by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I have no photos from Saturday night’s O’Leaver’s show because I couldn’t get close enough to the band to take pictures. It was an old school crush mob of gigantic proportions, and I was lucky to find a place to stand out of the way back by the “soundboard.” The main attraction was New Lungs, a new band that features Danny Maxwell of Little Brazil on guitar and vocals backed by returning drummer Corey Broman and the ubiquitous Craig Fort on bass. The trio blazed through SST-style ’90s punk rock anchored by Maxwell’s earnest, earthy howl — he can now count himself among the top Omaha frontmen, all he needs is a pair of leather pants.

Someone compared them to Polvo, and I nodded. Another mentioned faster/angrier Dinosaur Jr., and I nodded again, but none of those comparisons really fit. There were moments that reminded me of Archers of Loaf, Minutemen and classic Mission of Burma, but I could never convince myself that that’s what DMax and Co. were after. There’s a unique purity about their dark rock that defies comparisons. This was only their second show, and they only had five or six songs (though they were longer jams than your standard punk rock tune). Imagine the places they’ll go if they decide to stick together…

I chatted with one of the many local celebrities in the crowd throughout most of headliner Poison Control Center’s set and was rewarded both with deep knowledge and righteous tuneage. Whenever I looked toward the dirt-spot “stage,” the only thing visible was the guitarist/vocalist’s feet, which he’d kicked in the air from his position lying on the floor — in other words, it was your typical PCC show. The band has a new album coming out June 7 on Afternoon Records called Stranger Ballet that could push them to a new level. Let’s hope it doesn’t make them too big for O’Leavers.

* * *

During our PCC discussion, the local celeb passed along some interesting news, which I ran home and verified as well as I could. If you look at the April 16 entry of The Barley Street Tavern music calendar you’ll see that the bands listed are The Beat Seekers, Blue Bird, Traveling Mercies and… Kite Pilot. That’s right, apparently Kite Pilot is back, including Austin Britton. The band’s 5-song EP was one of the best local releases of 2004. I don’t know the particulars, but I have a feeling this could be a crowded show — I mean, who doesn’t want to hear “Tree Caught the Kite” again?

* * *

Amazon today announced that it’s launching its new “Cloud Drive” music service, which allows users to upload their music to a “cloud server,” which they’ll be able to access from any web-connected computer or Android phone. This is similar to what Lala.com used to offer, though Lala’s service was much more streamlined than Amazon’s clunky browse-to-upload process. Nonetheless, Cloud Drive facilitates access to your music library from anywhere including a smart phone. Can the iTunes’ version of the cloud music service be far behind? Those of you wondering about the significance of this development, re-read the Lazy-i 2011 Predictions Column. In summary, this could be the first step to something that could change everything.

* * *

It’s a busy night for a Tuesday show-wise. At The Waiting Room, Landing on the Moon unveils its new line-up minus guitarist Matt Carroll (Honey & Darling). Expect to hear some surprising new tunes. Also on the showbill is Bazooka Shootout, Birds & Batteries and No I’m The Pilot. 9 p.m., $7.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., Capgun Coup headlines a show with Cleeman, Platte River Rain and Nicole LeClerc. Cleeman is the out-of-town act and features Copenhagen-based singer-songwriter Gunnar Cleeman and a band that includes legendary Omaha bass player Dereck Higgins (InDreama, Digital Sex). $8, 9 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.