by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a whole helluva lot going on… With that in mind, spend a few minutes with this story from The Daily Dot called “Inside the booming black market for Spotify playlists.”

This should be of no surprise, in fact people have been pointing to the rise of the importance of Spotify playlists for years. Still, it’s proof that the deck is stacked more than ever in this Spotify era.

The nut graph (from near the end of the piece):

These third-party services have found a backdoor into the valuable world of Spotify playlists, and anyone with some budget to spare can potentially be granted access. That has the potential to dramatically alter the way independent music gets promoted online, and it leaves Spotify in a vulnerable position. After all, there’s no easy way to determine what tracks benefitted from pay-to-play schemes and which ones curators just genuinely liked.

That said, I find that I listen to Sirius XMU now more than ever. How is it that their playlists are so narrow when there’s so much to choose from? Is it any surprise that St. Vincent, Arcade Fire, MGMT and Superorganism are doing well when their songs are on heavy rotation on XMU? It feels like the good old days when you hear a song so many times you think you’re starting to like it…

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Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s St. Louis band Lobby Boxer with Jacob James Wilton and Magu. $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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Looking at the various show calendars, ain’t nuthing of an indie-music variety happening this weekend, except sorta at O’Leaver’s.  Quite a stark contrast to this time last year. Things have indeed slowed down, but there’s a lot of the horizon…

Anyway, the only place to be this weekend is fabulous O’Leaver’s.

Tonight its the return of American Cream, a Twin Cities band/collective that’s been kicking around for more than a decade. Not quite sure how you’d classify their music. Progressive instrumental ambient noise? Maybe. Fellow Twin Cities act Celica also is on the bill along with our very own Church of Gravitron. $5, 10 p.m.

Then tomorrow night, Big Al is playing a solo set at O’Leaver’s with Derrick Higgins and Army of 2600. $5, 10 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to spring forward Sunday morning.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

U2 at The Grammys back in 1988. They don’t look like that any more.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It crossed my mind to try to buy U2 tickets to the upcoming May concert. I went online yesterday to see when tickets go on sale. Supposedly they don’t until next Monday, but I quickly found a website already selling after-market tickets. Odd. The prices ranged from less than $100 to well over $600 for tickets.

Then this morning I got an email from Ticketmaster saying I could purchase my tickets now. I just have to buy a ticket plus a U2.com Subscription package for an additional $50. Ticket prices ranged from $41 to $325. And there are other options available if you know the offer code, which I don’t.

So, no, looks unlikely that I’ll be going to see U2 this time ’round. Methinks all the gravy seats have either already been purchased or are going to cost well above my bullshit threshold to see a band whose heyday was two decades ago. And I’ve yet to have a positive experience at a Century Link / Qwest Center concert — no matter how much I’ve paid in the past, the seats were always bad-bad-bad.

Who remembers the old general admission days of concerts? The trick wasn’t how much you spent, it was when you were willing to get in line the day of (or day before) the show to get your seats or a spot on the floor next to the stage. We can thank the 1979 Cincinnati Who concert disaster for bringing festival seating to an end (who remembers the WKRP in Cincinnati special episode?). And I guess the way U2 is doing it is a safer (if not a more profitable) way to go…

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Bloomington’s Bugg plays tonight at Petshop. The band’s full-length debut came out last winter on Pop Wig Records. Fellow Bloomington rockers Jacky Boy also are on the bill along with our very own Jocko and FiFi NoNo. $7, 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

For Against’s ’90s albums get the reissue treatment from Saint Marie.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’ve been under the weather the past few days. What ever’s going around finally got me, but I’m on the mend. With that in mind, here’s some catching up.

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Dreampop label Saint Marie Records is reissuing three ’90s-era For Against albums — Aperture, Mason’s California Lunchroom and Shelf Life. The label released frontman Jeff Running’s solo album Primitives and Smalls a couple years ago, which got them talking about this reissue series.

Each record has been fully remastered and includes updated and expanded artwork. But that’s not all. Saint Marie has created a For Against Pledge page that not only offers pre-order of those three albums, but lots of other goodies, like T-shirts, posters, even a $1,700 signed Fender Modern Player Starcaster Guitar.

Check it out at https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/foragainst

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Saddle Creek Records latest roster addition, Stef Chura, today released a new single produced by Will Toledo fo Car Seat Headrest. “Degrees” and it’s b-side, “Sour Honey” were originally supposed to be included on Chura’s debut, Messes, but instead got a collab treatment from Toledo, who also plays guitar and bass on the A-side. The limited single will be released on Record Store Day April 21. If this is any indication, her next album, which will also include Toledo, could be a knock-out.

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Finally, I worked with Eric Stoakes for a number of years at The Reader. While John Heaston is the paper’s guiding torchlight, Eric was the one who stoked the flame and hustled to keep it lit. He passed away last month. Here’s a remembrance that also appears in the current issue of The Reader. Goodbye Eric, we miss you.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Molly Burch plays at fabulous O’Leaver’s Tuesday, March 6. Photo by Helene Tchen Cardenas.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Molly Burch comes from a jazz vocal background, having studied the art at University of North Carolina in Asheville. But it wasn’t until she started writing songs that she began capturing the attention of a larger audience.

Her debut LP, Please Be Mine (2017, Captured Tracks) is a lonely, winsome collection of heart-ache love songs sung with a voice that’s been compared to Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday. To me, the record sounds like Nancy Sinatra meets Mazzy Star, distinctly modern and dreamy with touches of sentimental, vintage arrangements.

I caught up with Molly and asked her to take my Ten Questions survey, and she bashfully agreed.

1. What is your favorite album?

Molly Burch: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

2. What is your least favorite song?

That’s tough so I will not answer it!

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Getting to know a small group of people really well.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

When personalities clash.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Diet coke.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

I love performing in LA because that is where I’m from and also New York because I get to see everyone at my label.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Ugh, again, tough. I don’t want to offend any cities or towns! Pass!

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

Sort of, but mostly because I live super cheaply. I also nanny to help pay bills along with other occasional side jobs.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I love to set up shows and also plan and host parties…maybe a wedding planner? Lol, I don’t know. And I would hate any profession that involved a lot of public speaking.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

I’ve heard of the Runza.

Molly Burch plays with Thick Paint and Sean Pratt & The Sweats Tuesday, March 6 at O’Leaver’s, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd. The show starts at 9 p.m., tickets are $8. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com.

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Denver’s Esme Patterson (Grand Jury Records) gets the Hi-Fi House treatment tonight, starting with a 6 p.m. Q&A followed by an intimate performance by Patterson and her band. A “special guest” Omaha songwriter opens prior to her set. Entry is free for Hi-Fi House members, general public tickets are available on a first-come first-served basis for $25.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

White Mystery at Beerland Patio, March 18, 2015. The band plays at O’Leaver’s Sunday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Daytrotter is free again, for the first time since 2011. To celebrate, here are three of my favorite Daytrotter sessions from folks you may know…

Neva Dinova — Oct. 17, 2008

Little Brazil — Oct. 16, 2008

Cursive — Sept. 22, 2009

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It’s the first Friday of the month and that means Benson First Friday. Tonight’s epic BFF show is once again at The Sydney where The Show Is the Rainbow a.k.a. Darren Keen is celebrating the release of his latest 12-inch. Past TSITR shows have been nothing less than epic/startling. What will Darren pull out his hat tonight? Joining him is Lincoln’s Halfwit and Unmanned. $3, 10 p.m.

Also tonight, Old 97’s return to The Waiting Room with Dan Tedesco. $25, 9 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr. it’s MiWi La Lupa with Edge of Arbor and Kait Berreckman (headliner). $7, 9 p.m.

And yes, for those of you wondering, The Little Gallery in Benson will be open tonight. It’s a command performance showing of Sophie Newell’s “Fragments.” Drop by from 6 to 9 p.m. and say hello. We’re in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building, just down the street from The Sydney.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) everyone’s headed to The Brothers Lounge for The Regulation (think low-fi Weezer with a Midwestern twang), The Hussies and the return of The Cuterthans (Who remembers 2002?). $5, 10 p.m.

Did you miss Joe Hertler and his band The Rainbow Seekers at The Slowdown a few days ago (or his Ten Questions article in Lazy-i last week)? Well Joe and his band are back Saturday night at The Waiting Room opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. $15 Adv/$17 DOS. 9 p.m.

Finally Sunday night — or maybe I should say early Sunday evening — it’s another Sunday Social at fabulous O’Leaver’s, this time with White Mystery, Those Far Out Arrows, FiFi NoNo and A DJ set by Miss Alex White. This one starts early, at 5 p.m. $7.

And that all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section have a great weekend.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.