by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tilly & The Wall

There’s a nice feature in today’s issue of the New York Daily News about Tilly and the Wall and the band’s new album, Heavy Mood, as well as their upcoming show at The Bowery Ballroom this Saturday. From the article: “Tilly and the Wall’s songs make an insightful, and subversive, connection between the mania of punk-rock and the madness of toddlerhood.” That pretty much sums it up, along with the headline, which describes Tilly as “…children’s music for twisted adults.” Read the whole thing here.

Heavy Mood is the first Tilly album that I’ll likely keep on my iPhone after the hype has worn down. The record sounds like 21st Century B-52’s combined with Lykke Li and the usual tap dancing/hand-clapping action. I’ve always preferred their dance stuff over their ballads, and that’s the case this time as well. Heavy Mood is the most “adult” sounding album of their catalog. Now let’s see if the band and Team Love can turn it into a big fat hit. With press like this, along with this feature in the Chicago Sun-Times, they’re off to a good start.

Certainly those stories will help offset last week’s dreaded Pitchfork review, which gave Heavy Mood a ho-hum 5.9 rating, negatively compared it to last year’s tUnEyArDs album (apples v. oranges?), and concluded with, “Where are the characters, and what became of those kids passed out on the lawn? The heart of Heavy Mood is lost its in own sloganeering.” Oh those kids are still there, they’re just older and are starting to have kids of their own, but one assumes they’re as high as ever.

Under the Radar gave Heavy Mood a less-than-complimentary 5/10 rating, here.

* * *

In this week’s column, how the presidential election won’t affect me, why I’d make a perfect Romney supporter, and why I’m not one. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader, or online right here. Tonight is the VP debate, which I’m sure the Prez is hoping will erase all memory of last week’s debacle. Expect a circus.

* * *

Speaking of debates, tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s I foresee a number of debates taking place between piss-soaked patrons, including PBR vs. Old Style; Rumplemintz vs. Jagermeister and maybe most crucial of all: hold it vs. wet your pants, while everyone’s favorite bar keep, Chris Machmuller, strolls out from behind the bar to stand (or sit) behind a microphone backed by the rest of The So-So Sailors for an evening of personal, evocative rock and roll. Joining them is Lincoln band Kill County for what promises to be a memorable night of Midwest-style soul music. $5, 9:30 p.m.

* * *

Also tonight: Lincoln Calling Day 3. Here’s the sched:

Thursday, October 11 — $13 for day pass (age restrictions may apply)

Bourbon Theatre
* 9:30 p.m. Cowboy Indian Bear (Lawrence) https://www.facebook.com/cowboyindianbear
* 10:30 p.m. UUVVWWZ (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/uuvvwwz
11:30 p.m. Laetitia Sadier (Paris, France) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laetitia-Sadier/111944478831848

$8 adv, $10 dos 18+

Duffy’s Tavern
9 p.m. Shipbuilding Co. (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/ShipbuildingCo
* 10 p.m. The Lepers (Omaha) http://www.newlepers.bandcamp.com/
11 p.m. Christopher the Conquered (Des Moines) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-the-Conquered/32754596859
* 12 a.m. Poison Control Center (Des Moines/Ames) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Poison-Control-Center/98639736292
$5 for 21+

Zoo Bar
8 p.m. Bonehart Flannigan (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/bonehartflannigan
9 p.m. The Big Deep https://www.facebook.com/thebigdeep
10 p.m. The Bears of Blue River (Chicago) https://www.facebook.com/thebearsofblueriver
11 p.m. The Spring Standards (New York) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Spring-Standards/22313881085
12 a.m. Low Horse (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/lowhorse
$5 for 21+

The Spigot
9:30 p.m. Discourse (Lincoln) http://discoursehc.bandcamp.com/
10:30 p.m. Skullskowski (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/pages/SkullSkowSki/221262994614504
11:30 p.m. Diamondz R 4Eva (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diamondz-R-4Eva/137403893010744
12:30 a.m. Piss Poor (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/PissPoor
$5 for 21+

Black Market
7 p.m. Guilty is the Bear (Omaha/Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/GuiltyBear
8 p.m. Fraternal Durango (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/fraternaldurango
No cover, all ages

The Alley
9 p.m. Alex Walker (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Walker-The-Revival/110816322379631
10 p.m. Intergalactic Fu (Lincoln) http://soundcloud.com/intergalactic-fu
11 p.m. Zed Tempo (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/ZedTempo
12 a.m. Drum and Disorderly (Lincoln) http://www.drumanddisorderly.com/
$5, 21+

Fat Toad
Nick the Quick (Lincoln)
Adam A (Lincoln)
No cover, 21+

Mix Barcade
Grindhouse presents Digitalove featuring
$pencelove (Lincoln)
Cocky Cat (Lincoln)
Cake Eater (Lincoln)
No cover, 21+
http://www.facebook.com/grindhousecrewofficial

Yia Yia’s
10 p.m. Professor Plum (Lincoln)
11 p.m. Powerful Science (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Powerful-Science/139781829399076
12 a.m. Time Hammer (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/timehammermusic

No cover, 21+

* * *