Ty Segall at Sokol Underground, Feb. 10, 2013. His other band, Fuzz, plays at The Waiting Room Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

We knew this f***ing weather had to arrive eventually, right? It was only a matter of time.

No doubt crappy weather will hamper this weekend’s musical festivities, of which there are many. Dig out your winter coat and your ice scraper and give one (or two) of these a shot.

Tonight at The New BLK at 1213 Jones St. it’s the Bigger than Beef Book Party. The event is essentially a book launch and signing for the book Omaha Food: Bigger Than Beef (The History Press/Arcadia Publishing, 2015) by Omaha’s very own Rachel Grace. I have not seen or read the book, but I’m making a guess that it focuses on Omaha food, something we’re all familiar with.

But even if you can’t read (which means you’re probably not reading this) you’ll want to drop in on this free event because the always unpredictable garage band Worried Mothers is playing, along with Dojorok and Black Jonny Quest. Plus free food (from Noli’s and Kitchen Table) and free booze from Brickway Brewery. Reception at 7 p.m., music at 8.

Also tonight, The Derby Birds headline at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Also on the fight card are Wichita band The Travel Guide and The Brigadiers. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night garage-rock kingpin Ty Segall returns to The Waiting Room in the guise of his psychedelic/stoner/garage band Fuzz. Their latest album, Fuzz II, came out last month on mighty In The Red Records. This will be a noise dreadnought. Opening is Walter and local heroes Sucettes. $12 today/$14 tomorrow, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, The Lupines return to O’Leaver’s. Joining them will be KC band Berwanger and Des Moines’ North of Grand. It’s a tri-city rumble! $7, 9:30 p.m.

Finally, down at Slowdown Jr., Flight Metaphor celebrates the release of their self-titled debut CD. Joining them are Rock Paper Dynamite, Through the Stone and Pelican Rodeo. $8 today, $10 tomorrow. Starts at 9.

That’s what I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a frigid 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s been awhile since I hyped a show, and tonight we have two.

TIT, self-titled (FDH Records, 2014)

Top of my list is TIT at O’Leaver’s. TIT is Shawn Foree of Digital Leather and Bobby Hussy of The Hussy. The duo released its debut on FDH Records late last year. The 4-song EP features Bobby on lead vocals for two tracks, Shawn on lead vocals on one song, and a nearly 9-minute instrumental. Keynote soundwise are the severe, tonal synths and the atonal, robotic vocals, all of which give a nod to electro pioneers like Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, all the usual digital suspects. Just how TIT will be configured tonight, I do not know. Shawn and Bobby behind duo keyboards with guitars slung ’round their necks? Will there be added players? Go to O’Leaver’s tonight and find out.

Opening is Omaha apocalypse punkers Worried Mothers. Violent. Controversial. Subversively catchy (Primo track off 2013’s Tape, “Gray Corpse Banner,” can get any tired old sagging ass shaking). No two Worried Mothers shows are alike. If you go tonight, you very well might find yourself getting groped by a large, naked, sweaty man.  If that weren’t enough of a sell, Nate Ma and the Rosettes also open. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at The Slowdown, Cold War Kids headlines. The band is out supporting last year’s Hold My Home (Downtown Records) a very mainstream, commercially targeted album, which probably explains their popularity. Slightly more interesting is NYC youngster Elliot Moss, who opens the show. His style of electronic sounds like upbeat Washed Out. $25, 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Sorry about the spotty reception this week. Lots of stuff going on, none of it having anything to do with music.

One piece of old news I’m just getting to now is Diode, a new project by Shawn Foree of Digital Leather and David Hansen of Worried Mothers. Their first released track is called “Peck on the Lips,” and is available via YouTube (Below). They call their sound “industrial shit-noise.” It is indeed industrial. Just how shitty it is, well, that’s your call. According to Chris Aponick in The Reader, Diode is planning a full-length on Crash Symbols sometime in the future.

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Speaking of The Reader, this week’s column is a travelogue of my recent trip to Manhattan and the hotel problems I encountered that made my vacation that much more hot and sweaty. Read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here.

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Couple shows worth mentioning…

John Klemmensen and the Party returns to Benson tonight at The Waiting Room. Joining him is The Love Technicians and Minutes to Miles Just $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Underwater Dream Machine headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s with the debut of Reagan Roeder’s new band Wild Kingdom. 9:30 and the nice price: FREE.

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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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Digital Leather at O'Leaver's, July 14, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The next time you’re feeling the heat for something you’ve done or are sweating a decision you’re about to make, remember this one all-important thing:

No matter what you do or what you say, you’ll always be welcome at O’Leaver’s.

And I’ll leave that for you to decipher.

It was a classic red hot summer night this past Saturday at O’Leaver’s. I walked in about halfway through Worried Mothers’ strong set of sweaty, angsty, dissonant punk. I have no idea who or what this band is other than they are very good, very out there and very in your face. So in your face that the frontman went after someone in the audience during the set closer, both of them tumbling to the floor in a torrid embrace, before he stripped off his clothes Full-Monty style. Which gets me wondering — why are big guys like him and Darren Keen (who, btw, recently lost weight) able to strip on stage without anyone thinking twice about it, whereas if a buff guy stripped it would send a completely different, egotistical message? Let alone a woman. A woman would never go Full Monty at a punk show. Certainly not at a punk show at O’Leaver’s.

Anyway…

Minneapolis band Serenghetto was next — loud, fast punk unafraid of a good, meaty riff. Dueling male/female vocals took it to the next level. Angry. Abrasive.

Finally on came Digital Leather, playing a fast, tight set that included a few new songs. In fact, I’ve seen these guys well over a dozen times and I’ve never heard them play these songs this fast. And while playing that fast naturally amps up the energy level in the club, subtle nuances can get lost, especially on songs like “Your Hand, My Glove,” or even set closer “Deliver Deliver Deliver.” Ah, but I’m merely picking nits now. Digital Leather continues to be my favorite local act and one that could be huge if they ever get “discovered” (and they will, eventually, whether they want to be or not).

I found out at the show that Digital Leather has a new cassette tape coming out on Southpaw Records. Titled Yes Please Thank You, the ship date is this Wednesday. You can pre-order your copy here for a mere $5 plus postage. Check out “Mountains Are Dreaming,” from the new release, below:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/51920875″ iframe=”true” /]

While clicking around looking for that cassette, I also discovered that DL has a new single, “Assault,” out on Floridas Dying, which you can order here. Get them both while you can.

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.