Omaha’s Those Far Out Arrows have signed to KC label High Dive Records.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Kansas City’s High Dive Records today announced they’ve signed Omaha psych-rock band Those Far Out Arrows.

“Hailing from the Great Plains of America, Those Far Out Arrows reject the vacuous slogan of ‘Nebraska nice’ and deliver a bipolar pounding that is equal parts Crazy Horse and first wave punk,” said the release. “High-fiber grits served with a wink and a smile. Lyrics that question the status quo, shouts for answers, and declarations of indifference. Realizing that the only thing that matters is bringing the rock and leaving stains.”

High Dive Records was founded in 2013 by Jeff McCoy and originally focused on KC and Lawrence bands, but is in expansion mode. Their roster includes Dressy Bessy, Shy Boys, Fourth of July, The Burning Peppermints and The Whiffs.

TFOA’s Evan Keelan-White said they knew of the label through their friends’ bands, Arc Flash and Psychic Heat, both of which are on the High Dive roster. “I thought we’d give it a shot. (Jeff) dug the music and is really helping us out,” Keelan-White said.

He said the band’s High Dive debut was recorded in January and plans call for its release in October followed by work on a follow-up LP in November.

So is he excited about the signing? “Yeah for sure,” Keelan-White said. “I’ll be more excited once I finalize this October tour. But it’s getting there.”

If you haven’t heard these guys, you really need to. They’ve been kicking around since at least 2014 with an ever-evolving sound that would be right at home on the In the Red/Goner labels. Their low-fi approach combines styles as diverse as Them, Velvet Underground, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Flaming Groovies.

They’re scheduled to play Pet Fest at the Petshop Aug. 11, and Brothers Lounge Aug. 23 with Jason Steady and Okie act Cucumber & The Suntans.

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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.

Wrong Pets at O’Leaver’s Oct. 21, 2016. The band returns to O’Leaver’s tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Lots of shows happening tonight; not much the rest of the weekend.

Let’s start with the show at The Waiting Room: Drive-By Truckers. The Athens band that’s been kicking it since the late-’90s is out supporting their latest release, American Band (2016, ATO). I gotta believe they’ll be playing some new stuff tonight. Joining them is our very own High Up. $30, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Brothers Lounge, Digital Leather headlines with Cult Play and Satanic Abortion. $5, 10 p.m.

The Sydney tonight has Shreveport band Ghost Foot along with Rusty Lord, Lincoln act Sweats and a late-night DJ set by David Nance. $5, 10 p.m.

Finally, Wrong Pets, the band fronted by Reagan Roeder with Landon Hedges (bass), Danny Maxwell (guitar) and Ryan Haas on drums, opens tonight for a Nirvana cover band at fabulous O’Leaver’s. $5, 10 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Guster returns to The Slowdown. Their latest is Evermotion (2015, Nettwerk). Van William a.k.a. Van Pierszalowski of the band Waters opens. He’s been opening for First Aid Kit on thier 2018 tour. 8:30 p.m. $28 Adv/$30 DOS.

The Indie is Sunday morning in Benson.

I’ll be skipping Guster this time because I’ll be running in The Indie Sunday morning in Benson. It’s arguably the toughest urban 5k/10k event in the area, boasting a course consisting of one insane hill after another — they don’t call them the Alps of Benson for nothing. It also has the coolest trophies of any local races — winners take home gold records.

You can register for the run right up ’til the day of the event. Registration is taking place today at 1912 in Benson from 3 to 7 p.m., tomorrow at the 1912 booth at Benson Days after the parade, and the day of the run starting at 7 a.m. Those who register will receive a handsome Indie shirt designed by Pat Oakes of Ink Tank while supplies last.

Race start time is 8 a.m. Sunday at 60th and Maple. For more information, go to theindieomaha.org.

And that’s 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Lincoln Calling is Sept 19-23.

Lincoln Calling released an updated line-up a few days ago. There’s a couple new names and Criteria has been moved to an already-packed Friday night schedule. If you’re only going to drive to Lincoln one night, Friday’s as good a target as any.

Thursday Sept. 20

Japanese Breakfast, Waxahatchee, Joey Dosik, Ought, Rad Trads, Kind Country, Dead Horses, Jared and The Mill, Keli, Emily Bass, A Ferocious Jungle Cat, Matt Whipkey, Hammersaw, Anna St Louis, Night Shop, Twinsmith, FREAKABOUT, Couch Jackets, Evening Glow, Stacey Barelos, Quince Ensemble, Sam Scrabton, Rangbrook Ensemble, Mighty Vitamins, Blet

Friday Sept. 21

Parquet Courts, Ron Gallo, The Nude Party, Criteria, Radio Galaxy, Ohmme, Hyborian, Jim Schroeder Band, Juiceboxxx, Cesar Comanche, BXTH, Christopher the Conquered, Universe Contest, Stephen Sheehan, Jack Hotel, The Bottle Tops, Matt Cox, Seasaw, Hi-Lux, Dilla Kids, Halfwit, Bogusman, Le Grotto, Better Friend, Gymshorts, Laughing Falcon, Lip Gym, Bryan Day, Jay Kreimer, Darkwood, Gerardo Meza and the Dead of Night, Kenny Barz

Saturday Sept. 22

Lion Babe, Leikeli47, The Kickback, The Grahams, REYNA, Alfred Banks, Adam + Kizzie, The Lagoons, Mad Dog and the 20/20s, Ronnie Heart, Disastroid, Mesonjixx, Dan McCarthy, Bonehart Flannigan, Dr. Joe, Harry Paradise, Y god Y, Digisaurus, Staffers, Sweats, Adam and the Figurines, Moodie Black, Pixel Grip, Ro Hempel Band, Evan Bartels and the Stoney Lonesomes, I Forgot to Love My Father

LC says venues and times will be announced in mid-August, but I’ve heard there will be a couple large outdoors stages (behind Duffy’s and at The Zoo) that will handle some of the larger acts in an effort to make sure people can see as many bands as possible. Nothing sucks more than having two bands you want to see play at the same time.

There’s been talk for years about setting up a SXSW-style festival somewhere in Nebraska. Lincoln Calling has evolved into something that’s pretty close. The difference is that at SXSW some acts play as many as seven times during the week in an effort to make sure as many people as possible can see them. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen at LC, but wouldn’t it be great? If you missed The Nude Party or Gerardo Meza or Parquet Courts on Friday night, you could always catch them somewhere the next day. I have no idea how something like that would evolve, however. Are bands that play seven showcases at SXSW getting paid for seven gigs?

Anyway, tickets can be purchased at lincolncalling.com. $35 discount tickets end July 31, so you may want to get on it right now.

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Haunted Gauntlet drops its new cassette today titled OM3G4 G3N3SIS. The credits read: Composed, Written, Performed, Produced, Mixed, Mastered, Designed and Manifested by HAUNTED GAUNTLET
FT. Conny Franko, S1SW(r0t), Keii, Jason Steady, Vahnevants, Sleep Sinatra, Misiu, Cousin Kyler & INFNTLP & Many Other Cousins of Blessence.

Purchased the cassette or digital album at the Haunted Gauntlet Bandcamp page through Aug. 7.

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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.

Little Brazil at The Sydney, Feb. 4, 2011. The bar goes under new management beginning Aug. 1.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The big news is that The Sydney in Benson is changing hands.

The bar that was once the home of Mick’s (who remembers those days?) became The Sydney in January 2009, with an ownership team that included Jamie Massey of Race for Titles/Ladyfinger fame.

Starting August 1, a new team takes over The Sydney, which is located at 5918 Maple St. I originally heard 1% Productions was the new owners. “It’s not really 1% buying the Sydney,” said Marc Leibowitz, who is part of the 1% team along with partner Jim Johnson. “Revamp (our real estate company) is buying the building and business. The New Sydney is Jim, myself, and Jon Tvrdik.” Tvrdik is co-owner of Krug Park (as well as a member of musical outfits Routine Escorts and Back When).

Leibowitz said the new management isn’t planning on changing much at the bar, especially in the beginning. “We might replace the sound system and POS system, but no real overhaul,” he said.

So will 1% Productions book the live music at The New Sydney? “In terms of booking, we’re not sure yet,” Leibowitz said. “Zach (Schmieder) does a good job and we want him to continue doing it. We might throw some shows down there.”

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You already know Har Mar Superstar as that crazy half-naked dude who sings like Justin Timberlake. Well, Har Mar is actually singer/songwriter Sean Tillmann, and he’s taking a break from the Har Mar hi-jinx to perform covers of Sam Cooke songs backed by a full band. The tour has been getting raves, and rolls into The Waiting Room tonight. Tickets are $15, and the show starts at 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Dent May plays tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight LA psych-pop singer/songwriter Dent May headlines at Slowdown Jr. May’s biggest claim to fame is having been chosen by Animal Collective to perform at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival 2011. His latest album, Across the Multiverse (2017, Carpark), has a guest appearance by Frankie Cosmo, and received a middle-of-the-road 6.1 rating from Pitchfork.

May’s music isn’t so much psych-pop as indie yacht rock a la Gerry Rafferty… or Ambrosia, but hey, it’s better than nothing. More interesting is opener Shannon Lay, whose last album, 2017’s Living Water, was released on Woodsist Records. It’s somber, afternoon music, quiet and withdrawn.

Opening this show is Sioux Falls band Tenenbaums. 9 p.m., $12.

Other than that, things are pretty spotty.

The Brothers is hosting a rock show Saturday night with Lawrence, KS, garage-band JC and the Nuns. Hussies headline this one with Dead on Dust opening. $5, 9 p.m.

And that’s about it.

O’Leaver’s is hosting a pop-punk show tonight and an emo show Saturday.

BEWARE — 1% tonight is hosting a country show in the street outside of the Waiting Room. You may want to avoid the area.

If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Get out and enjoy this fine, fine weather!

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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

The folks at the Maha Music Festival today announced the schedule for its Aug. 17-18 Festival at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village.

The Friday night gig — a first for Maha, which will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary — is the softer (and cheaper — $35 GA) of the two nights, and starts at 6 p.m.

6 p.m. – Clarence Tilton
6:30 – State Disco
7:20 – Hurray for the Riff Raff
8:15 – Benjamin Booker
9:10 – ZZ Ward
10:30 – TV on the Radio

The Saturday schedule is stacked, and starts at 12:30 p.m. and costs $70 for GA tix.

12:30 p.m. – The Dilla Kids
1:15 – David Nance Band
2 – U.S. Girls
3 – Mesonjixx + Omaha Girls Rock
4:15 – Hop Along
5:30 – Ravyn Lenae
6:30 – Tune-Yards
7:45 – The Kills
9 – Father John Misty
10:30 – Weezer

You can buy a two-day festival pass for $95 and save $10. Prices go up by about $10 per ticket DOS. If you buy your pass by midnight Friday you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free VIP upgrade (we’re talking free pizza and air conditioned potties — what more could you ask for?).

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Dereck Higgins’ monthly residency continues tonight at The Down Under Lounge. Higgins will be playing songs from his just-released album The World Is Burning. Joining him is singer/songwriter Todd Grant, formerly of the band Compost.

For some background on Grant, here’s a 2005 interview/feature/column about the man behind the 1994 album Strangled Soul. Needless to say, a lot has happened to Grant since that column was published.

The show starts at 9:30 p.m., and is free.

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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.

Thick Paint at Slowdown Jr., March 30, 2018. The band plays tonight at Brothers Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Faint yesterday posted they’re playing the Cloak & Dagger show at LA’s State Theatre Nov. 10. DAF (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft) — the so-called  “godfathers of techno,” the pioneers of EBM and the forefathers of electropunk — are the headliners.

Also on the bill are She Wants Revenge, HEALTH, Boy Harsher, Tamaryn, BOAN and Black Mare.

When was the last time The Faint played anywhere? Good to see that they’re still alive and kicking. Someone should organize a “warm up” show for them before they head west…

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Speaking of old school musicians, Bill Hoover of The Darktown House Band and The Short Timers is perhaps better known these days as a fine artist/painter. I hope to some day be able to afford one of his masterpieces.

Well, tonight you can catch Bill as a thespian when he performs in a new play by his bro, Joe Hoover, called Amends. The show is directed by Nils Haaland and also features Joseph Patrick.

The play’s world premier is tonight at The B Side of Benson Theater, 6058 Maple St. (right next door to Virtuoso Pizza). Performances also will be held tomorrow and Friday at B Side. Showtime is 7 p.m. For more information.

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Did you see Minus the Bear is calling it quits? Their Oct. 14 show at The Waiting Room is part of their Farewell Tour. More info at Stereogum.

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I’m listening to the last Thick Paint track released on their Bandcamp page. When are we going to get some new stuff from these folks — and even more importantly, who’s releasing it? You can ask the band yourself tonight when they headline at Brothers Lounge. Joining them is Santa Ana band Media Jeweler and Rogue Moon. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Pageturner Lounge continues its summer concert series with BiB and KC’s Mentira. 9 p.m. and the usual free!

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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.

Rusty Lord at O’Leaver’s, June 23, 2017. They play tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The New Era at Saddle Creek Records continues with yesterday’s announcement that the label signed Portland’s Black Belt Eagle Scout.

The project is headed by singer/songwriter Katherine Paul, who “grew up in a small Indian reservation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, surrounded by family focused on native drumming, singing, and arts,” according to the Creek press release.

Her Saddle Creek debut, Mother of My Children, is actually a re-release of an album that came out a year ago. Maybe you caught BBES when they opened for Built to Spill earlier this year? That was around the time when Saddle Creek was considering the band (or so they said. Maybe they’d already made a decision). At the time Mother of My Children was already in Spotify, and I can attest that it’s pretty tasty (It has since been pulled from Spotify, durn).

Anyway, the re-release comes out Sept. 14 and you can pre-order it here.

So let’s see, last month Saddle Creek signed Tomberline; then there’s Young Jesus and Stef Chura signed late last year, not to mention a new Sam Evian album that came out June 1. Holy smokes, what’s next? Saddle Creek is really making year 25 count.

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I may have gotten too clever for my own good with the title of this month’s Over the Edge column: Fable of the Reconstruction. While those of you who followed indie music back in the day will immediately recognize it as a reference to the 1985 album Fables of the Reconstruction, it has nothing to do with R.E.M. Rather, it’s a look at a post-Trump America. It’s never too soon to dream (All it’ll take is for you to get off your ass and vote). You can read online right here or in its printed July issue, on newsstands now.

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Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s the return of Quintron & Miss Pussycat. From the Prospect New Orleans website:

Quintron has been making genre-defying noise, soundscape, and house rocking dance music in New Orleans for over 20 years. The majority of his fifteen full-length albums, many created with artist / puppeteer Panacea Theriac (aka Miss Pussycat), have the psychedelic soul of New Orleans party jams as filtered through tough distorted organs and a junk heap of self-made electronic instruments.

Rusty Lord opens (replacing Sucettes). $10, 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.

Candy Boys at O’Leaver’s July 13, 2018.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Candy Boys is John Klemmensen exorcising his demons with an electric guitar and his candy voice. Glean what you will from the lyrics, which one assumes reflect what he’s been through for the past few years. The interpretation is made easier thanks to the fact that Klemmensen always has been one of the few local singers who actually a-nun-ci-ates — i.e., you can hear and understand every word of his world-worn lyrics.

And while Klemmensen was never one to hold back (remember all that stuff about doing cocaine all night from his debut album?), these new songs are even more confessional though no less personal, or at least that’s my take. One guy said to me after the show, “Classic Klemmesen, funny as ever,” though I didn’t hear much Friday night worth laughing at.

That’s not to say this is downer music. Half the songs have that same Motown-by-way-of-New Jersey quality; the other half felt like a re-imagining of Mould’s Black Sheets of Rain — a record Klemmesen had never heard of, btw. He implied that their style is almost intentionally sloppy. If so, I couldn’t tell. Klemmensen’s guitar work was on point, heavy, soulful; and his band — bassist Vern Fergesen and drummer Daniel Dean Leonard — were perfect complements.

So yeah, Klemmensen is back. But are people listening? I didn’t see many familiar faces in that crowd of about 40 (only one, to be exact). Has his lost years meant also losing an audience he worked so hard to develop?

Not Funny at O’Leaver’s, July 13, 2018.

Opener Not Funny was an acoustic-driven 3-piece whose frontman, Aaron David Wrigley, has a unique vocal style that zigs, zags, squeaks and pops. If I had to draw a comparison I’d say it sounds like a combination of John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) with Jim Carrey’s acting career – passionate, but all over the place.

Musically there’s a Mountain Goats / Decemberists/ Violent Femmes thing going on, but with more syncopated riffage (the bass really carries these songs). The drawback was that their set was twice as long as it should have been, and by the end, they cleared the room.

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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.

Wagon Blasters at Lookout Lounge April 30, 2016. The band plays tonight at Brothers Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s been too long since the last Wagon Blasters 7-inch came out — like five years too long. Well, they’re back on vinyl with a new 7-inch, Pandamonium Paradise E.P. (2018, Speed! Nebraska), four geetar-powered tractor punk ditties that are sure to be the soundtrack to the hottest summer on earth.

You can pick up your copy tonight at The Brothers Lounge, where Gary Dean, Jesse, Will and Kate will be rifling through the new songs and a ton of old favorites. The sea-glass vinyl record is limited to 300, so you better get yours quick.

If you can’t make it to the show, you can order one online at the Wagon Blasters’ fancy new Bandcamp page that not only features their full discography by a boatload of Speed! Nebraska merch including new seed caps and super-fast-looking racing-stripe Tees (I need one of those in large, Gary, make it blue).

Joining Wagon Blasters tonight is fellow Omaha act The Broke Loose and Lincoln pals Domestica. $5, 9 p.m.

Also happening tonight is the debut of The Candy Boys — the new band fronted by John Klemmensen (which you read about yesterday) — at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them is Not Funny and Not Ben Shin. $5, 10 p.m.

Saturday night Almost Music in the Blackstone District is hosting an in-store concert with San Francisco jangle-pop summer-of-love band The Love-Birds. Dayton noise act Stress Test opens along with Omaha’s favorite psych-rock troubadours David Nance Band. $5, 9 p.m.

Sunday night Bazile Mills plays at Reverb Lounge with The Ruralists. $7, 5 p.m.

That’s 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.