Summer Cannibals at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 21, 2015. They play tonight at Reverb.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s not that the video for Slothrust song “Double Down” is in any way bad. It features frontwoman Leah Wellbaum dancing and prancing throughout a laundromat. Or whatever that is she’s doing. Now whenever I hear that song, which is the lead-off track to the band’s latest album, The Pact (2018, Dangerbird), all I can see is her wonky movements in my mind.

The Brooklyn band released its debut in 2016 and this time is aided by producer  Billy Bush (Garbage, Neon Trees, The Boxer Rebellion), and it shows. It is very Garbage-y.

Kill Rock Stars act Summer Cannibals opens for Slothrust tonight at Reverb Lounge. As I said the last time I saw them play O’Leaver’s, they could emerge as this generation’s Sleater-Kinney. Actually, I’m more apt to reach for SC’s latest album than S-K’s (sacrilege!) thanks to having a better handle on pop, though the band was no slouch when it came to raw, meaty guitar sound.

In other words, get there early. 8 p.m., $14, Reverb Lounge.

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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.

Summer Cannibals at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 21, 2015. They return to the club Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Semi-busy weekend show-wise.

Here’s one that was under my radar, probably because I never heard of these guys (and they’re on a major label). Peach Pit is Vancouver band signed to Columbia that’s been around since 2016. They describe their sound as melding “teenage angst with bummer summer vibes that have them sounding somewhere between Mac Demarco and Homeshake.”

That description alone would be enough for me move onto something else, but when I listened to a couple of their tracks on Spotify I was intrigued. Their new album, Being So Normal, was originally released on Vancouver indie label Kingfisher Bluez. They kind of remind me of upbeat Pernice Brothers crossed with Susto. Strangely, there’s virtually no listing on Allmusic.com and not much else about them online, and yet tonight’s show at Slowdown Jr. is sold out, so the word’s gotten out about them somehow.

Opening is Nashville indie act Sun Seeker who’s 2017 album Biddeford was released by Third Man Records. $12, 9 p.m.

Also tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s: Advance Base is the project of Chicago’s Owen Ashworth (fka Casiotone for the Painfully Alone). The new album, Animal Companionship, is “about humans and their relationships with their pets: what pets mean to their owners and how those animal relationships affect our human relationships and vice versa.” Who couldn’t love that?

This is a massive four-band bill with Philly act Friendship, Hartford/Focht and Mike Schlessinger. $7, 9 p.m.

If that weren’t enough, punk legends Millions of Dead Cops (MDC) roll into Lookout Lounge tonight. Here’s a column I wrote about these dudes 13 years ago. Local punkers RAF and Top-Notch Defective open at 9 p.m. $15.

Tomorrow night it’s back to O’Leaver’s for the return of Summer Cannibals. The Portland four-piece plays an infectious style of indie rock which sounds influenced by acts like Sleater-Kinney or Girl in a Coma. Their new album Full Of It is out now on Kill Rock Stars. This is yet another massive four-band bill with Hussies headlining, The Cult of Lip and The Natural States opening at 9:30 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I forgot 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.

Mark Kozelek at Central Presbyterian Church during SXSW March 15, 2014. Kozelek plays tonight at Vega in Lincoln

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Another wave of live recordings just hit the Live at O’Leaver’s servers. Check out the tracks below. I’m told things really blew up after Stereogram wrote about the website last month. Wide the wave…

Check out the awesome Giant Claw tracks here.

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Classic ’90s Chicago act My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult headlines tonight at The Waiting Room. They’ve been called electronic-industrial-disco-rock, which I guess is pretty much spot on. Ruby Block opens. 9 p.m., $15.

Also tonight, Mark Kozelek returns to Vega in Lincoln. I’m sure there’s a very good reason why Kozelek has passed over Omaha for Lincoln the last two times through Nebraska, preventing me from seeing him perform. As I’ve said before, his set during SXSW 2014 was a highlight, where he played most of the songs off the amazing Sun Kil Moon album Benji. Expect songs off the latest SKM album, the rather verbose Universal Themes. $20, 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Summer Cannibals at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 21, 2015.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Light crowd for Summer Cannibals Friday night at O’Leaver’s. I guess that was to be expected, considering they’re virtually unknown here and Sting’s daughter was playing cross-town at the same time. The dozen or so of us on hand got a great show by a young band that could emerge as this generation’s Sleater-Kinney. Actually, I’m more apt to reach for SC’s latest album than S-K’s (sacrilege!) thanks to having a better handle on pop, though the band was no slouch when it came to raw, meaty guitar sound.

BTW, Miniature Horse cancelled Friday night and Low Long Signal played as a two-piece, so it should have been an early night, except that I ran into a local music scene legend and we proceeded to attempt to solve the entire music industry problem over PBRs and Rolling Rocks. Our solutions are pending.

We also talked about Straight Outta Compton, which I recommend you catch whether you have an interest in late-’80s gangsta rap or not. I was warned the two-and-a-half hour movie had too many slow moments, but I didn’t notice them. It was fun seeing not only NWA re-imagined on screen, but also other stars from the era, like Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. Who would have guessed Eazy-E could come off so lovable?

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The folks behind the Maha Music Festival launched their annual post-festival survey this weekend where they ask what you liked and didn’t like about Maha and (more importantly) who you want to see at next year’s festival. Now is the time to speak up. Survey feedback was one of the factors that got Modest Mouse booked this year. Survey here.

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Friday night was my only venture out to music this weekend, and this week is looking kinda thin. The highlights:

— Simon Joyner plays at O’Leaver’s Tuesday night.
— Little Brazil closes out the Hear Omaha concert series at noon Thursday outside at 13th & Howard.
— Beach Slang (Cursive tour mates) and See Through Dresses play at O’Leaver’s Thursday night.

And then it’s the weekend again already…

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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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Portland’s Summer Cannibals play tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Looks like another O’Leaver’s weekend…

Tonight’s main event takes place at O’Leaver’s with traveling band Summer Cannibals. The Portland four-piece plays an infectious style of indie rock which sounds influenced by acts like Sleater-Kinney or Girl in a Coma. The band’s sophomore album, Show Us Your Mind, was released earlier this year on New Moss Records and is pretty cool. Check out a track below. Also on the bill is one of my favorite local acts, Miniature Horse, and headliner Low Long Signal. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Minneapolis indie band On an On headlines at Reverb Lounge. But among the openers is Eliot Sumner, the daughter of Sting and actress Trudie Styler. Listening to her in the video below, her voice sounds lower than her father’s voice. Multi-instrumentalist Dosh also is on the bill. $12, 9 p.m.

Local legend Dereck Higgins and Carol Rogers are doing a set tonight over at Carver Bank, 2416 Lake St. The performance is at 8 p.m. and is free.

And Tara Vaughan headlines at Slowdown Jr. tonight with The Derby Birds and The Hottman Sisters. $7, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) See Through Dresses returns to O’Leaver’s. They’ve been on the road with the likes of Cymbals Eat Guitars and The Good Life. The band recently announced it has another EP coming out this fall on Tiny Engines. Maybe we’ll get a sneak peek? Opening the show is Sidewalkers. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tomorrow night, Relax, It’s Science headlines at Slowdown Jr. with Lineman’s Rodeo and Laika the Space Bitch. It starts at 9 and is FREE.

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.