by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a whole helluva lot going on… With that in mind, spend a few minutes with this story from The Daily Dot called “Inside the booming black market for Spotify playlists.”

This should be of no surprise, in fact people have been pointing to the rise of the importance of Spotify playlists for years. Still, it’s proof that the deck is stacked more than ever in this Spotify era.

The nut graph (from near the end of the piece):

These third-party services have found a backdoor into the valuable world of Spotify playlists, and anyone with some budget to spare can potentially be granted access. That has the potential to dramatically alter the way independent music gets promoted online, and it leaves Spotify in a vulnerable position. After all, there’s no easy way to determine what tracks benefitted from pay-to-play schemes and which ones curators just genuinely liked.

That said, I find that I listen to Sirius XMU now more than ever. How is it that their playlists are so narrow when there’s so much to choose from? Is it any surprise that St. Vincent, Arcade Fire, MGMT and Superorganism are doing well when their songs are on heavy rotation on XMU? It feels like the good old days when you hear a song so many times you think you’re starting to like it…

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Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s St. Louis band Lobby Boxer with Jacob James Wilton and Magu. $5, 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Looking at the various show calendars, ain’t nuthing of an indie-music variety happening this weekend, except sorta at O’Leaver’s.  Quite a stark contrast to this time last year. Things have indeed slowed down, but there’s a lot of the horizon…

Anyway, the only place to be this weekend is fabulous O’Leaver’s.

Tonight its the return of American Cream, a Twin Cities band/collective that’s been kicking around for more than a decade. Not quite sure how you’d classify their music. Progressive instrumental ambient noise? Maybe. Fellow Twin Cities act Celica also is on the bill along with our very own Church of Gravitron. $5, 10 p.m.

Then tomorrow night, Big Al is playing a solo set at O’Leaver’s with Derrick Higgins and Army of 2600. $5, 10 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to spring forward Sunday morning.

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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.

U2 at The Grammys back in 1988. They don’t look like that any more.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It crossed my mind to try to buy U2 tickets to the upcoming May concert. I went online yesterday to see when tickets go on sale. Supposedly they don’t until next Monday, but I quickly found a website already selling after-market tickets. Odd. The prices ranged from less than $100 to well over $600 for tickets.

Then this morning I got an email from Ticketmaster saying I could purchase my tickets now. I just have to buy a ticket plus a U2.com Subscription package for an additional $50. Ticket prices ranged from $41 to $325. And there are other options available if you know the offer code, which I don’t.

So, no, looks unlikely that I’ll be going to see U2 this time ’round. Methinks all the gravy seats have either already been purchased or are going to cost well above my bullshit threshold to see a band whose heyday was two decades ago. And I’ve yet to have a positive experience at a Century Link / Qwest Center concert — no matter how much I’ve paid in the past, the seats were always bad-bad-bad.

Who remembers the old general admission days of concerts? The trick wasn’t how much you spent, it was when you were willing to get in line the day of (or day before) the show to get your seats or a spot on the floor next to the stage. We can thank the 1979 Cincinnati Who concert disaster for bringing festival seating to an end (who remembers the WKRP in Cincinnati special episode?). And I guess the way U2 is doing it is a safer (if not a more profitable) way to go…

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Bloomington’s Bugg plays tonight at Petshop. The band’s full-length debut came out last winter on Pop Wig Records. Fellow Bloomington rockers Jacky Boy also are on the bill along with our very own Jocko and FiFi NoNo. $7, 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.

For Against’s ’90s albums get the reissue treatment from Saint Marie.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’ve been under the weather the past few days. What ever’s going around finally got me, but I’m on the mend. With that in mind, here’s some catching up.

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Dreampop label Saint Marie Records is reissuing three ’90s-era For Against albums — Aperture, Mason’s California Lunchroom and Shelf Life. The label released frontman Jeff Running’s solo album Primitives and Smalls a couple years ago, which got them talking about this reissue series.

Each record has been fully remastered and includes updated and expanded artwork. But that’s not all. Saint Marie has created a For Against Pledge page that not only offers pre-order of those three albums, but lots of other goodies, like T-shirts, posters, even a $1,700 signed Fender Modern Player Starcaster Guitar.

Check it out at https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/foragainst

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Saddle Creek Records latest roster addition, Stef Chura, today released a new single produced by Will Toledo fo Car Seat Headrest. “Degrees” and it’s b-side, “Sour Honey” were originally supposed to be included on Chura’s debut, Messes, but instead got a collab treatment from Toledo, who also plays guitar and bass on the A-side. The limited single will be released on Record Store Day April 21. If this is any indication, her next album, which will also include Toledo, could be a knock-out.

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Finally, I worked with Eric Stoakes for a number of years at The Reader. While John Heaston is the paper’s guiding torchlight, Eric was the one who stoked the flame and hustled to keep it lit. He passed away last month. Here’s a remembrance that also appears in the current issue of The Reader. Goodbye Eric, we miss you.

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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.

Molly Burch plays at fabulous O’Leaver’s Tuesday, March 6. Photo by Helene Tchen Cardenas.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Molly Burch comes from a jazz vocal background, having studied the art at University of North Carolina in Asheville. But it wasn’t until she started writing songs that she began capturing the attention of a larger audience.

Her debut LP, Please Be Mine (2017, Captured Tracks) is a lonely, winsome collection of heart-ache love songs sung with a voice that’s been compared to Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday. To me, the record sounds like Nancy Sinatra meets Mazzy Star, distinctly modern and dreamy with touches of sentimental, vintage arrangements.

I caught up with Molly and asked her to take my Ten Questions survey, and she bashfully agreed.

1. What is your favorite album?

Molly Burch: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

2. What is your least favorite song?

That’s tough so I will not answer it!

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Getting to know a small group of people really well.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

When personalities clash.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Diet coke.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

I love performing in LA because that is where I’m from and also New York because I get to see everyone at my label.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Ugh, again, tough. I don’t want to offend any cities or towns! Pass!

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

Sort of, but mostly because I live super cheaply. I also nanny to help pay bills along with other occasional side jobs.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I love to set up shows and also plan and host parties…maybe a wedding planner? Lol, I don’t know. And I would hate any profession that involved a lot of public speaking.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

I’ve heard of the Runza.

Molly Burch plays with Thick Paint and Sean Pratt & The Sweats Tuesday, March 6 at O’Leaver’s, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd. The show starts at 9 p.m., tickets are $8. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com.

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Denver’s Esme Patterson (Grand Jury Records) gets the Hi-Fi House treatment tonight, starting with a 6 p.m. Q&A followed by an intimate performance by Patterson and her band. A “special guest” Omaha songwriter opens prior to her set. Entry is free for Hi-Fi House members, general public tickets are available on a first-come first-served basis for $25.

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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.

White Mystery at Beerland Patio, March 18, 2015. The band plays at O’Leaver’s Sunday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Daytrotter is free again, for the first time since 2011. To celebrate, here are three of my favorite Daytrotter sessions from folks you may know…

Neva Dinova — Oct. 17, 2008

Little Brazil — Oct. 16, 2008

Cursive — Sept. 22, 2009

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It’s the first Friday of the month and that means Benson First Friday. Tonight’s epic BFF show is once again at The Sydney where The Show Is the Rainbow a.k.a. Darren Keen is celebrating the release of his latest 12-inch. Past TSITR shows have been nothing less than epic/startling. What will Darren pull out his hat tonight? Joining him is Lincoln’s Halfwit and Unmanned. $3, 10 p.m.

Also tonight, Old 97’s return to The Waiting Room with Dan Tedesco. $25, 9 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr. it’s MiWi La Lupa with Edge of Arbor and Kait Berreckman (headliner). $7, 9 p.m.

And yes, for those of you wondering, The Little Gallery in Benson will be open tonight. It’s a command performance showing of Sophie Newell’s “Fragments.” Drop by from 6 to 9 p.m. and say hello. We’re in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building, just down the street from The Sydney.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) everyone’s headed to The Brothers Lounge for The Regulation (think low-fi Weezer with a Midwestern twang), The Hussies and the return of The Cuterthans (Who remembers 2002?). $5, 10 p.m.

Did you miss Joe Hertler and his band The Rainbow Seekers at The Slowdown a few days ago (or his Ten Questions article in Lazy-i last week)? Well Joe and his band are back Saturday night at The Waiting Room opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. $15 Adv/$17 DOS. 9 p.m.

Finally Sunday night — or maybe I should say early Sunday evening — it’s another Sunday Social at fabulous O’Leaver’s, this time with White Mystery, Those Far Out Arrows, FiFi NoNo and A DJ set by Miss Alex White. This one starts early, at 5 p.m. $7.

And that 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.

White Mystery plays at O’Leaver’s March 4. Photo by BANGTEL/By the Barkers

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A favorite memory of past South By Southwest festivals was seeing White Mystery play outside at seminal Austin punk venue Beerland. The duo of Miss Alex White on guitar/vocals and Francis Scott Key White on drums belted out their usual ragged-edged garage rock startling passers-by on Red River Street. Before long, a mob formed blocking traffic in all directions.

It was like seeing local heroes make good, as the Chicago siblings have made Omaha a regular tour stop on their many national sojourns, like the one they’re currently on in support of their latest album, the blistering F.Y.M.S. that brings them to fabulous O’Leaver’s March 4.

Check out what Alex had to say in the Ten Questions survey:

1. What is your favorite album?

Miss Alex White: Who’s Next by the Who

2. What is your least favorite song?

Taylor Swift “Shake It Off.” Fight me!

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

The best part about being in a band is the open road ahead of you. It’s a very free feeling of independence.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

The worst part is the claustrophobia of being stuck in a vehicle all day, that sets in shortly thereafter.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

My favorite substance is ice cream. My least favorite is mushrooms.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Omaha is an awesome city to play in the Midwest because everyone is very down-to-earth, loving, and yet wild-out rock’n’roll. I spun records after Farnham Fest and realized how much everyone appreciated the DJ set, which is a really good, validating feeling. Doing that again at O’Leavers this time around. Beyond that, White Mystery shows in New York are always sold out, bonkers affairs. I also love playing Stockholm, Sweden, because it feels so geographically far away, yet super familiar.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Angers, France, was one of the worst gigs ever, because of what happened afterwards — we stayed in an absolutely pest-infested apartment above the ancient venue. A carpet of tens of thousands of cockroaches dispersed when the door opened! It’s hard to relax in that kind of environment.

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

Yes, White Mystery has been full-time for eight years. It required a lot of saving while reinvesting income into growth opportunities, like self-released albums and merchandise. The first four years, we did not buy any new clothes, shoes or recreational items. We have toured in the same hatchback this whole time, which is great on gas, but a sacrifice in comfort. The best way to get ahead is to do what is right for you, versus what you think people expect you to do. Take calculated risks to advance your career.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

One profession I would like to attempt is cartoon animator! I would be a terrible veterinarian though, because I’m extremely allergic to most animals.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

Legends about our pals in Digital Leather, The Faint, Solid Dave Goldberg, and the Box Elders circulate worldwide. Love you all!

White Mystery plays with Those Far Out Arrows and FiFI NoNo Sunday, March 4, at O’Leaver’s, 1322 So. Saddle Creek Rd. $7, 5 p.m. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com

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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.

Maha is now running Big Omaha.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Things have been busy around here and I’m just now getting around to the big announcement from last Thursday, which was that the Maha Music Festival is expanding to two days for their 10th Anniversary edition.

The annual concert at Aksarben Village is slated for Aug. 17 and 18, that’s a Friday and Saturday. All of you folks who work day jobs, you have plenty of time to get that request in for the day off. We still don’t know who will be playing this year, but something tells me it’ll be someone big and special along the lines of Arcade Fire or LCD Soundsystem — we’ll find out soon.

The other half of the Maha announcement was that the Big Omaha conference is now being run by Maha and is being held in the run-up to the weekend, Aug. 16 and 17. Said the press release: “Attendees will have several options to purchase passes: a dual festival-conference pass will be sold as well as festival tickets to Friday or Saturday only, or both festival days combined. Pricing, artist and speaker lineups, and ticket sale dates will be announced next month.”

First question you might have: What is Big Omaha?

Well, I’ve been scratching my head for years about that question. It’s marketed as “an annual conference that brings together the nation’s most passionate members of the entrepreneurial community including founders, investors, and emerging leaders to build community, start conversation, and provide inspiration.” Big Omaha and Silicon Prairie News co-founders Jeff Slobotski and Dusty Davidson started the conference in 2009. Omaha’s AIM Institute has owned and led Big Omaha and Silicon Prairie News since 2015. Silicon Prairie News will stay with AIM as Big Omaha changes hands to Maha, according to this SPN article.

Anyway, Big Omaha is supposedly wildly successful. I have no idea because I’ve never been to one. I went to bigomaha.co to find out more, but it’s already redirecting to Maha. However, you can read about the 2016 event here

and watch the Big Omaha video. BO conference tickets cost upwards to $600, but anyone who’s ever been to a business conference knows that’s peanuts — most national conference registration charges are well over $1,000.

On first blush, the merger of Maha and Big Omaha seems odd, so I sent an email to Maha’s Lauren Martin and asked, “I’m curious as to how Big Omaha will play into all this. I’ve always thought of BO as a sort of private gig for small businesses and start-ups. How will the general public be involved in BO and what role does the Maha audience play in it?”

Lauren replied:

“For Maha, the addition of Big Omaha is a first step in using our platform to unite events, or cultural aspects of Omaha that support our community’s overall effort to attract and retain young talent. If we can utilize the conference as a means to further connect individuals to networks and/or resources that will help them pursue their passions and be fulfilled here, we’re all about it. 

“Recognizing that BO has potentially appealed to a particular demographic of tech start-up types in the past, we hope to broaden the appeal while still maintaining a much smaller audience than the festival, and reduce the cost of entry.

“Ultimately, there may not be a ton of overlap between the conference and 2-day festival attendees, but hopefully the promotion of the two events as one experience will expand the idea of what’s possible here.”

Fair enough. I keep hearing how the addition is similar to the launch of Austin’s South by Southwest tech conference. Maybe so, but Big Omaha ain’t a tech conference. It’s really targeted toward entrepreneurs and start-ups, whether they have a tech bent or not. In fact, I once suggested a looong time ago to one of the Big Omaha folks that they should reach out to larger industries who could be possible buyers of these new start-ups’ products and services. The idea was met with crickets.

A few years ago I attended the SXSW tech conference, which leads up to the annual music conference. There was virtually no overlap between the two. The only impact might have been in the ability to find lodging. One benefit for the SXSW event is that people going to the tech conference could ask their employer to pay for their conference travel and lodging, then hang out for the music portion, saving travel costs. I can’t see that happening for Maha, but who knows…

In the end, I can’t see how this merger will impact the Maha Festival except to possibly keep a few of those Big Omaha folks in the city an extra day. Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, I can’t imagine your typical Maha festival-goer being interested in taking part in Big Omaha (especially at last year’s price point)…

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s an indie rock double-bill with Palehound (who you read about yesterday) and Weaves. Frankly, it’s the Weaves part of the headline I’m most interested in, along with the opener, our very own See Through Dresses. $12. 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.

Matt Whipkey and his band at Reverb Lounge Feb. 25, 2018.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Matt Whipkey helmed two album-release shows this past weekend — one on Friday night and a second in the early evening yesterday for old folks like me, I guess. In fact there were a lot of older people seated at tables in the Reverb’s stage room, making the concert feel more like a matinee performance than a rock show, though Whipkey did all he could to give the room a rock show vibe.

Whipkey and his core band of Zimmerman, Sing and Anderson (a perfect name for a law firm) ripped through a set of songs off his new double-LP Driver, which currently stands as my favorite Whipkey release. Like an episode of Storytellers Matt gave background between every song while he feverishly re-tuned his guitar (We were told that the songs off Driver have a variety of “tonal colors” that required alternate tuning).  Unlike on the recording, there were no keyboards at these weekend performances, which (to me) gave the set a more rocking feel.

One of those between-song stories was Matt telling the crowd about a convo he and I had during our interview. I had told Matt that, while I like the song “Fred, You’re Dead,” that it would be perfect candidate to be revamped into a punk song, especially considering the political nature of the lyrics. Lo and behold, Matt pulled out a punk verson of the usually slow, dour song, and it, indeed, ripped. The punk “Fred…” would make a perfect 7-inch single just in time for Record Store Day. Come on, Matt!

Charlie Ames at Reverb Lounge, Feb. 25, 2018.

Opening Sunday evening was singer/songwriter Charlie Ames, who performed an acoustic set of originals. Ames had a striking voice and a nice guitar style on a set of broken-hearted pop songs of the woe-is-me variety. A very talened dude, I’d love to see him write a set of songs that stretched him more creatively.

Palehound plays at Slowdown Jr. Feb. 27, 2018.

Ten Questions with Palehound

Led by singer/songwriter Ellen Kempner, Boston’s Palehound released their sophomore album, A Place I’ll Always Go, on Polyvinyl Records last summer (which received a 7.3 rating from Pitchfork, for those who care about such things).  Since then, the indie combo also dropped a new 7-inch release — “YMCA Pool” b/w “Sea of Blood” — as part of Saddle Creek Records’ Document Series singles program.

Having recently finished a U.S. headlining tour, which included shows with Big Thief, Jay Som, Mitski, and M Ward, Palehound launched a co-headlining tour with Weaves that brings them to Slowdown Feb. 27. We asked Kempner to take our Ten Questions survey. Here’s what she had to say:

1. What is your favorite album?

Ellen Kempner: I definitely don’t have one! My favorite album of this week has been Jolene by Dolly Parton.

2. What is your least favorite song?

I hate “Blurred Lines.”

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Getting to travel and see the country in a way I never would be able to without music.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Being anxious about shows/people liking our music.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Soda

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Hometown Boston shows are great because our friends are there.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Fort Worth, Texas,  the only people we played for were the two teenagers who were in the other band that played.

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

(No comment.)

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do? 

Cooking!! I love cooking and used to work as a cook in a restaurant and loved it. I wouldn’t wanna be a professional runner.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

Honestly my answer will be really bad cuz all of them just have to do with Conor Oberst.

Palehound plays with Weaves and See Through Dresses Tuesday, Feb. 27, at The Slowdown front room, 729 No. 14th St. Tickets are $10 Adv/$12 DOS. Showtime is 8 p.m. For more information, go to theslowdown.com

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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.

Matt Whipkey and his band at Growler USA, April 1, 2017. Whipkey & Co. play tonight and Sunday at Reverb Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s a Matt Whipkey weekend. Omaha’s favorite Uber-driving troubadour is hosting two album-release shows for his double-LP Driver, which you read about right here and in The Reader.

Matt’s first show is tonight at Reverb Lounge with Stephen Sheehan (ex-Digital Sex) opening. Tonight’s show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $10.

Matt’s also doing a second show at Reverb this Sunday evening with Charlie Ames. That one starts early at 6 p.m. and also costs $10.

What else is happening this weekend?

Well tonight, Oquoa headlines at The Sydney in Benson with Dirt House (Annie DiLocker’s joint) and Ojai. $5, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, at fabulous O’Leaver’s, it’s a long night of hard rock with the debut of The Long Awaited, Sioux City’s Port Nocturnal, Jared William Gottberg and The Ramparts. $5, 10 p.m.

And in addition to opening for Whipkey Friday night at Reverb, Stephen Sheehan is doing a DJ set at O’Leaver’s Saturday night with Tres Johnson. $5, 9 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.