by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s an interesting Q&A with Omaha ex-pat Maria Taylor in something called Alabama Newscenter wherein Taylor talks about getting her music played on soapy NBC drama This Is Us. From the interview:

I have a licensing company that pitches my music to TV shows, and I have been fortunate to have many of my songs featured on TV and in movies. It’s always exciting, especially when you really love the show. I’ve also had songs on Grey’s Anatomy, including an episode named after Song Beneath the Song, and another in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Dawson’s Creek or Felicity might have been the first license I ever got!

When I first listened to her new record, In the Next Life (which comes out Friday on her label), licensing immediately came to mind. Taylor solo or in Azure Ray creates music that naturally complements these kinds of shows. No doubt licensing can be very lucrative and an exceptional way to augment a musician’s meager income in the streaming era. Too bad it’s so hard to land a licensing deal, but fact is most bands’ music simply doesn’t fit on TV.

One example: Tim Kasher’s music — with Cursive, The Good Life or solo. It’s just too mesmerizing, too distracting. If one of Tim’s songs came on during This Is Us it would be impossible to not refocus your attention toward the music, instead of letting it blend into the background.

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Legendary Omaha musician and promoter John Wolf dropped an email yesterday announcing that SERIAL is playing a Christmas show Dec.23 at Brothers Lounge with those merry elves in Bloodcow.

SERIAL is Tim Moss (Porn music, Ritual Device), Wolf (Cellophane Ceiling, Bad Luck Charm, Porn music, Lee Meyerpeter (Cactus Never Thang, Bad Luck Charm, Filter Kings) and Jerry Hug (Ritual Device, Porn music).

Says Wolf: “Wolf, Moss and Meyerpeter performed as SERIAL a handful of times in the mid 1990s. Various bass players played with the band including Eric Melvin from from NOFX for a couple of shows. For this performance the men of SERIAL coaxed and possibly blackmailed Jerry Hug into playing bass for them. SERIAL was known for their volatile, chaotic, and unpredictable rockin’ performances, and nothing less than this can be expected this time around.”

That’s primo stuff, but it isn’t the only X-mas show going on that night. Criteria is playing at The Waiting Room with Little Brazil on Dec. 23. Plan accordingly…

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.