Jenny Haniver plays tonight at The Sydney in Benson.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There was an inordinate amount of new music hitting my in-box overnight. I clicked through and noted some of the more interesting indie submissions. Seems like the marketing plan these days calls for making a YouTube video (and, no doubt, a Tik Tok vid, but I don’t Tik Tok, so…). It’s got to be an expensive endeavor for these bands, and judging by how they all look in the videos, something that’s not terribly fun anymore…

Anyway, here are a few. Most of these acts also announced U.S. tours — but none are coming to little ol’ Omaha…

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Blondshell teams up with Bully on a new song that’s another corker. She announced a massive tour, that’s not coming here. 

Whatever happened to Deleted Scenes? Well their bass player, Matthew Dowling, is now in How???, who’s self-titled album is due April 26 on Misra Records.

Hovvdy released another single from their upcoming self-titled double album that drops on Arts & Crafts April 26. I love this album, though not necessarily this song. 

Pond is a bunch of dudes from Perth who have a new album called Stung! out June 21 on Spinning Top Records. That silver paint must have been a bitch to get off, eh Tin Man…

Pittsburgh’s Merce Lemon will be supporting Water From Your Eyes and Babehoven later this year, after coming off tours with Feeble Little Horse and Horse Jumper of Love (who are playing at Blind Spot May 12). 

Hamilton, Ontario’s Ellis (Linnea Siggelkow) has a sophomore album, No Place that Feels Like, coming out April 26 (self-released? She used to be on Fat Possum). 

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Tonight at The Sydney in Benson it’s Portland’s Jenny Haniver who calls their style “bummer music for bums.” Their new new album, Haunt Your Own House, drops April 15 on Landland Records. That’s Eric Nyffeler on bass and synths, Randall Taylor on guitar/synths and Jenny on drums and lead vocals. The new album was mixed by local genius Ian Aeillo at A Sunroom in Omaha! Check out the first track below. Dan Brennan’s Healer gets things going along with Teetah starting at 8 p.m., $10. Bring youse some ear plugs, yo?

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Obersts reunited for a few numbers at Oberst’s show at Teragram Ballroom in LA March 21.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Time to clean out ol’ in-box. Hold onto yer hats… Much of this you may already have seen on the socials; some you haven’t. Here we go…

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Once again, our hometown record label – Saddle Creek Records – has been nominated for a Libera Award — the annual awards handed out by the American Association of Independent Music. Saddle Creek was nominated in the Label of the Year category for labels with 6 to 14 employees. Also in their category: Captured Tracks, City Slang, Lex Records, Light in the Attic, Mack Avenue Music Group and Photo Finish Records. Seems like Saddle Creek is nominated every year. Could this be the year they take home the prize?

In addition, Saddle Creek Records artist Indigo De Souza was nominated in the Breakthrough Artist, Best Singer-Songwriter Records, and Music Video of the Year categories. The 13th annual Libera Awards ceremony will take place June 10 at Gotham Hall in New York City. More coverage at Variety.

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The indie music world was thrown in a tizzy last week when Phoebe Bridges joined Conor Oberst on his “Conor Oberst and Friends” residency show at Los Angeles’ Teragram Ballroom – a series that heads east to Bowery Ballroom in NYC next month. The best coverage of the incident appeared in Them, an online publication that purports to be the “best of what’s queer.” 

Them’s James Factora reported that Bridgers walked on stage during the show’s encore and together with Conor performed Bright Eyes classic “Lua,” Oberst’s “Double Life” from 2014’s Upside Down Mountain and Better Oblivion Community Center tune “My City.” The occasion marked the first time the two have performed together since October 2020. Factora wonders whether, with the announced hiatus of Boygenuis (Bridgers’ project with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus), if this unannounced reunion could be a sign of future BOCC things to come… 

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I already mentioned that legendary ‘90s-‘00s Omaha punk band Ritual Device is among the performers at this year’s Lincoln Calling May 3 and 4 (the festival schedule has yet to be released). Now comes word that RD will be playing back-to-back nights at Reverb Lounge in Omaha May 2-3 leading up to the LC weekend gig. The shows feature the band’s original lineup of Jerry Hug, Mike Saklar, Eric Ebers and Tim Moss. 

It’s been a decade since the band has taken the stage stage, and I’m sure there’s a good reason for this reunion. More to come…

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Speaking of artists from Omaha’s first golden age of indie music, Patrick Buchanan, the frontman of another ’90s-’00s legendary punk band, Mousetrap, yesterday released a new 5-song EP from his project House of Transgressor called Ain Soph Aur, which, along with the eerie album cover artwork, seems a wee bit satanic. Check it out on Spotify (I don’t see a Bandcamp or YouTube link), and here’s the first song on YouTube: 

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Finally, word from on high is that the fine folks who putting together the Outlandia Festival will announce the line-up for the August 9-10 festival sometime Thursday evening. No doubt you’ll see it blasted all over the socials that night, but I’ll be writing about it the following morning in Lazy-i. 

Who do you think will be this year’s headliner? After last year’s Lord Huron / Modest Mouse headliners (a festival that also included The Faint, Cat Power, Criteria, The Good Life and Horsegirl, among others), I can’t even imagine what they have up their sleeves — prior to this festival, I had never heard of Lord Huron.

With the Maha Music Festival taking the year off due to financial issues (according to their press release), Outlandia controls the board as the only indie music festival in the Omaha area this year. As it enters year 3, will it maintain its indie focus? We’ll find out Thursday night…

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Sun June plays tonight at Reverb Lounge.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Only one touring indie show of note this weekend…

Austin-based Sun June call their sound “regret pop,” I guess because there’s an overhanging sense of ennui that permeates all their songs. At the creative heart of the matter is vocalist Laura Calwell and guitarist Stephen Salisbury, who (according to their record label – Run for Cover Records), are a “couple,” or at least were when the band’s second album, Somewhere, was released in 2021. However, according to Wiki, Calwell and Salisbury lived 1,300 miles apart when they created Bad Dream Jaguar (2023, Run for Cover) – another introspective, melancholy collection.

Playing at Reverb tonight with Sun June are New Yorkers Wild Pink. The band just released their new single, “Air Drumming Fix You,” on Fire Talk Records, but have spent most of their career on sturdy indie label Tiny Engines Records. Fronted by singer/songwriter John Ross, songs like “Amalfi” and “The Wind Was Like a Train” from 2021’s A Billion Little Lights are remiscent of acts like Destroyer and Strand of Oaks. A little more upbeat than Sun June for sure, but no less sentimental. 

This is really a double-headliner bill and a bargain at $25. Showtime at Reverb is 8 p.m. 

Also tonight, at The Waiting Room hosts local headliner Fontenelle for a show that also includes Wake Sessions and Ebba Rose. $12, 8 p.m. 

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Statistics, Leave Your Name (2004, Jade Tree)

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This Tinnitist story captured in my Google Alerts web caught my attention: A reposting of that publication’s 2004 review of Statistic’s Leave Your Name, an album released on venerable label Jade Tree Records on Jan. 20, 2004. Omaha was in the middle of its second indie golden age with Saddle Creek Records gaining global notoriety and Omaha being hailed as the next Seattle. What better time for Denver Dalley to venture out from his role as guitarist in Desaparecidos to release a solo album? 

A glance at the Album of the Year archive indicates that the record got decent reviews, including a very respectable 4-star review from AllMusic and a “B” grade from SPIN. But it was Pitchfork who really drug down the review matrix with a lowly 4.0 out of 10 rating (Pitchfork would go one step further, giving the follow-up, Often Lie, a rare 1.0 rating – harsh!). 

Re-listening to the CD promo copy I received from Jade Tree 20 years ago, I think Leave Your Name holds up pretty well, certainly right up there with the Saddle Creek stuff released during the same era. A number of Creek regulars took part in the recording (and is that an uncredited Conor Oberst adding the vocal to “Accomplishment” or is Denver just trying to sound like Conor?). Not to be outdone, here’s the Lazy-i review of the album from 2004, with the obligatory pull-quote: “Though this is far from where he wants to be, it more clearly defines his position on the musical map.”

Check out Leave Your Name on Bandcamp, below: 

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A couple things happening tonight in Benson:

Tonight our art gallery, Ming Toy at 6066 Maple St., is hosting an artist reception for Kim Darling’s Unleashed show. Kim was out of country when the show opened March 2, but she’s back and will be on hand tonight for this special reception that runs from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Also tonight, Netherlands-based psych-rock group Dream Machine headlines at Reverb Lounge. They’ve released stuff on Castle Face Records, though their latest, Living the Dream, was self-released. It’s throwback synth-prog. Joining them tonight is Cole Eisenmenger of Wyrmwood and Doom Lagoon. 8 p.m., $15.

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

LA Band Color Green plays at Reverb Monday night.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Get a load of this: The best shows of the weekend are actually next Monday night. 

Briefly, there are (again) no touring indie rock shows in Omaha this weekend. 

Only one show is worth your attention tonight and it’s in Lincoln: The Speed! Nebraska “Winternationals” showcase at The Zoo Bar, featuring Bad Bad Men, Wagon Blasters and Pagan Athletes. If you’re in the Capitol City, it’s definitely worth your time. $10, 9 p.m. 

Tomorrow night (Saturday), Omaha indie band Ojai headlines a free show at fabulous O’Leaver’s. I know very little about this act, other than they’ve been around for a long time. Maybe it’s time I catch their set? Joining them is singer/songwriter Ione (Who also performs around town as Safe Space — I’m not sure why she oscillates between the two names – maybe it has something to do with whomever is accompanying her?). Like I said, FREE, and starts at 9 p.m. 

Also Saturday night, local rock band Safari Room plays Reverb Lounge with Bad Self Portraits and Steady Wells. 8 p.m., $18. 

Sunday is, of course, St. Patrick’s Day, which just happens to be the lousiest day to have St. Patrick’s Day. i think we need to make a command decision and forever make St. Patrick’s Day the second Friday of March. My usual go-to on this national holiday (for us Irish folk, anyway) has always been The Dubliner, who this year features “three fantastic sets of live Irish music.” The main act on St. Patty’s Day always plays in the afternoon, and this year Lincoln act Out of the House gets that honor from 1 to 5 p.m. 

And that’s it for the weekend, so let’s talk about Monday. I generally wait until Monday to tell you about Monday, but considering the lousy weekend, here’s something to look forward to:

Top of the list Monday night is Los Angeles indie band Color Green at Reverb Lounge. The band features Noah Kohll, who has been involved in a number of local indie acts over the years, including Staffers and Nathan Ma. He’s been doing Color Green with Corey Madden for a few years. Their latest is a self-titled album released in 2022 by ORG Music and Aquarium Drunkard that sounds like a modern version of Allman Brothers crossed with The Byrds. Also on the bill are up-and-coming Omaha bands The Dirts and Heavy Clippings (who we saw last weekend at Goatfest). This one’s jam-packed and starts at 8 p.m. $15. 

Meanwhile, just down the street Monday night at The Sydney, Atlanta psych/electronic/noise act Chew headlines. Their latest is 2022’s Horses (Stolen Body Records). Opening for Chew is a new LinOma band Size Queen, whose members include Lincoln Calling booker Sam Crisler. I don’t think they’ve played in Omaha before, so consider this their Omaha debut. 8 p.m., $10. 

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I was among those who thought “This is a passing thing, like flu season or an outbreak of the chicken pox. Give it a month, maybe two, things will get back to normal.” 

Little did we know.

But we quickly found out. And I have to admit that, at first I didn’t mind it that much. Sure, it meant the world was going to close down, but it also meant I didn’t have to go into the office every day. We still had food and the internet and our dogs. I was one of the lucky ones: No one close to me died. In fact it would take many more months before anyone I knew even caught it. That would come later.

Instead, March 2020 was like living in a science fiction short story that would become a novella that turned into a novel that stretched into a trilogy. And though we’ve mostly come back from it, the scars are still visible. Businesses, restaurants, venues closed forever. “Remote work” lingered and office buildings continue to be half-empty (and I quickly realized I don’t like working in half-empty buildings). And a few million people died. But we didn’t see that coming in March 2020. Little did we know…

Psst… this was only four years ago…

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Willy Mason plays tonight at Pageturners Lounge.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

According to my records (glances at the Lazy-i Archives), it’s been about a decade since singer/songwriter Willy Mason came through town. The last time was opening for First Aid Kit at The Waiting Room back in June 2014. 

From that review: “Mason’s brassy voice has deepened dramatically since he emerged a decade ago. As proof, he played the standout track “Oxygen,” from his Team Love debut, the Ritalin-referenced lyrics betraying his lost youth. Last time Mason came through was as a solo artist, too. I’d like to see him with a band.”

I’d still like to see him play with a full band, though that’s not going to happen tonight at Pageturners. 

Those of you who were around at the dawn of Saddle Creek Records 20 years ago might remember a then-high-school aged Willy Mason played a tangential role as one of the first artists signed to Conor Oberst’s and Sean Foley’s fledgling record label, Team Love (along with Jenny Lewis and Tilly and the Wall, among others). 

The story behind that signing is also in the Lazy-i Archive, right here. Since then, Mason’s been on a bunch of labels and these days his music is licensed to Cooking Vinyl, including his last EP, Bok Bok Hill. Tonight Mason plays at Pageturners Lounge, along with our very own Sean Pratt (sans Sweats?). 8 p.m., $10 suggested donation (Why not just charge a cover?). 

Maybe Willy’s record label pal, who also owns Pageturners, will show up tonight for old times’ sake…

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A snow Friday in March? No, thank you…

Tonight (Friday) at The Sydney in Benson, Indian Caves headlines with Better in Eleven and Midwest Dilemma. The listing says 8 p.m., which is early for a Sidney show, so plan accordingly. $10.

The weather should turn around in time for Goatfest tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) at Scriptown Brewery in The Blackstone District. Great beer goes well with rock music, this time from the legendary Omaha/Lincoln/Chicago project Head of Femur. Joining them is a local indie supergroup Heavy Clippings that includes Noah Sterba and Jeff Sedrel of Yuppies with Vince Franco and Tanner Rogerson. I include my favorite Yuppies track below for reference purposes only. And, like last year, there will be goats! As well as smoked meats from Lazy Buffalo BBQ. Music runs 3 to 5 p.m. and the whole dang thing is free. 

Than later Saturday night, DIY venue The Blindspot, is hosting Rapid City “country band for the gays and theys,” Diaphane. The project of singer/songwriter Kyle Blessing wasn’t always a cowboy outfit. 2022’s Portraits (Bathtub Records) was a stylistic indie record, which is why I include two clips from these folks. Also on the bill is Lincoln “alternative garbage roots” band Wicked Bones. Des Moines indie duo Munk Rivers opens at 7:30 p.m. The Blindspot is located at 619 So. 20th St. Isn’t it time you checked it out? Tickets are $10. 

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Jenny Lewis at the Maha Music Festival, Aug. 16, 2019. She plays tonight at The Admiral.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

We all know Jenny. She’s been coming through Omaha for more than 20 years, either as part of Rilo Kiley or The Postal Service or as a solo performer. The last time I saw her was at the 2019 Maha Music Festival, where Lewis took the stage dressed all in gold lamé, touring in support of On the Line (2019, Warner Bros.). 

This time Lewis is touring Joy’All , release last year on jazz label Blue Note Records. The album has done pretty well on the strength of singles “Psychos” and “Puppy and a Truck.” A glance at the setlist from last night’s show at The Truman in KC suggests a retrospective show tonight (including “Rise Up with Fists!!”), with new songs sprinkled throughout the set, but no Rilo Kiley songs. Who knows, though, this being Omaha and RK having released their best albums on Saddle Creek Records, she could pull a surprise, but I highly doubt it.

Opening at The Admiral tonight is Amarillo acoustic guitar master Hayden Pedigo, whose instrumentals evoke visions of a wind-blown, barren West Texas. His late album, The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored, was released in 2023 on boutique indie label Mexican Summer. Really pretty stuff.

Pedigo goes on at 8 p.m. Tickets are still availbable for $40 GA and $55 balcony. 

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Welp, after a day-long delay, Lincoln Calling finally released their lineup . The announcement was supposed to go out yesterday, but five minutes before the “information embargo” expired organizers sent an email pleading for media to hold the presses.

Of all the local festivals (and there’s one fewer this year), Lincoln Calling has the most eclectic lineups. No one genre dominates; instead they throw everything into the mix and this year is no exception. 

Slated for May 3 and 4 in venues throughout downtown Lincoln, the 20th anniversary edition boasts 55+ national and local acts. The headliner is pop-rapper Tkay Maidza, whose last album was released on 4AD, a label that used to be renowned for its ambient/indie/post-punk acts. Something tells me the label is making mo’ money from this pop/dance fare.

While LC2024 has a plethora of R&B/DJ/jazz/pop acts, it’s the indie stuff I’m interested in, and the list of touring indie artists is impressive. Among them:

• – LA trio Cherry Glazerr (Secretly Canadian)
• – New York duo Water From Your Eyes (Matador Records)
• – Louisville’s Wombo (Fire Talk Records)
• – Nashville punkers Snõõper (Third Man) and 
• – Chicago’s Friko (ATO Records). 

But maybe the most notable act announced is a reunion of influential ’90s Nebraska post-punk legends Ritual Device. I think the last time these guys performed was a holiday show in 2014 with Cellophane Ceiling. Frontman Tim Moss once told me that show was the end. Looks like we’re in for another ride. 

The rest of the so-called “regional acts” is just as impressive. Among them are David Nance and Mowed Sound (which, now that they’re on Third Man Records, should have relegated them higher in the LC2024 press release), Universe Contest, Clarence Tilton, The Dirts, PROBLEMS, Bad Bad Men, Pagan Athletes, Plack Blague, Face and, as they say, lots, lots more.

Venues include two outdoor stages along with 1867 Bar, Duffy’s Tavern and The Zoo Bar. Tickets are on sale at lincolncalling.com, with early bird weekend passes priced at $50 – that’s an insanely low price for a festival like this. 

Hey, what about a VIP option? Well, as a matter of fact, there is one: The Callers Club. There are four club levels and for $250 you’ll be in the “Immerse Level,” which includes VIP seating, a local meal and drinks. At the $1,000 level you can meet the artists, because let’s face it, everyone needs to meet Tim Moss at least once in their life…

Now all we need is a schedule…

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In the meantime… 

Birdie Edge is Alabama instrumentalist Richard Edge. According to an article in The St. Lous Music Report (Why don’t we have an Omaha Music Report?), Mr. Edge was involved in the St. Louis hardcore scene, including in bands Freon and Hippyfuckers. “Surprisingly however, a good chunk of their work has been dedicated to an earthy, rural acoustic solo self-titled project centered around the resonant nature of their steel string acoustic guitar and complex Americana finger-picked patterns,” said the Report.

I have no idea if this information still applies to Birdie Edge, as the article was published two years ago and there’s nothing else online (including at the Pageturrners website). According to Bandcamp, Jinx, the recording linked below, was tape dubbed by David Nance. And tonight’s opener for this show, Jim Schroeder, has played alongside Nance for years. 

It all adds up to saying that tonight Birdie Edge Dan McCarthy plays at Pageturners, with Jim Schroeder opening at 8 p.m. No cover but drop some cash in the hat for the bands, please. 

Note: Birdie Edge is unable to play tonight at Pageturners. Dan McCarthy is taking his place, and Jim is still on the bill. 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.