Lazy-i Blog Archive

A chat with the other lion in Pedro – June 30, 2004

Now up on this site, an interview/profile with TW Walsh, the newest and only other member of Pedro the Lion along with singer-songwriter David Bazan (read it here). When I was arranging to do this story with the publicist, I originally frowned when they told me I'd be talking to Walsh. Lazy-i and The Reader aren't exactly Rolling Stone and SPIN, hence when interview requests go out, it's not uncommon to get stuck talking to the bass player or drummer instead a band's primary singer-songwriter. So when it comes time to talk about the songs' meaning, you usually gets something like "Dude, you gotta ask ____. I have no idea what he's singing. I've never even listened to the completed CD." The rest of the interview is generally dedicated to comments about "working with the label" or the band's upcoming tour schedule. I'm not saying that bass players and drummers are stupid, they just don't usually have insight on what's going on in the music. It's not their fault that they've pulled the short straw with the press. Usually these guys are the most articulate and don't mind talking to an idiot reporter. I've done interviews with defensive, unresponsive "genius" singer-songwriters before and afterwards craved to talk to anyone else in the band, especially when the "genius" cops an I-hate-the-press attitude.

So when the publicist said, "You'll be talking to Tim Walsh," I blanched. Everyone knows that Pedro the Lion is David Bazan. I immediately shot back an e-mail saying just that, and the response was subtle. "Sure, I can set up something with David," the publicist said. "The reason you got Tim is that they decided to split up the press this time. He's the first real member of Pedro the Lion beyond David, so they wanted to share the responsibility."

It dawned on me that I'd already done "thee interview" with David Bazan years ago, where he explained just about everything you can explain about his faith, how he approaches songwriting, how he hates traditional Christian rock bands, etc. (read that one here). Really, what's changed? Certainly not the music's subject matter. Walsh, on the other hand, actually co-wrote a number of songs on the new Pedro CD and could talk about what it's like writing with a guy who has always written alone. Plus there's his viewpoint of the whole Christian rock thing that Pedro has been pegged with since way back when the band was on Tooth & Nail. It worked out, but that doesn't mean I'm dying to talk to the "tamborine guy" of the next band I'm interviewing…

Pedro the Lion plays at Sokol Underground Monday, July 5 with John Vanderslice.

Who wants to be a rock star? The River Music Summit rehash – June 28, 2004

Let me preface this to say I was probably the wrong person to be on Saturday's panel at The River Music Summit. Just a glance at the audience pretty much indicated that the vast majority of the 300+ people in the audience were metal fans, loyal listeners of 89.7 The River and support how they operate their station. I don't listen to The River and don't agree with their decision to play mainstream commercial metal on what's supposed to be a college radio station. Regardless, the audience was made up mostly of musicians whose idea of success is moving a million units and being on MTV (or a Clear Channel radio station). Successful indie bands are lucky to sell 10,000 copies of their CDs. Really successful indie bands could sell 100,000. Almost none of them sell a million.

So anyway, here I was on this panel. To my left (according to the program) was Andrew Linde from Tinderstick promotions, a company that handles a lot of indie bands. To my right, three or so current or former radio executives, none from traditional college radio stations. At the far end of the table, Mike Fratt representing Homer's Records and MarQ Manner representing Delmar Productions. Linde and I were clearly outnumbered, but then again, I doubt the majority of this audience cared two shits about the indie music scene.

The core message -- how to promote your music to radio and press -- was more of a seminar on how to get your music on commercial radio -- i.e., how your band could be the next Korn. Sophia John, the program manager at 89.7 The River, did most of the talking. Appropriately, I said very little. At one point I had a chance to ask the crowd, "How many of you would be satisfied selling 10,000 copies of your CD?" A few dozen hands went up. Then, "How many of you would be happy selling 100,000 copies?" About half the audience raised their hands. Finally, "How many of you won't be happy until you sell a million copies." Here, more than half the hands went up.

Later I asked, "How many of you are in this business to make a million dollars?" One hand. Good. "All right then, how many of you are doing it for the money?" Some hands, not many. Then, "How many are in it for the music?" Most hands went up. I told them that if they could be satisfied selling 10,000 copies, they could make music the way they wanted to make music. But if they want to be on a major label, they're going to have to compromise to the suits, and will lose control of their music -- talk about stating the obvious, eh?

Still, I doubt this was what the organizers wanted communicated at the summit. The radio guy next to me made the point that the music business is all about greed -- he was a real Gordon Gecko type. Sophia's message was that The River was going to save the Omaha music scene and that it's the only radio outlet for local music.

There was some verbal jousting between Sophia and the panelists (me included). Her and Linde argued over debt and major label record deals. Linde said that most musicians don't realize that as soon as they sign with a major label, they're immediately in debt. Why? Because the advance money and promotional costs are really loans to the bands, that the label is acting like a bank, loaning money that they expect to recoup through CD sales. Sophia took exception to this, asking Linde to name one band that had to pay back an advance to a label after they were dropped. Linde said he knew bands that were in that exact situation, but couldn't name names. Sophia said she'd never ever heard of a failed band forced to repay a label. An apparent VH1 Behind the Music watcher in the crowd yelled, "What about the Goo Goo dolls?" Sophia yelled back, "What about the Goo Goo dolls? They're making millions of dollars for themselves and their label." Yeah, the guy said, but what if they hadn't gotten signed by Warners after they were dropped by Metal Blade?

Sophia was right, of course. It seems doubtful that a major label would call out the dogs to get advance money from a failed band, probably for the simple fact that 1) It would cost more in lawyers fees and bad PR to pursue it and 2) Because the band simply doesn't have the cash and probably never will. But wasn't Linde's point the fact that the bands are, in fact, in debt from the second they sign a deal? Sure, they may never have to pay back the money, but they know they're still responsible for it, that they ethically should do what they can to pay it back. Instead, one of the panelists pointed out how it's important for bands and musicians to set up a separate incorporated business so that the labels can't sue them for their personal money.

Sophia didn't like my admiration for Saddle Creek Records (It should be pointed out here that I asked the crowd to raise their hands if they had even heard of Saddle Creek Records. I counted maybe seven or eight hands). I mentioned Saddle Creek early in the panel as an example of a label that would be doing pretty well if a new artist sold 10,000 copies of a CD. That, despite the fact that Creek's total sales since it was formed wouldn't equal a tenth of what Eminem sold of his last CD, the label is still held in the highest esteem as a leading national indie label.

So, when someone asked about press kits, I said I threw one-sheets away -- put your info on the internet along with your press photo and include the URL on the CD case. I then made the mistake of mentioning how Saddle Creek printed a brief bio on the back of their artists' promo jewel cases. Sophia had had enough. "Saddle Creek! Is that the only label you can talk about? What about Suckapunch Records?" I replied that I didn't think Suckapunch printed their bios on the back of their discs, then went on to talk more about Creek, which was met with Sophia's shaking head… Oh well.

I'm guilty. I like Saddle Creek Records, their artists and what they've accomplished. I also think it makes sense to use them as an example as they're the second most successful local record label (Mannheim Steamroller being the most successful overall, Creek being the most successful rock label). Historically, The River hasn't been the biggest supporter of Saddle Creek. But according to their website, they now play Cursive and Azure Ray in rotation. Still, it's embarrassing that you can't hear Creek's most successful band, Bright Eyes, on the radio in the band's own hometown.

Sophia's last argument (with me, anyway) came when a couple of the execs were talking about how artists get their music played on the radio. Their point appeared to be that the name of the game these days is "pay for play." I kind of got lost here, when out of the blue, Sophia said she didn't know how reviews get published and asked if bands or labels pay to have reviews placed in the paper. No, I said, newspapers don't receive payments for running reviews. But Sophia disagreed, saying that it might not have happened in my experience, but she was certain that it happens all the time, which she said would explain a lot of the bad CD reviews that she'd read.

Sophia may be right. I can't speak for Rolling Stone or Magnet or Alternative Press. I don't know anyone who works at those pubs. They may very well be rolling in payola from CD reviews. But somehow, I doubt it.

At the end of the panel, I think the audience got what they wanted to hear. At one point, one of the radio guys said something like "I know these guys are telling you to be satisfied with selling 10,000 CDs, but I'm telling you the guys from Korn were sitting right where you are now, and they did it. You can too!"

One interesting bit of news that came out of the panel was that The River will be working with 1 Percent Productions and Sokol Underground to host a weekly new music night. Don't know when it begins, but it'll be interesting to see if the showcases feature commercial metal bands, which constitute the majority of The River's playlist, or a wider variety of Omaha acts including those that would never get airplay on The River.

Live Review: Broken Spindles – June 26, 2004

I arrived in time only to see Broken Spindles -- they went on at around 11, really early. Too early. So early that I missed both opening acts, which was evident when I walked into Sokol Underground and noticed a sweaty Darren Keen (a.k.a. The Show Is the Rainbow) behind the merch table dressed in a t-shirt covered in what appeared to be fake blood. I'm told his set went well, playing in front of an ultra-hip crowd of 220 that, for the most part, had never seen his weird, wild antics before. Keen told me afterward that he did a gag where he told the audience he'd just gotten a copy of the new Faint CD, and though he was told to keep it on the down low, he was going to play a snippet from it anyway. He then proceeded to play a track off an Ace of Base album. Afterward, he found Todd Baechle in the crowd and asked him what he thought of the gag. Unfortunately, Baechle said he missed it because he was standing in the other room during the performance. Poor Darren. His diss missed the mark again.

For tonight's performance, Broken Spindles was Joel Petersen and Eric Bemberger -- I say that as a point of clarification, because though everyone knows that Joel is the main guy behind the project, Bemberger's guitar work on stage added a whole new dimension to the performance. I already knew he was a talented guitar player from his work in Beep Beep, but it seemed even more apparent as he became ingrained in the Broken Spindles set. When he wasn't pounding on the strings in a storm of hectic staccato riffage he was wrestling with the guitar neck seemingly pulling the strings in new directions, bending knotted howls over the rhythm tracks. He tortured the damn thing, and we all heard its cries of agony. When he and Petersen harmonized their guitars during the set's more frantic moments it was a choreographed sonic exorcism.

Though I know how much Petersen enjoys putting the audio-visual experience together, I'm convinced he no longer needs the video to keep people's attention. Before, when it was just him and his rhythm/synth machines and his guitar, the video was a necessary visual crutch. Now with Petersen on vocals and assorted instruments and Bemberger slashing alongside on guitar, the video is a needless distraction. I moved up to just behind stage-left to watch them do their thing, oblivious to the video altogether because I was essentially standing behind the screen, which was propped up at the very front of the stage to allow the proper distance needed for the rear projector to be in focus.

Eventually I moved to the back to see what I'd been missing. The video seemed more cohesive than what Petersen had used last year on his tour -- live filmed images shot in California interspersed with a series of stills and assorted special effects (mostly distortions meant to visually augment the beat). One portion of the video was stills of the main character -- a well-dressed, hip-looking lad -- situated in an office, I guess representing a sort of claustrophobic society-acceptable environment in which he appeared detached or captive. One song featured the guy shaving in a mirror. Another portion showed footage of a marathon, where you could see our hero in black suit and tie making his way through the spectators. Strange and vaguely interesting, perfectly synchronized with the music, but not terribly exciting. It would be interesting to watch the whole video at home on a DVD player along with the music. Petersen and Steve Berra obviously put a lot of time into it. Too bad Saddle Creek doesn't offer a limited-edition version of Fulfilled/Complete that includes a copy of the DVD.

Petersen and Bemberger suffered a painful technical glitch about three songs from the end of their set. Their audio track, apparently recorded on CD or on a hard drive, began to skip and break up. Petersen eventually turned it off -- also effectively turning off the video. "What's up?" he asked the crowd. He waited a moment than started it up again, but the skipping continued. Finally he asked the sound guy to turn down the bass (or turn off the "bass wedge," whatever that was) because it apparently was overpowering the output. The adjustment fixed the problem and the show continued as if it never occurred. It brought back memories of early Faint shows, back when part of the fun was waiting for the evening's technical glitch to rear its ugly head. Kudos to Petersen and Bemberger for recovering so gracefully.

Live, Broken Spindles is a different animal from what you hear on the new CD. Obviously there are no strings, but beyond that, the music seems more vibrant and dance-able. Certainly more bass- and rhythm-heavy. Unfortunately, I couldn't see anyone in the audience taking advantage of the crazy beat, probably because they were too busy watching the video.

Tonight: Broken Spindles at Sokol; Sons of The 49'r at The 49'r; Tomorrow: The River Music Summit – June 25, 2004

Tonight's big attraction is the Broken Spindles CD release show with The Show is the Rainbow and The Mariannes. Get there early. If you don't feel like venturing downtown, don't miss the final show of The Sons of the 49'r (which also happens to be their CD release show). Opening the festivities is Little Brazil and Ideal Cleaners.

For those of you attending The River Music Summit at the Mid-America Convention Center in beautiful Council Bluffs this Saturday, yours truly has been asked to take part in a panel discussion -- "Promoting & Marketing," sponsored by The Reader. It begins at 1 p.m. According to info posted by the organizers, the purpose of this panel is to help people understand how to go about marketing themselves to radio, retail, print and on the road. Panelists include Mike Rand, Paradise Artist; Phil Dunscomb, Fresh Management; Mike Fratt, Homers Record Store; Tim Sheridan, KIBZ Program Director; Matt Markel, Brian Productions; Kent Wolgamott, Lincoln Journal Star; Jon Delange, Tinderbox Promotions, and others. Find out more about the event at The River website. I'll give you a full rundown of what happened in Sunday's blog. It should be a hoot.

Check-in: Will Johnson, Vultures Await; Moron Parade, Dark Nights: Knife City; The Kingdom Flying Club, Sumatra Fox

Kite Pilot tonight; Simon Joyner on NPR – June 24, 2004

The weekend begins tonight at O'Leaver's with Kite Pilot, In Ink Please and Snow Cuts Glass. No idea what the order is; if I figure it out by lunchtime I'll update this post. Interestingly, Son, Ambulance is slated to play at Ted & Wally's tonight with The Blakes and 72 Pin Connection. The interesting part is that half of Son, Ambulance is in Kite Pilot. Don't know how they're going to work that one out, but my guess is that it'll involve a lot of driving around.

Yesterday I was interviewed by Michael Raphael, Music Director for a new public radio program called Public Radio Weekend, a 2-hour news and culture program aired on about a half-dozen NPR stations scattered throughout the country, none of which are in Omaha. The topic was legendary local singer-songwriter Simon Joyner. Raphael was looking for details about how Joyner has impacted the Omaha scene, as well as some perspective from someone who's been watching and listening to Joyner for a long time. We also discussed Joyner's new CD on Jagjaguwar, Lost with the Lights On. No idea when this story will air, but Raphael tells me it'll be available online from their website at http://www.publicradioweekend.org. I'll post a link to the program when it's available. It was fun meeting Bob Coate, the general manager at KIOS here in Omaha where the interview was conducted (with Raphael calling from L.A.) KIOS, 91.5 on your FM dial, is the only radio station I listen to regularly, which in itself is a sad commentary on local radio.

Broken Spindles feature – June 23, 2004

Just placed online a new profile of Broken Spindles, the solo project of Joel Petersen of The Faint (read it here). Joel talks about why he began singing on his albums, the lyrics, the making of the live performance's accompanying video, and his future projects. Broken Spindes is playing at Sokol Underground this Friday night with The Show is the Rainbow and The Mariannes. Rarely has there been a more theatrical ticket down at the Underground, what with Petersen's audio/visual presentation, Darren Keen's psychosexual presentation and The Mariannes' rock 'n' roll presentation. It's all good.

Check-in: Otasco, Vagrant comp, Icares, Zelienople, Rogue Wave, Bad News Bear comp, Tilly and the Wall, Tracey's Alibi

Reviews; bits and pieces – June 22, 2004

New reviews keep trickling out, including one for At the Close of Every Day (here), a band whose name sounds like they play metal, but of course, they don't. ACOED is a real find for Low or Bedhead fans. Speaking of good stuff, I can't get enough of the new Morrissey CD ("Irish Blood, English Heart" may well be the single of the year). More reviews added daily.

There's apparently a last-minute show at O'Leaver's tonight featuring two bands that don't even come up when you Google them -- Ghost Buffalo and Callsign Cobra. They must be local, right?

Antic is the name of the new Interpol CD, slated for release in September, according to NME, whose article also included a track list.

A local music retail guru is predicting that The Faint's new CD will be the first Saddle Creek release to go "gold" -- that would mean selling 500,000 copies, which is probably more than all Creek sales for all CDs combined. I wonder if he's even heard it.

And The Happy Mondays are playing a one-off reunion gig in London this fall, according to The BBC. I recently rented 24 Hour Party People again, having first seen it a few years ago in a London theater. And lately I've been obsessed with Factory Records, not because of music necessarily, but because of the arcane numbering system they used for all their products, from records to lapel pins to buildings to cats. Check out The Factory Records Discography site which has a comprehensive list, and collect all the FAC's you can find.

I'm back – June 21, 2004

Well, I'm back from my travels with a dozen or so CD reviews ready to post throughout the week either on the reviews page or on the matrix, depending on the review length (a couple went up today). I also just finished writing a piece on Broken Spindles, but am toying with the idea of also including the full transcript of my interview with Joel Petersen. One, the other or both will go online Wednesday morning.

Live Review: Maritime – June 16, 2004

So where were all those Promise Ring fans last night at the Maritime show? I didn't even need to ask what the attendance was -- I counted 30 people in the room, including the show organizers and other bands. No one expected this show to be SRO, especially on a Tuesday night, but 20 paid (if that)? I'm told that Maritime has been drawing poorly for their entire tour, and the only reasons I can figure is that either 1) The Promise Ring was never really that popular, 2) People aren't making the connection that Maritime lead singer Davey Von Bohlen was the lead guy in The Promise Ring, or 3) Word is out that their debut album is lacking -- Pitchfork's review probably didn't help much.

Or maybe the problem is that people are getting tired of relatively generic indie guitar pop, and it doesn't get much more generic than this. That said, Maritime wasn't that bad last night. Von Bohlen hit a lot of clunkers and suffered some pitch problems throughout the set, but musically, it wasn't horrible. Though all were cordial from the stage, the band never really got into any of their songs. Add to that a short set (I was home by midnight) and it had to be a pretty disappointing night for the 10 or so Promise Ring fans who made it out. And what about 1 Percent? I'm told Monday night's Vue show also didn't draw well (though it did better than last night). They'll lick their wounds and wait for the Broken Spindles show a week from Friday and the Tilly and the Wall show July 3, both of which will likely be sell-outs.

Lazy-i is going on a brief hiatus and won't be updated until this Saturday, so spend some time at one of our WoodEe Award winners' sites until I get back.

Why The Promise Ring feared Omaha; Maritime tonight – June 15, 2004

A sidebar story to the Maritime profile that didn't make it into the finished version:

Maritime frontman Davey von Bohlen talked about his bad luck when it comes to the City of Omaha. "After the Promise Ring's van accident near Omaha in 1998, we said, 'Let's make a big "X" where this happened and never go back,'" he said. "It was the source of the brain tumor."

Von Bohlen said the accident happened while the band was on tour with Hum. They were driving back to Omaha from Kearney when they got caught in a snow storm. The whole band ended up in the hospital. Guitarist Jason Gnewikow was the most seriously injured. "He got stuck in Omaha," Von Bohlen said. "I went through the windshield and smashed my head, which is why I got a tumor." A tumor that nearly cost him his life and sidelined his career for a couple years (see story).

Afterward, The Promise Ring would never be the same. So, is Von Bohlen apprehensive about returning to Omaha? Apparently this isn't the first time he's been back. The Promise Ring played at the Ranch Bowl on that band's last tour, six shows before they finally broke up in 2002. Von Bohlen has no hard feelings about our fair city.

"You gotta bury a band with all the baggage," he said. "Omaha was a part of The Promise Ring's baggage."

Tonight's Maritime show at Sokol Underground also features Latitude, Longitude and Snailhouse, and is the last big 1 Percent show until Broken Spindles June 25 (Look for a Broken Spindles interview at Lazy-i next week). I will be in attendance tonight barring any tornado-like weather, which, by the way, is forecast for this evening.

Check-in: The Album Leaf, Soltero, Irradio, Pines, Respira, X-ecutioners, Pleasant Stitch, Vero, Division Day, Burton L., Corporate MF, Avenpitch, Ming & Ping

Kite Pilot tonight; this week – June 14, 2004

Tonight's big to-do is Kite Pilot at O'Leaver's with Unwed Sailor. If you miss it (and you shouldn't) they'll be playing at O'Leaver's again June 24 with Snow Cuts Glass and In Ink Please. What else this week? Well, you got Maritime tomorrow night at Sokol Underground and then Neva Dinova and Shelterbelt Thursday night, also at the Underground. I'm working this week on a couple new interviews and a whole lotta reviews. Stay tuned.

Scenefest II hype; this weekend's highlights; Tilly in The Times – June 11, 2004

You gotta hand it to Tery Daly, the guy behind Lincoln website Star City Scene. No one, and I mean no one, is as successful as Tery getting his events play in the local newspapers. With Scenefest II, he repeated what he got done media-wise with Scenefest I -- preview articles in Omaha's major daily and all the local weeklies for a show that features all Lincoln-based indie bands. Tery, how do you do it? It's gotta be volume!

Anyway, Tery bugged me, too. So here's some hype for his sequel to Scenefest, three days of Lincoln bands playing at Duffy's starting tonight, where the three stand-outs are The Terminals (Dave Goldberg (ex-Carsinogents) new band), Charlie Burton (local legend) and Ideal Cleaners (former Drive By Honky people with a new single on Speed! Nebraska). Saturday's line-up, uh, I haven't heard any of them before. Sunday's show closes with Marianas, who have created a buzz in Omaha with their EP Onward + Upward. Scenefest is $6 a night or $15 for a three-day ticket. Find out more at Starcityscene.com.

So what about all of us who aren't going to Lincoln this weekend? Well, the action begins tonight as The 49'r and O'Leaver's go head-to-head. At The Niner -- Son, Ambulance and Austin Britton, while down the street at O'Leaver's is The Coast of Nebraska and The Mariannes. I might try to go to both. Saturday night's highlight is Anonymous American with Sonambulants at The Ranch Bowl. While Sunday night is Vue with Black Cat Music at Sokol Underground, and, hell while I'm at it, I might as well hype Monday night's O'Leaver's show -- the amazing Kite Pilot and Unwed Sailor.

So I'm looking through my June 3 issue of The New York Times and what jumps out at me but a review of the June 1 Tilly and the Wall opening gig at The Mercury Lounge. In a long review with the headline "A Band's Odd Instrument: One Energetic Tapdancer," critic Ben Ratliff opens with a line about Conor Oberst's new record label Team Love: "His first draft picks were the cheerleaders." Clever. Ratliff goes on to describe the show, focusing mostly on Jamie Williams' tap-dancing hi-jinx and the songs' "highly romanticized" lyrics. "Like Sal Paradise, the narrator of Kerouac's 'On the Road,' they identify with those who burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles. They present poetic, breathless chronicles of friends and lovers, dizzy with the winning certainty that the songs' actors are the most important people on earth." Ratliff then goes on to point out the obvious to anyone who's been to a Tilly show: "There is a high-frequency preciousness here," he says, "partly real and partly cultivated. These songs are delayed high-school reveries; they need drawings of hearts around them to fix them in the right context."

Is Tilly going to be huge or what?

Maritime profile; a correction – June 9, 2004

We've got company staying with us, which has been hampering the updates. Regardless, a couple things:

-- I just posted a relatively detailed profile of Maritime -- a band that consists of Davey and Dan from The Promise Ring and Eric from The Dismemberment Plan (read it here). They talk about the how the band got together, their run-in with labels (both the record and genre kind (emo)) and other fun stuff. The band is playing at Sokol June 15.

-- A correction: I erroneously said that Criteria recently played at O'Leaver's. Not the case. Their most recent gig before their most recent Omaha gig was opening for The Jealous Sound at Sokol Underground. Their next Omaha gig is July 17, again at Sokol, with Black Cross and Lords. If you haven't caught 'em, catch 'em.

Live Review: Race for Titles, Criteria – June 6, 2004

Nice showing last night for the benefit show at Sokol Underground, around 250 according to the promoter. I only caught the last two bands -- Race for Titles and Criteria.

I haven't seen RFT in over a year. They've become almost intensely tight on stage, with a rhythm section that is marvelously solid. Bowen's stick work is not only crackingly abrasive, it's downright theatrical. There aren't too many drummers around town that twirl a stick like Bowen. RFT might be the most typically emo band on the Omaha scene. Though one guy I talked to grooved on them because they remind him of The Cure, I don't see the comparison. There's a similar minor key drone reminiscent of early Cure, but nothing nearly as tuneful. RFT is powered by the riffs and the rhythm section, not the vocal melodies, which too often sound like something that was added after the rest of the songs were written. Jamie Massey's vocals are one long, mournful moan blasted over the guitars. I recognized only a song or two off their last CD. Rumor has it that they're getting ready to enter the studio to lay down tracks for their next release. They already sound like a well-conditioned, well-rehearsed touring band.

Criteria sounded like Criteria -- which is a good thing. It seems like they play more local shows than any other band in town. They just played at O'Leaver's a week or so ago, and they've got another Sokol show July 17. It certainly seems to have helped them build a following of loyal fans. I saw more than a few people singing along during their set. Still, I'd like to see these guys get out of Omaha more often, but being a lawyer means being in the office on Mondays. If anything, these shows can only help galvanize their performance even further, though I don't think they could get any tighter than they were last winter when they played a SXSW audition at The Ranch Bowl.

As per usual, the songs performed off En Garde carried an amazing, sustained power, even after Pedersen began to lose his voice (incidentally, I wish they'd work at least one cover into their set). The band took the occasion to unleash a couple new songs, one written in 3/4 (or maybe 6/8) time; the other (and better of the two) a tasty morsel of taut syncopated riffage. Every time I see these guys, my mind wanders to how I'd shoot their music video. It would basically be a performance video, shot at Sokol Auditorium, home of polka and ballroom dancing. I'd put the guys on stage, but on the floor I'd have maybe 20 or 30 couples -- all well-schooled ballroom dancers formally dressed in ball gowns and tuxedoes -- dancing a perfectly synchronized, seriously choreographed waltz to one of their waltz-time numbers, probably "Mainline Life" or "The Slider" or the new song. Stephen, contact Dance City and get a film crew together and do this before some other band does.

Tonight's show; Knifeparty.com sports wood; Where's that Kite Pilot story? – June 5, 2004

It's been a couple days, so some housekeeping is in order:

--First is tonight's big show featuring Criteria, Race for Titles, Little Brazil and Kyle Harvey -- $7 at the Sokol Underground door -- and it's a benefit for the Project Jason Foundation, brought to you by the good people at Someday Never. This should be a big one. Look for a review here tomorrow.

--Next, the June WoodEe Award went up a few days ago. This month's winner: Knifeparty.com. They just redesigned their site. Nice. I asked them where they're from and what they're trying to do. "We're not really located out of anywhere," responded Shelley Lollirot. "We have staff in the US, Canada, even one over in the Middle East. Mission statement? Uhh.. how about world domination? (Yeah I know I'm not that funny. Sorry to disappoint you)." Beneluxe takes it in the graphics/fine arts category.

--If you picked up a copy of The Reader and couldn't find the Kite Pilot feature, that's because (due to space issues) the story won't be published until the June 23 issue, just in time to support their June 24 show at O'Leaver's with Snow Cuts Glass and In Ink Please. KP is still playing O'Leaver's June 14 with Unwed Sailor. You don't wanna miss it.

--Incidentally, Shelterbelt is at O'Leaver's tonight with Petracovich.

--I just got off the phone with Maritime's Davey von Bohlen (ex-Promise Ring, Cap'n Jazz). Look for the interview Tuesday night/Wednesday morning -- good stuff on how Omaha caused his brain tumor a couple years back (I'm not kidding).

Check-in: Acuity, Skyward; Leaving Rouge, White Houses; Pants Yell, Songs for Siblings; Maritime, Glass Floor; Ideal Cleaners, Make Your Time 7-inch; Bombardment Society/Gnome Slaughterhouse 7-inch

Kite Pilot; the storms of early summer; the upcoming weekend – June 2, 2004

Just placed online is a nice, long (and hopefully interesting) profile of my favorite Omaha band these days -- Kite Pilot (read it here). The story tracks the band's past and future, and describes their sound. They're not playing again until June 14, so run out and buy their CD. Actually, I'm not entirely sure where you can pick up their EP… maybe at Drastic Plastic or The Antiquarium (I'm not sure that Homer's has it) or maybe inquire at their website. I'll remind you here when their show gets closer.

Gotta apologize for not updating for the past few days. It's not like I've been avoiding it. I came home from lunch yesterday and the power was out at my house… again.

In fact, last weekend's The Day After Tomorrow-style weather put a damper on my show attendance. I had intended to drop by the Bombardment Society/Gnome Slaughterhouse 7-inch release show at Sokol Underground Saturday night. I'm happy I didn't. The storm that blew through here that night at around midnight knocked out power to my house until around 10 a.m. the next morning. Nasty.

A belated review of Friday night's rock show featuring The Standard at Sokol -- not bad, considering there was only about 40 people on hand. I had never heard this band before and was moderately impressed with their set. The opening band, Envy Corp., was quite good at wearing their love of Radiohead on their collective sleeves. The lead singer had a Thom Yorke-ish voice, but instead of taking an electronic approach, the band brought a more traditional guitar-driven sound (though there were keyboards, too). Looks like that's it for 1 Percent shows until Vue takes the Sokol stage a week from Sunday (June 13). But that's not it for Sokol Underground shows. Someday Never is bringing Good with Guns and The Show is the Rainbow to Sokol Friday night, and a huge local non-Creek bill with Criteria, Race for Titles, Little Brazil and Kyle Harvey Saturday night.

Tonight: The Sons of The 49'r, Little Brazil and Mal Madrigal – May 28, 2004

'nuff said, as Stan Lee used to say. It's at The 49'r; and if you didn't know that by the title line, you better find out more about The Sons of... here. If that doesn't trip your trigger, check out The Standard along with opener Carmine at Sokol Underground. Should be a good beginning to a long, stormy weekend.

Speed! Nebraska gets busy; Old-school reunions (Not!), After Dark in the studio – May 27, 2004

Where was I… Oh yeah. A recent chat with Speed! Nebraska label guy and Monroes frontman (and new daddy) Gary Dean Davis revealed that the folks down at the vinyl plant have been busy-busy-busy filling their orders. Among the Speed! projects: They just released the new Ideal Cleaners 7-inch "Make Your Time;" they got the upcoming Sons of… full-length ready to roll in the next couple weeks, and future plans call for putting out a long-rumored Frontier Trust/Mercy Rule split 7-inch that contains previously unreleased material from The Trust's Speed Nebraska sessions and Mercy Rule's Flat Black Chronicles sessions.

Seems like the split release would be the perfect occasion for a couple reunion shows. In fact, word has it that Frontier Trust guitarist Bill Thornton just moved back to the Big O from Portland. Ah, but Gary says the odds are pretty remote for that sort of thing. Same goes for Mercy Rule. Drummer Ron Albertson just left Lincoln and moved back to Brooklyn where he again is working with his former Liars bandmate Pat Noeker to pull together a new band. Hopefully they'll do a better job picking band mates this time. Proof that Albertson and Noeker were the talent behind Liars is apparent to anyone who's heard the Liars' new, unlistenable CD. Someday, yes someday, the true story of that breakup will be told. Something tells me that, despite the angst it's caused, it'll end up being the best thing to happen to Ron and Pat.

Speaking of old school, I received an e-mail from ex-Mousetrap frontman Pat Buchanan saying that his new band, After Dark, is entering the studio in the beginning of June. Hopefully we'll make his way back for another gig in the near future.

The Sons of Lazy-i – May 26, 2004

This week's "cover story" is The Sons of… and I guess because the story appears in this publication, for argument's sake they're The Sons of Lazy-i. You'll notice that there's no band photo for the feature -- that's because the band doesn't have one or at least didn't give me one. The Reader sent a photographer over the night of the interview to shoot something for the newspaper, but I don't have a copy of it -- hence the album artwork. I intend to be at The Sons of The 49'r show this Friday night to snap a few pics, which I'll add to the story. I got a lunch thing today, so look for those additional news items I mentioned in yesterday's update tomorrow.

Overheard on Statistics, Desaparecidos – May 25, 2004

The policy here at Lazy-I is to avoid publishing rumors. Period. So when I overhear a comment at a show or see it online somewhere, I do my damdest to contact someone from the band or performer being discussed to confirm or deny the rumor. If the story proves to be hogwash, it doesn't make it online. If facts are unveiled from a credible source, you'll read about it here. For example, I didn't publish anything about Rilo Kiley leaving Saddle Creek until the story was confirmed with label chief Robb Nansel, and so on…

That said, here are a couple things overheard and confirmed:

-- A couple days ago Lazy-I reported that Statistics' recent full-length on Jade Tree has moved more than 10,000 units. Mr. Statistics himself, Denver Dalley, couldn't confirm the number, but did say that the CD sold out its first pressing of 6,000 units three months ago, just days into a 10-week tour. He said the CD "could very well" have sold 10,000 by now, but hadn't heard anything official.

-- While I had him on the Internet, I asked Denver about rumors that have been circulating that Desaparecidos may be coming back. "There has been some loose talk of trying to record some of the new Desa songs," Dalley replied, "even if we just get an EP out (We already wrote a batch of songs and I really want to get them out, because I think they are the best work we've done as a band - even if we just release it online or something, I just want to get it out). But we have to crawl before we walk. The idea is to catch Conor while he's in the studio with Bright Eyes and work in the b-room on some new Desa. I guess we shall see."

This isn't much different than what we were told prior to the Plea for Peace tour. The band never announced that it broke up, just that the recording sessions had been canceled. I, for one, never gave up hope for this band, which has the potential in the current indie-loving emo-loving music environment to be bigger than Bright Eyes. But the recent comments made in NME (and copied by Pitchfork) implied that music on Oberst's new album had varied styles and he was "currently mulling over releasing it by genre." On first read, that doesn't bode well for future Desa projects. Then again, I can't imagine Bright Eyes releasing anything as heavy as what we heard on the Desa CDs.

Since this is getting long-ish, I'll put the other "Overheard" items (ex-Liars, After Dark, etc.) online tomorrow, along with a brand-spanking new interview with The Sons of… that should actually be online later tonight.

Last night at O'Leaver's; tonight at O'Leaver's… – May 22, 2004

Why no review of last night's Sons of O'Leaver's show? Because I'm saving the description for a feature I'm writing on the band that'll be online Tuesday. It's being put together in support of their CD release show at The 49'r next Friday, when they'll be going by the name Sons of The 49'r. I will say that it was a great, laid-back evening of music, with Landon Hedges as Fine, Fine Automobiles starting things off, followed by the true-life C&W stylings of The Country Darlings, the duo of Mike Friedman & Sara Gleason. One of the evening's highlights was when three members of Little Brazil took the stage with the Sons to add vocals to "We Need the Night," off the new CD. Another was the encore/covers of "Time of the Season" featuring Landon doing his strange running-in-place dance, and an early R.E.M. song of which I don't know the title.

O'Leaver's continues to be one of Omaha's best-kept secret secrets for music lovers, with most shows only drawing around 40 people -- very comfortable and intimate. Tonight's O'Leaver's show, however, should be altogether different, with Statistics and Little Brazil in the house. I expect it to exceed capacity, and I probably won't even try to attend. A little bird told me that so far, Statistics debut full-length has sold in excess of 10,000 copies -- I haven't confirmed that number with lead guy Denver Dalley, but considering that the CD was in the CMJ top 20 for a few weeks, it seems very likely. That number will only get higher as Denver and his band head off to Canada with Despistado for a month-long tour through June 20.

Sons of O'Leaver's tonight; Fizzle's cover art SMiLES – May 21, 2004

Talk about a movable feast -- Tonight's Sons of O'Leaver's show also was supposed to feature The Neutrols as the opening band. But the Neutrols inexplicably broke up earlier this week. Immediately Kite Pilot was announced as the replacement band. But I found out last night that Kite Pilot can't play either -- one of the members apparently has to work. In the opening slots now -- Country Darlings (Mike Friedman & Sara Gleason), Fine Fine Automobiles and maybe some special guests.

Which brings up this Fizzle Like a Flood-related item: Fizzle's label, Earnest Jennings, announced this week that Frank Holmes, whose artwork graced the cover of the Beach Boys' SMiLE album, will be doing the art for the cover of the reissue of Golden Sands and the Grand Stand, scheduled for this fall. How did it come about? Seems Doug Kabourek (a.k.a. the Fizzler) e-mailed Holmes and sent him a copy of the CD. Holmes liked it and agreed to do it.

"He hasn't started it yet," Kabourek said. "He's finishing the art for this band called The Thrills, who are on a major but I don't know who they are." The Thrills are a Dublin-based band on Virgin whose last album, So Much for the City, caused something of a stir. Anyway, Kabourek says look for the reissue to come out Sept. 28, coincidentally the same day SMiLE is being re-released on Nonesuch Records.

The other big Fizzle-related news is that he has booked a show on June 3 at The 49'r, which just so happens to also be my birthday. He joins the likes of such great acts as Pleasure Forever and Cursive, who also have played TMac birthday gigs (though, uh, not actually because of my birthday). I was beginning to worry that I'd be stuck at home that night...

Check-in: Some by Sea, Pushing Red Buttons, The Waking Eyes, The Marcus Singletary Band

Teitur, or what's the point of being on a major, anyway? – May 19, 2004

As advertised, here's the profile of pop singer-songwriter Teitur. He's not an indie artist, but might as well be considering no one around here has heard of him. The only connection to the indie rock world is his publicity agency -- Girlie Action, the same outfit that does media and marketing for bands including Poleposition, John Vanderslice, The Rapture, Rye Coalition, and even Omaha's own Azure Ray.

What's the advantage of being on Universal if, after your CD is released, you're still virtually unknown and unheard of in towns like Omaha that would seem to have a veracious hunger for commercial pop music? Obviously major label affiliations still don't guarantee air play (or TV exposure). His biggest audiences have been garnered opening for light-weight Dave Matthews impersonator John Mayer, gigs that he implied were a bit awkward, considering he prefers the traditional singer-songwriter guy-with-a-guitar approach over the arena spectacle that Mayer has become.

Teitur will gather no new audiences here in Omaha now that his Ranch Bowl gig has been moved to Monday night (May 24) -- Mondays typically being lousy nights for touring bands. Oh well, it just makes for a more comfortable setting for us folks who will be there.

Live Review: My Morning Jacket – May 18, 2004

I'd never heard a note from My Morning Jacket before last night's show -- not a song, not a CD, not Jim James solo outing with Conor Oberst last winter at Joslyn. Maybe it was the press or assorted reviews, but for whatever reason I was under the impression that MMJ was some sort of alt-country band. Of course that wasn't the case at all, not even remotely. In fact, MMJ could be the redemption of FM rock radio -- a huge-sounding spectacle of a band that is the living, breathing reincarnation of all the post-hippie '70s rock bands. MMJ even looked the part, right down to their frizzy, hippy hair that covered their faces a la Charlie Manson.

Ah, but let's put aside the fact that they looked like they should have been playing "Carry On Wayward Son" and focus on their transcendentally dazzling music. Without a doubt, Jim James has one of the most gorgeous rock voices I've ever heard -- brilliantly soulful even on the upper end, enhanced by a mix that gave the hairy beast's voice more delay than Neil Diamond at the Arena. James was pitch perfect all night, cutting right through the band's huge sound that consisted of keyboards, violin, two guitars, bass and drums.

MMJ's music itself reminded me of heavy, light-hearted Allman Brothers (though James' voice blows Gregg Allman's away), maybe even Cream or Gov't Mule in the heavier moments of which there were many (again, I also expected to hear a lot of fey singer-songwriter stuff because of James' connection with the Oberst/M.Ward tour last year. Wrong again.) At one point, standing in the back of a crowded Sokol Underground (200+, surprising for a Monday night show with a $15 ticket price) I got the feeling I was watching an arena-quality rock show, even though the sound was turned down low enough so you could actually communicate with the person standing next to you.

Cousin Itt changed guitars after almost every song -- the guitar tech ran off stage, bringing him another and another and another, attaching them to his guitar strap that had a fake parrot glued to it to look like it was perched on his shoulder. At one point, James got tangled up during a swap, the wires from his ear-plug style monitor stuck in his hair/guitar strap/parrot combo.

I missed the very beginning of the set, when James apparently told the crowd that he was going to play his encore first and do his set backwards. Sure enough, after about 90 minutes of music, the band left the stage and didn't return for an encore -- a man true to his word. I really dug this band and will make an effort to hear what they sound like on CD.

Anyway, that's it for shows until Thursday, when O'Leaver's hosts Burd Early, The Strugglers, and Austin Britton. I got an e-mail from the Ranch Bowl yesterday, telling me that the Teitur show has been moved from this weekend to Monday night -- no reason given. Again, look for a Teitur interview/profile online here tonight or early tomorrow.

I'm Back; My Morning Jacket tonight; Statistics Saturday; Rolling Rock really is indie – May 17, 2004

Well, all I can say is don't get this upper-respiratory virus that's going around. If you do, figure that you'll be stricken for at least a week, maybe more. While I'm fully functional, I'm still coughing up gunk the color and consistency of dried-out tartar sauce.

Enough about my health.

Tonight is My Morning Jacket with Andrew Bird at Sokol Underground. If this weren't on a Monday night, I'd be predicting a sell-out. But it is a Monday night. Who knows? With school out, Monday may not make a difference. It will for all of us who work in an office, tho… I'll be there if my lungs and energy level allow it.

Incidentally, the fine folks at 1 Percent Productions confirm that there will be a last-minute Statistics show at O'Leaver's this Saturday night. No word on openers yet.

An e-mail received by Lonnie Methe supports my ongoing assertion that Rolling Rock is the beer of choice for the indie rock scene. Methe was pimping this Sunday's Naturaliste CD release party for Debached Hspodar (Pink Skulls) at a private artspace located at 415 S. 12 St. (apparently behind Retro), where there also will be an art showing of works by Methe, Bryan Day, Chris Fischer and Charles Lareau. He closes the invite by saying "Refreshments and food will be provided...Rolling Rock beer will not: please go to Sokol, O'leavers, or elsewhere for your indie thirsts." Ha-ha! What have I been saying about Rolling Rock since the '90s?

I've never heard Naturaliste, though I've seen/heard Methe add "violin effects" at various Simon Joyner shows through the years. I wholeheartedly recommend attending the event (which runs from 4 to 8 p.m.) if only to see Chris Fischer's clever, disturbing art work.

Coming to the site this week, more reviews (on a daily basis on the Matrix) and an interview/profile of Universal recording artist Teitur, who's playing at The Ranch Bowl this weekend. Look for that story late Tuesday night.

Check-in: Low Skies, The Bed; D.W. Holiday, Technical Difficulties, Under the Influence...; Vehicle, The Fire Is Warmer on the Inside

In recovery; some upcoming shows – May 13, 2004

Nothing much to say except that this cold/flu thing has kept me away from shows all week and I'm just now beginning to get back in shape to withstand the usual billowing smoke-filled environs of Sokol/O'Leaver's/49'r/Ranch, etc. That said, Saturday's Mal Madrigal / No Blood Orphan show at The 49'r is looking inviting. Then there's My Morning Jacket next Monday. SomedayNever is putting on a show Friday night at Sokol with a bunch of bands I've never heard of (except Coast of Nebraska). Lincolnites get Beep Beep and US Maple Saturday at Knickerbocker's, while Meth & Goats play O'Leaver's Sunday night (another SomedayNever production).

I keep slapping up new reviews on the Matrix and reviews page, so keep an eye peeled.

Check-in: The Stepford Five, Jon Chinn, Matthew Parmenter, Eight Days Gone, Stimulator, Summer at Shatter Creek, South Bay Bessie

Election Day reflections with Cursive – May 11, 2004

If you haven't already noticed, the Cursive Q&A -- or more specifically, the Q&A with Matt Maginn -- went online yesterday (it's right here). Matt talks about the Plea for Peace tour, how it happened, why the band is doing it, why the cause is worthy, especially in a state as overly conservative as Nebraska where your vote seemingly is meaningless if you're a liberal. Matt thinks that, even if the odds are stacked against you, you're better off voting than not, that if nothing else, your conscience will be clear, and who knows, maybe a few more people just like you will vote too, and a few more, and a few more, and what do you know? Suddenly the votes start adding up. It has to start somewhere, right?

I've voted in every election that's been held since I was old enough to vote, knowing full well that my vote meant nothing on a presidential-election level. The majority of Nebraskans always will vote for the Republican on the ticket. It's part of the price you pay to live in Nebraska, and it's probably one of the reasons why the liberal bands here create such good music. They've grown up in an atmosphere of political futility -- and that has to have resulted in some sort of natural creative gene pool, the same gene pool that created the protest music of the '60s and '80s and created indie/college/underground music. Someone on one of the local chat boards asked if all indie music and indie bands are politically liberal. The answer, from my experience, is yes. The liberal ideology is core to what most of these bands stand for and are trying to do. It has to do with having an open mind toward art outside the status quo. It also means never being as popular as the mainstream, conservative rock bands that are catering to people who want more of the same forever. If met with the choice of being hugely popular or holding onto their convictions, I don't think the average indie band would have a hard time making the decision.

Get out there and vote.

Then go to Andrew W.K. at Sokol Underground. If I go (and it looks doubtful since I'm still recovering) look for a review here tomorrow.

Tales of green pudding – May 10, 2004

Well, the spirit was willing but the body wasn't this weekend. I've spent the last few days flat out on my back coughing up green jello pudding and trying not to swallow to avoid twisting the knives in my throat. That means I obviously missed last night's Jealous Sound show at Sokol Underground, which I'd been looking forward to for quite a few weeks, but alas, it wasn't to be. Anyone with details, please post them on the Web board, I'm dying to hear how it went.

While I have spent the last few days sitting on my ass, I haven't been totally immobile. Check back later this afternoon for that Q&A with Cursive's Matt Maginn on the Plea for Peace tour, which rolls into Omaha this Wednesday at Sokol Auditorium. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered by then. In fact, I hope I'm well enough to see Andrew W. K. do his ADD-inspired shtick down at Sokol Underground tomorrow night or perhaps Kimya Dawson of Moldy Peaches light it up at O'Leaver's with Roarbot. Certainly I'll be fit as a fiddle for Saturday night's Mal Madrigal set at The 49'r (I had intended on interviewing Steve Bartolomei this weekend, but my SARS affliction kept me from it. It'll happen. Don't worry).

With nothing but time on my hands today, keep an eye on the Matrix and Reviews pages as I do some catch-up work.

The Jealous Sound's brush with salvation – May 5, 2004

Just posted right here, an interview/profile of The Jealous Sound. Proudly bald front man Blair Shehan talks about the band's recent tour disaster with Christian rockers Switchfoot. It still seems incomprehensible to me that the band's friends and business associates didn't warn them about what they'd be in for opening for one of the most popular Christian bands currently touring. Strange. Shehan also talks about his band's brush with the majors and provides an interesting lesson to anyone who might be thinking of leaving their indie home for "The Big Time" (Are you listening, Rilo Kiley?). The Jealous Sound is playing Sokol Underground Sunday night with Criteria and Mr. 1986. It should make for a painful Monday morning.

Check-in: Lola Ray, Kingsbury, Marshall Tucker Band (I'm not kidding), Neurosis, Danger Mouse & Jemini, Kalpana, Meth and Goats, The Patsys, Plasmodium, The Yesterdays

Head of Femur spy report; Bright Eyes on Kilborn; a quiet week ahead – May 3, 2004

There was just no way I was going to be able to got to Head of Femur last night at Sokol Underground. I spent too many nights in a row out drinking and needed a rest, plus there's that whole gotta-work-tomorrow-morning issue. Here's a spy report from someone who was there who seemed to enjoy it:

The Head of Femur show last night was really special, considering how I thought their last appearance was kinda tired. They played maybe 5 or 6 new things as well as songs from their CD. Their energy was very high and a bit manic, I'm assuming from the joy of knowing that Omaha was the last show of their little tour and the fact that they had new songs to play. They clearly had a great time playing and the enthusiasm spilled into the audience. Lots of big releases.
I missed Bright Calm Blue. The middle guy, Mark somebody (ed. Mallman), was one of the more bizarre things I'd seen at Sokol in a long time. It was him on a keyboard and a chick on drums that looked like a Swedish swimsuit model. They played along to backing tracks of guitars, bass and sound effects so it's clear that the chick drummer is only there for some visual counterpoint. Mark was a cross between Tenacious D and Tim Curry's character from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Lyrics from the first song: "I'm going to fuck you like an animal, I'm going to fuck you like a cannibal, I'm going to love you like a cannonball…" Mark seemed like the kind of guy that grew up surrounded by music and spent most of his life in front of a bedroom or a basement mirror, acting out show tunes from twisted soundtracks. He's also probably a big fan of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. I'm guessing last night's turnout to be 60.

Nice. He went on to complain about the sound, said there was no midrange in the vocals, probably because the Underground's sound system blew an amp sometime last week. I'm told that repairs were made after last night's show.

Moving on... I caught the Bright Eyes performance on Kilborn Friday night. It was maybe the best TV performance Oberst has done, but then again, he's only done two that I know of. He seemed much more relaxed than when he did Letterman last year, and I like this song better (I think he performed it at The Rose show last year). I recognized Mike Mogis and I think M. Ward on stage with him. Don't know who the fourth guy was on bass.

Oberst began by calling out Bush and Schwarzenegger's "fascist agendas." Every time he makes a political statement it sounds forced and insincere to me, but at least he's saying something. Halfway through the song I thought he said, "Everyone for president," but I've read on various web boards that he actually said "Matt Ward for president." Hey, I'd vote for Ward. He couldn't do any worse than the guy currently in office.

A word about Craig Kilborn: I don't know how this guy stays on the air. Easily the worst chat-show host I've ever seen, and that includes Magic Johnson, Arsenio and the guy from Family Feud who killed himself. Kilborn is just plain smug and annoying. His "skits" are unfunny and amateurish… horrible. I was embarrassed for him while he interviewed Greg Kinnear and the guy from Jackass, both of whom looked like they were as comfortable as someone sitting in a dentist office waiting room.

Look for two new features this week -- an interview with Cursive's Matt Maginn about the Plea for Peace tour, and a profile/feature on The Jealous Sound with Blair Shehan. The Jealous Sound story goes online tomorrow night. I'll probably wait until later in the week for the Cursive Q&A.

Looks like a pretty quiet week for live shows. The only standouts are Okkervil River/Shearwater tomorrow night at Knickerbocker's in Lincoln, and Son, Ambulance and The Midgetmen Friday night at The 49'r.

Live Review: Beauty Pill, Mariannes; Tivo alert -- Oberst on Kilborn – April 30, 2004

It's funny how the shows that don't draw well are almost always the best shows. Is it because you can walk up to the stage and right next to the band? Is it the narcissistic illusion that the band is playing just for you and a handful of like-minded friends? There were only about 50 people on hand last night to see Beauty Pill, Mariannes and Bombardment Society. Blame it on it being a weeknight or that there weren't any Creek bands on the bill. It certainly didn't have anything to do with the quality of music.

I missed Bombardment because I fell asleep at home during the Sacramento game. I caught most of The Mariannes; they just keep getting better. I swear Matt Stamp's voice is a dead ringer for "Sugar Mountain"-era Neil Young. I mentioned that to one of the promoters and he just laughed in my face. Imagine Neil fronting an edgy indie rock band and you get a sense of The Mariannes' style, though I'm sure no one would agree with that description.

Beauty Pill was as advertised -- a very musical, laid-back set by a 5-piece that seemed happy as hell to be playing to a mostly empty room. The band was at ease and comfortable on stage, playing smart indie rock with style and elegance. Leader Chad Clark stood like a mountain (6-5? 6-6?) stage-left while the demure Rachel Burke stood just off center behind a keyboard, looking like a young, strawberry-blond version of Meryl Streep. I wish more people knew about these folks, but with America's current taste in fashion music, that will probably never be.

Speaking of fashion, Bright Eyes is playing on the Craig Kilborn show tonight. Set your Tivo's to stun. I despise Kilborn, something about him just emotes snarky smugness and indifference. Among his guests is the idiot from MTV's Jackass, hence the Tivo recording, giving fortunate people such as myself the ability to forward right past the idiocy. According to the Omaha World Herald, Obest and a small band will be playing a new song called "Sing Sing Sing" from his new album, which the paper says doesn't come out until next year. I thought it was going to be a '04 release?

Will Whitmore tonight at The 49'r.

Live Review: Tilly and the Wall, Of Montreal; Beauty Pill tonight – April 29, 2004

It was a night of novelty. Tilly and the Wall already are straddling a precariously fine-line that divides art from comedy (Hey, they got a tap dancer ferchristsake!). At least when they play their own songs there's a heartfelt charm that permeates through the act, kind of making you think, 'Well, at least these kids are trying something -- you're just watching from the sidelines.' If you're drunk enough, you might even clap along with the tap. But when they turn into an indie cover band, the irony becomes a bit too ironic and instead of bordering on novelty, they stride boldly in the land of karaoke. The 250+ on hand -- mostly cute little girls who shouldn't be out on a school night -- could care less. They came for the show, even though most are too young to get the joke. Covers included Blonde Redhead, Erasure, Minor Threat and, oh yeah, Outkast, which got the most crowd reaction, but then again, it's become a trademark of Tilly's usual live set (The crowd had actually chanted "Hey Ya! Hey Ya!"). When they did a twee acoustic rendition of "Minor Threat" someone asked what Ian MacKaye would say, and then quickly answered: He'd say it was punk. Sloppy and silly with a toothy grin. I hear they're getting huge… in NYC. Or so Conor says.

Half the crowd filed out of the place after Tilly and before Of Montreal plugged in to do their groovy '60s rock shtick. The youngsters dressed appropriately -- rainbow hippy clothes, lots of stripes, Barnes even wore an ascot. For awhile I thought they weren't going to do any of those reported skits, having played four or five songs straight through from their new CD. Was Barnes just pulling my leg? Finally, one of the guitarists donned what looked like a rubber Frankenstein monster mask and mimed to a prerecorded monologue that I missed because someone was talking to me. I caught the second skit -- a take-off of a McD's commercial selling the new "McPurge" sandwich (McPurge! Get it?!). I left after that one (I had to get up early this morning). What about their music? Like I said, groovy '60s rock shtick. I like them better than New Pornographers but not as much as The Shins. How many of these kinds of bands do we need, anyway? Kudos to them for doing it first (if you don't count the original groovy '60s rock bands).

Tonight is Beauty Pill. I foresee being able to park right in the Sokol parking lot. A shame, because I dig their stuff. Maybe Mariannes and Bombardment SOciety will help pull in some drinkers.

Beauty Pill Q&A; Of Montreal tonight – April 28, 2004

So here's the Beauty Pill Q&A with Chad Clark (ex-Smart Went Crazy). It's rather long and I feel slightly guilty that it never got published in The Reader -- they didn't have room for another story of any length in this issue. Hence, it's a Lazy-i exclusive. In retrospect, considering the level of detail it probably makes more sense for it to be published in a music-directed web site than a general consumption weekly.

Beauty Pill is slated to play at Sokol Underground tomorrow night with The Mariannes and Bombardment Society, and it should be a great show, though I'm worried that no one will show up. Why? Because tonight is Of Montreal with Tilly and the Wall and Son, Ambulance. If this doesn't sell out, it'll come darn close. Who wants to go to two shows in a row during the week? Not me, but I probably will.

Live Review: Emery Reel, Fromanhole; Phantom Planet tonight… – April 25, 2004

A relatively packed house last night at O'Leaver's -- a good reflection of the strength of the Omaha music scene when you consider that there were four good shows going on. I heard Kyle Harvey packed them in at The 49'r. Bloodcow was at Sokol Underground (they're at O'Leaver's tonight) and probably the most-hyped of them all -- International Noise Conspiracy and Moving Units at The Ranch Bowl. That's a lot of shows in one evening.

Anyway, O'Leaver's had Emery Reel and Fromanhole. I got there just in time for the beginning of Emery Reel's very impressive set. First thing you notice is the big-ass vibraphone sitting in front of the band. No one was playing it when I arrived; instead the focus was on two guitars, drums and a guy hidden in the back taking care of the keyboard/sound effects/synths. These St. Louis guys do carry the whole instrumental-only ambient vibe well in a Mogwai-meets-Air sort of way. For whatever reason, I was reminded of late-'80s Pat Metheny records. Songs would fade in and out as the drummer would get up from his set and tap out a counter melody on vibes, then the guitarist would set down his axe and pick up a Theremin -- it was that sort of thing. The synth effects were mostly long, looped samples with rhythm tracks underneath.

Their centerpiece was their last song -- a 10-plus minute opus built on two changing chords. It began centered on a piano line played by the guitarist/keyboardist, then switched to the second guitarist playing tonal progressions. I knew something was up when the drummer took over the vibes and placed two additional sets of mallets down on either end of the playing surface. As the song wound down, each member put down his instrument and walked up to the vibe and picked up mallets, so that by the end all four were leaning over the vibraphone, pounding out an intricate Tubular Bells-inspired thing. They got people to stand up for that one.

Fromanhole didn't get on until about a quarter after 12 and played right up until closing -- their typical set of intricate, trace-inducing angular riffage anchored atop the drummer's scatter-shot, muscular sound -- his constant time-shifts and off-kilter syncopation sounded like a string of ladyfingers going off in the bar. Fromanhole is always fun to watch because all three players intensely examine each other for visual cues to the next break. This type of music demands precision or else it would turn into a jumbled mess. Talking to bassist Doug Kiser, I think the band knows that their sound will always be a hard sell in this town, and yet they continue to manage to draw sizable crowds to their shows. Here's hoping they keep on keeping on.

Tonight's big show is Phantom Planet, Steriogram and Criteria at Sokol Underground. I foresee this being a big draw as Phantom Planet has a video on heavy rotation on MTV2 and local radio station The River has been hyping it all week. Hopefully The River is beginning to see the value in creating a relationship with Omaha's indie music scene -- if so, they'd be the first radio station to really acknowledge what the rest of the country figured out years ago. I'm not holding my breathe, though… Do not look for a review of this show tomorrow as I don't intend to attend. Maybe someone will send me a spy report or at least post a review on the webboard.

Live Review: Scout Niblett, Mal Madrigal, overheard at the show…; tonight's choices – April 24, 2004

Scout Niblett looked like a stoned-out version of Meg Ryan in her strawberry blond wig, T-shirt and blue jeans, slouched alone on stage over an electric guitar with a bite-lip expression. Her thing is to play odd, awkward personal-journal-style songs that can go anywhere at anytime, from a whisper to a shriek, a chant to a bluesy wallow. The only time she's on an even beat is when she puts down the guitar and sits behind a drum kit, and even then her songs stumble along as if she's walking in a dark room, looking for a light switch. Unorthodox and a little strange, think of Scout as a spooky Chan Marshall with adult ADD.

The last time she came through, a year or so ago, she had her boyfriend from Swearing at Motorists in tow, helping her out on a couple songs. Not this time. It was her and her alone, except for on one song where Ryan Fox of Mal Madrigal (and The Good Life, and 1989 Chicago Cubs) played a standard drum part while Scout barked out single words on the back beat, slowly rising as if she were having aural sex with Fox.

Those unfamiliar with her albums might think they were peeking into an afternoon noodling session direct from her bedroom and that Scout was just making up the words as she wandered from one chord to another. The devotees (of which I'm not one) hear only genius, and instead of clapping, I halfway expected the 50 or so onhand to snap their fingers after songs, beatnik style.

Would Niblett's stuff work with a full backing band? Doubtful. The charm comes from seeing her alone on stage, screwing on the courage to do the next jangled, broken poetry slam. Her rhythmic path is too wobbly and uncertain for any band to navigate; her voice too unbridled to allow others to rein it in (it's clearer and with more range than any Cat Power comparisons). How she does it night after night is a mystery to me.

Opener was a four-piece version of Mal Madrigal featuring singer/songwriter Steve Bartolomei backed by Mike Saklar, Ryan Fox on drums, and Casey Scott from Desaparecidos and Drip on bass. The larger band breathed new life into Bartolomei's folky ballads, with Saklar adding subtle touches and fills without distracting from the melodies.

Saklar told me that he's working on a new project that he'll unveil on May 15 at The 49'r that includes Bartolomei, Fox and Marc Phillips of Carmine/Carsinogents. He described it as having touches of Red House Painters, Radiohead and Ravine -- now that should be interesting.

Mike Tulis of The Sons of… also passed on that their CD is nearly completed, just in time for the band's last three gigs as Kelly Maxwell prepares to blow this popsicle stand for better climes. The Sons will be The Sons of The 49'r for their CD release show the last week of May.

What's in store for tonight's entertainment? Three shows come to mind. First (and the one I'll probably show up at) is St. Louis instrumental band Emery Reel with the always entertaining Fromanhole and The Classic Model at O'Leavers. The Emery Reel song I heard online was very trippy, quiet, haunting stuff that works together guitar, drums and electronics for a Mogwai/Godspeed vibe. Imagine that at O'Leavers. Choice No. 2 is Moving Units opening for International Noise Conspiracy at The Ranch Bowl. Jim of One Percent Productions says Moving Units is a must-see, playing a Gang of Four/Beep Beep-style thing. Lastly is metal maniacs Blood Cow at Sokol Underground. The music editor at The Reader swears by these guys for putting on an over-the-top show. If I hit one of the three, look for a review tomorrow right here.

Six degrees of Denali's break-up; Scout Niblett tonight; Simon Joyner in Magnet – April 23, 2004

So you might have already heard that Denali has called it quits. Jade Tree placed the announcement online a couple days ago and there's a longer explanation on the Denali website. This kind of thing happens al the time, but generally not when a band is about to break into "the next level." Denali was slated to play Omaha May 12 as part of the Plea for Peace tour featuring Cursive. Obviously they've fallen off that bill, only to be replaced by none other than Decahedron, the D.C. punk band that includes members of Fugazi and Frodus, and who just happened to have been on tonight's Sokol Underground bill with Scout Niblett and Mal Madrigal. Not any more, as they've probably already joined up with Cursive and Co. for tonight's Plea for Peace gig in Columbus, Ohio. I think the change will mean a short evening tonight, with festivities slated to begin at 9:30. And I can't say that I mind at all. Look for a review of the show here tomorrow.

Briefly… Simon Joyner is featured in the new issue of Magnet Magazine in an article titled"The Basement Tapes," which highlights five artists "exploring the deep, dark corners of American music." The other artists are Iron & Wine, Jolie Holland, Jason Molina and Shannon Wright. Simon talks about his new album, Lost with the Lights On, and the joys of experimentation in music. Plus there's a nice pic of the old man.

Check-in: Love This Life, A Song for All Occasions; LKN, In the Leap Year; Lucid Grey, Out of Focus

Of Montreal – April 21, 2004

This week's cover story is a feature on Athens band Of Montreal (read it here). Leader Kevin Barnes talks about the band's unique stage show, the Elephant 6 connection (and just what exactly the "collective" is), the new CD and the nature of concept albums.

Among the stuff that didn't make it into the article is how Kevin works with his brother, David, who creates the distinctive, colorful artwork that adorns each Of Montreal album. Seems Kevin passes on rough mixes of the album as the recording progresses, which is easy enough since the two live together in Athens. "The art fits with the feeling and energy of the record," Kevin said. "This time, the album title (Satanic Panic in the Attic) inspired a lot within the illustration -- the tarot cards aspect of it and the religious aspects. If I have a vision it's a rough vision, and David takes it in a completely different direction." It's pretty intricate, dazzling stuff, and I'm curious at what the original version looks like. Should make for an interesting T-shirt. We'll find out as the band comes through Omaha a week from today, with openers Son, Ambulance and Tilly and the Wall. Incidentally, the Tilly set was originally advertised as being "all covers." Don't know if that's still the case. We'll see.

Soemthing else that didn't make the story -- Barnes' memories of Omaha. "We played Omaha on the Gay Parade tour with Lullaby for the Working Class," he said. "It was fun. We stopped at a gas station and I remember the smell of cow manure was so strong. I'm sure Omaha has more to offer than that." Don't be so sure, David…

The Calm Before the Storm – April 20, 2004

There seems to be a natural lull right now, a calm before the storm, as winter ends and we prep for the summer onslaught. Every year around this time, things just seem to slow down, for me anyway. I blame the NBA playoffs (the Knicks are back this year, but, I fear, they are doomed). Even our friends at 1 Percent are taking a break… for a few days at least, until they begin their spring press with crazy Scout Niblett on Friday (for some reason, they overlooked on their preview page the 2nd Annual Diversity Bash with Breathless the night before), followed Sunday by Phantom Planet, then Of Montreal on Wednesday, April 28 -- in fact, look for an Of Montreal interview on Lazy-i later tonight or early tomorrow morning. That's the beginning of five straight days of shows at Sokol Underground closing with Head of Femur May 2. I don't know how Marc and Jim do it and continue to hold day jobs.

For me, the most interesting upcoming show is Beauty Pill on Thursday, April 29, with Bombardment Society and The Mariannes. I've been trying to line up an interview with the band, but keep missing connections. Two of the guys in BP used to be in the cynical and cunning Smart Went Crazy, and their new album is nothing less than wonderful. I'll keep you posted as I continue to track them down.

Check-in: Tweaker, Sophie B. Hawkins, Slow Train Soul, Redder Records Sampler

Live review: Will Johnson – April 18, 2004

Eight O'clock is too early for any show, especially on a spring day that feels like summer. We showed up at The Ranch Bowl at about 8:10 -- ten minutes after Will Johnson began his set succinctly at 8 p.m. ("I like to be punctual," he said afterward over a tall boy). And punctual he was, for the 20 or so people standing around the Ranch Bowl. By the end of his 35-minute set, the crowd had ballooned to 30 (not including the sound guy, security and the Momma the barmaid). Four fans sat on stage right in front of Johnson as he belted out one song after another on his electric guitar, rarely stopping between numbers to receive the smattering of applause, but seeming to enjoy himself anyway as if he expected to be playing in front of an almost empty room.

I'm more convinced than ever after the solo gig that Johnson has one of the most unique and interesting voices in rock today. As unique as Eddie Vedder or Neil Young -- a voice that's instantly recognizable. It's sort of rough and scratchy but with plenty of range to yelp on the high end, and enough dynamics to sell any emotion he wants. These were lonely songs -- not the Centro-matic ravers -- and they were made even more lonely by Johnson's solitude on stage, lit by red spots, sitting in a chair dragged in from the bowling alley. In jeans, t-shirt and seed cap, he leaned over the guitar and did his thing, occasionally teetering back in this chair and kicking his feet up when he came to a particularly roaring guitar section, usually at the end of a song.

It was all very pretty and over way too soon. Afterward, we apologized for showing up late, but had figured he wouldn't actually begin until 8:15 (nobody goes on stage on time these days, except, apparently, Will Johnson). Johnson told us he never made it out to Rosenblatt Stadium, where he planned to sneak in and see the home of the College World Series. He was too tired, and took a nap that afternoon instead. The Royals were off playing a road game and he didn't think he had the energy to outrun Johnny Law. Maybe tomorrow, he said. He did have a chance to visit the Bob Feller museum in Van Meter, Iowa, the day before. His love of baseball seems boundless. He even ended his set by telling the crowd to go out and catch a game this season.

We didn't stick around for the rest of the show (except for one song by the traveling opener from L.A., On the Speakers, which sounded pretty generic).

Will Johnson interview; Two days of Kite Pilot; Happy tax day – April 15, 2004

In case you didn't notice, an interview with Centro-matic's Will Johnson went online yesterday (read it here). Johnson talks about his solo efforts, touring, breaking into baseball parks and some other stuff. I've always loved Centro-matic, but somehow they've managed to bypass Omaha on their tours. This solo set at The Ranch Bowl Saturday night with The Sleepy Jackson is far from a Centro-matic set, but it's better than nothing. There's a ton of buzz about Jackson, and yes, they've even had their video shown on MTV's Subterranean (I'm sure this time).

On another note, Omaha is being treated to back-to-back evenings with my new favorite band, Kite Pilot. I've described them in the past as sheer, unadulterated pop with a hint of lounge and indie rock -- a four-piece driven by Erica Petersen's rich, sweet vocals (think Bjork-era Sugar Cubes), a bouncy rhythm section and keyboardist Todd Hanton's remarkable trumpet. At times three of four members are singing, making for heartfelt glee-club racket.

Tonight Kite Pilot opens for Washington D.C.'s The Casual Dots at Sokol Underground with new local band Latitude, Longitude; tomorrow Kite Pilot opens for The Sons of the 49'r at The 49'r (duh) as part of an art show featuring the work of Mike Loftis. Mike Jaworski of Hello from Waveland also is on the 49'r bill. Kite Pilot's new EP should be available at both shows -- pick one up, it's a thing of beauty.

Check-in: Sugar Deluxe, White Noise; Carrier, 5-song demo

Live Review: Gris Gris, The Terminals – April 14, 2004

So I get this phone message on my machine telling me that The Terminals are playing tonight at O'Leaver's with a band called The Gris Gris (pronounced gree gree) who I never heard of. The Terminals is former Carsinogents frontman Dave Goldberg's new band that's just getting off the ground and has played around town only a few times. I figure it's a night of full-on rock or go down to Sokol and see the Creek show. I just saw Neva Dinova a couple weeks ago and didn't expect it to be any different, and I've seen Azure Ray about a dozen times (or so it seems). Yeah, I wanted to check out Okkervil River, but it was already getting late and I figured I already missed their set. O'Leaver's, with its cheap Rolling Rocks and laid-back vibe became more and more inviting by the minute.

I showed up just in time to see Gris Gris' last couple songs and feel like a chump. Some truly amazing shit. A zoothy keyboard, a guy with an ampted acoustic guitar, a guy sitting behind a snare drum and symbol (no bass drum) and a groovy bassist who looks like Greenwich Village beat poet. Stacked up on stage are two old amps, not just for amplification, but for some weird feedback treatment. These guys were psycho Velvets circa first album, pure garage shit with an intense drone vibe and utterly original. Everyone was transfixed -- yeah, they were that good. Turns out they're affiliated with Birdman Records (Twilight Singers, The Warlocks) and were just passing through for a quick show. Strange and amazing, the last song droned on for what seemed like 10 minutes of guitar disassemblement and feedback while that bassist kept it rolling thum thum thum-like. Someone get them back here.

Then it was The Terminals' turn. Goldberg was behind an electric piano (no organ tones tonight) while some guy from Caesar the Greaser played guitar next to a tall, dark-haired girl who also played guitar and who's apparently married to the drummer. Two guitars, keyboards and drums, no bass, all playing strange retro, heavily delayed stuff that you could twist to. Goldberg's keyboards felt like pure '60s sock-hop while the two guitars got lost in a fog of chords. Where's the reference? I couldn't put my finger on one. It's early '60s garage with a female vocalist that can wail. The guy guitarist took turns singing on a number, while Goldie stayed pat behind the piano doing his thing -- no vocals for Dave tonight. The mix was messy -- almost too messy with way too much delay bleeding everything into a noisy stew. The best song of the night was the closer, where Goldberg took a turn behind the trap set, the lady took the keyboards and the drummer took the mic up front -- more modern garage bashing verging on punk. It's a departure from Goldberg's screamy '60s horror movie scene, but just as dirty as anything the Carsinogents ever done, albeit messier. What would they sound like with a better mix? And would they even want it cleaner? Doubtful. A great night of rock that ended too early for my taste.

Great turnout for a Tuesday night at O'Leaver's, incidentally. I recognized a lot of faces I've seen at other heavy rock shows and credit Goldberg, who left the message. As a tavern-owner on hand from another bar famous for its indie/punk scene said: "Dave sure knows how to promote." He's right.

Check-in: Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova, One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels, Hudson Falcons; Bumblebeez 81, Print2.

Another week... – April 12, 2004

It's the start of another busy music week in Omaha with Azure Ray/Okkervil River tomorrow night and Kite Pilot and Casual Dots Thursday (both shows at Sokol Underground), then Will Johnson of Centro-matic at The Ranch Bowl Saturday night (look for a Lazy-i interview with Johnson online tomorrow night). I didn't manage to make it out to one show last weekend, so I got to make up for it this week.

New reviews: Kite Eating Tree, Humble Gods

Check-in: The Good Life, Lovers Need Lawyers

Live Review: Now It's Overhead; Two Gallants tonight @ The 49'r – April 9, 2004

Now It's Overhead sounded spot-on perfect last night as Sokol Underground in front of an eyeball guess of 250. As has been reported everywhere, the line-up for this tour didn't include Azure Ray, but a couple guys from Athens band Maserati. Fronting the four-piece, the diminutive LeMaster belted out a handful of songs from his first album and the new one, Fall Back Open, as well as a Magnetic Fields cover. He and drummer Clay Leverett came back and did a stripped-down version of "Who's Jon" as a one-song encore. It seemed like a short set, but maybe that's because the band came on at around 11 -- an early show, indeed. In fact, I thought I was getting there early at 10:30 only to catch the last couple songs by Statistics, which sounded fine though I couldn't get a real bearing on it between talking to people on the way in and getting a beer.

Okay, I know that's not much of a review, but there isn't that much to say about Now It's Overhead live. The music sounds almost spot-on to what you hear on the CD and LeMaster rarely strays from the script. Theatrical he ain't; and the crowd was the usual docile mob of neck-craning gawkers. LeMaster's between-song patter consisted mainly of thanking Statistics for being their tour mates over the past few weeks (this was the last stop on their current tour).

What's on tap tonight? Well, you got the snarly, acoustic folk of San Francisco's Two Gallants along with Coast of Nebraska at The 49'r. Based on the one song I heard from the band online, this could be a good show if they can bring it above the crowd noise.

Check-in: The Jealous Sound, Kill Them with Kindness; Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News; This Process is a Still Life; The One AM Radio, A Name Writ in Water; Rachael Yamagata, Happenstance; Midgetmen, High Life.

Now It's Overhead, RFT, Statistics tonight; the Denver Post on the flight of Rilo Kiley – April 8, 2004

Very briefly, you got Now it's Overhead tonight at Sokol Underground along with Race for Titles and Statistics. I intend to attend, so look for a review tomorrow right here.

The Denver Post picked up the Rilo Kiley story, with background info provided by none other than members of The Faint. Read it here.

Check-in: The Hokkaido Concern, Circuits Flooded; Austin's Obsession, Independent Film

Rilo Kiley addendum – April 7, 2004

Those looking for the Rilo Kiley announcement, scroll down -- it's the April 5 entry.

It's interesting reading the responses to the Rilo announcement, which, by the way, was the driver behind the largest one-day traffic surge at Lazy-i since we announced that Bright Eyes was going to be on the Letterman show last year. Obviously there's a ton of interest in the band (and the label).

After I posted a link to the announcement on the Saddle Creek Board, links began to pop up on web boards all over the net. Comments seem to be divided into two camps: Those who are happy that the band is taking "the next step," and those who are concerned that RK will compromise their music for the sake of being on a major. Based on Nansel's comments, the next CD is already in the can. The worst thing that could happen is if the new label decided to "sweeten" it with production gimmickry, which seems unlikely -- they must have already heard the CD, why would they bother to sign a band whose music they didn't like? Or maybe I'm being naive. I'm more concerned about the follow-up to the next CD. It would be a shame if RK took the same path as Liz Phair, who managed to destroy any credibility and talent that she earned by having her music altered by production doctors in an effort to produce "hits." The result of that experiment was the biggest selling album of her career, filled with nothing but shit (unless you like music that sounds like toothpaste commercials).

There is also a third camp, which I hadn't considered, who are afraid that RK will begin touring as an opening act on arena tours. This would be unfortunate, for me anyway. One of the reasons I follow indie music is that I prefer hearing bands in a more intimate (albeit, more run-down) setting with only a few hundred other people. A band is more apt to connect with their audience if they're close enough to touch them. It's also nice to be able to stroll to the merch table afterward and actually talk to the band. All of that goes away at arena shows. And instead of paying $5 to $8, now you could be paying $40 or more. No thanks. The last arena concert I attended was Fleetwood Mac, and I've had better, more intimate concert experiences watching bands on television.

I don't know what motivated Rilo Kiley to leave Saddle Creek, and Creek didn't say. You have to assume it was money and exposure, and who doesn't want to be a success? And what's it mean for Saddle Creek? I'm sure they're bummed to be losing one of their best-selling bands, but they can't be altogether surprised. Creek has a lot on their plate this year, not the least of which includes new CDs by The Faint, Bright Eyes and The Good Life, among others. New acts like Broken Spindles (the new CD, Fulfilled/Complete, is quantum leap above the Tiger Style debut) and Beep Beep (the debut's already in the can) show that they're pointed in the right direction, though I'd love to see them work with a hip-hop act.

You can read other web chatter about the RK move at these blogs and sites:

Rilo Kiley.net discussion string: http://rknet.turn-signal.com/viewtopic.php?t=1367
Saddle Creek -- two strings:
http://www.saddle-creek.com/webboard/viewtopic.php?t=49240
http://www.saddle-creek.com/webboard/viewtopic.php?t=49282
SLAM Omaha discussion: http://www.slamomaha.com/boards/messageBoardView.asp?board=MUSIC&id=139612
The Elected.com discussion: http://www.theelected.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=63

Rilo Kiley to leave Saddle Creek Records – April 5, 2004

Saddle Creek Records chief Robb Nansel confirmed rumors that have been swirling about Rilo Kiley. He said an EMI label will be putting out the band's next record, possibly Capitol or Virgin Records. Robb said the folks around the office are bummed about the move but, "it is their decision. We wish them the best of luck. It's just too bad we won't be involved -- it is a really good record."

Rilo Kiley was introduced to the Creek family by Tim Kasher (Cursive, The Good Life) in 2001 after he met the band at a show in San Francisco. At the time, Rilo Kiley was signed to Barsuk Record (Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf). The Saddle Creek sound wasn't a mystery to Rilo vocalist Jenny Lewis. "We had bought a copy of Bright Eyes' Fevers and Mirrors a year before, so we were already fans of the music," she said in a 2002 interview. "We decided to record our next CD at Presto! and work with Saddle Creek because of the creative freedom we knew they'd off