#BFF, Uh Oh, Estrogen Projection tonight; Clarence Tilton, GoodView Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 8:39 am March 1, 2024

Kim Darling’s “Unleashed” opens tonight at Ming Toy Gallery as part of #BFF.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Before we get to the limited offerings of indie music this week, a quick reminder that it’s the first Friday of the month and that means Benson First Friday (#BFF) is in effect tonight up and down Maple Street. Check out art from local artists in venues throughout Benson, including at the Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., where tonight we’ll be celebrating an opening and installation by artist Kim Darling called “Unleashed.”  The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by and say hi!

As part of #BFF, a new gallery venue, called Floors Floors Floors at 7052 Maple St., is hosting five artists and two bands – Uh Oh and Estrogen Projection. This appears to be the old David’s Flooring place on the north side of Maple before you get into Benson proper driving east. Anyway, bands start at 8:30 and admission is free.

It’s also Bandcamp Friday, which means if you buy your music from Bandcamp today the website will waive its fees and pass all the cash to the artists. Do it!

Saturday night, Omaha’s alt country mavericks Clarence Tilton headlines at Slowdown Jr. Joining them is the elusive B.B. Sledge (“elusive” in that I keep missing these folks when they play). $15, 8 p.m. 

Also Saturday night, “Spacerock” trio GoodView celebrates their album release at fabulous O’Leaver’s. The band Wedding opens the show at 9 p.m. and this one also is absolutely free. 

Finally, The Sydney in Benson has Jeff in Leather Saturday night with Teetah and Ladie Muerte. $10, 9 p.m. 

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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

The Astro finally opens, Hiss Golden Messenger, BFF tonight; Uh Oh album release Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 10:32 am December 1, 2023
The Astro in La Vista celebrates its grand opening tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The long-awaited grand opening of the new Astro Theater music venue in La Vista finally arrives tonight featuring the craptacular Blue October followed by a performance tomorrow night from 67-year-old country rocker Chris Isaak. The Astro was supposed to open weeks ago; the opening was pushed back due to “construction delays.” I’d love to see the inside of this facility, but judging by the kind of acts being booked there, it seems unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future. 

Of the 16 shows booked through next September at the theater and its connected amphitheater, only geriatric Porno for Pyros comes vaguely close to the kind of band that I cover here at Lazy-i. No surprise there, based on this interview with booker Mammoth Productions.

So now we watch as The Astro competes head-to-head with Steelhouse Omaha for the exact same audience. The venues have similar booking philosophies and capacities, though Astro has that big outdoor space. Steelhouse, booked exclusively by the evil Live Nation, would seem to have an edge, but judging by what they’ve done since opening this past May, maybe not. They hosted Bush last night, but have only two shows scheduled for December, and two shows for January. No doubt they’d blame the time of year for the lack of bookings, but come on, it’s a 100+ million dollar investment that is sitting mostly unused. 

Like I said in this column in the now-defunct Reader in August, while The Astro and Steelhouse no doubt will pull in all kinds of pop, country, metal and comedy acts, these huge facilities serve no purpose for the kind of young indie bands that made Omaha famous 20 years ago — bands that draw only a few hundred rather than a few thousand concertgoers.

. O O O .

OK, so what else is going on this weekend?

Top of the list is Merge Recording artist Hiss Golden Messenger headlining at The Waiting Room tonight. The North Carolina twang-infused folk-rock band is led by singer/songwriter MC Taylor. Kind of reminds me of Wilco; if you’re into that sort of folk-Americana music, this is for you. Adeem the Artist opens at 8 p.m. $31.

It’ll be crowded in Benson tonight as it’s Benson First Friday, which means original local art will be hung at openings being held up and down Maple Street. Among them is the December Invitational Opening at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street (right next to Au Courant). Among the artists being shown are Josh Audiss, Shelby Audiss, Nash Bellows, Jon Bleicher, Mari Dailey, Mark Davis, Ashley DeVrieze, Lori Elliott-Bartle, GBM artists. Amy Haney. Judy Haney. Jamie Heidvogel, Vickie E. Hughes, Josephine Langbehn, Jeanne C. Langan, Chad Leahy, Emily McQueen, John Munoz, Gabriella Quiroz, Jill Rizzo, Brock Stillmunks, John Stillmunks, Anna Stoysich, Howard Thiel, Terrol Thompson, Michael Trenhaile and Grace Weihs. Whew!

The show runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come on by and say hi! More info here.

And…it’s also another Bandcamp Friday, which means now is a best time to buy and download those albums you’ve been wanting to buy and download, as Bandcamp will waive their fees today and give it all to the artists!

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Uh Oh hosts the album release show for their year-long Cicada Songs project at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them is White Wolf T-shirt and The Content. It’s a free show so why not swing by Bandcamp right now and buy a copy of their record? Bands start at 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, local alt rockers Names Without Numbers celebrates the 20th anniversary of Running Marathons/Chasing Ambulances at Reverb Lounge, with Beachmont and Better in Eleven. $13, 8 p.m. 

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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Live Review: Mitch Gettman, Little Bo Bash…

Category: Reviews — Tags: , , — @ 6:56 am September 18, 2023

Mitch Gettman at The Slowdown, Sept. 16, 2023.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mitch Gettman and his band played most (but not all) of his new double-CD Tilde to a crowd of less than 100 Saturday night at The Slowdown. He kicked off the set with Track 1 from CD 1, “Someday,” and then went right into Track 2, “PS,” and so on, but eventually changed it up. In the end, he didn’t play it all but did play all my favorites from the 90-minute audio tome.

Backed by a rhythm section of bassist Kevin Sullivan and drummer Adam Stoltenberg (who also co-produced the album), along with a guitarist whose name I didn’t catch, Gettman filled out the dense sound heard on the record playing either keyboards or guitar (using a repeater pedal to give him even more coverage). He seemed at times to be a reluctant frontman, as if he didn’t want to get in the way of his own songs. This makes for an enigmatic performance, with Gettman looking focused, earnest, not wanting to miss a single note (which he didn’t). 

I guess you’d call it a tight performance. He did loosen up on his R&B send-up, “Adore You,” which included some righteous rapping and a rhythm that got the crowd moving. Not one of my favorites from the album, it translated much better live than on record, likely because Gettman knew he has to really throw himself into it to make it work. 

That was the case with most of the guitar-driven numbers (versus the more retrained keyboard tunes), including the night’s centerpiece, a gorgeous rendition of “Empire,” my favorite track from the album, which Gettman held for his encore. I wish he would have instead launched his set with it. The other big standout was an extended version of “Goldie,” a track that, if this album was released by a label, would be the primary single despite its nearly 12 minute run time. 

. 0 0 0 . 

Uh Oh on the Omaha Mobile Stage at teh Little Bo Backyard Bash, Sept. 16, 2023.

Earlier in the day I swung by the Little Bo Backyard Bash, the third-annual “festival” held in the parking lot across the street from the old Bohemian Cafe on 13th St. If the intent was to get people to rediscover this new, vital district, it worked, for me at least. I haven’t been down along this street in years and was pleasantly surprised by the cool, new little shops and restaurants (including Fizzy’s, a hip diner/bar that took over part of the Bohemian Cafe). 

In addition to the usual art and beer tents, the Omaha Mobile Stage was on hand to host the music. Uh Oh played a full set in front of an intimate gathering of neighbors, families and their pets (lots of dogs!).

David Nance at the Little Bo Backyard Bash, Sept. 16, 2023.

David Nance closed out the day with a solo acoustic set. He’s one of the only performers who can hold my attention with only his guitar and his voice. Despite the small crowd (by then, the Husker game had started), Nance looked content sitting on stage and singing his stories. 

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

New Uh Oh, Sufjan Stevens, Middle Kids…

Category: Blog,Column — Tags: , , , — @ 7:36 am August 16, 2023

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a whole heckuva lot going on indie-music wise since last weekend’s Outlandia Festival. I didn’t attend again this year, but from all reports, it was another smashing success. The  Omaha World-Herald filed a story that says attendance rose by 25%, and I’ve got a request out with one of the organizers for attendance numbers, which I’ll pass along when/if I get them. 

In the wake of Outlandia, things have been pretty quiet in indie music land. Two festivals down and one more to go this weekend. I’ll post a preview of Petfest tomorrow. 

Over the weekend, my penultimate (i.e., my second to last) column for the soon-to-be-sunsetted The Reader went online. It looks back at the glory days of Omaha indie music with a head-scratch at the current state – we’ve got more mega-venues than ever, none of which are booking up-and-coming indie bands, nor, I suppose, are they designed to. Thank god for Outlandia, Maha and Petfest. You can read the story in the printed version of The Reader (pick one up at Hy-Vee or La Casa) or online right here. I’ll be posting the column in this space eventually (for posterity’s sake – who knows how long The Reader servers will stay online?). One more issue to go…

A few new releases to pass along:

Local indie project Uh Oh released their second single off their upcoming August Cicada Songs LP, “Firefly” b/w “”When the River Runs Low.” They’re releasing two new songs per month for the next few months. 

Sufjan Stevens released the first song off his first solo singer/songwriter album since 2015’s Carrie & Lowell. It’s called Javelin and comes out Oct. 6 on Asthmatic Kitty Records. No doubt a tour will follow. Will Omaha be on his tour schedule? Hope so.

Australian indie band Middle Kids are currently on tour opening for Manchester Orchestra and Jimmy Eat World. For whatever reason the kids weren’t included in this year’s Outlandia festival, which featured both those bands. Sometimes that’s just how it works. Their new single, “Highlands,” dropped a couple weeks ago. Let’s hope they come through Omaha again (maybe even at The Sydney, like last time).

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

New Uh Oh; Pretenders mini-tour; hits and misses; Wanted: Your memories of The Reader…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 7:42 am July 20, 2023
Omaha band Uh Oh has dropped a new single.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s been very little to report this week indie music wise. I’ll tick through the few things in the ol’ inbox:

Joe Champion from the indie band Uh Oh dropped me a line to say the band has dropped two new songs on Bandcamp and is releasing two songs per month for the next four months, in a series called “Cicada Songs.” 

Check out “Gold at the End” b/w “A Line in Your Book” at their Bandcamp page

. 0 0 0 .

An epilogue to last week’s trip to 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis… I mentioned how small the venue was — though it has a capacity of 250 (according to wiki) it felt pretty tight when just a hundred or so people were there to see Blondshell. 

Well, yesterday The Pretenders announced their upcoming tour, which is targeting “smaller venues across America.” Among them is 7th St. Entry, where the band will perform Sept. 7. I can’t imagine how that’ll go. It would be like seeing The Pretenders play at Reverb Lounge or Slowdown Jr.

BTW, this tour follows a short stadium tour where The Pretenders are opening for Guns ’n’ Roses.

. 0 0 0 .

A few indie tours have been announced, two coming here, two passing us by:

Hits:

  • – Canadian folkies Great Lake Swimmers are playing The Slowdown Nov. 2; while Squirrel Flower will return to Reverb Lounge early next year – Jan. 21.

Misses:

British band Yard Act, whose debut album The Overload was a favorite from a year or so ago, announced a new single and a fall U.S. Headline Tour. Closest passes:

  • – Wed. Sep. 13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
  • – Thu. Sep. 14 – Madison, WI @ The Terrace at University of Wisconsin
  • – Fri. Sep. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Festival

Low Cut Connie is on the verge of releasing their new album, Art Dealers, on Sept. 8. They’ll be on the road touring it, but their closest passes to Omaha are:

  • – Oct. 6 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
  • – Oct. 7 – Minneapolis – First Avenue
  • – Oct. 14 – Chicago – Thalia Hall

. 0 0 0 .

Hey bands and musicians…

As you’re probably aware (or maybe you aren’t), everyone’s favorite local arts and entertainment monthly, The Reader, will be dropping its last issue ever in September. That issue will be dedicated to the newspaper’s legacy, and you can help tell the story.

The Reader is looking for readers to contribute their memories of the paper:

Be they funny, sad, weird or intriguing, your experiences have kept us going since 1994. And for our final issue, we want to commemorate what this paper has meant to so many people.”

Your contributions are being accepted now through early August. Got a Reader story to tell or just an appreciation of how the paper helped you out or for what John Heaston and his team have done over the past 30 years? You can submit it right here. Help celebrate the end of an Omaha tradition…

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

Live Review: Criteria, Little Brazil; Twinsmith, Bug Heaven tonight; Las Cruxes Saturday…

Category: Blog,Reviews — Tags: , , , , , — @ 11:33 am November 25, 2022
Criteria at The Waiting Room, Nov. 23, 2022.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Very much like every other year was last Wednesday’s holiday concert at The Waiting Room, the eighth such event (according to Criteria frontman Stephen Pedersen, who celebrated this winning streak from stage). Lots of old, familiar faces were on hand to wish glad tidings as well as they could through the 100+ dB din (even between bands, it was loud).

Uh Oh at The Waiting Room, Nov. 23, 2022.

Uh Oh kicked it off with a solid set and what appeared to be the evening’s largest crowd (a crowd that slowly, slightly waned throughout the night). The more I hear Joe Champion live the more I’m reminded of Tim Quirk of Too Much Joy, thought Uh Oh’s music is played straightforward lyrically vs. TMJ’s snarky humor, and that’s OK. While the entire band is solid, lead guitarist Mari Crisler is a standout on solos that leave the histrionics for the fretboard (which is a nice way of saying the band doth not emote much on stage, but few indie bands do).

Landon Hedges, left, and Danny Maxwell of Little Brazil at The Waiting Room Nov. 23, 2022.

Little Brazil followed with their best performance in recent history driven by frontman Landon Hedges. Always solid instrumentally, for me LB shows depend on how well Landon handles those high notes. Get him on a bad night and your best best is to lean back and enjoy guitarist Shawn Cox’s amazing fretwork. Get Landon on a good night (or in this case, a great night) and you’re flying above the crowd alongside him on that vocal tight rope.

LB has been kicking it for decades but their latest album, Just Leave, is a career highlight thanks to risk taking on song structures and the guitar interplay between Cox, Hedges and the rest of the band, held down firmly by a rhythm section of LB co-originator Danny Maxwell on bass and larger-than-life drummer Austin Elsberry. That said, Hedges’ unique, high vocals make LB a standout in a city full of standouts.

There were times Wednesday night when I cringed waiting to hear if Landon was going to make that note. He almost always did, though a couple times he seemed to forget the words at the beginning of songs. No matter. He always caught up in the end.

Finally there was Criteria. What to say that I haven’t already said the last seven times I’ve seen them play this holiday show or all the other times in between? The band continues to wield the ridiculous guitar-fueled power that made them an indie-music staple in the emo-powered aughts when Omaha was a global music brand. I am here to report that frontman Pedersen can still shred the high notes as well on songs that are nothing less than endurance tests for any vocalist over the age of 30 (which he most definitely is).

The band is sheer power at every position, tight as a tick and tour ready as they’ve ever been, though they’re unlikely to play again until next November. No doubt some of the reasons for that involve the three little boys who ran around stage prior to the set — Pedersen’s personal roadies (the youngest of which wore sound-dampening headphones and ran wild in the crowd during the set). In just a few years maybe they’ll be opening for dad’s band, at a show held sometime around Thanksgiving at The Waiting Room…

. 0 0 0 .

The holidays cavalcade of local shows rolls on this weekend.

Tonight at Reverb Lounge, Saddle Creek Records band Twinsmith headlines with up and comer Bug Heaven who I’m told is a must see (though I somehow keep missing them). This one starts at 9 p.m. and is $12.

Also tonight, singer/songwriters Stathi and Mitch Gettman are playing sets at The B. Bar, 4330 Leavenworth (right next to Barrett’s Barleycorn). Mitch goes on at 8, Stathi at 9 and then headliner, Sweetstreak, who describe themselves as East Omaha garage Rock, at 10. No price listed for this one, so you’re on your own.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) our old friends Las Cruxes headlines a free show at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are (kind of) new band The Rare Candies (Josh Medlock, Mitch Gettman, Ryan Menchaca and a fourth dude who’s probably pissed because he’s not listed anywhere on the band’s websites) and Kelroy. Just like the old days, this one doesn’t start until 9:30.

Also Saturday night, The Waiting Room is hosting a reunion of Omaha ska band Jimmy Skaffa. Joining them is Stick Figures and Plastic Presidents. $15, 8 p.m. Lotta people will be at this one (including on stage, if I remember this bands properly).

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Criteria, Little Brazil, Uh Oh tonight at The Waiting Room, because it’s the holidays…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 11:49 am November 23, 2022
Criteria at The Waiting Room, Nov. 27, 2021. They return tonight for the annual Turkey Day extravaganza.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Every year it’s the same thing — Criteria and Little Brazil at The Waiting Room. And this year is no exception.

These holiday shows are sort of Omaha music scene get-togethers. I honestly don’t know what Criteria has been up to for the past year. Will there be new music or just another evening of their greatest hits? Who knows?

On the other hand, Little Brazil started out the year releasing a new album, Just Leave, on Max Trax Records. Expect to hear songs from that one along with a few of their greatest hits.

Opening the festivities is Omaha indie band Uh Oh who’s last album was 2021’s Good Morning. It all gets rolling tonight at 8 p.m. Always one of the best shows of the year. $12. Don’t be a turkey. Take part in this festive holiday tradition…

* * *

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Belle & Sebastian moved to Slowdown; new Uh Oh; Little Brazil…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 12:26 pm May 16, 2022

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Well, looks like supply chain or labor shortage or who knows what else is continuing to hamper the work being done at The Admiral — the venue formerly known as Sokol Auditorium (read about the project here). The Admiral today posted on social media that the May 28 Belle & Sebastian concert, which I’d hoped would be my introduction to the new venue, has been moved to The Slowdown.

No doubt the only people more bummed by the move than me are One Percent and Mammoth Productions, who run the venue. It begs the question what other shows will be moved in the coming weeks/months? The next big “indie” show slated for the Admiral is CHVRCHES June 15, just a couple weeks beyond that B&S date, and then Neko Case June 23, and then Bright Eyes Weekend July 2-3.

But… just this morning it was announced that Sunny Day Real Estate and Appleseed Cast have been scheduled perform at The Admiral Sept. 14…

. 0 0 0 .

Local indie band Uh Oh last week dropped a new video for the track “Copperhead” from their LP Good Morning. Check it:

. 0 0 0 .

We’re getting closer to the release of the next Little Brazil masterpiece, Just Leave, out June 3 on Max Trax Records. Pre-order here. The band dropped the title track via Bandcamp. Check it:

* * *

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

The Brothers Lounge auction weekend; Uh Oh, Marcey Yates tonight; Flock of Segers (at O’Leaver’s), And How Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 8:14 am December 10, 2021
Trey and Lallaya Lalley outside their home away from home, The Brothers Lounge, the contents of which will be auctioned off on Sunday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Busy weekend. Let’s start with The Brothers auction. The actual auction of everything inside The Brothers Lounge is taking place Sunday starting at 11 a.m. And we’re talking everything, from the chairs to the artwork to the buffalo head over the fireplace. If you can’t make it on Sunday, don’t fret. You can bid on some of the best items online, at the online auction. (Who’s got their eyes set on that jukebox?).

But that’s not all. Today (Friday) Trey and Lallaya will be selling off the booze with great deals on packaged liquor from 3 p.m to 10 p.m. Here’s the list of booze for sale.

No doubt this will be both a fun and forlorn weekend as we remember Omaha’s favorite punk bar and favorite barkeeps one last time. More info on Sunday’s auction here.

. 0 0 0 .

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson a big three-band bill headlined by Uh Oh, who are celebrating the release of their new album, Good Morning. Joining them are Marcey Yates and Bach Mai. $5, 9 p.m.

. 0 0 0 .

Saturday night, O’Leaver’s returns to hosting live music with an all-star band that includes Jerry Hug (Ritual Device, Porn Music), Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching) and three members of Ladyfinger — Chris Machmuller, Jamie Massey and Pat Oakes. On the musical menu is all Bob Seger covers, hence the band’s name — Flock of Segers. This is a free show that starts at 10 p.m. Expect a crowd.

. 0 0 0 .

Also Saturday night, And How joins headliner CJ Mills and Leigha Rose at Culxr House, 3014 No. 24th St. Tickets are $15, show starts at 7 p.m. Event info here. Below, a Marcey Yates track that features CJ Mills.

Sunday is the Brothers auction, but also a Reverb Lounge is hosting a record show with multiple vendors at 11 a.m.

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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Another Bandcamp Friday (new stuff from The World, Uh Oh); Benson First Friday (#BFF) tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , — @ 1:00 pm August 7, 2020
The World, circa 1990. Four long lost unreleased tracks from the band became available today at Bandcamp.

Hey y’all, it’s Bandcamp Friday again. That means if you buy your downloads from Bandcamp today, Bandcamp will waive its fees and give all it’s money to the artists. An added bonus: Some labels, like Saddle Creek Records, also are waiving their cut, which means even more money for the artists. (Speaking of which, you might want to check out the new Land of Talk album, Indistinct Conversations, which just came out on Saddle Creek and got a whopping 7.7 from Pitchfork, who said about the album, “Low-key emotional intensity abounds in these stark, sketch-like reveries.” Indeed it does.

.* * *

Some other stuff to consider on this Bandcamp Friday:

Stephen Sheehan, who we all remember from the band Digital Sex and his solo work, also once was in a band called The World, which formed way back in 1989 and featured the rhythm section of golden age punk icons Mousetrap — bass player Craig Crawford and drummer Scott Miller — along with Digital Sex guitarist John Tingle and keyboardist Maureen Evans-Hansen. The band recorded a number of songs in 1990 that were never released and now have resurfaced 30 years later as The World (unreleased tracks – 1990). The four-song EP was restored, mixed and mastered by Tom Ware at Ware House and is being released today via Bandcamp. Check it out and read about the history of the band and buy the download.

.* * *

Uh Oh’s Joe Champion and Mari Crisler have a new 6-song EP called Joe & Mari Sing The Hits. The collection has two originals and four covers, including covers of songs by Alex G, Waxahatchee, Better Oblivion Community Center and Joe Frusciante. “Our music is always free but any cent that is donated via Bandcamp will go directly to The Union For Contemporary Art, a North Omaha nonprofit ‘founded on the belief that the arts can be a vehicle for social justice and greater civic engagement.'” Get it here. Kind of reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, Timbuk 3.

.* * *

What else have I been listening to that you can buy today at Bandcamp?

Fontaines D.C., A Hero’s Death
https://fontainesdc.bandcamp.com/album/a-heros-death

Perfume Genius, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
https://perfumegenius.bandcamp.com/

Waxahatchee, St. Cloud
https://waxahatchee.bandcamp.com/album/saint-cloud-2

D É S I R, Solar – (Ambient electronic, from Omaha!)
https://queenofwands.bandcamp.com/album/solar

.* * *

Well, it’s another rather reserved Benson First Friday. If you’re in Benson tonight, drop on by the Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St. (the east bay of the Masonic Lodge building) where there’s actually two shows happening:

Outside there’s the Tiny Art Show, a benefit for women who run Nebraska, which is “women-power miniature art, made by amazing female artists of Omaha. We will also have a merch pop-up of all of our fan-favorite tees, totes, tank tops and more.” Inside it’s the New American Arts Festival: Oria Simonini and student work. The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Strict face mask policy and limited access to the facility.

And that’s all I got. Have a great, masked 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.

Lazy-i