Another typically poor weekend for touring indie shows, but what do you expect in Omaha in the heart of winter? Still, a few things worth mentioning for your weekend…
Omaha band Glow celebrates the release of their debut full-length, The Beauty Outshines the Hurting. The five-piece plays riff-fueled grunge-influenced heavy stomp-rock that’ll get your devil-horns flying. Also on the bill is Dan Brennan’s noise-rock project Healer and local metal act Setback. $15, 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, back in Benson at Reverb Lounge, Minneapolis indie duo Bad Bad Hats headlines tonight. They’ve released four records on mid-major indie label Don Giovanni Records including their recent self-titled LP that dropped last April. Los Angeles singer/songwriter Elana Carroll a.k.a. Party Nails opens along with Wichita band Social Cinema. $20, 8 p.m.
Tomorrow night (Saturday) fabulous O’Leaver’s is hosting three acoustic performances in their fabled, mysterious, speakeasy-style basement! I went down there years ago and it was très cool, but that was at least three floods ago! The performers: Joe Humpal of Universe Contest, BareBear (a.k.a. Rob Walters) and Eric Maly of Slow Pioneers/The Obscurants. It’s free and starts at 9 p.m.
Finally, Reverb is hosting a couple prairie-style singer/songwriters Saturday night. Nashville’s Dylan LeBlanc’s latest LP, Coyote, was released in 2023 by ATO Records and reminds me of ‘70s acts like America. Austin-ite David Ramirez comes from the Randy Newman/Harry Nillson school of easy-going songwriting. $25, 8 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
Next Tuesday’s (Jan. 28) Pile concert at Slowdown Jr. will provide concert goers a sneak preview of the Boston band’s new, yet-to-be-released album on their new label.
It’s also a warm-up gig as Pile will launch a (mostly West Coast) tour opening for local heroes Cursive beginning just two days later in Fort Collins that runs through Feb. 23.
Pile are no strangers to Omaha. Their first gig here was aboard the River City Star back in the summer of 2017; they returned for a night at The Slowdown two years later. Fronted by singer/songwriter Rick Maguire, Pile’s sound has taken a number of iterations but lands on the same abrasive DIY post-punk territory that’s made them fan favorites. I mentally bunch them in with older acts that have nothing to do with them – Dismemberment Plan, Grifters, Chavez, Silkworm, Karate – though Pile’s sound is much more varied and experimental, often taking wild, progressive tangents.
Their latest release, Hot Air Balloons EP, dropped earlier this month on Exploding in Sound Records. The tracks were recorded during the sessions for their 2023 full-length All Fiction (Exploding in Sound). Are they leftovers not weird enough to make the cut? Who knows, but I dig this EP much more than the full length if only for its more straight-forward melodies and song structures. Check it:
Pile recorded the EP and full-length as a trio with Kris Kuss and Alex Molini, but appears to be touring as a four-piece. According to their gram, they just wrapped up their next full-length, that will be released on Chicago’s Sooper Records sometime this year, and according to their website, will be playing songs from it next Tuesday.
Nebraskan by way of Chicago PROBLEMS a.k.a. Darren Keen will open this show along with new Omaha prog-punk-math trio Cope Acidic (guitarist/vocalist Connor Moritz, bassist, Alex Airola and drummer Ramon Carias). $20, 8 p.m., this is a frontroom show.
As we continue to navigate through this dead period when nothing is happeing on our stages, here are a couple things in my earbuds…
Immersion is the electronic duo of Colin Newman from Wire and Malka Sigel from Minimal Compact. They’ve teamed with ambient trio SUSS for a forthcoming album called Nanocluster Vol. 3, which drops on Valentine’s Day via Swim~ .
Immersion has been around for awhile (the couple first met in 1985, and released their debut album, Oscillating, in ’94), and count ambient, techno and Krautrock among their influences. It’s an off-again/on-again project as Newman balances his time as Wire’s frontman.
There’s nothing challenging here, just really great ambient music. If you dig these tracks, check out Nanocluster, Vol. 2, EP2, Immersion’s collaboration with Cubzoa that came out last year.
Immersion starts their U.S. tour March 14 at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin. Their closest pass to Omaha is March 22 at Chicago’s Constellation.
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Portland’s Mary Eliza’s style is self-admittedly a product of listening to Big Thief, Mitski, Maki Valesquez and Wilco, which she had on while writing her self-released debut album, Spider, which dropped last Friday.
Produced by Preston Cochran (Lucy Dacus, Illuminati Hotties) with Jake Finch (who’s worked with boygenius and Suki Waterhouse), the album captures the trials of living with her “mysterious chronic illness” recently diagnosed as a heart disorder called POTS, along with a number of other afflictions.
She says, “It has ended many relationships in my life and I’m sure it will continue to weed out fake friends. My anger and processing around this illness and the medical system as a whole has come out a lot in the making of this record, and it has felt like such a cathartic experience being able to create the soul scratching feeling that I experience in sound.”
Good stuff definitely worth checking out. Eliza’s only current tour stops are in Oregon and Washington.
Lincoln Exposed 2025 posted their official line-up and schedule for their 20th Anniversary extravaganza, which happens in less than a month. We’re talking more than 100 bands representing multiple genres playing at five downtown Lincoln venues. You can see the line-up at the event’s Facebook invitation page, right here.
Whereas I recognize some old familiar faces on the schedule — Domestica, Floating Opera, Vempire, Sweats, Her Flyaway Manner, Josh Hoyer, Estrogen Projection, Thirst Things First, Head of Femur — I admit to not knowing most of the acts listed. I’ve asked festival organizer Dustin “Duff” Hunke, who books the Bourbon, if an online event program with band descriptions or – better yet – a playlist could be made available. Stay tuned….
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Only one show of note this weekend and it’s happening tonight at The B. Bar on Leavenworth Street (4330 Leavenworth, to be exact, right next to Barrett’s Barleycorn). Matt Whipkey and Mike Friedman are opening for newish band Mono In Stereo, which consists of singer/guitarist/songwriter Charles McNeil (Brian Jones Was Murdered); bassist Marty Amsler (legendary ’90s Lincoln act The Millions), guitarist James MacDougall, and drummer Joe Eichoff (The End in Red), according to their “Bandmix” page (Is Bandmix the new MySpace?). $5, 9 p.m.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
Lots of crickets from ol’ Lazy-i lately. Very little to no news regarding the 45 or so bands listed in the 2024 Year in Review. What we know:
– Simon Joyner is currently on tour in Europe.
– Matt Whipkey has a gig Friday night at B.Bar. He’s also working on a new album with The Movies.
– Dereck Higgins has two new album projects in the works.
– Carver Jones released a new single, “Maybe Tomorrow.” You can watch the video here. He’s playing a residency of sorts at Bar 39 in the Blackstone.
It’s my intention to keep up with these bands as much as I can, plus whatever new local indie acts emerge. Few are active on social media (especially on Facebook).
Sound engineer/producer Ian Aeillo just wrapped up mixing a 2014 recording by Lincoln band Masses – a grinding all-instrumental throb-rock band from back in the day. Members included Eric Nyffeler, Mike Vandenberg, Shane Brandt and Jon Augustine. This dust-off project, called Asses, is tooth rattling:
Matador Records has always been a favorite label, reaching all the way back to the ‘90s. They’re off to a strong start in 2025.
New York-via-Chicago band Horsegirl released the second single from their upcoming Matador release, Phonetics On and On, out Feb. 14. It’s a follow-up to the strangely hypnotic first single (“2468″), called “Switch Over.” Horsegirl is playing a handful of U.S. dates before heading to Europe. The closest pass to Omaha is The Metro in Chicago Feb. 22.
This morning Perfume Genius announced via Matador his new album, Glory, comes out March 28. For this one, Mike Hadreas has re-teamed with long-time producer Blake Mills and the product, as reflected in the first single, “It’s a Mirror,” feels a bit like a throwback, in a good way. Perfume Genius’ closest pass to Omaha on his next tour is The Truman in Kansas City, June 19. He’s also playing up in Minneapolis.
Darkside has been around since 2011, and though this is their third album for Matador, it’s the first recorded as a trio, with Nicolás Jaar, Dave Harrington, and new member Tlacael Esparza. Nothing comes out Feb. 28; the first single, “S.N.C.,” dropped last week. They’ll be on tour this spring, their closest pass to Omaha is Chicago on March 13.
That’s not all from Matador. The label also released a new single by Julien Baker (of boygenius) and Torres called “Sugar in the Tank. I’m unsure if it’s part of a new album by the duo but wouldn’t be surprised. They’re doing a small tour, whose closest pass to Omaha is Iowa City on April 3.
So what do we have headed to Omaha from a touring indie band perspective? Not much so far. Here’s what’s on my radar through spring:
– Bad Bad Hats, Jan. 24 at Reverb
– Pile, June 28 at The Slowdown
– Guster, Feb. 5 at The Admiral
– Real Estate, Feb. 6 at The Waiting Room
– The Get Up Kids, Feb. 21 at The Waiting Room
– Molchat Doma / Sextile, Feb. 24 at Steelhouse
– Jack White, April 5 at Steelhouse
– Lady Lamb, April 7 at Reverb
– Bob Mould Band, April 14 at The Waiting Room
– MSSV, April 21 at Reverb
– Ty Segall acoustic, April 26 at Scottish Rite Hall
– Nada Surf, April 30 at The Waiting Room
– Spellling, May 15 at The Waiting Room
– Friko, May 20 at Reverb
This list will (hopefully) fill out as we get closer to spring…
– If you missed my Music Year in Review column, well here it is.
– If you missed my Predictions for 2025 column, here it is.
– And, due to illness and supply chain issues, I’m just now sending out the Lazy-i Best of 2024 compilation. If you own a CD player and would like a copy, drop me an email. They’re free, while supplies last. All you have to do is send your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.
The playlist also is available in Spotify (with the first two songs missing). Simply click this link or search “Tim McMahan” in Spotify, then select Profiles, then Public Playlists. You’ll find it, along with a few from past years.
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Our nation’s greatest living rock critic, Robert Christgau, age 82, today weighed in on both the new Bright Eyes and new Rosali album (which features David Nance and Mowed Sound as Rosali’s backing band). Christgau was the primary music critic at The Village Voice for decades, but I’ve always known him for his “Consumer Guides” that covered albums from the ‘70s through the ‘90s, and continues online today. He has a singular voice and style I’ve always loved, whether I agreed with his assessments or not.
Bright Eyes: Five Dice All Threes (Dead Oceans) Now in his fourth decade on the road, the racks, and the alt-rock grind, Conor Oberst has always come across pretty much the way you’d hope from an ex-Catholic indistinguishable from a lapsed born-againer who’s held onto the Bible’s “the greatest of these is charity” byword by gravitating to good causes. There’s been a reliable freshness about him even when the songs faltered slightly. Not here. True, the songs don’t falter all that much. But because the world comes to an end, there’s not much solace in them. B PLUS
I began writing a review of Five Dice with the headline “Bright Eyes’ Five Dice, All Threes is the album Greenberg would have made…” referencing the 2010 Noah Baumbach film starring Ben Stiller as an irritated, neurotic, aging hipster. And that kind of sums up Oberst on this record.
Christgau is more complimentary about the Rosali album:
Rosali: Bite Down (Merge) Coming up in a musical family and whatever comprises the Philadelphia freak-folk scene, Rosali Middleton found the makings of a band in Nebraska and a home near the North Carolina alt-rock label she now shares with the Chicago-to-L.A. indie rappers cited above (Previous Industries). What grabs me about her fourth album is its get-up-and-go from the catchy riff that gooses the one called “My Kind” to the declarative intro of the next-to-last “Change Is in the Form.” But I note with respect that the questioning finale “May It Be on Offer” is nevertheless just that: final. A MINUS
In this installment, Christgau also reviews recent albums from Kim Deal, Fake Fruit, Kendrick Lamar, Willie Nelson, Phelimuncasi & Metal Preyers, Previous Industries, Allen Ravenstine, Lucinda Williams and his favorite band, Wussy. Good stuff. Subscribe!
Well, folks, we’ve officially entered the “cold, dark days of January.” It’s more than just a comment on the weather. There are only two touring indie shows this month (Bad Bat Hats at Reverb Jan 24; Pile at The Slowdown Jan. 28).
We’re not alone regarding the lack of shows. It’s frickin’ cold out. Bands don’t want to tour in the midwest and risk dying on the highway or getting snow-trapped and being unable to continue a tour. A glance at the Minneapolis concert schedule for January shows they’re in the same boat (although they do have shows slated with Been Stellar, Jamie XX, Christian Lee Hutson, Frank Black, The Vaccines and The Get Up Kids (The Get Up Kids don’t circle back to Omaha until Feb. 21).
We’ll just have to suck it up. And there will still be the occasional local show worth hitting.
Tonight (Friday) Haunted Gauntlet plays at The Sydney in Benson with S1Sw and UK DJ. $10, 9 p.m. start time (by Sydney TIme). HG just released this new single on Bandcamp today. Check it out:
Also, it’s the first Friday of the month, and that means Benson First Friday! Galleries and businesses up and down Maple Street will be celebrating new artists’ openings tonight, including at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street, where artist Brad Marr’s “Murmurations” opens. Come on by between 6 and 9 p.m., have a drink and a snack and say hello!
Tomorrow night (Saturday) at Reverb Lounge, dust off your cowboy hat for some local C&W by way of The Filter Kings and Clarence Tilton. FK’s “Hundred Proof Man,” off their 2008 self-titled album, is nothing less than an American Classic. Omaha C&W stars Clarence Tilton has dropped singles with Marty Stuart and Presley Tucker, and on Jan. 10 they drop yet another new single, “Friant,” from their forthcoming full-length, Queen of the Brawl. The band is “all in” on this one. Get a sneak preview Saturday at Reverb. Ryan Osbahr kicks things off at 8 p.m. $10.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section.
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Also… those of you who have requested a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2024 compilation (and the rest of you on “the list”), the discs should arrive from the printer Wednesday and will be in the mail shortly thereafter.
Lazy-i Best of 2024 compilation CD
Here’s the track list:
Cindy Lee, “Diamond Jublilee,” from the album Diamond Jubilee (Realistik)
Sasami, “The Seed,” from the album Blood on the Silver Screen (Domino)
Kylie V, “Lucky Streak,” from the album Crash Test Plane (Royal Mountain)
Adrianne Lenker, “Sadness as a Gift,” from the album Bright Future (4AD)
MJ Lenderman, “”She’s Leaving You,” from the album Manning Fireworks (-Anti)
Neva Dinova, “One More Mile,” from the album Canary (Saddle Creek)
David Nance and Mowed Sound, “Credit Line,” from the self-titled album (Third Man)
Rosali, “Rewind,” from the album Bite Down (Merge)
Cola, “Pulling Quotes,” from the album The Gloss (Fire Talk)
Cursive, “Dark Star,” from the album Devourer (Run for Cover)
The Last Dinner Party, “Sinner,” from the album Prelude to Ecstasy (Universal)
Fontaines D.C., “Bug,” from the album Romance (XL)
Mannequin Pussy, “I Don’t Know You” from the album I Got Heaven (Epitaph)
GIFT, “Wish Me Away,” from the album Illuminator (Captured Tracks)
Charlie xcx, “Von dutch,” from the album Brat (Atlantic)
Real Estate, “Flowers,” from the album Daniel (Domino)
Carver Jones, “Crazy 24,” digital single
Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More, from the album Nobody Loves You More (4AD)
Major Murphy, “Fallout,” from the album Fallout (Winspear)
The playlist also is available in Spotify (with the first two songs missing). Simply click this link or search “Tim McMahan” in Spotify, then select Profiles, then Public Playlists. You’ll find it, along with a few from past years.
Here it is, the annual music predictions column, easily the most popular blog entry of the year, and for good reason – who doesn’t want to know what will happen before it happens? Ah, but only one person in the Omaha music scene is gifted with that knowledge (even if his predictions last year were kinda stink-o).
So, before I gaze into my mystical crystal Fender Squire, let’s take a look at last year’s predictions:
2024 Prediction: With criminally low streaming royalties making musicians’ lives unsustainable, musicians will finally organize to force streamers to pay up.
Reality: As always, lots of musicians complained about Spotify royalties, but none took action.
Prediction: Musicians also will take a unionized approach toward live music, resulting in better income streams for touring indie artists.
Reality: Lots of musicians complained about rising touring costs (and cancelled tours for financial reasons), but, again, no action was taken.
Prediction: Musicians will come up with innovative ways to package merch to increase revenue. Leveraging the collectors’ market, bands (and labels) will start packaging T-shirts and other non-music-related items with their vinyl releases.
Reality: One nod to the collectors’ market — producing “vinyl variants” of the same record with different album covers or colored vinyl — was a hot seller (I’m looking at you, Tay-Tay). So much so that Billie Eilish publicly criticized the practice.
Prediction: To draw larger audiences to the Maha Music Festival’s new Riverfront concert space, the festival will aggressively stray from its traditional indie-focused line-up.
Reality: Maha didn’t even happen in 2024; but it’ll be back in ’25 for a big one-day festival that’s being marketed as a “merger” with Outlandia Festival.
Prediction: Not to be outdone by Maha, Outlandia will continue to become bigger and better, expanding to a three-day festival.
Reality: For its final year, Outlandia stayed the course as a two-day festival.
Prediction: With the loss of The Reader (and the inevitable shuttering of the Omaha World-Herald), a new publication will emerge in ’24 focused on art, entertainment and dining, and will even include a (very limited) print edition.
Reality: No new print publications launched; however, the music-focused Omaha Buzz started this past year, helmed by Homer’s Records manager MarQ Manner. The Substack site already has more than 1,000 subscribers. Also, watch for the return of The Reader (online) in 2025…
Prediction: The Astro Theater will battle head-to-head with Steelhouse Omaha for the exact same music-loving audience. Is this town big enough for both of them?
Reality: So far, it is, though there were rumors the venues’ separate promotion companies (Live Nation for Steelhouse, 1% and Mammoth for The Astro) actively bid against each other for shows.
Prediction: As if we didn’t already have enough music venues, next year watch for an announcement of the creation of a brand new high-dollar music venue to be located in the heart of Omaha, catering to a youth market.
Reality: Not yet…
Prediction: An entrepreneur will team with an out-of-town company to open a new jazz-focused music venue that will act as an extension of Kansas City’s successful jazz scene.
Reality: Not yet, though The Jewell reopened under new management.
Prediction: Is there a merger in Saddle Creek Records’ future?
Reality: Not yet…
Prediction: Following the current trend, the number of local indie-rock bands will sadly continue to decline. Watch as metal and hardcore bands fill the void.
Reality: As highlighted in the 2024 Music Year in Review, local indie bands continued to flourish in number; so did metal bands.
Prediction: A number of new female singer/songwriters will emerge from our scene to receive national attention.
Reality: Instead we got the first Omaha Girls Rock band to stand on its own: UN-T.I.L.
Prediction: Other performers we’ll be talking about this time next year: Low, David Nance, HAIM, Spoon, Alvvays, Desaparecidos, The Faint, Wet Leg, Talking Heads, Waxahatchee, Vampire Weekend, Neva Dinova, The Strokes, Interpol and Cactus Nerve Thang.
Reality: We got new albums by Nance, Waxahatchee, Vampire Weekend and Neva Dinova. Talking Heads reunited (but didn’t perform), Saddle Creek reissued The Faint’s Doom Abuse LP, and Low’s Alan Sparhawk began performing again after the passing of his wife and bandmate, Mimi Parker, in 2022.
Prediction: We’ll find out whatever happened to Eric Clapton.
Reality: “God” is still alive and kicking.
Prediction: A local music journalist will finally begin writing his long-awaited history of the Omaha music scene circa 1993-present.
Reality: Author Emma Kemp is wrapping up a biography of Conor Oberst that she began writing back in 2017. As for the more inclusive, all-encompassing history of Omaha music, the wheels are turning oh so slowly…
Prediction: Conor Oberst won’t appear on Saturday Night Live but will appear on another prime-time TV show — masked or unmasked….
Reality: Conor didn’t appear on The Masked Singer, but if he’s lucky, he’ll have his shot in 2025…
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So, giving myself much leeway, I was 7 for 16 – uh, not good. Let’s see if I can do better in 2025:
2025 Prediction: With singing competition shows like American Idol, The Voice and The Masked Singer reaping high ratings — and last year’s Grammy Awards viewership up 34% — a cultural icon will return to the airwaves: American Bandstand. The new program will feature performances by hot recording artists as well as TikTok and Youtube phenoms. What we really need is the return of Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special…
Prediction: Time is running out for TikTok… or is it? Congress passed a law to effectively ban the online video service that’s become a launching pad for homegrown performers and pop stars. But even if the ban does go into effect Jan. 19, TikTok will survive, thanks either to Presidential decree or Supreme Court action.
Prediction: The incoming Trump/Musk Administration will (once again) attempt to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities and this time will succeed. As a result, private nonprofit arts organizations will step up to try to fill the funding gaps. One outcome will be the creation of a new nonprofit organization who’s mission will be to support musicians, similar to the Canada Music Fund.
Prediction: One of Omaha’s primary live music venues will be sold and will go under new management in 2025, further impacting access to touring indie bands.
Prediction: The popularity of the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” — along with actions by the Trump Administration — will generate new interest in folk / protest music, ultimately resulting in a Neu-Folk Movement.
Prediction: Unlike the Urban Cowboy Movement that swept the U.S. in the early ‘80s leading to a boom in pop-country music, the current “Country Wave” that spawned Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter will be short-lived nationally. Ah, but here in Omaha, which is always three steps behind national trends, the country music revival is just getting started. Country bars like Bushwackers and Guitars & Cadillacs will be red hot — at least for a year — before people put away their cowboy hats. Can a Swing Revival be far behind?
Prediction: With small-town Omaha returning to its “flyover country” status as far as national touring indie bands are concerned, nearby big cities Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago and Denver will begin to actively cater to Omaha music fans by offering concert-and-lodging packages and dedicated websites that provide tips for out-of-town show goers.
Prediction: The new, one-day Maha Music Festival, slated for Aug. 2 at RiverFront Park in downtown Omaha, will maintain its indie music focus but will also incorporate a national pop-country artist in its line-up. Also, look for a third “locals only” stage that will highlight up-and-coming local artists as well as legacy Omaha bands.
Prediction: Bandcamp will go out of business in 2025 following its acquisition by B2B music platform Songtradr and constant declines in online music downloading revenues. Attempting to take Bandcamp’s place will be Subvert, a new artist-owned music downloading platform that will be operated like an artist coop.
Prediction: A sort-of holdover from last year’s predictions: Another new music venue will be announced later this year, to be located in the heart of Omaha. The all-ages venue will cater to the youth market, but unlike other DIY all-ages spaces, it will have proper funding and a long-term management structure in place.
Prediction: Someone will pick up the banner of fallen nonprofit organization Omaha Girls Rock!, which ended its current programming Dec. 15. The reinvented OGR! program will maintain its underlying mission of empowering youth through music education — something that’s too important to let fade away.
Prediction: No world-famous rock star will leave us in 2025. Hurray!
Prediction: The long-sought-after reunion of The Smiths will finally happen next year thanks to an enormous pay day. They’re not the only ones reuniting. Look for reunions (if only for one night) by R.E.M., The Police and Talking Heads.
Prediction: Other performers we’ll be talking about this time next year: Car Seat Headrest, Big Thief, Interpol, U2, Phoebe Bridgers, The Faint, Courtney Barnett, Pavement, The Cure, Spoon, Nine Inch Nails, Wet Leg, Criteria, Lana Del Rey, So-So Sailors, The Dirts and Little Brazil.
Prediction: Finally, forget SNL, it ain’t happening. Instead, a number of local bands will make network TV appearances next year, including David Nance and Mowed Sound and good ol’ Bright Eyes.
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Hey, if you own a CD player and would like a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2024 complication CD, drop me an email. They’re free, while supplies last. All you have to do is send your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.
Here’s the track list:
Cindy Lee, “Diamond Jublilee,” from the album Diamond Jubilee (Realistik)
Sasami, “The Seed,” from the album Blood on the Silver Screen (Domino)
Kylie V, “Lucky Streak,” from the album Crash Test Plane (Royal Mountain)
Adrianne Lenker, “Sadness as a Gift,” from the album Bright Future (4AD)
MJ Lenderman, “”She’s Leaving You,” from the album Manning Fireworks (-Anti)
Neva Dinova, “One More Mile,” from the album Canary (Saddle Creek)
David Nance and Mowed Sound, “Credit Line,” from the self-titled album (Third Man)
Rosali, “Rewind,” from the album Bite Down (Merge)
Cola, “Pulling Quotes,” from the album The Gloss (Fire Talk)
Cursive, “Dark Star,” from the album Devourer (Run for Cover)
The Last Dinner Party, “Sinner,” from the album Prelude to Ecstasy (Universal)
Fontaines D.C., “Bug,” from the album Romance (XL)
Mannequin Pussy, “I Don’t Know You” from the album I Got Heaven (Epitaph)
GIFT, “Wish Me Away,” from the album Illuminator (Captured Tracks)
Charlie xcx, “Von dutch,” from the album Brat (Atlantic)
Real Estate, “Flowers,” from the album Daniel (Domino)
Carver Jones, “Crazy 24,” digital single
Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More, from the album Nobody Loves You More (4AD)
Major Murphy, “Fallout,” from the album Fallout (Winspear)
The playlist also is available in Spotify (with the first two songs missing). Simply click this link or search “Tim McMahan” in Spotify, then select Profiles, then Public Playlists. You’ll find it, along with a few from past years.
This year’s recap was going to be a stark elegy about the end of Omaha’s “Creative Era,” about the noticeable drop-off in the number of local indie bands compared to pre-pandemic days.
To illustrate this, I intended to point toward The Reader’s old Top 20/Next 15 list — an annual wrestling match among the paper’s music writers to define the best Omaha / Lincoln bands from the past year. We used to get into ugly, bare-knuckle brawls over who would make the cut. As a critic / reporter who covered the Omaha “indie music scene,” my list would fight it out with everyone else’s list. Fun, controversial stuff.
Certainly (I thought), with so few active indie bands these day, it would be tough to make such a list. But I quickly discovered, yikes!, there are more indie bands playing around town now than ever before. In fact, here is my Top Bands list for 2024, broken into three categories:
The Old Guard – Bands and performers who have been at it for over a decade and are still actively performing and recording music:
Simon Joyner Criteria Wagon Blasters Little Brazil Midwest Dilemma Matt Whipkey See Through Dresses Domestica McCarthy Trenching Matthew Sweet Dereck Higgins Head of Femur
The Seasoned Veterans – Performers who have established a firm beachhead and – along with The Old Guard – are the backbone of Omaha’s indie music scene:
David Nance & Mowed Sound Those Far Out Arrows Leafblower Uh Oh Mitch Gettman Minne Lussa Las Cruxes Mike Schlesinger Clarence Tilton BIB Lodgings Sean Pratt/Sweats Megan Siebe Jim Schroeder/Mesa Buoy Healer The Broke Loose
The Up-and-Comers – Performers who have emerged in the past few years that are still defining their sound and their audience:
Heavy Clippings Dream Ghoul Violenteer Pagan Athletes Bad Bad Men UN-T.I.L. Vempire Carver Jones The Dirts B.B. Sledge Cat Piss Indian Caves Size Queen Estrogen Projection Bad Self Portraits In Tongues Western Haikus
That’s 45 indie acts, and I realize some are missing, including bands and performers I’ve either yet to hear or that I simply don’t like.
Perhaps reports of the Creative Era’s demise have been highly exaggerated.
The problem with the current indie music scene isn’t the number of bands, it’s the number of opportunities for those bands. Most haven’t recorded a new album in years; many aren’t signed to a record label. Even fewer have toured outside the state. Some reasons for this were outline back in my 2019 Music Year in Review column:
“Never has there been a worse time to be a start-up band. The new music business model: Record an album, upload it to Bandcamp, post a link to social media and get plenty of compliments, but no sales. I heard that story too many times last year from too many artists. Eventually, those artists may post their recordings to Spotify or YouTube, only to earn (if they’re lucky) a few bucks in streaming revenue. Touring for them has become a nonsensical money-losing endeavor especially if they don’t have merch to sell. Even established indie artists are beginning to struggle to make money on tours. That, in a nutshell, is the music industry at the end of the 20-teens decade. Where will it go in the next 10 years?”
Nothing in the above statement has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet, more people are creating music than ever. Or, as music business economist Will Page, a former executive at Spotify and PRS for Music, said in MusicRadar:
“More music is being released today (in a single day) than was released in the calendar year of 1989.”
The statement sounds astounding until you consider the reason: The ability to easily record, mix, upload and distribute music is now firmly in the hands of artists and non-professionals. Analysts predict consumer-focused products (computer software) will make recording music as ubiquitous as photo and video creation, with nearly 200 million people recording music by 2030.
Ah, but no one said any of that music would be any good. For proof, spend an hour listening to DIY music posted on TikTok, but that hasn’t stopped TikTok acts from becoming global superstars.
The recorded music biz in general has grown continually since the pandemic. According to the RIAA’s 2024 mid-year report, recorded music revenue grew by 4% to $8.7 billion, with the vast majority — 84% — coming from streaming. Physical music formats — vinyl and CDs — made up 11 percent of the revenue pie with around a $1 billion in sales – up 13% vs. the prior year.
However, digital download sales — a bread-and-butter revenue generator for indie bands – continued its downward trend (for the 14th straight year), with only 2% of the revenue pie – a measly $88 million.
Another area of declining opportunity for local indie artists comes with a touch of irony.
I can’t recall when Omaha had more music venues, and yet most of these shiny new concert halls only cater to touring national acts who won’t share the stage with a local band. Steelhouse Omaha, The Admiral and The Astro rarely if ever feature local artists. And midsize and smaller clubs seem to be booking fewer touring indie acts who also don’t want locals on their bill.
During the city’s indie-music glory days earlier this century, touring indie bands made sure to route through Omaha. Today, Omaha has returned to its “flyover country” — or “route-around country” — status for many touring indie bands because few of them remember those glory days.
Despite this, a handful of local indie bands are making a living with their music. David Nance and his band Mowed Sound not only released a fantastic album on Jack White’s Third Man record label but also played on Rosali’s last album as well as on Simon Joyner’s recent masterpiece. Nance and Mowed Sound, Rosali and Joyner all toured nationally last year.
It’s also worth mentioning “Nebraska-adjacent” acts – bands with clear ties to our state though not all band members still live here. Bright Eyes released a critically lauded album last year. Frontman Conor Oberst now (reportedly) spends most of his time in LA, but still has a house in Fairacres, as does Mike Mogis. Members of Neva Dinova, who also released a great album last year on Saddle Creek Records, also live in Omaha (I’m looking at you Megan Siebe). And Cursive, who is still known for their Nebraska roots (though most of the band moved away years ago), released their best album in years.
But that’s it for the success stories. Believe me, it wasn’t always this way. When we had an active, nationally distributed local record label signing local bands — along with a reputation that drew out-of-state musicians “to work and exploit the booming music scene” — our creative class thrived. Today, after hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into new music venues (with more to come), the focus has shifted from the creative to the commercial. And that’s a shame.
One last comment before we get to the favorites:
We lost a local hero last year with the passing of John Heaston, editor/publisher of The Reader, Omaha’s only arts and entertainment newspaper. The Reader folded late last year, but despite fighting his own battle with cancer, John fought to keep the paper’s memory alive. He negotiated a deal with Nebraska Public Media to continue to host The Reader’s online content. And beginning next year, The Reader will begin publishing new content supplied by an army of freelance contributors (including yours truly). John would be proud.
Now, onto my top-10 albums of 2024 — the ones I listened to the most last year:
Simon Joyner, Coyote Butterfly (Grapefruit) – A broken-hearted masterpiece.
Honorable mentions: Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More (4AD); Charli xcx, Brat (Atlantic); Speed! Lightning 500, various artists (Speed! Nebraska), Real Estate, Daniel (Domino); Adrianne Lenker, Bright Future (4AD); Kylie V, Crash Test Plane (Royal Mountain); Major Murphy, Fallout (Winspear); DIIV, Frog in Boiling Water (Fantasy); The Cure, Songs of a Lost World (Polydor); Hovvdy, self-titled (Arts & Crafts); Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood (Anti-); Savak, Flavors of Paradise (Peculiar Works)
Top Rock Shows 2024
Even though some of the country’s best touring indie bands bypassed Omaha last year, we still got a nice chunk of shows. Of the more than 60 I attended, these were my favorites:
Matthew Sweet Feb. 17 at The Waiting Room – The roaring greatest hits set may be the last time we get to see Sweet on stage after he suffered a debilitating stroke later in the year.
Color Green March 18 at Reverb Lounge – With two members from Nebraska, they took their Midwestern sound and fused it with ’70s Southern psych rock to create something strikingly beautiful.
The Dirts April 3 at Reverb; Aug. 15 at Slowdown – They’ve become one of my favorite local bands, thanks to their groovy shoe-gaze with great hooks, riffs and trippy arrangements.
Sheer Mag April 25 at The Sydney – Lead singer Tina Halladay sounds like a very young Michael Jackson, but it’s lead axe man Kyle Seely’s guitar that draws the Thin Lizzy comparisons.
Ritual Device May 2 at Reverb – Omaha’s original gutter-groove punkers kicked off a three-day reunion run that gave long-time fans their “hits,” one last time.
Eric Bachmann May 27 at Ming Toy Gallery – Special beyond the fact that it was hosted at our art gallery, Bachmann’s 90-minute performance featured the best Crooked Fingers, Archers of Loaf and solo material.
Whippets June 17 at The Sydney – Highlight: Frontman Bobby Hussy jumped from the tiny stage, dropped his guitar, doused it with lighter fluid and set it ablaze. Rock ’n’ roll!
Roger Daltrey June 28 at Memorial Park – At age 80, Daltrey could still hit (most) of the high notes and was smart enough not to try when he couldn’t. Maybe the best Memorial Park show I’ve attended.
GRRRL Camp July 22 at Falconwood Park – With its fantastic indie line-up and Falconwood’s gorgeous facilities, GRRRL Camp’s audience exceeded beyond what the name implied.
Buffalo Tom Aug. 19 at Outlandia Festival – Outlandia signed off (forever) with a golden performance from a seminal act from the ’90s.
Petfest, Aug. 17 behind Petshop Gallery – The Benson-based bacchanal did not disappoint, with a highlight performance by Flamboyant Gods.
WHY? Sept. 24 at The Slowdown – Yoni Wolf’s nasal vocals had a similar hang-dog style as Dave Berman or Stephin Merritt. Magnetic.
Fontaines D.C. Oct. 5 at The Slowdown – Fontaines’ frontman Grian Chatten was the ultimate showman, egging on fans for what felt like an old-time rock concert.
Cursive Oct. 12 at The Waiting Room – The ageless Tim Kasher put his soul into every song whether howling out classics or new ones. He and the band haven’t lost a step in nearly 30 years.
Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain Oct. 22 at The Astro – Both bands admirably played through their catalog of ancient hits inside what is arguably Omaha best-designed new music venue.
Speed! Nebraska Records showcase Nov. 22 at Reverb – A celebration of its long history, bands both old and new showcased the label’s storied past and bright future.
Simon Joyner Band Dec. 8 at The Waiting Room – Performing Joyner’s Coyote Butterfly in its entirety, the evening was a touching tribute to Joyner’s late son, Owen. Somber, heart-felt and special, it likely will never be repeated.
Lazy-i Best of 2023 Compilation CD
Finally, the year wouldn’t be complete without giving away copies of the annual Lazy-i Best of 2024 compilation CD! This is the 30th Anniversary Edition. What started as a Christmas mixtape way back in ’94 continues on (seemingly forever) as a collection of the best and brightest bands (local and otherwise) featured here at Lazy-i.com.
If you own a CD player and would like a copy, drop me an email. They’re free, while supplies last. All you have to do is send me your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.
Here’s the track list:
Cindy Lee, “Diamond Jublilee,” from the album Diamond Jubilee (Realistik)
Sasami, “The Seed,” from the album Blood on the Silver Screen (Domino)
Kylie V, “Lucky Streak,” from the album Crash Test Plane (Royal Mountain)
Adrianne Lenker, “Sadness as a Gift,” from the album Bright Future (4AD)
MJ Lenderman, “”She’s Leaving You,” from the album Manning Fireworks (-Anti)
Neva Dinova, “One More Mile,” from the album Canary (Saddle Creek)
David Nance and Mowed Sound, “Credit Line,” from the self-titled album (Third Man)
Rosali, “Rewind,” from the album Bite Down (Merge)
Cola, “Pulling Quotes,” from the album The Gloss (Fire Talk)
Cursive, “Dark Star,” from the album Devourer (Run for Cover)
The Last Dinner Party, “Sinner,” from the album Prelude to Ecstasy (Universal)
Fontaines D.C., “Bug,” from the album Romance (XL)
Mannequin Pussy, “I Don’t Know You” from the album I Got Heaven (Epitaph)
GIFT, “Wish Me Away,” from the album Illuminator (Captured Tracks)
Charlie xcx, “Von dutch,” from the album Brat (Atlantic)
Real Estate, “Flowers,” from the album Daniel (Domino)
Carver Jones, “Crazy 24,” digital single
Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More, from the album Nobody Loves You More (4AD)
Major Murphy, “Fallout,” from the album Fallout (Winspear)
The playlist also is available in Spotify (with the first two songs missing). Simply click this link or search “Tim McMahan” in Spotify, then select Profiles, then Public Playlists. You’ll find it, along with a few from past years.
Waiting for my 2024 music year in review column? You’ll have to wait one more day. Until then, and in commeration of Throwback Thursday, read the 2004 Music Year in Review. They were the best of times and they were the best of times. See how much things have changed in 20 years.
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Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? No? Tell us all about it tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s, where PROBLEMS a.k.a. Darren Keen is headling a show that includes The Trauma Center and comic Joslyne Debonis. It’s free and starts at 9 p.m.
Also tonight, Omaha Latin-fueled indie band Las Cruxes supports experimental punk/metal band Flux Amuck at Reverb Lounge. ZENEG and the Doom Choir open the show at 8 p.m. $8 (according to the 1% website).
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