The Faint are back.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

FYI, The Faint are back.

The band let it slip this past April that it was reforming after announcing last September that it was on hiatus, partially due to Joel Petersen’s move to the West Coast. The Reader‘s Chris Aponick caught up with the band about what we’ll see on stage this weekend. Needless to say, Joel won’t be there.

From the story:

The band and Petersen are working toward a formal, legal agreement ending his involvement in the Faint and letting the other four members continue the band without any lingering hang-ups. “He doesn’t want to be in the band and he doesn’t live in the state. We want to do the band, so there’s really not much to talk about,” (frontman Todd) Fink says.

But the most interesting quote in Chris’ story:

“We’re mostly just a band and we’re going to make some stuff,” Fink says. “We feel like we’re in a good place. We have new ideas and I feel like they fit into what we think the Faint is.”

It’s been just over four years (Aug. 5, 2008, to be exact) since Fasciinatiion was released on The Faint’s blank.wav label. It’s high time we got some new material, gentlemen, though the crowd at Saturday’s and Sunday’s long sold-out shows at The Slowdown would be just as content to hear the hits once again. Like any good music, The Faint’s songs are somewhat timeless; but they’ve aged well especially in an era that values electronic dance music more than ever.

Openers for Saturday night’s Faint show are Capgun Coup and Touch People (Darren Keen, ex-The Show Is the Rainbow). Opening Sunday’s Faint show is Icky Blossoms, who has gained a reputation for creating a dance vibe similar to The Faint’s, and the always amazing Solid Goldberg. Both start at 9. Get there early. And like I said, both have been sold out for weeks.

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The Faint shows aren’t the only thing going on this weekend.

Tonight friends of Javier Ochoa remember the local legend in song. A former member of The Get, Blah Buddha and Goodbye, Sunday, the 43-year-old drummer was known more recently for his work in Led Zeppelin tribute band The Song Remains the Same. Javier passed away in June. Performing tonight are Never Trust The Living, Diana And The Maries, The Get / Ground Tyrants, Janglepop, The Filter Kings, Song Remains The Same and Secret Weapon. The benefit concert starts at 8 p.m. $7.

Also tonight in Benson, Secret Cities and I Am the Navigator play at The Sydney. The show is free and starts at 10.

Saturday night House of Loom House celebrates its 1-year Anniversary with a party featuring Philly/NYC DJ Rich Medina. $5, 9 p.m. Details at their Facebook invite. (RSVP to info@houseofloom.com for FREE entry before 10:30 p.m.).

Also Saturday night John Klemmensen and the Party play at The Barley Street Tavern with Marmalakes (Austin, TX) and Travelling Mercies. $5, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Thanks to all who came out for my “non-DJ” DJ night at House of Loom on Friday. As expected, there was virtually no one there at 5 p.m. when it began, but things livened up as the evening rolled on, and a total of about 20 people eventually showed up. It was actually quite rowdy at around 7 p.m., and I ended up “spinning” for an extra 45 minutes beyond the 8 p.m. cutoff.

It was a trip meeting a couple people who read the column and website regularly and wanted to “see what I looked like.” I hope I didn’t disappoint them too much. It also was nice seeing a number of music-scene collegues who dropped by for a few drinks and a few songs.

If you haven’t been to House of Loom, you really need to give it a try if only for the ambience. I can’t think of a better place to grab a drink right after work, and for those into the DJ/ dance culture, House of Loom is among Omaha’s best dance clubs. Check it out. Thanks again to Loom, Brent and Ethan for being such gracious hosts.

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Speaking of checking things out, as Cursive continues its ongoing national tour, they’re (currently) bringing Conduits along for the ride. And as interesting as it is to read how people dig Kasher and Co’s live rendition of I Am Gemini, we’re starting to see the first reactions to Conduits from a “foreign market.”

Among them, this piece from the Carnegie Mellon student newspaper The Tartan:

“Conduits, an indie rock sextet based out of Omaha, Neb., was the first opening band. Despite releasing their debut album on March 20, they performed a cohesive set that mixed the straightforward arrangements of pop rock with the sonic textures of shoegaze and psychedelic rock. The crowd was small for Conduits’ set, but it was clear that the pulsating bass lines and beautiful guitar ­— imagine rippling water as a sound instead of a vision — captivated these dedicated fans completely.”

The review concluded with: “While a majority of the audience had come for Cursive, it was difficult not to leave as a fan of all three groups.” Read the whole thing here.

Then there’s this from the University of Buffalo student newspaper The Spectrum:

“Opening for Cursive was five-piece outfit Conduits, from Cursive’s hometown of Omaha, Neb., and the bands even shared member Patrick Newbery, who played synth and keys for both bands. Conduits immediately asserted their place in Mohawk’s tightly packed venue, with the audience crowding in front of them, as if they were headlining.

“Conduits’ music consisted of a mix of slow rock combined with rhythmically dynamic maracas and tom-toms rising to importance during their set, juxtaposing the lead into the flowing synthesized music.”

So far, so good. It’ll be interesting to read what the New York media says when Cursive and Conduits play back-to-back sold-out shows at The Bowery Ballroom tomorrow and Wednesday.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Barsuk band Yellow Ostrich with Rough Trade artist Howler. $10, 9 p.m. Both bands are rising to that middle-echelon of touring indie bands. Check out a couple of their tracks below:

Yellow Ostrich, “Marathon Runner”

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/37520957″ iframe=”true” /]

Howler, “Back to the Grave”

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/33940837″ iframe=”true” /]

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So I’ve come to the conclusion that no one is going to show up at my DJ thing at House of Loom from 5 to 8 tonight except Teresa, a couple stylish friends of mine, Brent and Dr. Sheehan and that’s fine. It’ll be a chill way to kick off the evening. If you’re looking for something to do after work and you’re dying to hear dance and/or rock music from the ’80s to the present in a finely decorated, uncrowded lounge or outside on the patio, at a place where you can enjoy some of the best craft drinks in the area or great beer on tap, then come on by. It’s free. The weather is supposed to be spectacular and you can join in on the conversation, which likely will center around yesterday’s announcement of the Stir Cove Summer Concert Series and how very lame it is.

If you haven’t seen the announcement, it’s right here. The highlights are The Shins May 31 and The Avett Brothers July 3. Let’s be honest, the new Shins album is somewhat…lacking, and the band couldn’t be more boring live. Then there’s the Avett Brothers, who would be amazing in an intimate venue like Slowdown or even The Holland, but outside of a casino? No. The rest of the acts are a mish-mash of has-beens (Creed? Really? Michael Bolton? Well, they do need to cater to the high rollers who are throwing away their retirement checks one penny at a time). Acts like Chicago and George Thorogood just make sense when you consider the best thing your typical casino patron can hope for is to somehow make time stand still, or better yet, go backward. We’re talking about an audience who would enjoy nothing more than to relive their glory days driving around West Broadway in that fourth-hand Camaro with “Bad to the Bone” pounding out of the ol’ Spark-o-Matic 6 x 9s, smoking and drinking and waiting to die.

Relax, Harrah’s, I keed. In fact, Avett Bros. is a definite maybe. I think it might even sell out. And there’s a very good chance that I’ll end up getting loaded at Heart. Let it ride, baby…

* * *

So, the weekend.

After you finish your hand-crafted cocktails at House of Loom tonight — and if you should decide to not stay there all night — there’s a  live music opportunity to consider — Nada Surf at The Waiting Room. Get there early to catch opening band, Brisbane’s An Horse (Mom + Pop Records). $18, 9 p.m.

Saturday night, our friends at Omahype.com are hosting Saddle Creek band UUVVWWZ at The Barley Street Tavern with the return of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship and Brother’s Family Temple. $5, 9 p.m.

The lucky-if-you’re-there performance of the weekend, however, is Lost in the Trees at Slowdown Jr. Saturday night. The band, who releases music on Anti-, is the epitome of intelligent, lush pop, and I mean lush. Check out the tunes in the soundcloud below and see why they’re compared to Sufjan Stevens by many and Tears for Fears by me. Gorgeous stuff. And get this — opening the show is Sub Pop artist Poor Moon. Poor Moon is Christian Wargo (Fleet Foxes, Crystal Skulls) and brothers Ian and Peter Murray (The Christmas Cards). Their new album, Illusion, was released this past Tuesday. Both bands, $10, small stage. What more could you want, except for maybe Michael Bolton?

Lost in the Trees, “Golden Eyelids”

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/36528606″ iframe=”true” /]

Lost in the Trees, “Red”

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/33107427″ iframe=”true” /]

Poor Moon, “People In Her Mind”:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/33689527″ iframe=”true” /]

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Brent Crampton. Photo by Randy Powell.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

While listening to Neon Trees at SXSW, one of their lyrics jumped out at me, a lyric that I can’t find online (maybe it was made up on the fly?): Paraphrasing: “Anyone who can play a record calls themselves a DJ.” Frontman Tyler Glenn sung the line with a certain amount of venom — odd when you consider that a band like Neon Trees would seem to want to court DJs. Regardless, Glenn’s attitude reflects a lot of people who think that DJing is far from an art form and is no more difficult than playing good music (not necessarily records) in a logical sequence.

That idea was at the center of an interview conducted with DJ Brent Crampton Monday night, and is the theme behind this week’s column, which you can read in The Reader or online right here. Brent answers my inane question: What exactly is a DJ? Most of his answers are in the column; but some didn’t make the cut due to space. Among the edits is Crampton’s response to those who diss DJs as being nothing more than highfalutin stereo operators. “I think a lot of criticism comes from DJs who get put on the same level as bands, and the two are different things,” he said. “Personally speaking, being a DJ I only have to deal with myself. A band can have four, five, six members, and half the battle is just staying together.”

Being a one-man shop can make DJs a more affordable option. “I feel like dance music is recession-proof,” Crampton said. “There will always be a need for people to dance, especially when things are tough. During the recession, I was getting more gigs than ever, and there were house parties every weekend. People are living more poor. You can buy a six-pack and hang out with friends until who knows when, and dancing is free.”

He also pointed to the history of DJing going back to the disco era of the ’70s when DJs began to replace live music. “The gay rights movement really came out during that era, and disco was the tugboat that pulled it out of the closet,” Crampton said. White America took out its homophobic fears on disco in the form of stadium events where piles of disco records were literally blown up. But DJs lived on.

“Historically, rock very much has had a thing against DJs from the get go,” Crampton said. When it comes to comparing live performances to DJs “really they’re apples and oranges,” he said. “We need both. There’s a need for what we do.”

Also not in the article, Crampton’s take on where DJing is headed. “History tells you it’s going to follow the technology,” he said. “You’ll get more and more away from traditional forms of DJs. It could be a blend of other people’s music and live mixing. On the flip side — that element of technology could go so far that purists will go back to vinyl. There’s something magical about vinyl. People are just blown away by the skill level it takes to mix two records together. All kinds of things can go wrong.”

Finally, we talked about the current financial state of House of Loom, the club that Crampton operates with partners Jay Kline and Ethan Bondelid. “I’m pleased with what’s happening,” he said. “It was a very difficult process. None of the partners had owned a bar before. With our heads to the ground we fumbled from one point to the next. There were some humbling moments. I don’t think I was expecting it to be as difficult as it was. And I’m surprised I didn’t get as much warning from my friends in the business.”

Crampton and Co. had an advantage over other start-up clubs — six years’ worth of branding built up from the Loom concept. “It wasn’t like we had this idea from scratch, there was a lot of groundwork,” he said. That groundwork is paying off, but it’s a lot of work…

Like I said, the full story is in The Reader, which you can read here. The column supports House of Loom’s Friday Afternoon Club program, of which I will be the central participant this Friday from 5 to 8 as the club’s guest “DJ” or “non-DJ” as Crampton is calling us. His description is accurate. I am not a DJ. And as a result, there (probably) won’t be any dancing going on at Loom Friday afternoon, but it could still be a good time. Details here.

* *

Tonight at The Slowdown it’s a four-band bill headlined by Skypiper and featuring The Big Deep, The River Monks and Great American Desert. Early 8 p.m. start, $7.

And speaking of DJ gigs, Darren Keen’s Good Speakers series continues at House of Loom tonight with Bad Speler (Keen), DJ Kobrakyle and Kethro. The real deal. Check out Bad Speler’s latest Illegal Art track “Superman,”  below or at the Illegal Art website. 10 p.m. and free.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/40535240″ iframe=”true” /]

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

One of Omaha’s most-grooviest concepts, Loom, turns six tonight. It seems like only yesterday that Brent Crampton and his pals were hosting Loom dance parties at Espana in Benson. These days they’ve taken the party to the new House of Loom, which is quickly becoming known as one of the hottest dance clubs in Omaha.

Anyway, to celebrate Loom’s 6th birthday, Brent’s brought in one of his heroes, DJ Spinna, a.k.a. Vincent Williams, who according to Wiki has remixed artists such as De La Soul, Mary J. Blige and Stevie Wonder, and collaborated with Eminem before he went on to superstardom.

But before Spinna takes his place behind the rack at House of Loom, he’ll be the featured artist at a Red Bull Academy Symposium at Make Believe Studios, 805 Hickory St.

The Red Bull gig is 6-9 p.m. The 6-Year Anniversary party featuring DJ Spinna starts at 9 at House of Loom, 1012 S. 10 St. The event is 21+  and costs $5 or free before 10:30 w/RSVP to info@houseofloom.com. For more info about both events, go to houseofloom.com.

Also tonight, Fat Possum psych-garage-rock band Crocodiles headlines a show at Slowdown Jr. The San Diego duo of Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez will see their next album, Endless Flowers, released this June on Frenchkiss Records. Opening is Philly psych/shoe-gaze four-piece Bleeding Rainbow who have released stuff on the ultra-hip HoZac label. $12, 9 p.m.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It looks like another quiet week for shows. The only thing on my radar is Thursday night’s free Stolen Kisses reunion show at Slowdown Jr. More on that later. These are, indeed, the winter doldrums.

My only foray out last weekend was to catch DJ Chris Aponick mesmerize the crowd at House of Loom Friday after work as part of the bar’s new Friday Afternoon Club series. It was my first look at HOL, and what was only intended to be a quick drop-in ended up being my entire evening (at least until 8:30). I’d like to tell you what kept me there was  Chris’ music, but the fine booze on tap had more to do with it, along with the room’s elegant ambiance.

House of Loom is located in the old Goofy Foot/Neon Goose space on 10th Street just south of the Old Market. The only sign marking the entrance is the Loom infinity logo. The room has a sophisticated East Coast feel, thanks to graceful lighting, gleaming hardwood floors, and a combination of modern and Victorian-style furniture. A gorgeous bar runs along the south side of the room adjacent to high tables. A divider wall separates a second room that runs the length of the bar, where all those cushy chairs are located. The DJ booth and the dance floor are in the back  along the west wall. At first glance, the dance floor looks small — too small for the throngs of crowds that Loom events attract. But that dance floor can grow once you take out those tall tables. I’m told that bands set up in front of — or off to the side of — the DJ booth on the floor (that DJ station isn’t mobile), making for an intimate gig or a viable option for smaller shows.

Last Friday afternoon/evening, HOL felt comfortable and reserved, but there were only about a dozen people in the room. I have no doubt that the vibe is completely off the hook late at night when the bar turns into a dance club, the booze begins to flow more freely and the music starts pumping.  I have yet to see that, but I will, Brent, I will…

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This its your last week to get your name in the hat for a chance to win a copy of the highly coveted, highly collectable Lazy-i Best of 2011 Sampler CD.  This year’s disc includes tracks from tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Icky Blossoms, Decemberists, Gus & Call, Lana Del Rey, It’s True, Eleanor Friedberger and a bunch more (check out the track list at the bottom of this blog entry). To enter, just send an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It really is that easy. Hurry! Deadline is Jan. 17!

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Skypiper at The Waiting Room, Sept. 9, 2011.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

When I first started writing about music years and years ago, one of the first things I needed to get over was being intimidated by the artists I was interviewing. Case in point: I remember visiting the mid-town home of Sydney Buchanan, where I was slated to interview a very young version of Mousetrap (featuring Sydney’s son, Patrick) for a feature in The Note, a Lawrence Kansas-based music publication that’s long since defunct. I was quite a few years older than those teen-aged Mousetrap kids, but I was still nervous as hell — nervous about asking a stupid question, nervous about just looking stupid in general.

It didn’t take long to get over that sense of insecurity, to the point where I eventually became comfortable interviewing anyone, from a nationally renowned rock band, to a politician or the head of a global corporation. We’re all just people, right?

I had to go through a similar thing when it came to going to rock shows by myself, a situation I’ve written about at length before (right here, actually). I figured as I got older, that stigma that comes with flying solo at shows would ease somewhat, but it really hasn’t. Case in point this past Friday night.

My first stop for the evening was The Waiting Room for the Skypiper CD release show. I got there in time to catch the last song by opener Tarlton, and quickly regretted not getting there sooner. They were followed by Anniversaire, a somber chamber-pop band purposely drenched in melancholy despite a very excited drummer dressed in gym shorts, knee-highs and headband who looked like he’d be more comfortable backing a party band at a kegger. Then came Skypiper. I’ve been listening to the band’s new record off and on for the past couple days, reminded of acts like Jeremy Messersmith and Decemberists. They brought a similar exuberance to their live show, performed in front of a large audience, none of whom I recognized — this wasn’t your typical Waiting Room crowd, and I’m sure there’s a reason for that.

I hung out for about five Skypiper songs before heading to my car and downtown to House of Loom for the Depressed Buttons inaugural show. It was around midnight when I rolled past the building, located just south of Western Heritage Museum on 10th Street. I could hear the chaos boiling out of Loom from my car, where I noticed dozens of people crushed outside the door, not waiting to get in, just enjoying the cool pre-fall night.

And as I looked for a parking spot along the overpass I said to myself, “Who are you kidding? You’re not going in there. Not by yourself.”  So yeah, I chickened out. It’s one thing to go to TWR or Slowdown by yourself and get lost in the crowd with the rest of the people staring at the stage. It’s entirely another thing to show up at a dance club alone and try to inconspicuously mix in with hundreds of people shaking their asses on the dance floor, especially if your ass is older than theirs, and ain’t shaking. As much as I wanted to see and hear what Todd and Jacob were up to, I couldn’t get over that feeling that I would be very much out of place. It’s not a “you thing,” Loom, it’s a “me thing.” And I have to get over it.

* * *

One place where you’ll never feel intimidated is O’Leaver’s, mainly because no matter when you arrive, everyone there is already loaded. Tonight should be no exception when Peace of Shit takes the stage along with Dikes of Holland and The Prairies. $5, 9:30 p.m. By all means, go.

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I have never been to House of Loom. Scratch that. I have never been to a Loom event. Scratch that. I have never been to any Omaha “dance” event (Loom, Goo, Gunk).

Nothing against these sorts of comfabs. Nothing but respect for the DJ culture. I just don’t dance; at least not outside of wedding receptions and goofing off. Ironic, considering how much I like dance music, electronic or otherwise. But I prefer to enjoy it with my headphones on, dancing in my head, rather than in a club. Hence, why I haven’t been to Loom/House of Loom/Goo, etc.

That might change tonight.

House of Loom presents the debut of Depressed Buttons, a.k.a. Jacob Thiele, Todd Fink and Clark Baechle of The Faint creating electronic music to dance to (or whatever you want to do while listening, including just closing your eyes). You read about DB yesterday. Tonight you can see and hear them live. I have been told that House of Loom, located at 1012 So. 10th St., is not a very large space, so if this show attracts fans of the Faint, it could quickly reach capacity. I recommend you arrive early and then drink heavily. The show starts at 10 p.m., though I’m not sure when Depressed Buttons actually gets behind the wheel. BTW, the trio will be a man down as Clark is on the road with Bright Eyes. You’ll just have to make due. Hopefully he’ll be back for next month’s “performance” (tonight is the debut of DB’s monthly residence at HoL). Cover is $5. Just added: Guest DJ – D.A.M.B. of DJs Are Not Rockstars. They’re not?

Also tonight, local indie band Skypiper has its CD release show tonight at The Waiting Room for their self-titled self-released sophomore effort. Opening is Anniversaire and Minneapolis band Tarlton. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at O’Leaver’s, Celeritas and Lonely Estates open for Bazooka Shootout. The usual $5, the usual 9:30 start time.

Tomorrow night’s big shoe is the return of Tim Kasher to The Waiting Room. Kasher has been on the road supporting his latest EP release on Saddle Creek Records. Joining him on tour has been Aficionado, who will be opening Saturday night along with local heroes Dim Light. $10, 9 p.m.

Finally, Sunday night Brad Hoshaw, Fine, Fine Automobiles (Landon Hedges of Little Brazil), Justin Lamoureux (of Midwest Dilemma), and Kyle Harvey will be kicking off a new Songwriters Showcase series at Little Italy restaurant Q Consumables, 1228 So. 6th St. Show starts at 7:30 and is free (though you can tip the bands). Find out more about Q Consumables and check out their menu at http://qc.qconsumables.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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.