Wednesday, March 31, 2010 |
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Column 264: Is MAHA turning the corner? Mynabirds, Paria added to Omaha Invasion; Cleemann (w/Higgins), Thunder Power tonight…
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One more thing... I know a few of the bands that MAHA is after in addition to Spoon. If they get them, there will be no question that this festival has, indeed, turned the corner...
* * * This just in: Both The Mynabirds and Paria have been added to the Omaha Invasion Festival that I wrote about yesterday. Who's next? * * * Tonight at PS Collective, Danish singer/songwriter/musician Gunnar Cleemann is performing along with Thunder Power (just back from SXSW). Cleemann plays a subtle, wispy, layered pop that's pretty and introspective. Backing him on bass is local legend Dereck Higgins, who has been touring with Cleemann. Check out Cleemann's Myspace page. $5, 9 p.m. Also tonight, California band Americas plays at O'Leaver's with Rooftops and Gordan Shumway. $5, 9:30 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:39 AM |
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010 |
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Omaha to Invade Lincoln April 22-23…
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Jeremy Buckley, the guy behind the Lincoln Calling and Lincoln Invasion festivals, has announced the Omaha Invasion Festival, slated for April 22 and 23 at Lincoln clubs Duffy's Tavern, 12th St. Pub, Bricktop and the Bourbon Theatre Rye Room (front room). The line-up so far:
Impressive. And Buckley is still waiting to hear from two or three more bands. He said the idea behind the mini-fest branched out from the Lincoln Invasion weekend he and Dub Wardlaw from Duffy's put together last June in Benson. Each Lincoln venue will host three to four bands or DJs (at the Bricktop) per night. A $6 cover will get you into all three venues for the evening, or you can pay $3 just to get into one venue if you don't expect to mosey around. The Bricktop won't have a cover. The Zoo Bar isn't involved because it already had shows booked for the weekend. By the way, all bands involved will get paid for performing. Buckley said he will divide 80 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales among the bands, keeping 20 percent to cover expenses. It's his willingness to pay bands that is one of the main reasons why his events have been successful in attracting the area's best acts. "We figure we are helping and whatnot, but it's the bands the people are coming to see, they should get paid as much as possible," Buckley said. "For Lincoln Exposed this year and last, the bands averaged about $150 a piece, and while I don't expect (the amount) to be as high with out-of-town bands (playing in Lincoln), I think they'll all walk away with respectable paydays." Speaking of festivals, tomorrow's column will focus on the MAHA Festival with data from the organizers. Stay tuned. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:46 AM |
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Monday, March 29, 2010 |
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MAHA presents: Spoon; Tim Kasher scores; SXSW summarized…
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The word went out at midnight Saturday that the Maha Festival's mainstage headliner this year will be Spoon -- quite an improvement over Dashboard Confessional. Spoon seems to prove the organizers' intent to not only make this festival a big crowd draw, but to do it using relevant touring bands rather than the usual County Fair Circuit nostalgia acts. There's a whole process that went behind the selection, which I'll get into later. Needless to say, they're not stopping at Spoon, nor could they if they hope to fill Lewis & Clark Landing. * * * I received more than a few comments about my SXSW coverage that was published in this week's issue of The Reader. I had one guy ask me if I had a good time in Austin, he couldn't tell by reading the story. I liked everything about SXSW this year except for the accompanying illness that I suffered all last week and into this past weekend, an illness that I'm just beginning to recover from. Anyway, for posterity's sake, here's what was published in The Reader -- a condensed version of the blog entries from those three days. If you read the blog daily, then you've already seen this in another form. I'll be compiling those entries into one story with photos sometime in the near future…
--Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:53 AM |
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Friday, March 26, 2010 |
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MAHA Festival headliner to be unveiled; the weekend…
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Based on the comments on their Twitter feed, it looks like Maha Festival organizers have booked their headliner for the July 24 bash, and are on the verge of announcing it. They're even giving clues. Stay tuned. * * * Another quiet week show-wise this weekend, which is good seeing as I'm on the mend from Austin and a head cold. The only shows that draw my attention are tomorrow night (Saturday). Fortnight is playing at The 49'r with Shipbuilding Co. (members of Plastic Trumpet, Head of Femur). $5, 9:30 p.m. Little Black Stereo is headlining a show at O'Leaver's with Matt Cox Band and Son of 76 and The Watchmen. $5, 9:30 p.m. Finally, there's the Found in Benson fundraiser at The Foundry, 6051 Maple St. The fun starts at noon with a flea market, followed by a potluck from 5 to 7 and then live music from 7 to 10 with Wisconsin band The Hollands, James Hobbs (Ames, IA) and Jimmy Hobbs. $5 for the performance. Money raised goes to produce the Found in Benson 'zine. And if you're in Lincoln Sunday night, head over to Duffy's for the Pharmacy Spirits CD release show with Mercy Rule, Shipbuilding Co. (again, members of Plastic Trumpet, Head of Femur) and The Green Trees. 9 p.m. not sure of the cover price. Pharmacy Spirits will have its Omaha version of their CD release show April 3 at O'Leaver's with Talking Mountain and The Yuppies. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 3:07 PM |
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Thursday, March 25, 2010 |
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SXS-Westilence (like Pestilence, get it?), Citay tonight; Pitchfork poops on Bright Eyes/Neva…
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by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com I've talked to three people who went to SXSW last week. All three -- like me -- are now suffering from a head/chest cold. What are the odds of that? Is it because we all foolishly sloughed around Austin last Saturday under-dressed for the unseasonably cold weather? I blame that, along with a weakened immune system from multiple 3 a.m. nights. I also blame air travel, which I consider to be one of the most dangerous endeavors from a disease/illness standpoint. I always get sick after I fly. Anyway, I'm sick. But I think (I hope) I'm getting better. I was too sick for last night's show at O'Leaver's, and I'm still too sick for tonight's gig at The Waiting Room. I'll be missing Ezra Feinberg and his San Francisco band Citay. This funky act plays a groovy sunshine-filled, multi-harmony pop rock that you'd expect from someone living on the Left Coast. Their new album, Dream Get Together (just released on Dead Oceans), is a throwback psychedelic gem that isn't afraid of the occasional guitar solo. This is the kind of band you'd have heard at The Fillmore circa 1967 (if you around). I'm buzzing right now just listening to the album (it's either that or all the cold medication). Opening is Leslie Wells and Anniversaire. $8, 9 p.m. * * * An addendum on that Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova item from yesterday: The Pitchfork review hit last night. Rating: 5.8 -- which translates to "please ignore me." Says reviewer Ian Cohen (who incidentally reviewed and hated the last Neva album): "As songwriters, Oberst and Bellows sound more comfortable than challenged here. As a tribute to once prolific and unique songwriting community, One Jug is better served as a reminder of how much outstanding and original music Saddle Creek produced from 2000-2003 rather than a document of it." Cohen also says that the Neva songs are better than the Bright Eyes songs, but with this caveat: "Bright Eyes were never convincing as a rock band, and the transparency in which Desaparecidos tried to be a rock band always made it feel hollow." Okay. So take the review for what it's worth… Hey, it's Pitchfork, right? Read the whole thing here. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- Read Tim McMahan's blog daily at Lazy-i.com -- an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 4:25 PM |
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010 |
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Will the Bright Eyes split ignite interest in Neva Dinova / Jake Bellows? Mynabirds, Bellows tonight...
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by Tim McMahan, lazy-i.com Yesterday Saddle Creek Records released a new version of the Bright Eyes / Neva Dinova split One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels. Originally released in 2004 as a 6-song EP by Crank! Records, the new release adds four new tracks -- two Bright Eyes and two Neva songs -- recorded last fall at ARC Studios. The first thing that went through my mind when I heard about the project: Will there be a joint Bright Eyes / Neva tour in support of the LP? The answer, it seems, is no. At least that's the word from Oberst's publicist at Press Here Publicity. Seeing as Neva Dinova hasn't performed publicly in long time, the idea of a tour was a long shot (though I'm told that there were discussions of a joint tour prior to release). The closest thing you're going to get to hearing these new Neva songs live maybe happening tonight, when Jake Bellows opens a show for The Mynabirds at O'Leaver's. The Mynabirds are coming off a number of shows last week in Austin at SXSW, so expect a tight performance, and maybe a few surprises. $5, 9:30 p.m. Regardless, will this release ignite interest in Neva Dinova and Jake Bellows? You never know, especially judging by the early reviews, where Jake is getting a pretty good shake. Check out this review at Drowned in Sound (read it here), where the reviewer says, "But if Bright Eyes are largely responsible for …Vessels’ shimmering highs, it arguably falls to Neva Dinova to gift it a sense of cohesion. Much of this is due to Jake Bellows’ sleepy, almost narcotic delivery. Songs like ‘Poison’, ‘Get Back’ and new opener ‘Rollerskating’ are so sedate they might come off listless in lesser hands, but Bellows’ velvet croon carries them gracefully, with real warmth (his cracked lead vocal on the Oberst-penned final track ‘Spring Cleaning’ is a winner too). ‘Someone’s Love’ is the strongest of the band’s new offerings, finding Bellows ponder overheard conversations and inappropriately lewd thoughts over dense instrumentation in a manner both wry and compassionate." Then there's this from Consequences of Sound (read it all here): "In essence, there are two things to take from this re-release. First, is that Neva Dinova is actively taking a deserved large step forward to becoming a household name and should not be ignored. Their sound is one that is original and impressive and deserves delving into. The second thing is that Bright Eyes are back!" --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- Read Tim McMahan's blog daily at Lazy-i.com -- an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 11:00 AM |
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010 |
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Steel Train, Holly Miranda, It's True tonight...
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By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com So who is Steel Train? They're a New Jersey five-piece that plays rock anthems with keyboards and guitars and (something tells me) a few fist-pumps. Their style is all over the board. A song like "Turnpike Ghost" is obviously influenced by Modest Mouse, while "I Feel Weird" sounds like something Springsteen would put together if he were 18 and starting from scratch after what we've all been through over the past decade. Their last album, Trampoline, came out on Drive Thru Records and was produced by Mark Trombino. Opening is Holly Miranda, who you read about here, and SXSW conquering heroes It's True. $10, 9 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- Read Tim McMahan's blog daily at Lazy-i.com -- an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 11:32 AM |
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Sunday, March 21, 2010 |
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SXSW Finale: Alex Chilton Big Star All-Star concert, Matt Pond PA, Frightened Rabbit...
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by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com I type this in Earl Campbell's Tyler Rose Lounge at DFW waiting for my flight back to Omaha early the next morning after a 3 a.m. night to close out SXSW. And what a night it was. I won't bore you with details about how cold and windy and awful the weather was in Austin yesterday, except to say it was cold and windy and awful, especially after a couple days of tanning in the 70s. Instead, let me tell you about the Alex Chilton memorial concert with Big Star and special guests, a show that I felt lucky to get into. It was a badge-only gig -- no wristbands, no cash tickets. You also needed some luck. The person in front of me was the cut-off guy in line, which meant that I spent about a half-hour standing next to the door, waiting for someone to leave to get in. And while there, I heard every con and bullshit line by every swinging dick wanting through those doors -- all to no avail. The concert started at 12:30 a.m. I finally got inside Antone's (capacity guestimate, about 600) at 11:30 p.m. to hear a young, indie power-pop band called The Postelles play a set in front of was was likely the most powerful industry audience in Austin that week. Too bad no one was there to see them. The crowd was mostly grizzled veterans and old-school journalists who still took notes with pencil on notepad. Lots of gray hair, and lots of somber faces in a crowd that became rousing once the music began. Jon Auer, Jody Stephens and Ken Stringfellow -- the surviving members of Big Star -- hit the stage right on time. But before they began, a friend of The Chiltons read a letter by Alex's wife, Laura, where she talked about her husband and how he lived his life, his favorite music (highlighting how much he loved working with The Cramps and The Gories), and his "direct" way of communicating. It was a sweet remembrance that ended with a story about how her husband didn't have time to think about death. In fact, he didn't like to sleep, and wished he could stay awake 24/7, unlike his wife who preferred to take naps, "which is what I'm going to go do right now," the message read in closing. "And if Alex were here, I know what he'd would say. He'd say, 'G'nite, Shoog.'" That's short of Sugar. Then came the music. I can't list all the songs because I don’t know all their names. It was a greatest-hits performance and included a lot of my favorites, like "September Gurls," "The Ballad of el Goodo," "Don't Lie to Me" and "Thirteen" off #1 Record Radio City, and "Thank You Friends," "Big Black Car" "Jesus Christ" and "For You" off Third/Sister Lover (but no "Holocaust," which I guess is appropriate). It really was an all-star cast who performed with Big Star, including Curt Kirkwood, Chris Stamey, M Ward, Chuck Prophet, John Doe, Mike Mills, Sondre Lerche, Evan Dando, Susan Cowsill, The Watson Twin and fellow original Big Star member Andy Hummel. Big Star by themselves sounded amazing. Auer handled most of the vocals (when a guest wasn't on stage) with Stringfellow chiming in here and there. There's nothing more to say, other than it was a special night that went on past 2 a.m. It's the kind of moment that you hope to experience at SXSW -- but not under these circumstances. Chilton really was a genius. He wrote and performed some of the most influential pop music of the last half of the last century. Last night's concert was a fitting way to pay tribute to him. And I can't think of a better way to cap off my time in Austin (See photo). I should stop right there, but I'd be remiss not mentioning the rest of yesterday. It was something of a bust, made agonizing by the weather. I didn't get rolling until around 3 p.m. after a sit-down Mexican meal (the first real food I had on this trip). First stop was the obligatory journey to Beerland, the infamous SXSW-hating punk-rock venue (hide your badge before you get there). The bar is a concrete-block bunker, probably a converted machine shop or garage, with walls covered in photos, neon, showbills and booze signs. In the back was the iconic Beerland stage, where The Goner Records showcase was in high gear. For the next hour I listened to Cococoma (see photo) and Wes Coleman (see photo) while the NCAA tourney glowed from an old-fashioned TV set overhead. It was like being at O'Leaver's -- same crowd, same smell. The best part about Beerland was that it was warm. Teresa and I next headed to Cedar St. Courtyard, an outdoor venue sandwiched between two buildings that acted as a wind tunnel. Brisk, bracing, uncomfortable. London band The Boxer Rebellion (see photo) played a set reminiscent of mid-career U2, thanks to a frontman whose voice was a dead ringer for Bono's. Too bad the band didn't have U2's melodies or charm. Next was Frightened Rabbit -- a bunch of Scottish guys last seen at The Waiting Room back in June 2008. They took home the award for The Act With the Most Buzz, coming into -- and out of -- SXSW. More than one person (including a famous local record label executive) told me that Frightened Rabbit was the best thing they'd seen all week. I wouldn't go that far, but I will say they're on the verge of something -- their music blends indie, adult alternative and Van Morrison in a way that will please any crowd. Now watch them explode (see photo). It took two hours to thaw at the hotel before I headed back into the icebox to catch Matt Pond PA at The Galaxy Room (see photo). Pond and his band cranked out a fantastic set of folk rock to a packed, appreciative crowd of around 250 that included a front row that sang along with every word. Seems like Pond's been around forever waiting for people to figure out how good he is. Maybe it's finally starting to happen. Afterward I marched up Red River to see The Oh Sees at Mohawk Patio, but got stuck in a hold line that didn't move. So I hightailed it east under the freeway to "The Music Gym," one of the many temporary venues that were "created" for SXSW, and which are very likely gone this morning. The temporary nature of the place was fine with UUVVWWZ frontwoman Teal Gardner, who looked like she was having a good time playing to a crowd of around 30 outside in cold, despite having to fight a north wind blowing directly in her face (see photo). After that, it was off to Antone's for the Big Star show. And so ends another year at South by Southwest. It was a fun endurance test, where I saw more bands than last year. The best of the bunch: Tobacco, The Silos, Pomegranates, The Mynabirds, Sondre Lerche, It's True, Quasi, Bear Hands, Matt Pond PA, Frightened Rabbits and, of course, Big Star. Look for the condensed summary of SXSW in this week's issue of The Reader. And now Chris Aponik's final dispatch from the trenches:
--Got comments? Post 'em here.-- Read Tim McMahan's blog daily at Lazy-i.com -- an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 3:13 PM |
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Saturday, March 20, 2010 |
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SXSW Day 2: We Were Promised Jetpacks, Sondre Lerche, Holly Miranda, Watson Twins, It's True, Digital Leather, Quasi, Bear Hands, Les Savy Fav...
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They say one of the best parts of South by Southwest is the "day parties." These are showcases held at the same venues that host the evening shows, but they're sponsored by industry shlubs -- usually websites or publications, just about any communications entity that's after a young, hip demographic that I guess they feel is just out of their reach. Day parties always promise free beer and free food. But for the two years I've been going to SXSW, I've never seen any substantial free food. Oh sure, there's usually beer -- but who wants to drink at 11 a.m. while nursing a hangover? Apparently a lot of people. Anyway, Friday afternoon was spent at a series of day parties -- showcases held in the daytime free of charge (no badges/admission needed to enter). It was another chance to catch bands missed the night before, as most acts play five or six times over the course of the weekend. I do not envy them. The first band of the day was Scottish act We Were Promised Jetpacks (see photo), yet another combo that falls into the same category of back-beat jump-dance indie rock that includes Tokyo Police Club, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, so on and so forth. WWJP's takes the youth-dance vibe and jumpstarts it with the necessary Cure guitar drone and an extra helping of Cursive howling. Bands like WWPJs (and those mentioned above) are The New Emo, a product of growing up listening to their hipster parents' post-punk record collections, a sound best heard decked out in white sunglasses, skinny jeans and thin-striped hoodies. But unlike the originals, there are no discernible lyrics to this new music, certainly none you'll remember. Instead, it's all about the slap-beat, the staccato rhythm guitar and the whiney frontman with the winning hair. This is what passes for rock music these days. Now who's whining? I'll be honest, I don't hate this stuff. It's fun to listen to, even if it's as light and fluffy as a marshmellow pie. But I'm getting tired of hearing it again and again and again. If last year's SXSW was dominated by garage bands, this year's is dominated by New Emo guitar-driven pseudo "dance bands." I'm not sure which is worse. WWPJs played in a cool outdoor venue called Mohawk Patio, a tiered concrete facility with plenty of railing space and broad main floor down below. Right next door is Club deVille, where I spent most of the afternoon. CdV is a parking lot cut into a limestone hill covered by a large tent. Today was the Brooklyn Vegan day party, and by god there was even free food! Too bad it was vegan. On stage: Nicole Atkins and her band. She's been compared to Jenny Lewis -- an extreme stretch. Instead, she's a run-of-the-mill "adult alternative" blues singer trying to channel Janis Joplin and/or Chrissie Hynde but sounding like a wounded Sheryl Crow. Signed to Columbia, we'll be hearing more from her whether we want to or not. Atkins was followed by Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche, a super-skinny, witty blond Viking (quick, someone cast him as Elric of Melniboné), who plays a gorgeous guitar but with a showtune panache like an indie version of Michael Bublé (see bad photo). During his set, Lerche told a story about jogging around one of the local lakes and subconsciously singing a Big Star song, a song that he then started to play but immediately stopped, saying it was "too soon." The crowd didn't think so. He was followed by Holly Miranda, who's playing at The Waiting Room Tuesday night (and who I sort of interviewed here). I don't know if it was the stage or the set up or if Miranda was tired, but her set was uneven and uneventful -- mailed in -- not nearly as good as what you'll hear on her new album. But hey, don't let that dissuade you from buying tickets to TWR show. That was it for the pasty, emaciated Brooklyn Vegan showcase. After slamming down a hot-sausage link smothered in grilled onions and ketchup, I hiked it about a half-mile west on 6th St. to yet another in a series of spectacular outdoor venues -- The Belmont -- to catch The Watson Twins. If my life depended on it, I couldn't have told you what the Watson Twins looked like -- the only time I've seen them in person was from the balcony of the The Scottish Rite Hall back when they were performing with Jenny Lewis, years and years ago. So naturally I figured that the trio on stage performing when I arrived -- two of whom were wearing identical dresses and looked sort of alike -- were the Watson Twins. I quickly snapped a photo with my trusty iPhone and forwarded onto Twitter, still not sure it was them (see mislabled photo). Of course it wasn't the Watson Twins at all, but another combo called The Living Sisters who are on the same label and that play music like the Watson Twins used to sing. Not anymore. The real Watson Twins are trying to take the piss out of indie rock, and are failing. They also look like they're a decade younger than the Living Sisters, dressed in American Apparel indie attire (see photo). As old-fashioned and sometimes cheesy as they were, I preferred The Living Sisters over the Twins. I told myself last year and again this year that I wasn't going to waste a lot of time seeing Omaha bands play in Austin, but I couldn't help myself, which is why I ended up at B.D. Riley's to see our fair city's favorite unsigned ban (not counting Brad Hoshaw's ensemble) It's True play in front of about 50 people inside the old-fashioned oak-adorned club while another 30 or stood outside listening through the open windows right behind them (see photo, complete with a bearded Kyle Harvey looking like an Islamic terrorist). Jamming the front of the stage was half of Omaha, like a room full of proud parents watching their children's first recital. Hawkins, wearing a blue-cloud bandana, let it all go, flipping off his glasses sometime during the second or third song, while the rest of the band also rose to the occasion, generating that crowd outside the club (see photo). I was excited for them, though afterward the whole thing seemed like a dream, and I wondered if anything was going to come of their performance at SXSW. Does anything really happen for bands in Austin? The plan was to see Thurston Moore at a tiny club called Red 7, but I knew it wasn't going to work as I turned the corner and saw a line 500 people deep running down 7th St. I kept walking, back to Mohawk Patio to see Digital Leather, passing a long line to get in -- the magic badge lets you bypass such inconveniences (and is the only reason to get one). I figured it was going to be packed inside. Instead, that big open floor in front of the stage was empty except for DMax and Landon of Little Brazil. I still don't know what was going on, why they weren't letting people into the club. As a result, Digital Leather played to an audience of about 15 or 20 people, while 150 waited outside. It was the strangest moment of SXSW. I think the flaccid audience also killed the band's performance, and they sounded like they were going through the motions, just trying to get their "official" showcase in and get off stage (see photo). I'm told DL's best shows were held at Beerland -- a venue that has nothing to do with SXSW -- which I guess makes it cooler than the rest of the festival. After that, it was a series of gaffs. I headed to Cabana Halle 6 to see Cast Spells, but when I got there, The Ugly Beats were on stage playing their brand of wind-up clock keyboard rock that was too tame to call punk. I don't know how the screw-up happened, but Cast Spells wasn't even scheduled for the venue. Three songs in and it was off to find a place to relieve myself of Lone Star, and Emo's Annex -- a tent located across the street from Emo's -- seemed as good a place as any. Inside was Michael Stipe-connected Athens band Twin Tigers. The four-piece band has a male lead and a female second vocalist -- all wearing white T shirts -- whose expertise is soaring indie rock. It was sort of a shoegaze thing by a band that's listened to its share of Jesus and Mary Chain. Not bad. I told the Landon and the rest of Little Brazil that I would catch their showcase at 10 at Wave -- a 6th St. bar with a surfer theme complete with stuffed shark and surfboard tables. Upstairs on the deck a singer/songwriter named Cocoon played a set under the stars. His quiet music was about to get blown to bits. I've seen Little Brazil somewhere around 1,000 times (but whose counting?). Played to a crowd of around 50, their set was as good as any, even though guitarist Greg Edds looked like a ski bum with his foot in a giant black boot/cast. I didn't stick around to the end. (see photo). Instead, I headed a half mile back west on 6th St. to a huge venue called Antone's to see Portland band Quasi, whose new album American Gong, has been on rotation on the iPhone lately. I've been a Quasi fan since Featuring "Birds" came out in '98. The trio, which featured Sam Coomes on guitar and vocals, Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss on drums and Malkmus/Jick Joanna Bolme on bass, opened with a F"B" song before kicking into a set of rough-hewn Gong songs. It was loud -- uncomfortably loud. Still, a great set (see photo). It was back to the heart of the 6th St. beehive for Brooklyn band Bear Hands at Maggie Mae's. They were yet another one of those college back-slap Cure-inspired bands with a lead singer whose voice sounded strangely familiar... Oh I know who he sounds exactly like: Robert Smith. That said, their music is a big step above the usual cadre of New Emo bands, with a thicker, heavier, and slightly darker sound that I found entrancing. According to their Myspace page they're unsigned, which can't be right, can it? After that, it was back to Emo's Annex for Crystal Antler,s a Long Beach five-piece band that has received dollops of love from Pitchfork over the years. This night they were unveiling a set of all-new material, and as much as I tried to like it, the blaring keyboard and overall lack of anything resembling a solid melody did little more than grate on me. Pounding. But boring. Finally, it was off to the back-alley entrance to The Galaxy Patio, an improvised venue created just for SXSW -- which means it's another tent in a parking lot. The featured band at 1 a.m. -- post-hardcore geniuses Les Savy Fav. Balding giant frontman Tim Harrington was in rare form, climbing atop amp stacks to mess with the stage lighting, eventually turning all the flood lights off, leaving the stage in darkness, until he decided to turn one flood back on, to the annoyance of the SXSW folks, who kept turning the lighting rigs on, only to have Harrington walk and shut them off again. Fun, but not their best set, as an impromptu crowd dive screwed up Harrington's microphone for the rest of the night. That was it for Day 2. Fifteen band in 12 hours. It's noon on Day 3 as I write this and I can't get motivated to get the ball rolling. The temperature has dropped to 41, with a cold, wet 30 mph wind blowing against dark gray skies. It's not going to be fun walking around 6th St. in a heavy rain coat with gale force winds blowing garbage into the sky, but it has to be done on this, the last day of SXSW. And now, here's the Chris Aponik report:
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:18 AM |
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Friday, March 19, 2010 |
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SWSW Day 1; Fucked Up, Tobacco, Blind Shake, The Silos, Besnard Lakes, Pomegranates, Mynabirds, St. Motel, She Wants Revenge, Camper Van Beethoven...
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As I type this at 1:30 a.m., the lid continues to boil off the stewpot called 6th St. And I would still be there, too, except my feet and my back just can't take anymore. And I only started at 6 p.m. SXSW is an endurance test; a sick, unhealthy "music challenge" drenched in beer and hot-link sausages and ear-splitting noise. It is pavement and dirt. It is the constant stank of bad ditchweed and cigarette smoke, stale beer and urinal cakes, and plenty of hippy-style BO. It is 10,000 people walking in the wrong direction, looking for something that they just can't seem to find. I make it sound like agony, not a vacation (which, for me, is what it really is). In fact, for indie music fans it is the ultimate kid-in-a-candy-store daydream, a chance to stand in the glass-box money machine, grabbing at air to catch dollar bills, but dropping more than you can snatch. SXSW is all around you; SXSW is everywhere. And if you don't know what's going on, you will miss something that you shouldn't have - that you couldn't have found anyway. Within moments after stepping foot once again on 6th St., the whole thing came rushing back as if I was there yesterday instead of a year ago. Nothing has changed except for the names of the bars and the name of the bands (though they're all beginning to sound the same). Brief housekeeping note for those who have been here before: Badge/check-in was quick and easy. The shuttle service to and from my hotel also was efficient. The machine continues to evolve. SXSW has an army of volunteers, maybe thousands of people in matching staff T-shirts and laminate chains. OK, so what about the music? Band number one was Matador Records act Fucked Up, which played to around 50 people on the Beerland "Patio" -- most of those people, however, were standing in the street (see photo).The band's frontman is a fat, bearded screamer who spent the set balanced on a railing that divided the "patio" from the mob, his pants falling halfway down his ass. Not sexy. Soundwise, the whole thing was overdriven, and you really couldn't hear anything except the roar of guitar noise and fat-guy's distorted rants. But I guess that was the point. People kept walking up and asking "Who are these guys?" Why, it's Fucked Up. "Awesome!" I lasted about three songs. Not that I don't like the band. I listen to their new CD, Couple Tracks, all the time. But the fact is, live, it's a mess, and their point comes across without extended suffering. I pushed through the crowd and headed south to a venue listed on my iPhone as "Big Parking Lot" to see a couple former Lincolnites in These Are Powers. After stumbling around the glass-walled lower bowels of Austin there it was -- a big parking lot sandwiched between buildings with hand-written signs that said "Escapes" -- only a slightly better name than Big Parking Lot. Imagine Dario's Days next to the Blue Line in Benson but four times the size and you're getting close. Hidden in the crowd performing was Tobacco -- the frontman of Black Moth Super Rainbow -- with a chick on synth and a guy on PowerBook wearing a mask. It was fuzz-kill thick-beat synths with blown-out, distorted vocals and an electric guitar. Unbelievably funky and fun, with deep psychedelic overtones. This is drug music for a millennial hippie nation -- in fact, a guy stood right next to me and smoked a spliff, right there in broad daylight! Gag. A lot of people also were smoking tobacco watching Tobacco, and in retrospect, they were the best discovery of day one (see photo). But that's not saying much because most of the rest of the day's bands were familiar faces. Most of them. Brief housekeeping note No. 2: Unlike last year, where the schedules ran like a precision Swiss timepiece, every band was running late at least a half-hour. Because of this, I never saw These Are Powers. Instead, I walked up to a venue called "Jaime's" in hopes of catching Wizard Sleeve…. instead I caught 15 minutes of Minneapolis band The Blind Shake (see photo). The punk trio played loud and tight in a room that was half the size of O'Leaver's, but their music didn't grab me. Again, with things running late, I'd have to catch Wizard Sleeve later. So I trekked east under the freeway to see The Silos at the Uncorked Tasting Room and Wine shop -- a gorgeous outdoor venue up on the hill that overlooked downtown Austin, and at 7 p.m., was the perfect place to see a golden setting sun. Watching The Silos was like taking a break -- their flavor of alt-country/folk influenced a lot of bands in the '80s and '90s, and though they've gone gray, the band hasn't lost a thing since their heyday. Good stuff (See photo). If you like Uncle Tupelo or any of its derivatives, check out The Silos. That Silos' set was probably the longest that I sat in front of one band yesterday. It takes some work to get to Uncorked, which, along with its vistas, encouraged me to hang out longer than usual. SXSW invites a sort of ADD behavior because all the bars on 6th St. are so close together (for the most part). Their close proximity encourages impatience. Like sitting in your office with a stack of demo CDs, plucking through the tracks and discarding them one at a time in less than a minute, SXSW allows you to easily cast aside a band's live performance after only three songs rather than to stick it out for the whole set. Especially if there's nothing to hold your attention. Thus was the case with Canadian band Besnard Lakes, who were playing at Stubbs at the same time that I was dying to get something to eat (This turned out to be a monumental mistake, as Stubbs' "pork sandwich" was premade mush in a bun, for $5). Stubbs is one of SXSW prime showcase venues and is always packed -- at least it was last year when PJ Harvey played there. Last night there was only a few hundred people inside -- but still, that's a lot for a band like Besnard Lakes. When did they get so big? I found out later that the crowd was merely early arrivers for Band of Horses and Broken Social Scene. Besnard was loud, boring, plodding rock that left nothing to the imagination. After knocking down a Shiner, it was off to Maggie Mae's for Pomegranates. Brief housekeeping note No. 3: This plays into what Chris Aponik is writing -- I think I used my all-access $750 SXSW Music badge three times yesterday. Almost all the shows are free anymore, with the exception of Stubbs and Emo's. Sometimes you can get in without a badge, but you can't get into the main stage area -- badges and wristbands only! Regardless, it's safe to say you don't need to spend cash on a badge to have a good time at SXSW. Not anymore. Pomegranates are a cute band from the Midwest that plays that style of modern power pop that you'll recognize from bands like Tokyo Police Club, Vampire Weekend, etc. You know -- big back beat, jump-dance stuff. I spent most of the set trying to figure out if the bass player, who had a terrific voice, was a girl or not -- certainly sounded like a girl. Wasn't. Their new music, much of which they unveiled last night, is very promising. I like this band (see photo). Maggie Mae's was the home of this year's Saddle Creek Records showcase with UUVVWWZ and The Mynabirds, among others. Laura Burhenn and her band (see photo), which includes Dan McCarthy, played a swinging set in front of around 75 people -- not crowded at all, which was something of a surprise -- it's Saddle Creek, after all. But what did I expect? This year's acts are part of Creek's "third wave" of bands since the label started, and most of them remain unknown compared to the originals (Oberst/Kasher/Baechle), etc. Time will tell if they'll ever reach that level of popularity, or if any Creek band ever will again. By around 10, my cell phone gave up the ghost -- the battery died completely, which meant the end of photos. I was dying quickly, too. I walked over to Emo's and got in, but couldn't get inside their big-stage area where Rogue Wave was going to play. I didn't want to see them, anyway. Instead, I wandered up the street to The Rusty Spur for She Wants Revenge, a dance-flavored, rather dramatic band that was hot a few years ago and that I thought might be interesting live. I was wrong. But before they came on stage, I was forced to watch the last half of a set by Saint Motel -- an LA band that sounded like they came from LA, or the stereotype of El Lay. Flat, one-dimensional pop rock with zero depth and a blond headed frontman. Next. It took too long for She Wants Revenge to get set up, and people around me were whining -- "Goddamn it, let's go" someone yelled. The guy next to me said, "If they don't get their shit together, I'm leaving." After 10 minutes, frontman Justin Warfield finally got the ball rolling, and the band kicked into its set of dancy, darkwave post-punk. Great throbbing beat, nice chopping rhythm guitar, but rather thin vocals. Justin sounds better on record, as does this band, which was trying to get the crowd into it, and failing. Finally, it was over to the Encore Patio for Camper Van Beethoven. Why not? Look, I was never a fan, but I figured I'd never get a chance to see these guys again, and it was right down the street. The place was a crush mob. Again, the set up was horrifically long, and in the end, Camper didn't keep me "camping," at least not there. I was dying for a hot-link with onions and a warm bed, and knew I wasn't going to stick around for "Take the Skinheads Bowling." So, my night ended at 1 a.m. Not bad for night one. But as I said at the beginning, the party was still going strong while I was munching that hot dog headed for the van to take me back to my hotel. By 1 a.m., the noise on 6th St. was like a post-apocalyptic rumble, a constant dissonance with an undercurrent of dreadful throbbing and the chaos of the crowd, who look like the rabble of Babel, drunk with joy/anger, their eyes focused on this one moment in their lives, and nothing else. If felt like someone stuck a knife in my eye socket when I work up this morning. Nothing a handful of over-the-counter pain medication could dampen. Or maybe some late-morning Shiners. Today -- day parties. Sounds like this will be the last nice weather we're going to see in Austin on this trip, as tomorrow a cold front moves in… Now, here's Aponik's report. I point to Chris' youth and that he doesn't drink (I've never seen him drink) for his ability to stay out until 3 a.m. It won't last forever, Chris… * * *
--Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 8:46 AM |
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Thursday, March 18, 2010 |
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Lazy-i Interview: Holly Miranda; off to Austin; Chris Aponik report; RIP Alex Chilton...
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I was afraid that this feature story on Brooklyn singer/songwriter Holly Miranda came off a bit bitchy. It wasn't meant to sound that way, though I was a little annoyed that she chose not to answer any questions about her origins. That's her prerogative, of course, and I can't say that I blame her. I'm always amazed when musicians answer any questions that I pose to them. I'm just saying, it would have been nice to have a little more to work with for this article, but I made the best of what I had. Lemon. Lemonade. Etc. Take a look. She's opening for Steel Train at The Waiting Room next Tuesday, March 23. And her new album on XL is pretty amazing. I suggest you buy it and your tickets. * * * And so, I'm off to Austin for SXSW. I'll be there sometime this afternoon and Twitter updates and twitpics will follow. The first field report will be online tomorrow. I'll also be posting updates from colleague Chris Aponik, who's doing SXSW without a badge. He's been there for a couple days already. Here's Chris' first field report:
* * * I suspect that the untimely death of Alex Chilton will throw a pall over this year's SXSW festivities. Big Star was one of those bands that pushed pain into my chest whenever I listened to their records, but maybe Third/Sister Lovers was the most devastating. RIP Alex Chilton; your star burns brighter than ever. * * * Now, off to the show... --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 4:32 AM |
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010 |
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Column 263: The Mynabirds, Thunder Power, Eagle Seagull, UUVVWWZ talk SXSW...
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This is part two of a two-part column previewing South by Southwest. If you missed part one, featuring Little Brazil, Digital Leather and It's True, it's here.
* * * So who are these folks seeing in Austin? Well, like Eli said above, Eagle Seagull plans to get in and get out. No fun allowed, apparently. Teal Gardner said she hopes to run into her friend Jan Lankisch, co-owner of Tomlab Records. "They put out a ton of sweet stuff like Xiu Xiu, Yacht, tUNEYARDS, sweet bands that never come through here," Teal said. "I think they're doing a showcase. Jim (Schroeder, guitarist) probably has a slick agenda as far as what he wants to see. He knows about things and gets excited. I like to go with the flow." Will Simons said he's excited about seeing The Flaming Lips, who are playing a free show in Denton. He also mentioned Liverpool band Wave Machines, who he saw play at SXSW last year, when he attended as a correspondent for the City Weekly. Laura Burhenn is much more detailed about her plans in Austin. "We'll be there Tuesday through Sunday -- the whole time," she said. "In my experience it's nearly impossible to see every band you want to see -- even though those bands are playing approximately 10 shows each. Try to coordinate that with the shows we're playing, the meetings we'll have -- it's a near impossibility. That said, I'm dying to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at some point. I went to the Daptone Records Revue at CMJ in the fall and couldn't stick around long enough to see them. I sure did love my time with the Budos Band, but seeing Sharon Jones sure would be lovely. I'd also love to see Aloha and BRAHMS. TJ Lipple (Aloha) co-produced the Georgie James record and is a brilliant musician. Cale Parks (in both Aloha and BRAHMS) toured as Georgie James' drummer very early in our career. A sweetheart of a guy and a brilliant musician as well. I'd also really love to see Tobacco. We worked together on a remix awhile back when he was busy with Black Moth Super Rainbow; I'd love to see his live show in his new incarnation. Other than that, I'll hope to catch other friends' shows: These United States, Vandaveer, Le Loup (and on and on). And I'll start a list of missed-in-Austin shows that I absolutely can't miss when they come through Omaha next." My coverage of SXSW won't start until tomorrow evening, as I won't be touching down in Austin until Thursday afternoon. Having done this before, I know that three days is going to be more than enough for me to handle. You'll see. * * * BTW, it's St. Patrick's Day, in case you forgot. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 11:08 AM |
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010 |
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Eagle Seagull, Stay Awake tonight; Thornton's new project Students of Crime...
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Everyone's getting ready for SXSW, including Eagle Seagull, who will be playing a last-minute show at O'Leaver's tonight with The Stay Awake and Lincoln's Pharmacy Spirits. The show starts at 9:30 and it's free. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:52 AM |
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Monday, March 15, 2010 |
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Live Review: Digital Leather; DL interview; Appleseed Cast tonight...
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Digital Leather is about to explode. I say this after seeing the new line-up in action Friday night at a packed O'Leaver's. The five-piece played a set that tore the place apart. I credit a different approach to their sound from what I heard a few months ago at The Waiting Room -- that set took DL songs and ratcheted them into straight-up garage rock/punk, losing all of the subtleties heard on the band's albums. The result was rather formulaic, kind of boring and "samey." Speaking of Digital Leather, the band's SXSW interview for Spinner just went online here. Among the highlights are Foree's love confessions for The Fall, Echo and the Bunnymen and Prince, as well as a retelling of a night in Lafayette that involved the onstage use of a "marital aid." Watch out, Annie! * * * Tonight at The Waiting Room, Chris Crisci's other band, Appleseed Cast, takes the stage with Dreamed. $12, 9 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:39 AM |
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Friday, March 12, 2010 |
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The Hole, The Brothers, Digital Leather, The Photo Atlas tonight; The Box Elders Saturday...
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How about six straight hours of music tonight? It starts at The Hole down at 712 So. 16th St. (the old Diamond Bar) with a very eclectic line-up: Godshamgod, Conchance, Well-Aimed Arrows (ex-Protoculture), Rainbow Party, and Perry H. Matthews. If you're a post-punk fan, you'll never find a better time to check out this new all-ages venue. No booze! $6, 7 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:48 AM |
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Thursday, March 11, 2010 |
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Box Elders' tsunami, It's True's taser; Cowboy Indian Bear, Flobots tonight...
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I've got some bad news for folks who were looking to pick up a copy of that Box Elders limited-release 7-inch on HoZac Records at The Waiting Room Saturday night. The band e-mailed me yesterday to say that there was a water-main break at the pressing plant. Among the damage was their record's pressing plates, which now have to be remade, so they won't have copies in hand until their April 5 Slowdown gig (opening for The Black Lips). Sometimes the waiting is the hardest part. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 11:16 AM |
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010 |
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Column 262: Little Brazil, It's True, Digital Leather talk SXSW...
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This is part one of a two-part column previewing South by Southwest. Part two will feature Mynabirds, Thunder Power and UUVVWWZ, along with anyone else I can track down (Eagle Seagull, Brimstone Howl).
So who are these folks interested in seeing at the festival? --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:41 AM |
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010 |
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Brimstone Howl to play SXSW; Ember Schrag, Midwest Dilemma tonight...
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A couple people had told me off to the side that Brimstone Howl was playing at South by Southwest this year, but I wasn't able to confirm it, until now. Though the gig doesn't appear on their Myspace or Alive! Record pages, it does show up in the Sched Unofficial Guide to SXSW 2010 -- the ultimate must-have online scheduling tool for official and unofficial gigs at SXSW. According to Sched, Brimstone Howl has an official gig Thursday, March 18, at 11:30 p.m. at Jaime's, 802 Red River St. The listing also appears here on sxsw.com. That brings to eight the number of Nebraska bands playing at this year's festival. Not bad. I'll be interviewing three of those bands -- Little Brazil, Digital Leather and It's True -- in tomorrow's column, which is part one of a two-part series previewing the festival. * * * Tonight at The Barley Street Tavern Lincoln singer/songwriter Ember Schrag plays with Midwest Dilemma and a couple other acts. $5, 9 p.m. Check it out. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 4:09 PM |
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Monday, March 08, 2010 |
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Live Review: Fishbone/English Beat; jakebellows.com; skatepark fundraiser Friday...
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I had mentioned to the guy next to me in the crowd at the Fishbone/English Beat show Friday night that it was one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen at Slowdown, and he pointed out an interesting scientific fact of physics and biology: Old people are just "bigger" than young people. * * * Also, here's an early heads up for a rare show at The Brothers Lounge this coming Friday night. Conchance, Her Flyaway Manner and Broken Spindles will be performing on the Brother's "stage" as a fundraiser for the Donut Hill Skatepark Project. $5, 9 p.m. More info on the Donut Hill project page in Facebook. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:46 AM |
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Friday, March 05, 2010 |
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Live Review: Goodnights Pizza; English Beat, The Dinks tonight; Thunder Power's new line-up unveiled Sunday...
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Before I get to the weekend calendar, here's a very brief review of Goodnights, the new pizza/bar in the southeast corner of the Slowdown complex. I had dinner there last Saturday night and was impressed by the service, the decor and the pizza. The restaurant looks like what you'd expect Slowdown to look like if it were a pizza place -- in other words, cool, modern, slightly minimal architecturally, with good lighting, a big central bar, plenty of booths and tables, and large flat-panel TVs throughout the room. The night we were there the panels displayed Apolo Ohno and other Olympic coverage. Goodnights' No. 1 downside: Their house music, which is horribly bad mall rock or something you'd hear in a West Omaha meat market. It almost made me lose my appetite. Tomorrow night is looking rather sparse. Midwest Dilemma is playing down at Slowdown Jr. with Mother Culture, Anniversaire and Wrestling With Wolves. $7, 9 p.m. The Hole is hosting punk shows both Friday and Saturday nights. Tonight features local heroes Hercules with California band Battle, Borealis, Worst of Times and the legendary Cordial Spew. Tomorrow night at The Hole (which is at 712 So. 16th St. (the old Diamond Bar)) it's An Airbag Saved My Life, Suicide Blondes, La Casa Bombas, The Prairies and Anestatic. All shows start at 7 p.m. and cost $6. No booze! Sunday night Thunder Power has a show at O'Leaver's with Underwater Dream Machine, and Madison band Icarus Himself ($5, 9:30 p.m.). "This will be our first local show of the year and kind of our pre-SXSW warm-up," said Thunder Power's Will Simons in an email. "We have a few new songs, a revamped lineup (new drummer Jeremy Stanoshek of bands like Kite Pilot, Coast of Nebraska, Magic Kiss) and have trimmed down to a quintet from a six-piece. We are also about to release a 10-inch split-EP with the 1959 Hat Company (Toledo, OH) on Slumber Party, out March 9. It will be our third release on the label." In addition, Simons said April 5 will see the release the band's first single "Take a Hike" in the UK and Europe, followed up by the release of an extended EP sometime this spring/summer on a label called Mono Music. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:22 AM |
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Thursday, March 04, 2010 |
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Live Review: Laura Veirs; SXSW Update: It's True, Digital Leather, Little Brazil, Eagle Seagull; Box Elders on HoZac...
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I caught most of last night's Laura Veirs show at The Waiting Room. The gig started at 8 instead of 9 I guess because Veirs looked to be about eight months pregnant in her navy polka dot dress, her guitar balanced over her soon-to-be brood (see photo). When I got there at around 10, Veirs and her band, which included a violinist and two guys who traded off bass, guitar, keyboards and drums, were already at it. The reason I dropped in at all was because the songs on her Myspace page reminded me of early Suzanne Vega circa Solitude Standing, one of my all-time favorite albums, and sure enough, Veirs kept up that similitude with her voice right down to her phrasing. Where her and the band veered from the Vega course was in the three- and sometimes four-part harmony; and sometimes 5-part if you included the crowd of around 50 that was trained to add "ewws" and "ooh"s and "aaahs" to one song. Afterward, Veirs said we knocked Minneapolis from the fifth-place position in their Worldclass Crowd Participation Sing-along Competition (She was just being nice). Gorgeous stuff, right down to a cover of one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs, "Never Going Back Again."
It's True also is hosting a listening party for their new CD Sunday, March 14, at The Barley St. Tavern. Still no word on who is releasing their album. The gig also will act as a "send off" party for SXSW, so show up and buy something to get them on their way. * * * Digital Leather also announced its SXSW sched.
(I'm looking hard at that Mohawk Patio gig -- one of my favorite spots last year. * * * Little Brazil was interviewed at Spinner.com as part of their official SXSW media coverage. The Q&A with guitarist Greg Edds is right here. Greg talks Austin survival tips, and includes this gem: "Now I know why fanny packs are coming back in style. You don't want a man-bag because that's still too bulky, but I might dive into the fanny this time around." Dive into the fanny? Nice, Greg. Add Lincoln's Eagle Seagull to the list of Nebraska bands at SXSW. They're scheduled to play at The Ghost Room March 18 at 9 p.m. So, the current list of Nebraska bands in Austin this year: It's True, Digital Leather, Thunder Power, The Mynabirds, UUVVWWZ, Little Brazil and Eagle Seagull. Are there any more? * * * 2009 SXSW standouts Box Elders won't be in Austin for the festival this year because they're going to be on the road opening for The Black Lips. Before meeting up with the Lips, Box Elders will be headlining a few shows including March 13 at The Waiting Room with Baby Tears, Yuppies and Well-Aimed Arrows (ex-Protoculture). They'll meet up with the Lips March 17 in Charlotte, NC, and will follow them to the April 5 show at Slowdown, and close out the Lips tour April 10 at the legendary 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. That's quite a coup for the trio. Another coup is their new 7-inch, which is coming out on red-hot Chicago label HoZac Records. Says the band: "HoZac dudes have been helping us out for a couple years, they've booked most of our Chicago shows. The 7" is part of their singles club. 400 went to folks that joined the club and we get 75. I think they'll go pretty quick. The Waiting Room show is gonna be the only Omaha show we'll have them. The Antiquarium is going to carry 10 or so copies." Get 'em while they're hot. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:46 AM |
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Wednesday, March 03, 2010 |
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Column 261: Waiting Through the Credits (movie music); Laura Veirs tonight...
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I left out Lost in Translation, whose soundtrack included songs by Air, My Bloody Valentine, Death in Vegas and a very young Phoenix. Great flick.
* * * Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Laura Veirs with Seattle band Cataldo and Portland's The Old Believers. Veirs, who used to be on Nonesuch, released her last album, July Flame, on her own Raven Marching Band Records. Her music will appeal to fans of Suzanne Vega, Azure Ray, St. Vincent and Neko Case, among others. Very pretty stuff and well worth the $10 cover. Show starts at 9. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:45 AM |
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Tuesday, March 02, 2010 |
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Another Cursive review, Little Brazil's SXSW sched...
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No, I'm not on hiatus. There just hasn't been anything worth blogging about. I didn't go to any shows this past weekend, and hence, don't have any live reviews to pass long… except for this one, which went online today at consequenceofsound.com -- a rather depressing review of Cursive's shows last weekend at The Metro in Chicago, which concludes with this: "It was sad to see Cursive become just another 'shitty opening band' for kids who just wanted to hear some pop-punk slickness. If I weren't such a big Cursive fan, I'll bet I would love the hell out of the show." The Cursive/Alk Trio tour now heads to Michigan and Ohio and runs through April 3. For those headed to SXSW, Little Brazil has firmed up its festival schedule:
SXSW is just a couple weeks away, and the deluge of gig notices is starting to arrive from all the labels and promoters with bands headed to Austin. It's going to be another wild ride. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim McMahan - Lazy-i.com at 10:41 AM |
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