Below, a couple new CD reviews…

Race for Titles, The Closer (Redemption) – My biggest gripe with RFT always has been that their vocals seemed like an afterthought. Sure, Jamie Massey’s ghost-howl is suitably atmospheric, but it feels casually laid atop RFT’s dreamy, Cure-ish riffage. Songs like “Under/Above” and “Dimmer,” for example, may have been better served as instrumentals when you realize that you’re not paying much attention to what Jamie is singing as much as imagining his voice as an extended guitar solo, again, added after the fact. What you’re missing by not CONCENTRATING are lines like “Something makes me want to pick you up / Take you away from here” (Lighter on the Inside) and, from the title track, “Build me from the ground up / To tear it all back down / These walls don’t have the secrets to keep / From us anymore.” Instead of words, I was mesmerized by the tense, intricate, duo-guitar interplay and the throaty, tribal rhythms that set this album apart from past RFT efforts. Maybe some things are better left unsaid, or unsung. Rating: Yes. The Reader rating: Three stars.

Guns N’ Roses, Chinese Democracy (Geffen) – Fourteen years. Was it worth the wait? For die-hard fans, yes; for the rest of us… well, let’s go down the list of pluses and minuses. Axl’s voice sounds surprisingly good, but maybe that’s because these vocals were recorded during the Clinton administration. The riffage (at times) is stone-head heavy metal at its finest — blunt, uncaring, brutal. And the songs? All the best ones — “Shacker’s Revenge,” “Better,” the title track — come from the first half (or “side one) and have that classic G n’ R swagger. This comes out of the box smoking. But things dampen when Axl channels his inner-Elton John. The syrupy “This I Love” is Axl’s “Lick My Love Pump” right down to the cheesy piano chords. But unlike Spinal Tap, it’s not played for laughs. Had he thrown out most of the meandering ballads, this would have stood up right next to Appetite. And had he released it 12 years ago it might not have been considered merely a retro oddity or a tribute to procrastination by rock’s Rip Van Winkle, who woke up to find that music had passed him by. Rating: Yes. The Reader rating: Three stars.

The Grammy nominations came out yesterday. The list is here. When did the Grammy’s turn into the AMA’s and People’s Choice Awards? Looks like the “new Bob Dylan” got passed over again. Well, he’s not in it for the awards anyway, right?

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Cursive announced a brief January tour that includes two nights at Slowdown (Jan. 23-24). Tickets: Just $5. They’ll never get rich at those prices. Seriously, here’s to a band that’s cognizant of the current economy and how it’s affecting its fans. Tickets go on sale Saturday, according to The Slowdown website. Get them while they last.

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The following column is essentially a repackaging of a couple blog entries from last week, slightly modified. Old news repackaged.

Column 201: Darkness on the Edge of Town
Of Crime and Blackouts…

There’s an underlying sense of anxiety these days when going out at night, what with all the murders going on.

Just getting home after an evening at one of the city’s tony music venues seems like an accomplishment, something that you can gloat about while enjoying a cup of coffee the next morning and hearing about who got shot or stabbed or knee-capped in a drive-by the night before. Each news story is accompanied with a city map and a bloody red star to indicate where the “incident” took place. There is that edgy moment when you mentally do the math and figure out how close it was to where you were, and when.

Drive-by shootings and random murder used to be something that no one in the indie music scene cared about because those sorts of things only took place in parts of Omaha where few rarely, if ever, stepped foot. Certainly not at night. But when that guy got shot a couple weeks ago getting cash out of the ATM in the parking lot across from the A&B’s in Dundee, well, people started to notice. Everyone has used that ATM before without a thought that they could find themselves rolling on the ground in a puddle of blood clutching their leg, waiting for an ambulance to take them to Emergency. I personally have stepped into that Infinite convenient store on Leavenworth — the scene of a tragic random killing a few weeks ago — numerous times. Now it’s impossible to go in there and not think about Tari Glinsmann, who was minding her own business and ended up dead in the parking lot. How did we get to this place?

Shortly after the crime spree earlier this month, the talk on the midtown sidewalks turned to speculation as to who was behind all the violence. Were these just desperate acts generated by desperate times? No, too random, too scatter-shot. Was it gangs moving into Dundee, trying to lay claim on the coveted latte and batter-fried fish cartel that the neighborhood is known for? That, too, seemed unlikely. But as we all were scratching our heads, the body count continued to rise. Every morning brought fresh news of yet another shooting or mugging – most of them likely unrelated to the spate of crime that had crept into Dundee, but now each demanding our attention. By mid-November Omaha was enjoying a record eight homicides so far that month.

Paranoia reached a fever pitch last Wednesday night, the day before Thanksgiving. I was driving north on 60th St. from Western Ave. and noticed that the streetlights were out. I turned on my brights and glanced at the houses flying by and saw that they, too, were dark. Power outages are commonplace in my neighborhood. At least once a week I come home from work and all the digital clocks on the appliances are blinking. It’s the price you pay for living in an old neighborhood with lots of trees and dangling overhead power lines.

I struggled to see where I was going as I rolled up to Benson’s main drag. Every storefront was dark, but the streets were far from empty. Cars motored down Maple, blowing through intersections without slowing down. I eased onto the street and drove by Mick’s and The Musette and the empty Subway sandwich shop.

The outage encompassed all of Benson and points beyond. Would all the venues be closed? Surely it would take more than lights out to keep drunks away from the bars. I parked in my usual parking lot and made my way to Burke’s Pub, the site of Kyle Harvey’s CD release show.

When I got there, I could see the candles burning from the sidewalk outside the venue. Burke’s was packed to the gills, in fact too packed to get in. A couple smokers outside said that Harvey had already played his set (though it was only 10:30), and now the Black Squirrels were playing in the front end of the bar. Who needs power when you’re a bluegrass band?

I never stepped foot inside Burke’s. It looked too crazy, and I knew that even if I could squeeze in that getting a Rolling Rock would be a dicey challenge. So I made my way through the darkness down to The Barley St. Tavern, passing The Waiting Room, which looked as empty as the streets had suddenly become. I kept an eye over my shoulder and wondered to myself if it made sense to be walking around alone.

Any fear disappeared once I got to The Barley St. Tavern, a bar that’s become one of the city’s most talked-about music venues not because of a state-of-the-art sound system (it has a tiny PA) or an enormous capacity (you can probably stuff 50 into the music room), but thanks to an inviting, unintimidating stage where singer/songwriters feel comfortable trying out new music.

Little Brazil’s Landon Hedges was behind the candle-lit bar and quickly handed me a needed beer. Emergency lighting glowed from the ceiling in the music room, and people milled around wondering when the power was going to come back on. The usually electric Whipkey Three had been slated to play, but was left with nothing to plug their amps into. It took about 15 minutes for Matt Whipkey to find an acoustic guitar (lent to him by Kat of the Black Squirrels). He and the rest of the band played an acoustic set to about 20 people gathered around in a circle.

Right after they played their last song, the power came back on, ending the Great Benson Blackout of 2008.

To the best of my knowledge, no crimes were committed in the few hours that Benson was in the dark. I don’t know what this recent crime wave means, but I know that even in the darkest moments, there is a sense of community that brings people together and makes them feel safe. It’s a kind of security you’ll never find with a gun.

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it’s Audrye Sessions with Midwest Dilemma and Down with the Ship. $7, 9 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Homer’s GM Mike Fratt forwarded the following letter that he received in mid-November. I can’t tell if what’s happened to Southern — once a leading indie music distro — has anything to do with the economy or not.

Dear Friends,

On November 21st, 2008, Southern Records Inc. of Chicago (SRI) will cease operations. Chicago Independent Distribution, which is owned and operated by SRI’s current General Manager Jim Zespy, will take over distribution operations without interruption.

Southern Studios began operating in London in the late 1970’s, first as a recording studio, then as a group of record labels. With time, the activities of Southern grew and several affiliate companies were formed in the UK. A U.S. company was first established in the late 1980s and eventually led to the establishment of the U.S. distribution facility, SRI, in Chicago in 1993.

2005 saw the passing of the company founder and principal shareholder, John Loder. John’s family has since moved to allow the sale of each company to its existing management. The Chicago-based company, Southern Records Inc., will cease operation as part of such an arrangement.

Southern Studios will continue to manage its record labels from their London office, including Black Diamond, Bluurg, Crass, Exitstencil, Latitudes, Southern, Truth Cult, and Wrong.

Chicago Independent Distribution and Dischord Records have established a new partnership for North America. Chicago Independent Distribution will also continue to distribute the record labels owned and/or operated by Southern Studios in North America.

Chicago Independent will remain the exclusive home of the following labels in the USA: Aurora Borealis, Black Diamond, Bluurg, Constellation, Crass, DeSoto Exile on Mainstream, Graveface, La Societe Expeditionnaire, Latitudes, Marriage, My Pal God, Outer Himalayan, P.W. Elverum & Sun, Permanent, Retard Disco, Sickroom, Southern Records, Truth Cult, Upset! The Rhythm, and Wrong Records.

OK, so what’s this really mean? The first paragraph seems to indicate that no one will notice a change as a result of this business transaction. I asked Fratt. “Depending on the deal they did, this could mean small artists are left holding the bag, so to speak,” he said. “Even though the new company has their product, artists may have to do a new ‘deal’ on that with the new company and then try to navigate the closure of Southern to collect for what they sold. Or, it may be seamless and no outstanding accts payable issues.”

Fratt foresees nothing but gloom for the music industry and business in general deep into next year. “The volume of national chain closures (in every sector; retail, food, services, etc) as well local businesses will be staggering in the next 6 months,” he said. Hold onto your hats.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I listened to No Blood Orphan from the bar at The Barley St. Saturday night — I was too glued to the Oklahoma/Okla St. game, and besides, there was no place to sit/stand in the music room anyway. As the third quarter rolled into the fourth and the Sooners began to pull ahead, the crowd began to overflow into the bar. I don’t know if it was because of the Thanksgiving holiday or a pseudo family reunion, but there were lots of older folks (re: older than me) cramming up the place. I think they were probably there to see either Answer Team or Fortnight.

BTW, it didn’t matter that I was in the bar when NBO was playing — I could hear them just fine. I don’t need to see Saklar’s guitar ballet to hear its splendor and beauty. My take on NBO and their new music: They’ve never sounded so poppy and so hooky and embraceable as on their new CD or on stage Saturday night. The sound is kick-back but not rustic or rural or Americana. It’s modern indie rock with a definitive beat.

By the time The Answer Team came on the game was pretty much over or at least no longer interesting. I’ve never heard of these guys — a five piece that included a lady on violin and a guitarist who looked like McLovin’ with a perm and headphones. Their instrumentals-only music sounded influenced by Tristeza or The Album Leaf. One person compared them to Race For Titles without vocals, though Answer Team was no where as hard as those guys. I do like what they did, though inside the Barley St. their overall sound was tinty, with no low-end at all. Their guitars sounded too bright and metallic and I wondered how they’d sound on the Waiting Room’s stage with beefed up amps.

Finally, on came Fortnight, a combo that includes Jenn Bernard (ex-Park Ave, ex-Magic Kiss). Bernard looked like she hadn’t aged a day since I last interviewed her more than seven years ago. They began playing a song during their pseudo soundcheck — just started playing — and it was among the coolest things they did all night. The guitarist walked onto the dance floor and faced the band and began riffing and everyone joined in. I’m not familiar enough with their music to say if that was just an interlude from another song or not, but they should consider starting their sets that way.

As a whole, Fortnight came off as a fun loving indie band featuring two vocalists — Bernard and frontman Corey Degner — taking turns and singing together without harmonies a la Tilly-style. Sitting in on bass was intern Brendan Walsh-Greene — no idea what that was all about, but he did a yeoman’s job with just a week’s worth of practices. This is a band to keep track of.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

So I’m driving north on 60th St. from Western Ave. Wednesday night and notice that the street lights are out. I turn on the brights and glance at the houses flying by and see that they’re dark as well. Power outages are commonplace in my neighborhood. At least once a week I come home from work and all the digital clocks on the appliances are blinking. It’s the price you pay for living in an old neighborhood with lots of trees.

The lights stayed out all the way to Maple St. Every venue was dark, but I knew that it would take more than an outage to close these bars. Burke’s Pub, where Kyle Harvey’s CD release show was scheduled, was candle-lit and packed to the gills, too packed to get in. A couple smokers outside said that Kyle had already played (it was only 10:30), and now the Black Squirrels were playing in front of the bar. They didn’t need power; they’re a bluegrass band ferchrissake. I never stepped foot inside Burke’s though. It looked too packed, and I knew that even if I could get in that getting a Rolling Rock would be a real challenge.

So I walked down to The Barley St. (The Waiting Room looked dark and vacant from across the street). Landon Hedges was behind the candle-lit bar and handed me a Rock. Emergency lighting glowed in the music room. It took about 15 minutes, but Matt Whipkey found an acoustic guitar (lent to him by Kat of the Black Squirrels) and he and the rest of the Whipkey Three played an acoustic set to about 20 people. Right after the last song, the power came back on, ending the Great Benson Blackout of 2008.

* * *

Barring another blackout, tonight’s big show is the Race for Titles CD release party at The Waiting Room. Opening is Anniversaire and Malpais. Expect a large crowd. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight down at The Barley St. it’s Slumber Party Records band Talkin’ Mountain with Bradley Unit and the Members and Adam Haug. $4, 9 p.m.

Saturday night has Fortnight at The Barley St. with No Blood Orphan, The Answer and Barometric. It’s probably $4, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Lincoln’s Ideal Cleaners is playing down at Slowdown Jr. with Knots and Yuppies. $5, 9 p.m.

Finally, The Waiting Room has U2 tribute band Me2. $10, 9 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

So, four years of Lazy-i columns are now history. My original intent was to write a retrospective that went back to Column No. 1, but one thing led to another and we didn’t have time (This was actually written last Thursday — an accelerated deadline for The Reader due to the Thanksgiving holiday). Anyway, we didn’t need to go back that far because it’s been a very good year for music stories, maybe the most important year for Omaha music since 2001, but we’ll recap all that with the annual year-in-review article that’ll be online in a couple weeks. This is just a snippet — consider it the first of the series of year-end articles that you’re about to be bombarded with from all corners of the media…

Column 200: This Is 200
Now begins year 5…

Here it is, installment No. 200 and also the four-year anniversary of this column. As per usual, what follows is an update on some of the people, places and things covered over the past year. And now, my annual plea: The hardest part of writing this column is coming up with the ideas. I can’t do it alone. Got the latest scoop on something happening musicwise around these parts? Drop me a line at tim@lazy-i.com. Thanks for reading!

Dec. 6 — Five-Year Rainbow — A look back at Darren Keen’s project The Show Is the Rainbow on its 5-year anniversary while dining on a $5 lunch at Cici’s. Hopefully Darren’s eating better these days. He should be. He just got off the road playing a string of sold-out shows opening for The Faint.

Jan. 28 — Preconceived Notion — Where I confess to being a musically prejudiced boob, thanks to a riveting performance by singer/songwriter Brad Hoshaw. Brad has gone on to release a CD of that night’s set at Mick’s. He also formed a band called Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, which just finished recording a debut album and also received an armful of nominations for the upcoming Omaha Entertainment Awards — more evidence that I am, in fact, a musically prejudiced boob.

Jan. 24 — The Quiet Revolution — So whatever happened to KIND-FM, the proposed low-powered FM community radio station to be based in Benson? Well, KINDair is now streaming programming — including music from about 20 bands — at kindair.org, said station representative Raechel Achelpohl. “We have started broadening the content to public service announcements for non-profit events as well as young poets and singers through a partner of ours, Omaha Young Life.” OK, but when will I be able to hear it on my car radio? “We are currently working with an FCC correspondent and FCC attorney to establish the guidelines for broadcasting over FM, but this turned out to be a process that requires careful steps to ensure we do not do harm in any fashion,” Achelpohl said. “The website if fulfilling the same functions a radio station would with the addition of high networking potential between bands, artists, small businesses, and non-profits. We would like to get an FM station, but the website will have to do for now.”

March 13 — British Bird’s Other Nest — A profile of Alessi Laurent-Marke, a Londoner who made Omaha her home this year while recording an album with Mike Mogis at ARC. These days her project is going by the name Alessi’s Ark, according to the London Daily Mail, and her first EP, titled The Horse (the one recorded here) is slated for release on Virgin Records Dec. 8, followed by a full-length, Notes from the Treehouse, next March.

April 10-24 — Minor Threat — For three weeks this column covered the rise of Omaha’s all-ages music venue ordinance, which requires written, notarized permission slips from the parents of those under 18 who want to attend shows at designated “music venues” that serve alcohol. The ordinance was passed during a circus-like session of the Omaha City Council that looked like the town hall scene from Footloose, with Slowdown’s Robb Nansel playing the role of Ren. Since it went into effect, Slowdown has received 701 parental permission slips, while The Waiting Room has somewhere between 200 and 250 on file, according to the respective proprietors. And other clubs also have received all-ages permits, including The Saddle Creek Bar, whose owner — Mike Coldewey — was blamed by some members of the music community for the whole brouhaha. The villainized Coldewey announced in June that he was getting out of the bar business “on or before Labor Day.” Guess what? He’s still there.

May 1 — Convo with a Cop — An interview with former Omahan Mike Jaworski, frontman of the band The Cops and proprietor of Mt. Fuji Records, a label whose roster included Slender Means, Lillydale and our very own Little Brazil. In October, Little Brazil announced it was leaving Mt. Fuji for Kansas City label Anodyne Records, home of The Architects, Roman Numerals and The Meat Puppets, among others. Look for LB’s new album, Son, in early 2009. Meanwhile, Mt. Fuji lives on, recently announcing that it has signed Seattle band The Whore Moans and Portland band Point Juncture, WA.

May 21-28 — The Traveller Returns — A two-part history of the making of Simon Joyner’s seminal recording, The Cowardly Traveller Pays His Toll. Its rerelease on Team Love Records has sold just under 300 copies to date.

June 25 — Smell Ya Later — A look at how the smoking ban, which quietly went into effect June 17, would impact the smokiest of Omaha’s bars, the legendary Brothers Lounge. A recent trip to The Brothers revealed that the bar continues to draw a nice weekend crowd, even though it has nowhere to build an outdoor “smoker’s garden.” Instead, smokers stood on the sidewalk along Farnam St. getting their nicotine fix, dreaming of smoky days gone by. How the ban affects patronage during its first brutal winter is yet to be seen.

June 16 — One Ringy Dingy — An interview with Coyote Bones’ frontman David Matysiak about his Telephono project, created during his residency at The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Matysiak announced in October that he was moving back home to Atlanta. Meanwhile, Slumber Party Records bands Bear Country, Capgun Coup and Honeybee have taken over The Bemis music residency.

July 23 — Help Wanted, Rights — The column lambasted the Omaha World-Herald‘s suggestion that performers should have their pay sanctioned at publicly funded concerts should they espouse their political beliefs or profanity from stage. This after The Good Life frontman Tim Kasher declared his support for Barack Obama and sang songs with the F-word when the band opened for Feist in Memorial Park in July. The OWH took umbrage to the column, saying in its editorial page a few days later that it “understood and contemplated the band’s right to say what it wanted. That is free speech,” but then went on to say that “critics” misunderstood the difference between free speech and speech free of consequences. “The city and this newspaper have a right to criticize crudeness and contemplate incentives for better behavior.” Incentives? I always thought incentives were benefits paid beyond basic compensation (a bonus, for example). In the OWH‘s eyes, paying someone for work performed isn’t part of an agreement or contract, it’s an incentive — an odd way of doing business.

Aug. 28 — Skipping Boston — A discussion with singer/songwriter Brad Hoshaw about how he chooses cover songs, and a plea for him to cover “Please Come to Boston” by Dave Loggins. We’re still waiting, Brad…

Sept. 10 — What’s the Point? — Wherein I and New York musician David Hurwitz try to figure out the goal behind the Mid American Music Festival (MAMF), the four-day event that featured lots of bands playing lots of Benson venues, all for no compensation. We never quite figured it out, but sure had a good time trying. Here’s to MAMF ’09.

Oct. 23 — Remembering Coco — I realized after writing this tribute to singer/songwriter Sarah Benck’s dog, Coco — who inspired so much of her music — that I was actually writing about my own dog, Sam — a 14-year-old best friend who sat beside me while I’ve written all these columns over the past four years. I said goodbye to Sam for the final time last Monday morning and still haven’t quite gotten over it. I think the Coco column might have helped me prepare for the inevitable (as much as one can prepare for losing a family member). So here’s to Sam, who’s reading this up in the great dog park in the sky right alongside Daisy, Mickey, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Coco.

Tonight, another historic moment, this time at Burke’s Pub where a crowded room of drunks will be celebrating the long-awaited release of Kyle Harvey’s Truth is the Color of Teeth. More than four years in the making, think of it as Omaha’s version of Chinese Democracy, with Kyle playing the Axl role. Opening the free, 9 o’clock show are The Black Squirrels and Ben Sieff.

Shows are thin tomorrow night, which is odd since everyone will want to get out of the house after a day of family bullshit. A good way to unwind is with Satchel Grande at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m. Down at Slowdown Jr., Sunny Day Real Estate frontman Jeremy Enigk takes the stage with Fine, Fine Automobiles (Landon Hedges’ solo joint) and Adam Weaver. $13, 9 p.m.

Gobble, gobble…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I’m sure if you read this and you’re from Omaha that you probably also get the 1 Percent Productions “Upcoming Concerts” e-mail, just like I did yesterday. Despite this downturn in the economy, Jim and Marc have managed to book one of the busiest winters in recent memory — a time when there’s usually a downturn in touring. The standouts from the list:

— Kevin Costner & Modern West Jan. 29 — Yes, that Kevin Costner, the guy that starred in Dances with Wolves, Waterworld and Fandango (my favorite Costner film that no one’s ever seen but features a killer soundtrack by Pat Metheny). His band is another in a series of movie-star vanity projects that include everyone from Billy Bob Thornton to Keanu Reeves — all of them sucking. I’m sure Costner’s will suck just as bad, but that won’t stop it from selling out, especially considering Costner visits Omaha whenever his Cal State Fullerton team is in the CWS. It’s a smart booking, and further underscores Slowdown’s willingness to allow anything on their big stage as long as it sells (especially at $30 a ticket).

— The Faint, Dec. 19 with Brimstone Howl and The Show Is the Rainbow; Dec. 20 with Capgun Coup and Son Ambulance — both $18 at Sokol Auditorium. Just like you, I like going to Faint concerts. Apparently unlike you, I hate going to Faint concerts at Sokol Auditorium. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re stuck with since it’s the only venue with a sweet-spot capacity of 1,400 that’s also big enough to handle their AV requirements. I’d love to see the Faint at Slowdown, and would be willing to pay as much as people are willing to pay to see Kevin Costner. Three nights at Slowdown for $30 a ticket would likely sell out. But I’m sure there are other things that were considered when deciding to use Sokol, things we’ll never know about.

— Neva Dinova, Ladyfinger, McCarthy Trenching and The 1989 Chicago Cubs, Dec. 27 at Slowdown. The big surprise here is The Cubs, who as far as I know, haven’t played together in years. Is this just a one-off reunion? Probably. Call it a late Christmas present. $7.

— Criteria with The Beat Seekers and The Envy Corps, Dec. 13 at The Waiting Room. Will Criteria be rolling out new material? Wait and see. $7.

— Rock Movie Night featuring Joy Division (Documentary), Dec. 1 at The Waiting Room. I was at TWR last night for Under a Blood Red Sky — along with seven other people (It sounded awesome, btw). In an effort to ratchet up the draw to these Monday night movie-watching parties, TWR will begin offering free chili and drink specials starting Dec. 1. A colorful aside: When I was going to school at UNO I literally had no money for food. My roommate and I used to scour the newspaper looking for free food offers at local bars — taco nights, chili nights, whatever. This would have been on our radar screen. You cannot beat free food, especially if you’ve been living on a steady diet of baked potatoes.

So what’s missing from the schedule? The bigger touring indie bands. Some examples off the top of my head: Of Montreal, TV on the Radio, M83, Titus Andronicus, Deerhunter, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters), Rosebuds, Fucked Up, Belle and Sebastian, Ratatat, Black Kids, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, LCD Soundsystem. And where are the old stalwarts like Ryan Adams, Beck, Death Cab, Mogwai, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Low and Interpol? Yeah, I know. A lot of them aren’t on the road right now, but they have been and they’ve missed us. Still, considering everything we got this past year, we don’t have room to complain.

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Speaking of shows, there are a couple doozies tonight:

At The Slowdown Jr., it’s the debut of one of Saddle Creek Records’ most recent recruits, Sebastien Grainger, former drummer from Death From Above 1979. Don’t go expecting a DFA show, Grainger’s style is straight-forward indie rock. With Josh Reichmann and Ladyfinger. $10, 9 p.m.

Also tonight at The Waiting Room, it’s Low Vs. Diamond, and no, this band has nothing to do with the Minnesota drone-band Low (someone asked me that very question last night). LVD is riding a wave having recently been featured in Filter. Their sound is run-o-the-mill indie, but with more of a pop edge. Not bad. With Barcelona and Akita Ken. $10.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

The OEA showcase Friday night looked like it was another success. Despite the cold and wind — making the trek from one end of Maple St. to the other brutal — the sidewalks were crowded with music fans bouncing between venues. The most crowded show I saw was probably Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies at Mick’s or maybe The Song Remains the Same at the tiny Barley St. If I had to put my money on one act to clean up at the OEA’s this year, it would be on Hoshaw, who might have the best turnaround story of the year. The most surprising set for me was Skypiper, who closed out The Waiting Room (introduced by OEA prez Matt Oberst, the man who sired The Conor). Their music wasn’t terribly innovative – sort of an indie pop take on Wilco – but it was well played. And though it was the first time I saw the band on stage, their songs seemed familiar in a good way. Other acts I caught Friday night – Lucas Kellison, Confidentials, Mass Quantities and Midwest Dilemma (I didn’t get started until 10). I assume I’ll be receiving the final OEA ballot in the mail in the next few weeks, which will be followed by the awards show itself Jan. 8 at The Holland Center.

Speaking of award shows, I’m watching the AMA’s as I write this. Teresa said you know you’re getting old when you don’t recognize most of the musicians on the red carpet. Actually, I think the anonymity of these “stars” has more to do with the shift in the music industry over the past decade, essentially taking the boy band trend to the next level — thank you American Idol and High School Musical. One of the announcers said this year’s AMA’s had the youngest performers in the history of the show. Few if any wrote the material they were performing. In the old days just 10 years ago most “popular” music could still be of some interest to people outside of the 14-18 female demographic. Not anymore. Apparently that demo is the only ones left buying CDs (except, of course, for old fucks and mullets who make it into Wal Mart for the latest legacy acts like AC/DC and Metallica). They’ve even managed to marginalize the term “rock” — Chris Brown, for example, won “best rock/pop male vocal.” After he left the stage along came Scott Weiland who wasn’t just drunk, he was barely able to introduce Pink without passing out. That’s when I changed it to the football game. I think today’s current crop of pop stars, all under 18, are talented performers. They just don’t have anything relevant to sing about, and apparently none of their fans cares. Then again, the guys in Journey and Styx weren’t exactly poets, either.

A final sidenote: Teresa asked why there wasn’t an indie music award show. I told her most of the nominees probably couldn’t afford to travel to the show or would be too busy trying to eke out a living on the road. That, and the fact that it would likely have the lowest rating of any award show in history (if you take into account how poorly indie music sells in comparison to the AMA acts, who consider any album that moves fewer than 100k units an enormous failure).

It’s Rock Movie Night tonight at The Waiting Room, and tonight’s movie is special — U2’s Under a Blood Red Sky — a film that I remember seeing on MTV back in the ’80s. Shot at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater on June 5, 1983, it captures U2 at their career zenith, shortly after the release of War. The movie has been released for the first time on DVD and includes five previously unreleased live cuts, a director’s commentary, digitally re-graded pictures and a 5.1 mix. As part of the night’s festivities, TWR will be giving away a pair of tickets to Saturday’s Me2 show. It’s free and starts at 8.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I wanted to take a moment and point out a writing project that isn’t going to be posted here in Lazy-i. As part of The Reader‘s annual “Music Issue” I wrote a cover story that’s sort of designed to be an “Electric Guitars for Dummies” article. As I say in the lead:

The idea came while watching The Third Men play a set at The Waiting Room. I was standing there, drinking my Rolling Rock, minding my own business, when a couple guitar gearheads came up beside me and started talking about what was happening on stage.

“Man, look at that classic Les Paul Goldtop replica,” one gearhead said to the other. “Nothing quite like it.”

And then it dawned on me that I’d been writing about bands for years but never paid attention to the guitars that they were playing. They all looked the same to me — colorful, bitchy, macho axes, a signature of rock — and I couldn’t tell one from another.

So here’s the goal of this special Music Issue focused on guitars: By the time you finish reading it and study the pictures, you too will be able to identify the guitar being played by the sweaty guitarist grunting away on stage at one of our local venues or on TV.

But here’s the catch: There are literally hundreds of different types of electric guitars produced by dozens of different guitar makers. There’s no way we could cover them all. So for this exercise, we whittled it down to just four, with a few wildcards thrown in to cover our asses.

The four guitars: Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG. We talked to two local guitarists who also work at guitar stores — Matt Whipkey, frontman of The Whipkey Three who works at Dietze Music, and Mike Saklar, frontman of No Blood Orphan who works at D Rocks in Papillion. Both agreed that these four seminal guitars helped define rock ‘n’ roll as we know it today. They are arguable the four most popular guitars you’ll find on any stage or collecting dust in family rooms across the country.

Also discussed are three “wildcard guitars” — the Flying V, ES-335 and Jazzmaster. The article is rife with photos of electric guitars, but also includes nine local guitarists’ stories about their favorite guitars, how they got them and why it’s their favorites, along with some rockin’ action photos. Those guitarists are Lash LaRue, Ted Stevens, Jon Taylor, Jamie Massey, Mike Saklar, Matt Whipkey, Matt Rutledge, Corey Weber and Sarah Benck. An online version of the story may or may not appear at thereader.com (it’s not there now), so your best bet is to pick up a copy!

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Tonight throughout Benson it’s the annual Omaha Entertainment Awards showcase. For a $10 wristband, patrons can stroll from one venue to the next and check out performers nominated for this year’s OEA awards. Here’s the schedule:

The Waiting Room

Bloodcow
Kris Lager Band
Confidentials
The 9’s
Prairie Cats
Skypiper

Mick’s

Jamazz
Sarah Benck & the Robbers
John Worsham
Polydypsia
Brad Hoshaw
Matt Amandus

Barley Street Tavern

Malpais
Civicminded
Whipkey Three
Song Remains the Same
Flight Metaphor
Echobliss

P.S. Collective

Shiver Shiver
Black Squirrels
Mass Quantities
Midwest Dilemma
Lucas Kellison
Son of ’76 & the Watchmen

All showcases begin at 8 p.m.

Also tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s The Republic Tigers with Malpais and Roman Numerals. $8, 9 p.m.

Saturday night’s marquee event is the No Blood Orphan album release show at The Waiting Room with Jake Bellows, Brad Hoshaw, Ben Brodin, Steve Bartolomei, Landing on the Moon & special guests. Just $2. 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, at O’Leaver’s it’s Fromanhole, Self-Evident, Traindodge and Techlepathy. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Finally, on Sunday, it’s Calexico with Simon Joyner and Mal Madrigal. 9 p.m., $15.

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So here’s The Reader‘s official list of the Top 20 bands of ’08, along with the next 20:

The Reader Top 20
Brad Hoshaw (7 Deadlies)
Black Squirrels
Brimstone Howl
Conor Oberst
Eagle Seagull
The Faint
Filter Kings
Flowers Forever
Ladyfinger
Mal Madrigal
McCarthy Trenching
Midwest Dilemma
Neva Dinova
Shiver Shiver
The Show is the Rainbow
Simon Joyner
Son Ambulance
Southpaw Bluegrass Band
Tilly and the Wall
The Whipkey Three

The Reader Next 20:
Adam Hawkins/It’s True
Baby Walrus
Bloodcow
Box Elders
Capgun Coup
Fromanhole
Little Brazil
Matt Cox
Malpais
Noah’s Arc Was a Spaceship
Outlaw Con Bandana
Perry H. Matthews
Race For Titles
Skypiper
Son of 76 and the Watchmen
The Stay Awake
Talkin Mountain
Thunder Power
UUVVWWZ
Yuppies

Like I said, it’s pretty close to my list (here). Again, the list is created by all the music writers submitting a list of their Top 20 and next 15 to the editor of The Reader. She compiles them, and then we meet at a location and hash it out (This time the meeting place was Blue Line Coffee down at the Slowdown complex). The discussion was animated and fun. As I said the other day, The Reader changed the rules after we started, interpreting “the next 15” to mean local bands that are not in the top-20 that will have the biggest impact in 2009. They also expanded that list from 15 to 20. That being the case, if I expanded my list, I would add Perry H. Matthews, Ladyfinger, Dim Light, Bloodcow and Capgun Coup.

One of the most common criticisms of lists like these also overlaps to the whining heard about the Omaha Entertainment Awards (OEA’s) nominees — that Saddle Creek artists like The Faint and Bright Eyes (or this year, blank.wav artist The Faint and Merge artist Conor Oberst) shouldn’t be considered in the discussion because “they have a national following” or “they already have enough publicity,” etc. That’s like saying that a band is “too good ” or “too successful” to be considered for a Top 20 list or an OEA nomination. In other words, we should only be recognizing the mediocre acts — not the ones that have gotten off their asses, taken risks, gone on the road and toured and are now reaping the benefits of their hard work. Hogwash. There are those who say Oberst shouldn’t be considered because “he doesn’t live here anymore.” If that’s so, than who was the guy I saw pushing a shopping cart down the produce aisle of the Peony Park Hy-Vee a couple months ago? Who owns that mansion in Fairacres next to the ARC studios? Yet another criticism is that “the list is the same every year.” Obviously that’s not true, though there are a number of artists who are on it every year because they produce significant work every year.

A better argument — the one I use anyway — is that there’s no place for competition in art or literature. These kinds of things are generally divisive, and do more to split a community than build one. Unfortunately, lists and awards are the most convenient way to provide recognition to artists and musicians — especially in these digital MySpace days when there are a million bands and no way to find the ones worth your time (especially with the current state of radio). That said, I’ll be at the OEA showcase in Benson tomorrow night to check out some of the under-the-radar acts that have been nominated for this year’s awards. More details about the showcase tomorrow.

Tonight there’s another special event, this time on the campus of UNO. Michael Seman of Denton, Texas, indie band Shiny Around the Edges (I met him when they played at O’Leaver’s way back in 2005) is in town tonight to present his thesis on the Slowdown project as part of a program titled UNO 100: Central to our city since 1908. Seman is a research associate at the Center for Economic Development and Research at University of North Texas and will be discussing the “present” portion of the program focused on Slowdown, while Dr. Harl Dalstrom will talk about “the past” — the politics of the creation of UNO — and Connie Spellman of Omaha By Design will talk about “the future” — specifically the Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village projects. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The free lecture starts at 7 p.m. at Rm. 115/116 of the Durham Science Center on the UNO Campus.

Afterward, with your head all swollen from gaining so much knowledge, drive on down to Slowdown Jr. for Darker My Love, The Strange Boys and Eulogies. $8, 9 p.m.

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