Big Harp. Get your tickets now…

* * *

Phantogram is a self-proclaimed “psych pop” duo from Saratoga Springs, New York, whose full-length debut, Eyelid Movies, was released on Barsuk in 2010.  Pitchfork gave the disc a 7.5 (here), calling it “a sumptuous, seductive record, easy to let fall into the background, sure, but easier still to fall into.” Check out the opening track, “Mouthful of Diamonds,” below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/8834245″]

See how the song sounds played live, when Phantogram plays tonight at The Waiting Room with Reptar. $14, 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Column 347: Baby on Board: Maria Taylor’s Family Plan

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Singer/songwriter Maria Taylor is having a baby.

She dropped that bomb during an interview last week with the Arizona State University student newspaper, The State Press. And although the Saddle Creek Records chanteuse, who is also half of the duo of Azure Ray, is on a tour with a new solo album, I couldn’t think of a more important topic of discussion.

“Well, I can tell you that I met my boyfriend at a show in Washington, D.C.,” Taylor said while lying down in the tour van before her show Monday night in Portland. “He’s the first non-musician I’ve ever dated. He’s a Chief of Staff for a politician — I’m not going to tell you who.”

The reason for keeping his anonymity: “I haven’t asked him if he wants me to talk about it,” Taylor said. “He’s a really wonderful person. If I’m going to move to Washington, D.C., he must be a wonderful person. I remember driving into (Washington) before I met him, I was sitting in back-to-back traffic as always and I said, ‘Watch me meet someone from here and have to move to this f***ing town.'”

She went on to say Washington isn’t that bad. In fact, the more she experiences its history, museums and parks, the more she likes it. So the plan is to move to Washington, have the baby and then start touring again with baby in tow. “And my mom will be tour nanny,” Taylor said. “She just retired and wants to see the country. I plan on working on an Azure Ray record before having the baby to get as much done as we can. So the Azure Ray tour will be the first baby tour.”

They say having a baby changes everything, but does that include the way you write music? “I feel like it will,” Taylor said. “I draw from what’s happening in my life when I write. I imagine my disposition will be different, and it will even affect the sound as well as the lyrics.”

Taylor, both as a solo artist and in Azure Ray, has defined her music with deeply personal love songs, a style that seems almost passé as she’s about to enter a different stage in life, but she’s still not sure if she’ll leave love songs behind. “I haven’t written a song since I found out I was pregnant,” she said. “I might feel like focusing on different aspects of life, but what if I’m not good at that? I need to start writing again, but right now I’m real sick and on tour, and I don’t write when I’m on tour. I’ve been throwing up a lot. I haven’t felt creative.”

She said she didn’t think she would be sick just three months into the pregnancy — her due date is April 30 (“A Taurus,” she adds), and she won’t find out if it’s a boy or girl until after the tour.

“I was told I would feel amazing, but my body just shuts down at 9 p.m. and I get shaky and go to bed and get sick again” she said. “I can’t drink and I have social anxiety. It’s not the same experience to tour pregnant, but I feel like I’m conquering my fears. I’m talking to people every night and battling sickness.

“The cool thing is that I feel like the baby has all of its organs and just grows and gets bigger,” she added. “I can’t help thinking that I’m teaching it rhythms. It feels the vibrations. We really rock out, so I think it’s going to be a drummer or bass player.”

Maria Taylor, Overlook (Saddle Creek Records, 2011)

With songs like guitar-driven grinder “Matador” and strobing, soaring album opener “Masterplan,” Overlook, Taylor’s new album released this past August, may be her most diverse collection to date. The album balances the rock with Taylor’s usual delicate, reflective material, like the dreamy “Happenstance,” and somber “This Could Take a Lifetime.” Critical response also has been rather diverse — reviewers either love it or say the record sounds too rushed.

“I feel like I shot myself in the foot in the press release,” Taylor said, laughing. “I said I locked myself in a room and wrote it in two weeks. I feel like (critics) think I didn’t spend enough time and that it was thrown together. I could have written all my records that way. If I said I’d spent two years on it, they would say it was my best record yet. People who loved it probably didn’t read the press release.”

Overlook marks a return to Saddle Creek after Taylor strayed to Nettwerk to release 2009’s Ladyluck. She said the label switch was merely testing different waters. “There are pros and cons about each label,” she said. “Nettwerk put a lot of money into it, but we didn’t make it back, so I didn’t make money. With Saddle Creek, you can recoup and make money, and that’s hard to do these days. I don’t want to have to wait tables or go back to school.”

For now the biggest question is how Taylor will balance her career and motherhood. While her life is about to change forever, she said her new arrival won’t keep her from making music.

“When I’m on stage that one hour, I’m 100 percent happy,” she said. “I have social anxiety, but I feel like I’m connecting with people, and singing is my favorite thing to do in the world, especially on stage with my friends and family. I can’t imagine going through the rest of my life not doing that. I need that.”

Maria Taylor plays with Big Harp and Dead Fingers Sunday, Oct. 30, at Slowdown, 729 No. 14th St.. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $10. For more information, call 402.345.7569 or visit theshowdown.com.

* * *’

I admit to not being terribly familiar with Drive By Truckers, though last weekend I was walking around Homer’s and heard part of their latest album, Go-Go Boots, over the store’s sound system and liked what I heard. The band is playing tonight at Slowdown with Those Darlins. $25, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Kyle Harvey opens a show at The Waiting Room for Boulder-based folk rocker Gregory Alan Isakov. South of Lincoln also is on the bill. $10, 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Quite a few shows happening for a Tuesday night.

Peter Wolf Crier, Garden of Arms (Jagjaguwar, 2011)

On top of the list (for me, anyway) is Peter Wolf Crier at The Waiting Room. I’ve been listening to the Minneapolis-based duo’s latest, Garden of Arms (Jagjaguwar, 2011), which has been compared to Radiohead’s Amnesiac. A better comparison would be to Now It’s Overhead’s last couple of albums, which the record almost mimics in composition, production, right down to Peter Pisano’s uncanny vocal resemblance to Andy LeMaster. That said, PWC isn’t NIO. PWC’s style is slightly more mainstream and less adventurous, though there’s plenty to explore here, especially considering that Now It’s Overhead isn’t very active these days (a pity). Opening is Twin Cities hip hop trio No Bird Sing. $10, 9 p.m. Check out the opening track to Garden of Arms, below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/19509951″]

Also tonight, Omaha’s Skypiper headlines a show at Slowdown Jr. with McAllen Texas band Dignan and up-and-comers Family Picnic. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at fabulous O’Leaver’s, it’s the long-awaited return of The Voodoo Organist. Headlining is Fools. Brad Hoshaw kicks things off at 9:30. $5.

* * *

Tomorrow: Maria Taylor talks babies. Don’t miss it.

* * *

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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Icky Blossoms at The Waiting Room, Oct. 21, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It was apparent last July that Icky Blossoms is poised to take The Faint’s place as thee party-fun-dance band from Omaha that will conquer the world. If you don’t remember me saying it then, go reread that review right now (don’t worry, we’ll wait until you get back).

Nothing’s changed since that July show, except that the band has refined its sound to the point where they’re now ready to tour, if only they had an album recorded and released. Saddle Creek, please take note.

Friday night’s show at a packed Waiting Room was your typical high-energy dance-a-romp-a-thon Icky Blossoms set, though a couple things stood out. First, the band came out dressed in drag. I’m not sure if that was a one-time thing or a spur-of-the-moment decision or a whole new approach to their staging. The extent of the drag queen shtick only extended to wearing dresses and wigs (the band also wore its usual warpaint). When it comes to playing in drag, the New York Dolls did it better, guys.

Secondly, shortly after Icky started its set, a couple girls bounced on stage to dance with the band. By mid-set there were about 20 people up there, including a hilarious Sam Martin from Capgun Coup, who now has a more intimate knowledge of guitarist/vocalist Nik Fackler.

While I was watching, I wondered if the band was setting a new precedent for its performances — how are they going to keep people from running onto stage now? While I guess it adds to the overall festive nature of the show, it has to be hugely distracting (and annoying) for the band. Ah well, I guess that’s show business, right? Just as long as it doesn’t take away from the performance. That’s one difference between Icky and The Faint — no one ever went on stage during a Faint show (Joel would have physically tossed them off).

Just like in July, the burning question is where Icky goes next. The band’s following continues to grow, but until they get a record out, I’m not sure how much larger it will get. They need to strike while the iron is hot. The indie world desperately needs another fun dance band.

* * *

Sun Settings, who recently opened for Ty Segall, takes the headlining spot tonight at Slowdown Jr. The band’s style is distinctively indie slacker, but also pushes into garage and new wave territory. Quite a variety, at least on their SoundCloud demo tracks. Check out “Too Gold,” below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/13601010″]

Also on the bill are a handful of bands I’ve never heard of: Hot Ashes, The Howl, and Howard. $7, 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Tie These Hands at Slowdown Jr., Oct. 20, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I walked into Slowdown Jr. last night for the Take Cover benefit (for Hear Nebraska) just in time to see Tie These Hands cover a song by Her Flyaway Manner (a member of HFM working behind the bar gave it a thumb’s up) and a tune by Mr. 1986 (fantastic, intricate instrumental, hat’s off for tackling such a complex number, guys).

Who doesn’t love the cover show concept — a local band covering another local band’s song? Unfortunately, I didn’t know who the next two solo-acoustic performers were, or what they were covering (strike that — one did a cover of a Neva Dinova song). I asked the guy next to me, who’s been around the scene for years, if he knew who the guy was on stage. “Never heard of him.” So, in essence, we were hearing a cover performed by someone we didn’t know of a band we never heard of, which kind of defeats the purpose of a covers night. Regardless, later Mitch Gettman pulled off a fine solo acoustic version of Bright Eyes’ “Road to Joy” along with an Elliott Smith song (Smith was born in Omaha).

While most of the seats in Slowdown Jr. were filled, I don’t know how many were paying customers and how many were performers waiting their turn. I’ve written about the Take Cover production before (right here) so I won’t belabor the point. I’d love to see someone put one of these together but instead of inviting a dozen or more performers, pick only five or six (or three or four, if that’s all you can get) well-known local acts and in addition to letting them pick the songs, assign them a song or two that most of the crowd is probably familiar with. And then publicize the combinations. You’ll get a crowd there to see both the performers and the songs to be performed.

I’m sure the organizers feel humble, fortunate and thankful to have anyone willing to perform at their benefit for free. However, Hear Nebraska exists for one reason only: To promote Nebraska music. And that includes the big-name touring acts with record deals that call Nebraska home. HN is their PR staff, their marketing agent, their promotional arm. And the folks behind it don’t make a penny from their efforts. Everything HN does comes from the heart. Surely the organizers could get at least one or two of the area’s bigger-drawing acts to participate. Maybe not. Regardless, the show was a success, people had a good time, and who knows how big it will get next time…

* * *

And so, the weekend…

It kicks off tonight with Icky Blossoms headlining a gig at The Waiting Room that also features Somasphere and Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear. I can’t remember Icky headlining a show before, so this could be special, especially if Derek Pressnall and Co. roll out some new material. IB reminds me of an early version of The Faint, not necessarily musically, but from the band’s dance-party energy. People become intoxicated with fun at Icky Blossoms shows, and that’s a rarity in these days of endlessly droll vibe bands that are more about setting a scene than having a good time. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Lincoln legends Domestica (Jon & Heidi from Mercy Rule with the amazing Boz Hicks) plays tonight at O’Leaver’s with Ketchup & Mustard Gas and headliners The Answer Team. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night it’s back to The Waiting Room for The So-So Sailors, with Con Dios and The Matt Cox Band. $7, 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Column 346: Re-Magnetized: The Return of Magnet Magazine

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

About three or so years ago, in what was a reflection not only of the dwindling music industry but the downward spiral of the print magazine world, I received what I thought was the final issue of Magnet magazine.

What is Magnet? Magnet was the quarterly bible of the indie music world, a slacker’s guidepost to everything cool, a critical lighthouse in a sea of audio mediocrity. Every issue was a snapshot of what was hot and happening right now in indie music. Each issue launched with an in-depth cover story that led into smaller profiles on bands and musicians just getting noticed, updates on those that have been around awhile, and, of course, pages and pages of reviews of records that you hadn’t heard before, all capped off with an essay by acerbic scribe Phil Sheridan, who wrote from a vantage point every one of us could recognize.

Magnet launched in 1993, and I have no idea how I found my first issue, which I still have, stuffed in a box somewhere in my attic (I probably bought it at Homer’s). It joined an already crowded magazine rack that included hip, cool, but physically unreadable (because of its design) Raygun, the slick and concise Option, and the other bible of indie, Alternative Press. Of those three, only A.P. is still around. Magnet was the best of the bunch, the most in-the-know and the most critically important and accurate.

For a band to be featured in Magnet, well, that was a big deal, especially if it was an Omaha band. And to be reviewed in Magnet was sort of an honor. Remember, this was before the prominence of the internet (Yes, kiddos, there was a time before Pitchfork, when people actually read these things called magazines).

We all knew, for example, that Saddle Creek Records was onto something when Magnet began to take notice.

“Magnet was one of the first magazines to do a Bright Eyes feature,” said Saddle Creek Records executive Robb Nansel. “I remember I was working my ‘real’ job when Magnet called me at work to set up the photo shoot for that article (right around the release of Letting Off the Happiness (in 1998)). There was a lot going on for the label at that time, and it wasn’t long after that phone call that I put in my resignation.”

Reviews and features about other Saddle Creek artists soon followed in Magnet, and shortly after that, the rest of the world began to take notice of what was going on in Omaha. Those reviews weren’t always terribly positive. In fact, Magnet didn’t offer a rating system, just narrative and descriptions, which oftentimes left you wondering if the writer liked the album or not. But that was part of the appeal (to me, anyway) — Magnet left it up to you do decipher.

Anyway, about three years ago, new issues of Magnet quit arriving at my door. No real explanation was given but I knew the magazine hadn’t folded. In fact, their website — magnetmagazine.com — continued to be updated. After a year went by, however, I figured I’d seen the last of the printed version.

And then out of the blue last Friday there it was, peeking out of my mailbox, a fresh new issue of Magnet featuring those shaggy boys from Wilco on the cover — same design, same slick perfect-bound publication, as if it had never gone away.

Magnet Editor-in-Chief Eric T. Miller explained it all on page 4. It turned out that the declining music and publishing industry had finally caught up with them. The publication took a short hiatus to redesign the Magnet website. That hiatus became extended when injuries sustained by the publication’s art director — Miller’ wife — put a wrench in overall operations. Things looked bleak as to the magazine’s return, and then out of the blue, Miller ran into Alex Mulcahy, an old friend whose company, Red Flag Media, publishes metal magazine Decibel. And the next thing you know, Magnet was back, but this time as a monthly instead of a quarterly.

There are a few other changes. The publication seems thinner and some sections are missing along with some writers, but the profiles are there (including stories on Neon Indian, Tommy Keene, Spank Rock, Beauty Pill, Mac McCaughan, Das Racist amd Thundercat), a Q&A with Blondie’s Debbie Harry, and a lengthy cover story with Wilco. And of course, those reviews. Though now each review also includes a 10-star rating, which takes away a lot of the mystery. But I guess in this era when bands live and die by a Pitchfork 10-point rating system, adjustments had to be made, even though ratings dissuade people from reading the actual reviews.

My favorite part is the return of Phil Sheridan’s “Back Page” column, which starts off: “We know what you’re thinking, and it’s wrong, as usual: Now that 1995 is back, here comes Magnet to cover the bands it already covered to death. Literally.”

So true, Phil, so true. All’s I know is that Magnet is back, and hopefully this time it’s for good. Because in an age when we’re all tethered to electronic gizmos that put every conceivable piece of information at our fingertips — including the music that we listen to — it’s nice to be able to turn off the screen, unplug the electronic world, pull back the cover of something tangible that we can hold in our hands — whether it’s a book, or a copy of The Reader, or an issue of Magnet — and just read.

And, Robb Nansel put it, “Magnet exposed us to tons of great music when we were growing up, and I am definitely happy to see them carrying on.”

So am I.

* * *

At the end of her interview with Arizona State University’s State Press, Maria Taylor (of Azure Ray, Bright Eyes and her own solo fame) dropped this little unexpected tidbit:

State Press: What is the first thing you are going to do for yourself once your tour is over?

Maria Taylor: Well, the first thing I am going to do is find out if I am having a boy or a girl! I haven’t really told any of the press yet, so why not? I can tell people now, you know, it’s been three months. I feel like, I might have to sit down sometimes during the set so I might have to explain anyway. This is going to be a different tour, very different. No drinking, I’m just tired and kind of sick. But I just decided, “No, I gotta do this, this is what I do. I gotta go on tour.” But now I’m kind of like, “Oh my god, did I take on too much?” It’s going to be kind of hard. So, literally the day after the tour I’m going to the doctor to find out if it’s a boy or girl. Ah, crazy!

There were no obvious follow-up questions asked (read the whole interview here). Ask them yourself when Maria comes to town for a show at The Slowdown Oct. 30.  Congratulations, Maria!

* * *

Milagres at The Waiting Room, Oct. 19, 2011.

Counting myself and the opening band, there was probably around 20 people on hand for last night’s Milagres show at The Waiting Room — disappointing, but is anyone surprised?

The band isn’t exactly a household name. They obviously don’t get any radio play. The show didn’t get any press other than blog mentions (You call that “press”?). And it was a Wednesday night, with an opener — South of Lincoln — that’s new to the scene. So why did I think anyone would be there?

Milagres, by the way, was fantastic — a real find for anyone into the whole Beach House/Arcade Fire indie dream-rock sound. The Brooklyn five-piece, which included two keyboards, was honed but angelic, floating just beneath frontman Kyle Wilson’s brassy, sometimes falsetto vocals. I sat back and wondered which song they’ll perform during their inevitable appearance on Letterman or Kimmel (My pick would be the echoing, endless frontier melody of “Halfway,” the opening track to their latest release, Glowing Mouth, which you should track down and buy).

Despite the sparce crowd, the band was charming and gracious, playing a number of songs from the new album during their 45+ minute set, sprinkling in heartfelt compliments about Omaha along the way. “This is our first time in Omaha; hopefully it won’t be the last.”

There’s a lot of very good under-the-wire acts coming through over the next couple of weeks; including Future Islands (Wednesday, Nov. 2 at TWR), Peter Wolf Crier (Tuesday, Oct. 25 at TWR) and A.A. Bondy (Nov. 4 at TWR). Any of these bands, along with Milagres, would have been a coup for something like the MAHA Festival; all are bands I would seek out if I was going to SXSW next spring. Terrific bands with terrific albums. But I’m afraid no one is going to show up for these shows, either.

What’s the answer? The Reader no longer covers every good indie band that comes through town. Blame it on page count. Blame it on editorial direction. The same is probably true at the other local publications that cover music.

How does the word get out to the masses that they’re missing something that’s phenomenal, that we’re lucky to even get here? I don’t know. Lazy-i ain’t the answer. Maybe there isn’t an answer?

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Tonight Hear Nebraska brings Take Cover to The Slowdown. The program’s concept is simple: Nebraska musicians take turns covering a song by another Nebraska musician of their choice. Among the performers on this mostly solo acoustic night of music: All Young Girls Are Machine Guns, Eli Mardock, The Lepers, Anniversaire, Justin Lamoureux and Mitch Gettman along with a bunch of Lincoln performers playing songs by acts including Neva Dinova, Bright Eyes, Matthew Sweet and It’s True. The show starts at 8 and winds up around 1 a.m. (or later). Your $5 cover gets you in and goes to support Hear Nebraska. Seriously, you should go. More info here.

Also tonight, Lawrence band Major Games plays at The Barley Street Tavern. Major Games is a new project by Jeremy Sidener, a former member of classic ’90s bands Zoom and Panel Donor as well as Arthur Dodge and Danny Pound Band. Major Games carries on the ’90s noise-rock tradition (check out a track on the band’s Bandcamp page). Opening is Spell Talk and third TBA band. $5, 9 p.m.

And in addition to that, Peace of Shit returns to the O’Leaver’s stage tonight with Duluth band Low Forms, described as “Pete Biasi’s (Falcon Crest, Total Fucking Blood, Signal to Trust, tons of other shit) new band. Husker Du/Wipers style punk rock.” $5, 9:30 p.m. More info here.

And finally, tonight at The Brothers Lounge, it’s Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen with Sam Locke-Ward & the Boo-Hoos and Well-Aimed Arrows. $5, 10 p.m. More info here.

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A sharp-eyed vinyl-loving Lazy-i reader wrote in to say that the next Capgun Coup album may be coming out on Org Records.

What’s Org? According to Org’s Facebook page, “Org Music is signed to Warner Bros Records and distributed through WEA (Warner Elektra Atlantic) and ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance). We are the official special projects label of the international Record Store Day campaign. We have a variety of marketing & sales, licensing & publishing, promotion & tour, manufacturing & distribution partners worldwide. We offer traditional multi format record deals with active artists, label services and distribution for artist related imprints as well as special project related joint ventures. We are also a catalog support label, having released the most important catalogs in modern music from label groups such as Warner Music Group, Sony Music, EMI, Beggars Banquet and the Universal Music Group.”

Org’s business includes vinyl reissues from bands like Nirvana, The Replacements, Failure, Sonic Youth, Teenage Fanclub and Beck, but they also do new releases from bands like 400 Blows (who just played at O’Leaver’s last week) and New York’s Caveman.  From their Facebook wall Oct. 3, Org posted: “We’re excited to announce our latest signing, Capgun Coup. Here’s a taste of the new record, coming in 2012…” with a link to “Claire Doesn’t Care.” (embedded below).

[soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/capgun-coup/claire-doesnt-care”]

I have yet to confirm this, however. There is no mention of Capgun Coup at orgmusic.com. And no mention of Org on the Capgun Coup Facebook page. In the past, Capgun Coup has released albums on Slumber Party Records and Team Love.

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Milagres plays expansive, spacial vibe music in that Beach House/Grizzly Bear style of dreamy, glowing indie rock. Their new album, Glowing Mouth, was released this year on Kill Rock Stars. The NYC band plays tonight at The Waiting Room with South of Lincoln. $8, 9 p.m. Check out Milagres’ sleepy title track, below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/11215368″]

Also tonight…

What’s the deal with The Brothers Lounge? Is Tre getting back into the rock show business? Omaha’s favorite mid-town punk bar has shows scheduled for tonight AND tomorrow. Unheard of!

Tonight’s line-up at The Brothers features local heroes Baby Tears with Jealousy Mountain Duo (described as “German guitar drums spazz avant garde melodic noise..you may also CAN, MOGWAI, and JAZZ,” and Video Ranger. $5, 9 p.m. More info here.

Also tonight, Snake Island! is playing at The Barley Street, opening for Dan Tedesco, with Bradley Unit (and the Members). $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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Looking at the numbers, last weekend’s Lincoln Calling festival was another success. Jeremy Buckley, who organized the event, which featured 100-plus bands and 16 DJs over five nights at 10 venues in downtown Lincoln, said overall attendance was about 4,850, slightly higher than last year’s numbers.

“Overall, I think the whole weekend went about as well as I could’ve  asked for,” Buckley said. “We had a few shows with only about 30 to 40 (in the crowd), but they were either at Zen’s Lounge, where only one band performed a night, or the Black Market, a vintage clothing store that hosted early free shows.”

But other than that, Buckley said at least 50 people attended every show, and 19 of the shows had more than 100 in attendence. “The biggest events were Friday (500) and Saturday (600) nights for DJs at the Fat Toad,” he said. “Those shows only had a $2 cover.”

As is the case every year, Buckley said participating bands took home some cash for their efforts. After he pays off the remaining bands and his advertisers, he said he’ll sit down with friends and begin brainstorming next year’s Lincoln Calling. “I’m actually looking forward to it already.”

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Brad Hoshaw, Spirit of the Lake (self-release, 2011)

We were sitting around the table at last week’s Reader music writers’ meeting wondering whatever happened to Brad Hoshaw. None of us had heard from him in a long time — he hasn’t played live in ages and his last formal album came out a couple years ago.

Then the next day as if on cue, Hoshaw posted a link to a new album on his Facebook page. Spirit of the Lake is “a collection of songs written over the past four years at a cabin on Lake Michigan,” Hoshaw wrote. “Most are collaborations with other songwriters from all over the country. I am releasing these home recordings because I’m hoping to raise the money to go into the studio and re-record these same songs with full instrumentation.”

We’re talking homemade bedroom recording heres — just Hoshaw and his guitar and his crazy knack for writing catchy hooks. You can check out all the songs for free on his Bandcamp page, where you can also purchase and download the album for a mere $5. Check it out.

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.