by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Singer/songwriter Ben Eisenberger (Hussies, FiFi NoNo, Screaming Plastic) just announced the Aug. 1 release of his next solo album, Ben Eisenberger Chamber Group, along with the first single, “Controlling.”

Recorded throughout last year at ARC Studios with Adam Roberts, the album was produced and mixed by local studio vet Ben Brodin and mastered by Carl Saff. This isn’t Eisenberger’s first album. “My previous releases were either very soloistic, or scrapped-together, and I wanted this record to feel more like a ‘band’-style project, and the result is a nice mix of what each player brings to the table (folk, classical, free-improvisation),” he said.

Joining Eisenberger on the album are Colin Duckworth, pedal steel, guitar, mandolin; Phill Smith, percussion; Lillian Kraft, keyboards, and Michael Frederickson, bass. Preorder the 12-inch vinyl at Eisenberger’s Bandcamp page.

You can get a sneak peek of some of the new songs tonight at Reverb Lounge when Eisenberger and his new band perform along with Chicago-based singer/songwriter Amanda DeBoer Bartlett. Fiddle in the Middle opens the show at 8 p.m. $17. 

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Yesterday, Independent Project Records released the second single, “Heretofore,” from Nebraska legend Jeff Runnings’ upcoming album, Piqued. 

“‘Heretofore’ has all the murky, abstract-yet-stripped-down allure of lifelong favorites of For Against frontman Jeffrey Runnings, like Section 25 and the Comsat Angels, aptly recorded on an old 8-track tape machine,” says the track’s liner notes. 

Jeff passed away in March after a battle with cancer. This posthumous album will be released July 11 in a variety of formats and can be pre-ordered from the IPR Bandcamp page.  

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Finally, Saddle Creek Records announced that its latest signing is Seattle-based singer/songwriter Dean Johnson. Saddle Creek already released a 7-inch single by the 52-year-old singer/songwriter as part of their Document Series in March.  

I Hope We Can Still Be Friends is Johnson’s second album (the first on the Creek) and is scheduled to drop Aug. 22. Says Saddle Creek: “Across 11 tracks, Johnson’s haunting tenor vocals crest over muted instrumentals peppered with brushed drums and slide guitar swells.” Preorder the album here. 

Check out the first single, “Before You Hit the Ground,” below. You’ll get a chance to see Johnson up close and personal as he’s been added to the Sept. 17 Rilo Kiley show at the Astro Amphitheater. 

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.