by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

FYI: Record Store Day is tomorrow, Saturday, April 12. I didn’t realize this until I did a Google query.  It’s sure not like the old days when RSD information literally flooded my in-box and social media streams. 

Here’s the list of “RSD special releases” available in limited quantities (or not at all) at participating records stores, which in Omaha include Homer’s, Grapefruit, Vinyl Cup and Recycled Sounds. If I was still buying vinyl, I’d be looking for The House of Love, The Mission Neverland, Graham Parker & The Figgs and The Cure/Four Tet remix 12-inch. 

Despite listening to more music than ever, I haven’t bought a new vinyl album in a few years. I simply don’t have enough room in my house for more (I also don’t buy books anymore, preferring to check out what I read from one of our convenient local libraries). 

Ah, but when it comes to music buyers, I’m the exception. The Recording Industry Association of America last month released its 2024 year-end revenue report and according to their numbers, vinyl sales last year were the highest since 1984. 

“Vinyl’s 18th straight ascent scored nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue at $1.4B,” the RIAA reported, adding that for the third consecutive year, vinyl also outperformed Compact Disc sales, with 44M records shipped compared to 33M CDs. That said, CD sales grew 1% last year. 

Those 2024 numbers are impressive, but nothing compared to paid streaming, which last year exceeded 100 million subscriptions in the U.S. for the first time in history. “Streaming remained the biggest driver at $14.9B with paid subscriptions, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, social media platforms, digital fitness apps, and others collectively accounting for 84% of total revenues for the third year in a row,” said the RIAA report.

Meanwhile, revenue from digitally downloaded music continued its decline – down 18% to $336 million. “Both digital album sales and individual track sales were down double digits,” the RIAA reported. “Downloads accounted for just 2% of US recorded music revenues in 2024, down from a peak of 43% of revenues in 2012.”

Ironically, the only music I buy these days outside a Spotify subscription and Sirius radio are digital downloads, and only because I don’t want to rely on a cellular signal when I’m listening to music while on a run. 

In case you were wondering, vinyl sales during the industry peak in the ‘70s reached north of 300 million units sold annually, according to RIAA. 

So, lots of people are buying vinyl, but are they listening to it? One of the most quoted statistics about vinyl came out of a 2023 trend report by research firm Luminate that said: “50% of consumers who have bought vinyl in the past 12 months own a record player, compared to 15% among music listeners overall.” The numbers were based on a survey of more than 3,900 U.S.-based respondents. 

The majority of those non-record-player-owning buyers, Luminate said, are “superfans” who want to support their artists by purchasing an “artifact.” I’ve always found the statistic a bit dubious, but then I think about all the comic book collectors who buy physical comicbooks and never read them, preferring to read them digitally for fear of harming their precious collectables.

Does it really matter why people are buying vinyl? The fact that the format continues to survive – and thrive – is pretty cool in an age when people are glued to their phones. So, here’s to another Record Store Day. And maybe you’ll run into me trying to find that Cure remix 12-inch…

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last week it dawned on me that I better buy a couple VIP tickets to the 2025 Maha Festival, which is Aug. 2 down at the RiverFront Park. But much to my frustration, I couldn’t find an option to purchase VIP tix at the Maha etix webpage. 

The reason: Maha VIP tickets have already sold out. That was quick, and no doubt reflects the level of interest in this year’s line-up, headlined by Pixies, with Waxahatchee, Band of Horses, Magdalena Bay, Silversun Pickups and Little Brazil. 

Past Maha Festival VIP tickets were definitely worth the extra clams – food options, private bar, private AC restrooms and an exceptional viewing area. I have no idea where they’re setting up the VIP area for this year’s Maha festival, but it must be enticing if tickets sold out so quickly. 

General Admission tickets to Maha 2025 are still available for $79 (plus fees).

. 0 0 0 . 

Speaking of sold-out shows, while flipping through my Facebook feed last night I ran across a couple photos of David Nance and Mowed Sound opening the sold-out Jack White show at Steelhouse Omaha. To my knowledge, this was the first time a local band opened for a national touring band at Steelhouse. 

I guess that’s one of the benefits of having your latest album released on White’s Third Man Records label. 

. 0 0 0 . 

V.V. Volume 1 is a new compilation album announced over the weekend with a drop date of June 6. The 7-song vinyl album will include new songs by local artists Lodgings, Custom Catacombs, Neva Dinova, Ash Rayne Boe, The Sun-Less Trio, Violenteer and Stephen Bartolomei, who appears to be one of the folks behind the project. 

“There’s something distinctively collaborative about making a vinyl compilation album in 2025,” Bartolomei wrote on the project’s Bandcamp pre-order page. “Each recording includes past bandmates, tour mates, local repair technicians, studio engineers, and longtime friends. Putting together music for vinyl requires a high level of trust.”

Indeed. Four of the seven tracks were recorded at Mike Saklar’s Ant-Records, while the remaining were recorded at various studios in Omaha and Kansas City. 

The album will be celebrated with a release show June 6 at Slowdown with performances by six of the seven bands on the album. How did all this come about? I’ll let you know when I know more.

. 0 0 0 . 

Lady Lamb is singer/songwriter Aly Spaltro, who you may remember as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, a moniker she dropped shortly after her 2013 debut, Ripely Pine. She’s actually been releasing EPs and LPs since 2009, bouncing between indie labels Ba Da Bing Records and Mom + Pop Records. Her latest, In the Mammoth Nothing of the Night, is a box set that includes a remastered version of Ripely Pine along with new recordings of songs written during that era. 

No doubt you’ll be hearing some of those songs tonight when Lady Lamb plays at Reverb Lounge. Massachusetts singer/songwriter Hannah Mohan opens the show at 8 p.m. $22.

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First off, it’s the first Friday of the month and that means Benson First Friday (#BFF). Artists will be showing their wares in galleries and shops up and down Maple Street tonight, including at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., where we’ll be hosting the opening of Courtney Kenny Porto’s latest collection, “Shiney & Bright.” Come by, check out the art, have a drink and a treat. Love to see you. 

I am currently listening to Manic Fever, the latest studio album by Des Moines punk trio Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops (2023, High Dive Records). It sounds like sort of a hybrid between, say, Jay Reatard and early White Stripes. I actually quite dig it. Well, most of it. You might remember Wheeler from The Slats or Night Stories. The new project has opened for the likes of No Age, Bob Log III, Death Valley Girls, and so on. See them headline tonight at The Sydney. $10, 9 p.m. (Sydney Time)…

Wheeler is hardly a substitute for Jack White, whose playing at Steelhouse Omaha Saturday night. But that show has long been sold out. However you can find tickets online at Stubhub.com for a mere $82, which is actually pretty cheap if you’re a super fan – certainly cheaper than driving somewhere to see him. This one starts at 8 p.m. 

If you can’t get tickets or White simply ain’t your thing, check out Housewares at Reverb Lounge Saturday night. The new project by Fromanhole’s Doug and Daryl Kiser is a five-piece noise-rock band rounded out by Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. I caught the end of one song at their stage debut at The Sydney in November and it was violently loud! Speaking of violence, Randy Cotton’s band, Violenteer, also is on the bill, along with Sundown Effect. This will be a late night, starts at 9 p.m. $10. 

Finally, in the wildcard category, Sam Blasucci plays a peaceful, easy sounding SoCal style of indie rock (that borders on yacht). A modern-day Boz Scaggs? Maybe. Joining him Sunday at Reverb Lounge is Hudson Valley singer/songwriter Julia Zivic. $22, 8 p.m. 

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

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Didn’t get tickets to tonight’s Faint concert at The Waiting Room before it sold out weeks ago? Me, neither. Tickets were available at Stubhub.com for just north of $200 per ticket yesterday. 

Why wasn’t this concert held at The Admiral, Astro or any other venue larger than The Waiting Room? It’s tough to say. Both Admiral and Astro are available tonight. I’m guessing it was a joint decision by the band and the booker – 1% Productions – but still, it’s a head-scratcher. In the past, The Faint have played capacity shows at Sokol Auditorium – now called The Admiral – and based on the quick sell out, would have had not problem filling the old South Omaha ballroom again. Plack Blague and Jeff in Leather open tonight’s show at 8 p.m.

So, out of luck? Well, don’t fret. There are other things going on while all your friends are at The Faint concert. Among them is a concert just around the corner at Reverb Lounge headlined by California-based singer/songwriter Marlon Funaki. His dreamy style of guitar-driven indie pop appears to be entirely self-released, and despite not having record-label suport still has nearly a million monthly Spotify listeners. Is it the power of TikTok? I don’t know because I don’t have TikTok. Omaha newcomer Sand opens this show at 8 p.m.   $17.

Also tonight, Omaha’s indie folk orchestra, Midwest Dilemma, headlines at Slowdown’s front room. Joining them are Justin Bloss and Matt Cox. $12, 7 p.m. 

Back to tonight’s sold-out Faint concert… 

It’s surprising how the show sold out so quickly considering their tour isn’t supporting new music, but reissues of albums that came out literally decades ago. Here’s the setlist for their March 31 show at The Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, which they no doubt will replicate on stage tonight. It’s a well-balanced selection that includes songs from throughout their post-Media career, including a few nice dives into the under-appreciated 2019 album, Egowerks. 

I’ve heard and seen all these songs performed before (in some cases, over a dozen times). What will the band pull out of their hats to make this different than past shows? Likely nothing, as The Faint is one of those established acts that can continue to tour on the strength of their old material ad infinitum. I

The band isn’t not alone. Bright Eyes and Cursive — the other two jewels in the Nebraska/Saddle Creek triple crown of indie superstars — could also rest on their laurels and tour just playing past “hits,” but instead both bands continue to write, record and preform new music. 

They’re even finding ways to reinvent it. 

This past Monday, the bands released a “mash-up” track that combines BE’s “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” and Cursive’s “The Recluse.” The cleverly produced “Recluse I Don’t Have to Love” has been written about in just about every online publication that covers indie music. 

From the write-up included on the track’s Bandcamp page: 

“Best bud Carly (spouse to Cursive’s Matt Maginn) pointed out the musical hook and libertine similarities between (‘Lover I Don’t Have to Love’’s) lyrics, and ‘The Recluse’ by her husband’s band. For years it was an inside joke – ‘should we make a mashup, just for fun?’  And on the eve of Bright Eyes’ North American tour with Cursive, the Kash-up mashup dream has become a reality.  And it weirdly works.  Carly was right.”

The track is available from both Bright Eyes’ and Cursive’s bandcamp pages and judging by the “supported by” tiles, they’ve sold a shit-ton of copies. All profits from the song will benefit the Poison Oak Project, Bright Eyes’ 501C3 non-profit dedicated to advancing equity for LGBTQ+ people, with a particular focus on supporting the trans community.

One has to wonder if they’ll try to perform the mash-up when the two bands play April 27 at The Astro. I think if they do, it should happen during Cursive’s set, as of the two tracks, “The Recluse” has the upper hand with around 16 million plays in Spotify vs. “Lover’s” 12 million. And besides, all Conor would have to do is walk out and sing it.  By the way, you may want to buy your tickets to that one now before it also sells out…

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.