Wagon Blasters at Almost Music on Record Store Day, April 18, 2015.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Three nights of music this week. I’m definitely NOT getting too old for this shit.

Andy Norman of Hear Nebraska suggested I check out Super Ghost, who recently played a Hear Nebraska / Urban Outfitters in-store. I’d never heard of the band, but since they were attached to Friday night’s bill at The Barley Street featuring Blue Bird, I figured I might as well stick around.

It’s been maybe two years since I’ve seen Blue Bird. Back then, their sound was folksy Americana, fronted by Marta Fiedler with Carrie Mardock. Carrie’s gone, replaced with Rebecca Smith. So is the band’s original sound. They’ve shifted to poppier, synth-driven music (two keyboards), more modern and more interesting. Fiedler does a fine job with the leads, but the band as a whole lacked energy. The performers got into position and stayed there, motionless the entire set. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though it added a static quality to the proceedings. What are they supposed to do, jump around and high kick like Matt Whipkey? No, but when they stand like statues you can’t help but feel they’re just going through the motions whether they are or not, which is a pity considering the music’s colorful energy.

Super Ghost at the Barley Street Tavern April 18, 2015.

Then came Super Ghost, four youngsters from Omaha and Minneapolis weened on modern-day  emo bands like You Blew It! and mewithoutYou. Super Ghost is an emo throwback, not to first-wave acts like Rites of Spring and Sunny Day Real Estate, but ’90s-era second wave emo acts like California band Knapsack, which they most resemble, and Topeka legends Vitreous Humor, who they’ve never heard of (and in reality, very few people have).

Technically tight, smart compositions with insidious solos and counter melodies, Super Ghost was a pleasant surprise, a remarkable new band whose sound has a shimmering drama and musicality that at times recalled early Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. as much as those emo heroes they no doubt adore. Too bad there were only six people in the room to hear them.

Where they came from and what they’re up to next will all be revealed in this week’s podcast, which features a brief interview with frontman Jake Newbold, along with some samples from Friday night’s set.

Despite mother nature, Homer’s pulled off another big Record Store Day. When I rolled into the store at around 5 p.m., Homer’s GM Mike Fratt said he’d been pleased with the crowds, the excitement, the overall day even though he and his crack team fought through technical mine fields caused by the morning’s thunderstorm. Though late in the afternoon, there was still plenty of RSD stock in the bins, including the 25th Anniversary RSD pressing of Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches that I picked up.

Meanwhile, uptown in Benson, Almost Music’s Brad Smith said it was the first time he had line form outside his door before he opened. Almost Music’s daylong concert, originally slated for the sidewalk out front, was moved inside to the bookstore, where I watched the return of Gary Dean Davis and his band Wagon Blasters.

This was the band’s first performance in a couple years, but you wouldn’t know it by watching Gary Dean bouncing around bookcases like a hopped-up hillbilly in a racing windbreaker. His voice, those songs and this band proved once again that Wagon Blasters are Nebraska punk par excellence.

BTW, I picked up a Factory UK pressing of The Return of Durutti Column and The Grifters’ The Kingdom of Jones 10-inch (Shangri La 025), as well as the newly designed, fetching Almost Music T-shirt. Why can’t RSD be every day?

Jake Bellows at the Hear Nebraska Vol. 3 album release show at The Waiting Room, April 18, 2015.

Saturday night was the big Hear Nebraska Vol. 3 album release show at The Waiting Room. As per usual, Jake Bellows had the crowd eating out of his hand as he ripped through a solo electric set of his greatest hits including a few Neva Dinova songs. Jake has enough charisma to be a cult leader and/or standup comic, whichever you prefer.

Ladyfinger at The Waiting Room, April 18, 2015.

The blasting cap we call Ladyfinger closed out the evening. Over the course of a few weeks I’ve seen both musical sides of Chris Machmuller on stage — Mach the troubadour and Mach the rocker, each equally powerful in their own way.

You couldn’t help but wonder as Ladyfinger was belting out songs off their last album — 2013’s Errant Forms — what lies ahead for these guys. Their track “Junk City” off the HN Vol. 3 comp meets and/or exceeds anything they’ve done in the past. Would Saddle Creek roll the dice on another Ladyfinger full-length? And, for that matter, does the band have it in them to write and record a new album? Nebraskans — and the world — await the answers with baited breath.

Soft Moon at Reverb Lounge, April 19, 2015.

Finally Sunday night Oakland post-punk band Soft Moon sonically dismembered the Reverb Lounge. The band, which records on the edgy Captured Tracks label, epitomizes the electronic/industrial sound of the early ’90s from such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Throbbing Gristle, Bauhaus, Suicide, you get the drift. The mastermind behind the project is Luis Vasquez, who is marketed as a one-man project, though last night there were three guys on stage pounding on stuff, including Vasquez, who shoved a metal trashcan to the front of the stage which he banged on STOMP style for a couple numbers.

Their basic recipe was guitar, bass, synths and drums and lots of programming, along with Vasquez’s undecipherable, bronzed vocals drenched in echo for that special gothy touch. It was dark dance music for an elite leather club circa 1992; the instrumentals were powerful while the songs with vocals were the most accessible and leaned closely to early Reznor territory. Fantastic stuff.

Opening was one-woman ambient guitarist Noveller providing ethereal, layered sonic compositions that sometimes involved a violin bow adding deep blue tones. A pretty contrast to Soft Moon’s industrial din.

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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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Blue Bird at The Waiting Room, June 16, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Night Pirate, Omaha’s latest mix-and-match post-punk combo, debuted Saturday night at The Barley Street Tavern to a full room. So new is this band that they had lyrics taped to their microphones, having (apparently) just come up with the words. Turns out they didn’t need the cheat sheets as no one could understand what frontman vocalist/guitarist Jason Ludwick (of Bombardment Society fame) was yelling anyway, nor did they care. Theirs isn’t the kind of music that lends itself to intense cerebral examination. Rather, it’s all about angle and rhythm, riffage and beats and where the breaks lie. So yeah, this was as abrasive as anything that these guys have done before. Bassist Tim Feelger of Latitude Longitude pounded it out and even threw in a tasty vocal lead that was a tad closer to actual singing than Ludwick’s Gary Dean Davis-esque bark. Overall, the difference between this and the band members’ other projects were the songs, which more closely resemble something that could reasonably be mistaken for “rock” thanks to the riffage, as brutal as it was. As for drummer Steve Micek (of The Stay Awake), I will simply add that he’s probably the best drummer in Omaha. Will these guys ever play again? Who knows. Hope so.

Kite Pilot followed. Playing as a power trio, they continue to mix in proggy/arty material with the usual proto-punk scorchers, to ill effect. Artists must be artists, I suppose. That said, the band will always be known (and loved) for their five-song pop EP from earlier in the past decade, which they no longer play live (which is a pity). They still managed to roll out a few pop numbers that showcase frontwoman Erica Petersen-Hanton’s kickass guitar and bass chops. It’s called giving the people what they want, and we do want more.

Afterward, it was up the street to Blue Bird’s CD release show at The Waiting Room. Nice crowd of more than 100 were on hand to see this rather large ensemble whose primary focus is frontwoman Marta Fiedler. One guy turned to me and said “What do you think of the Jenny Lewis tribute band?” That description doesn’t necessarily fit, but I can understand why the comment was made, especially when Fiedler and the band strolled through some twangier numbers. Still, with her added C&W lilt, Fiedler has more in common with Loretta than Jenny. She has a good voice, along with two backup singers that know their way around a harmony. The highlight for me didn’t come ’til the end of the set, however, when Fiedler and the band played a couple songs that were less heartland and more rhythm-based, making me wonder what she would sound like if she stepped away from the Americana / C&W stuff and headed toward an indie sound. Just imagine the Jenny Lewis comparisons then…

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There have been rumors the last couple weeks that Morrissey was headed to Nebraska, this time to Lincoln. Today it was announced on his pseudo homesite True To You that he’ll be performing at the Rococo Theater Nov. 1. Having seen Moz play the Orpheum last time through, more than five years ago, I fully endorse this ticket purchase, especially with rumors of his impending retirement (though he’s doused those rumors as wishful thinking from music journalists (but not this one)).

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s the return of Maps & Atlases. The band came through last year in support of Perch Patchwork. Now they’re touring their latest release on Barsuk, Beware and Be Grateful. Opening is The Big Sleep and Suns. $12, 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.

Still from The Mynabirds' new Love Drunk video for "Buffalo Flower."

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

As the world goes crazy for The Mynabirds, Love Drunk and Hear Nebraska today posted a new video for the song “Buffalo Flower.” You can view the video, which was shot in a Dundee basement, right here.

There’s already rumbling that tomorrow night’s Mynabirds’ CD release show (which also is a 5-year anniversary show for The Slowdown) could sell out, especially at the “Nice Price” of just $5. Better get your tickets now.

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The Mynabirds isn’t the only female-fronted local band with new music. Fronted by signer/songwriter Marta Fiedler, Blue Bird began streaming its entire debut via Spotify yesterday. You can listen from the band’s website, bluebirdlovesyou.com (but you have to have Spotify). Blue Bird’s album release show is June 16 at The Waiting Room.

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Tonight’s Icky Blossoms/Dead Wave show at The Sydney was originally supposed to be a pseudo “secret show,” that was only going to be promoted via word of mouth. But apparently someone spilled the beans, and word of the show began filtering through the internet on via Facebook yesterday evening. Sounds like Howard now also is on the bill. This one could get crowded. 9 p.m., $5.

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Tim Kasher at The Waiting Room, Nov. 19, 2010.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Friday night at The Waiting Room.

Conduits are poised to be a next-level success story, that is if someone is smart enough to sign them. But in this day and age, getting signed isn’t necessarily the most important thing that can happen to your band (but it certainly helps). Conduits has something just as good as a record deal — people are beginning to notice them. They’re being associated not only with Omaha but with Saddle Creek, thanks in part to Roger Lewis’ connection to The Good Life and Tim Kasher, who made a special guest appearance during their set for one song that was obviously a Kasher composition. It sounded nothing like the rest of their set, which continues to evolve into a series of epic masterpieces, tonal ambient journeys into dark yet familiar worlds decorated in ’90s shoe-gaze, low-hum dream-noise. It’s moody and effective, each song taking on a life of its own. It’s only a matter of time before the whole set bleeds together into one 45-minute epic soundscape.

I don’t think second-slot filler Darren Hanlon could have been a bigger contrast. The Aussie singer/songwriter performed a solo set that was a cross between Billy Bragg and John Wesley Harding — long story-songs played on guitar or banjo set atop a backdrop of crowd noise that came roaring from the back of the room, which was ballooning to well over 300. Hanlon’s songs were… cute. Late in the set they were propelled by guest drummer Craig D (Tilly and the Wall), who even provided an improvised drum solo.

Finally, it was Kasher’s turn. The biggest compliment I could give his set: At one point, I realized that I wasn’t paying attention to minuscule details, I wasn’t mentally taking notes, I became lost in the performance and the songs, which for me hasn’t happened in a long time. Kasher played most of the songs off his new album, The Game of Monogamy, punctuating each phrase with a knowing glance or gesture, trying to connect the music to the audience. The usual chatty Kasher said very little between songs, only once talking freely about the making of the album, saying that he was listening to a lot of David Bowie while up in Whitefish, all as an intro to a very Kasher-ian cover of Bowie’s “Soul Love.” The rest of the covers were Good Life chestnuts that seamlessly fit into the set. As you would expect, Kasher’s backing band was amazing. The standout was Lewis Patzner on cello — the best sounding (and mixed) cello I’ve heard on any live stage, it added a layer of drama that these songs yearned for. If Patzner’s name sounds familiar you might be thinking of his brother, Anton Patzner, who performed with Bright Eyes circa Cassadaga. Talent with strings obviously runs in the family.

Blue Bird at The Barley Street Tavern, Nov. 20, 2010.

Saturday night at The Barley Street Tavern.

Part of the fun of The Lepers’ set was watching the reaction from a crowd that probably had no idea what sort of music they were in for. These friends of Blue Bird certainly weren’t prepared for a two-man freak-out noise collage. I’ve seen Lepers more times than I care to remember, and this performance was right in line with all of them. Their music is tribal and borders on disturbing, an obvious progeny of Sonic Youth noise rock. For it to succeed, it can’t be confined to the Barley Street’s PA limitations — in other words, it needs to be loud, so loud that it generates confusion and fear, that it forces people to be trapped inside it, for better or worse.

I didn’t time it, but it seemed like it took a full half-hour for Blue Bird to get set up after Lepers, and for most of that time, the crowd (which continued to grow and grow to a staggering 40 or 50) were treated to Ben Sieff’s bass noodling along with assorted violin and clarinet tuning — I thought to myself, “Oh, so this is hell. I thought it would be so much warmer.” After 10 minutes of stage noise I was ready to pull my hair out, but it takes a long time to get eight people set up. That’s right, eight people — Blue Bird’s total inventory included two keyboards, guitar, drums, bass, two backup singers (one of them was Megan Morgan, who’s not a permanent member of the band) and that violin.

It’s an ambitious line-up that heralds back the days when Bright Eyes was towing a U-Haul filled with 16 musicians while touring his Wide Awake album. The days of huge ensembles are long gone in an era when bands don’t make any money and are looking for ways to cut costs. Except of course for Midwest Dilemma, and now Blue Bird. You have to hand it to frontwoman Marta Fiedler for finding a way to make it all work, though you have to wonder if a band that large could ever really afford to go on tour.

Was all that firepower necessary for Saturday night’s show? Probably not. What stood out most about Blue Bird was Fiedler’s pretty Midwestern voice that was accented by a slight country-western lilt. She indeed sounds like a Nebraska version of Jenny Lewis on songs derived from the indie-Americana template. You’ll be reminded of Lewis and She & Him and The Mynabirds and all the other women-led bands that seem to be making a mark on indie these days — especially locally, when was the last time we had so many women contributing so much musically? Fiedler has an advantage over a lot of them in how she writes songs — there was always something in the compositions that surprised me. Maybe it was just her own voice slipping through.

As a whole, the band did fine — they made it work. This was, after all, their first gig playing together in this ensemble (almost all are veterans of other bands). The set had a rough launch due to a Fiedler’s malfunctioning microphone that kept shorting out — I can’t imagine anything worse happening during an opening number. Fiedler responded like a real pro, singing through the technical difficulties as the sound guy brought her another mic. Despite the annoying pre-show noodling, Sieff played the role of godsend, placing a solid foundation for everyone to build upon, along with drummer Rob Mathews. It’s hard to judge the rest of the ensemble, especially considering The Barley Street’s obvious limitations (There’s so little space on its “stage” that it seemed like a couple members of the band were pushed right into the crowd). The violin was perfectly played, but unnecessary, along with the backing vocals, and it doesn’t get any better than Carrie Butler and Morgan. Ian Simons’ place is behind the keyboard, not the clarinet. Oh, he played it just fine, but I think there should be a law that says clarinets shouldn’t be allowed in rock bands. They tend to turn every song into a Bah Mitzvah. I’d like to hear what these guys sound like in a venue with a real sound system (Slowdown, The Waiting Room); and I’d love to hear these songs preformed as a trio.

Finally, Landing on the Moon closed out the evening at just before 1 and uncorked their usual fine set. Their centerpiece continues to be their anthem to the Omaha music scene, “California” — a dyed-in-the-wool crowd pleaser if ever there was one.

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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

The hot ticket for the evening is Tim Kasher tonight at The Waiting Room. Kasher’s band includes Patrick Newbury on keyboards and trumpet, Dylan Ryan on drums and Lewis Patzner on cello and brass. Who knows if anyone else will be joining them. Opening the show is Austrailian singer/songrwriter Darren Hanlon, whose latest album, I Will Love You At All, came out on Yep Rock this past September. Also on the bill, Omaha’s own Conduits. Expect a crowd. $10, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) is the stage debut of Blue Bird at The Barley Street Tavern. The band is fronted by Marta Fiedler on piano, guitar and vocals. Fiedler’s last gig was with Lincoln’s Hymn for the Hurricane. The six-piece ensemble is rounded out by vocalist/keyboardist Carrie Butler (Eagle*Seagull, Beauty in the Beast), drummer Rob Mathews (Apostrophe, Surfer Rosa), bassist Ben Sieff (Silicon Bomb, Nightmare, solo acoustic), violinist Samantha Brock, keyboardist/clarinetist Ian Simons (Thunder Power) and guitarist Vince Giambattista (Old Boy Network, Mandown, Secret Weapon). Talk about a diverse line-up. Also on the bill are Landing on the Moon and The Lepers. No idea what the order will be, so just get there at 9 and soak it all in. $5.

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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.