by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Yesterday, Saddle Creek Records released a previously unreleased song included on the upcoming deluxe reissue of The Faint’s Blank-Wave Arcade.  “Brokers, Priests & Analysts” is a proggy howler that fits right in with the rest of the album and will be a blast to see performed live if you were smart enough to buy tickets to the April 3 Omaha show before it SOLD OUT. 

The Faint also shared a remastered version of “Worked Up So Sexual” that jumps right out of your headphones.

The reissues of Blank-Wave Arcade and Wet From Birth drop March 14 via Saddle Creek. Preorder yours here. 

What isn’t sold out is next Monday’s Molchat Doma show at Steelhouse Omaha. The tour has sold out large rooms in Minneapolis, Seattle and Los Angeles, but tickets are still available to the Omaha show. Don’t miss out…

Opening is the always fun Sextile, who today dropped the first single from Yes, Please, their new album which drops May 2 via Sacred Bones. It’s another of their classic dance floor ravers. 

* * *

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

Well, I waited too long and didn’t get my ticket to The Faint show April 3 at The Waiting Room, and lo and behold, it’s now SOLD OUT according to the 1% Productions website. 

It’s a reminder to get advanced tickets to shows you REALLY want to see (even though they cost more than walk-up tickets when you factor in the fees). I’ll be buying my ticket to the April 14 Bob Mould/Craig Finn show today. 

Speaking of shows, here’s the latest calendar of upcoming touring indie shows headed our way. Let me know if I’m missing anything. 

• – Michigan Rattlers, Feb. 18 at The Slowdown
• – The Get Up Kids, Feb. 21 at The Waiting Room
• – Molchat Doma / Sextile, Feb. 24 at Steelhouse
• – Buffchick, March 3 at Reverb
• – Jason Anderson, March 9 at Pageturners
• – Lesser Care, March 16 at Reverb
• – The Velveteers, March 27 at The Slowdown
• – The Faint, April 3 at The Waiting Room -SOLD OUT
• – Marlon Funkai, April 3 at Reverb
• – Jack White, April 5 at Steelhouse
• – Lady Lamb, April 7 at Reverb
• – Bob Mould Band, Craig Finn, April 14 at The Waiting Room 
• – MSSV, April 21 at Reverb
• – Cryogeyser, April 25 at Reverb
• – Vazum, April 25 at The Sydney
• – Ty Segall solo April 26 at Scottish Rite
• – 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
• – 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
• – Holy Fawn, June 25 at Reverb

* * *

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

Our hometown label, Saddle Creek Records, continues to honor its past with glorious reissues. This time it’s The Faint, who will see “deluxe” reissues of 1999’s Blank Wave Arcade and 2004’s Wet From Birth. Both will drop on March 14. 

As part of the announcement, the band dropped a previously unreleased track today from the Wet From Birth Deluxe reissue, “Zealots (Unrealized).” The preorder links are live but still not active at the Saddle Creek website. That’ll change once they wake up on the West Coast. 

Saddle Creek has already done super-nice deluxe reissues of 2001’s Danse Macabre and 2014’s Doom Abuse, both of which are still available for purchase at the Saddle Creek online store. 

In addition, the band announced a U.S. Tour that takes them to The Waiting Room April 3!

. 0 0 0 . 

Lots of new music being announced recently. A couple standouts: 

Los Angeles band Dutch Interior announced their forthcoming Fat Possum debut, Moneyball, out March 21. The band has a ‘90s Pavement indie rock vibe. Check out the first single, “Fourth Street,” below. They’re playing at this year’s South By Southwest Festival followed by a mainly West Coast tour that takes them nowhere near us. 

Last week Craig Finn of The Hold Steady released a new single from his forthcoming album Always Been (Tamarac/Thirty Tigers), which drops April 4. The LP includes performances from Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs, who produced the album. Finn opens for Bob Mould April 14 at The Waiting Room, a show  I have no doubt will sell out in advance. 

Speaking of upcoming shows, here’s the latest schedule of indie bands making tour stops in Omaha. Plan accordingly.  

• – Pile, January 28 at The Slowdown
• – Guster, Feb. 5 at The Admiral
• – Real Estate, Feb. 6 at The Waiting Room
• – Benjamin Booker, Feb. 15 at Reverb
• – Michigan Rattlers, Feb. 18 at The Slowdown
• – The Get Up Kids, Feb. 21 at The Waiting Room
• – Molchat Doma / Sextile, Feb. 24 at Steelhouse
• – Buffchick, March 3 at Reverb
• – Lesser Care, March 16 at Reverb
• – The Velveteers, March 27 at The Slowdown
• – The Faint, April 3 at The Waiting Room
• – Marlon Funkai, April 3 at Reverb
• – Jack White, April 5 at Steelhouse
• – Lady Lamb, April 7 at Reverb
• – Bob Mould Band, Craig Finn, April 14 at The Waiting Room 
• – MSSV, April 21 at Reverb
• – Ty Segall solo April 26 at Scottish Rite
• – Nada Surf, April 30 at The Waiting Room
• – Future Islands, May 7 at The Admiral
• – Being Dead, May 13 at Reverb
• – Spellling, May 15 at The Waiting Room
• – Friko, May 20 at Reverb
• – Southern Culture on the Skids, May 27 at Waiting Room
• – Samantha Crain, June 17 at Reverb

What am I missing? Put it in the comments section. 

Tonight at The Slowdown, its Pile with PROBLEMS and Cope Acidic. I previewed the show right here last week. $20, 8 p.m., this is a front room show. See you there.

* * *

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

I’m listening to my copy of For Against’s 1988 album In the Marshes this morning as I pass along this unfortunate news…

A GoFundMe campaign has been organized for For Against frontman/bassist Jeff Runnings to support his battle with cancer. Jeff’s diagnosis of Stage 4 Cancer was a gut-punch for me and anyone who knows him and his husband, Sean. Donations of any size will directly fund Jeff’s medical expenses, support his daily care needs, and allow him and his family to focus on his recovery with less financial stress. 

Click into the GFM and do what you can. No doubt it’ll be a tough fight, but we all know Jeff will beat this. 

. 0 0 0 . 

The fine folks at Boing Boing – specifically LA-based writer/educator Lee Keeler — just published an interview with The Faint’s Todd Fink upon the 25-year anniversary of the release of Blank Wave Arcade. 

Todd talks about the old days and how the record and their sound came about. He also passed along news that The Faint are planning a rerelease of Blank Wave Arcade that will include tracks from their infamous Blank Wave Arcade Remixes limited edition picture disc. Check out the interview here. 

. 0 0 0 . 

Tonight at Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple St.) Michael Trenhaile’s new musical project, The Aphasias, is performing. Trenhaile is a local artist and lifelong musician, whose past projects include Body of Souls, Worm Trouble and most recently, The Doneofit. Those who attend this free event also will get a sneak peek at Friday night’s opening of The Jenowe Show. 6 p.m. 

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Cursive dropped a new video yesterday for the song “Botch Job,” a track off their upcoming album, Devourer, which comes out Sept. 13 on Run for Cover Records. Local boy Tony Bonacci was the cinematographer for the video, directed by Travis Stevens. Jim Johnson (of 1% and The Admiral Theater) and Django Greenblatt-Seay (of Love Drunk fame) also are listed in the video’s credits. 

This song and the entire album is a return to old-school Cursive and I would love to see the band play the entire record in order during their upcoming shows at The Waiting Room Oct. 18 (w/Little Brazil) and 19 (w/Criteria). Gladie also opens both shows.

. 0 0 0 . 

Also thought I’d mention that Cursive’s former record label, Saddle Creek Records, just announced that it’s reissuing on vinyl Eric Bachmann’s solo album, To the Races, on Aug. 9. The album was originally released in August 2006 and was one of my faves that year. Bachmann mentioned the reissue at his recent Ming Toy Gallery concert, but said to keep it secret until the label announcement (I’m not sure why). Preorder here.

BTW, we’ve got another concert coming up at Ming Toy Gallery in September. More info on that one soon…

. 0 0 0 . 

Speaking of Saddle Creek reissues, our hometown label also announced it’s rereleasing on vinyl two classic albums by The Faint – 2008’s Fasciinatiion (originally released on the band’s blank.wav imprint) and 2014’s Doom Abuse (originally released by SQE Music). The drop date is Aug. 16. This brings all of The Faint’s releases back into the Saddle Creek fold. Order your copies here.

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Apologies for the lack of updates. Lazy-i is updating its back office software, so some things are moving around that, if done properly, you shouldn’t notice. Let me know if you do. 

. 0 0 0 .

Local heroes The Faint have been added to the Just Like Heaven Festival May 13 in Pasadena. Rolling Stone said the third-annual one-day festival brings together “fan-favorite indie rock and electro-dance artists.” Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the headliners and top billed include MGMT, Future Islands, and M83. The Faint is listed in the smaller type, but they’re there. This is the first we’ve heard from the band in a few years, with frontman Todd Baechle living somewhere in the California desert near Thousand Palms, California. It’ll be a return engagement for The Faint, who played at the first Just Like Heaven fest back in 2019. 

Will this be a one-off show for The Faint? I highly doubt it. Keep your eyes peeled. 

. 0 0 0 .

Since I’ve been remiss in posting, here are a few things that have been dangling in my in-box this week.

Singer/songwriter Stathi dropped a new track recently called “Make Sense, Make Amends.” Says Stathi: “I collaborated with a friend of mine in NYC and producer Emmett Folger on this one, and we recorded the tune at his studio in Brooklyn. We played all of the instruments between the two of us and I recorded all of the vocals with the exception of the vocal samples that are laced into the song.” Check it out and watch for a new demos release from Stathi in the coming weeks.

Omaha power pop act Names Without Numbers dropped a new single called “Florida.” Says NWN’s Dave Owens: “We plan to release 1-2 more singles and then an EP in spring. We already have studio time booked in May to record another collection of songs and hope for a late 2023 release. Then on top of that, it is the 20-year anniversary of our first LP, Running Marathons/Chasing Ambulances. We’ll have a full remastered re-release with vinyl and other goodies later this year via Steadfast Records.”

Cleveland’s Steadfast Records counts The Appleseed Caste and Unwed Sailor among its roster. Check out the single below:

. 0 0 0 . 

Actually, another reason for lack of updates has been the lack of shows. This weekend is no exception. 

Only one show is on the radar — that bondage-loving EDM-powered, Lincoln-based, leather-gimp Plack Blague is playing an afternoon show at Reverb Lounge Sunday. You read that right – a matinee. Joining him is the rising local electronic music artist Jeff in Leather and Gore-TXT doing a DJ set. .No idea why the afternoon scheduling as there’s nothing else on the Reverb schedule that day. So… experiment? $10, 3 p.m. It’s as good a reason as any to do some day drinking.

And believe it or not, that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Jacob Thiele died yesterday. I only knew him through his music with The Faint, and seeing him perform. Jacob was the guy behind the keyboard who danced so well, or more accurately, moved so well. He looked like a rock star on stage and off.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jacob a number of times over the years. I only talked to him once outside of an interview setting. It was one of those O’Leaver’s nights. I don’t remember who was playing, but it was probably Icky Blossoms. I’d gotten there a little early and sat alone at the corner of the bar right when you come into the club. Despite years of going to shows alone, I still can feel like a loser alone in a bar, and was trying to look like I didn’t care, watching whatever was on the TV above the bar.

Jacob plopped down in the stool right next to me and we started having a conversation as if we’d known each other for years, which in a strange way, we had. We talked about music, people we both knew. As others came in they said hello to both of us. Man, he knew a lot of people. When the first band started playing, he slipped away and I didn’t see him the rest of the night. I think that was the last time I saw him at a show.

Thiele would end up being replaced in The Faint in the summer of 2015 for reasons that were never discussed but were whispered about. He was a talented guy. The quality of his work with The Faint and other bands cannot be overstated. He will be missed by friends and family, but also by a music community he helped build.

* * *
There are a few shows happening this weekend.

There’s a nice rock show tonight at Dr. Jack’s Drinkery, 3012 No. 102nd St. (the old Brass Knocker) featuring Omaha-by-way-of-LA Spanish-language punk rockers Las Cruxes, Matt Whipkey’s poli-punk project Unexplained Death and Low Long Signal. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight you’ll get a chance to hear that Death Cow music I wrote about yesterday as the Lincoln band is playing at Midtown Art Supply, 2578 Harney St., with Garst and Jocko. 8 p.m., $5.

I don’t see any Omaha shows on Saturday. So I guess it’s off to Lincoln for the 15th anniversary of Lincoln Exposed — 115 bands over four days across four Lincoln venues for just $25 for a full-festival-access pass. It’s all weekend long. See the best talent Lincoln has to offer. The full line-up is online right here.

Finally, funny little show going on at Reverb Lounge Sunday night. One of Omaha’s earliest indie bands, The Normandy Invasion, is having a reunion show. The band formed in ’75 and recorded their first single/EP in 1981, “Ain’t no Rock ‘n’ Roll in Russia,” eventually renamed “Ain’t no Rock ‘n’ Roll in Baghdad.” They always only played originals, and that’s still their game. Early 6 p.m. show, $5.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Holy smokes, it’s an indie rock weekend!

It starts tonight at The Waiting Room where The Faint begin a two-night tour of duty. The band is on the road supporting Egowerk, the new release and a return to Saddle Creek Records.

Expect a mostly retrospective set, if the set list from the May 18 show in Seattle is any indication, where they played only one song off the new album? That can’t be right, can it? I guess we’ll find out tonight and tomorrow night.

I’m assuming Closeness will open the show for what will likely be the last time they play in Omaha for a long while due to Todd and Orenda Fink moving out west a few months ago. DAIS Recording artist Choir Boy has the center slot. What I’ve heard off their last album Passive with Desire, sounds like laid-back, synth-driven Bryan Ferry.

Saturday night’s Faint show, also at The Waiting Room, has the same line-up. Tickets are still available for both shows for $25. Start time is 8 p.m.

Also happening tonight, Chase the Ghost plays at fabulous O’Leaver’s with La Te Da and Jeremy Mercy. No price shown, but probably $5 and it probably starts at 10 p.m.

That brings us to Saturday and Cursive at Winchester Bar & Grill. You read my interview with Tim Kasher yesterday (and if you didn’t, go do it now). Here’s the set list from their May 20 show in Richmond. Seems like I remember hearing capacity at Winchester is north of 200. The venue is about twice the size of O’Leaver’s, but it’s still pretty small for a gig like this. Especially with openers mewithoutYou and The Appleseed Cast. This is the last gig on this tour, so expect fireworks.

Believe it or not, $22 tickets are still available. THIS ONE”S sold out. Don’t sleep on this one. Start time is 8 p.m.

O’Leaver’s will be limping along Saturday night with Wichita power-pop band Kill Vargas, Seymour and Garst. $5, 8 p.m.

Finally, Sunday night Sebadoh returns to Reverb Lounge. Who remembers when the band played the room’s grand opening? It was a comedy of errors that the band suffered through with good humor. In addition to a battery of sound issues, frontman Lou Barlow was suffering a painful toothache. Still, it was a pretty good set.

Opening is NYC punk band Flower (Simple Machines Records). Their bio: “Flower is a post-punk noise/pop band from NYC formed in 1986 featuring later members of Versus, French, and Cell. Flower was a staple of the NYC underground scene carved out by Sonic Youth, Live Skull, Swans, etc, utilizing the noise element of the aforementioned artists to deepen the textures of more classically oriented pop/rock songs. They continue to perform and record today.“

$25, 8 p.m. Tickets are still available.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you at the clubs.

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Faint’s new album Egowerk (2019, Saddle Creek) came out last Friday and the reviews are already coming in.

AllMusic.com, the longest-running online music reviews website (and about the best place to find data about a disc, along with Discogs), gave the record 3 1/2 stars. Their conclusion:

“Todd Fink has never been a particularly emotive singer, but his detached croon and dystopian lyrics lend a verisimilitude to the retro feel of the 11-track set. Simultaneously laconic and engaged, his presence — like the LP itself — feels spectral; the last being standing amidst an empty room filled only with decibels and discarded glow-sticks and wrist-bands.”

OK then.

Pitchfork was more pointed and, at the same time, more complimentary, giving the album a middling 6.5 rating. Their conclusion:

“Toward the end of Egowerk the songs grow thinner and more obvious in their ’80s references. Gary Numan synths flutter over the four-on-the-floor electro-funk of ‘Young & Realistic,’ the album’s most faithful callback of the Danse Macabre days, while ‘Automaton’ robot dances the record to the finish line with no particular ambition to awe. A little bit of the Faint goes a long way, but as long as there’s technological angst — and it’s impossible to imagine a time when there won’t be — there’s always going to some life left in this sound.”

Pitchfork has never been big fans of the Faint. Egowerk is the highest-rated Faint record at Pitchfork since Dance Macabre scored a massive 7.8 way back in 2001.

More to come.

* * *

Virtuoso guitarist Dick Dale passed away over the weekend at the age of 81. Dale made Nebraska a regular tour stop in the latter years of his career. I got the chance to interview him way back in ’98 and he was as boisterous with his words as he was with his guitar.

Here, he recounts being approached by Quentin Tarantino about the use of his masterpiece, “Misirlou,” in the classic Pulp Fiction:

“Quentin makes movies from the energy of songs. He said, ‘I’m one of your biggest fans.’ He said, ‘Misirlou is a masterpiece. I would love to have your permission to make a movie that will be a masterpiece that will complement the masterpiece of Misirlou.’ I knew when he did Reservoir Dogs and the shit he had to go through that he was no bullshitter. I’m a very good judge of character.”

And here is as good an epitaph as you’ll likely find. From the article:

“I don’t play pyrotechnic scales. I play about frustration, patience, anger. Music is an extension of my soul. If you go to a Dick Dale concert you’ll see skinheads, tattoos, androgynous people, tribes of all the lands, college professors… That’s where typical musicians fail — they try to show off and play more technical to impress other musicians. But I’m playing for the people who are working for $3.50 an hour, the carpenters, the ditch diggers, the grass-roots people.”

RIP, Mr. Dale.

* * *

Tonight, D.C. slacker rockers BRNDA play at The Brothers Lounge. The four-piece has a pretty cool Pavement-esque indie pop sound. Dig. Opening is our very own Thick Paint, who will be rolling out some new tunes as they kick off a tour with Delicate Steve, who ain’t playing tonight. Who is playing tonight is Nathan Ma Band. All this for a mere $5. 9 p.m.

Check out the new Thick Paint track! Hey Graham, who’s putting out the new record?

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here yesterday I said indie music is on the wane in Omaha (and it is) and today we have three big concerts announced.

The first is Better Oblivion Community Center — the new project featuring Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers — announced they’re playing at The Slowdown March 21 with Lala Lala and Christian Lee Hutson. Tickets, which are $25, go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. This will sell out.

Check out the new BOCC video that dropped today, directed by Japanese Breakfast:

The other big announcement is that The Faint and Closeness are playing at The Waiting Room May 24 and 25. Choirboy also is on the bill. Tickets for this one also go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. These will sell out as well.

And maybe the biggest announcement of all…

This Saturday Almost Music and Solid Jackson in the Blackstone District are hosting a concert from 4 p.m. until whenever in honor of them closing their doors. They’re going out of business, folks. If you’re looking for bargains, better get there now. When I stepped into the shop last Saturday all vinyl was 50 percent off.

The line-up for Saturday’s going-out-of-business concert:

Bad Actors (first show): 4:15-5:00
Eric in Outerspace: 5:15-6:00
Kyle Jessen: 6:00-6:45
Putter & Co.: 6:45-7:30
Little Ripple: 7:30-8:15
Pagan Athletes: 8:15-9:00
Wagon Blasters: 9:00-9:45
Houma: 9:45-10:30
Conny Franko: 10:30-11:15
BIB: 11:15-midnight

Donations are welcomed; it’s BYOB; and Nite Owl is preparing “special punch” for the occasion. It’s free so this one won’t sell out but it’ll definitely be SRO. Come say goodbye to a local hero.

* * *

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.