SAVAK on the streets of Brooklyn…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mike Jaworski, a.k.a. Jaws by those who know him, emailed last week saying his current project – SAVAK — has a new album coming out called Flavors of Paradise on Brooklyn label Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Those of you who were around the Omaha music scene back in the day remember Jaws from his bands Hong Gyn Corp, The Cops, Virgin Islands and Hello from Waveland, as well as his Seattle-based record label Mt. Fuji, which in addition to releasing albums by The Cops dropped records by Omaha indie band Little Brazil. 

So yeah, Jaworski is something of a legend who hasn’t lived around here in ages, but is still remembered as an icon. 

Anyway, SAVAK is a three piece indie rock band that also includes Sohrab Habibion (ex-Obits, ex-Edsel) and drummer Matt Schulz (ex-Holy Fuck).  Joining them as part of the live version of SAVAK are indie rock veterans Jeff Gensterblum (Small Brown Bike, Her Heads on Fire) and Matt Hunter (New Radiant Storm King, Silver Jews). 

The new record was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio but without Albini and instead with Matthew Barnhart (Superchunk, Bob Mould). “No guests, no edits, no country and definitely no funk—the record is lean, spacious and lively,” says the press release. Undoubtably modern, the record also has some retro touches, among them the Byrds-like harmonies on “Let the Sunlight In” and the ‘70s acid guitar on “The New New Age.” It’s the most tuneful SAVAK album to date and a total gas. 

The band will be playing around Brooklyn this spring and have a tour of France slated for April (ah, April in Paris), but no Omaha dates planned (SAVAK would be the perfect fit for the Outlandia Festival!). Preorder the album here. 

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Tuesday appears to be the day when bands announce tours. 

Ty Segall is headed back to Omaha May 7 for a gig at The Waiting Room. Yesterday he dropped the final pre-release single from his upcoming full-length, Three Bells, which will be released Jan. 26 on Drag City.

Portland’s STRFKR announced they’ll play at The Admiral Theater April 28. Their new album, Parallel Realms, drops on Polyvinyl March 1.

Indie darlings (and personal favorite) Waxahatchee announced their new album, Tigers Blood, drops March 22 on Anti-. They also announched a slew of 2024 tour dates. Their closest pass to Omaha will be the usual Kansas City, St. Paul, Chicago swing April 18-20. See you on the interstate.

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s night one of Lincoln Calling. I know it officially started yesterday, but tonight is when they roll out the big guns.

But first — a schedule change: Do to the threat of thunderstorms, events scheduled for Duffy’s Backlot have been moved to Bourbon Theater. That’s significant because two of tonight’s biggest names were slated to play at the backlot.

Japanese Breakfast (now at Bourbon) is Philadelphia musician Michelle Zauner and her band, whose Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017, Dead Oceans) was something of a breakout release, thanks to singles like “Road Head” (currently more than 7 million spins on Spotify alone) and “Boyish” (3.7 million plays).

Ought (also now at Bourbon) is a Montreal band that sounds influenced by acts like Joy Division, Cure, Gang of Four and current-day Ceremony. Their last album, Room Inside the World (2018, Merge), is a jangling post-punk corker. Great stuff.

The other big name on tonight’s festival bill is Waxahatchee playing at the smallish 1867 venue. If you’re wondering if this is going to be a Katie Crutchfield solo show, you’d be right, as she’s out supporting the acoustic Great Thunder EP, released earlier this year on Merge. Those VIP passes will come in handy getting into this one.

You’ve also got Matt Whipkey at Bodega’s and Twinsmith at Duffy’s (inside). Full sched and ticket info at lincolncalling.com.

And read more about how Lincoln Calling 2018 came together in my article in the September issue of The Reader.

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Something tells me tonight’s Clarence Tilton gig slated for the beer garden at fabulous O’Leaver’s also is going to get moved inside due to inclement weather. If not, you may want to bring an umbrella. This is an early show, starting at 6 p.m. $5. CANCELLED due to rain and Jeopardy.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So here’s the big secret concert I mentioned last week: My 50th Birthday Concert, organized by Polecat Communications (i.e., my wife, Teresa), June 3, 2015, at Reverb Lounge. The bands: Son, Ambulance, The Wagon Blasters and The Lupines. It’s a fantastic line-up for a celebration, with proceeds going to a good cause: Hear Nebraska, an organization that I’ve served as a board member for a few years now. Please join me for an evening of fun, music and booze!

The announcement was first made during this week’s Lazy-i Podcast (linked below). This week’s episode features Chris Aponick and myself bantering back and forth Siskel & Ebert style (you can decide which of us is which) over four first quarter 2015 releases by Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee, John Klemmensen and the Party and Simon Joyner. Also a live soundbite from Digital Leather to kick things off. Check it out below.

 

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tim Kasher yesterday debuted his new self-directed video for track “You Scare Me to Death” on German website Musik Express. Here’s what they had to say about it:

Cursive- und The-Good-Life-Sänger Tim Kasher hat ein neues Musikvideo veröffentlicht, und das erzählt von einer nur scheinbar heilen Welt: Im Clip zum Song “You Scare Me To Death” geht es titelgemäß um nicht weniger als um die Angst, einen geliebten Menschen zu verlieren.

I don’t know what that means, but I bet it’s really  nice.

Check out the video below:

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Couple o’ shows going on tonight:

At The Waiting Room it’s Brooklyn folk project Waxahatchee (Don Giovanni Records / Wichita Recordings) with Carbonleak & Manic Pixie Dream Girls. $12, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile the Big Al Free Music Festival 2014 kicks off at The Hideout, 320 So. 72nd St. Al’s been doing it for free for seven years. The three-night festival starts tonight with a line-up that includes some big hitters: Bloodcow and Brad Hoshaw, among others. Check out the whole lineup on their Facebook page. The show is free (duh) and starts at 8:45.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.