by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

With the Matthew Sweet concert at O’Leaver’s just around the corner  (It’s July 30 and long sold out) I thought I’d point out Sweet’s Kickstarter campaign, which only has four days left.

Actually, I discovered the campaign via the Lloyd Cole Facebook feed — Cole prompted his followers to help Sweet out, and even offered to fly out and “play modular synth” on Sweet’s new album. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the head?

Anyway, Sweet, who is now an Omaha resident, is panhandling for cash to make a new solo album, and already has met his $32,000 goal — he currently stands at $43,185, including the $40 I chipped in to get a copy of his vinyl when it’s ready next April.

Check out his Kickstarter pitch below, which mentions his move to Omaha and his hope to “get all my friends out in Nebraska” to help make the record.

BTW, The Lupines will open for Sweet at the O’Leaver’s show.

* * *

Tonight at The Sydney The Brigadiers open for Zeeland, Michigan band The Fever Haze. $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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Little Brazil at The Waiting Room, July 19, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What a birthday bash for Sara Bertuldo. Something like 150 people (guess-timate) were there to celebrate Sara’s successful journey around the sun and to hear one of the strongest local line-ups in a long time.

See Through Dresses at The Waiting Room, July 19, 2014.

Sara kicked it off with her band, See Through Dresses. All this talk about a shoegaze revival with bands like Slowdive once again touring. Forget all that and check out this band, which combines the best droning shoe-gaze elements with the tunefulness of Dinosaur Jr. and Pixies. Bertuldo has grown not only in age but in voice, sharing the vocal chores with Matt Carroll, who’s no push-over himself. Post mammoth June tour, they were razor sharp.

As reported, Little Brazil swapped out half its personnel, and the difference was indeed noticeable. Matt Bowen brings a throatier style to the kit, somehow managing to work his way through Oliver Morgan’s intricate lines while adding his own unique voice to the proceedings. Mike Friedman’s lead guitar lines were altogether different not only from what Greg Edds used to contribute to the band, but from what Friedman does as a member of The Lupines. His Lupes’ style is sheer shredding, whereas his ornate touch on LB tunes recalls Layla-era Clapton (Yeah, I said it, I compared him to God). You had to pay attention, though, as Friedman is more musician than showman — playing (at times) with his back toward the audience.

It all came together on the third song of LB’s set, a new tune unlike anything I’ve heard them try before, a hook-laden rocker that separates itself from LB’s standard indie fare thanks to a unique vocal melody and amazing harmony guitars between Landon Hedges and Friedman that recalled the best of Thin Lizzy. This one has “hit” written all over it (too bad there ain’t no such thing as a hit these days). Hedges, btw, was in top vocal form, and bassist Danny Maxwell’s bass continued to be the bedrock it’s all built upon. Where can these guys take this next?

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Ladyfinger rounding out the July 19 show at The Waiting Room.

Finally, Ladyfinger framed the evening with its usual bombast. It was a greatest hits set, with no new material (that I recognized, anyway). Here’s yet another band of local legends that has me scratching my head, wondering where they’re headed next.

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Nightbird at The Sydney, July 18, 2014.

Friday night I slipped into The Sydney to catch Nightbird’s debut performance, and it was pretty much as I expected — a set of sludgy, mid-tempo long-form rock songs inspired by your favorite stoner bands. Gerald Lee Meyerpeter howled over his guitar’s feedback as drummer Scott Zimmerman and bassist Jeff Harder provided the foundation. We used to call this “drug music” when I was a kid, and though I don’t do drugs, I can imagine (or maybe I can’t) what it would be like to trip out to this stuff in a smoke-filled bedroom surrounded by black-light posters and halter-tops. Nightbird is all about style rather than songs — if you’re into their kind of dirty sludge, a heavy heaven awaits. PS: Rumor has it they may be adding another guitar, someone from Omaha rock’s not-so-distant past…

* * *

Big show tonight at fabulous O’Leavers — the return of Planes Mistaken for Stars. These guys have been coming through since the late ’90s playing an angular style of post-hardcore punk. Not to be missed. Opening is New Lungs (Little Brazil’s Danny Maxwell in the lead position) and Chicago post-hardcore band All Eyes West. $5, 9 p.m.

* * *

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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

With their Aug. 16 concert less than a month away, the Maha Music Festival social channels began gearing up the hype machine yesterday. Maha Board member Tre Brashear tweeted that Maha tickets sales are running “50% ahead of last year, so a sellout is possible.”

A sell-out of $50 general admission tickets indeed would be a real coup. Maha tweeted VIP tickets sold out July 1. One assumes this year’s headliner, Death Cab for Cutie, is driving those sales. That said, last year’s headliner, Flaming Lips, wasn’t exactly a pushover (though Maha seems to have gotten the Lips during an era when they are producing their most depressing, uninspired music).

Maha also posted their official schedule yesterday. The Both at 4:30? I would have pushed that back to 8:50 (I know people who are coming only to Aimee Mann and Ted Leo together), but who knows what drives these decisions?

On the other hand, if they really wanted to be ballsy and get people in the park all day, have one of the nationals go on at 1. I know, I know, that just isn’t done, but it sure would raise the crowd level for the locals who have the early slots. It’ll be a shame if Domestica is playing to an empty field.

Here’s the schedule:

* * *

Lots of shows going on this weekend.

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson it’s the debut of Nightbird, a new trio fronted by Filter Kings’ Gerald Lee Meyerpeter. Joining him is Scott Zimmerman on drums and Jeff Harder on bass. Lee said expect heavy, hard rock bordering on ’70s sludge with a distinct stoner vibe. Bring your earplugs. Also on the card is Old Bones (Rymo lives) and headliner Civicminded. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight right down the street at The Waiting Room, it’s ’90s indie-rock instrumentalists Man or Astro-Man? with Portland rockabilly act Sallie Ford. $15, 9 p.m.

The Barley Street is hosting a Bob Dylan tribute tonight with a handful of locals playing their favorite Dylan tunes. $5, 9 p.m.

And lest we forget fabulous O’Leaver’s, where tonight they’ve got Two Shakes, The Broke Loose and Naked Sunday. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) the marquee event is, of course, Sara Bertuldo’s birthday party at The Waiting Room. The celebration includes a performance by Sara’s band, See Through Dresses; the debut of the reformatted Little Brazil (read the deets on the new line-up here

) and headliners Ladyfinger. Huge. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tomorrow night, The Derby Birds play at O’Leaver’s with difficult-to-pronounce bands Illium and Ojai. $5, 9 p.m.

Aaaand… Start your Saturday off early at The Slowdown, where it’s time once again for the Omaha Girls Rock! showcase. This is the fourth year for the event, with proceeds going to support the Omaha Girls Rock! project (find out more). One of the funnest shows of the year and a chance to see tomorrow’s stars today! Show starts at 5:30, $5 (but you can add more if you want).

That’s what I got. If I left anything out, put it in the comments section. Have a good 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Little Brazil circa now, from left, are Landon Hedges, Danny Maxwell, Mike Friedman and Matt Bowen. Photo by Zach Hollowell.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s heating up for Saturday night’s big local slow at The Waiting Room. When was the last time you saw Ladyfinger? You’ve got See Through Dresses, who are blowing up (and it’s Sara’s birthday party). And then there’s Little Brazil…

In this week’s column, Landon Hedges and Danny Maxwell introduce us to the newest players in one of Omaha’s better-known indie bands. You can read it in the pages of the just-dropped issue of The Reader

or online right here. The new line-up will debut a handful of new Little Brazil songs at Saturday night’s show. Clear your calendar.

* * *

One of the longer and more detailed interviews with Conor Oberst went online yesterday at American Songwriter. Oberst talks about his writing process, his influences and life in the fish bowl. It’s an interesting read. Take a look.

* * *

I’m still trying to figure out the relevance of the “Fair Digital Deals Declaration” that was signed by 700 indie labels, and reported throughout the internet yesterday, including this concise Rolling Stone article.

The declaration (online in its entirety here) basically states that the signing labels aren’t going to screw their artists or make under-the-counter deals with streaming services that cut artists out of whatever payout the labels receive. It’s all about “transparency.” Saddle Creek is among those signing the manifesto. While this is all nice and good, hasn’t this sort of transparency been standard operating practice for most indie labels to begin with? What is the expected outcome of this declaration? And do the major labels, Spotify and YouTube (who one could argue are all in cahoots) give a shit?

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, one of he more talked-about local indie outfits is headlining at The Waiting Room: M34n Str33t. If you haven’t heard their latest, Mutants of Omaha, you can check it out below and download the mofo. Opening is the punk chaos of Worried Mothers, who I haven’t seen perform outside of O’Leaver’s. Could be very weird indeed. Also on the bill is Articulate/Deejay CMB & Coaxed. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Lincoln post-punkers Tie These Hands opens for Prawn at Slowdown Jr. Lot Walks also is on the bill. $10, 9 p.m.

* * *

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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room, July 15, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I was converted at the Church of Andrew Jackson Jihad last night. I came in not knowing much about the band other than what I briefly heard off the interweb. My initial comparisons were pretty straight on, though I missed the band’s biggest resemblance (or influence): The Mountain Goats.

Frontman Sean Bonnette is a desperate, anxious, scared version of John Darnielle singing not about some mythic, drunken aging couple but (presumably) about a loser/loner celebrating a loneliness that the 150+ crowd at The Waiting Room last night could identify with and revel in. It was, indeed, a party atmosphere that (based on the band’s comments from stage) almost got out of hand.

On recordings, AJJ is a lyrically driven acoustic-powered dynamo. They ramp up their sound live with plenty (too much) low end, plus electric guitar and keyboard, turning into something that more closely resembles Decemberists. Unlike Mountain Goats’ galloping 3/4 time shanties, AJJ’s ballads are straight-four rattlers that earn them their folk-punk designation. The wooden-sounding cello gave a handful of songs an earthy flair.

Frontman Bonnette is a friendly muppet confessing to every vice and ill life has thrown at him with a smile and perfect enunciation. This would just be another run-of-the-mill indie folk band if you couldn’t understand every word of his clever, joyful confessions. And it was fun watching a guy standing alone well back from the stage mouth every word to every song.

No doubt these celebrations of despair meant something wholly different to a newer generation. The young-ish crowd on hand last night (I recognized no one except the TWR staff) responded to the dark elegies with an unbridled YOLO-ish spirit. Despair, I spit in your face!  Isolated slam-dancing, crowd-surfing and synchronized crowd sway were the norm.

My reaction as someone old enough to be their father was slightly different. Pained lyrics like, “Love what you can ’til it dies / Then let it lie, let it fly away” hit a little too close to home, and I found myself more bummed and introspective than when I listen to the usual punk-rock fist-pumpers. All I could think of while I was watching the happy spectacle during songs like “Heartilation,” with lines like “Sometimes I get so lonesome I can’t breathe / Sometimes I get so scared I can’t speak,” was Go ahead and laugh, for as HST used to say, it’s later than you think.

Great show, great band.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room LA band Bad Suns (Vagrant) with Colony House (Descendant Records). $10, 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Andrew Jackson Jihad plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What can I say, this is a late one because I couldn’t write over my lunch hour. Look, you haven’t made your evening plans yet anyway, unless you’re headed to Lincoln for the plethora of shows happening there.

Let’s focus on what’s happening right here in O-town tonight. First on my list is Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room. The Phoenix acoustic folk-punk band has been around for a decade and just released its fifth album (on SideOneDummy) Christmas Island. Their nefarious sound is a cross between Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants and Titus Andronicus. Check them out below. Opening is Hard Girls & Dogbreth. $15, early 8 p.m. start time.

Meanwhile, over at the Sweatshop Gallery, golden slacker rockers Amen Dunes headlines. The band has a new record out on Sacred Bones, Love

, that sounds like it was cut from the same cloth as records by Kurt Vile. Great stuff. Joining them is the groovy psych-rock of Axxa/Abraxas (Captured Tracks). Opening is Caravat featuring David Ozinga and Teal Gardner of UUVVWWZ and Andrew of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship. Huge. $7, 9 p.m.

Figure out a way to hit up both shows. I’m not sure what that “way” would be, but seriously…

Also tonight in Benson, Viva La Vinyl is happening at The Barley Street Tavern. Stop in, it’s free.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Dick Dale circa 1998. The King of Surf Rock plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Like Bono a few years back, the Berkshires apparently gave Paul McCartney a tour of Dundee yesterday evening, or at least took him to Avoli for dinner and eCreamery for dessert. The OWH has the details, here.

Funny how when these celebs show up with Susie and Warren in Dundee, the social channels explode as if the great unwashed had been visited by an alien life form instead of a rock star, a strange other-worldly creature who’s come down to observe life in rural Nebraska by strolling through the petri dish at the corner of Underwood Ave. and 50th St.

Imagine if “Sir Paul” had instead been taken by black limo to fabulous O’Leaver’s to witness some red hot sand-volleyball action. He could have slipped off his loafers, rolled up his pants and spiked a few for the locals. Afterward, he could have plugged in and played some old Beatles tunes on the world famous O’Leaver’s stage before stretching out in the smoking patio with a PRB alongside Warren, Susie and the usual O’Leaver’s suspects. Talk about your alien life forms…

* * *

Other than overhearing The Fishheads at the Omaha Brewers Barbecue Saturday evening behind Beertopia, I caught zero music this weekend. Bah!

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s surf-guitar legend Dick Dale. As with all the other times he’s visited our fair city, I now link you to my Dick Dale interview from 1998. Dick was a mere 61 back then. He’s 77 now and still going strong. Opening is local surf heroes Huge Fucking Waves. $25, 8 p.m.

And if you’re in Lincoln, Paul McCartney is playing at The Pinnacle Arena tonight. Tix range from $29 to $253.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That Scott Severin gig I mentioned in my column a couple weeks ago… turns out it will be the last show ever at Venue 51.

Sevs tells me the club has decided to close its doors and that the July 18 show will be the grand finale. Located at 1951 St. Mary’s Ave., the venue only opened last year. Sevs tells me the place is actually closed right now and won’t open again until that show on the 18th, even though their online calendar shows bookings through August and there’s no mention of their closing on their Facebook page (though the last timeline entry was June 28).

I have to admit to never stepping foot in the club, mainly because it never booked the kind of music I listen to. Actually, it rarely booked bands I’ve even heard of.

Severin is just one of the performers playing the July 18 “last waltz.” Joining him will be touring artist Melissa Greener, and local singer/songwriters Michael Campbell, Pat Gehrman and Logan Krug. Event info here. 

* * *

Speaking of upcoming shows, if you missed The Everymen last Sunday (read about them here) fret not, as the band is headed back (to O’Leaver’s again, no less) Aug. 18.

* * *

Paul Hansen of Pro-Magnum wrote to let me know that this Saturday night’s Pro-Mangnum show at fabulous O’Leaver’s is going to be his ad hoc bon voyage party. I’ll let him tell you:

“We are playing with Maps for Travelers. More importantly, from a personal standpoint, this is my last show with the band as I’m leaving Omaha to start graduate studies in Louisiana. Before I depart we are doing this last show and going back into ARC to finish our record with Ben Brodin.  Even more importantly, it’s a Saturday in July and everything pretty much sucks.  To quell the suckiness we are setting up a hot dog/brat bar before the show. $5 bucks gets you into the gig while a handshake and a smile gets you unlimited hot dog access (none of that Kroger brand bullshit either, we are talking Just Good Meats). Yet even more exciting is that we will have a fuck-ton of different toppings to load your dog and or bratwurst with. 

In summation:

Show purpose: Funds for recording.

Why I care: Last show, sentimental, leaving a drunken community I have enjoyed being apart of.

Why anyone else should care: The hot-dog bar

But why would we buy mass quantities of hot-dogs and or brats if we are trying to save, not spend money? Sometimes, Tim, money isn’t an object and the hot dog wins.”

This one will be insane. $5, 9 p.m. Hot dogs. Pro-Magnum. O’Leaver’s. You summer has just been made.

* * *

Sunday night Ceremony (Matador Records) returns to Slowdown Jr. Opening is Angel Dust and Forced Order. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile over at The Waiting Room Sunday night, Bon Iver member S. Carey plays at The Waiting Room with The Pines. $12, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed anything, put it in the comments section. Have a good 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Screenwriter of Jurassic Park III, Alexander Payne, is among those who will be on hand for tonight’s Chuck Hassebrook fundraiser. Hey Al, just playin’ with ya, Mr. Oscar…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s a couple shows happening tonight scheduled in such a way that you should be able to hit up both of them.

Show No. 1 is Orenda Fink at The Slowdown. The gig is a campaign fund-raiser for Chuck Hassebrook, who’s running for Nebraska governor against Pete Ricketts.

The lowest entry price-point for this show was $50, but organizers repriced general admission tickets to a mere $15. Also on hand will be screenwriter of Jurassic Park III (and director of a few movies, including About Schmidt and The Descendents) Alexander Payne.

Opening for Orenda are The WordSmiths (?) and McCarthy Trenching. Look, it’s a good opportunity to do what you can to keep Ricketts out of office while getting some quality music to boot. You can give more than $15 if you wanna. Donations range right on up to $2,500, Mr. Moneybags.

Get your tickets here. The program runs from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight.

That means you’ll have plenty of time to get across town to The Waiting Room, where The Hold Steady will be playing tonight. I can take or leave ol’ Craig Finn and Co., but have to admit it’ll be a treat to see them on TWR stage, and surprisingly, this one has yet to sell out. Opening is the Josh Berwanger Band (He’s the dude from Lawrence band The Anniversary and The Only Children). This is nice-priced at $18. Show starts at 9.

* * *

Check out the new video by The Faint for “Scapegoat” off SQE release Doom Abuse. What dungeon basement was this shot at?

* * *

Also released yesterday, the title track off Jenny Lewis’ upcoming album The Voyager. Check it below. Lewis is booked to play the Slowdown Aug. 4, by the way…

* * *

While I’m cleaning out the ice-box, here’s the latest track from Saddle Creek band Rural Alberta Advantage. Their new one, Mended with Gold

, comes out Sept. 30 on the Creek.

* * *

This is connected to nothing local, I just wanted to pass along that I’ve been digging the new album by Strand of Oaks, HEAL (Dead Ocean). I’ve been looking for the vinyl in Omaha, and of course, no one has it. This one is on my shortlist for the first half of 2014. For you Spotify-ers out there:

* * *

In this week’s column, what happens when a top music PR flack (Catherine Herrick of Beggars Group) turns her back on the business and hits the road with her band? You can read it in the current issue of The Reader or online right here.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Zepparella at The Waiting Room, July 8, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The problem with any Led Zeppelin tribute performance is that — in the mind of a hardcore fan — every riff, every nuance, every musical cue has been permanently ingrained. I’ve been listening to those Zeppelin records for nearly 30 years. And as such, there are things I’ve come to expect when listening to a band try to perform those songs, no matter how attractive the performers are.

And when the riff, the nuance, the cue is missed, mangled or glossed over, well, it does not go unnoticed. Thus it was last night at Zepparella at The Waiting Room. Four young-ish ladies playing the hits we’ve come to know and love. And while they were fun to watch, they missed the mark musically more than they hit it, whether it was singing verses in the wrong key, mangling a central riff or re-imagining a solo or vocal phrase.

On the plus side was the rhythm section. Lots of people were there to see the drummer, Clementine, who has family here in Omaha and has a personal connection to local legend Tim Moss (Ritual Device, Porn). While her drumming wasn’t as thick and throaty as Bonham’s (and whose is?) she respectfully captured the essence of his style. I’m sure she made her family proud.

Bassist Angeline Saris also was impressive in the John Paul Jones role, sticking tightly with Clementine, keeping the bottom intact during some rather loose moments. Frontwoman Noelle Doughty sounded like Nancy Wilson aping Robert Plant, while Gretchen Menn took the biggest liberties with Page’s work, inventing riffs where recognized standards belonged.

Only the most fearsome Zep nerd would make the above comments, especially considering the crowd of 100+ didn’t seem to mind the skipped notes during the slide guitar part on “In My Time of Dying” or the strange vocal take on “Immigrant Song.” They were too busy grooving, or in the case of the table of fat middle aged guys behind me in Tommy Bahama-wear, too busy yelling not-so-clever one-liners at the band like, “You can squeeze my lemon.” Har-har.

Maybe the rust and the band’s lack of energy had to do with this being only the third date on a tour that runs into August. I made it to “Moby Dick” then hit the road, listening to the remastered Zeppelin II recording in my car on the way home.

* * *

Well, the Nielsen Mid-Year 2014 sales report is out and it continues to look bleak for traditional album sales. For the first six months of the year, album sales were down 14.9 percent vs. the same period last year. Total album sales (CDs, cassettes, LPs, and digital albums) were 120.9 million, vs. 142 million last year through June.

Meanwhile, vinyl sales grew a whopping 40.4 percent to 4 million (vs. 2.9 million through June 2013). Yeah, I know 4 million ain’t squat, but at least the number is growing.

The most disheartening fact in the Nielsen report (other than the top 10) is that on-demand audio streams rose an amazing 50.1 percent in the first six months of 2014 to just over 70 billion songs . Holy Spotify.

For you vinyl fans, here’s the vinyl chart for the first six months of 2014:

— Jack White, Lazaretto, 49,100 units
— Arctic Monkeys, AM, 25,100
— Beck, Morning Phase, 21,300
— Black Keys, Turn Blue, 21,000
— Lana Del Rey, Born to Die, 16,500
— Bob Marley/Wailers, Legend, 13,000
— Beatles, Abbey Road, 12,600
— Lorde, Pure Heroine, 12,400
— Mac Demarco, Salad Days, 11,900
— St. Vincent, St. Vincent, 11,400NCENT 11400

And if you’re still bummed about the music industry’s downward spiral, just read Tayler Swift’s Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal (here). Taylor would like to point out:

“…people are still buying albums, but now they’re buying just a few of them. They are buying only the ones that hit them like an arrow through the heart or have made them feel strong or allowed them to feel like they really aren’t alone in feeling so alone. It isn’t as easy today as it was 20 years ago to have a multiplatinum-selling album, and as artists, that should challenge and motivate us.”

So there. Get challenged, rockers!

* * *

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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.