Tommy Keene at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2014. Keene passed away last night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Listening to Tommy Keene this morning, specifically his 1989 release Based on Happy Times, which you can find on Spotify. Keene passed away yesterday, reportedly in his sleep, which may be the best way to go. He opened for Matthew Sweet at O’Leaver’s back in 2014, and opened for him again on a recent tour. Keene might be one of the most overlooked singer/songwriters of the ’80s, ’90s, today. He was a power-pop master and a great guitarist.

* * *

Another light weekend for shows. Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s the return of The English Beat, a band that’s made Omaha a second home (or so it seems, considering the number of times they’ve played here over the years). Opening is local ska band The Bishops. $25, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Matt Whipkey and his band are playing around the corner at Reverb Lounge. Tonight’s show will be a sort of sneak preview of Whipkey’s latest release, the double LP Driver, out Feb. 23. Whipkey just released a single from the album, which you can check out below. Opening is Travelling Mercies. $10, 8 p.m.

Saturday night Satchel Grande returns to The Waiting Room with Funk Trek. $8, 9 p.m.

And that’s all I got for this weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section.

For those of you doing the Black Friday treasure hunt, good luck. I’ll likely be hitting the racks this afternoon, so don’t take all the good stuf.

Have a great weekend!

* * *

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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Conor Oberst’s latest solo album, Ruminations (2016, Nonesuch), continues to get rave reviews from press. Paste released its review this morning, giving the album a massive 8.6 rating.

Also this morning, Warner Bros. and its affiliate labels announced some Black Friday offerings. Among them, a limited edition Black Friday-exclusive of  “Afterthought” b/w “Tachycardia” 7-inch black vinyl by Conor Oberst. The recording features a new full-band recording of the Ruminations track “Tachycardia,” paired with “Afterthought,” an unreleased track from the Ruminations recording sessions and pressed at Record Industry.

Black Friday is Nov. 25, in case you haven’t already marked it on your calendar. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more about Black Friday releases in the coming weeks…

* * *

Tonight at Milk Run Lupines drummer Javid Dabestani (ex-Bright Calm Blue) opens a show with Ridgelines and Tom Bartolomei + Alex Loth. It’s part of Milk Run’s CounterSound program. $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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.