by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

An update on yesterday’s post

about Matt Whipkey’s Penny Park Omaha NE: Summer of 1989 project: This morning Whipkey launched a Kickstarter program to help fund production of the double-vinyl album. His goal is to raise $4,000 in 30 days. As of this writing, he’s already almost a quarter of the way there.

“My initial skepticism for crowd funding has recently turned into pure enthusiasm,” Whipkey says on the site. “This is an exciting time for independent music, like a live performance there is now no barrier between artist and listener. Through Kickstarter, we remove the proverbial middleman who always holds things up. You and I are working together on this one, in concert. Quite frankly the idea of a double-gatefold, 150-gram vinyl double concept album about a long gone Midwestern amusement park in 1989 would make many labels immediately stop communicating.”

I’m sure it would. Check out the Kickstarter site and make a pledge.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s the return of Chicago-by-way-of-German industrial band KMFDM. Opening are Legion With and Chant. $25, 8 p.m.

By the way, I discovered from this review of KMFDM’s show in Milwaukee that the acronym stands for “Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid,” a grammatically incorrect German phrase meaning roughly “No Pity for the Majority,” and not, as the band has jokingly claimed on occasion, “Kill Motherfucking Depeche Mode.”

* * *

Tomorrow: Some very special news for fans of ’90s-era Omaha-based punk…

* * *

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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Bad weather (or the threat of if) kept me away from the bars all weekend. What month is it, anyway? March? March used to be “kite-flying month.” Not anymore. Thank you global climate change.

Over the weekend, Matt Whipkey launched his Penny Park Omaha, NE Summer 1989 project. For those too young to remember, there was this urban amusement park located where the Hy-Vee currently stands at 79th and Cass St. I always thought the park itself was kind of shitty, but the lagoon, well, that was special.

Anyway, it was called Peony Park, not Penny Park. But there were some legal questions tied around using the Peony Park name. Whipkey points out that the record isn’t specifically about the park but about a girl named Penny Park.

“Penny Park is a person. Peony was an amusement park. The former spent a great deal of time at the later. This is a record about a girl

,” says the mypennypark.com website.

As part of the recording project, Whipkey is asking people to send in their memories and photos of Peony Park. Those photos may be used in the album’s gatefold. We’re talking about a 21-song double vinyl album, folks. In fact, tomorrow, Whipkey will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its production.

For now, here are a couple recordings that will give you a flavor of the project:

Speaking of Kickstarter projects…

Outlaw Con Bandana is currently running a Kickstarter to help produce a new double-vinyl LP and writing collection.

“White Pariah is a micro publishing company started by four friends from Omaha, NE. The Ticks and Trips vinyl and writing collection will mark our first release. We’ve worked really hard to make sure this thing rules. The writing collection has a bunch of great prose, and poetry from Brendan as well as some old photos we had him dig up from the depths. The booklet also features lyrics to all 27 songs featured on the album, which we had fun making Brendan type up. We hope everyone loves sitting down and going through this thing.”

OCB is only trying to raise $1,000 and currently is at the $865 mark with four days to go. Go to his Kickstarter page and give him a hand.

About a month ago I told you about the Kickstarter campaign for Travelling Mercies’ Motel album. Well, according to that Kickstarter site

, the band has met it’s $4,000 goal (though the pledges listed don’t add up to $4,000 — I’m not sure how that works. Regardless, congratulations are in order).

Kickstarter is quickly becoming a accepted way for artists to “pre-sale” their albums, effectively funding their production and taking away a lot of the risk involved. For better or worse, it’s become a primary business model for independent musicians.

* * *

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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Tim Kasher and band at O’Leaver’s, March 21, 2013.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That dim line that divides Tim Kasher’s music projects got a little dimmer last night when the ol’ boy played at O’Leaver’s in front of a packed house with yet another new backing band.

This time Kasher, who spent the night behind electric guitar and microphone (vs. last night’s sold-out acoustic gig at O’Leaver’s) was backed by Sara Bertuldo (Millions of Boys) on bass and backing vocals, drummer Dillon Ryan (who played with Cursive on their last tour) and keyboardist Patrick Newbery (Cursive). Or maybe I should say “multi-keyboardist” as Newbery was surrounded by a tiger cage of no less than four keyboards (Bertuldo provided a fifth keyboard for good measure). More than anyone, Newbery has become Kasher’s creative right-hand man and ever-present collaborator, not only on this music, but in Cursive, and why not? He adds a colorful layer to everything Kasher does, whether on keyboards or trumpet. The two looked like they shared a psychic bond when they played as a duo during last night’s set.

Playing in front of a lot of familiar faces Kasher took the opportunity to roll out a number of new songs, a few he said had only previously been played for an audience of house pets. New songs ranged from garage-flavored psych-pop to New Wave-y rock (powered by Newbery’s wonky, wonderful synths) to the usual slow sad stuff (“This next one’s new, and it’s a bummer.”) to a triumphant, set-ending anthem. The new stuff was fun and hooky, among the more poppy stuff I’ve heard him play (and most varied), right up there with the most-tuneful of Good Life material, and a sharp contrast to his debut solo stuff (which for me, was colored in shades of anxious blue, underscoring its theme). Despite that, there was no stretching toward an obvious pop moment, like on Help Wanted Nights

. Some of that material resembled an artist searching for an infectious hook (“Heartbroke” comes to mind).

So here’s the thing: Kasher’s Monogamy

material was as intimate and personal as you’d expect from a solo outing. The new solo material feels less so. Maybe I’d have a different opinion had I been there Wednesday night when he was solo acoustic. With the band, it sounded like a different incarnation of The Good Life. In fact, they even played a few Good Life songs to make matters more muddled. When Kasher played a Cursive song — a trippy, dissonant solo version of “Sierra” — there was no confusing it with the original. Kasher helped draw a distinction between bands when he called Good Life drummer Roger Lewis to the “stage” to play three or four Good Life songs with him. No doubt his new material would fit more comfortably within The Good Life canon than as Cursive songs, which are more abrasive, sardonic (and apocalyptic) in tone than anything else Kasher does.

Also like past Good Life sets, Kasher was in a chatty mood last night, filling the set with lots o’ funny moments (He barely talked between songs during the last Cursive tour). He said he’s off to the studio next week to record the new material, conceivably in Chicago this time, where he now lives, though we all know he’ll always call Omaha home.

Opening the show were some of his new Chicago pals, the band Brighton MA, which has a distinctively indie rock sound that recalls acts like Wheat, The Walkmen, Spoon, and at times, The Good Life. If you’re into any of that — or just good guitar-fueled indie rock — check out their new album Oh Lost on Fast Plastic Records.

* * *

OK, so what do we have going on tonight and the rest of this weekend? It’s going to be busy. Let’s hope the weather doesn’t muck it up.

Hot show for tonight is the Benefit for the Community Bike Shop at Slowdown Jr. Your $7 cover will go toward building a permenant outdoor repair stand outside the shop, which is located at 525 North 33rd Street. The bands performing: Simon Joyner and the Ghosts, M33n Str33t, No I’m the Pilot and UUVVWWZ. Is there a Joyner song you’ve always wanted to hear performed live? Tonight’s your chance, as Joyner will take requests ahead of time from anyone who contributes $20 or more through the shop’s Paypal link on their website. Details here. Show starts at 9.

Also tonight, Lincoln band Plains is headlining a show at fabulous O’Leaver’s with Small Houses and Howard. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night’s centerpiece show is at the Sweatshop Gallery, which is quickly earning a rep as a new destination for rock shows. The line-up: Filter Kings, Solid Goldberg and Pleasure Adapter. It’s also the closing reception for artist Joe Damon. $5, 21+ (not sure why since it’s a gallery but probably because they’ll be serving booze). More info here.

Also Saturday night, ’80s indie band Soul Asylum plays at The Waiting Room with local heroes Landing on the Moon. $20/$25 DOS, 9 p.m.

Sunday night, dance band STRFKR (you remember their cover of Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”) play at The Waiting Room with Blackbird Blackbird. $13/$15 DOS 9 p.m.

And finally, also Sunday night, Delicate Steve returns to Slowdown Jr. with Twinsmith and The Dad. $10/$12 DOS. 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve seen a couple of these reviews in one format or another already (though they’ve been slightly altered). Bowie got nudged from the top spot on Billboard by Bon Jovi, which is a shame. Whether you like the new Bowie album or not, it’s hard not to root for him. I didn’t mention the new Low because I only got it yesterday. It’s a return to form for the Duluth trio. I’d love to get them back to Omaha somehow. The surprise among the Honorable Mentions is the Hookworms album, which is real steamroller of a record — grinding psychedelic throb rock, entrancing, Find it.

OTE53: The Quarterly Music Roundup, Brought to You in Spotify

Time for the usual roundup of what I’ve been listening to, this time stretching back to the beginning of the year. And for your information, all of it is available right now via Spotify.

Iím not trying to endorse the service, which is systematically fleecing just about everyone involved in the music industry. I’m just letting you know how I’ve come across the music, and it’s a lot different than it was in “the good old days.”

There was a time about five years ago when I received five or six manila envelopes per week in the mail loaded with promotional CDs. Today, I get about one CD a month (and it almost always sucks).

Instead of CDs, record labels now ìserviceî critics electronically. That means sending us emails with super-secret passwords that allow us to download albums from highly secured ìpress onlyî websites. To be honest, I prefer the downloads to cluttering up my office with CDs, even though I canít trade mp3s for store credit at Homer’s.

But lately even those download codes are drying up. Maybe itís because I’m writing less and less about music in these pages, or because record labels now simply streaming full albums via music websites prior to official street release.

Or maybe itís Spotify, where one can find every new album streamed on its release date. Make that “almost every new album,” because not everything is on Spotify, or even available online. Which explains why there’s no review of the new My Bloody Valentine album, titled m b v, below. Not only is it not in Spotify, it’s not on iTunes or available as a free stream anywhere. If you want to hear the new MBV, youíre gonna have to pay for it, kids, just like we all used to do.

Now, onto the reviews:

David Bowie, The Next Day — Some records take time to “sink in,” but how much time do you give? If itís David Bowie, you give it all the time it needs, I suppose. But after listening to this one off and on for about a week, I’m still struggling to find anything that stands out as being “essential,” or for that matter, memorable. Highlights “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” and “(You Will) Set the World on Fire” are as close to straight-up rock as you’re likely to get from the once-Thin White Duke, and are indeed good, if not safe. The foggy, fuzzy, melancholy ballad “Where Are We Now?” is comfortably attractive. The rest of it feels by the numbers, if not slightly dated; functional, but sung well by a voice we all love (and miss). Maybe thatís all weíll ever get from now on, or all we need, or maybe I just haven’t given it enough time.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away — As with most of his recordings, Cave is perversely dramatic in his singing/speaking, as if telling dark lies at midnight, which by the way, is the best time to listen to this record. The centerpiece, “Jubilee Street,” starts with a quiet repeated guitar line and Cave’s weird story about a street hustler named Bea. It builds slowly over six and a half minutes to a massive crescendo reminiscent of the best moments from the Kadane Brothers — the guys behind classic bands Bedhead and The New Year. But instead of Matt Kadaneís droll, monotone vocal delivery you get Cave at his most urgent. The rest of the record is merely sublime. From the dark rumble of “We Real Cool” (with the winning line, “Wikipedia is heaven when you don’t want to know anymore”) to the nearly 8-minute-long rock eulogy “Higgs Boson Blues” that calls out both Hannah Montana and her real-life counterpart: “Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake and youíre the best girl I ever had…” Shades of Robbie Robertson’s spoken-word dramas are conjured (“Somewhere Down the Crazy River” comes to mind), but Cave is never as corny, and never less than sincere.

Foxygen, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic — One of the most hyped releases so far this year, and worthy of it. Produced by Richard Swift, who worked on the last two Mynabirds albums, track “In the Darkness,” with the line: “Thereís no need to be an asshole / Youíre not in Brooklyn anymore…” is pure ’70s Stones, as Stonesy as you can get without dragging Mick’s saggy old bones into the studio.

Iceage, You’re Nothing — Matador Records may be the only label left (well, along with Sub Pop and Merge, and good ol’ Saddle Creek) where just the announcement of a band’s signing is big news. It means that the label’s brain trust has “discovered” something new, something “breakthrough” that could be as defining as when they signed Liz Phair or Pavement. Unfortunately, the last time that happened at Matador was when they signed Interpol way back in 2002. Still, when word leaked out that Matador signed Iceage it sent people scrambling to the internet to find out what these Danish punks sound like. That answer was only mildly hopeful. Iceage puts a new snarl on post-punk, like a modern version of Husker Du sung by a wasted slacker with a cockney’d scowl and not much to say. Songs like “It Might Hit First” border on hardcore, though there’s something artful beneath the buzz (Maybe itís the guitar solo that cuts in at the 30-second mark?). When they pull back toward the more conventional (“In Haze”) the ice melts revealing something akin to melody, and the road that all good punks head down… eventually.

Honorable Mentions worth seeing out on Spotify, or at your local record store: Suuns, Images du Futur; Foals, Holy Fire; Yo La Tengo, Fade; Big Harp, Chain Letters; Bleeding Rainbow, Yeah Right; Hookworms, Pearl Mystic.

Over The Edge is a weekly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.

First published in The Reader. Copyright © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

* * *

Tonight is second night of Tim Kasher’s two-night stand at O’Leaver’s. Last night was the solo acoustic gig. Tonight he’ll have a band of familiar faces backing him (so I’m told). Opening is Brighton MA, who according to Omahype is actually a Chicago band who has played with The Walkmen, Okkervil River and Elvis Perkins, among others. Will this one sell out? Don’t chance it. Buy your tickets now

. $10, 9:30 p.m.

Hey guys, you better have that tournament going on somewhere…

Also tonight, Dirty River Ramblers play at The Sydney with Brad Hoshaw and In Cahoots. And Celtic-style howlers Great Big Sea are at The Waiting Room ($25, 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The act of “leaking” an early track from a upcoming album release is all the rage these days. Everyone from Rolling Stone to NPR to Huffington Post has hosted a leaked track by some famous rock star. Why should Lazy-i.com be any different?

When Touch People (a.k.a. Darren Keen) gave me a sneak peek of his new album, Brain Massage, he also asked if Lazy-i would leak a track. I said “sure,” and picked the album opener, “Amazing Place.” It is, after all, a perfect snapshot of Keen’s new approach to digital soundscaping, as conceptual as it is audibly intriguing. It’s also my favorite track on the album. Check it out below.

Sayeth Keen about Touch People: “I have finally stepped up as both a composer and a producer, while carrying the trademark high energy, unpretentious (and often humorous) dance party antics of my previous projects. Touch People is often compared to Philip Glass, Battles (with whom I’ve played), and Dan Deacon. Combining elements of minimalist composition, prog rock, and dance music, with honest, humorous lyrics.”

So what inspired his new sound? That’s among the questions I have out with Keen, which hopefully he’ll answer for us in the near future. What I do know is that Touch People will be celebrating the release of Brain Massage April 6 at The Waiting Room with m34n str33t (a new project by Adam Haug and Conchance) and the currently touring Killer Blow. Mark it on your calendars.

* * *

Speaking of events, there are a couple doozies going on tonight.

It’s night one of Tim Kasher’s two-night stay at O’Leaver’s (the bar he owns with the rest of the Cursive guys and Chris Mach). Opening is Hers. Surprisingly, $10 tickets are still available. The fun begins at 9:30.

As sort of a preview, here’s another look at Kasher’s Knitting Factory gig last week, this time by Brooklyn Exposed (right here). It’s a bit less complementary than that CMJ review I posted a couple days ago. This makes the KF crowd sound rowdy. Give me a break. Those Brooklyn hipsters wouldn’t last two minutes in O’Leaver’s…

Also tonight, NYC folkies Widowspeak (Captured Tracks Records) headlines a show at Slowdown Jr. with Eli Mardock and I Am the Navigator. $8, 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Dicey Riley Band at The Dubliner, March 17, 2013.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Unbeknownst to me, St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated beer-wise (and otherwise) on Saturday rather than the actual St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday. That very likely explains why the cavernous maw that is The Dubliner was less than packed yesterday at 3 p.m. No lines or nothing. And despite the usual SPD chaos the room was nothing less than festive, but easier to get around and get a Guinness, which I did numerous times while enjoying the traditional music stylings of The Dicey Riley Band (formerly known as The Turfmen). Ah, I never get tired of hearin’ those lads.

* * *

We’ve got Tim Kasher of Cursive (and also now of Chicago, apparently) coming in for shows Wednesday and Thursday night at O’Leaver’s. To get a flavor of what we can expect, check out this CMJ review of Kasher’s show last Thursday at The Knitting Factory in NYC. The conclusion: “The night came to a close with a warming performance of ‘No Harmony,’ with Kasher’s vocals echoing through a mostly silent room. His voice was on point, making the song twice as chilling as usual. Instead of playing an encore after, he calmly climbed off the stage to talk to the crowd, greeting fans like old friends and laughing with whoever wanted to say hello.” Aw. Better get your tix

as these shows could (and likely will) sell out.

* * *

Drastic Plastic announced last week that it’s releasing three more classics as part of its vinyl reissue program: Motorhead’s Motorhead

; A Certain Ratio’s To Each…; and  BFG’s Blue. Each series is hand-numbered and split between 500 LPs in 180 gram vinyl and 500 LPs in collectible color vinyl. They follow in the footsteps of previous DPR releases by The Clash, Agent Orange and The Birthday Party.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., Chris Cohen, formerly of Deerhoof, takes the stage with Hers and Touch People (Darren Keen). $7, 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here’s your weekend.

Tonight at Slowdown Jr. Killer Blow kicks off a tour that will be taking them to Minneapolis, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago, St Louis, Memphis, and Springfield MO. The duo of Genie Molkentine on drums and vocals and Todd VonStup on electric guitar has a 3 song CD-EP and a 9-song tape recorded on 4-track they’ll be hocking on the road. Check out a track below. Opening are Coaxed, a band that includes members of Sun Settings and Capgun Coup, who will be joining KB on tour. Also playing tonight is Appleton WI band Arms Aloft, and Sister Kisser, a female-fronted punk band with members from Gag Reflex and Places We Slept. $5, 9 p.m. Go!

Also tonight, Matt Cox Band headlines at O’Leaver’s with The River Monks, Field Club and Brad Hoshaw. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night’s big event is the Gary Flanagan Memorial Tribute Show at The Waiting Room. I never met Flanagan but have been told that he was a long-time supporter of local music, which is obvious considering who’s playing this show: The Whipkey Three, Brad Hoshaw, Midwest Dilemma, Scott Severin, Matt Cox, Liz Webb and a special reunion of Sarah Benck and The Robbers. $5, 8 p.m.

Also Saturday night down at The Barley Street Tavern it’s The Ground Tyrants with Custom Catacombs and Mike Saklar and his band. $5, 9:30 p.m.

St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, which is a bummer for everyone because it’s Sunday and we all have to go to work the next morning. That said, there’s a plethora of shows Sunday night including G. Love and Special Sauce at The Slowdown with John Fullbright. $22/$25 DOS, 8:30 p.m. The English Beat plays the Waiting Room with The Bishops. $22, 8 p.m. But the place to be might be The Barley Street Tavern, which is hosting a special St. Patrick’s Day bash featuring music from Edge of Arbor, Tara Vaughan Band, Valleytown (Dover, OH), The Decatures, No Triangles, Guilty is the Bear, and more. Their website says it runs 2 to 9 p.m. and costs $5.

As for me, I’ll be drinking my St. Paddy’s pint of Guinness at The Dubliner. See you there.

* * *

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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away (Bad Seed Ltd.)

I was glancing at Chris Aponick’s activities at SXSW, and it looks like he was trying to hit all the shows I would have tried to hit last night: Iggy and The Stooges, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and most of all, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

I came to Cave’s new album, Push the Sky Away, a few months after its January release. I listened to it right after it came out, but just wasn’t feeling it.

Which reminds me of something wizened Domestica frontman Jon Taylor told me way back when his band was called Mercy Rule. As we were driving in his van on the way to a gig in Des Moines (I was along writing a feature for The Note) Jon talked about how music reviews were inherently skewed based on whatever mood the reviewer was in at the time s/he listened to the record.

“If the guy’s in a crappy mood, he’s going to give the record a crappy review.” I’m paraphrasing here. It’s been almost 20 years. Still, truth never ages, and Jon’s comments were spot on. If you’re in a shitty mood, you’re less likely to give some as-yet-unheard music a fair shot. The same thing’s true if you’re distracted or simply not paying attention.

That’s kind of what happened with this new Nick Cave album. I first listened to it on Spotify while doing something else — maybe I was running or writing — whatever it was, I wasn’t able to really absorb the album.

And then last week I listened to it again while making dinner — specifically a chicken florentine dish that takes about an hour of mindless focus — when suddenly the album came to life as the best thing I’ve heard so far this year. I turned around an listened to it three more times on repeat, mesmerized.

As with most of his recordings, Cave is almost perversely dramatic in his singing/speaking, as if telling dark lies at midnight, which btw, is  the best time to listen to this record. The centerpiece is a track called “Jubilee Street,” that starts out with a quiet repeated guitar line and Cave’s storytelling, slowing building to a massive crescendo over six and a half minutes. Its style and sound is exactly like something written by the Kadane Brothers, the sparks behind classic bands Bedhead the The New Year. But instead of Matt Kadane’s droll vocal delivery you get Cave at his most urgent and most triumphant. Huge.

The rest of Push the Sky Away is just as cool. From the dark rumble of “We Real Cool” (with the classic line “Wikipedia is heaven when you don’t want to know anymore,” to the nearly 8-minute-long rock eulogy “Higgs Boson Blues” that calls out both Hannah Montana and her real counterpart: “Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake and you’re the best girl I ever had…

”

There are moments when I’m reminded of Robbie Robertson’s forays into spoken word drama — his “Somewhere Down the Crazy River” comes to mind — but Cave is never nearly as corny and never less than sincere.

Let me join Aponick’s chorus in saying that a certain music festival (or promoter) could do much worse than getting Cave or Iggy onto an Omaha stage.

* * *

In this week’s column, a look at the futility of boycotts featuring Facebook, Hy-Vee, Rush Limbaugh, CVS and The 49’r. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here.

* * *

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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

South by Southwest 2013

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Ah SXSW, how I miss you so. The food, the frolic, those amazing days and nights of music music music, stumbling from one club to the next, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of tomorrow’s stars or yesterday’s has-beens, the constant search for a urinal or just a place to sit down, the endless lines, the long trek from one end of 6th St. to the other, the long treks to and from the hotel on the other side of Red River, the odd celebrity sightings, the late night bacchanal when 6th Street turns into a noise-orgy of drunks, drugged and angry young townies weaving through the crowds on single-gear dirt bikes.

Not this year. No money. No time. Goddamn you, American Dream.

Instead, like most of you, I’m stuck at home reading reports by the handful of friends who made the long journey to Austin. The biggest contingency of reporters comes from our very own Hear Nebraska reporters team. You can follow along at hearnebraska.org, though as of noon, we’re still waiting for their first report.

Somewhere out there in the middle of 6th Street is The Reader

‘s Music Editor Chris Aponick, who is updating thereader.com daily with his SXSW updates. Here’s his first report.

The Omaha World-Herald‘s Kevin Coffey began his coverage yesterday. You can follow his exploits at his Rock Candy blog.

Want a perspective from outside of Omaha? Sure you do. Your best bet is austin360.com, who posted the best list of critics’ picks I’ve seen online, right here. Hopefully they’ll do this again next year when I return.

Strangely, if you go to pitchfork.com, you’ll see nary a word about SXSW. I guess they figure it competes with their own Pitchfork fest? Who knows.

So will the austin360 team head to The Parish tonight for Saddle Creek Record’s showcase. If I was going, I’d get that coverage out of the way on day one. While it’s interesting to see what kind of reaction Omaha bands get in Austin, there’s nothing more meaningless than traveling cross country to see the same bands perform who play here all the time. Check out the full schedule of Saddle Creek band SXSW performances right here.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Omaha, the only show going on tonight is yet another tribute / cover band at The Waiting Room. It’s understandable that there are no indie bands booked this week in town, this being SXSW week, but I can’t remember a longer stretch of time that Omaha has been without a decent touring indie show. Is One Percent / The Waiting Room losing interest in indie? The only indie show on their calendar this month (other than the two-night Tim Kasher gig at O’Leaver’s) is Wavves March 28. The kids at Slowburn are doing their best to pick up the slack. Things will (slowly) turn around in April…

* * *

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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Pro-Magnum at O’Leaver’s, March 9, 2013.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The bulk of my evenings this weekend were spent at O’Leaver’s.

Friday night was Digital Leather and a crowd bigger than the one that showed at O’Leaver’s for Criteria the prior weekend, or so it seemed. A real crush-mob. I guess word is getting out about Todd Fink of The Faint joining the band. Or maybe folks are just beginning to “get” what Digital Leather is all about.

Needless to say, the crowd was too big to get close enough for a photo. No matter. You’ve seen these guys before, but you probably haven’t heard them quite like this. The weird, dark, sweaty nature of the evening helped it eclipse the new lineup’s debut a few weeks ago opening for Ty Segall at Sokol Underground. But then again, DL always plays better at O’Leaver’s, where they’re surrounded by friends and booze confessors.

While I have five or six DL albums and tapes, I’m not an expert on the band’s complete discography. That said, I’d never heard the second song played during their set, one in which Fink and frontman Shawn Foree traded vocals. I’m told that they’re writing new material, but I have no idea what role Fink is playing in it. As I’ve said before, Fink adds the synth element that’s been missing in Digital Leather for years, even stretching back to when Foree and others played keys on stage but were barely heard. There’s no missing Fink in the mix. Intense fun. As was the pseudo-encore of “Studs in Love” which is once again becoming a staple in the band’s set (as it should). If you missed it, DL’s next stop is opening for White Lung April 2 at The Slowdown.

Speaking of openers, I got to the club early enough Friday night to catch the last half of Plack Blague’s twisted, bass-heavy, goth-techno-bondage set. The bass was so loud it caused ripples in people’s voices when they spoke. Creepy weird.

So for the past two week’s I’ve gone to the new, improved O’Leaver’s where I saw bigger crowds than I’ve ever seen at this hole-in-the-wall music venue. I’m more used to seeing a casual 40 or 50 people leaning on the railing watching the show, and that’s exactly what I got Saturday night for the debut of Pro-Magnum (They spell their name with all caps, but I’m not doing it. Sorry guys. Just like I won’t add an exclamation point to a band’s name (Snake Island, Thunder Power, take note).https://lazy-i.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

Consisting of Pat Oakes, Paul Hansen and frontman/bassist Johnny Vredenburg, the power trio sounds like they’ve been spending their off hours listening to ’80s metal and prog rock. Heavy, heavy shit with strong riffs on anthems that are more punk than metal and are anything but run-of-the-mill. Halfway through the second song, Vredenburg broke into a super-intricate bass riff that was proggy and powerful and very cool. His vocals are mainly of the shriek/scream variety, but what else would you want from power/metal/rock? For a debut, pretty awesome; they definitely left the crowd wanting more.

As for the rest of Saturday night, touring band Buildings played the kind of driving, dark music you’d expect to hear while beating someone to death with a ball-peen hammer. Closing band, the charmingly named Flesh Eating Disease, played one- to two-minute noise explosions keyed with hyper-active yell vocals, the kind of thing you can imagine being played to break down Gitmo prisoners just before the water-boarding begins.

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s Seattle mutant garage band The Spits on what I’m told could be their last tour ever. Opening is Coaxed and The Dad. $12, 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.