by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Alex Orange Drink, a.k.a. Alex Zarou Levine — best known as the singer/songwriter behind The So So Glos — last Friday dropped the single, “The Future’s a Riot,” on Conor Oberst’s new record label, Million Stars. 

The track is his first solo music since 2021’s Everything Is Broken Maybe That’s OK LP. The song’s inspiring video features footage chronicling Levine’s 2023 diagnosis of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and writing and recording during his first week of treatment. Check it: 

Levine has been super busy, having co-written seven songs on the new Bright Eyes album, Five Dice, All Threes, and adding guest vocals to BE track “Rainbow Overpass.”

The new Alex Orange Drink single is the second release on Million Stars following the release of The Felice Brothers’ full length, Valley of Abandoned Songs, this past June. In addition, Yayo Trujillo of Las Cruxes told me last week his band’s new album, which is currently being recorded at ARC Studios with Taylor Hollingsworth as producer, also will be released on Million Stars in the U.S. Las Cruxes’ past recordings were distributed by Sony Music Entertainment US LATIN. 

Million Stars isn’t Oberst’s first foray in the music biz. He helped get Saddle Creek Records off the ground back in the ‘90s and also formed Team Love Records (Tilly and the Wall, High Up, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins) with Nate Krenkel back in 2003. 

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Omaha post-punk band Bokr Tov also dropped a new single last week, “(You Too Can Have) A Body Like Mine,” via Bandcamp. It’s a prelude to the band’s next full length, The Way a Tree Shakes, which is due Nov. 16. Nate Van Fleet of See Through Dresses produced the recording, and also produced the new LP by Seattle band Funhouse (featuring post-Omaha star, Carl Miller), called Invasive Species. 

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You might remember singer/songwriter Max Holmquist from his work with Oquoa and The Great American Desert. His new project, Dream Ghoul, just dropped its first single, “Qualitative Blue, 1991.” The track was produced by Jim Schroeder (Mesa Buoy, David Nance Band, Rosali, UUVVWWZ), who worked on the album, which is slated to come out this December. 

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There’s no Omaha connection to this new Mogwai video, which dropped this morning. I included it just because it features the band’s dogs (and Manhattan). Mogwai also announced their next album, The Bad Fire, will be released Jan. 24 on Temporary Residence Ltd., as well as a massive world tour next year, whose closes pass to Omaha will be the ol’ Minneapolis/Denver/Chicago twist in April…

Here’s the latest list of touring indie shows coming to Omaha through February. Your eyes do not deceive you – there currently are no shows scheduled for December. Let me know if I missed something…

• Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown\
• Nov. 3 – Chat Pile @ The Waiting Room
• Nov. 3 – quickly, quickly @ Reverb
• Nov. 7 – Pedro the Lion (w/City and Colour) @ The Admiral
• Nov. 8 – The Ivory Claws @ The Sydney
• Nov. 10 – The Sufrajettes @ Reverb
• Nov. 11 – Dusk @ Reverb
• Nov. 12 – Modest Mouse @ Steelhouse 
• Nov. 12 – The Rev. Horton Heat @ Waiting Room
• Nov. 13 – Sorry Mom @ Reverb
• Nov. 29 – VIAL @ Reverb
• Feb. 5 – Guster @ The Admiral
• Feb. 6 — Real Estate @ The Waiting Room
• Feb. 24 — Molchat Doma @ Steelhouse

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Last minute show announcement: Chicago post-punk band Edging is playing tonight at The Tavern with Trees with Eyes, Las Cruxes and a special set by Darren Keen. Darren said Edging has opened for Amyl and the Sniffers and Lambrini Girls, who count them as fans. The Tavern is located in the heart of downtown at 514 So. 10th Street. 9:30 start time, donations suggestioned.

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Felice Brothers, Valley of Abandoned Songs, to be released June 28 on Million Stars Records.

By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The first I heard of Conor Oberst’s new record label came via a press release with the headline: “The Felice Brothers Sign to Conor Oberst’s New Record Label Million Stars.” Wait, what? New record label? Isn’t Bright Eyes (and Conor Oberst) signed to Dead Oceans? 

In the press release, Conor explained:

“I first encountered the Felice Brothers in 2007 after being given some of their music by a friend. I liked it a lot, but there was something I couldn’t put my finger on—singular and mysterious. An iconoclastic version of what some lazy people call ‘Americana.’ I subsequently met them and played shows together. They became some of my best friends, family, really. I put out two of their records on the label I co-owned at the time, called Team Love. Then we started to perform together with them as my backing band and made a record of mine called Salutations. Needless to say, I love this band, and when I asked that horrible question, ‘Who is your favorite band?’ I always answer ‘The Felice Brothers.’ 

“So when Ian sent me this new collection of songs and told me they just planned to put it up on the internet, I kind of flipped out, because they were so goddamn good. And then I did something I swore I would never do again: I started a new record label. This is my third. It is called Million Stars, and I am so proud to say the new Felice Brothers album is our first release. I can’t quit them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”

So, yes, this would be Oberst’s third record label creation. The first was Saddle Creek Records, which he launched with a bunch of folks including his brother Justin, Mike Mogis (now of ARC Studios and Bright Eyes), and Robb Nansel, who still runs that label. The second label, Team Love, was launched in 2003 with his Oberst’s pal Nate Krenkel, who also was his former manager and an A&R dude at Sony ATV Music Publishing. Team Love continues to operate out of New Paltz, New York, though Oberst apparently is no longer involved. 

Based on the press release, it doesn’t sound like the idea of creating a new record label was a premeditated decision, more of a spur-of-the-moment deal, and really, isn’t that main ingredient in every success story?

Valley of Abandoned Songs will be released on June 28 on Million Stars. The 13-song collection consists of recordings primarily from sessions for the band’s 2019 album, Undress, as well as their most recent release, 2023’s Asylum On The Hill, both of which were captured live in an 1870s church with the band’s current lineup of Ian Felice (guitar/vocals), James Felice (piano/vocals), Jeske Hume (bass), and Will Lawrence (drums).

The band will, of course, be touring Europe and the U.S. The closest pass to little ol’ Omaha is Chicago (July 27, Beat Kitchen).

Check out the first single, “Crime Scene Queen”: 

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.