The Sun-Less Trio at Reverb Aug. 18, 2017. The band plays tonight at Slowdown, Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What’d you get on Record Store Day? This is the first year I didn’t go shopping on RSD. It’s not as if there was nothing I wanted (Anyone score that Devo box set? It’s going for $140 today on eBay). I assumed the decline of Omaha record stores (Three closed just this past year, including icons Drastic Plastic and Almost Music) that the interest in RSD was waning, but sure enough, images began showing up on Facebook hours before Homer’s opened Saturday of huge lines outside scrolling around the block, a testament to ongoing interest in this twice-a-year promotion (Black Friday is sort of RSD Pt. 2).

I find that while I listen to more music now than ever before, I listen to vinyl less and less (mainly because I mostly listen to new music). One of my last vinyl purchases was the Red House Painters box set, an old RSD offering — I found an unopened copy on Discogs. Very likely I’ll be buying that Devo box set, too… from Discogs… eventually.

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Speaking of new music, a couple new local releases caught my attention.

First, Matt Whipkey has a new side project called Unexplained Death that’s his take on punk. The first two songs, “Four More Years” b/w “Think For Yourself” (a cover of the Beatles classic) went online a week or so ago. It’s just part of what will likely be an Unexplained Death LP that’ll be released sometime in the near future.

Of course we’re all waiting for Unexplained Death’s first stage appearance.

The other release is a two-song stoner-rock release by Leafblower — “Yes Men” b/w “Still Lazy After All These Beers.” The tunes are available on Spotify now, and will be released as a 7″ later this year by Max Trax Records. Heavy, heavy shit.

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Very cool rock show is happening tonight at Slowdown Jr. — Seattle rock psych-rock band Night Beats (Heavenly Records) headlines with DROSS (members of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship) and Sun-Less Trio. 8 p.m. start time, $15.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.