by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Catching up on that ol’ debble in-box…

Former Omahan Mike Jawarski’s band SAVAK has an ew album coming out May 30 on Ernest Jennings Recording Co. called SQUAWK! (SAVAK, it seems, likes using all-caps). Their last album, Flavors of Paradise, was a welcome surprise and a high-water mark for the Brooklyn-based band. 

Jaworski, known locally as Jaws, has Omaha music roots that go back to ‘90s band Hong Jyn Corp. He also ran Mt. Fuji Records, that released albums by local heroes Little Brazil. SQUAWK! is SAVAK’s seventh album. Check out the first single and video, “No Man’s Island,” below and pre-order the album here. BTW, still no future Omaha tour stops. What’s the deal, Jaws?

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Omaha alt-country/Americana band Clarence Tilton released their third full-length, Queen of the Brawl!, April 4. They’ve been dropping singles from the album for months, including collaborations with Marty Stuart and Tanya Tucker’s daughter, Presley Tucker. The band’s album release show is May 2 at Reverb. The record is streaming on the usual services (though strangely, it’s not available on Bandcamp). 

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Sioux Falls post-punk band Shurr Jr. released their debut EP, Red Shelter, late last month via Omaha’s Max Trax Records. The power trio consists of guitarist/vocalist Nick Maxwell, drummer Frankie Maxwell and bass player Kelly Maxwell. The siblings’ father, Frank Maxwell, was an Omaha music legend who played guitar in the band Fifth of May in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Buy the digital album from their Bandcamp page. 

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Speaking of Max Trax Records, the label announced Monday Leafblower’s LP, Burn Cruise, is slated for release June 13. The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Danny Maxwell (Little Brazil), guitarist Clark Jahn, drummer Tab Tworek and bassist/vocalist Craig Fort (Lightning Stills). They’re calling their sound “doom metal,” and I guess maybe it is, in an old-school, Ozzie sort of way. Judge for yourself when you watch the video for their first single, “Unsatisfied.” Preorder the vinyl here. 

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Here’s the updated list of touring indie bands headed our way. Let me know if I’m missing anything. What’s my next show? Either Bad Nerves or Bright Eyes/Cursive – both shows are April 27. We shall see..

• – MSSV, April 21 at Reverb
• – Cryogeyser, April 25 at Reverb
• – Vazum, April 25 at The Sydney
• – Ty Segall solo April 26 at Scottish Rite
• – MURS, April 26 at Reverb
• – Bright Eyes, April 27 at The Astro
• – Bad Nerves, April 27 at The Waiting Room
• – Nada Surf, April 30 at The Waiting Room
• – Husbands, May 1 at Reverb
• – Season to Risk, May 3 at The Sydney
• – Future Islands, May 7 at The Admiral
• – Julien Baker & Torres, May 12 at The Admiral
• – Being Dead, May 13 at Reverb
• – Black Country, New Road, May 14 at Slowdown
• – Spellling, May 15 at The Waiting Room
• – Anna McClellan, May 17 at Slowdown
• – Friko, May 20 at Reverb
• – Florist, May 24 at Reverb
• – Southern Culture on the Skids, May 27 at Waiting Room
• – Samantha Crain, June 17 at Reverb
• – Har Mar Superstar, June 20 at Reverb
• – Holy Fawn, June 25 at Reverb
• – Hurray for the Riff Raff, July 15 at Slowdown
• – The Avett Brothers, July 17 at The Astro Amphitheater
• – Built to Spill, July 20 at The Waiting Room
• – Maha Festival, Aug. 2 at RiverFront Park
• – Rilo Kiley, Sept. 17 at The Astro Amphitheater 
• – The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sept. 23 at Slowdown
• – Swans, Sept 28 at The Waiting Room
• – Father John Misty, Sept. 30 at Astro Theater

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A few things from my in-box…

Yesterday our hometown record label, Saddle Creek Records, announced the reissue of Rilo Kiley’s 2002 breakthrough LP, The Execution of All Things. This is the record whose title track declared the emergence of Omaha’s “booming music scene… and humility” Ah, those were the days. 

Somehow Saddle Creek has held onto the rights to this indie classic and are celebrating it with a die-cut gatefold clear vinyl (and CD), to be released April 25. Preorder yours here. This news goes hand-in-hand with Rilo Kiley’s just-announced limited U.S. Tour that comes nowhere near that once-booming music scene. 

Saddle Creek is two-for-two for reissue announcements. Hey Robb, how about some new music? 

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Speaking of hometown record labels, our very own Max Trax Records (the home of Little Brazil and Leafblower, among others), last week announced the debut single by Sioux Falls, South Dakota indie band Shurr Jr. 

Who is Shurr Jr.? The power trio consists of guitarist/vocalist Nick Maxwell, drummer Frankie Maxwell and bass player Kelly Maxwell. The siblings’s father, Frank Maxwell, was an Omaha music legend who played guitar in the band Fifth of May in the ‘80s and ‘90s. No doubt, the apples didn’t fall far from the tree. 

The single, “Drowning,” is the first track off the band’s upcoming EP, Red Shelter, slated for release by Max Trax March 28. It was produced by the band and Nate Van Fleet (See Through Dresses) at ARC studio and Van Fleet’s old studio, Divine Hammer.  

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In (dis)honor of King Trump’s inauguration, Lincoln duo Vempire released a maxi-single called “About Tuesday” with Permadeaf (Ryan Thomas of Machete Archive). The song was written the day after the election “so we can say we did something constructive rather than dig our nails into the wall,” said Vempire’s Mike Elfers. 

The maxi single (all tracks here) includes remixes by Lincoln’s Terra Genesis, Minneapolis’s Toilet Rats, Canada’s Candid Black and Peter Tansky from The Book of Very Very Bad Things Podcast in Scranton. 

“About Tuesday” is “a direct response to the current social and political climate, which rewards greed, ignorance, deceit, aggression, and scapegoating, while undermining empathy, cooperation, and understanding.” I guess that makes it a protest song – and we need more of those in these troubled times.. 

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Finally, here’s a stand-out track from the deluge from Minneapolis dream-core band She’s Green. The band just signed with NYC label Photo Finish Records; the single was produced by Slow Pulp’s Henry Stoehr. Reminiscent of Cocteau Twins or The Sundays, this one shifts gears from shimmering quiet to epic majesty. 

The five-piece, fronted by Zofia Smith, are headed on a rather massive U.S. Tour with the band Glixen that, despite their proximity, passes right over Omaha as it makes its Denver/Minneapolis/KC/Chicago jaunt in early March. 

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.