Brooklyn indie synth band TEEN plays March 31 at O’Leaver’s. Photo by Hannah Whitaker.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Brooklyn four-piece synth-rock band TEEN got its start in 2010 while lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Teeny Lieberson was still playing keyboards in Here We Go Magic. After recording and self-releasing the LP Little Doods, she pulled in sisters Katherine on drums and Lizzie on synths (Boshra AlSaad fills out the group on bass) and signed to Carpark Records for 2012’s In Limbo.

The band’s new album, Love Yes, is a slick piece of work that ratchets up the synths and beats to sonic levels matched only by the likes of St. Vincent. The album’s sound is wall-to-wall, so well-produced for a record apparently recorded entirely live, I have to wonder how they’ll reproduce it in the quaint confines of O’Leaver’s, where they perform Thursday night.

We asked TEEN to take our Ten Questions survey. Let’s see what they had to say:

1. What is your favorite album?

TEEN: Voodoo by D’angelo.

2. What is your least favorite song?

“American Pie” and “Hotel California”

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Touring

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

If we hated it we wouldn’t be doing it, but we hate hanging out with each other

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Sugar and wine and weed and whippets

6. What city or town do you love performing at?

After Omaha, Salt Lake City is pretty cool

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Frankfurt – We played in an car dealership district, ate weird Chinese food and no one was there. But the two people who were bought records!

8. How do you pay your bills?  

Ha ha

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Lizzie: attempt-veterinarian, hate-accountant.

Boshra: attempt-microbiologist, hate-food court janitor (which she’s done before).

Katherine: attempt-professional dancer, hate-hostess.

Teeny: attempt-chef, hate-sales rep.

10. Have you been to Omaha before, and what are your impressions (or preconceived notions) of the city?

Yes! We think of wheat fields and Elliot Smith… We haven’t spent that much time in the city so we’re excited to come back and see more!

TEEN plays Thursday, March 31, at O’Leaver’s, 1322 S Saddle Creek Rd. Opening is Naytronix (member of tUnE-yArDs) and Icewater. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $8. For more information, visit liveatoleavers.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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Operators’ Dan Boeckner. Photo by Liam Maloney.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Don’t overthink Operators, the band playing Wednesday night at Reverb Lounge. Their glowing synth music is pure dance rock that recalls all the usual suspects: Depeche Mode, New Order, Psychedelic Furs, Oingo Boingo, Future Islands, Friendly Fires, Big Black Delta, you get the drift. This is full-on strut rock at its finest

Operators is helmed by Dan Boeckner, who you might remember from Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs and Divine Fits.  His new trio includes drummer Sam Brown (New Bomb Turks, Divine Fits) and synthmaster Devojka, who (along with Boeckner) provides all those glowing dance tones. Those looking for local comparisons, Boeckner’s vocals have always reminded me of Eli Mardock’s (or Mardock’s reminded me of Boeckner’s), while the music has the same acid-buzz that Icky Blossoms’ fans will recognize (and love).

When it came time to make their debut full length, Blue Wave (out this Friday on Last Gang Records), the band brought in the big guns in the form of producer Graham Walsh, who’s worked with METZ, Alvvays and Viet Cong, among others. The record is an uplifting rock album that as a whole recalls classic ’80s good-time new wave dance music as embraceable as your favorite John Hughes movie.

We asked Boeckner to do our Ten Questions, and he responded with gusto.

1. What is your favorite album?

Dan Boeckner: Right now it’s:

(chronologically)
Sister – Sonic Youth
New Plastic Ideas – Unwound
Roots Manuva – Brand New Second Hand
London Zoo – The Bug
Laurel Halo – Quarantine
Not Waving – Animals
The Body – No One Deserves Happiness

2. What is your least favorite song?

Right now they’re:

“When I’m 64” – The Beatles.  Awful.  Just awful.

“Blood On The Leaves” – Kanye.  Kanye takes one of the most brutally effective, devastating,  righteous political songs ever written (Strange Fruit)…and turns in into an allegory for not wanting to pay alimony.   And something about courtside seats.

“Sexy Mexican Maid” – Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Weapons grade bad.  The ’90s were a time where you could spot weld casual racism to ham-fisted tuneless funk metal and be applauded for it.  Here, look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEf_Wfqou3I

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Playing shows and the ability to travel.  Playing shows because, it’s a transcendent experience.  I’m not a spiritual guy but…being onstage and playing music, transmitting something to an audience, having that catharsis…that’s a blessing.  It’s a lucky thing to get to do.  Travel because I grew up in a tiny, rural town in Canada in a low income family and had no real prospects for getting to see the world.  I could read about it and look at it but it was unavailable to me.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Any time I feel like being in a band is a burden I think about playing shows, the fact that I get to travel and the fact I’m not telemarketing or working demolition or being a line cook and those feelings just…melt away.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Coffee

6. What city or town do you love performing at?

Belgrade, Serbia.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Probably Kaunas, Lithuania.   I played a Russian owned mafia club.  Halfway through the set, the security tasered a guy for dancing and threw him down a flight of stairs.  After the set was over, the promoter leapt onstage and gave a 5 minute speech in Russian and Lithuanian, the main theme being: the band would play his favorite song.  We did not know how to play his favorite song.  He like…kind of sprung that on us.  So: he kept us onstage and encouraged us to MIME that song while the mobbed up club “investors” got drunker and angrier.  Later in the evening he got apocalyptically wasted in my hotel room and told me how when he was in the Soviet Navy he almost died in a nuclear submarine accident.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d probably be doing journalism or working for a foreign intelligence agency.  Hate to do: my old job working for a pharmaceutical company.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

The one about radioactive “Fukushima” bees.

The one about the salt witch.

The one about the creek named after the guy who was skinned alive for murder

The one about the devil worshipping sex cult that turned out to be about embezzlement

The one about how tackling Steven Malkmus of Pavement mid set at Slowdown while you’re wearing a “Tricerasquatch” (Sasquatch body-Triceratops head) costume will only make him pissy and not just laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation and then high five you like you thought it would.

Operators plays Wednesday, March 30, with opener Bogan Via at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $10 Adv./$12 DOS. For more information, visit onepercentproductions.com.

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Those Far Out Arrows at O’Leaver’s, March 26, 2016.

The mob couldn’t have been more crushing than Saturday night at O’Leaver’s for Those Far Out Arrows’ record release party. It was hard just to find a place to stand.

Despite the SRO pressure, the band reproduced all the subtle touches heard on their new record, right down to the whistle intro on “Fantasizing Lover.” The trio’s sound centers on the brothers Keelan-White — one on drums, the other on guitar. Evan seemed to have the leads most often (brother Ben was mostly on drums), while Jon Oschner provided the groovy bass. They unapologetically cross ’60s British psychedelic with Bowery proto-punk a la Velvet Underground.

I guess you could call it retro in as much as Burger Records garage rock is retro, though TFOAs feels more authentic and structured than most modern-day low-fi fuzz rock. The record is definitely worth finding (Almost Music is your best bet).

The trio’s gritty psych-rock was dulcet tones compared to the band that proceeded it. Dead Flower Preservation Club Band consisted of three or four musicians — I couldn’t see how many were on stage from my perch way in back of the club — that played loud, bleating waves of dense noise. Feedback, guitar, drums and synths created a cacophony of harsh sound that can only be described as a symphony of chaos.

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Yet another big show tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s when Mamiffer comes to town. The duo  of Faith Coloccia and Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Hydra Head Industries) bring the heavy. Opening is Downtrod, Bus Gas and CBN. $7, 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.

Alexa Dexa plays House of Loom Wednesday, March 23.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

New Yorker Alexa Dexa, who plays a free concert tomorrow night (March 23) at House of Loom, coined the term “toychestral electronic pop” to describe her avant-art music played on a toy baby grand piano, desk bells, alarm clock and iPhone (playing pre-recorded beats). Add to that her swoony, bluesy voice and you’ve got an altogether unique musical / performance art experience with the charm of early Purity Ring or Bjork crossed with Philip Glass but played on tiny toy instruments.

This must be seen to be believed.

We asked Alexa to answer our Ten Questions. Here’s what she had to say:

1. What is your favorite album?

Alexa Dexa: Probably my favorite record to listen to is Peter and The Wolf. Prokofiev is a master!

2. What is your least favorite song?

I’m not a huge fan of commercial pop songs. I think most of them are too sterile both musically and lyrically.

3. What do you enjoy most about performing?

My favorite part of performing is having the opportunity to connect with people. To share my story and then listen to the stories of others who came to hear me. It’s a beautiful exchange.

4. What do you hate about performing?

I hate all the work it takes behind the scenes to plan a performance – I certainly can’t romanticize sending countless emails into the Internet void knowing only a handful will contact me back and an even smaller percentage will be interested. I love when I’m lucky enough to stumble on a venue like House of Loom where there’s a clear reciprocal interest in the event and I’m given a generous helping hand in putting the show together!

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

I feel like my number one definitely has to go to water. I don’t think I’m going anywhere without that! Recently I got an inhaler for a brutal chest cold. That was pretty stellar to be able to breathe easily again after so much constriction. Kind of like putting glasses on for the first time when you start needing them. I love glasses too.

6. What city or town do you love performing at?

There are a few! Detroit is absolutely teeming with friendly and creative people. So are Houston, Memphis and Charlotte! I find that these cities are always ultra welcoming to me and genuinely focused on music as an art-form to facilitate building community. That’s a big deal for me. I always want to perform for and with people that are in it for the quality of the music and for creating lasting friendships instead of playing into the industry’s mandate that music is only as valuable as the big money or big connections backing an artist.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

My worst gig to date was in Austin, TX. The sound engineer who was also the owner of the venue I was playing was out of his mind with rage (and allegedly crack) because he couldn’t find the stage plot I had sent him a month earlier. He almost cancelled my show during the hour-long sound check he insisted on giving me because I tried to show him how I mic my toy piano and desk bells. A regular sound check for me takes like 10 minutes. My set up is just 2 mics and a 1/4 inch cable. Nothing complicated. Anyway after playing the show (which I should have just refused to play at the first sign of inappropriate behavior) I left behind my favorite Native American turquoise necklace. I came back for it 20 minutes later and it was cracked in half.

8. How do you pay your bills?

I teach music lessons through Skype and at some music stores on Long Island when I’m not on tour. Royalties for my performances and CD sales help quite a bit too!

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I’ve been thinking about this lately actually! I’m pretty sure I’d make a rad travel agent since I spend so much time touring and organizing my own national and international music-related travel. I have a few itineraries that I’m sure some people would enjoy! I also have the know-how on budget travel. Lots of tips! As for what I would absolutely hate: I have an aversion to being stuck in front of a computer screen doing mindless tasks all day and to routines that don’t allow for educational/creative/personal growth. Any 9-5 data entry type position that doesn’t require much intricate thought or involvement is sure to lose my interest and commitment pretty quickly.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

One of my favorite professors at Berklee College of Music (and an incredible composer at that) named Marti Epstein is from Nebraska. I remember her once telling our class how proud she is of being from the area! Honestly, I’m excited to have my own stories come March 23rd!

Alexa Dexa plays Wednesday, March 23, at House of Loom, 1012 So. 10th St. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Admission is FREE. For more information, visit houseofloom.com.

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Just to make it perfectly clear, the Alexa Dexa show is tomorrow night, March 23. I post Ten Questions interviews a day or so prior to the actual events, so you have time to contemplate and make room in your busy schedules to attend. We’ve got a quite a few more Ten Questions going online in the coming weeks…

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Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s Leonia, New Jersey grunge/surf band Darkwing with Pioneer Moxie and Gallivant. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, They Might Be Giants returns to The Slowdown tonight for a sold out show.  Starts at 8 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.

Wild Powwers play Friday night at O’Leaver’s

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I get a lot of requests from bands coming through town to do interviews for Lazy-i and The Reader. No surprise there. How else are they — unknown quantities traveling through a maze-like network of faceless towns— going to get people to come to their shows? Any buzz — no matter how little — is better than no buzz.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to interview all these bands. I simply don’t have the time or resources, especially considering the money I get for writing for Lazy-i and The Reader. Still, I want to be helpful, which is why I came up with Ten Questions.

Actually, it was Bernard Pivot who came up with the idea for the French series Bouillon de Culture. James Lipton stole the questions and uses them to close out each episode of TV show Inside the Actors Studio. And I stole the idea from Lipton, changing the questions so they have a music spin. The 10 questions will be the same for all the bands and performers, though I might adapt and/or change a few if I can come up with something better.

The first band to take the plunge is Seattle band Wild Powwers, who are playing at fabulous O’Leaver’s this Friday night. The trio of guitarist/vocalist Lara Hilgeman, drummer/vocalist Lupe Flores and bassist/vocalist Jordan (JoJo) Gomes wholly embrace the “grunge” label, though their sound more closely resembles modern-day bands like Dilly Dally (Who sounds like Hole to me, so yeah, I guess there is a grunge connection).

Their new album, Hugs and Kisses and Other Things (linked below), comes out this month and is a real grinder — towering guitar lines and soaring vocals that reflect the musical heritage of the Pacific Northwest city they call home. Actually, the more I listen to this album the more I hear Seattle influences from Temple of the Dog to Screaming Trees.

To me, grunge was a throwback genre coming out of the mid-’80s post-punk/new wave/hair metal era, grunge brought back big guitars and heavy rhythm sections. Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam were repackaged ’70s heavy metal. Somehow Nirvana got roped in with the label, though (to me) they weren’t grunge. These guys are. If you’re a fan of the kind of music heard on the Singles soundtrack, you’re going to love Wild Powwers.

So without further ado, here are the Ten Questions:

1. What is your favorite album?

Lupe: Exile on Main St
Lara: The Man Who Sold The World
Jojo: Right now I’m listening the most to Dilly Dally’s Sore

2. What is your least favorite song?

“Hotel California” and anything by Mackelmore

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Getting to write sweet rock ‘n’ roll with your friends and touring.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Not being able to do it full time.

5. What is your favorite substance?

I mean, tequila.

6. What city or town do you love performing at?

Anywhere, all the time.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig?

Eugene, OR

8. How do you pay your bills?

We all work at the same bar — Hattie’s Hat — the best bar in the world.  We slang dranks and snacks.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Lara: Illustration. I would hate to be a telemarketer.

Lupe: Deep sea diver; insurance salesman

Jojo: Dog walker; janitor at a strip club.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

Have fun. Making music isn’t about getting attention or being the coolest person in the room. Making music is about putting all you are into something you believe in and loving it despite the fact that people may not care, or listen. Have fun with your friends.

Wild Powwers plays with Bien Fang and Low Long Signal Friday, March 4, at O’Leaver’s, 1322 Saddle Creek Rd. Showtime is 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, visit liveatoleavers.com.

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Austin-based modern-day shoe-gazers Ringo Deathstarr headlines tonight at Reverb Lounge. Their latest album, Pure Mood, came out this past November. Noise-rock band Future Death opens. $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.