Last Saturday afternoon I chatted with Two Gallants’ Tyson Vogel from his apartment in San Francisco. His cohort, Adam Stephens, was somewhere in Paris visiting his girlfriend while the band enjoyed some much needed time off the road. “When we have some down time, we’re on opposite ends of the world,” Vogel said. “This has been the longest break in the past three months. We finally got two weeks off, and we’re both reveling in it.”

We spent most of our interview talking about the Walter’s on Washington incident and the aftermath. That part of the interview will go online tomorrow as this week’s column.

The rest of the time was spent talking about Saddle Creek, the band’s new EP and opening for what would seem to be oddly matched bands, like Against Me! and Les Claypool. Vogel and Stephens bring an interesting perspective to working with Saddle Creek Records. They’re really the first band signed to the label that didn’t have direct personal ties to anyone in any of the other Creek bands (read about how they got signed here). How happy are they with the label?

“The reason that we stay with Saddle Creek is we enjoy working with them,” Vogel said. “We do get frustrated with how hands-off they are. They always have good ideas and opinions, but they really want to keep the artist in control of the art, and we both admire that. That’s why we enjoy working with them. They’re respectful of our ideas and have a good sense on how to get things done. They also have good distribution and work with the industry without pandering to it — that’s a great thing. They stay true to their nature; they enjoy music and want to keep it that way. It’s been really good working with them.”

When I pressed him on the frustrations, Vogel clarified his comments. “It’s not frustration,” he said. “We don’t know about this music business stuff. We just know how to play music. One of the reasons we like working (with Saddle Creek) is that they put a lot of consideration and thought into things.”

The band’s new EP, the 5-song The Scenery of Farewell, was released in June and though it’s a departure instrumentally for the band, their signature sound is still there.

“I would hope that (the EP) would have the same feeling,” Vogel said. “In the end, it’s not that we’re purposely trying to do anything different. What makes it different is the songs come from a slightly different place. These songs demand more than the electric bass songs. We’re putting this out because it’s just as important as electric or loud songs. It’s more stripped down in the sense that the songs aren’t that complicated and demand a different kind of playing. At the same time, they’re just as full or even more so, since we have these other players playing with us and adding other layers.”

The band just finished a 3-week acoustic tour of Europe with additional support players — and it may be the last time they play songs off the EP live. They’re going back to their two-piece configuration for the Against Me! tour. “The acoustic shows can be heavy and dark at times. It’s not for every night.,” Vogel said. “The songs on the EP have opened up both of us internally to let go a bit more, so we can keep on writing songs.”

Songs for the new self-titled LP, slated for release Sept. 25, were recorded at a completely different session than the EP. “Originally, the EP was supposed to be a full length, but we took three songs off — we didn’t like how they came out, and it would have been a long, heavy record. One of those songs will be on the new full length. I would say this record is really significant because we never recorded songs without playing them live.”

Vogel said the band traditionally spends a year playing songs before putting them down on tape. “For this next album, we haven’t played the songs for anyone yet. Not to be too lofty, (Adam and I have) come separately and together into the music more. This next album represents a change for the better, it’ll be different than What the Toll Tells and more similar to The Throes.”

Combining Two Gallants with Against Me! for a tour seems odd. Against Me! plays relatively straight-up FM alt rock — quite a contrast to Two Gallants’ more traditional sound. Vogel said he and Stephens invited the contrast.

“The Les Claypool tour was a weirder mix,” he said, adding that he grew up with the early Primus records. “One night we ran into each other, and Les and I talked and had a good conversation. I admire him for his creative judgement and ideal in life. He invited us to come on tour. We knew it would be a very different audience. With Against Me!, people have told us for a long time that we should tour with them, and we have mutual friends. We thought it would be fun because they always seem to pop up in the periphery. I hope that we’re not too much of a downer. The first band (Gaslight Anthem) is more of a punk band. Actually, it’s more involved than punk, very melodic and kind of anthemic alternative, I guess.

“The last tour broke us in. The Les Claypool fans are pretty intense. There’s a story about Rasputina going on tour with him and getting pennies thrown at them. If the music is so different but comes from a similar place, it can still come off. People there to see Against Me! might find something they can relate to in our music. I’m a proponent for an eclectic show if the mood or energy is right. There are too many shows where the bands are too similar. It’s good to be pushed to look at different things.”

I told Vogel that, on a certain level, Two Gallants’ style seems more mature, more sophisticated and certainly more literate than typical rock music. It seems to have a new classic American style that stands on its own beyond that genre. Did they ever look around at their environment and ask if they’re reaching the right audience with their music?

“I don’t think he or I really try to think about it that way,” Vogel said. “I think if you become too concerned about it that you will always be unsatisfied. And that’s not the point. If the honesty and integrity comes off, if certain people are drawn to that, then great. Music is a necessity for us. We’d be doing it anyway. We’re honored to be in front of this many people. All we have to focus on is doing it right.”

Tomorrow’s column: Two Gallants and Walter’s on Washington.

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The first time I heard “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups I naturally thought it was a new Smashing Pumpkins song. I mean, it sounds almost identical to “1979” right down to the bouncing bassline and Brian Aubert’s Billy Corgan impersonation. The rest of Carnavas is just as Pumpkinesque, which is great, I suppose, if you’re a big Pumpkins fan. I never liked the band (other than “1979”). I find it odd how something so derivitive of another band could become so popular unless the kids picking this up never heard Mellon Collie (released in ’95) or Siamese Dream (’93) before, which is very, very possible. Anyway, Silversun is playing at Slowdown tonight with Dangerbird Recording artist Sea Wolf, and it’s SOLD OUT. Also tonight, at Saddle Creek Bar, it’s Lucia Lie, Paper Owls and Civic Minded. $5, 9 p.m.

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Before I get to last Saturday night, a quick review of the Built to Spill show at Slowdown July 18. What’s that? Wasn’t I in Cape Cod the night of that show? Well, yes, I was indeed, good reader. But through the magic of bootleg technology, I was able to relive the moment. A friend of mine sent me a link to the Blasé Blogspot, which posted a link to this divShare page that allows you to download the entire Slowdown performance, presumably recorded off the soundboard. It sounds pretty marvelous indeed.

I’ve never been a collector of bootlegs. My only foray into bootleg acquisition was picking up a cassette from a friend of a friend of mine of an old Led Zeppelin concert titled “Mudslide.” The quality was piss-poor, but at the time (back in the ’80s) I was so hungry for anything Zeppelinesque that I cherished the tape, which included a recording of a (then) unreleased Zeppelin track. These days there are entire web networks dedicated to nothing but bootlegs of live shows — not just the usual boring, pointless Phish or Widespread head-shop noodling sessions, but everything from Prince to Morrissey to last week’s Built to Spill concert. Who knows which of the recordings are authorized by the artists and which aren’t. I assume the person listed in the accompanying BTS text file (strangely identified only as “DB” — who could that be?) had permission from Martsch to record.

My take on the concert: Martsch’s vocals continue to sound more and more like Neil Young’s, to the point where the recording got me wondering if Young would ever consider covering a Built to Spill song (Martsch certainly has covered enough of Young’s songs). Sounds like the band had a few problems with their gear, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a solid night of rock that dipped extensively into their back catalog. Seems ol’ Doug was a man of his word, and rock won out over jams, though he ended with a 16-plus minute version of “Randy Described Eternity” that devolved deeply into jam territory. Among the highlights were roaring versions of “Time Trap,” “Stab,” and a cover of Brian Eno’s “Third Uncle.” The recording includes all the between-song banter, including Martsch asking (after “Time Trap”) “Anyone know what happened to Mousetrap?” Silence (a testament, I guess, to the number of people in the audience who don’t remember the band). Moments later, he said”Chicago?”

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File this under “eerie” and “sad”: Yesterday while doing some “research” on personal writing hero Harlan Ellison, I spent a couple hours watching old Tom Snyder interviews on that ultimate internet time-waster, YouTube. After Ellison, I went to an old Wendy O. Williams interview, and — just like opening a bag of potato chips — couldn’t stop watching interviews with The Clash, Iggy Pop, and PiL (specifically, Johnny Rotten, who is as famous for being a prick during interviews as he is for his music — and what a prick he was to Snyder).

Then this morning on my drive into work, NPR reported that Snyder died yesterday after a long battle with leukemia. Strange, sad coincidence. I didn’t grow up watching the Tomorrow show; I only caught it a few times during the ’80s. It was on way past my bedtime — if I was up that late it was because I was either studying or partying. The times I did catch it, however, I loved. It. Snyder’s interview style seemed off-the-cuff, as if he did little or no research before strolling onto the set each evening. He was the first guy I ever saw regularly talk to the folks behind the cameras and control board during a broadcast — it felt like he was letting you in on something you weren’t supposed to see, and as a result, you felt like you were part of the show. He was no fan of punk and New Wave — he simply didn’t understand it. Despite that, he knew it made good television, and often invited punks onto his show, providing exposure that they’d get nowhere else. Unfortunately, more people remember Dan Aykroyd’s impersonation of Snyder than the man himself. YouTube, of course, could change all that.

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My only show attendence this weekend was Shiver Shiver and Sleep Said the Monster at O’Leaver’s Saturday night. Opening band Donnelly is a new project by Satchel Grande member Ben Zinn. I missed them. Shiver Shiver is a keyboard/drum duo whose impressive recordings on MySpace drew me to the show. In fact, they were probably the main draw of the evening as half the crowd left shortly after their set. Live, their sound was muddy and off-balance, moreso due to the limitations of O’Leaver’s sound system. O’Leaver’s is a fine venue for punk and hard rock sets, not so much for more laid-back keyboard or acoustic-driven music. That said, Shiver Shiver sounded as good as they could, though nowhere as good as on their recordings. The formula is simple: Jordan Elsberry belts out loungy, jazzy ballads a la Todd Rundgren or Ben Folds on keyboards, while drummer Chase Thornburg fills in the rhythms and adds harmony vocals (For whatever reason, I couldn’t help thinking of Flight of the Conchords). Again, maybe it was the venue, but the set seemed hollow. I’m told Elsberry handled bass lines on one of the keyboards, but that didn’t compensate enough for not having a real bass (Why are bands so reticent these days to bite the bullet and bring on a bassist?). Elsberry’s keyboard tones also seemed locked in a mid-tempo, mid-range rut, and lacked some much-needed variety. Some songs seemed too long. Still, there’s no question these guys know how to write music, and no one is doing anything like Shiver Shiver around these parts. They slated to play at Saddle Creek Bar Aug. 17 with Seymore Saves the World. Check them out.

Sleep Said the Monster sounds different every time I see them, and last Saturday was no exception. They’ve evolved into a hard-rocking indie band that plays run-of-the-mill indie music — which is a nice way of saying the band never sounded better, but their music was far from unique. I’m not sure fans of this style of music care, as long as it rocks, and it certainly did.

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., Coyote Bones opens for Blitzen Trapper. CB, one of the best new bands in the area, has a split 7-inch with Flowers Forever coming out eventually on CoCo Art. $7, 9 p.m. Also tonight, Oakland stoner metal band High on Fire (Matt Pike, formerly of seminal stoner band Sleep) plays at The Waiting Room with Omaha band Back When. $10, 9 p.m.

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It’s kind of a quiet weekend show-wise, at least compared to the past few weeks.

The feature event is tonight at The Waiting Room — Omaha twang-punk masters The Filter Kings with The Mercury’s. The Filter Kings is Lee Meyerpeter (Bad Luck Charm, ex-Cactus Nerve Thang) and his team of highly trained cowboy-hat-wearing knife fighters ripping apart alt-country-punk and reassembling it in their own image. I enjoy this band immensely, especially when they play at The Waiting Room (where they should be the house band (I’ll keep saying it until it happens)). The only thing that would make their performance better would be if two drunks had a broken-bottle fight in front of the stage while Lee and Co. provided the sound track. In fact, if these guys ever release a CD, there’s the perfect premise for their first rock video. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at O’Leaver’s, trippy Virginia space-rock band Gifts from Enola sneaks into town. They call themselves “experimental” on their Myspace page. Their recordings sound more proggy/shoe-gazer than experimental to me. Opening is Paper Owls, and something tells me they’re going to give a sneak preview of their new album, which they’ll be celebrating with a CD-release show Aug. 11 at PS Collective. Also on the bill, The Slats. Waitaminit, SLAM Omaha says not the Slats but I Hear Sirens are playing tonight. The Slats’ Myspace page, however, shows them at O’Leaver’s. Find out who’s right by showing up at 9:30 and doling out $5.

And don’t forget Film Streams grand opening tonight. I was talking Wednesday to one of the guys who works there about the choice of screening the Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) on opening night. He pointed out that it made sense if only for the fact that opening night will bring in people who otherwise wouldn’t sit through a 3-plus-hour black-and-white Japanese film with subtitles. And if you’re lucky Alexander Payne will provide a half-hour spoken introduction. Two showings, 5 and 9 p.m. Also playing (in the small theater) is La Vie en Rose (see yesterday’s review) at 4, 7, and 9 p.m. Film Streams also is having an open house tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free popcorn!

Saturday night is all O’Leaver’s, with Donnely, Sleep Said the Monster & Shiver Shiver. No idea who Donnely is and can’t find anything on the ‘net about them. SStM play laid-back indie pop. Shiver Shiver is the duo of keyboardist/vocalist Jordan Elsberry and drummer/vocalist Chase Thornburg. A friend of mine pointed me toward their Myspace site a few weeks ago and I dug what I heard. Their demos remind me of early Squeeze or laid-back Ben Folds. $5, 9 p.m.

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I’ll let you in on a little secret: I go to as many movies as I do rock shows, maybe more. I see everything, not only the high-falutin’ indie and foreign flicks at The Dundee (Once, After the Wedding, etc.), but also the popcorn fluff at the cineplexes (Harry Potter, Fantastic Four, Ratatouille). And I love them all, except for the shitty ones, which — just like shitty bands — are plenty and hard to avoid.

Anyway… tonight is special for a non-musical reason: It’s the press opening of the Ruth Sokolof Theater down at the Slowdown complex — i.e., the grand opening of Film Streams. Actually, one of the first screenings was last night for city big-wigs and the high-end donors who are making the whole thing possible. Tonight is the press screening. Tomorrow is yet another event (I’m not sure who’s invited) and Friday is the hoi polloi opening. Watch for the spotlights.

When Rachel Jacobson told me about the project back in 2005 (for this story), I thought it was a no-brainer — it was an even better idea than Slowdown, quite frankly. The only theaters screening indie films at the time were that grand old dame The Dundee, and its ghetto twin, the $2 Westwood Cinema 8. Now two years later, the AMC Oakview has dedicated a couple screens to indie films, and theaters in the new Mutual of Omaha and Aksarben developments also are likely to screen a few indie films. That’s more competition, but if the Film Streams’ auditoriums (two of them — 209 seats and 96 seats) are as state-of-the-art and comfortable as originally planned, it won’t matter. Film Streams is more of an arts organization than a movie theater anyway, a non-profit that depends on the kindness of strangers for its financial well-being. And there are plenty of strangers in Omaha willing to lend a hand if it means getting quality films shown in this town. I bought my membership weeks ago. You can too, right here. $50 is a small price to pay to get access to films that I only used to read about in my subscription to Time Out New York. And, yeah, you can always Netflix them, but really, there’s no comparing watching a film at home on a plasma to a movie theater experience.

Tonight’s screening emphasizes a problem with Slowdown that I’ve mentioned before — their 8-sharp start time for rock shows. Because I’ll be walking the streets of France via the Sokolof Theater this evening, I’m going to miss Handsome Furs and Latitude Longitude at Slowdown Jr. The bands will just be leaving the stage when the final frames of La Vie en Rose burns on the virgin screen. A pity, because the new Handsome Furs disc, release by Sub Pop, is Neil Young meets Arcade Fire, with lead vocalist Dan Boeckner (also of Wolf Parade), providing the lonesome moan over the Crazy Horse-style guitars. $10, 8 p.m.

Well, the movie should be over in plenty of time to make it out to the other hot shows tonight. The sleeper is Winter Sounds at The Saddle Creek Bar with The Lemurs and Hyannis. In its more laid-back moments, Athens Georgia’s Winter Sounds is like Minus the Bear fronted by Bob Welch (who remembers “Ebony Eyes”?). They’re at their best when trying to be dreamy and psychedelic vs. when they’re doing the usual indie stutter-step guitar stuff we’ve all come to know and yawn over. Hyannis just finished recording the final two tracks of their upcoming EP, Off the Reels. $5. 9 p.m.

The other prime show is St. Vincent at The Waiting Room with Scout Niblett, and Omaha’s Bear Country. St. Vincent is singer-songwriter Annie Clark, a veteran guitarist for both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens. Her new album, Marry Me (on Beggars) is stunningly beautiful, mixing upbeat ballads with a voice reminiscent of (this is really gonna date me) Carly Simon. She works with a number of accompanists on the record, including Bowie pianist Mike Garson and a horn section. But tonight I believe she’ll be doing it solo, probably with backing tracks. I fear it could be more of a PJ Harvey 4-track Demos-style presentation than what we get on the record. If you’ve never seen Scout Niblett and her wig before, you’re in for a weird treat. The first time I saw Scout down at Sokol Underground, it was just her, her drum set and her boyfriend from Swearing at Motorists. The next time, a year or so later, it was her, her drum set, and her electric guitar (Though Ryan Fox lent a hand on one song). Scout looked like a spooky, stoned-out Chan Marshall with adult ADD. It’s weird stuff that borders on beat poetry and often includes crowd participation (you’ll likely be prompted to help with a few cheers). $10, 9 p.m.

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I haven’t kept track of Don Caballero for years. In fact, I thought they’d broken up earlier in the decade. So when I saw this show slated for The Waiting Room tonight, I was a bit surprised. In fact, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Don Cab did break up in 2000, shortly after American Don was released. Says Wiki: “To equal parts surprise and criticism, (drummer Damon) Che reformed Don Caballero in 2003 with an entirely new lineup consisting of members of Pittsburgh’s Creta Bourzia, a band that bore clear marks of influence from Don Caballero. The new members are Jeff Ellsworth on guitar, Gene Doyle on guitar, and Jason Jouver on bass. (Original members Mike Banfield and Pat Morris were invited to participate but both declined).” Che apparently vowed never to work with original second guitarist Ian Williams again. So Che is the only original member in tonight’s line-up, according to Wikipedia. The band, who recorded for Touch and Go for years, now records for metal label Relapse Records. I have to assume they sound somewhat like they used to, but I haven’t heard any of their recent recordings. Opening the show is Omaha’s own math rock/noise rock masters Fromanhole — who alone are worth the $10 admission. Show starts at 9 p.m.

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I’m back from Cape Cod, where I spent seven days on a beach with virtually no music whatsoever except for oldies stations on the car stereo — Boz Scaggs, Dr. Hook (does every one of their songs have to sound like it was written by a pervert?), Gerry Rafferty, ELO, Orleans, Ambrosia — you get the picture, it was a week of FM Gold. Boston stations barely reach the Cape, and those that did only played hip-hop or retro. Indie music as we know it didn’t seem to exist. But hey, you don’t go to Cape Cod to sniff out hot local clubs brimming with introspective indie bands. You go there to get away. When you do find a club with live music, chances are you’re in for an evening of Jimmy Buffett covers or a Doobie Brothers tribute band… and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

So, not a lot to write about. Looks like there was some news while I was gone. Saddle Creek Records signed Tokyo Police Club, a deal that’s been rumored for months. I’m not sure how they fit into the Creek roster, but I don’t think the label execs care all that much about things fitting these days. TPC is a band that’s going to support their debut release in classic Creek style — by constantly touring, which is what they’ve done for the past year. Their sound clashes no more awkwardly with the old-line Creek stable than, say, Georgie James or Two Gallants. Two Gallants seemed like an odd addition when they climbed aboard the S.S. Saddle Creek a couple years ago. Over time, the signing made more sense if only weighted on their music’s lyrical content. Georgie James was more of a question mark, though some people pointed toward drummer John Davis’ Q & Not U connection and his relationship with other Creek bands. Who knows. None of these new signings except for maybe Art in Manila are going to be big earners for the label in the vein of The Big Three or Jenny Lewis, who was a veritable home run for Team Love. Does it matter? Maybe not. Anyway, look for TPC’s debut in early 2008.

I dropped in on The Terminals at O’Leaver’s last night, they were headlining a show with a couple touring bands. Their set started rough and only got more brutal as the night wore on (in a good way). They sounded about as heavy as I’ve ever heard them (but nowhere near as distorted as Forget About Never). Fans and followers crowded the “stage,” standing on railings, forming a standing circle around the band. You had to press up close to see what was going on. Strangely, after about a half dozen songs — and just when it was getting really interesting — the band called it a night. The set seemed half-finished and it was only 12:30.

Tonight at The Waiting Room, it’s Cary Brothers with Stars of Track and Field and Mother Mother. Cary Brothers plays adult alternative (a more horrible term I can’t think of) in the vein of The Fray, and just like that band, they’ve had some of their tracks played on TV shows like Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, ER and a couple lame Zach Braff flicks. Inoffensive, probably boring, but likely well-played. Stars of Track and Field are Radiohead replicants (OK Computer era). Opening band, Vancouver’s Mother Mother is the most interesting of the three — think Tegan and Sara with a guy added to the mix, though their music is weirder, almost proggy in an indie sort of way. Quaint and clever, Mother Mother has an identity of their own making, which is more than you can say about the two “big bands” on this bill. $10, 9 p.m.

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Yup, it’s that time of year again when Lazy-i takes a week off to enjoy some well-deserved R&R. What will you do without me? Anyway, here’s what I’ll be missing (but hopefully you won’t be) in my absence:

— Tonight and tomorrow is the continuation of the Mavradio Benson Local Music Festival. Tonight at The Foundry it’s Tea Ceremony, Scott Severin, Mike Harvat and Goodbye Sunday. $2, 7 p.m. While over at PS Collective it’s Talkin Mountain, Electric Needle Room and Family Unit. $5, 9 p.m. The festival’s highlight comes Saturday night. First, at Barley Street Tavern, it’s Ric Rhythm and the Revengers, Reagan and the Rayguns, and the Southpaw Blues Band. $2, 8 p.m. and then at The Waiting Room, the long-awaited return of Son, Ambulance. Chatting with Joe Knapp last weekend at Slowdown, it sounds like they’ll be playing some stuff off Key and maybe some new material. This isn’t just a one-off reunion. Knapp sounds ready to put the Ambulance back on the road. I’m sorry I’m going to miss this one. Also on the bill is Ladyfinger and Little Brazil. $5, 9 p.m.

— Also tonight, Satchel Grande opens for The Balance at The Waiting Room. SG is one of the funnest (and best) bands going these days. Should be a riot (if they can get people to loosen up and dance). $7, 9 p.m.

— Monday night, Box Elders (that’s Dave Goldberg and them McIntyre brothers) open for Quintron and Miss Pussycat at The Waiting Room. $8, 9 p.m.

— Wednesday, of course is the big Built to Spill show at Slowdown with The Boggs. Tickets are still available for $17. I figured this show would sell out fairly quickly, but BTS didn’t sell out the last time they came through until the night of the show, and this venue is a bit bigger than Sokol Underground. Will it be a jam-band fiesta or just a solid rock show? I think it’ll be the latter. It’ll certainly be something you won’t want to miss. Show starts at 9.

— Thursday, No Blood Orphan and Capgun Coup open for Drakkar Sauna at The Waiting Room. NBO’s new album, Robertson Park, is a solid effort, and Capgun Coup continues to be dead-set on world domination. Also the bill, Dim Light. $7, 9 p.m.

— Friday, the second big show at Slowdown this week that I’ve been dying to see but will, alas, miss. Tokyo Police Club plays with Dappled Cities. TPC is a favorite of the Saddle Creek Records crew. They play pretty, peppy indie punk, lively and fun. Imagine Cursive with hand-claps and you’re starting to get the picture. $10, 8 p.m.

See you when I see you.

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