A still from Icky Blossoms’ new video for “Heat Lightning.”

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Slow news Thursday, so here’s a peek in my e-mail box…

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“Heat Lightning” just happens to be my favorite song off Icky Blossoms’ self-titled Saddle Creek Records debut. And despite the fact that there’s no sex and/or destruction, this video for the song (exclusively at RollingStone.com) is my favorite vid from the band so far. Icky currently is out on the road with Tilly and the Wall, playing the Great American Music Hall tonight in San Francisco.

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I recently got into an awkward discussion about another Saddle Creek Records band — UUVVWWZ. A guy was complaining that the Lincoln band gets too much attention for an act that makes “art noise.” Needless to say, his complaints didn’t come as a surprise as the guy is really into Americana music and mainstream rock. Nothing wrong with that, but he doesn’t hear me complaining about how boring his band is, does he? Anyway, you either “get” UUVVWWZ or you don’t. I’ve dug their music since waaay back in 2008 when I first saw them perform at the long-gone Saddle Creek Bar. Based on this brand-spankin’ new Love Drunk video for the song “No Apart,” I figure they must be working on a new record. Hat’s off to Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler for providing his office (and being a helluva drummer).

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Congrats to Satchel Grande, who were named in the first wave of acts invited to play at South By Southwest in 2013. Which reminds me, I gotta get my lodging figured out if I’m going back to Austin again next year.

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Matador just announced that Cat Power has cancelled her European tour for health reasons. I mention this only because I’d love to see Cat Power play at the Maha Music Festival next year. Wishful thinking I know, especially if she can’t stay on top of this health issue.

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Speaking of cancelled tours, according to his official fan site, Morrissey will announce his rescheduled U.S. Tour dates next Monday, including the Lincoln date.

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There’s another Tim Kasher interview that just went online at Phoenix New Times.  Golden quote:

So, you don’t have a metal album coming out any time soon?
We should, that’d be great. The other band name is Crucifix.

Ha ha! Awesome…

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Every month Reader music editor Chris Aponick busts my balls because I forget to mention the “Sock Hop” event he hosts at Loom. Well, tonight’s the night. In addition to playing sock hop hits of the ’50s, Noah Sterba and the Cocktails will be in the house. “Expect folk-tinged retro-pop nuggets perfect for any chilled house party or in this case, a relaxed Thursday night of music and dance.” At Loom, 9 p.m., free. More info here. Now get off my back, Aponick.

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Also tonight, Michigan-based indie-folk troubadour Small Houses, a.k.a. Jeremy Quentin, plays at Slowdown Jr. with Field Club and Great American Desert. 9 p.m., $7.

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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.

Matt and Kim at The Slowdown, Nov. 6, 2012

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The youth of America came out in droves last night… to vote for Matt & Kim at The Slowdown.

Ah, now how cheesy does that sound? Judging by their age, I’d say a large portion of the sold-out crowd wasn’t even old enough to vote yesterday. Needless to say, between sets I  huddled in the back of the bar under a large flat-panel TV that glowed with election returns via MSNBC. There was Chris and Rachel and crazy ol’ Ed looking down at us, broadly smiling as the numbers kept rolling in for Obama. I’d like to tell you that I was standing in a crowd, but there were only a handful of other poli-junkies watching the returns.

Actually, who needs a TV to track an election when you’ve got an iPhone dialed into Huffington Post?

Oberhofer at The Slowdown, Nov. 6, 2012.

As for the concert, first up was Oberhofer, a randy five-piece from Brooklyn who fall into that playful, high-energy youth-indie category dominated by bands like Vampire Weekend, Islands and Shout Out Louds. Like them they play frenzied up-rhythm music with bright vocals and indistinguishable melodies that get lost in the sound and beat. Frontman Brad Oberhofer riddles every song with a lot of bird-call “oooo’s” (in fact, the band’s first single was called “o0Oo0OoO”) as well as high-kick histrionics — distinguishing factors, along with the music’s unpredictable drops that kept things interesting. The more you watched, the more interesting (and better) they got. “We’re not a band with a big stage or a big light show, we just love to play,” sayeth the frontman. Oberhofer is the perfect band to play at the coolest high school prom in the world.

The whole time I was watching and listening, I tapped my iPhone for election updates, watching  numbers slowly climb. Right before Matt & Kim, MSNBC called the election for Obama. A small clutch of girls yelled and pointed at the TV screen and hugged each other, it was like Christmas in November.

So how did Matt & Kim get so friggin’ big? Two years ago they were playing The Waiting Room with Honey & Darling. Now they’re selling out Slowdown’s big room. Why? Yeah, I know they’re good, but what makes one band sell out a room quick while another one limps along? I do not know. I asked a high-powered music exec in the crowd and he told me that Matt & Kim’s popularity had everything to do with the couple’s rep for putting on over-the-top high-energy shows. Judging by the first song, I got what he was talking about.

Matt Johnson plays keyboards while his “partner in crime” Kim Schifino plays drums (seated, standing, climbing atop the set). The second they ran on stage they were INTO IT, attacking the young crowd to get them cranked to their red-line-on-crack energy level. Big lights, big sound, big fun dance music. Matt looked and sounded like a young, hyperactive Ben Folds as he crooned one pop nugget after another. But it was Kim that mesmerized, playing big-beat rhythms from somewhere on top of the world while the entire audience bounced with their hands in the air. Ah, to be young again…

But after four songs I hit the door hoping to make it home in time to watch Obama’s acceptance speech…

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Speaking of the election, this week’s column is a post-script on last night’s election results written yesterday morning for reasons that were beyond my control. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here

. I usually post this on Thursday, but it will seem a little more “fresh” coming the morning after.

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Tonight it’s back down to Slowdown (Jr.) for red hot indie Lansing band Cheap Girls (think Replacements if they were from Denton) with The Front Bottoms and The Thunderbolts. $10, 9 p.m.

If you’re hankerin’ for some more-agressive shit, The Toadies are playing tonight at The Waiting Room with ’90s phenoms Helmet (who remembers Meantime from ’92?) and metal-pop band Ume. $20, 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight’s election is looking like a real nail biter, which makes it hard to get off the couch and go to a show.

That said, I’m told by a highly placed source at The Slowdown that there will be a TV in the house tonight for those of you addicted to the campaign, presumably somewhere far away from the big stage where Matt & Kim are slated to play a sold out show. That’s right, it’s SOLD OUT, which means if you ain’t got tix you’re out of luck. And while the new Matt & Kim album isn’t doing it for me, I’m kinda digging tonight’s opener, Brooklyn indie rockers Oberhofer (Glassnote Records). This one starts at 9.

Oberhofer, “Away Frm You”

So, no tix? Well tickets are still available for The Supersuckers (SubPop) at The Waiting Room with local heroes Filter Kings. With a room filled with TVs, you’d think that Marc and Jim would have at least one tuned to election coverage (or maybe not). $13, 9 p.m.

Supersuckers, “Marie”

And before you go out, make sure you make your way to the polls. Let’s keep Omaha blue.

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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

There is a fantastic show going on tonight but it’s not at any of the primary Omaha rock venues. London-based indie-pop band Dignan Porch is playing at, of all places, Middle House. Some of you might remember this “venue” by its past names, including Jerk Store, Gunboat and Hotel Frank. It’s that famous apartment on 38th and Farnam across from The Brothers Lounge.

The band’s latest album, Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen (Captured Tracks, 2012), has been in rotation on my iPhone for a couple months. Fantastic stuff. This is a Slowburn Production, and for the life of me, I don’t know why they didn’t try to host this at a regular venue. I know a few people who would have loved to have gone. Maybe Dignan requested this be a house show? Who knows.

Hear Nebraska has an interview with the band (right here

), but didn’t provide any actual gig info. Never fear, the gig details are in Facebook, here. Show starts at 9 and cover is $5. Opener is Adult Films and a “surprise guest” (according to AF).

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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’s the weekend. Here’s the rundown:

Tonight at The Sandbox, 2406 Leavenworth, it’s Baby Tears with Detroit band Child Bite, Sun Settings and new local indie fuzz-rock band Dirt (check out their new single on Bandcamp here). Four bands, $5, starts at 9. More info here.

Over at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s Skypiper with Hidden Pictures, The Kickback and In Love. The only one of the four that I’ve heard (of) is Skypiper. Four bands. $5. 9:30 p.m.

What’s the deal with four-band bills?

And as part of tonight’s Benson First Friday festivities Landing on the Moon is playing at The Sydney with Pony Wars and Underwater Dream Machine.  Three bands. $5, 10 p.m.

Also tonight, The Brothers is hosting a costume party and 138 is  playing. $5, 9 p.m., more info here.

And that, my friends, is a rap for the weekend as far as indie music goes. If I missed anything, post it in the comments section.

Enjoy it…

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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

Quiet news day today. Who else was headed to Lincoln for Morrissey tonight? I’m as bummed as the rest of you about the show’s postponement (but not cancellation). Based on the announcement, it may not be until 2013 before it gets rescheduled.

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I’ve been listening to the new Neil Young & Crazy Horse album Psychedelic Pill for the last couple of days and can whole-heartedly recommend it for any Neil fan. Fantastic stuff, including the 27-minute opening song “Driftin’ Back” and 17-minute “Ramada Inn,” which are among the best jammers he’s done in years. His lyrics have never been so rooted in the every day, as if he feels Father Time leaning over his shoulder…

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In this week’s column, how Super Storm Sandy may have changed the outcome of next week’s election. It’s in this week’s issue of The Reader

or online right here. It’s almost time to vote, people…

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Father John Misty a.k.a. Josh Tillman, toured with David Bazan and Richard Buckner before joining Fleet Foxes as their tour drummer, but even Tillman says his FF tour of duty was merely as a hired hand. I’ve never been a Fleet Foxes fan — their music is too unstructured (and boring) for my tune-hungry ear.

On the other hand FJM plays psychedelic folk songs with a slight alt-country lilt and lyrics that teeter close to the edge. To me, the music off Fear Fun (Sub Pop, 2012) sounds like a cipher of Grant Lee Buffalo (who remembers that ’90s relics?). Gorgeous stuff. Check out the video for “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” below and hear it live tonight at Slowdown Jr. when FJM plays with singer/songwriter Le Sera and Jeffertitties Nile. $10, 9 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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A still from Thunder Power’s Spiraling Sky” video.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Yesterday Thunder Power released the first video from its upcoming Slumber Party Records release, Volumes, titled “Spiraling Sky” and featuring a super cute, living-breathing monkey.

Actually, it’s a gibbon (apparently). TP frontman Will Silvey-Simons says the video’s director, Lindsay Trapnell, found the chimp-thing on Craigslist of all places. Was this a rent-a-monkey situation?

“Ha, ‘rental’ is a weird way to say it, but more or less,” Will said. “The two gibbons are the pets of a lady who lives a couple hours away. She responded to the Craigslist ad and thought it’d be fun to have her ‘babies’ in a music video.”

Hey, who doesn’t like monkeys?

The video also features an animated monkey/gibbon in a clip that takes place some time in the early 20th century (based on the costumes, but not on that digital thermostat). Check it out below.

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Not much happening tonight. Halloween is usually a festive “adult holiday” when it falls on the weekend, otherwise it’s a children’s’ holiday, AS IT SHOULD BE.

Anyway, there is one show to go to after you finish handing out candy. Capgun Coup is slated to play at The Sydney tonight with Touch People (a.k.a. Darren Keen) and DJ Kobrakyle. These shows usually start at around 9 and cost around $5.

Happy Halloween…

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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

Drastic Plastic turns 30

Did Drastic Plastic play a more significant role in the creation of today’s “Omaha Music Scene” then, say, Homer’s Records (who has been around longer), or The Antiquarium, which for years was viewed as Omaha’s indie ground zero? Does it matter?

Fact is Drastic has stayed in business for 30 years — that’s an achievement for any record store. I’ve always looked at Drastic as more of a T-shirt shop (thanks to Impact) than a record store, though recorded music has always been a staple. According to their press release:

“Drastic also promoted some of Omaha’s first alternative shows, such as Black Flag, Husker Du, Dead Kennedys and Toxic Reasons.  The cover of Black Flag’s live album Who’s Got the 10 ½? immortalizes the store’s telephone number.  Drastic also started one of Omaha’s first record labels, Fat Bat Records, which released then local sensation Apathy’s LP Out the Window. “

The tradition continues with Drastic Plastic Records, which reissues classic punk albums on vinyl, along with discs on the Silver Saucer CDs imprint.

So Happy Birthday Drastic Plastic. To celebrate the occasion, Drastic is hosting a show tonight at the Waiting Room headlined by OFF!, the LA hardcore band whose members include Circle Jerks/Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Red Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and Rocket From the Crypt/Hot Snakes drummer Mario Rubalcaba. Opening is Seattle punkers The Spits and Raleigh hardcore band Double Negative. $12, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Sub Pop band Helio Sequence plays at Slowdown Jr. with Betsy Wells. $10, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at fabulous O’Leaver’s Rake Kash (L. Eugene Methe) headlines a show with Still Sweet and Noah Sterba. $5, 9:30 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Cursive at The Slowdown, Oct. 28, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last night’s Cursive show at The Slowdown was the tightest, strongest set I’ve seen the band play. I credit weeks and weeks and weeks on the road (with more weeks to come). Has Cursive ever toured an album this hard? Probably. Is it paying off? I honestly don’t know. From all the reviews I’ve seen online, they’ve consistently drawn sizable crowds, like last night’s, which wasn’t a sell out but must have been darn close. I have no idea how well I Am Gemini has sold. In this Spotify era, no one (especially indie bands) has any expectations about record sales.

The band (performing as a five-piece) went on stage at around 9 p.m. and proceeded to jump right into their set, stringing song after song reaching back to Domestica and including a couple off the new record. When I Am Gemini came out at the beginning of the year, I had slight doubts that it would fit in with the rest of the Cursive oeuvre. Those doubts were erased last night, as the band seamlessly slipped in tunes “This House Alive” and “The Sun and Moon” among classics like “The Radiator Hums” and “Art Is Hard” as if they were just two more greatest hits. I couldn’t help but think how broad Cursive’s catalog has become. Kasher’s prolific songwriting is ominous, with seven full lengths to choose from spanning over a 15-year career (not to mention all those Cursive EPs and singles, along with four more LPs as The Good Life and his recent solo material).

Since their set was an opener for Minus the Bear, they kept it to a tight 45 minutes, closing out with “Dorothy at Forty,” and then abruptly leaving the stage — no encore. Even Kasher’s between-song patter was kept to a minimum, leaving only room to tell the audience to keep Nebraska’s Democratic spot alive next week. And, he confessed that he was a “Mother’s Milk

guy.” Unfortunately no one from the RHCP was there to appreciate the comment.

I stuck around for only a handful of Minus the Bear songs. They sounded slightly more mainstream (and accessible) then I remember them being all those years ago. I feared they might get “Omaha’d” last night, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

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Speaking of songwriting, Kasher talks about the process in this rather interesting Q&A at playbackstl.com. Check it out.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Athens band The Whigs (ATO Records). Opening is local guys Lonely Estates. $10 (a steal!), 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., it’s Polyvinyl Records band Stagnant Pools with Kite Pilot. $8 (cheap!), 9 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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It is, for all intents and purposes, Halloween weekend. That means that (although not required) costumes are kind of a prerequisite if you’re going to a show this weekend. In fact, most shows are being promoted as pseudo Halloween/costume parties, complete with prizes.

While I think that’s awesome and fun, I’m not a dress-up type guy, I’m not into horror movies or zombies or anything campy and/or Halloweenish or involving make-up, so there’s a good chance I’m going to take a pass on all the shows this weekend, which is a damn shame because there are some verrrry good shows going on.

Starting tonight at The Brothers Lounge, where Yuppies are playing a show with Baby Tears and Minneapolis noise band Weakwick. $5, 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Barley Street Tavern, Snake Island is hosting a costume party with Cat Island, Kite Pilot and Traveling Mercies. $5, 9 p.m.

Back downtown, The Slowdown is hosting a Halloween Throw Down with three tribute/cover bands: Fear of Ghosts (The Cure), Surfer Rosa (The Pixies) and Dead Wave (who does some original stuff along with a few Joy Division covers). I’m not sure if this is a costume thing (though the invite says “dress up”). $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Satchel Grande plays at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m.; and O’Leaver’s is hosting Cannonista with In the Whale and 3D Jupiter. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) the big show as at The Slowdown for what’s been billed as the Freaks of the Night: Halloween Costume and Dance Party. In fact, it’s also the InDreama album release show. Playing with InDream is Nik Fackler’s other band, Icky Blossoms (headlining) along with Lincoln noise degenerate Plack Blague and Places We Slept. $6.66 Advance/$8 DOS, 9 p.m.

And then Sunday it’s back down to Slowdown for Cursive with Minus the Bear and Girl in a Coma. The listing shows Minus as the headliner, so get there early. 8 p.m. show, $20.

Am I missing anything? Put it in the comments section…

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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.