Lazy-i Best of 2018. Winnie and Gilda say Happy New Year!

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

One of the questions I try to answer in the liner notes of this year’s “best of” compilation CD: Why do I bother putting this together and sending it out? After all, no one has a CD player anymore, right?

I still do it for a number of reasons. The first: This annual collection of the best of the best stuff I’ve listened to and/or written about over the past year in Lazy-i and/or The Reader acts as sort of a holiday card for my friends, family and music compadres, most of whom have received one since I first began recording these comps on cassette tapes back in 1994.

But another, more personal reason is that these collections are soundtracks to the year gone by. I listen to, say, the 2002 disc and I can instantly remember what was going on in the Omaha music scene at the time, the shows I went to, the artists I interviewed, and how good the music was. And the artwork reminds me of friends still with us and those who have gone.

So here you go, here’s the 2018 Best of Lazy-i CD. This year half the songs are by artists who have some sort of connection to Omaha. See if you can figure out which ones.

1. “Poison” – David Nance Group, from Peaced and Slightly Pulverized (Trouble In Mind)
2. “See You at the Movies” – J Mascis, from Elastic Days (Sub Pop)
3. “Symbol” – Adrianne Lenker, from abysskiss (Saddle Creek)
4. “Need a Little Time” – Courtney Barnett, from Tell Me How You Really Feel (Matador)
5. “Mr. Tillman” – Father John Misty, from God’s Favorite Customer (Sub Pop)
6. “Disco” – Sextile, from the EP 3 (Felte)
7. “Always Elsewhere” – Ron Gallo, from Stardust Birthday Party (New West)
8. “Wide Awake” – Parquet Courts, from Wide Awake! (Rough Trade
9. “Bikini” – Caroline Rose, from Loner (New Wet)
10. “Short Court Style” – Natalie Prass, from The Future and the Past (ATO)
11. “Remorse” – Cursive, from Vitriola (15 Passenger)
12. “Souvenir” – Campdogzz, from In Rounds (15 Passenger)
13. “Colors Change” – Those Far Out Arrows, from Part Time Lizards (High Dive)
14. “Me & My Dog” – Boygenius, from the EP boygenius (Matador)
15. “Motorbike” – Little Brazil, from Send the Wolves (Max Trax)
16. “Child Asleep” – The Faint, from Egowerk (Saddle Creek)
17. “Debbie (Absofacto Remix)” – Your Smith, single (Neon Gold)
18. “Middle America” – Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, from Sparkle Hard (Matador)
19. “What a Mess” – Nik Freitas, from Day & Dark (Poppy Peak)
20. “Last Summer in Omaha” – Azure Ray from the EP Waves (Flower Moon)

You want a copy of the CD? Enter to win one in the annual drawing! To enter, either: 1) Send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com, or 2) Let me know you want one via Facebook comments, or 3) Retweet a Lazy-i tweet (If you use social media and win, I’ll reach out later for your mailing address). Hurry, contest deadline is Monday, Jan. 7 at midnight.

If you just want to listen to the collection, the CD’s playlist is now available in Spotify. Simply click the link or search “Lazy-i” in Spotify and you’ll find it along with a few from past years, too. Thanks as always to design genius Donovan Beery (eleven19.com), who’s been putting together these CD sleeves since 2000.

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Look for the annual Music Year in Review article in the January issue of The Reader. The article will be online on New Year’s Eve and likely will be published right here as well. The annual Predictions for the Coming Year article will be online on New Year’s Day if all goes well (and published here, too). It’ll give you something to read before and after your alcohol-soaked celebrations.

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Tonight at Reverb Lounge local rockers Garst celebrate the release of their debut CD Temet Nosce. Lincoln singer/songwriter Bailey Tamerius opens at 8 p.m. $5.

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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.