High Up at The Slowdown, Nov. 28, 2015. The band announced this weekend that it’s breaking up.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Happy Monday. Here are a few news items from the past week…

Yesterday, High Up announced via Facebook that it’s calling it quits. From the post:

“Between beautiful and healthy new additions to Matt and Josh’s families and new journeys to other parts of the country for Orenda, Todd and Christine, we felt it was best to move on and move up, and we wish the same happiness and positive change to you and yours.”

The Finks moving from Omaha is a major blow to the local music scene. All three Finks were among the city’s most talented musicians, and will be greatly missed. Obviously, it could be a long time (if ever) until we see another Closeness concert in this city.

We likely wouldn’t have seen much of Todd next year anyway. The Faint will be busy with the release of Egowerk March 15 on Saddle Creek Records. No announcement has been made concerning a national tour, but you have to believe one is in the making. And Azure Ray just announced a couple January dates in San Francisco and Brooklyn. Could more be on the way?

High Up was one of Omaha’s biggest hopes for breaking through to a larger audience after the release of their debut full-length You Are Here on Team Love Records in early 2018. But after some initial touring, things went quiet for the band. Here’s hoping frontwoman Christine Fink finds a new gig in Savannah — it’d be a shame to never hear those golden pipes again.

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Saddle Creek Records got a nice tip o’ the hat from Paste Magazine last week when it made their list of the 10 best record labels of 2018.

“Saddle Creek, the Nebraska label that started as a college class project in 1993, now boasts one of the most focused rosters in indie rock,” said the article, which also lists such stalwart labels as Sub Pop, Merge and Secretly Canadian among the best.

Matador Records topped the list at No. 1, and See Through Dresses’ label, Tiny Engines, was named Boutique Label of the Year. See the full list here.

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Finally, last Thursday Jason Steady (Talking Mountain, Wolf Dealer) released a new video for the track “Deep Lucy.”

“Cosmic midwestern music! I’ll be touring again in May with my buddy Chris (Slushy/Lemons/Nobunny/Cowboys/etc.) and this song is part of a forthcoming release,” he said.

Check it below:

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Lazy-i Best of 2018

It’s the final day to ask for a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2018 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. Tracks include songs by J Masic, Sextile, Father John Misty, Campdogzz, Those Far Out Arrows, Boygenius, Your Smith, Nik Freitaz, Ron Gallo, Adrianne Lenker and lots more. The full track listing is here, or listen on Spotify.

To enter to win a copy of the CD either: 1) Send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com, or 2) Let me know you want one via Facebook comments, or 3) Retweet a Lazy-i tweet (If you use social media and win, I’ll reach out later for your mailing address). Hurry, contest deadline is tonight at midnight.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Wrong Pets at O’Leaver’s Oct. 21, 2016. The band returns to O’Leaver’s tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Lots of shows happening tonight; not much the rest of the weekend.

Let’s start with the show at The Waiting Room: Drive-By Truckers. The Athens band that’s been kicking it since the late-’90s is out supporting their latest release, American Band (2016, ATO). I gotta believe they’ll be playing some new stuff tonight. Joining them is our very own High Up. $30, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Brothers Lounge, Digital Leather headlines with Cult Play and Satanic Abortion. $5, 10 p.m.

The Sydney tonight has Shreveport band Ghost Foot along with Rusty Lord, Lincoln act Sweats and a late-night DJ set by David Nance. $5, 10 p.m.

Finally, Wrong Pets, the band fronted by Reagan Roeder with Landon Hedges (bass), Danny Maxwell (guitar) and Ryan Haas on drums, opens tonight for a Nirvana cover band at fabulous O’Leaver’s. $5, 10 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Guster returns to The Slowdown. Their latest is Evermotion (2015, Nettwerk). Van William a.k.a. Van Pierszalowski of the band Waters opens. He’s been opening for First Aid Kit on thier 2018 tour. 8:30 p.m. $28 Adv/$30 DOS.

The Indie is Sunday morning in Benson.

I’ll be skipping Guster this time because I’ll be running in The Indie Sunday morning in Benson. It’s arguably the toughest urban 5k/10k event in the area, boasting a course consisting of one insane hill after another — they don’t call them the Alps of Benson for nothing. It also has the coolest trophies of any local races — winners take home gold records.

You can register for the run right up ’til the day of the event. Registration is taking place today at 1912 in Benson from 3 to 7 p.m., tomorrow at the 1912 booth at Benson Days after the parade, and the day of the run starting at 7 a.m. Those who register will receive a handsome Indie shirt designed by Pat Oakes of Ink Tank while supplies last.

Race start time is 8 a.m. Sunday at 60th and Maple. For more information, go to theindieomaha.org.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Catching up on some email…

The first video from the Friends and Family Volume 1 comp, out May 11 on Maria Taylor’s Flower Moon Records, dropped last week. It’s for a Jake Bellows track called “Tattoo,” and is actually a short film (more than 9 minutes long) directed by Martin Kenna. Very well shot, but missing from the frame is Jake Bellows himself (and we all know Jake can light up any room… or video).

Check it below:

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A new EP by Jason Steady & the Soft Ponies also dropped last week, called This Is Where I Am.  It’s described by Mr. Steady as “Songs about adventure, girls, smoking pot, waking up in the sun, and vegetarianism, but not necessarily in that order.”

The band, which includes Knife de la Garza and Aaron Lee, is heading out on a 14-city tour in May, which doesn’t include Omaha. What are you afraid of, Jason? Come on!

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And then there’s a new cassette by Ben Eisenberger called Three Islands. Ben also plays guitar in Hussies, Screaming Plastic and FiFI NoNo. The acoustic folk on this pretty 7-song LP is quite a departure from those projects.

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Q1 2018 record reviews continue. Read them all here at The Reader website.

High Up, You Are Here (2018, Team Love)

High Up, You Are Here (Team Love) — This Omaha act has been working up to a full-length debut for a couple years, and a number of these songs have been released as different recordings on their debut EP last year. Most notable is “Two Weeks,” which gets a different arrangement that brings the horns up front and feels louder and more confident. Unlike their past EP (and live performances) the band keeps the energy pumping even on the ballad-heavy numbers like the cover of Bright Eyes’ “Make a Plan to Love Me” and the gospel-organ fueled “Blue Moon” that sounds like an FM radio single. “Domino,” another stand-out, is  a punchy sequel to “Two Weeks.” When will a bigger audience discover these guys?

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

High Up at O’Leaver’s Jan. 30, 2016. The band plays Saturday night at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I had some “bandwidth limit” issues with the website this morning. What can I tell you — the enormous amount of traffic to Lazy-i.com frankly makes it hard for my service provider to keep up. I think it’s squared away for now. Thank you for your patience.

Let’s get to what’s happening this weekend. I think we’ll all be spending a lot of time down at Slowdown.

Tonight Philly-based indie artist Mothers is playing in the Slowdown front room. The four-piece, headed by Kristine Leschper, released its last album When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired on Grand Jury in 2016. They’ve been compared to Angel Olsen and Jessica Pratt. Opening is Omaha bands Thick Paint and Oquoa. $12, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Omaha punkers No thanks plays at Brothers Lounge with Lincoln’s Mad Dog & the 20/20s. $5, 10 p.m.

And lest we forget, ’80s punk legends Chrome are playing tonight at Dr. Jack’s Drinkery, 3012 No. 102nd St. I’m told this isn’t so much Chrome as Helios Creed playing Chrome songs (since Damon Edge died in 1995). DHX (Dereck Higgins Experience), Human Teeth Parade and Gongfermour open starting at  8 p.m. Advance tickets were $12; no idea what they’re charging at the door.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back down to Slowdown Jr. for album release show for High Up’s new one You Are Here, released on Team Love Records. This could be a crowded celebration. Opening is LA’s Whispertown (Acony Records) and former Omaha singer/songwriter/legend Jake Bellows. $10, 8 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Omaha’s favorite outlaw country band Filter Kings headline a crowded show at Reverb Lounge that also includes Room 100, Prime Time Pickers, The Prairie Gators and Garst. $5, 6 p.m. (yep, 6 p.m.).

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers at The Slowdown, Nov. 8, 2014.
Hoyer released a new EP last Friday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

High Up yesterday dropped a new single from their upcoming debut LP You Are Here, which comes out on Team Love Feb. 23. “Alabama to the Basement” is the album’s lead-off track. Check it below.

The band also announced a full U.S. that will kick off in Chicago March 1 and will include shows in Nashville, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Omaha at The Slowdown March 31.

And then this morning I got an email from Silver Street Records announcing that Josh Hoyer released a new 3-song EP Jan. 26 called The End of the Night. The album is the result of a writing collaboration between Hoyer, veteran Nashville songwriter Jay Knowles (Harry Connick Jr, Blake Shelton), and producer Jon Coleman, Trace Adkins’ band leader and producer.

The new EP is a prelude to Hoyer’s next full-length studio album to be recorded this spring and released in Europe in August on Silver Street Records. The release will be followed by a fall European tour, and a U.S. release in early 2019. Hoyer currently is touring the U.S. with his band Soul Colossal with over 50 shows scheduled in 2018, and an additional thirty dates scheduled for the fall European tour.

Hey, here’s a novel idea: How about a joint High Up / Josh Hoyer tour? Despite coming from different parts of the music industry, the bands’ styles definitely complement each other.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

High Up’s latest promo shot. Photo by Andy Lachance.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This morning news broke that High Up will release its debut full length, You Are Here, Feb. 23 on Team Love Records.

High Up, You Are Here (2018, Team Love)

The album was recorded and produced by Mike Mogis at ARC. Pre-order info is already up on their Bandcamp page. From the press release: “The band…  draws from a wide variety of influences — from Janis Joplin, (who (frontwoman) Christine (Fink) is frequently compared to at live shows from misty-eyed ex-hippies), Sam Cooke, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to Dead Kennedys and The Birthday Party.”

Misty-eyed ex-hippies? Dead Kennedys and The Birthday Party? Hmmm….

Anyway, the track list includes three of four songs off that 4-song EP that came out last year (“Trees Keep Growing” was left off for some reason). Check it out below:

You Are Here Track List

1. Alabama To The Basement
2. Two Weeks
3. Make A Plan To Love Me
4. Blue Moon
5. Girl Walking Home Alone At Night
6. All Torn Up
7. Domino
8. Your System Failed You
9. Glorious Giving In
10. You Can’t Give Up On Me
11. Before The Storm

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Without further ado, the winners of this year’s Lazy-i Best of 2017 CD giveaway are: Cary Waldo, Jack Parks, Evan Keelan-White and Kelly Murphy. Your copies will be dropped in the mail (probably) tomorrow. Thanks to all who entered!

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

High Up is among the bands slated to play at this year’s Maha Music Festival.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This is the fourth in a series of Ten Questions interviews with bands performing at the Maha Music Festival Aug. 19 at Aksarben Village. For the printed version of all interviews, pick up the August issue of The Reader.

It should be noted that High Up, The Faint and Hottman Sisters are the first Omaha acts to have ever taken the Ten Questions survey, which was designed solely for traveling out-of-town bands. Still, all three had something unique to say about their home town…

High Up

High Up is the most talked about indie act to come out of the Omaha music scene since the band debuted sometime around 2015. Driving all the talk is frontwoman Christine Fink, sister of Azure Ray’s Orenda Fink (who also is in the band). With a voice reminiscent of Janis Joplin’s, Christine belts out High Up’s unique flavor of golden blues in a style Joe Cocker would admire — all jerky moves and pained expressions with a little James Brown shake thrown in to make it ultra-groovy.

After a string of local live gigs, the band hit the studio and recorded a a self-titled EP, released this past January by Team Love Records. The highlight, a smoking single called “Two Weeks,” is guaranteed to turn the Maha crowd into lifelong fans.

1. What is your favorite album?

Christine Fink: Grand Prix – Teenage Fanclub

2. What is your least favorite song?

“Centerfold” – J. Geils Band

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Being able to connect with people on a real, emotional level, without having to maintain any kind of friendship afterward.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Being broke and juggling schedules.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Xanax

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Minneapolis so far, but I have a lot more touring to do!

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

We played a show in Oklahoma City on the way to SXSW. The room was long and narrow, with a mirror on the other end. There was literally no one there, so I had to watch myself perform to no one in that giant mirror across the room. Toward the end of our set a member from another band heckled me and then jumped our bass player, who inadvertently sent the guy crashing into the monitors, and then my pocket-sized sister had to get in between him and the rest of the band. All of this WHILE we were playing. Oklahoma City and the club were cool though!

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

No. I work full time and sulk a lot when we’re not on the road.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I’d love to be an archaeologist or historian. I’d hate to be a doctor. Too much responsibility.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

I heard a staircase at Hummel Park counts differently going up and down, which I couldn’t verify because I can only count up to how many fingers and toes I have, and there’s way more than nine steps.

The Maha Music Festival is Aug. 19 at Aksarben Village. The day-long concert runs from noon to midnight. Tickets are $55. For set times and more information, go to mahamusicfestival.com.

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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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

A screen capture from the new video for High Up tune “Two Weeks.”

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Looks like the fine folks in High Up have been plenty busy. Today Elle magazine debuted the new video for the song “Two Weeks,” deeming it one of the “10 Best New Songs to Listen to in January.” I guess someone forgot to tell the editors that the song came out two years ago. But the video, directed by Harrison Martin, is brand new and features a lot of local heroes. See how many you recognize.

The other bit of news from this video release is that High Up is now working with Team Love Records, who is releasing the band’s EP Jan. 20. What other High Up music will Team Love be releasing?  This could be the beginning of something big…

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You’ve made it to the NYE weekend.

The big show tonight is at The Slowdown where The Faint takes the stage. As of this writing, tickets were still available from The Slowdown website. Who knows how long they’ll last. Opening is Closeness (featuring Todd and Orenda Fink) and Lincoln noise-beast Plack Blague. This is a 9 p.m. show. If you intend to see Closeness, you better get in line early (doors open at 8). My past experience at Slowdown is that they start the shows at the stroke of 9 p.m. regardless of the monstrous line of people waiting to get in. Tix are $25.

The Faint play Slowdown again tomorrow night for Happy Goo Year X, which I assume will feature Goo DJ sets in addition to a Faint performance. Tix to that one are $40 today, $50 tomorrow.

Back to what’s happening tonight…

Ridgelines is hosting a show tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s that will also feature The Sunks and hip-hop act Both. Ridgelines, which is an electronic/ambient project by Mike Johnson, will be celebrating the release of their new album The Scarlet Ibis: a soundtrack by ridgelines tonight as well. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Milk Run has Club Nothing (Anna Sun), Twin Reflex and Inflatable Egg. $3, 9 p.m.

Which brings us to New Year’s Eve… NYE is a night dedicated to DJs and cover bands — not a night to see original music (let alone indie music). I shall spend mine at Alamo Draft House and will be home in time to protect my poor hounds from the annual firework onslaught, which has become worse than the 4th of July.

On many fronts, 2016 has been a pretty lousy year, but with the New Year brings new hope for a better tomorrow *puke*. Here’s hoping yours is better than ever.

Lazy-i Best of 2016 Comp CD

But before we leave 2016 behind, why not remember it one last time with the Lazy-i Best of 2016 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: Conor Oberst, Maria Taylor, Jeffrey Lewis, Navy Gangs, Jeff Runnings, Pet Shop Boys and lots more. The full track listing is here, or take a listen if you have Spotify.

Entering to win a CD copy is super simple: 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. 9.

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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.

High Up plays tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Everyone’s favorite low-fi rock explosion, David Nance, dropped a 17-song live blast called Dragging Across The East yesterday via Bandcamp. Sez Nance in Facebook: “Here’s 17 songs recorded live over the past couple of years. Recorded mostly on an iPhone (although there’s a few takes from a session at WNYU), everything included is quite loose and ugly. Fun stuff. Banter galore. A few covers (Richard Thompson and Armand Schaubroeck). All Free. Happy Holidays.”

Hear Nebraska says Nance just wrapped recording his next studio album, which will be released next year on Ba Da Bing. That ticking sound you hear is Nance, about to explode.

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Omaha World-Herald‘s Kevin Coffey posted an item with an embedded video of Conor Oberst singing The Replacements’ “Here Comes A Regular,” dedicated to Conor’s brother, Matt, who recently passed away. I didn’t know Matt, though I had the pleasure of interviewing him a couple times about his band, Sorry About Dresden, one of my favorites from the early ’00s. Why Dresden never took off like those other early Creek bands, I do not know. It sure wasn’t from lack of quality.

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With three hot shows happening tonight you’d think it was already the weekend (which it kind of is for me since I have tomorrow off).

Top of the list is High Up down at Slowdown Jr. What’s the occasion? Who needs a reason to rock? Maybe Christine and Co. will roll out some new material. Find out. And get there early. The amazing Sam Martin opens along with the always-entertaining Sean Pratt & the Sweats. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Brothers Lounge, Silversphere (f.k.a. The Lepers) headlines a show with Ridgelines and Chalant. $5, 9 p.m.

And finally, Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal overtake fabulous O’Leaver’s tonight. Can everyone’s favorite mid-town club handle Hoyer’s expansive sound? No opener listed, just a long night of Hoyer soul/funk. 9:30, $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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Will Johnson plays a living room concert tonight in Omaha.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Faint released a new synth-dance-rock track this morning called “Young and Realistic” via YouTube (listen below). In a Stereogum article, Faint frontman Todd Fink said, “This might be a love song. Maybe it’s a respect song. Those are intertwined concepts I suppose. Without respect, love is a weaker bond.”

One assumes a new album can’t be far behind. Even more noteworthy was the announcement that The Faint will be touring with Gang of Four throughout October, closing out the tour at Sokol Auditorium Oct. 31. Start working on that costume now.

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In other Fink-related news, looks like the fine folks at Perpetual Nerves are riding the wave of success from Sunday’s concert on the River City Star, announcing yesterday that they’re doing it again July 16. The featured artist is High Up, with Benson Soul Society, so be prepared to dance.

Since July 16 is a Saturday, they pushed the boarding time back to 10:30, with the cruise lasting until 1:30 a.m. Whoa! Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. The last one sold out in a matter of hours, so be prepared with your credit card. More info here.

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Somewhere in mid-town Omaha tonight, singer/songwriter Will Johnson will be playing a concert in someone’s living room.

While the address is not on the website where you can buy your $20 tickets, it’s located on the event’s Facebook invitation. It’s somewhere north of Dundee.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Will way back in 2004, where I learned that as much (or more than) music, he loves baseball.  From that article:

Driving around alone also allows him to indulge in one of his more eccentric past-times — visiting baseball parks. While in Omaha, he hopes to check out Rosenblatt Stadium and, if necessary, sneak inside. “I have a list of stadiums I’ve visited,” Johnson said. “I love them. I love the architecture — just the choices that were made in designing and building a stadium. And I love baseball. It’s a flawless, beautiful game. The challenge is sneaking in and getting out. I’ve had quite a few close calls, including Wrigley Field.”

He’ll be in for a big surprise if he tries to visit Rosenblatt today. Actually, Johnson has been through town a few times since that ’04 concert at The Ranch Bowl, where Teresa and I were among the few in the audience. Will swung by our table and had a drink with us afterward. I’m sure he’ll do the same with you if you go to tonight’s concert.

The $20 tickets must be purchased online here. No tickets will be sold at the door. Show starts at 8 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.