-- Not much today. Seems like every "year in review" list is due this week, which puts me behind desperately trying to remember what music was good this year. It was, in fact, an off year for indie (and music in general). What's it all mean? To find out you'll have to wait for the annual Lazy-i Year in Review story, which will go online next week.

-- Former Omahans now Portlandites Eux Autres wrote to say that they've got a new Christmas song online that warmly reminisces about coming home for the holidays. The track is significant in that, unlike 99 percent of holiday songs by rock bands, this one is actually pretty good. Called "Another Christmas at Home," one can only imagine that the line referring to a tavern "where the Champaign's on tap" refers to The Homy Inn, where Cold Duck has flowed like an unbreakable urine stream for as long as I remember. You can check out the mp3 file here, or go to their Myspace page.

-- Did you realize that the Grammy nominations were announced last Thursday? Does anyone care anymore? Glancing at the list, I can see reason for apathy. Just take a look at that "Album of the Year" category: Dixie Chicks (will win), Gnarls Barkley (should win), John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers (someone, please, put these guys out of the misery), and Justin Timberlake -- uninspiring to say the least, but what else is new? In the "Best Alternative Music Album" category you got Arctic Monkeys (flash in the pans), The Flaming Lips (getting old, real old), Gnarls Barkley (hipster favorites), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (weak followup to their debut), and Thom Yorke (*yawn*). What are these supposed to be alternatives to? Remember when The Grammy's meant something to someone other than music retailers?

-- What else? Lots of shows the rest of the week, starting tomorrow with Little Brazil, then Bright Eyes, two Terminals performances and two Faint concerts. I should be exhausted by Monday. Look here tomorrow for this week's column, where courageous singer-songwriter Adam Weaver asks: "What does it mean to locally 'make it' in the Omaha music scene?" Oh boy...

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