by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Strange start Friday night at O’Leaver’s. Amidst the noise and chaos I didn’t get the memo as to why a guy was sitting on stage during New Lungs’ set wearing swim trunks, sun block and sun glasses reading a copy of the OWH. Irony? Maybe, considering the impending snowstorm. A living advertisement for the Men of O’Leaver’s 2012 calendar? I good idea, except I don’t think the guy is actually in the calendar (which you should check out if you haven’t, especially you ladies and you gay and/or bi-curious fellows). Unless you were in front of the mob or off to the side by the head (as I was) you never saw the guy anyway. Yeah, it was that crowded. The biggest crowd I’ve seen at O’leaver’s in a long time.

New Lungs is a fantastic band that lives off the soul of a ’90s West Coast SST hassle-core punk vibe mixed with its own Midwestern ’90s punk heritage. As cliche as it sounds, they get better and better every time I see them. Frontman Danny Maxwell is gaining more confidence with every performance. Call it swagger. Call it hubris. Call it I-don’t-give-a-fuck moxie. I like it, along with the band’s bone-rattling energy. I’m told the band has been working with Matt Carroll at his Little Machine recording studio putting down tracks for a debut album. How long must we wait for this?

So crowded was the room that I eventually found my way by the soundboard in the back, where you can move around and get a fresh Rolling Rock as needed, but behind the grand mob that stood in front of the band. As a result I heard rather than saw Digital Leather perform what (to me) was one of their longest sets, conceivably to work out the kinks before they head off on the road tomorrow for a West Coast/Texas tour.

I’m not sure what’s left to say about Digital Leather that I haven’t already said a dozen times. As a recording entity, Shawn Foree creates some of the best modern rock music heard out of Omaha (or anywhere, for that matter). I spent Sunday listening to my copy of Infinite Sun (which I finally got Friday night). Seven guitar- and keyboard-fueled rock songs that turn their back on the futility of living in these days when an infinite sun seems only to cast long shadows before dusk. That music, along with the songs on just-released cassette, Sponge, and the couple new songs off Modern Problems (which I didn’t buy Friday as I ordered a copy from the label’s website a few weeks ago — a mistake, apparently), have a playful post-apocalyptic groove that are lively and deceptively upbeat.

On recordings, Digital Leather casts an electronic sheen with the addition of synths. Live, DL is a punk three-piece — all leather, no digital. This has startled a few people who are only familiar with the recordings, me among them. But I’ve since seen the error of my ways. Last November on his It’s a Digital World blog (http://itsadigitalworld.blogspot.com/), Foree explained once and for all the difference between recorded and live Digital Leather (the lowercases are his, or as they say in the trades, “sic”):

“when you put on a record or play an mp3 or tape it’s a one on one situation: you and the artist. that’s why i make my recorded sound more intimate. when i play live, there’s a different dynamic. the music becomes a dialogue between a living audience and myself. therefore, these two sides of music, while having comparable aspects, will always contrast, rather (than), complement each other.“

But the real difference to me is the addition of the rest of the band. DL is a different sort of monster when its powered by the rhythm section of bassist Johnny Vrendenburg and drummer Jeff Lambelet. It’s a clean, powerful, breakneck sound that let’s Foree spread out on guitar and vocals in a way that he couldn’t if he were trapped behind a keyboard like he used to be. I never could hear those keyboards live, anyway, no matter who played them. There’s a reason why Foree has stuck with Vrendenburg and Lambelet over the years, a very good reason.

Anyway, I’ve been indoctrinated in the difference between the recorded and live Digital Leather. And as the band continues to tour, more and more people will be as well, but until then, there’s going to be a certain amount of shock, surprise (and disappointment) by those who have listened and loved the records and expect to hear those synths on stage. In fact I was texted by someone who was watching them play in Chicago late last year, asking me where the fuck were the keyboards. I told him that this is what you get with live Digital Leather. Suck it up, and listen.

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Point of CLARIFICATION regarding tomorrow’s launch of Saddle Creek Shop’s new series called “Record Club at Shop.” I said last Friday that Cursive would be there. Cursive will not be there. Let me repeat: Cursive will not be in the house.

I thought I was supposed to moderate a Q&A with a member(s) of Cursive. In fact, the Club’s concept is for music fans to get together and talk about a specific album, in this case, Cursive’s I Am Gemini. To be honest with you, I’m not exactly sure what my role is. Maybe to just sit and listen. Regardless, we’ll all find out tomorrow. The event starts at 7 p.m. with the playing of I Am Gemini in its entirety inside The Saddle Creek Shop. Discussion will follow afterward, and copies of the album will also be available for purchase — two weeks before its street date! If anything, just go there to pick up a copy of the vinyl, which I’m told is spectacular.

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Over the weekend, O’Leaver’s announced a special last-minute show that’s going on TONIGHT. It’s the long-awaited return of Ladyfinger to the house that booze built, along with Great American Desert. $5, 9:30 p.m. Call in sick tomorrow and go.

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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Eli Mardock at O'Leaver's, Jan. 28, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s been about a month since I last visited O’Leaver’s. I don’t remember it being quite as bright as it was Saturday night. I blame the strings upon strings of white twinkle Christmas lights hung along the ceiling, turning the club into a trailer park wonderland. When I mentioned this to the soundman, he said, “Don’t worry, it won’t be long until half of them are burned out, and it will look like the same ol’ place” yes, but with strings of ugly dead Christmas lights in the ceiling. That’s the O’Leaver’s I remember, friend, that’s the O’Leaver’s I so dearly crave. Other than the Christmas lights, nothing has changed (thankfully). No matter how screwed up your world becomes, you can always depend on O’Leaver’s to bring you right back to 2004 (or whenever it turned into a rock club).

Onstage upon my 11:15 arrival was traveling band The Bears of Blue River, your run-of-the-mill jangly indie folk band with loveable hippie frontman. Pleasant enough. But I came to see Eli Mardock, who I’d been told had grown his live trio into a full-blown 5-piece band. Sure enough, there was Mardock backed by his lovely wife on keyboards, two guitarists/bass players (One of which was Ian Aiello of The Golden Age) and a drummer. You could argue that this was a natural re-evolution of Eagle*Seagull, and you’d be wrong. Mardock as a solo band seems more focused, more rocking than E*S ever was, though there are some obvious similarities in songwriting style.

The biggest change (to me) is Mardock himself. His singing no longer has that lilt, that awkward, alien affectation that had a way of overshadowing everything that E*S was doing. Mardock now sounds like a normal citizen of this country singing rock songs about love and death and art. The first three or four songs featured him on acoustic guitar while the guys handled the bass, but after halftime Mardock switched to bass for numbers with a more definitive swing, while the guys shared rhythm and leads (though, really, it was Mardock that was leading with his bass).

With this band, Mardock finally has gotten past E*S once and for all. His other incarnations — whether it was Beauty in the Beast or his trio — seemed like incremental stages on the way to something else, half-formed with residue from the past and blueprints for the future. Now his sound is fully formed and ready for a next step that is firmly outside (but next to) the shadow of E*S.  He’s pushed this band into the top level of Nebraska indie projects, and who knows how far he’ll go from there.

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One more note about O’Leaver’s: While things seem to be slowing down elsewhere, O’Leaver’s looks to be gearing up its bookings. They have nine shows scheduled through March, including this Friday night’s Digital Leather tour kick-off, which should be a surreal experience.Check out O’Leaver’s Facebook events calendar.

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr., Skypiper is hosting what it’s calling a “Mini-apolis invasion” featuring Twin Cities bands Tarlton and Zoo Animal. Opening is Omaha’s I Am the Navigator. It should be a night of Decemberists-style chamber/indie/pop. $7, early 8 p.m. start.

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Blessed Are the Merciless at Sokol Underground, Jan. 14, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A few things from this past weekend…

One of the longest running traditions in rock music is bands playing to audiences that include their relatives. We’ve all seen them over the years, those out-of-place “old” people tucked back in the corner away from the rest of the crowd, hiding in the shadows with earplugs firmly in place as they suffer through the opening acts waiting for their son’s or daughter’s band to get on stage so they can get the hell out of the club.

Last Friday night I was one of those out-of-touch relatives when I went to see my nephew’s death metal band Blessed Are the Merciless play a showcase at Sokol Underground. It was a pleasure to be back in a performance space that literally helped build the Omaha music scene in the late ‘90s and early 2000s when One Percent Productions booked the room with some of the best indie shows Omaha has ever seen, not the least of which were the Saddle Creek acts that grew up on the Sokol Underground stage.

Those days, of course, are long gone. One Percent hasn’t booked shows at Sokol since The Waiting Room and Slowdown opened four years ago. Today Sokol mainly hosts metal shows, which explains why I haven’t been there in four years. Other than the pay counter moving to the left side of the stairs, the room remains the same dark, dank cavern that it ever was, complete with inconvenient metal poles breaking every sightline.

We showed up at around 8:30, in time to see most of the set by At War With Giants, one of the night’s other metal bands (there was no real headliner) who had invested in large stage display banners. Odd.

Blessed Are the Merciless came on next, a massive five-piece anchored by my nephew, Chris McMahan, on bass and fronted by Kapree Hey, who handled the prerequisite “voice of doom” growl while the rest of the band roared mightily through Sokol’s still formidable PA. Listen, I don’t know shit about death metal, so I can’t tell you if what they played was “good” or “bad” (and if I did, you probably wouldn’t believe my hardly-unbiased account, anyway). I can say that Kapree does have a cool, unpretentious frontman vibe, looking and sounding the part either when he’s screaming over and over “There’s a killer on the moors” or doing comfortable stage patter between songs. And of course, Chris was amazing. But what else is a proud uncle going to say?

One surprise of the evening was seeing the largish crowd (Around 250 paid – not bad) part in the middle (with Kapree’s urging) so a handful of eager fans could form a modified circle slam. I haven’t seen a mosh pit at a show in a few years, and they look as violent and disturbing as ever. The only thing I can tell you about metal is that it’s all about communicating your personal angst and/or aggression on stage in hopes that that audience can share in your distress, and if that’s the measure of success, Blessed Are the Merciless are on their way. You metal heads that missed it can check them out when they play The Sandbox Feb. 10.

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Perhaps the most hyped artist of the last part of 2011 and first part of 2012 is Lana Del Rey, and for good reason. Two songs that she’s released so far – “Video Games” and “Born to Die” – have become instant classics, along with the videos that support them, all of which you can see and hear at lanadelrey.com. So good, in fact, that there were whispers that she could be an intelligent response to Lady Gaga.

Needless to say, there was a lot of build-up to LDR’s debut this weekend on Saturday Night Live, the one-time platform for breaking and underground music talent… 30 years ago. These days, SNL’s musical guests are another reason to thank the technology gods for the fast forward button on your DVR. Ironically, Gaga was the last real “talked-about” performance on SNL because she showcased her actual piano-playing skills, causing people to think that maybe she did have talent.

Just the opposite was the case for LDR’s debut. Instead, there she was, looking nervous and mechanical, like a robotic deer frozen in the spotlight on that famous 30 Rock stage. She sounded frightened and forced and off-kilter, filling in the spaces with awkward hand gestures and a strange 360 twirl about halfway through “Video Games.” The next Stevie Nicks she is not. It was not her finest moment (her handlers should be crucified), and yet, it’ll go down as another classic SNL performance if she honestly breaks through to a larger audience and her Interscope debut (out Jan. 31) contains at least a couple more songs as good as “Video Games.” If it flops – and she flops – the performance will join a long list of other forgotten SNL performances.

But the real gold was the next morning when the media began piling on LDR, reporting her demise as tweeted during the broadcast by the likes of notable has-been Juliette Lewis. Yes, that Juliette Lewis, the one known for the “quality” rock of Juliette and the Licks. If she’s crowing to the twitterverse that you sound like shit, than you really must have something going on. By Monday hundreds of articles were popping up on Google telling the world how much LDR sucks from reporters that had never heard of her before with headlines like “Lana Del Rey Bombs SNL.” And now I’m wondering if the whole thing was a put-on. Would she have received this much attention if she’d nailed the performance?

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Finally, there was last night’s secret show at Krug Park featuring Conor Oberst and Phil Schaffart. Word of the show started filtering out to “the network” at around 6 p.m. on a “keep it on the downlow” basis. Alas, I already knew I wasn’t going to be able to attend as we had company last night at the Lazy-i World Headquarters for the Golden Globes. Plus, I had a 5 a.m. wake-up call this morning, which I knew I wouldn’t make since there is no way to go to Krug and not enjoy the fantastic array of beverages on tap. Judging from the online patter this morning, Conor played a nice acoustic set from in front of the room with onlookers watching from the street outside. It’s good to see that he’s still hanging around Omaha and helping put Benson on the map. Next time, Conor, next time…

Check out some pictures from the show taken by shooter Mike Machian, and read OWH’s Kevin Coffey’s take on the evening.

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Lazy-i Best of 2011

Speaking of Lana Del Rey, she’s one of the artists on the Lazy-i Best of 2011 Sampler CD. And if you haven’t entered into the drawing to win a copy of this once-in-a-lifetime collectors item, your time is running out as tomorrow is the last day to enter. Also included on this year’s disc are tracks by tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Icky Blossoms, Decemberists, Gus & Call, It’s True, Eleanor Friedberger, Peace of Shit, Digital Leather and a bunch more (check out the track list at the bottom of this blog entry). To enter, just send an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. Hurry! Deadline is Jan. 17!

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It looks like another quiet week for shows. The only thing on my radar is Thursday night’s free Stolen Kisses reunion show at Slowdown Jr. More on that later. These are, indeed, the winter doldrums.

My only foray out last weekend was to catch DJ Chris Aponick mesmerize the crowd at House of Loom Friday after work as part of the bar’s new Friday Afternoon Club series. It was my first look at HOL, and what was only intended to be a quick drop-in ended up being my entire evening (at least until 8:30). I’d like to tell you what kept me there was  Chris’ music, but the fine booze on tap had more to do with it, along with the room’s elegant ambiance.

House of Loom is located in the old Goofy Foot/Neon Goose space on 10th Street just south of the Old Market. The only sign marking the entrance is the Loom infinity logo. The room has a sophisticated East Coast feel, thanks to graceful lighting, gleaming hardwood floors, and a combination of modern and Victorian-style furniture. A gorgeous bar runs along the south side of the room adjacent to high tables. A divider wall separates a second room that runs the length of the bar, where all those cushy chairs are located. The DJ booth and the dance floor are in the back  along the west wall. At first glance, the dance floor looks small — too small for the throngs of crowds that Loom events attract. But that dance floor can grow once you take out those tall tables. I’m told that bands set up in front of — or off to the side of — the DJ booth on the floor (that DJ station isn’t mobile), making for an intimate gig or a viable option for smaller shows.

Last Friday afternoon/evening, HOL felt comfortable and reserved, but there were only about a dozen people in the room. I have no doubt that the vibe is completely off the hook late at night when the bar turns into a dance club, the booze begins to flow more freely and the music starts pumping.  I have yet to see that, but I will, Brent, I will…

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This its your last week to get your name in the hat for a chance to win a copy of the highly coveted, highly collectable Lazy-i Best of 2011 Sampler CD.  This year’s disc includes tracks from tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Icky Blossoms, Decemberists, Gus & Call, Lana Del Rey, It’s True, Eleanor Friedberger and a bunch more (check out the track list at the bottom of this blog entry). To enter, just send an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It really is that easy. Hurry! Deadline is Jan. 17!

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Har Mar Superstar at The Waiting Room, Dec. 30, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Oh Har Mar Superstar, how you vex me so as you jump around stage wearing nothing but thong underwear, your sweaty mane flopping on your chubby ivory shoulders like a filthy floor mop while your gigolo posse poses so demurely, so rock star, in the background.

It’s a shtick that never gets old, or does it?

This was my first time seeing Har Mar Superstar, and based on everything I’d heard, I expected a lot. There are those ’round these parts who consider a Har Mar show to be the epitome of fine rock entertainment. His O’Leaver’s performance from years ago is still whispered about with respect (and a little fear) by the elders who are slowly poisoning themselves into senility at that famous lovable shit hole.

And I admit to being a fan of HMS’s last full length, the sexy, sultry dance romp called Dark Touches. The man knows his way around a funk-o-licious beat.

So it hurts me to say that I was a bit disappointed by last Friday night’s performance at a packed (but not sold out) Waiting Room. Har Mar a.k.a. Sean Tillmann looked and sounded like the rest of us — half-gassed and exhausted after a week’s worth of holiday bullshit. He seemed tired as he bounded on stage in his full-length macramé hoody, only half singing his “hits” surrounded by a band that included two drummers, two bass players (including former local hero Denver Dalley in trademark white v-neck T-shirt and flowing blond hair), a guitarist and the one thing that was doing the yeoman’s share of the work — a laptop loaded with pre-recorded audio tracks. In fact, most songs started with a touch of a button before the band slowly started playing along. Half the fun was wondering if/when anyone was actually playing their instruments on stage (most of the time, they were).

The routine calls for Har Mar to slowly strip away his clothes at the conclusion of each song, eventually stripping to his thong by the end of the set. Those yearning to see his gleaming buttocks were not disappointed. On any other night, I’m sure we’d all be celebrating his virile portliness with ironic aplomb, but Friday night, Tillmann just looked like he wanted to get the set over with and get back home for New Year’s Eve. He sure didn’t look like he was having fun (though the rest of his band did). Maybe he was (too) loaded? Or maybe all of his shows are like this? I don’t know, but I doubt it. You don’t rise as high as Tillmann has by phoning it in every night.

Pinkerton at The Waiting Room, Dec. 30, 2011.

One band that didn’t phone it in was Pinkerton, who opened for Har Mar Friday. Fronted by Criteria’s Stephen Pedersen and featuring former Cursive drummer Clint Schnase, this band of old friends gets together at least once a year to play a set of Weezer covers for fellow adoring fans. Many a fist was pumped in the air as they tore into the band’s greatest hits, including set highlight “Tired of Sex.” Running through my mind the entire set — will we ever see Criteria again?

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And speaking of burning questions, are the SLAM Omaha message boards — one of the oldest bastions of local online music “discussion” — finally closing down? Maybe, temporarily. After a recent spate of hate, SLAM admin “Mick” posted that the boards will be taking a little vacation. “At some point even the simplest of things need to be evaluated and decisions need to be made about how they help our cool art and music community.” As of this morning, the boards were still live but users who tried to post a comment were met only with a Terms of Service statement.

If SLAM Omaha goes away, it’ll be an end of an era for a website that used to be a viable source of music news and discussion. Yes, there are a lot of options for music calendars and news now, but other than Lincoln’s Star City Scene music board, none of them have been able to generate online discussions. Hear Nebraska’s “forums” are a barren wasteland, mainly due to the board’s poor design and usability. Omahype.com, which launched a snappy redesign over the holiday weekend (complete with “responsive design” for portable devices) only allows feedback on individual news items (as comments). And Saddle Creek Records’ old discussion area is a long faded memory.

These days all of the “discussion” is handled in well-mannered Facebook, where users actively monitor criticism and a “dislike” button doesn’t even exist. Are we better off not having some place where an anonymous critic can tell bands that they suck? Yeah, too much bitching can get old, and there should be no tolerance for personal attacks, racial/sexual comments and threats. That said, SLAM Omaha is/was one of the last places where bands could get unfiltered feedback, even if 95 percent of it was bullshit. Learning to deal with criticism — be it warranted or not — is an important part of being an artist. How you react to negative feedback helps define who you are. Unfortunately, we live in a town where criticism of anything “local” is viewed as hate, whether its constructive or not. The rule seems to be either throw roses at their feet, or go home.

But the cold hard fact is, maybe your band really does suck.

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Hey you — yes you!

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of the highly coveted Lazy-i Best of 2011 Sampler CD!  Just send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you’ll be dropped in the digital hat. Deadline lis Jan. 15. Enter today!

Track listing:

1. Eleanor Friedberger, “My Mistake”
2. Peace of Shit, “You Can’t Let Me In”
3. Lykke Li, “Youth Knows No Pain”
4. The Beastie Boys, “Nonstop Disco Powerpack”
5. tUnE-yArDs, “Gangsta”
6. It’s True, “I Don’t Want to Be the One”
7. The Decemberists, “Down By the Water”
8. Big Harp, “Goodbye Crazy City”
9. Kurt Vile, “Jesus Fever”
10. Low, “Try to Sleep”
11. So-So Sailors, “Young Hearts”
12. Destroyer, “Downtown”
13. St. Vincent, “Cruel”
14. Icky Blossoms, “Perfect Vision”
15. Gus & Call, “To the Other Side of Jordan”
16. Lana Del Rey, “Video Games”
17. Digital Leather, “Young Doctors in Love”

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There will be a more in-depth review of Saturday night’s Doom Town show in this week’s column in The Reader. For now, here are some pics from that show and Friday night’s So-So Sailors EP release show at The Showdown, along with some brief comments.

So-So Sailors at Slowdown Jr. Dec. 9, 2011.

If there’s a criticism to be leveled at So-So Sailors, who enjoyed a packed house at Slowdown Jr. Friday night for their EP release party, it’s that their music sounds rushed when performed live, at least compared to the recorded versions. Slow it down, boys. In addition, the Sailors played a number of songs that aren’t on the new EP, including a set opener that was a straight-up pop song. And if you had any doubt about their pop leanings, Machmuller and Co. closed with a dead-on cover of “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” by the Chairmen of the Board that smoked.

Baby Tears were first up at The Sandbox Saturday night. This view gives you a bit of perspective from the back of the room.

I was told after their set that Saturday night’s show at Sandbox wasn’t actually Baby Tears’ official release show for their “Homeless Corpse” 7-inch. That’s going down this Friday night at O’Leaver’s with The Fucking Party; a show that will also mark the beginning of that band’s tour with The Yuppies. Baby Tears will replace The FP for the second leg of that tour starting Jan. 4 in Kansas City.

Blind Shake at The Sandbox Dec. 10, 2011.

Minneapolis The Blind Shake practically burned a hole through The Sandbox’s homemade stage with their brutal punk and double-barreled vocals.

The STNNNG at The Sandbox Dec. 10, 2011.

The Doom Towm comp and ‘zine release show closed with a blazing, groping set by The STNNNG that ended with Chris Beringer wearing a plaid paperboy hat a la Brian Johnson for a couple grinding AC/DC covers.

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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 © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a lot of time for a hardcore critique, so I thought I’d share some brief comments and photos taken at last Saturday night’s Hear Nebraska Vol. 1 CD release show at The Sydney. The event had a pretty decent turn-out despite the shitty weather, and the music couldn’t have been better (or louder).

Digital Leather at The Sydney, Dec. 3, 2011.

Digital Leather had the biggest stand-up crowd of the evening, which is a dumb way of saying that more people stood near the edge of the Sydney’s so-called “stage” for their set than any other Saturday night. This continues to be my favorite local band.

Domestica at The Sydney, Dec. 3, 2011.

Domestica brought it like the “old days,” and took every opportunity to let the crowd know that they were, in fact, from the “old days.” Lighten up on the old-age stuff folks. Your brand of punk rock is timeless and eviscerates 95 percent of the competition that’s young enough to be your kids.

Masses at The Sydney, Dec. 3, 2011.

This was a different Masses than I heard in July 2010 at TWR. Their sound has evolved from sludge noise to intricate, orchestrated, voice-of doom-rock that borders on metal but isn’t metal. Of the three or four all-instrumental rock bands that I’ve seen from Omaha and Lincoln (and you know who I’m talking about) these guys are now on top of the list.

Not pictured but worth mentioning is Dim Light, who played an amazing set. Is it me or is their sound constantly evolving to something that is thoroughly unique and brutal? Amazing stuff.

* * *

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 © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Gus & Call at Slowdown Jr., Dec. 1, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last night. Slowdown. First of the series of Gus & Call “residency” shows. But last night’s show also was the band’s CD release show for Will Wait ‘Til the Weather Breaks. And as everyone knows, the two best crowds most bands ever see are their debut CD release show and their “farewell” show. Scratch that. Make it three. The third is the inevitable “reunion” show.

Nik Fackler of InDreama at Slowdown Jr. 12/1/11.

So the crowd was pretty good last night at Slowdown, with everyone in place around the stage for opening band InDreama, a band that has grown to six players, all centered around frontman wunderkind Nik Fackler. InDreama is Fackler’s vision, a vision that’s constantly evolving, if last night is any indication. His set’s initial few songs were very quiet, very withdrawn and very trippy, with Fackler practically whispering into the microphone repeated lines like (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I think I’ve fallen in love again” while his band made droning psychedelic sounds. Included in that band is Omaha legend Dereck Higgins on keyboards and bass, human wildcard Sam Martin on guitar and a guy that played what I guess was a synthesizer in the form of a knock-off iPad, with a cord running from it — there is no “cool” way to play something like that, instead it looked like he was checking his email or Facebook news feed.

Their set’s centerpiece is (surprise!) “Reprogram,” the proggy, thick-beated head trip that was released as part of a 4-song split 7-inch earlier this year. Judging by the crowd response from the song’s opening synth drones, people are beginning to recognize it. It’s a good song.

But the best moment was the set closer, a new tune that Fackler said was the first that represented a collaborative effort by everyone in the band — a band effort — and as such was the most complicated, surreal performance of the evening. Fackler and Co. seemed to be channeling Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd psych rock combined with ‘60s and ‘70s prog from the likes of King Crimson, ELP, Yes, Genesis, Colosseum and Tomorrow, strange and wonderful with odd breaks and time shifts and pointed guitar lines. Where is this all coming from?

One final note: There were no video or lighting effects like in past InDreama shows. I guess Fackler and the band are finally getting comfortable with letting the music speak for itself.

They were followed by Gus & Call, and here I’m going to make what could be an unpopular comment. Their new album — as good a collection of wintry, reflective mood-folk and slide-guitar-fueled southern rock as you’ll fund anywhere — misses in terms of capturing the band’s live energy. I know, that’s not an uncommon problem. And it’s not as noticeable on golden-light autumnal tracks like “Grey Blues” or the delicious harmonies on “52nd,” in fact, you can hear their pretty words better on the record than you could in last night’s mix.

But when it came to the heavier stuff, specifically their showcase number, “To the Other Side of Jordan,” the recording can’t match the live version. I’ve seen these guys perform that song four or five times now, each performance was unique, all had an unbridled exuberance that flat-out can’t be heard on the record (and wouldn’t it be great if someone secretly recorded one of those live performances and released it as a 45?). Doesn’t mean the recorded version is bad, but when you hear them play it on stage it’s the second coming of the Allman Brothers Band.

Anyway, great set and great night of music. How will G&C change it up next Thursday when the theme is “Surf and Sand” and their special guests are Capgun Coup and Sun Settings? We’ll just have to wait and see.

* *

Onward to tonight and the weekend…

One of the evening’s highlights is the 9th Annual Lash Larue Toy Drive at The Waiting Room. According to the 1% website, “Since 2003, Omaha musician Larry Dunn has organized a toy drive for the children of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Pine Ridge’s Lakota Sioux community is one of the most poverty stricken communities in the United States. The children of the reservation are desperately in need of some sunshine and cheer, especially during a time of cold, harsh winds and immense desolation like winters on the reservation can be.”

Featured performers include The Filter Kings, The Mercurys and Black Top Ramblers. That’s a lot of boot-scootin’ fun for just $10 or a new, unwrapped toy of equal value. Show starts at 9 p.m. Open up your heart, fercrissakes, it’s Christmas.

Also tonight is the Dirty Flourescents CD release show at O’Leaver’s for their debut album, Cut the Line. The band — Shawn Cox (guitar, vocals), Cricket Kirk (bass) and Dave Hynek (drums) — calls their sound power trio guitar-driven ‘90s rock, and that’s a pretty apt description. Also on the bill are The Butchers, Comme Reel, Ben Brodin (who recorded DF’s album) and Melissa Dundis. 9:30 p.m., $5.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., it’s Dangerbird recording artist The Fling with Yukon Blonde. $10, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night’s big event is the CD release show at The Sydney for Hear Nebraska Vol. 1, of which you can read all about here. The line-up: Digital Leather, The Wagon Blasters, Domestica, Dim Light and Masses. Huge. Show is $5, starts at 10 p.m., and is the place where you can pick up copies of the limited-edition comp for just $15, all proceeds of which will benefit hearnebraska.org.

Also Saturday night, Pony Wars and Minneapolis band Idle Hands are playing at The Brothers Lounge. 10 p.m. and probably $5.

* * *

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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Anonymous American perform The Replacements at Slowdown Jr., Nov. 30, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

We’ll get to the above photo in a sec, but first…

A tradition at The Reader

, the writing staff has put its collective head(s) together and developed the annual “Top 20” bands list, followed by the “Next 15,” a designation that can be interpreted any way you wish. Some might say that these are the writers’ favorite bands; others might say these are the bands that made the biggest impact in 2011. I would say the list is a combination of both. No one said anything about these being the “best” local bands in 2011.

So if you pick up a fresh copy of The Reader, you’ll see the Top 20 list along with brief descriptions of each band, a limited discography and personnel. What you won’t see is the Next 15 because for reasons unbeknownst to everyone involved The Reader didn’t print them. But fear not faithful reader, because I have both lists below. Before I get to them, the usual caveat: This list is purely for fun and, of course, means nothing. It should mean nothing to those who are on or not on the list. That said, I know being excluded can sting (last year or the year before, Dan McCarthy did a playful riff on not being on the list that ran throughout an entire set at The Waiting Room. Needless to say, I’ve always included Dan on my list…).

So without further ado, below is The Reader‘s Top 20 and Next 15:

Top 20
Tim Kasher
Bright Eyes
All Young Girls Are Machine Guns
Darren Keen/The Show Is the Rainbow/etc.
Simon Joyner
Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship
Digital Leather
Magic Slim
Emphatic
Skypiper
Conduits
Brad Cordle Band
Matt Cox
Kris Lager Band
Mynabirds
Brent Crampton
Somasphere
Yuppies
Depressed Buttons
McCarthy Trenching

Next 15
Travelling’ Mercies
Rock Paper Dynamite
Mitch Gettman
Millions of Boys
Lil Slim
Eli Mardock
Answer Team
Icky Blossoms
So-So Sailors
Voodoo Method
Back When
Machete Archive
Funk Trek
Baby Tears
Conchance
DJ Kobrakyle

And now, in the name of full disclosure, here is the Lazy-i Top 20 / Next 15 (i.e., my initial list submitted The Reader):

Top 20

Bright Eyes
Conduits
So-So Sailors
Icky Blossoms
Darren Keen
McCarthy Trenching
Simon Joyner
Tim Kasher
Digital Leather
Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship
Skypiper
It’s True
Brent Crampton
Yuppies
Mynabirds
Eli Mardock
Gus & Call
Matt Cox Band
Ideal Cleaners
Little Brazil

Next 15

Con Dios
Fizzle Like a Flood
InDreama
Watching the Train Wreck
Peace of Shit
AYGAMG
Tilly and the Wall
Honeybee & Hers
Thunder Power
Baby Tears
Depressed Buttons
Millions of Boys
Satchel Grande
The Answer Team
Capgun Coup

*  * *

So who won last night’s Replacement challenge at Slowdown? I’m happy to say that it was a tie. As expected, Anonymous American came out of the gate with guns a-blazing, ending their set with a sweet cover of “Left of the Dial” Then on came Witness Tree. I’ve never seen these guys before, and dug what I heard (though I have no idea what their actual music sounds like). Travelling Mercies’ two songs were muddled and off-kilter. A post on Facebook this morning indicated last night’s performance may have been their last show ever. Opener Aaron Parker gets the Guts of Steel Award for his two solo acoustic numbers. It takes cajones the size of melons to go on stage first after a 123-minute tribute to The Replacements and play covers alone in front of a room filled with die-hard Replacements fans. Unfortunately, Peace of Shit and Well Aimed Arrows were no shows.

As for the film: I was sort of dreading having to sit through more than two hours of talking-head interviews by people I (mostly) didn’t know (The movie contains no music or footage of The Replacements). I was afraid I wasn’t going make it to the end. But director Gorman Borchard’s editing style kept things moving right along. The film hit its sweet spot about 60 minutes in when we started getting more detailed info about the band’s history from those who were there. Unfortunately, a series of “fan” interviews brought the film to a crawl toward the end, including an in-depth interview with some guy who grew up isolated on a farm who developed an almost cult-like love for the band’s music. So much time was spent on this guy that it took away from the film’s real focus — the band. If I were Borchard I’d cut all the fan interviews and trim the film to around 90 minutes. If he wants to land a distributor, he’s going to have to make about 30 minutes of cuts anyway.

By the way, nice crowd, at least 100.

* * *

There’s one band on my Top 20 list that you won’t find among The Readers‘ 35 — Gus & Call. Those other editors at the newspaper who mocked my inclusion will shrivel at their oversight this time next year, when Gus & Call are the “special musical guest” on Saturday Night Live. Or tonight, when Gus & Call celebrates the release of their debut album, Wait ‘Til the Weather Breaks,

at The Slowdown.

The event also marks the first week of Gus & Call’s month-long residency at Slowdown. Joining them tonight are InDreama and Honeybee & Hers. Tickets are $5, but tonight if you pay $20 you get admission to all five G&C residency shows in December and a copy of the new CD.

Also tonight, ’80s punk legends The Queers are playing at The Waiting Room with Knockout, North of Grand, Cordial Spew and DSM5. 8:30 p.m., $13.

* * *

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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Hear Nebraska Vol. 1

Some thoughts on Hear Nebraska Vol. 1

, the first in a series of comp CDs that are being put together by the folks at hearnebraska.org (the board of which I am a member, though I had nothing to do with this album)…

The record is being celebrated with a release party Saturday night at The Syndey. This CD has a very limited run of only 150 copies. After that, it’s download-only. All cash goes to the HN coffers.

Designed to be (as HN executive Andy Norman says) “a cross-selection of Nebraska’s most exciting bands,” as a whole, it’s a pretty complete snapshot of where we are these days, though there will be those who will quibble that this band or that band was left off, there (presumably) will be room for them on Vol. 2. The breakdown:

Thunder Power, “Who Am I” — Easily the best Thunder Power song I’ve heard, and I’ve heard most of their recordings. It has an energy that I’ve always found lacking from their music, driven in part by terrific organ/keyboards, glowing guitars and an uninhibited vocal. It’s a fitting opening track and sets the bar for the rest of the comp (and for TP’s next album).

Big Harp, “Everybody Pays” — This is a different version than appears on their Saddle Creek debut. I’m not sure where it came from (perhaps from the Love Drunk video shoot?) — it pops from the speakers better than the original. I’m beginning to think live recordings are the future of the indie music industry, if only for the economy of it all.

The Betties, “Come Back to Me” — This sleepy little C&W number is my introduction to this band of western folkies whose love for Hank and Loretta are twangfully obvious.

Conduits, “Blood” — Another intrepid release from the band’s long-awaited debut (over a year now, right?), it’s one of their more upbeat numbers, a quick-step syncopation pulled together by Jenna Morrison’s languid, black-leather Euro croon that boarders on lovely drone, until the lonely siren birdsong that breaks the song in half, before the world comes crashing down again.

Dim Light, “For You” — Like a perverted stripper ballad lifted from the soundtrack of a David Lynch film, there’s something brazen and obscene in how Cooper throws down his caterwaul like a stoned Jim Morrison or Mark Lanegan. A drunken love call sang in an empty jail cell at 4 a.m.

Con Dios, “What’s Your Name?” — A new song that doesn’t appear on their officially unreleased recording, it sounds like Saddle Creek indie or Nebraska indie or whatever you want to call this style of upbeat folk music with downbeat vocals that’s so reflective of the last decade of sounds made from around here.

Domestica, “Shine” — Clocking in at less than two minutes (just like any good punk song) it’s another perfect slice of fist-pumping anthem rock that Heidi and Jon have been making for more than a decade.

The Mezcal Brothers, “Lonely Fool” — Clocking in at less than two minutes (just like any good ’50s jukebox song), this is diner rockabilly as you’ve come to expect from this band of local originals. As shiny as the bumper of a ’57 Chevy,

Digital Leather, “Sponge” — Off-kilter and off-balance, this little New Wave / No Wave synth ballad left me stumbling through early Cure (and mid-era Replacements) memories, lonely and simple and lost. Probably my favorite of the bunch.

So-So Sailors, “So Broken Hearted,” — Another song from another long-awaited release (over a year now, right?), it’ll be recognized as one of the band’s centerpiece numbers from their live set, grand and elegant in a style that’s more ’70s arena ballad than modern-day indie. Play it next time you’re headed to Jungle Land.

Kill County, “Home Blues” — Hold-me-close country ballad that sounds like John Hiatt long, long after closing time.

Wagon Blasters, “Golden Lariat” — Tractor Punk. Gary Dean Davis. Nebraska originals. Them Thornton boys. It all feels like driving too fast in a late-model El Camino on dirty county roads. Loud and reckless.

As stupid as it sounds, this comp would make the perfect Christmas gift for all those people who’ve asked you about the Nebraska music scene circa 2011. At $15, buy them in bunches. The CD release show at the Sydney Saturday features Digital Leather, The Wagon Blasters, Domestica, Dim Light and Masses and starts either at 9 or 10, depending on which listing you find. Cover is $5.

* * *

I can tell you exactly when the screening of Color Me Obsessed: A Film About the Replacements starts tonight at Slowdown. The film rolls at 8 p.m., with director Gorman Bechard in the house.

This is not your typical rockumentary. According to IMDB.com, “Bechard bravely eschews including the band’s music, photos, and live footage, instead relying solely on the fans: their well-kept memories, hilarious anecdotes, and differing points of views about the foursome’s wildly varied discography and infamous antics.” Bechard will be conducting a Q&A after the film’s 123-minute runtime, after which five bands will be providing their interpretations of Replacements music: Anonymous American, Witness Tree, Travelling Mercies, Peace of Shit and Well Aimed Arrows (though I noticed today that Peace of Shit and Well Aimed Arrows are no longer listed on Slowdown’s website for this event — let’s hope it’s just an oversight).  $7, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Honey & Darling are playing at O’Leaver’s with Nelsonvillians and Wind-Up Bird. $5, 9:30 p.m.

* * *

Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.