As I type this I'm listening to the new EP on Speed! Nebraska Records called Speed! Soapbox Riot, a six-song compilation by six different Speed! bands, all built around a theme that involves cars and racing and... speed! Featured artists are Wagon Blasters, Filter Kings, The Mezcal Brothers, Domestica, The Third Men and Ideal Cleaners. All the tracks except for the Filter Kings' song were recorded at Fuse Recording Studios in Lincoln by Charlie Johnson (FK's "Steal Your Car" was recorded by Tim Cich at Baseline). Think of these as sort of modern takes on Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln." Except of course for The Third Men's cover of Deep Purple's "Space Truckin'," which screams.

The record is a celebration of the First Annual Speed! & O'Leaver's Soapbox Derby, which goes down this Saturday at 11 a.m. at Seymour Smith Park. I suspect that it'll be a bloody extravaganza -- here's hoping they have an ambulance on stand-by. All proceeds from the race benefit the Special Olympics, so I guess that makes everybody (that survives) a winner. That very evening there will be a checkered-flag celebration at O'Leaver's featuring many of the bands on the 10-inch. Incidentally, the record (that's right, it's vinyl) is available at all your favorite local independent record stores.

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Tonight at O'Leaver's Wholesome (which, according to their Myspace page, consists of members of Rasputin, Hedge, Bloodcow, Head of Woman, The Dinks, and Members of the Press) plays with San Diego's Archons. $5, 9:30 p.m. Also, Minneapolis hip-hop posse Doomtree is at The Waiting Room with GaiDen Gadema. $8, 9 p.m.

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I spent a good chunk of my Sunday at The Sydney watching the Little Brazil video shoot for "Separated." These guys are going all-out for this video, and putting their money where their mouth is. The shoot, the technology and reasoning behind it is the subject of this week's column, which will be online tomorrow.

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