Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship at The Waiting Room, April 20, 2013. The band celebrates the release of their new EP tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Thermals see the release of their new album, We Disappear, today on Saddle Creek Records. The album was produced by Chris Walla (ex-Death Cab for Cutie). You can check it out on Spotify, and in the usual digital outlets. I’m listening to it for the first time now. Sounds a lot more…embraceable than their older stuff. What can I say, I didn’t like their last album. This one I’m digging. They’re starting to remind me of Ted Leo (though not nearly as quirky). Thermals are headed to Omaha May 6 at The Slowdown (of course).

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Omaha super group Dolores Diaz & the Standby Club, who debuted at O’Leaver’s Jan. 3, announced another date, this time at The Waiting Room May 21. The country & western cover band includes half of Bright Eyes (Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis) along with Ben Brodin, Miwi La Lupa, Roger Lewis, Dan McCarthy Phil Schaffart, Matt Maginn, and Oberst’s wife, Corina. The best tunes from that O’Leaver’s set were placed online at Live @ O’Leaver’s (here). Will the band do the same covers or attempt new material? You’ll have to wait until May 21 to find out.

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Almost Music is getting ready for its big move to the Blackstone District with a massive SALE today and tomorrow. The deals: 50% off books, 20% off used vinyl, 10% off new vinyl, and tons of stuff for 99 cents.

In addition, Almost Music is “warming up” its new space by throwing and art and variety show tonight featuring readings and performances by Megan Siebe, Jim Schroeder, Sarah Gleason, Simon Joyner and Louise Requin, Dan Crane and Dave Goldberg. The new place is at 3925 Farnam St. and the free show starts at 8 p.m.

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What else is happening? Well it looks like another O’Leaver’s weekend (or as Ian would call it, “another lost weekend”).

It starts tonight with Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship celebrating the release of their new self-released EP, Three, recorded by Ben Brodin at ARC Studios. Opening the show are Mint Wad Willy, Eric in Outerspace and DJ Joe Benson. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Afro-Latino rock band Making Movies from Kansas City headlines at The Lookout Lounge. Their second album, A La Deriva, was produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin. Who doesn’t want to rock in Spanish? The Regulation and Anthems opens. $8, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for Those Far Out Arrows’ album release show. If the record, From the Sun, sounds distinctly like Benson it could be because the album was recorded in brothers Ben and Evan Keelan-White’s Benson digs. The trio is rounded out by Jon Ochsner on bass. Their music has an authentic ’60s psych-garage sound influenced by VU, the Troggs and 13th Floor Elevator, as well as early Brian Jonestown Massacre. Opening the show are Dead Flower Preservation Band and Heavy Lungs. $5, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, rock ‘n’ rollers Big Wheel headline at The Brothers Lounge with The Electroliners. No price listed for this one. Starts at 9 p.m. (though Brothers’ shows always start late).

Over at Milk Run, Lucy Dacus headlines Saturday night. Dacus hails from beautiful Richmond, VA and plays thick-rhythm rock with massive hooks. Check out the tracks below. Infectious. Opening are Sowers, Badland Girls and Crypt Kid. Why Milk Run bills insists on four-band shows, I do not know, but it means some late nights. $5, 9 p.m.

Milk Run has another 4-band bill Sunday night, headlined by Cincinnati “lush-punk” band Leggy. Opening are The Ridgways, Bien Fang (Rachel Tomlinson Dick’s latest band), and Lawrence feedback/delay punkers Arc Flash. $5, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments. Have a great weekend!

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Because I don’t have a photo of Conor Oberst and Corina singing at O’Leaver’s, here’s a photo of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Live @ O’Leaver’s session released to the world yesterday happened on Jan. 3, 2016, a Sunday night followed by a workday Monday which kept me from seeing it live. No matter. I have these recordings to mark the date of my absence due to responsibilities (T’was a time, my friends, t’was a time…).

Dolores Diaz & The Standby Club featured Matt Maginn (Cursive), Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching), Ben Brodin, Phil Schaffart (Con Dios), Miwi La Lupa, Roger Lewis (The Good Life), Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and Conor Oberst. Fronting the band was Conor’s wife, Corina.

The fact that Corina was the front-woman was hush-hush at the time. Not sure why. Who knows the motives behind celebrities and their fragile psyches? Keep in mind, Oberst had been married for years before he acknowledged it in the press, a secret to all but his friends and family. One could argue that’s how it should be. Anyway, for some, this show was a sort of coming out party for Corina.

For most, this was a return for Conor, who disappeared from the music world last fall at the beginning of a Desaparecidos tour, stating illness and exhaustion. The details on that also are shrouded in mystery, along with the current status of Desaparecidos, though at least a few of the members have moved onto other projects. Denver Dalley will be touring with Har Mar Superstar again; Landon Hedges is said to be completing a new Little Brazil album.

And Oberst, who turns 36 next Monday, continues to lie low, though he was spotted in the crowd at a recent Creighton basketball game (via Facebook). Only he knows what he’s working on next. For now, we have these recordings.

Oberst sings lead on two tracks. The first is a cover of a Randy Newman song called “Jolly Coppers on Parade,” from the 1977 album Little Criminals. The other is a cover of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” I have to believe there are rights issues with these and the other songs (which are all covers). All the more reason to listen to them right now.

Not to be overshadowed by the Diaz release is another set recorded the same night from Johnathan Rice. Good stuff.

And to add local flavor to yesterday’s releases were four songs from High Up, recorded on New Year’s Eve that showcase the amazingly talented Christine Fink at her usual ferociousness, especially on opening track “Two Weeks.”

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As of this posting (at noon), tickets were still available to tonight’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor show at The Slowdown. As with all Godspeed shows, this should be a mammoth production. I think the last time they played in Omaha was at The Music Box, a show that I’m told was so loud it killed fish swimming in the nearby Big Papio Creek.

Opening is Xylouris White, described as “Master of Cretan lute, George Xylouris, and Jim White a most innovative and charismatic drummer.” Ruffled attire optional.

This one starts at 8 p.m. and is $25, while tickets last.

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Let’s get this out of the way first.

Lazy-i Best of 2015!

Today is the last day to enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2015 Comp CD. The collection includes my favorite indie tunes discovered last year as part of my tireless work as a music critic for Lazy-i. Among those represented: Courtney Barnett, Clarence Tilton, Simon Joyner, Beck, Freedy Johnston, Ceremony, John Klemmensen, Natalie Prass, Digital Leather, Belle & Sebastian, plus lots more. The full track listing is here. Entering to win is super-easy, either: 1. Send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com, or 2) Write a comment on one of my Lazy-i related posts in Facebook, or 3) Retweet a Lazy-i tweet. You also can enter by sending me a direct message in Facebook or Twitter.

Contest deadline is midnight tonight! Don’t delay, enter right now.

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How was Dolores Diaz last night at O’Leaver’s? Well, I couldn’t tell you because I DNA’d — i.e., Did Not Attend. It being a school night. But good ol’ Kevin Coffey did, and here’s his review of the show. Also in attendance was Hear Nebraska, and here’s their photos and a brief write-up. And I’m told that the session was recorded, though there’s no guarantee it’ll end up posted at Live @ O’Leaver’s. Keep your fingers crossed. If you were there last night, post your review in the comments section.

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If you’re wondering (like me) what to look forward to in 2016, Album of the Year has you covered. Here’s the website’s list of January 2016 upcoming releases. From the list, I’m looking forward to hearing new stuff from Bowie, Savages, Tricky, Shearwater, Tindersticks, Suede, Eleanor Friedberger, Ty Segall… I assume there’s a few things missing from their list…

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The folks over at Nowness today released a never-before-posted video of The Faint’s “Desperate Guys” music video. Why this was never released back when Wet from Birth was released in 2004 remains a mystery.

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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.

Simon Joyner and The Ghosts at Slowdown Jr., April 4, 2015. The band plays tonight at Almost Music in Benson.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Time for another very special Saturday edition of Lazy-i. Hope you had an eventful New Year’s Eve/Day.

Only Love Can Bring You Peace, Simon Joyner (Magic Helicopter, 2015)

Omaha’s unofficial poet laureate Simon Joyner celebrates the release of his book, Only Love Can Bring You Peace – Selected Lyrics (1990-2014) — published by Magic Helicopter Press, tonight (Saturday) at Almost Music in Benson. It’s the first selection of Simon’s lyrics (assembled and edited by Simon and his wife, Sara) to appear in book form, showcasing the images and characters of more than 15 albums, EPs, and rare releases, according to the website, where you can purchase your copy for $16 + s/h. But why spend more when you can buy your copy at the cover price tonight at Almost Music, and if you’re really nice, Simon might even sign it for you.

Joining Joyner and the Ghosts are L. Eugene Methe  and The David Nance Band. Your $6 cover charge can be applied to the cost of the book. In addition, Solid Jackson Books is offering 25% off any and all additional books when you buy a copy of Simon’s book. Music starts at 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Lincoln band No Tide headlines a show down at Slowdown Jr. Opening is one of Omaha’s big surprises for 2015, Uh Oh. The band’s 5-song EP, In the Glow, was a pleasant surprise — a mix of indie, pop-punk and sing-along anthems that’s sort of a throwback to a kinder/gentler time in Omaha’s alt rock past. Slacker-rockers Mint Wad Willy kicks things off at 9. $8.

Also tonight (Saturday) local punk rock legends The Shidiots play at O’Leaver’s with The Hemorrhoids and Megaton. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Then Sunday night is the big Dolores Diaz & the Standby Club show at fabulous O’Leaver’s.  The country cover band’s all-star line-up includes Matt Maginn (Cursive), Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching), Ben Brodin, Phil Schaffart (Con Dios), Miwi La Lupa, Roger Lewis (The Good Life), Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and Conor Oberst. Of course the real mystery is: Who is Dolores Diaz? You’ll just have to find out Sunday night. Indie superstar Johnathan Rice opens along with Anthony D’Amato (New West Records), who has worked with Bon Iver and Megafauna, among others.

One assumes this will be a madhouse, but you never can tell. If you’re interested, I suggest you get there well before the 9 p.m. start time. Price of admission is the usual $5.

And thus ends the holidays, but not quite yet…

Lazy-i Best of 2015!

First, you must enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2015 comp CD. The collection includes my favorite indie tunes I’ve come across throughout last year as part of my tireless work as a music critic for Lazy-i. Among those represented: Algiers, Sam Martin, Sufjan Stevens, Clarence Tilton, Beck, The Chemical Brothers, Freedy Johnston, The Mynabirds, and even the aforementioned Simon Joyner, plus lots more. The full track listing is here. Entering to win a copy couldn’t be easier, either: 1. Send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com, or 2) Write a comment on one of my Lazy-i related posts in Facebook, or 3) Retweet a Lazy-i tweet. You also can enter by sending me a direct message in Facebook or Twitter. Hurry, contest deadline is midnight Jan. 4!

Have a great rest of the weekend…and 2016…and rest of your life!

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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.