by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Rule No.  1 for writing a one-sheet: Don’t just talk about the artist; tell his/her/their story and make sure it has a hook.

In New Orleans’ singer/songwriter Odie Leigh’s case, the hook involves a bet with college roommates over who would be the first to create a viral TikTok video. Leigh won with a clip for her song “Crop Circles,” which, as of this writing, has around 400,000 likes in TikTok. More impressive (especially from those of us who don’t use TikTok) is that the single, released in February 2022, has more than 7 million plays in Spotify. 

Did TikTok virality lead to Leigh’s contract with indie label Mom+Pop Records? I’m sure it had something to do with it. The label just released her debut LP, Carrier Pigeon, this past July, launching Leigh on a tour that comes to Slowdown’s frontroom tonight. It’s an album of mostly self-deprecating love songs by an unsure participant who no doubt will come out on top, just as she did in that TikTok battle. Idaho singer/songwriter Valley James, whose music is inspired by the likes of Patsy Cline and Chris Isaak, opens the show at 8 pm. $25.

Also tonight, London neo-soul trio Jungle plays at The Astro Theater in La Vista. Their hit, “Back on 74,” off their latest album, Volcano (2023, AWAL), has been on constant rotation on Sirius XMU throughout the spring of summer of ’24. New Yorker hip-hop artist Bas opens the show at 8 p.m. $50-$75.

It’s the start of a busy October, show-wise. Here’s the latest calendar of touring indie bands headed our way:   

• Oct. 1 – Odie Leigh @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 1 – Jungle @ The Astro
• Oct. 4 – Brigitte Calls Me Baby @ Reverb
• Oct. 4 – Turnover @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 5 – Fontaines D.C. @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 5 – Special Interest @ Sydney
• Oct. 7 – Saturdays at Your Place @ Reverb
• Oct. 8 – Boris @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 10 – MJ Lenderman & The Wind @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 10 – Melt @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 12 – The Red Pears @ Reverb
• Oct. 16 – Mdou Moctar @ The Waiting Room 
• Oct. 17 – Superchunk @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 18-19 – Cursive @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 20 – Color Green @ Grapefruit Records
• Oct. 20 – Jeff Tweedy @ The Admiral
• Oct. 22 – Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Astro
• Oct. 23 – Kate Nash @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 26 – Porches @ Reverb
• Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown
• Nov. 4 – quickly, quickly @ Reverb
• Nov. 10 – The Sufrajettes @ Reverb
• Nov. 11 – Dusk @ Reverb
• Nov. 12 – The Rev. Horton Heat @ Waiting Room
• Nov. 29 – VIAL @ Reverb

Am I missing something? Let me know…

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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

Looks like it’s going to be another Sydney weekend…

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson, Japanese-American costumed punkers Peelander-Z take the stage. I have a friend who lives out of state who describes them as “if The Ramones and the Power Rangers had a baby. Costumes, choreography – hard to imagine them in a tiny space like Sydney.” 

Meanwhile, wiki says “Peelander-Z has a complex stage act, which involves hand-written signs, costumes, and audience participation. The signs often contain the lyrics to their songs. At some of their shows they also bring people from outside of the band on stage to play their instruments as they do a stage act.”

Oh boy! It sounds like The Sydney is the perfect place for this show. 9 p.m., $15.

Meanwhile, The Waiting Room has the more serious folk of Shovels & Rope. The husband and wife team of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst are on the road playing songs off their new album, Something Is Working Up Above My Head (Dualtone), which “finds Hearst and Trent leaning heavier into the rock and punk roots that have always been foundational to the signature sound.” Al Olender opens the show at 8 p.m. $30.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to The Sydney for Wichita “post-bubblegrunge” band Breeding Brainbow. Their latest EP, Or Do You Hate Me, came out last November on Shiprek Records. Providing support is our very own Bad Self Portraits and Uh Oh. $10, 9 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.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

A few notes to pass along from the in-box (and other places)…

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In addition to releasing a new album with his band Cursive, Tim Kasher has a new feature-length horror film about to make the festival rounds called Who’s Watching. 

“Who’s Watching is a story I first conceived way back in 2010, as I had yet to see a movie approach the stalker trope from this particular angle,” Kasher said in an article in horror film blog Bloody Disgusting. “After passing the script around to little interest, I set it aside before returning to it around 2018, realizing that STILL no one had told this story in such a fashion. A few bumpy years followed (as well as a pandemic) but we eventually got it shot in late summer of 2023, in and around Omaha, Nebraska where I was born and raised.”

The film was written and directed by Kasher, who also composed the film’s music. While it doesn’t have a release date, Who’s Watching will be shown at Beyond Fest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Can a world premiere at Film Streams be far behind?

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Has Saddle Creek Records’ high-flying act Indigo De Souza left our hometown label? In a surprise move last week (to me, anyway) De Souza released her new EP, Wholesome Evil Fantasy, via Loma Vista Recordings. If you go to the Loma Vista website you’ll find plenty of Indigo De Souza content. However, click to Indigo’s personal website and she still lists Saddle Creek as her label contact. Hmm?

The 3-song electro-pop auto-tuner-driven EP is a departure from the usual indie-rock heard on De Souza’s past Saddle Creek releases. Is this a one-off experiment or a permanent change of pace (and change of label) for one of Saddle Creek’s most popular artists?

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Post-Omaha singer/songwriter Anna McClellan announced last week via Terrorbird PR that her new album, Electric Bouquet, will be released Oct. 25 via Father/Daughter Records.

Co-produced with long-time collaborator Ryan McKeever and ARC Studios engineer Adam Roberts, the album was recorded both in Baltimore and Omaha. “While writing the album, Anna attended trade school, apprenticing to become an electrician to escape the service industry grind and secure a foundational career alongside music. Eager to break free from Omaha, she decided to take her newfound electrical skills to pursue a career in the film industry in Los Angeles, CA where she’s now based,” reads the one-sheet.

The 11-track LP includes a send-off of sorts to her hometown — “the grungy “Omaha” sees McClellan delving into her complex relationship with her hometown, navigating between identity, sense of place, and self-groundedness: ‘Wilting til I rot / Is it me or is it Omaha?’”

Check out the video for the first single, “Endlessly,” released Sept. 10…

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Tonight at Slowdown Cinci band WHY? headlines on the frontroom stage. Check out the Ten Questions survey taken by frontman Yoni Wolf before you head down to the show. Joining them is Chicago multiple instrumentalist/songwriter NNAMDÏ (Secretly Canadian Records). $25, 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.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Tonight at Slowdown, local alt/indie band Indian Caves is hosting their album release party for their new album, The Song Becomes the Curse.

Fronted by singer/guitarist Leslie Wells (ex-Flyover Country) with Joe Ranne (Arbor Vitae, The Atlas) on guitars; Dan Krueger (Someday Stories, Fine Fine Automobiles, Coyote Bones) on bass/synths; and Kyle Moeller (Adam Weaver and the Ghosts, Saltwater Sanctuary) on drums/synths, the album pushes more toward alt than indie, recalling mid-era Smashing Pumpkins. Wells even (at times) has ol’ baldy’s snarl, especially on album standouts, “Joanne” and “Math.” In fact, the entire back half of the 7-track, 35-minute LP reminds me of Mellon Collie anthems, though Caves pushes the prog envelope on 8-plus-minute “Seeds.” 

Krueger said the album was a true DIY effort, recorded in homes and rehearsal spaces throughout Omaha by edge-pushing genius Ian Aeillo. It’s a digital-only release for now, but Wells said they hope to press vinyl “down the road.”

Joining Indian Caves tonight at Slowdown’s front room are Dear Neighbor and Mild Temps, and Krueger said watch out for a special guest as well. $12, 8 p.m. 

Also tonight (Friday), local indie band Bug Heaven is hosting a farewell show at Reverb Lounge because one of the band members is moving to Philadelphia. Helping say goodbye is opening band Ghostlike. $10, 9 p.m. 

Tomorrow night (Saturday) is the big Built to Spill show at The Waiting Room. It’s the There’s Nothing Wrong with Love 30th Anniversary Tour, so expect to hear the album performed in its entirety (and in track order), along with random career selections as the encore (including “Time Trap”). Get there early to see seminal ‘90s indie band Quasi, who, having seen B2S too many times, is the real draw for me (Featuring ‘Birds’ is one of my all-time favorite albums, though it looks like they’re only doing “You Fucked Yourself” from that album on this tour). $30, 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.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

The day has arrived: Tonight at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street in Benson, singer/songwriter/author David Dondero performs music and reads from his new novel, Chaos the Cat. 

Dondero was – and remains – an influential fixture of Omaha’s indie music scene. Read all about him in this interview published last week in support of this show.

A few items of note if you’re planning to attend:

• – This is a limited-capacity engagement – only 40 people will be allowed in. Showtime is 7 p.m. We’ll be there after 6 p.m. preparing the space, so arrive early and check out the art.
• – There are no pre-show ticket sales. A $15 donation is requested at entry, but for $25 you’ll also get a copy of the book. A big, burly, very tough bouncer will be at the door (named Craig).
• – Ming Toy doesn’t provide seating. We’ll have some fold-out stools available (courtesy of BFF), but bring your own chair if you want to guarantee the ability to sit down. Or sit on the floor. Or stand.
• – The program consists of music, then reading, then Q&A (moderated by the very tall Rob Walters) followed by more music. Not sure how long it’ll last but it’ll definitely wrap up by 10. 
• – BYOB. We’ll have a cooler of ice water on hand.
• – Check out the art! The current show is called “Vox Humana” and is curated by Mari Dailey. Here’s a brief video that explains the show. If you want more info or want to purchase anything, see me or Teresa.

Need more info? Click here. Should be a tons of fun. See you tonight!

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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

It’s been a quiet last few weeks in terms of college/indie music and now this weekend we’re confronted with a “midwest dilemma” in the form of multiple shows happening at the same time. Ah, decisions, decisions…

The primary log-jam is tonight. Over at the Benson Theater it’s the return of Midwest Dilemma, which is celebrating the release of a new album 13 years in the making, titled Searching for the Cure for Loneliness, which I previewed here. Expect an army of musicians on stage with frontman Justin Lamoureux – he said he hopes to have more than 12 musicians playing with him for this show.  It’ll be like a full-on Benson folk reunion, as post-Omaha singer/songwriters Kyle Harvey and Brad Hoshaw will open the show, which starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 via the Benson Theater website. 

Meanwhile, downtown at The Slowdown, Omaha indie legends Neva Dinova celebrates the release of their new album, Canary, which actually doesn’t come out until Sept. 27 on Saddle Creek Records. No matter, as the band likely will be playing it in its totality. I’ve heard an advance of this record and it already owns a place on my best of 2024 list. Opening for Neva are Omaha acts Size Queen and Mike Saklar’s The Sun-Less Trio. $25, 8 p.m. 

Choose wisely…

But that’s not the end of your choices this weekend. Saturday is pretty packed as well.

Indie folk royalty Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are headlining at The Astro in La Vista Saturday night. Their latest, Woodland (2024, Acony Records) scored a massive 8.0 from Pitchfork, and yeah, it’s a beaut. Tickets are $55-$102. Starts at 8 p.m. with no listed openers. 

Meanwhile, two festivals are happening Saturday. 

Tomorrow afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. the Little Bohemia District is hosting its annual Little Bo Backyard Bash. The event is located at 1408 S. 13th Street, and is one of the most chill neighborhood events I’ve attended. This year, the music line-up is first-rate with Saving Fiona, McCarthy Trenching, Head of Femur and Left Handed Country. Food trucks, beer trucks and other stuff. No cost listed, which tells me it’s free (it was last year). More info here. 

Then tomorrow night at The Waiting Room its Fletchival: A Benefit for Vic Fletcher. Vic has been a beloved fixture of the Omaha music scene for decades, and this benefit concert will help raise money as she battles ongoing health challenges. Performing at Fletchival: Bryan Poole, The Mercurys, The Album Party, Bad Bad Men, Filter Kings, Damones, and Midwest Dead Coalition. $20, starts at 5 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.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Okay, two shows worth mentioning this weekend, both happening tonight.

Down at Slowdown’s frontroom, Psymon Spine headlines. I never heard of this New York band prior to bumping into the listing this morning while perusing the Slowdown website. The core members  — Noah Prebish, Peter Spears and Brother Michael — have collaborated with the likes of Joe Goddard of Hot Chip and Nick Millhiser of LCD Soundsystem and Holy Ghost. Their dance-punk sound reminds me of DFA acts like The Rapture, and their latest, Head Body Connector, released by Northern Spy Records in February, carries on that tradition. Opening act Wedding is Anna Schulte, who was backed by Nate Van Fleet, Michael Frederickson, Ben Brodin and Nick Costa on her 2023 recordings. Sgt. Leisure also is on the bill. Just $15. Bring your dancing shoes.

Meanwhile, at The Astro Amphitheater in La Vista, Aussie experimental psych-proggers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard headlines. Very Lips-ian. You might remember the show’s opener, NYC’s Geese, who played a drummer-less set at the 2022 Maha Music Festival. $50-$99, 7 p.m. 

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot – It’s Benson First Friday! If you’re in the Benson area tonight, drop by Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple) where we’re hosting Vox Humana, a special art show curated by Mari Dailey that features art from 14 local artists including Jamie Burmeister, Anna Stoysich, Mike Eggert and Eduardo Gardea. The opening runs from 6 to 9 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.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

I haven’t been to a rock show since mid-August. — since Petfest, to be exact. It’s one of the longest lulls between rock shows for me in recent memory, but late August was a slow time for indie/college music in Omaha. 

One of the esteemed gentlemen who runs One Percent Productions – Marc Leibowitz – once told me that without him and the indie rock shows he books I’d have nothing to write about. He may have been right, but despite what Leibs said, there’s always things to write about, and moving forward to fill these lulls in touring indie shows, I’ll return to writing album reviews on a more frequent basis. 

Album reviews easily are the toughest thing for me to write, and while I question their value in this age when music is (practically) free, I still get a ton of label requests to write about releases (Ah, but not like the old days, when the labels sent CDs! I loved to come home to a mailbox overflowing with manila envelopes…). We also used to have a lot more local indie bands recording and releasing albums, which simply ain’t the case no more… 

Anyway, the balance of the month is looking busy as does October. Check out the updated “Up-and-Coming’ calendar below. On top of the list is tonight’s show at Reverb Lounge. 

Austin’s A Giant Dog have come through town a few times over the years, including shows at Milk Run back in 2016 and on the River City Star in 2017 (Shipwrecked! Fest). They describe their sound as “… raucous ear candy culled from the hook-driven melodies of Slade, the glammy swagger of Marc Bolan, the morbid fantasy of Killer-era Alice Cooper, and the unpredictable wit of Sparks.” That’s quite a spate of comparisons. 

That said, the five-piece, fronted by vocalist Sabrina Ellis, does have a throwback sound that recalls over-the-top FM radio rock, especially on their latest EP, Raw (2024, Merge Records). Expect onstage theatrics? Opening tonight at 8 p.m. is local indie rockers Bad Actors. $20!

And here’s the rest of the up-and-coming touring indie/college music calendar for the balance of September into October. Let me know if I’m missing anything.

• Sept. 5 – A Giant Dog @ Reverb
• Sept. 12 – Soft Kill @ The Slowdown
• Sept. 12 – Magdalena Bay @ The Waiting Room
• Sept. 14 – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ The Astro
• Sept. 18 – David Dondero @ Ming Toy Gallery
• Sept. 21 – Built to Spill @ The Waiting Room
• Sept. 22 — Bright Eyes @ Steelhouse
• Sept. 23 — M. Ward @ The Waiting Room
• Sept. 24 – Why? @ The Slowdown
• Sept. 25 – Descendents @ The Admiral
• Sept. 26 – Foxing @ The Slowdown
• Sept. 27 – Shovels & Rope @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 1 – Odie Leigh @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 1 – Jungle @ The Astro
• Oct. 4 – Brigitte Calls Me Baby @ Reverb
• Oct. 4 – High Vis @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 4 – Turnover @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 5 – Fontaines D.C. @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 7 – Saturdays at Your Place @ Reverb
• Oct. 8 – Boris @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 9 – Jeffery Lewis @ Grapefruit Records
• Oct. 10 – MJ Lenderman & The Wind @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 10 – Melt @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 10 – Pixel Grip @ Reverb
• Oct. 12 – The Red Pears @ Reverb
• Oct. 16 – Mdou Moctar @ The Waiting Room 
• Oct. 17 – Superchunk @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 18-19 – Cursive @ The Waiting Room
• Oct. 20 – Jeff Tweedy @ The Admiral
• Oct. 22 – Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Astro
• Oct. 23 – Kate Nash @ The Slowdown
• Oct. 26 – Porches @ Reverb
• Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown
• Nov. 12 – Modest Mouse @ Steelhouse

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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

It’s that time of year again. Lazy-i will be on hiatus tomorrow and this weekend as we take in the sights and sounds of New York City.  So what’ll I be missing?

Tonight (Thursday) The Sydney is hosting a handful of folk artists with Nashville-by-way-of-North Carolina’s Brooks Forsyth in the headliner position. The inimitable Sean Pratt ialso is on the bill along with Tom Bartolomei. 8 p.m., $10. 

Friday night, LA indie/surf-rock act The Buttertones plays Reverb Lounge. The band reinvented itself with new personnel after being mentioned in a #metoo controversy involving Burger Records, according to a Los Angeles Times story.  Tucson duo New Misphoria also is on the bill along with show-opener Las Cruxes. $25, 8 p.m.

Saturday night, prog-metal giants Mastodon plays at the Astro Amphitheater with Lamb of God, Kerry King and Malevolence. This one likely will be enjoyed throughout the entire La Vista community. $50-$150, 5:30 p.m. 

Also Saturday night, emerging Nebraska indie band Cowgirl Eastern headlines at Slowdown with Ohm Shell and Three of Cups. 8 p.m., $15.

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

This morning Neva Dinova’s publicist, Terrorbird Media, sent out links to the band’s latest video, which also happens to be the last-ever Love Drunk-produced video. Love Drunk mastermind, Django Greenblatt-Seay, is ending the series with No. 150.1, a video for Neva Dinova’s “Edge of Something.” 

Love Drunk got its start way back in June 2010 when Django shot a one-take video of Portland singer-songwriter Nick Jaina. A year later, I wrote about Love Drunk for my column in The Reader, which you can still read online here in Lazy-i. 

Love Drunk produced videos fast and furiously over its first five or six years for bands including many of Saddle Creek Records’ stable of artists (Cursive, Criteria, Orenda Fink, The Mynabirds, among others) and other national acts like The Menzingers, The Photo Atlas and Cymbals Eat Guitars. But Love Drunk’s bread-and-butter was videos for Nebraska artists, and just about every great band from that era was represented. You can check out the entire Love Drunk video catalog at the Love Drunk YouTube channel.

So why is Django hanging it up? “I don’t need the project as much as I did when I was in my 20s and early 30s,” he said. “I put all that work in, and reaped the benefits, but I no longer have the drive to own it.”

Instead, Django’s in conversations with some younger people interested in building something similar to Love Drunk but that could end up being more like a KEXP’s or the Tiny Desk Concert video series. More to come!

When I went to the Love Drunk channel I discovered that in addition to the “Edge of Something” video there’s also a new video for Neva Dinova’s “Someone’s Love,” which also went online today. Both are below. 

Neva Dinova via Terrorbird also announced a couple new rock show dates, including a headlining gig Sept. 13 at Slowdown. They’ll also be playing Sept. 17 at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. 

The new Neva album, Canary, drops Sept. 27 on Saddle Creek Records. Pre-order your copy here. 

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