Inside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, photo by Bart Parks.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted this year’s crop of honorees this week, which included Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Tom Waits, Darlene Love, Dr. John and Leon Russell.

While Conor Oberst obviously is not in the Hall of Fame (maybe in another 20 years, if he’s lucky), Lazy-i reader Bart Parks shared the above photo he took while visiting the Hall a couple weeks ago.

“I was looking at the Midwest rockers exhibit, and right next to the Replacements stuff was Omaha’s own Conor Oberst,” Bart said, “his silk jacket from Mystic Valley Band and also an acoustic guitar.” Also in the photo, above the jacket, you’ll notice a copy of Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. That also looks like a copy of Freedy Johnson’s This Perfect World, and (of course) The Replacements’ Please to Meet Me.

* * *

Speaking of Bright Eyes, Mike Fratt, who runs Homer’s Music, said BE’s latest release, The People’s Key, stayed in the Billboard top-100 again last week, but just barely. With unit sales of 4,908, the record sits at No. 99 on the charts. Total unit sales since its release is 63,143, Fratt said. Meanwhile, “Shell Game,” the first single from the album, continues to inch its way up the Triple A radio airplay chart, coming in at No. 24 this week (up from No. 25 last week).

By the way…”Industry beat last year again last week, by 2%,” Fratt said. “That’s four weeks in a row.” Something’s happening here…

* * *

Tonight at The Barley Street Tavern, Midwest Dilemma plays a warm-up gig before they head to Austin for South By Southwest. Also on the bill are The National Reserve, Christopher Bell and Ian Aeillo. $5, 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.

Providenciales, March 4, 2011

Column 313: Paradise Lost

Bright Eyes from 30,000 feet…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Dateline, Providenciales.

We walked between the red stripes painted on the hot tarmac as we headed to the loading ramp, a long line of tanned Americans leaving this third-world vacation destination to return to whatever frigid lands we had escaped from, if only for a week. On a short hillside to my left, next to the tiny airport, was a wall of unpainted cinderblocks stacked in a stair-step row, a half-built something that would never be completed sitting next to a salmon-colored fortress of pillars and concrete latticework.

A young blond woman in a concert T-shirt who had waited with us in the infinitely long security line had said that only a few years earlier, the island had been dirt roads and little else except for the resorts, of course, which had been built along the coastline like modern-day palaces. Since then, Providenciales, part of the Turks and Caicos chain of islands in the North Atlantic, had grown up. The roads were now paved and shops had sprung out of the dirt.

The island certainly had outgrown its airport, which was bursting at its water-stained seams, unable to handle the tidal wave of tourists all scheduled to leave at the same time because the airlines hadn’t bothered to stagger the departures. It was like every chaotic train station scene from every war movie ever made, but with costumes provided by Tommy Bahama. An hour later, the check-in and security lines were gone. The uniformed staff sat in plastic chairs with nothing to do until tomorrow’s departures.

I write this aboard Delta flight 548 while listening to the new album by Memphis, Here Comes a City, as the smell of the soiled diaper sandwiched to the ass of the child in the seat in front of me wafts through the cabin and into my unfortunate nostrils. Much of the past week had been spent listening to Bob Marley piped from the hidden sound system of the Cabana Bar where everyone drank ice cold bottles of Presidente beer and watched the sun set on the ocean. I thanked the Sun God that at least it wasn’t Jimmy Buffett. Memphis was an oasis.

Some notes while I’ve been gone:

Homer’s head honcho Mike Fratt said that Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key came in at No. 40 on the Billboard charts during the record’s second week of sales, moving 11,314 units. Normally that would have landed Conor and Co. higher on the chart, but it was “another BIG week at Soundscan,” he said, “sales are on a roll. Adele did over 350k.” Yikes.

Despite the launch of the Bright Eyes Global Domination Tour, that number should slowly decline until the band’s next network appearance. I’ve been told that once a band plays on The Late Show with David Letterman or any other competing late-night show, that they’re blackballed from appearing on Saturday Night Live, which is a shame because BE would do real damage on SNL, and deserves the spot.

But you take what you can get, I suppose, and Letterman has been a faithful supporter of Conor for years. Oberst certainly knows who has been in his corner since the beginning. Let’s hope he remembers when it comes time to schedule local interviews surrounding the June Westfair date.

I get these psychic visions every now and then, and the most recent one told me that overall music sales are bouncing back. Fratt said my hunch was correct. “The two previous weeks both beat last year’s sales,” he said. “That’s the first time we have had consecutive back-to-back weeks that have beat last year since 2006.”

Fratt thinks the music industry, which has been spiraling ever downward since the Napster days, has finally touched its toes in the mud of a very deep lake.  “I’m thinking we may have finally reached bottom,” he said. “Album sales (full length) remain 74 percent physical, 26 percent digital at this moment. A pretty staggering stat. Only small sellers — under 1,000 units — have digital sales greater than physical. And once sales cross 500,000 units, digital falls below 18 percent.”

And get this: “The indie sector is actually back to gaining market share,” Fratt said, “1 percent in 2010. Not a lot, but 1 percent of 430 million (units) is decent money.”

He thinks the new Bright Eyes album will float sales of the band’s entire back catalog. We’ll see. Music website Spinner.com reported that Oberst and his crew have decided to make another record, (probably) putting an end to speculation that Bright Eyes will die after its year-plus-long tour ends. The band’s demise was a silly premise to begin with, when Oberst is Bright Eyes and will continue to work with fellow BE members Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott in one form or another regardless of the name of the project.

That said, somewhere the folks at Saddle Creek Records breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone knew Conor would continue to write and record music, but none of his non-BE stuff is released on The Creek. Far and away, Bright Eyes is the label’s only remaining cash cow (in addition to the label’s dynamite back catalog). The release of The People’s Key may be enough to give Saddle Creek a year-over-year increase in revenue when compared to 2010. But even with their golden goose safely within the stable, Saddle Creek needs to find another Bright Eyes to add to its roster.

And with that, the wheels tapped down on a different, much colder tarmac. My vacation was over, and it was time to get back to work.

* * *

That column was written this past weekend. Since then, sales numbers have come out for week three of The People’s Key. According to Fratt, the album sold 5,738 units last week, putting it at No. 84 on the charts. The three-week sales total: 58,237.

Last week also marked the third week in a row that Soundscan numbers for all records sold beat last year’s sales, but only by 1 percent. Still…

* * *

Jon Pareles of The New York Times weighed in on Bright Eyes’ March 8 Radio City Music Hall concert. His conclusion: “But the concert had a strange, unsatisfying disconnect between the sound of the music and its flashy, defensive staging. It was as if Bright Eyes were delivering confessions and frailties via fire engine.” You can read the full review here.

* * *

Tonight at O’Leaver’s, it’s the long-awaited return of Talking Mountain. Joining them are Mammoth Life and The Benningtons. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, it’s SF electro-disco act Sugar & Gold (Antenna Farm Records) with Athens’ Yip Deceiver. Good-time party dance music for $8. Starts at 9.

* * *

Speaking of the Waiting Room, yesterday was the venue’s fourth birthday. Relive those early days with this Lazy-i feature on Marc and Jim from March 8, 2007.

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’m back from beautiful Providenciales, tanned, rested and ready to go.

A couple random notes from the inbox….

Spinner.com ran an item today where Conor Oberst tries to put to bed the ongoing question as to whether there’s going to be another Bright Eyes album. This exchange was at the end of the Q&A:

Will Bright Eyes make another record?

Conor Oberst: We have no plans right now. But I guess it’s not that unusual because we just finished one.

Mike Mogis: I think it’ll come up more naturally. “Oh, I have these new songs let’s do something with them.”

CO: Let’s just agree right now.

MM: We’ll make another record?

CO: What do you guys say?

[Band members shake hands]

The interaction was as silly as the initial premise that there wouldn’t be another Bright Eyes album, when Oberst is

Bright Eyes and will continue to work with fellow BE members Mogis and Nate Walcott in one form or another regardless of the name of the project. That said, somewhere the folks at Saddle Creek Records are breathing a sigh of relief. Everyone knew Conor would continue to write and record music, but none of his non-BE stuff is released on The Creek. Far and away, Bright Eyes is the label’s only remaining cash cow (in addition to the crown jewels’ back catalog sales). The release of The People’s Key may be enough to give Saddle Creek a year-over-year increase in revenue when compared to 2010, which would be a miracle in these days of record industry decline. Even with their golden goose safely within the stable, Saddle Creek needs to find another Bright Eyes to add to its roster…

* * *

Experimental gronk noise-band shitmeisters Primus, who hasn’t released a decent song since “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” back in 1991, announced its summer headlining tour today, and among the dates is a May 28 show at “Downtown Benson St.” No idea what that means unless it’s another Benson street gig similar to last summer’s Conor-fest held just outside of Jake’s on Military Ave. I’d love to say I’m looking forward to the show, but I can’t stand Primus. Maybe the folks at One Percent Productions will be able to find a slate of decent opening bands. Tix are $32.50!!

* * *

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.

Column 312: Quarterly Report

CD reviews for the first quarter 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

And so ends the first quarter of ’11. If there’s an early, detectable trend in the world of indie music, it’s a subtle move away from “static-y, vibe bands” (as one local genius put it) like Animal Collective and Sleigh Bells to more-classic songwriting. Music auteurs will confuse this shift with retro or rehash, and in some cases they’re dead right, but the healing has to start somewhere.

Poor But Sexy, Let’s Move In Together (self-released) — Self-proclaimed re-inventors of “Yacht Rock” (their first misstep), this combo of D.C. post-punk veterans (including members of Dismemberment Plan) do their darnedest to translate Steely Dan to these Modern Times, but wind up sounding more like Pablo Cruise or Leo Sayer or Gino Vannelli, which ain’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re into that sort of white-guy disco funk (attention, Satchel Grande fans). It has its moments, like the roller skate handclap groover “You’re Hotter than a Poptart,” which sums up the lyrical deftness of the entire collection. Imagine what they could have done with a horn section.

Destroyer, Kaputt (Merge) — The band hasn’t remade its sound (you heard this coming on Trouble in Dreams) as much as given into its influences. “Savage Night at the Opera” is the best clear-cut homage to New Order you’ll ever find, right down to the “Bizarre Love Triangle” guitar cues. Other, more disco-y moments will make you think you picked up a Pet Shop Boys album, while the dreamy stuff is pure Roxy Music. The differentiator is the gorgeous trumpet and saxophone that slides in and out at the best moments, like the title track, where frontman Dan Bejar croons “Wasting your days, chasing some girls all right / Chasing cocaine to the back rooms of the world all night” over a warm, twilight LA summer disco melody he calls his “song for America” (circa 1988).

MEN, Talk About Body (IAMSOUND) — Fronted by Le Tigre’s SD Samson and Johanna Fateman, this thump-thump-thump electronic dance collection with a feminist edge would have benefited from a tad more (or a lot more) variety, but who’s looking for variety on the dance floor (other than Peaches, who did this better with I Feel Cream)?

Chikita Violenta, Tre3s (Arts & Crafts)

Chikita Violenta, Tre3s (Arts & Crafts) — From Mexico City by way of Canada’s Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Los Campesinos!) you won’t find a hint of south-of-the-border flavor. Instead, they sound like another member of the Arts & Crafts clan, hashed out and shimmering, complete with strutting vocalists that Feist and Stars’ Torquil Campbell ain’t got nothing on. Hot center track “ATPG” feels like revved up Yo La Tengo, while opener “Roni” is revved up Jesus and Mary Chain. Kick those influences to the curb and you have something that could be glorious.

The Decemberists, The King Is Dead (Rough Trade) — They can no longer be marginalized as just another twangy indie band, now that they’ve broken through with a collection that defines modern-day, above-ground Americana. The rural stomp-rock of “Down By the Water,” with its soaring harmonica and squeeze-box solo, is better than anything John Mellencamp has produced since Pink Houses; while the fiddles, banjo and honky-tonk piano on “All Arise!” could get any boots scootin’ at your local 2-step parlor. They’d be radio stars if radio hadn’t died a decade ago. I’ll take them over Mumford and Sons any day (but that’s not saying much).

Yuck, self-titled (Fat Possum) — That the album opens with a song that could be mistaken for classic Dinosaur Jr. is no mistake at all, as these British lads are channeling the best of the ’80s/’90s college rock scene almost note for note. Is that Pavement I hear? Yes, son, it is. How about Teenage Fanclub? Right you are. Is it a sin to emulate your heroes? Take a listen and decide for yourself.

Radiohead, The King of Limbs (XL) — As Thom Yorke’s music became more and more dehumanized and faux-modern (opening tracks “Bloom” and “Morning Mr. Magpie” are prime examples), I assumed this would be just another soulless escape into sterile, forced beats and drone-tones. But Yorke pulls it off with his brilliant voice, which he layers upon the layers upon the layers, and thankfully leaves clean without electronic effects (for the most part). When he tries to make it swing (“Little by Little,” “Lotus Flower”) I wonder if he simply forgot how to rock. He still struggles to find melodies; or maybe he just isn’t looking for them any more. He comes closest when he slows it down at the end. Tracks “Codex” and “Give Up the Ghost” are the closest thing to what we loved about OK Computer (and redeem the entire collection). It’s not as good as that landmark album, but nothing he produces from now on ever will be.

Toro Y Moi, Underneath the Pine (Carpark) — They’re calling one-man band Chaz Bundick’s style “chillwave,” which I guess means that it’s music to chill to, and I can see that. Both synth-y and beat-heavy, the shimmer is dreamy, the vocals breathy and echoing, the melodies intentionally loungy (a la Stereolab); it’s all very pretty and easy to listen to, and even easier to ignore.

The Dirtbombs, Party Store (In the Red) — Don’t know anything about the Detroit techno scene that this album supposedly honors? Doesn’t matter. I didn’t, either, and I still don’t. Take the record for what it is — a dirty, filthy, garage-punk dance album that recreates the beats and action of electronic acid house with guitars, bass, drums and Mick Collins’ brazen yowl. As for the 21:22 rehash of “Bug in the Bassbin” that stops the album dead in its tracks at the halfway point, well, that’s what the delete key is for (but only after you’ve endured it a couple times). Coolest album so far this year.

* * *

Homer’s head honcho Mike Fratt reports that Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key came in at No. 40 on the Billboard charts last week with sales of 11,314. Normally that would have landed Conor and Co. higher on the chart, but it was “another BIG week at soundscan,” he said, “sales are on a roll. Adele did over 350k.” Yikes. Despite the launch of the Bright Eyes global domination tour, you should see that number slowly decline until the band’s next network appearance. I’ve been told that once a band does Letterman or any other competing late-night show, that they’re blackballed form appearing on Saturday Night Live, which is a shame because BE could do real damage with an SNL appearance, and deserves the spot. But you take what you can get, I suppose, and Letterman has been a faithful supporter of Conor for years. Oberst certainly knows who has been there since the beginning. Let’s hope he remembers when it comes time to do local interviews surrounding the June Westfair date…

* * *

The Bonacci Brothers’ new band The Benningtons plays tonight at Slowdown Jr. They recently finished recording a new CD, which I’ve listening to while on the road (more details about that later). You should go to this show tonight. With Sun Settings and Sour Babies, it’s only $7.

Also tonight, Dim Light plays at The Barley Street Tavern with Damon Moon & the Whispering Drifters and South of Lincoln. $5, 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Yesterday afternoon, Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds and now also of Bright Eyes, posted a photo on her Facebook page of her with Norman the Dog taken shortly after yesterday’s taping of BE’s performance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Laura called Norman “the show’s biggest talent,” and other than her band, she was right. Norman, a big shaggy lovable hound, stood on a scooter and pushed it across the studio floor — two paws on handlebars, one paw on scooter, and No. 4 pushing him along. It was part of a Stupid Pet Tricks package that included a border collie that could cook breakfast (an Eggo waffle). The only other part of the show I didn’t fast-forward through was Letterman berating comments from Sen. Rand Paul after coming off of a commercial break, saying how he didn’t understand how anyone could take away collective bargaining while giving tax breaks to “fat cats.” Amen, brother Letterman.

As for the BE performance, these things have become old hat for Conor and Co. A little bird told me Wednesday night that, due to time constraints, they’d be performing “Jejune Stars” off the new album (which Letterman held up in its vinyl format, the sleeve looking irredescent in the studio light), and sure enough that’s what they tore up on stage. Everyone did fine, and the sound was good (as you’ll see on the YouTube version). Laura mostly provided backing vocals as it appeared that Nate Walcott handled most of the keyboard chores. The star of the performance was Clark Baechle, looking like a cross between Anthony Jr. of the Sopranos and Matthew Sweet. Percussion drives this song, and the camara knew it, often focusing on Clark during the frenetic chorus breaks. Very nice, indeed. Next stop for Bright Eyes is kicking off the North American tour next Tuesday night in Miami with Cursive.

The website twentyfourbit.com has compiled a nice online retrospective of Bright Eyes TV performances over the years. Check it out.

* * *

Looks like my whining has paid off. One Percent Productions announced yesterday that Iron & Wine is now slated to perform at Slowdown June 5. Tickets go on sale next Friday.  Yes, yes, you can thank me for the booking (Just kidding, Marc). Iron & Wine was on my list of “why don’t they ever come to Omaha?” bands that I posted Wednesday, here. That post got a bit of feedback, including a “get-your-shit-together” comment from people informing me that Tyvek has played in Omaha the past two years at drug-laden house parties. As I pointed out, I ain’t going to any house parties where I can get my ass thrown in jail because some under-age patrons decided to take a nip of the hooch (or fire up some chronic) when the cops show up to bust the joint. Also the fact that most kids at a house party would think I was a cop and/or an angry father keeping an eye on his daughter is enough to keep me out of Hotel Frank or The Jerk Store or whatever it’s called these days. Someone needs to book Tyvek at a larger space, say O’Leaver’s or The Barley Street or The 49’r…oops, I mean CVS (btw, have you seen the mass destruction of the neighborhood behind The Niner? ’tis a pity.). Someone also pointed out that Ted Leo opened for Against Me… three years ago. Go to the thread and add your “most wanted” bands to the list, or just comment below this blog entry. People are watching…

* * *

And so we made it to the weekend and tonight’s mammoth album release party for Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship’s new LP, Hanga-Fang

, at The Waiting Room. This should be a gala event, with opening bands  Yuppies, Ideal Cleaners and The Answer Team, all for a mere $7, so you’ll have plenty of jack left over to pick up a slab of that luscious orange vinyl. Seriously, buy this album, which I believe also comes with a download key that’ll let you add the digital version to your iPhone/listening device. It looks cool (at least in pictures) and is a pretty fantastic collection of songs. Find out for yourself tonight. Show starts at 9. See you there.

What else tonight? Well, Snake Island is playing a set at The Barley Street Tavern with Lincoln band Climates and Watching the Train Wreck. $5, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) there’s a colorful show slated for The Barley Street Tavern — New York band The Forms along with Kansas City band Soft Reeds, the illustrious Kyle Harvey and Dorkas. The Forms have a new song online with vocals by Matt Berninger of The National and another song featuring Andrew Thiboldeaux of Pattern Is Movement. This could be a hot show. $5, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, noise rock masters Back When play at Slowdown Jr. with Bazooka Shootout, Dapose (from the Faint) and Feral Hands. $7, 9 p.m.

Then Sunday Heartless Bastards open for Drive-By Truckers at The Slowdown. Seems like HB is always opening for someone instead of headlining on their own. Tix are $20/$23 DOS. Show starts at 9

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Saddle Creek Records reports that first-week sales for Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key were 41,185, good enough to come in at No. 13 on the Billboard charts, behind a ton of Grammy releases (including two Bieber albums). 41k is an impressive number. Remember, Cassadaga

sold 58k its first week way back in ’07 at the beginning of the decline of the record industry. According to Mike Fratt, who runs Homer’s Music, 17,796 copies sold were digital — a whopping 43 percent of total sales. You can thank that $3.99 Amazon deal for a big share of those numbers.

Pitchfork didn’t exactly go out of its way to help the album’s sales, continuing the website’s tradition of hatin’ on The Creek. Critic David Bevan loved “Ladder Song,” the most depressing tune on the album.  As for the rest of the record, he was not so kind… “But with the plain exception of ‘Ladder Song,’ the slick sonics here make the rest of the pack all the more cavernous and impersonal, a long ways from where the whole story began. Every line is laid with the rich sense of rhythm and texture that he’s mastered over the years, but it still adds up to very little: a wildly spiritual record without any spirit,” he concluded, rating the album a measly 5.0. Read the entire review here.

More notable to those who follow consistent criticism is Stephen Thomas Erlewine’s review at allmusic.com. Erlewine, who is the website’s senior editor, went against the grain dissing Digital Ash (2 stars) and Wide Awake (2 stars) back in ’05.  He was more complementary this time ’round: “Disregarding the lyrics — something that is not easy or necessarily optimal with Oberst, who is continuing to whittle away his overwritten excesses — The People’s Key is Bright Eyes’ poppiest record by some measure, trading anthems with the weight of America on their shoulders for sculptured miniatures

.” Erlewine gave the album 3.5 stars. The full review is here.

Conor and Co. will try to get a “Letterman bump” when they appear on Late Night w/David Letterman tomorrow night with Sen. Rand Paul (Will there be fisticuffs? I think Conor could take him).

* * *

There was some chatter at last Saturday night’s Pete Yorn show that Harrah’s was about to announce a huge, exciting show for their summer Stir Concert Cove series. Well, they announced the show yesterday: The Black Keys *thud*. The $37 (I’m not kidding) show is July 5 with opener Cage the Elephants *yawn*. If you’re doing the math, that’s $4 more than last year’s all-day MAHA Festival. And if you’re thinking to yourself, “Weren’t the Black Keys just here?” you’re not mistaken. They played at The Anchor Inn last August.

Is it me or does the Omaha area seem to get a lot of the same bands over and over? Are we part of some sort of déjà vu circuit? Deerhoof, who played at TWR last weekend, was just here in June. Mogwai, who plays here in April, just played Slowdown last summer. Heartless Bastards, who perform at Slowdown this Sunday night, were in Omaha last July. The Nadas, who were just here in December, are coming back in May; and Of Montreal, who plays at Slowdown in May, was at Sokol in October. Will we be hearing an announcement about an upcoming She & Him show in the near future?

Meanwhile, there’s an army of acts that have either never stepped foot in Nebraska or been here in many years. Everyone has their own list of bands they’d love to see that seem to avoid Omaha. Mine includes Belle and Sebastian, PJ Harvey, Sun Kil Moon, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, The xx, Aimee Mann, Beck, Teenage Fanclub, R.E.M., (the late) LCD Soundsystem, Iron & Wine, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Glasvegas, Dirtbombs, Justice, Tyvek, The Magnetic Fields, Nick Cave, Radiohead, the list goes on and on… I’m sure there’s a very logical, straightforward reason why these bands avoid Omaha while other acts continue to hit Nebraska over and over…

That said, we don’t have room to complain. Just look who’s playing tonight at The Waiting Room. The Smith Westerns just snagged a massive 8.4 rating at Pitchfork for their new album, Dye It Blonde, as well as the website’s coveted “best new music” designation. And the credit is well deserved. Opening is psych rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra (check out some tracks here). $10, 9 p.m.

* * *

Tomorrow: Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship

* * *

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.

Pete Yorn

Pete Yorn: Let’s Get Lost

Indie rock’s golden child returns to the Heartland.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s late in the day; the sun barely blinks over the horizon. The familiar bleached light bounces off the pavement and through the dirty windshied while white stripes flicker below like a busy signal on the highway. The man behind the wheel is lost.

That man is Pete Yorn, his trademark Prince Valiant mane tossing in the wind blowing through an open window. He wears the same T-shirt and jeans he wore earlier that day in ARC Studios, where he stood behind a microphone, “cans” on head, singing, while producer Mike Mogis listened and twisted the dials atop the massive control board, glancing up occasionally to watch Yorn through the window.

It was 2008 when Yorn found himself in Nebraska only a few weeks after finishing recording sessions with producer and living legend Frank Black of Pixies fame for Yorn’s self-titled rock record, which has become known by some as “the Black album.” Between those Frank Black sessions and the release of the “Black album” in September 2010, Yorn released the Mogis-produced Back and Fourth (in June 2009), along with a collection of duets with Scarlett Johansson called Break Up, recorded two years earlier but released in September 2009.

It is only now that Yorn has had a chance to really perform the songs on the “Black album.”

“Ever since I recorded those songs I’ve been excited about the opportunity to play them live,” he said from his home in Santa Monica, California. “I haven’t been out touring in a bus in a year. I’m ready to play some good rock shows again.”

Pete Yorn, self titled (Vagrant 2010)

Yorn recalled the contrast between Frank Black’s recording style and working with Mike Mogis. “They’re both guys who I really respect a lot and enjoy working with,” he said. “Mike is more detailed, more layering and I knew that going in. I also knew with Frank that I’d only have five days (in the studio) to capture something fast and not be too fussy about it. It was the antithesis of what we did in Omaha. That said, it’s all rock and roll, and both have different energies.”

The final products also couldn’t be more different. Yorn’s eponymous album, which will be the center point of Saturday night’s concert at the Whiskey Roadhouse, is barebones and abrasive, a rough ride that, on songs like “Velcro Shoes” and “Badman,” sideswipes garage rock without losing any of Yorn’s songwriting depth. Black’s influence saturates every track, from the chugging guitars to Yorn’s gravelly vocals.

In comparison, Back and Fourth is downright ornate; a soulful, personal album with the subtle touches that Yorn — and Mogis — are known for. Instead of five days, Yorn spent two and a half months in Omaha working on Back and Fourth. Over that time, he became immersed in the Omaha scene, hanging out at a wine bar in Dundee, eating at a Middle Eastern restaurant downtown, becoming involved in the spiritual center of Omaha, and going to rock shows. Maybe you were at one of the clubs on a night when someone leaned over, pointed and whispered: “Pssst… Look. Pete Yorn’s here tonight.”

“I never go out when I’m home; it’s very rare that I go to bars,” Yorn said. “But when I was there, I wanted to take it all in. I went to a number of shows at Slowdown. I remember going to see The Notwist after a group of kids told me about the show. I’d never even heard of them. That night I ran into the guys in Cursive and a bunch of other people I’d met. I started to realize that there was a cool group of really creative people that made up the scene, a tightly knit scene, and from an outsider’s perspective, it was refreshing to see.”

But just as memorable about his months in Nebraska were the times Yorn spent exploring the highways alone. “After we laid down tracks, there was a lot of down time,” Yorn said. “I like to go on drives. I had a car and drove around for hours, exploring the area.

“One time I was driving in the middle of the day and heading south. I was on my cell phone talking to someone in New York and became distracted. I looked around and thought ‘Where the hell am I?’ I was surrounded by cornfields. I love getting lost in cornfields.”

Yorn said for Saturday night’s show, expect to hear not only songs off the “Black album,” but from his full catalogue, including his landmark first album, musicforthemorning after. “When I go see a band and they play 20 songs I’ve never heard before, I think, ‘What the fuck is this?’ I’m not interested in doing that. It’ll be a balanced show. I’m excited to see what the catalyst in every room will be. There are always different people yelling different shit. I love it when people yell at me.”

Pete Yorn plays with Ben Kweller & The Wellspring, Saturday, Feb. 19, at Whiskey Roadhouse at The Horseshoe Casino, 2701 23rd Avenue, Council Bluffs. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit horseshoecouncilbluffs.com.

* * *

Some extra copy that didn’t make it into the Pete Yorn feature:

Just the night before our interview, Yorn stood alone on stage at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan playing a solo acoustic version of “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a Neil Young tribute concert that also featured, among others, J Mascis, Glen Hansard, Jakob Dylan, Shawn Colvin and Patti Smith.

“Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield did ‘Cinnamon Girl,'” Yorn said. “Both played Gibson SG electric guitars, it was really cool.”

What made Yorn’s performance particularly special was the song choice. “(Rockin’ in the Free World) was the first song I ever really sang in front of a band,” he said, adding that prior to that he sat behind a drum kit. “They coaxed me out front to sing. I was 15 years old in a talent show in New Jersey where I grew up. So it was coming full circle.”

Yorn also talked about what he’s been doing since finishing his last record: “I’ve been working on something loose over at a buddy’s house, a covers record,” he said. “It’s a palette cleanser for me to explore other songs and reinterpret them. We got 10 songs worked out. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it, but it’s fun.”

And he talked about his flight from Omaha after the Mogis sessions ended. “I drove cross country back home on  Halloween,” Yorn said. “I listened to The Shining book all the way through Colorado. I was driving through the mountains listening to The Shining.” It doesn’t get much spookier than that.

* * *

Everything points to strong opening-week numbers for Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key. Mike Fratt, who runs Homer’s Music, said his stores sold a total of 76 copies of the recording yesterday — 45 CDs and 31 LPs. Fratt also said the The People’s Key was the No. 1 seller at indie retailers yesterday. A glance at the iTunes Store shows The People’s Key charting at No. 7 on its albums list. And yesterday Amazon began offering an mp3 download of the album for just $3.99 — a price point that helped catapult Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for its first week of sales.

Hurting Bright Eyes’ quest for the top Billboard spot, however, are strong sales by artists who performed on Sunday night’s Grammy broadcast. “The grammy spike is REAL big this year,” Fratt said. In fact five of the six spots above The People’s Key on the iTunes top-sellers list are all Grammy performers (Mumford and Sons currently sits at the top).

* * *

Tomorrow: Tennis

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Some odds and ends on this groovy Tuesday…

I hereby declare today, Feb. 15, 2011, as Bright Eyes Day, as the band’s new album, The People’s Key, officially “drops” at stores near you. No, there will be no parades, no fireworks, no turkeys thrown from helicopters, just lots of people buying lots of CDs (hopefully). If you live in the tri-state area and don’t want to be disappointed by arriving at the store only to find that they’re out of stock, go to Homer’s Records, who is absolutely guaranteeing that they’ll have plenty of CDs and vinyl on hand at competitive prices.

And just so you know that today is extra special, it’s also Conor Oberst’s 31st birthday, so roll by his Fairacres compound and wish him all the best (even though he probably ain’t there as he’s playing a show in Stockholm tomorrow).

* * *

It’s been two days and the smoke has cleared and now it’s time to contemplate this year’s Grammy’s and Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAAs).

First, the Grammy’s. I watched the whole thing unfold on my plasma Sunday night, one performance after another after another, remembering fondly when The Grammy’s was just an awards show. You have to admit, it was a stellar combination of musical talent that hasn’t been pulled together since the last Live Aid-style charity festival. On top of the legends sheet: Bob Dylan, Mick Jaggar, and, of course, Babs, followed by the next tier — Lady Gaga, Eminem and Arcade Fire.

So I’m thinking to myself — why is so much of the telecast being spent on performances this year? The only thing I could think of was that the artists and bands have closely examined the writing on the wall. The days of living high on the hog from CD sales are quickly coming to an end. These days the real money comes from ticket sales, and if you can get inside John Q. Slob’s living room and properly swing your moneymaker enough to convince him that it’s worth it to shell out the $75 to $100 per ticket when the caravan rolls into his local arena, you’ve done a helluva lot more than sell a few thousand CDs. Or maybe I’m wrong…

Anyway, the evening’s biggest Gee Whiz moment was Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year for The Suburbs, beating out a slew of major label bozos. Just how significant was the win? If it results in above-ground radio airplay and million-unit sales, it could spark interest in indie artists by majors in a way that hasn’t been seen since the Nirvana land-rush days. Or it could just be one giant head-scratcher by all those kids who bought or stole the latest Ke$ha/Katy Perry/Ga Ga record. Only time will tell.

As for the OEAAs, I followed the results as they were tweeted by hearnebraska.org. No surprises and most of my predictions were on the mark. It was a big night for It’s True, who won the Artist of the Year award.  But as much as I like the band, they didn’t deserve it, especially when you consider they announced their breakup shortly before the MAHA Music Festival, and then spent the rest of the year doing…nothing, while other artists (specifically Saddle Creek artists) were busy touring, making new albums and bringing the attention of the country right back here to Omaha. Oh well, it’s all just for fun, right?

* * *

Speaking of festivals, someone posted some information about the Middle of the Map festival on the ol’ webboard, and the event looks promising. To be held April 8 and 9 in venues throughout Kansas City, the festival will feature 25-30 local and national acts, including Cursive, Appleseed Cast, Daniel Johnston, Dosh and The Life and Times.

“The festival is brought to you by Ink Magazine and The Record Machine. Ink magazine and inkkc.com are Kansas City’s premier lifestyle and entertainment publication and website,” said MotM organizers. “Owned by The Kansas City Star, it is one of Kansas City’s largest publications and the only one produced by and for people in their 20s and 30s.” The only one? Really? Whatever happened to Pitch Weekly? Regardless of the politics, the festival sounds like a good time, with two-day passes selling for a mere $25. Find out more at middleofthemapfest.com.

* * *

Finally, there’s an odd little show going on tonight at a venue off the beaten path. The Hideout at 320 So. 72nd St., a place known mostly for hosting local metal shows, is hosting Brooklyn-based funk trio The Pimps of Joytime. Check out their myspace page and get ready to get weird. Opening is DJ Brent Crampton and SpenceLove. $7, 9 p.m. More details at the Facebook event page.

* * *

Tomorrow right here: Pete Yorn. Thursday: Tennis. It’s a busy week…

* * *

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.

Best Coast at The Waiting Room Feb. 11, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

In the battle last Saturday night between Wavves and Best Coast at a sold-out (and packed) Waiting Room, it was Wavves that walked away the victor (at least in my humble opinion).

Both bands are sharing headlining chores over the course of their tour, and both bands are smoking hot right now, though I have to admit having heard little of either of their music before this show (I did hear snippets of Best Coast on NPR).

Wavves rolled out of the gate sounding like a morph of modern post-punk, low-fi, garage and So. Cal surf music. I was reminded of The Pixies, The Ramones, Descendants, Nirvana, Buzzcocks and Jay Reatard. One guy mentioned Dead Milkmen, another mentioned British ’80s punk. The trio blazed through its set with frontman Nathan Williams burning like a San Diego skate-punk. While there was an obvious similitude to their short, sharp, shock numbers, there also was an undeniable knack for melody that kept the set from becoming ho-hum. Certainly the throngs of Omaha youth were enthralled as they leaned against the stage while all the older folks (and there was a surprisingly large contingent of them) watched from the back of the room. Loud, fast, fun.

Best Coast had better songs, but were a downshift energy-wise. Cutie-pie frontwoman Bethany Cosentino’s sweet girlie voice rang out like Belinda Carlisle meets Liz Phair, backed by another guitarist and a drummer (and no bass). While the music was forcibly low-fi with tinges of surf and garage, there was more depth below the surface melody-wise, but not so lyrically, as the songs leaned toward banal Go Go’s rather than confessional Phair. Cosentino made a point of saying she had roots in Omaha, even calling out her family who were standing somewhere in the mob off stage left, presumably near Congressman Lee Terry who I’m told was in the house.

The fact that the kids (a lot of the staged-pressed crowd looked under 21) are getting into faster, funner, punkier music is a sign of hope, especially after the last few years of droning, lifeless schlock like Animal Collective. Too bad they just stood there and stared at the bands like hypnotized cows. I saw only a couple young groovies doing a shag in the back of the room. Nothing wrong with letting loose once awhile, kids…

* * *

Be the first in your neighborhood to own a copy of Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key by attending tonight’s pre-release party down at Slowdown. Copies of the CD will be on sale for $10; vinyl for $18. They’ll be spinning the disc starting at 8 p.m. and giving away pizza.

And then tomorrow, the bomb goes off…

* * *

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.

Column 309: Here it comes, that heavy love…

CD Review: Bright Eyes, The People’s Key

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Bright Eyes, The People's Key (Saddle Creek, 2011)

Bright Eyes’ new album, The People’s Key, comes out Feb. 15 on Saddle Creek Records. Conor Oberst’s publicist tells me that the band, which had just started rehearsals, has put all press inquiries on hold for the time being. Maybe when Bright Eyes gets ready for his June 4 show at WestFair we’ll get Conor’s perspective on the album, but until then, you’ll have to settle for mine in this review.

NPR.org, who has been streaming the album in its entirety for the past few weeks, came right out of the gate declaring it the “best record Bright Eyes has ever made. In fact, it’s the best record the band’s frontman, Conor Oberst, has ever been a part of.” Only time will prove if NPR is right, though I don’t know how you could declare any album as being an artist’s “best.” It might be your favorite, but “best”? Come on…

I will say this: I like The People’s Key much more than Oberst’s last solo album and his Monsters of Folk material, and that’s somewhat concerning to me as I’ve always said that all this talk about this being “Bright Eyes final album,” was pure silliness since Bright Eyes at its core is Oberst. However, there’s no denying that Oberst is a different man when it comes to Bright Eyes. From both a musical and lyrical standpoint, Bright Eyes records just hold together better, like reading a great novel as compared to a collection of short stories. The thematic essence of Bright Eyes albums is more consistent and, well, satisfying than what he’s produced under his solo banner.

The album keeps with the Bright Eyes tradition of starting with a spoken-word audio clip. For Cassadaga, Bright Eyes’ last album, it featured a (presumably) big-haired southern woman talking about spiritual centers that attract “believers,” like the Florida town the album was named after. This time it’s “Shamanic” vocalist Denny Brewer of the band Refried Icecream doing an L. Ron Hubbard-esque spiel about spaceships and lizard men at the beginning of the world. Brewer occasionally sticks his head in between songs, sounding like Will Ferrell imitating Harry Caray. For long-time fans, this eccentric touch is part of what you come to a Bright Eyes album for, though later on you’ll find yourself figuring out ways to cut out those opening two and a half minutes so you can get right to the first song.

In this case, that song is “Firewall,” a simple melody draped in dread built upon a sinister, circular electric guitar line. Oberst spits out his vision of talking ravens and artificial theme parks before getting to his own artificial reality and his escape from it via jump ropes and slit wrists. Breaching the “firewall” opens the melody to the glorious heavens, before it comes back down.

If there’s a theme that ties the album together its Oberst’s dwelling on the inevitability of death. Every song has an allusion to death or dying, a theme approached now with resignation, though it’s something (based on earlier Bright Eyes material) that Oberst figured out long ago.

That theme is most obvious on the album’s ultimate downer number, “Ladder Song,” with its subtle opening lines:

No one knows where the ladder goes

You’re gonna lose what you love the most

You’re not alone in anything

You’re not unique in dying

Mournful piano and Conor at his most quivering. In the old days, this would have been a song about a broken heart or a strung-out night spent in Manhattan. My how things change as you get older. And unlike, say, Prince’s song about a ladder, there’s no salvation or hope at the end of this one. About to turn 31, Conor seems too young to be dwelling on death, but then again, there were those who wondered if he’d even live to see 30.

The People’s Key might be Bright Eyes’ most consistent album from a songcraft perspective. There is a straightforward quality here that is undeniable; everything seems self-contained, pulled together and kept from going on tangents. The end product is an even line from beginning to end. Predictable, and for a lot of music-goers, that can be very satisfying.

But there is something missing. On every other Bright Eyes album, there was one perfect moment that jumped off the disc, unique and demanding a rewind, the perfect song for the mix tape. From I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning it was “Lua.” From Cassadaga it was “I Must Belong Somewhere.” From Lifted, it was “Nothing Gets Crossed Out” and “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” and “Bowl of Oranges” and  “You. Will. You. Will? You. Will? You. Will?” and “Waste of Paint” — a song that you can’t turn off or skip over after it’s begun.

I’ve been listening to this album for a couple weeks and that song hasn’t jumped up and waved its arms at me yet. Maybe it will later, I don’t know. Maybe it’s more than I should expect.

That’s the thing about Bright Eyes albums. Those of us who have followed the band since the days when Conor wore glasses expect every release to be a masterpiece. And maybe that’s what separates Oberst’s solo work from his Bright Eyes efforts — that he and cohorts Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott also approach each album as if it were something more than just a collection of songs.

Time will tell if The People’s Key was a just a collection of songs or a “masterpiece” or a “best” or just a favorite. Right now it’s just a good album.

* * *

So my rating for The People’s Key is a firm “Yes.” Let me echo Omaha World Herald

music guy King Kevin Coffey and ask, “Will it top the Billboard charts when it’s released next week?” I don’t see much standing it its way. There are new ones coming out by Sonic Youth (Hey, MAHA, now there’s a band to consider), P.J. Harvey, Mogwai and Drive-By Truckers, none of which are a threat to Conor and Co.

It doesn’t take much anymore to top the charts. Decemberist’s awesome The King Is Dead was a Billboard No. 1 only needing to move 94,000 copies during its debut week to mount the summit. It helps when the mp3 download is only $7.99 at Amazon (or in Arcade Fire’s case, as low as $3.99 during its release week). How low will The People’s Key be offered on Amazon (or iTunes)? If it’s a $3.99 download, look out.

But what do I know about the music business? When it comes to these sorts of discussions, I always turn to Mike Fratt, who runs Homer’s Records. Mike is more skeptical. He doesn’t think The People’s Key will top the charts. “Because the Soundscan week includes the Valentine’s weekend (historically a good week for music sales) and the week post-Grammys (2/13) I don’t think Bright Eyes will hit No. 1,” Fratt said. “I do think it will achieve top 5, but at a lower number than 2007’s Cassadega.”

He thinks Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Eminem, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry all will chart higher than People’s Key, helped along by Grammy performances. “Looking at this week’s Soundscan, Conor & Co. may have to generate at least 30 to 35(000) to make top 5,” Fratt said. “I’d be surprised if they make that, although the album sounds good.”

Cassadaga logged in at No. 4 on the Billboard charts with first-week sales at just slightly north of 58,000. And 11,000 of those sales were digital downloads — around 19 percent. If Amazon offers The People’s Key at $3.99, you could see downloads grab a bigger percentage this time ’round.

Fratt predicts total first-week sales to be around 27,000, and he hopes a ton of those are bought at Homer’s, where they’re guaranteeing the album will be in stock through Feb. 27. “We bought a lot, but if we run out (Saddle Creek) will drop some off vs. us having to reorder through ADA or a one stop.  CD = $9.99  LP = $19.99! through 2/27.” Get your ass to Homer’s, people.

* * *

Pitchfork reported yesterday that Titus Andronicus has been added to a few Bright Eyes dates, which should make for an entertaining evening considering how Titus frontman Patrick Stickles’s vocals are forever being compared to Conor Oberst’s vocals. Here’s what Stickles told me last September when I asked him about the Oberst comprisons:

“I’ll tell you because you rep the Omaha readership,” Stickles said. “I think it’s a little short-sighted. The constant comparisons to anyone gets old, even if it’s Jesus Christ. Doesn’t everyone want to be themselves? Don’t we all want to blaze our own trail, though I know this is rock and roll, and there’s not too much under the sun? But it seems kind of like, uh, cheapening slightly to say that if you’ve heard one guy you can pretty much guess what this guy is going to sound like. After awhile it feels like a feedback loop, a house of mirrors, like sometimes (reviewers) get these things to sound so similar that I’m reading reviews of other reviews. But maybe that’s me being a self-righteous, entitled type. Even if it were true, is it helpful? Who’s to say? It’s not in my control. As I put my art out into the world, it’s out of my hands. History will judge.”

It will indeed.

* * *

It’s going to be cold outside but oh so hot inside The Slowdown tonight for Interpol. Opening is School of Seven Bells, who came through The Waiting Room last September. Here’s the review from that show:

The best moments came when guitarist Benjamin Curtis was allowed to run wild run free. His tone was amazing; it reminded me of every great soaring guitar solo of ’80s post-New Wave/dream rock era. The Deheza sisters sounded like what you’d imagine Azure Ray would sound like fronting a dance band. Unfortunately, too often the vocals were buried in the mix and sounded limp, like an afterthought. As with the opener, the sound would have benefited from more bottom end (no bass again). The 70 or 80 people on hand spent the night huddled by the stage, but few if any danced, except for one girl who spent the evening with her arms in the air. Maybe that’s why they didn’t come out for an encore after their 45 minute set concluded. A pity. I could have listened to them for another hour.

Get there early and get out of the cold. See you at the show…

* * *

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.