Solid Goldberg from May 2011. He’s playing tonight at The Brother’s Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Former Nebraska resident now Cali-dude Jake Bellows snagged a sweet opening slot on the Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s tour, which comes to Omaha and The Slowdown May 11. Margot’s solid fan base will get more ears behind Jake’s latest album, New Ocean, released on Saddle Creek late last year.

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It was pointed out to me yesterday that The Faint’s new record already is available on vinyl. Pick up a copy at Homer’s.

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There’s a lot going on tonight…

Over at The Brothers Lounge Omaha legend Solid Goldberg a.k.a. Dave Goldberg headlines a show with KC band Burial Teens, who call their genre of music “Head-Wave.” It’s some heavy shit. Opening is the always entertaining Killer Blow. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight down the street at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s Nashville band Roman Polanski’s Baby, which sound guy Ian says are “so f***ing good.” Don’t make me wash your mouth out with soap, Ian. Also on the bill is Manic Pixie Dream Girls and Megajoos. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Blue Bird headlines a show at The Barley Street Tavern with Buffalo Rodeo (Bowling Green, KY) and Township & Range. $5, 9 p.m.

And finally, Film Streams’ Hitchcock 9 Silents in Concert Repertory Series continues tonight. It features the silent films of Alfred Hitchcock brought to life sonically by live musicians. Tonight it’s the 1927 film The Lodger featuring live music by The Ghost Collective, headed by Simon Joyner.

Says Simon: “The band is made up of Mike Friedman, Megan Siebe, Kevin Donahue, myself, and my friend Michael Krassner who produced and played on all my records from Yesterday Tomorrow and In Between to Out Into the Snow. He flew in from Phoenix just for this.”

Tickets are $12 general; $10 students and $8 for Film Streams members. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Find out more here. Should be special.

* * *

Speaking of Film Streams, I give it a shout out in this week’s column, which talks about how television and living rooms are winning out over motion pictures and theaters. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online at thereader.com 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Faint, Doom Abuse (2014, SQE) is out April 8.

The Faint’s promo company, Big Hassle, is distributing the band’s new album, Doom Abuse, to various and sundry journalists, including yours truly. It’s good. In fact, it’s Blank-Wave-Arcade good.

“Evil Voices” was the record’s first wait-what-the-f***-is-this? moment. It has my vote for first single, though I guess “Help in the Head” has that honor as it’s being premiered on NPR right now (here) with the laser-site-paranoia video for the song up at Pitchfork (here

).

“Loss of Head” was another a-ha moment; it sounds like a radio track. As straight-forward as The Faint has ever been.

Another song that raised an eyebrow was album-closer “Damage Control,” which takes the song “B12” by Shawn Foree project Mere Mortals and adds different lyrics and synth textures. There is no mistaking that amazing synth hook at the front end. Foree, who fronts Digital Leather, said he co-wrote “Damage Control” with Faint frontman Todd Fink, who also plays synths in Digital Leather. Needless to say, it’s another highlight in an album filled with them.

As a whole, the record is more immediate than any previous Faint record — and by that I mean there is a no-nonsense, straight-forward approach to each track. I read the band got in and got out quickly on this one — no fucking around, no over-thinking — and it sounds like it. You’ll find out for yourself when the album is released April 8 on SQE Records, though I have no doubt it’ll leak in its entirety before then on NPR or Huffington or some other mega-website (Hey, why not leak it on Lazy-i and give my core 300 readers a head start?).

BTW, once this record gets around, that June 13 Faint show at Sokol Auditorium will sell out. You may want to beat the stampede and buy your tickets now

.

* * *

After a rather dull 2013 this has been a very solid first quarter of new music. For those of you wondering where the quarterly wrap-up is, I’m working on it now. Album reviews are easily the hardest thing to write — harder than interviews, features or live reviews. Stay tuned.

* * *

There’s a benefit going on tonight at The Pizza Shoppe in Benson for Food Bank for the Heartland. Featured performer is John Klemmensen and The Party. The music starts at 6 p.m. and there’s no cover, though 10 percent of your food purchases will go to cover the food bank’s administration costs. More info here.  Go ahead, eat pizza.

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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.

The Gardenheads at O’Leaver’s, March 22, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I think there maybe was six people in the audience when The Gardenheads played at The Barley Street last year, and only two at the end of their set. The show was the same night (I think) as Real Estate down at Slowdown, and the Beatseekers opened and then promptly took their audience with them when they left.

Needless to say, there was a lot more on hand to see The Gardenheads Saturday night at O’Leaver’s, and for the most part, the band pulled it off, though I don’t remember their music sounding quite so…twangy. Their set was definitely more southern-fried than what you can hear on their record  — which can be a tough sell for O’Leaver’s garage-loving audience. Still, they did it well, playing the best songs off their current album along with a few rural-flavored oldies.

They capped it off with ball-busting set closer “Fucked Up Kids” which featured a drum solo followed by the drummer smashing his kit. Big finish indeed.

I knew what to expect with those guys; I had no idea who John Larsen was, and was knocked out by his solo guitar work. Do you call that a “touch technique” or “high fretboard strumming”? Whatever it was, it was amazing in its rhythmic virtuosity. A harmonica player sat in on a couple songs, giving the set more weight. I’ve been told that Larsen hasn’t been playing guitar that long, which I guess makes him kind of a genius. Check him out next time he time he plays.

* * *

It’s a very special engagement tonight at Pageturners as Son Ambulance performs. Joe Knapp and Co. did a bang-up job at a sort of reunion show this past January (review here). I expect more of the same tonight. Opening is Andrew Ancona of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship. Show starts at 9:30 and is free.

* * *

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.

The Gardenheads play O’Leaver’s Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight’s show at The Sweatshop Gallery features three bands that just played at South By Southwest. Headliner Speedy Ortiz is coming off a big splash with last year’s Major Arcana (2013, Carpark) and brand new EP Real Hair (Carpark). They must have played a dozen times in Austin last week, and I missed every performance. No strangers to Omaha, they usually play at the Farman St. house. Opening is Digital Leather returning from their own SXSW tour along with Boston band Pile. This $10 show should be a mob scene. Starts at 9.

Also tonight, Dereck Higgins celebrates the release of his new self-released album, Flyover, at the Carver Bank. The album’s music was written for or inspired by Jim Fields’ feature motion picture Flyover Country. Also performing is singer/songwriter Greg Hand. The show starts at 7 at Carver Bank, 2416 Lake Street. More info here.

Meanwhile, local hardcore supergroup Old Bones (ex-Split Second, 8th Wave, Race for Titles) is headlining tonight at fabulous O’Leavers. Timecat and Goon Saloon also are on the bill. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) O’Leaver’s hosts Springfield, Missouri band The Gardenheads. You first read about them here, where I described their most recent album, Growing Season, this way: “Maybe it was because I’d just seen the Big Star movie, Nothing Can Hurt Me, but the band’s music recalled Chilton, Bell and Co. The Beatles also came to mind, as did Matthew Sweet and The dBs and Wilco and the finer pop moments from the Titan! label.”

Yeah, I like their record. Check it out in its entirety below (skip to track 1). I saw them play to six people at Barley Street Tavern last year. Let’s see what they can bring to O’Leaver’s Saturday night. Headlining is Those Far Out Arrows. John Larsen also is on the bill. $5, 9:30 p.m.

* * *

By the way, Bank of the West announced this year’s “Independence Day” Memorial Park concert line-up. It’s a real “must-miss” event with Blues Traveler, Sugar Ray, Uncle Kracker and Smash Mouth. Really, really bad. Book your travel out of the Dundee area June 27.

* * *

Uh, 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.

Conchance performs tonight at The Slowdown.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The final word on this year’s South By Southwest conference/festival in this week’s issue of The Reader. It includes summaries of my favorite performances from Coachwhips, Protomartyr, Future Islands, Twinsmith, Eros and the Eschaton, Destruction Unit, Eagulls, Mark Kozelek and more. Check it out in the printed edition, which also includes a ton o’ pics by yours truly. You can also read it online at thereader.com right here.

The Reader‘s coverage also includes Chris Aponick’s take on SXSW’s sights, sounds and smells (Over the course of the week, I smelled dope smoke more often than cigarette smoke. Have they legalized it in Austin already?). Chris spent a lot of time at Beerland (as he always does), and also gives his perspective on Trust, Perfume Genius, Coachwhips, Charli XCX, Perfect Pussy, Burger Records and more. It’s online here

.

Over the past few days I’ve been reading a lot of SXSW dissing, mostly by people who have never been there. Fine. I get that you don’t need to take a bite out of a shit sandwich to know it tastes bad (probably). And anyone who tells you SXSW is anything more than an industry boondoggle is feeding you some of the above. That said, if you go to SXSW simply to listen to music, you’d have to try pretty hard not to have fun.

As for performers/bands, well, my heart goes out to them. It’s expensive and it’s a hassle — there’s nothing like seeing a very tired-looking band hump gear through the 6th Street chaos. And then wonder if the cost/hassle was worth it. Most bands I’ve interviewed who have gone to SXSW told me nothing ever came of their performance. I think if you’re only playing once during the festival, you’ll be overlooked. The bands that make the biggest mark — that get noticed — play at least eight times during the week. Fans/journalists/industry gimps are bound to notice your name when it shows up over and over on the SXSW master schedule — and then wonder “Who the hell are these guys?” But if you’re in a brand new band, the chances of getting multiple showcases/sets during SXSW are slim and none.

Dan Scheuerman of Deleted Scenes posted an honest perspective at Hear Nebraska that’s worth your attention (read it here). His summary, “..only a statistically insignificant percentage of bands who play SXSW get discovered, and for the rest, it’s just a good excuse to hang out and enjoy a little bit of springtime before anyone else.” No doubt.

Now that should be the last word on SXSW 2014…

* * *

Super-indie consortium Independent Distribution Cooperative (IDC), which consists of Saddle Creek Records, Merge, Beggers, Domino and Secretly Canadian, resigned a physical distribution deal with Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), according to this Billboard.com article.

ADA is an arm of Warner Music Group. According to the article, “As part of the deal, ADA will continue to provide physical distribution services to major brick-and-mortar chain accounts for the consortium of labels and their distributed labels too. ADA will also sell select indie accounts on a non-exclusive basis, meaning that the labels can also sell directly to indie accounts too.”

The rather convoluted article also mentions that IDC has negotiated for digital distribution, but isn’t clear what that means for the labels. The take-away for me is that these indies continue to work together to keep their product stocked in your local record stores. Wonder what they could accomplish if all five labels merged into one major label?

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Film Streams’ Hitchcock 9 Silents in Concert Repertory Series continues tonight. It features the silent films of Alfred Hitchcock brought to life sonically by live musicians. Tonight it’s the 1927 film The Ring featuring live music by Alex McManus (The Bruces), Aaron Markley and Daniel Ocanto. Tickets are $12 general; $10 students and $8 for Film Streams members. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Find out more here. If you haven’t been to one of these, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Also tonight, Conchance and Rock Paper Dynamite perform at the Rock Enroll showcase at The Slowdown. The free event will provide information about how to get health insurance coverage as the March 31 deadline looms. Music starts at 9.

* * *

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.

Only a few tickets left to the April 20 Richard Buckner Living Room Concert…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

If you haven’t already bought your ticket to the Richard Buckner Living Room Concert, to be held at one of the Omaha’s finer homes April 20, you better hurry. There are only four tickets left at Undertow Tickets (right here). Just $20 to have an indie legend serenade you in someone’s living room.

And in case you were wondering, the Tim Kasher Omaha Living Concert next Monday is sold out.

These living room tours are getting pretty popular. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, David Bazan, Vandaveer, Will Johnson (of Centro-Matic) and Rocky Votolato are all on the road playing living rooms across America (Simon Joyner just wrapped up his living room tour). Is this the new touring business model for mid-tier singer-songwriters?

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There’s a humdinger of a show going on tonight at Slowdown Jr. The Entrance Band is headlining with La Luz and Millions of Boys. Here’s the Lazy-i review from the September 2009 Entrance Band show at Slowdown Jr.

I didn’t know anything about The Entrance Band before last night. I found out while talking to one of the few patrons before their set that the band consists of frontman Guy Blakeslee, who’s past bands include The Convocation Of…, and Paz Lachantin — who in addition to being super-model attractive in her 5-inch high heels is something of a legend who can count among her former bands A Perfect Circle, Zwan and The Chelsea — a band with Melissa Auf de Maur. Lachantin also played on albums by Queens of the Stone Age, Jenny Lewis, Jarboe (of Swans) and many more. It seemed like more people were at the show for The Entrance Band than Amazing Baby.

As it turned out, their set was just as riveting as Amazing Baby’s set. The trio played a blistering — but short — set of psychedelic burn-out music that screamed, thanks to Blakeslee’s unreal guitar histrionics and Lachantin strutting around like a Bryant Park amazon holding the entire set together with her bass work.

$10, 9 p.m., Slowdown Jr. Go!

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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.

Lizzo plays at The Waiting Room tonight…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The notable news about tonight’s line-up at The Waiting Room is that the opener is named Darren Keen. Not Touch People; not The Show Is the Rainbow, just Darren Keen.

“I am just releasing all my solo music as ‘Darren Keen’ now, and have a whole new set of really future, footwork influenced dance music,” Keen wrote, adding that he also recently completed a remix for The Faint. He had other news, too, but I can’t tell you what it is, yet.

So go to The Waiting Room tonight and welcome Darren Keen to the stage. He’s opening for Minneapolis indie hip-hop artist Lizzo a.k.a. Melissa Jefferson. the founding member of hip-hop groups The Chalice, Grrrl Prty and The Clerb. Also on the bill is fellow Twin Cities band Marijuana Deathsquads, who are on the road supporting their latest, Oh My Sexy Lord

, released last year by Memphis Industries. $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.

Fat Whites are playing at Sweatshop Gallery tonight with Skeleton Man and Sam Martin…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The final entry of my SXSW coverage went online at thereader.com yesterday. You can read it right here.

It features Cate Le Bon, Protomartyr, EMA, Angel Olson, Eros & the Eschaton, Urge Overkill and Mark Kozelek.

For those who missed the earlier posts, here they are, in order:

SXSW Day 1 – John Moreland, Deerpeople, Boyfrndz, Sour Notes, Those Howlings…

SXSW Day 2- Tragedy on Red River; Protomartyr, Coachwhips, Destruction Unit, Twinsmith, Kurt Vile…

SXSW Day 3 – Eagulls, Future Islands, Jeremy Messersmith, Total Bathing Culture, Classixx…

SXSW Day 4 – Cate Le Bon, EMA, Angel Olsen, Urge Overkill, Eros & The Eschaton and Mark Kozelek…

As for the photos from SXSW, simply scroll down and see all four days worth of images, posted on Lazy-i.com.

It’s good to be back in Omaha.

Throughout the festival, there was a lot of talk about the “commercialization” of SXSW, specifically centered around the exclusive showcases for mainstream acts like Lady Ga Ga and various hip-hop icons. There may be truth to the claims, but I couldn’t tell you because I don’t go to SXSW to see mainstream pop stars. SXSW didn’t feel much different than the first time I went in 2009. Same crowds, same chaos (except this year when a drunk murdered innocent bystanders).

For the first time ever I didn’t step foot in Mohawk or Stubb’s during the entire festival. Mohawk was beset with marathon-long lines every time I walked past it. As was Stubb’s, though to be honest, Stubb’s is a lousy place to see a band at SXSW — it’s hard to get anywhere near the stage unless you show up hours in advance, and who wants to waste an afternoon waiting in line outside of Stubb’s?

Another criticism thrown at SXSW is that it no longer has the ability to break an unknown independent band. But did it ever? Most bands that perform in Austin already have label deals and have done moderate touring or else they wouldn’t have been selected by the SXSW star chamber selection committee. It is what it is. As Mark Kozelek said during his set last Friday night, there are two types of bands who come to SXSW: The ones that are thrilled to be there, and the one’s that can’t figure out how they got talked into coming back. I saw plenty of both…

Will I be coming back next year? I’m not as certain as I was when I returned from Austin in 2012. The whole routine is beginning to grow old. And the festival itself seems to be flattening out. As we drove to the Austin airport, our cab driver told me he thought there were a lot fewer people in Austin this year than last year, for both the Music and the Interactive conferences. Maybe it’s time SXSW got back to its roots, though I doubt that’ll happen.

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I’ll be enjoying a pint of Guinness at The Dubliner this afternoon. You should join me.

As for music, the Sweatshop Gallery will be hosting London’s Fat Whites tonight. Joining them is Skeleton Man,  Telepathy Problems. and Sam Martin. $5, 10 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

STOP: First read the Day 4 South by Southwest summary/diary online at thereader.com.

All done? Then please enjoy these photos from the Day 4 events…

Cate Le Bon on the Waterloo Records stage March 14, 2014.

* * *

We stuck around for a second dose of Protomartyr.

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Caulfield Records represent!

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The legendary Urge Overkill at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room.

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EMA captivated the fans in the pews at Central Presbyterian Church.

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online pharmacy purchase imuran online generic

Angel Olsen’s country twang was that much more heavenly…

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Destruction Unit at Red 7 Patio. Brutal, loud, angry.

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Eros and the Eschaton brought the drone to Valhalla.

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Mark Kozelek closed out my SXSW 2014 with a dream-like performance back at Central Presbyterian Church.

Check back later for a link to the summary, and pick up next week’s issue of The Reader for a recap of the entire week.

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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

Read my Day 3 SXSW recap/journal right now at thereader.com!!!

Now onto yesterday’s photos…

The Eagulls landed at French Legation Park for the Pitchfork Day Party. They were snarly lads.

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Not a lot of LOL-ing going on during Jerome LOL’s set (that lady ain’t Jerome, btw)…

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No home runs for this Mark McGuire.

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Future Island’s Sam Herring in full shimmy mode.

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Classixx had the beats that kept people dancing.

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The endless mic check at massive Butler Park Stage at Lady Bird Lake.

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The Pi in the Sky planes circled all afternoon.

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Pure Bathing Culture at Hype Hotel.

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Nina Nesbitt at Swan Dive.

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The incomparable Jeremy Messersmith and his band were messer-merizing at Swan Dive.

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Happy Pi Day

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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.