Metropolitan Farms, featuring Joe Kobjerowski on drums.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’ve been burning a hole in my iPhone listening to the new album by Portland rock band Metropolitan Farms. Wha? Never heard of them?

Metropolitan Farms is the latest project by legendary former Nebraska drummer Joe Kobjerowski. Joe was the drummer in seminal ’90s Omaha tractor punk bands Frontier Trust and Pioneer Disaster as well as Darktown House Band, among others. He moved to Portland a long time ago (more than a decade ago?).

Metropolitan Farms, Oafish Twist (2016)

Out of the blue last week I saw that Metropolitan Farms is having a CD release show at Portland’s The Foggy Notion this weekend for their latest album, Oafish Twist, which is available on Bandcamp. It’s the best $7 I’ve spent this year. The album  is loaded with well-crafted jangle-pop rock songs reminiscent of acts like The dBs, Tommy Keene and The Smithereens.

I asked Joe how he met the guys in Metropolitan Farms.

“I was playing in a band out here called The Lodge Club (with Dave Sullivan and Nancy Wieblehaus…both Nebraska folks also…Dave played in the legendary Lincoln band, Trout Mystery, and Nancy played with Dave Cosgrove in a couple different bands) and one night we played with a band called Metropolitan,” Kobjerowski said. “They were a weird and quirky pop band with great songs.  But, more importantly, they were _super_ awesome people.”

He said they all quickly became friends. “A year or so later, Metropolitan was in the middle of a recording project when they asked if I wanted to come by, learn two or three songs, and record with them.  After that, I just sort of kept forcing myself on them until I was in the band permanently.  Eventually, Metropolitan dissolved and Josh (Mayer, guitar), Linc (McGrath, bass) and I became Metropolitan Farms.”

Kobjerowski said the band has been working on this new album for three years. Will we ever get a chance to see and hear them play on an Omaha stage? Highly doubtful, Joe said. The band’s never toured before, and isn’t likely to. So you’ll just have to enjoy them on your stereo system. Go to their Bandcamp page and download a copy. You’ll thank me later.

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Milk Run is on a roll. Tonight their hosting Porches, who I described back in April as: “Porches is Aaron Maine, a NYC musician who recorded his debut full-length, Pool (2016, Domino), mostly in his Manhattan apartment before sending it to LA to be mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Grizzly Bear). The production is crisp with bouncing rhythms and glowing synths that sit beneath Maine’s bright vocals.”  Also on the bill are Japanese Breakfast (Michelle of Little Big League) and Rivergazer. $10, 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.