Published in The Omaha Weekly March 8, 2001

The Get get Squiddy

It's good to hear The Get expand its already expansive blues-jam-rock sound on their brand-spanking new CD, Squid Noat. The trio, which has been kicking around the Omaha bar scene for a couple of years now, consists of Christopher Weber on guitars, vocals and keyboards, Cory Weber on bass, guitars and vocals, and Javier Ochoa on drums.

Pristinely recorded and mastered at WareHouse Studios by engineer Jim Homan, Squid Noat (the CD's title is explained on the band's website: www.getness.com) is the band's testament to their love for '70s roots rock. Their sound contains traces of the Allman Bros., The Band, Country Joe and the Fish, classic Dr. John and Joe Cocker -- we're talking countrified funk bass, organ, lap steel, shuffle guitar and lots of groovy hippy stuff. Other times there's no denying the Doobies/early Steely Dan riffage that comes straight from your big brother's 30-pound FM stereo, a throwback to the days when men were judged by the size of their speakers.

Check out Squid Noat when the band performs the tracks live at their CD release party Saturday, March 10, at The Music Box, 7777 Cass St. Also on the bill is Apostrophe and Oil.

* * *

Omaha-based rock outfit 3-Day Meat Sale is bringing on a new guitarist.

Darren Keen, formerly of Lincoln band Status State, has joined the group, said 3-Day vocalist/keyboardist Michael Gagliani. The group's been searching for a second guitarist to augment lead axeman Chad Beisheim since the band formed in 1998, Gagliani said.

"We've probably tried-out at least 20 guitarist over that time," he said. "None of them seemed to click."

That is until 18-year-old Keen came along. Gagliani said the band met Keen at one of their many Ranch Bowl gigs. "He mentioned that we were an influence on his band, and that was quite a compliment," said Gagliani, who was equally impressed after seeing Status State perform.

"Darren has an empowering stage presence -- you cannot not watch him, he's like another Cudley," he said, referring to 3-Day drummer and on-stage gonzo maniac Mike Cudley, who's performance of the band's traditional set-closer, "Italian Lover," must be seen to be believed. Bassist John Lehotyak rounds out the five-piece.

When Status State disbanded after their bass player moved to California, Gagliani asked Keen if he wanted a try-out with 3-Day Meat Sale. "He's the guy we've been looking for," he said. "We're taking the time to make sure things are tight before we bring him out. He's already adding new ideas to our sound."

Gagliani said Keen's guitar will be heard on the band's next CD, which is currently in the process of being recorded. The band already has laid down some tracks at BJM Studios for three new songs to be included on a 5-song EP slated for release later this summer or early fall. With Pomoroy currently taking up most of BJM's studio time, 3-Day is trying to sneak back in and finish their tracks and possibly find another studio to record two songs. "We feel we need to get something fresh on the radio and to our fans," Gagliani said.

The band's last CD, You Can't Beat the Meat, also recorded at BJM, was released in 1999 and has garnered some local airplay. That 5-song EP is dominated by traditional, straight-ahead, big-guitar rock with tinges of disco and '80s pop. Gagliani said, all-in-all, the band is pleased with its progress over the past three years. "We've grown together, understanding how each other writes songs," he said. "Our following continues to grow steadily. It's encouraging, considering we're definitely the outsiders in Omaha's music scene."

When the new EP is finished, Gagliani said the band plans to do some regional touring, but ultimately views moving out of the Midwest as the key to their success.

"The long-term goal is to get out of Nebraska and move to San Diego, where we're driving distance to Los Angeles," he said. "We're trying to keep our hunger alive. If you're not hungry for it, you get very lazy. Though our name is still growing in Omaha, I don't think we have an opportunity here for label reps to catch our shows. If we're playing in a city as large as L.A., where there's a million bands per block as hungry as we are, it'll make us that much more hungry. And we'll slaughter a cow at the door of CBS record if it'll get us noticed."

It's unlikely that any cattle will be slaughtered when the 3-Day Meat Sale takes the stage this Saturday, May 10, at The Howard St. Tavern, along with Goodspeed and Jank 1000.

* * *

Bright Eyes w/Son, Ambulance and Azure Ray  
Friday, March 9
Sokol Underground
13th & Martha
9 p.m.

Bright Eyes and Son, Ambulance will finally make their way back to Omaha for a live performance after being on the road the last few weeks. The bands are supporting their recently released Saddle Creek Records split-CD, Oh Holy Fools -- The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes.

Opening for Bright Eyes on his recent tour is Athens, Ga., duo Azure Ray, who are supporting their recently released self-titled CD on the WARM label that was produced by Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers and former frontman for indie stalwarts Archers of Loaf.

Azure Ray features Orenda Fink (Japancakes, Little Red Rocket) and Maria Taylor (Little Red Rocket), both of whom have also played in Bright Eyes. Their forte is painfully beautiful, slow, whispy ballads with a sound that's been compared to Mazzy Star, though in fact their music is much more personal and less rural than anything Hope Sandoval ever produced.

Their song, "Fever," with the heartbreak line "Love is how it's lost, not how it's found" features the duo's perfect songbird harmonies laced over a simple acoustic guitar and warm, sunset string synths. Could there be a better compliment to Son, Ambulance's and Bright Eyes' coming-of-age songs of hope and despair?

Friday's show continues two remarkable months of shows at the Sokol Underground featuring a Magnet-magazine's worth of important national indie bands and Saddle Creek Records artists. Other upcoming shows:

Sunday, March 18 -- Death Cab for Cutie, John Vanderslice, Nina Dinova

Tuesday, April 3 -- Slaves (ex-VSS), I Am Spoonbender

Friday, April 6 -- Cursive, Dave Fishoff, Cerebrus Shoal

Thursday, April 19 -- Spoon, The Good Life, The Oranges

Saturday, May 26 -- The Faint, The Good Life, Har Mar Superstar

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly February 28, 2001

764-HERO
w/Kingsbury Manx, and The Carsinogents
Tuesday, March 6
Sokol Underground
13th and Martha

I'd all but given up on Seattle's 764-HERO after hearing their 1998 outing Get Here and Stay. No matter how much I tried to like that CD, after every listen I came to the same conclusion -- it was a slow, meandering, gloomy dud. What a disappointment, especially knowing that HERO falls into the same category of Pacific Northwest alt-prog indie bands as Modest Mouse and Built to Spill -- two of my all-time faves.

But my faith was rectified upon hearing Weekends of Sound, released last summer on Up Records. The CD is 42 minutes of pure, angular-funk indie rock bliss -- a night-and-day difference from Get Here…

Formed in 1995, 764-HERO began as a two-piece featuring John Atkins from Hush Harbor on guitar and Polly Johnson from Bell Jar on drums. James Bertram from Red Stars Theory closed out the trio on bass in 1998.

The ingredients are simple -- stompy song structures (a la The Pixies) that aren't afraid to stray from convention (a la Modest Mouse), while never forgetting the soaring, beautiful melodies that bring it all together (a la Built to Spill). That combination, pulled together by John Atkins' lofty, dream-like, everyman vocals, results in a unique, slightly sardonic trip laced with irony and charm.

Opening act Kingsbury Manx has been compared to such bands as Bedhead, American Analog Set, Smog, Elliot Smith, Yo La Tengo and Palace. The Chapel Hill band released its self-titled first album last year on Overcoat Recordings. Also on the night's bill is The Carsinogents, arguably the best live performing band in Omaha. We're talking big, chunky guitars, horror-movie keyboards and a tight-as-a-tick rhythm section playing blazing, electrified punk with a tinge of vintage surf rock underlying all of it. Someone better call the fire marshal. 

Crossphade Family
w/Theory and SERUM
March 3, 9 p.m.
The Music Box
7777 Cass
$5, 21+

The Crossphade Family is more of a hip-hop consortium than your typical rap group. Consider them Omaha's own Wu Tang Clan, featuring Sinsta Kane, Supreme, Breathless and Hurricane Big Nube, Keelo-Z and Mr. All Nytta, all under the leadership of DJ Suicide.

The group finished recording the follow-up to its 1998's opus, 681, last August. Titled Middlenium, the CD features a handful of talented rappers and a smooth producer making the most of traditional hip-hop tools. The result is more of an ode to things past from a genre standpoint, and maybe that's what makes it so good. We're talking Old School circa mid-'90s with a touch of gangsta thrown in. The difference is that the threats they make in the heat of rhyme are more about defending beats and rep than acts of crime. As a result, the language is much harder than on their previous effort, which was more of a hip-hop snapshot of Omaha than a statement about living here.

Everything on Middlenium flows naturally but the language. I mean, how many times can you use the 'N' and 'S' words (not to mention the 'F,' 'MF' and 'B' words) before it starts to sound forced? And how many threats do you really need to make? Does this posse sound defensive? You bet, but I guess that's to be expected from a hip-hop crew based in Omaha, forced to prove it before they get the respect they deserve. For me, it's all about the beat and the unique character of each member of this talented ensemble. Omaha doesn't realize what it has in DJ Suicide and crew. 

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly February 21, 2001

A slew of Omaha bands are represented on the sound track to Dana Altman's just finished film, The Public Private, which will premiere this Saturday at The Omaha Playhouse to an invitation-only crowd.

Among the Omaha bands represented are Five Story Fall, Oil, Clever, and The 9's. Also on the soundtrack are Denver's Nina Story, Seattle's The Day I Fell Down, and Iowa's The Nadas and Mr. Plow.

Altman said he consulted with RTI's Rick Galusha when searching for music for the film. "Omaha should be proud of the talent right under everyone's noses," Altman said.

For their participation in the project, all the bands involved own half of all generated revenue from a soundtrack if one is developed, should a distribution company buy the film. Altman said broadening the bands' exposure is an even bigger perk. "If someone in Los Angeles sees the film and says 'Track down The Nadas, they have the sound I've been looking for,' it makes it all worth while," Altman said.

* * *

San Francisco-based Absolutely Kosher Records, whose artist roster includes The Mountain Goats and Thingy, says it will be releasing a recording by The Bruces in early- to mid-2002. The Bruces is headed by former Omahan Alex McManus, known as a member of the Nashville country-soul outfit Lambchop, as well as a member of Empire State.

McManus has released one cassette ("Family Day") and one LP ("Hialeah Pink") as the Bruces on Omaha's Sing Eunuchs! label. After nearly six years without a release, the German label Sommerweg recently released a new Bruces 7" (though the tracks were recorded two years ago) and is slated to release a Bruces album months before the Absolutely Kosher album.

* * *

Saddle Creek Records' Oh Holy Fools - The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes has cracked the College Music Journal top 200 less than a month after its release. According to Saddle Creek, the CD was the No. 8 most-added record on college radio the week of its release, and debuted at No. 52 on the CMJ listing the week ending Jan. 31. It currently sits at No. 32.

* * *

Omaha musician Dereck Higgins recently made available an 18-song CD of personal music that's more than a little bit on the spiritual side.

Higgins, former bassist and songwriter for Digital Sex, RAF, Binary Race and a number of other '80s-era rock bands, says he recorded the CD at home on a 4-track between January 1984 and last September with no intention of ever letting the songs see the light of day.

"I've been making music on and off at home for my own benefit because I wanted to hear a certain mood or feeling," he said. "Then my girlfriend asked for some new music, and I decided to burn a disc of songs as a Christmas present to her and my friends."

His friends convinced him the project was good enough to mass-produce and place in stores. Called Nice, the CD is a collection of mood pieces, soundscapes and outright songs that feature Higgins on guitar, bass and keyboards/programming. Guests artists appear on a couple tracks, including Bill Farber (Paddy O' Furniture, Rhythm Collective) on flute ("Earth Dream), and a mini choir that includes Mimi Schneider and Jeff Clayman on the Digital Sex-ish "Love from Above," the only track recorded outside of Higgins home at Warehouse Productions by Tom Ware, who also added keyboards and percussion to the track.

For the most part, the ambient-flavored melody-driven music is a soothing departure from Higgins' RAF punk and Digital Sex New Wave, with songs "Undying Devotion" and "The Wind at Night" going back to the mid-'80s, while the CD's final two cuts were recorded last September.

Higgins hasn't spent the past two decades only making music in the confines of his home. He continues to perform as part of the reggae outfit Righteous Vibration as well as sitting in as part of the Paddy O' Furniture collective. Nice, however, marks his first serious recording effort since his Digital Sex days. "The project is taking on a life of its own," Higgins said. "I intend to take it further with a bit of advertising both locally and probably in (national publications) Alternative Press and The Big Takeover."

In addition, he says he's planning a CD release party this spring, where he'll perform the moody, ambient tunes live either as a one-man project or with some supporting players. "If that's successful and I can sell some CDs, I'll take it to the next level. Every step has to dictate itself. I'm going to pressure myself in increments; I'm not going to press 1,000 CDs right away. If it works, I'll keep doing it."

Being in another rock band, however, isn't in the cards. "I don't think I could do that again," he said. "Being in a band is a lot of work. However, I don't mind the idea of putting together a band that plays my music, from rock to ambient, and ideally to improvisational jazz."

Copies of Nice are available at The Antiquarium and Homer's, and will be made available through Border's starting next week.

* * *

Bad News Records, the Japanese label licensed to sell Bright Eyes' catalog in Asia, has just completed an English version of its website, located at http://www.badnews.co.jp (follow the links to the English section).

Seems like something gets lost in the translation: "Bright Eyes is Conor Oberst's solo unit. Oberst first began playing in Omaha area bands during the early '90s when he was still in middle school. Oberst can convey complex emotions simply through his quavering vocal inflections. He must be represent of new generation."

Bad News' description of Don't be frightened of turning the page, the Japanese-only release that contains the Bright Eyes' portion of the Oh Holy Fools split with Son, Ambulance: "It is new masterpiece of Bright Eyes. You can see his different face on this album." And of Fevers and Mirrors: "With this album, Bright Eyes proves that their talent is real. 20 years old guy's playing next standard rock of 21 century!"

Despite the website, you can't order any of those rare Japanese releases online -- unless, of course, you can read Japanese and have a few thousand yen in your bank account.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly February 14, 2001

An addendum to last week's cover profile on Son, Ambulance, the new Saddle Creek Records project featuring singer/songwriter Joe Knapp:

Joe's father, Kyle, has finished recording his second CD, "Refugee," to be released on Lincoln's Tremulant Records, formerly known as Fire Records.

"It's a folk acoustic project that deals with the concept of refugees coming to America for freedom, and is a metaphor for the spiritual condition of mankind," Kyle told me last week when I interviewed him for the Son, Ambulance feature.

He's been involved in local music for more than 20 years and had similar career dreams as his son, Joe, before he got married and had kids. A freelance bookkeeper and computer consultant, he says his first love has always been music, and that seems to have rubbed off on Joe.

"It's exciting seeing Joe have such a degree of success so early in life," he said. "It makes me proud and a little envious. I never got to tour Europe when I was his age."

Joe already has seen a good chunk of the globe touring as member of Bright Eyes. Does dad have any advice to pass along, one musician to another?

"There's a couple things," Kyle said. "I told him to continue with his education so he has some skills to fall back on. Even if he's fairly successful in music, it's likely that there will be times when he won't be able to make a living at it."

Kyle also doesn't trust big record labels. "Music is a business and they will take advantage of anyone. Don’t compromise the integrity of your art. That's something that's always been important to me and Joe."

* * *

Caulfield Records Showcase

There'll be a pseudo-Caulfield Records showcase Feb. 17 at The 49'r when Omaha's The Sound of Rails and Lincoln's Her Flyaway Manner take the stage. Both bands recently released CD's on Caulfield, the Lincoln-based label whose nationally distributed roster includes Luck of Aleia, m.i.j., Mercy Rule and Mineral.

The label says Her Flyaway Manner "owe more to the aggressive rock-and-roll release of bands like Hoover or Regulator Watts, than any number of popular, lukewarm, and overly sensitive contemporary 'emo' bands. Intricate guitar work laid over a rock-solid rhythm section, with well-timed bursts of power and abandon." The trio recently finished recording both a split 7" with Haymarket Riot and a new 5-Song CDEP, both available this spring.

The Sound of Rails plays tight, rhythmic, almost mathy indie-style songs that feature a surprisingly dense sound for a three-piece. The combo takes an intense but tuneful tact, with spare vocals and constantly building dynamics that emphasize the instrumental side of their music. Their 8-song full-length, Prelude of Hypnotics, was released late last year.

The show begins at 10 p.m. and is $3.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly January 31, 2001

Buzzo's Wall of Guitars

Just how much guitar do you need in one band. If you're Buzzo, the answer is "just a little bit more."

The band, which is slated to take the stage Jan. 25 at the Ranch Bowl with creaturesofhabit, Gauge, System Failure and Downshift, just acquired its third guitarist, making them a 5-piece, says singer/songwriter/guitarist Aaron O'Keefe.

Why three guitars? "It creates a nice, full sound," O'Keefe said. "We just added our third guitar player a little over a week ago (JJ Bonar, ex-Row 8 Plot 30), and things seem to be working out well. I think the key is that two of our guitar players are pretty much playing the same thing in order to create the huge, thick wall of guitars we want, and then the third guitar player plays octaves and the higher parts that go with what the others are doing."

The rest of the band consists of drummer Matt Haifley and bassist Pat Reiner, who also play in creaturesofhabit, and guitarist Jeff Pritchard (ex-Episode). Bordering on hardcore, Buzzo's sound is a mix of Unsane, Craw, Helmet, Refused and The Melvins, O'Keefe said, "all mashed up and put in a blender set on puree." The band finished a triple split CD with creaturesofhabit and Fornever last summer, called He-man Veins and Broken Fingers, released on O'Keefe's Skinsuit Communications label, a project that keeps him busy.

Other upcoming Skinsuit releases include a CD by Gauge slated for this summer and a 4-song EP by Day Old Brutus, a Sioux City-based ska-core band, which will mark Skinsuit's 11th release to date. O'Keefe built a studio in his basement (which he calls Noisechamber) to give bands a cheap way to lay down tracks. "That way even the bands that lack the funds to go to a big budget studio can still be represented well," he said.

Buzzo is currently in Noisechamber finishing their first full-length CD, due for a late-summer release. That will be followed by another 5-song split with creaturesofhabit to be released both on vinyl and compact disc. And if all five band members can get their schedules together, O'Keefe said a short tour this summer is a possibility.

* * *

Speaking of shows, Saddle Creek Records' operator Robb Nansel says the following bands have been booked for Sokol Underground in March. Better mark your calendars.

March 2 -- Jealous Sound, The And/Ors, The Gloria Record
March 6 -- 764-Hero, Kingsbury Manx, and TBA
March 18 -- Death Cab for Cutie and TBA

Speaking of Saddle Creek, Bright Eyes and Son, Ambulance canceled their upcoming appearance at Knickerbocker's in Lincoln Jan. 31. The show will go on, however, with New York City's The Lapse and openers A Dim Halo and Kevin Chasek.

Seems Mike Mogis, who plays with Bright Eyes and also operates Dead Space studios, will be in Belgium at the end of the month on a recording job. Son, Ambulance's Joe Knapp said his band is working with a new member and isn't quite ready to perform live.

The Lapse closed out 2000 by touring with Joan of Arc and Bratmobile. The band includes former members of Van Pelt, Blonde Redhead and Native Nod. Their most recent CD,  Heaven Ain't Happenin', was released by Southern last March.

* * *

Will yet another Omaha band make the move out of Nebraska?

Omaha punk rockers The Fonzarellies are headed to Knoxville, Tenn., says the band's bassist, Thad Steady. "We're all leaving in October," he said, adding that their motivation is "warmer weather, fresh faces, and it's close to Atlanta and Nashville."

"We're all leaving in October," he said, adding that their motivation is "warmer weather, fresh faces, and it's close to Atlanta and Nashville."

Not everyone in a band will be a stranger in them thar parts. Fonzie drummer "Tex" hails from Knoxville, where he once played in Boy Genius, a band that recorded on Tommyboy records during the label's brief fling with punk (FYI, Steady says the band doesn't use "last names." Fun!). Tex's Tennessee roots helped land the Fonzies an opening slot on the Feb. 1 Superdrag show at the Ranch Bowl. Seems Superdrag is from Knoxville, too, and grew up with ol' Tex.

That's not the only Fonzarellies' news. The trio, which is rounded out by Keith on guitars and vocals, has been talking with a representative from Universal in L.A. who wants to do the band's A&R chores. "A friend of ours who worked at Vagrant Records hooked us up," Steady said. "We sent him some stuff and he said he'd represent us. That's where we are right now." Nothing's been signed and Steady wasn't sure what role the new A&R agent would play.

The band is headed out of town on a tour March 9-17 that will take them to Atlanta and back, playing gigs in Kansas City, St. Louis, Knoxville, Memphis and Kentucky along the way.

To top it off, The Fonzies just finished recording five songs at Dead Space Studios in Lincoln, working with producer Mike Mogis who has recorded a number of Saddle Creek Records artists in the past. "Dead Space is awesome," Steady said. "The songs sound great. Mike has good ideas, he's a real relaxed guy to work with."

Steady said the band will return to Dead Space in June to finish recording and plans to put out the new CD either by themselves or through an interested record label.

* * *

Stage Right coffee shop was packed last Friday night for Richard Schultz's annual Birthday Bash and to see the unveiling of Schultz's joint project with former Digital Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan.

The two played for about 40 minutes with a repertoire that included a couple old Digital Sex numbers, a Patti Smith cover, a couple Schultz tunes and two jointly written songs. A fellow listener compared the music to Harry Chapin, while I was reminded of Digital Sex. Sheehan's vocals were the most relaxed I've ever heard, having shaken his old Jim Morrison swagger. The sound was surprisingly full, with only a guitar, keyboard and vocals, though something on the bottom would have taken some pressure off Schultz's guitar, which acted as the primary rhythm source.

The only disappointing aspect of the night was the set length and only hearing two new Sheehan/Schultz originals. Another distraction was the crowd. Stage Right is an attractive venue with an adequate stage, but there were too many youngsters talking on cell phones, chattering, throwing spit wads and not paying attention to the performers on stage. Blame it on the caffeine.

* * *

It's time to announce the winner of the www.lazy-i.com Best of 2000 compilation CD. More than 50 people submitted entries for a copy of the disc, but only one name was pulled out of the hat, and it belonged to Sean Vest of Omaha.

Congratulations to Sean and thanks to everyone who entered. Yes, there will be more giveaways in the future, so keep checking back. 

Remember, people really do win by reading Lazy-I.

"This record is not genre specific!" warns Randy Cotton about his just-released compilation, Decline of Midwestern Civilization.

The warning is appropriate, he says, because though the CD harbors some of the hardest, fastest and meanest heavy music from around the center of America, it ain't all hardcore. "I could see certain hardcore-metal fans picking this up because they recognize some of the bands and figuring the whole thing is their genre," Cotton said. "It's funny to think about their reaction when they take a listen."

Cotton, the proprietor of Violenteer Productions and bassist for Omaha noise-rock band Ravine, compiled the tracks with bandmate, guitarist Mike Saklar, from music submitted by local and Midwestern touring punk, metal and noise bands that Ravine has crossed paths with over their years of touring.

The 19-track monster weighs in at just over 65 minutes of heavy stuff that spans from bone-grinding hardcore to grating metal to painfully throbbing noise to mathy indie to good ol' punk rock. Rarely has such a diverse collection of music been compiled on one disc nationally, let alone on a project that's focused solely on the Midwest.

"Mike and I approached this project as if we were putting together a compilation for a friend," Cotton said. "We love all these bands."

A quick run-down underscores the variety. Like any good mix tape or comp CD, you won't like all of these tracks (and if you're looking for run-of-the-mill radio rock, don't even bother), but if you're a heavy-indie rock fan, you're bound to find something here to love:

Tanger, "Dehydrated." Fort Collins. Fast, hard, sneering rock with lots of breaks and a melody somewhere underneath it all.

Season to Risk, "The Glass Parade." Kansas City. Big kick drums, guitar and icy, distorted Mr. Roboto vocals that you'll never confuse with Styx.

Ravine, "Steel." Omaha. Relentlessly complex guitar/drum/bass interplay with creep-show vocals. Much pounding.

Craw, "Chopshow." Cleveland. Pushes big guitar rock close to punk, but way too fuzzy and syncopated for the mohawk set. Don't play while navigating Dodge St.

Scrid, "Liquor Fueled Idiot Chatter." Iowa City. A big, fuzzy noise storm.

The Sound of Rails, "The Alibi Chapter." Omaha. Lifted from their 7-inch, the usually instrumental-heavy trio kicks in with strong vocals this time over swirling, chaotic, angular guitars.

Hydrafader, "Sundress." Kansas City. Closest thing so far on the disc to straight-ahead heavy metal, thanks to slabs of drums, obligatory power chords and Damon Jeffers' Paul Stanley-esque vocals.

Members of the Press, "Mammaries." Omaha. Comparatively stripped down, minor-key, alternating sycopated/straight-4 drums, verges on punk.

System and Station, "The Longest View," Madison, Wis. Cotton calls them "the kings of darkpop," this one definitely has an early Jane's Addiction feel, though much more haunting, and stark.

Fromanhole, "Shaking Blankets." Omaha. They've been compared to post-rock experimental instrumental outfit Don Caballero, thanks to the trio's relentless, intricate syncopation, like watching someone stumble forward again and again and again. Strangely hypnotic.

Sicbay, "Neggit." Minneapolis. Very punky, with chopped 1-2-3 guitar riffs dropped all over the place and harrowing vocals.

Evil Beaver, "Superbird." Chicago. In the grandest tradition of the best grunge and post-grunge female-fronted outfits, like amped-up, angry That Dog or SF Seals or Courtney L., but not nearly as cute. My favorite on the comp (but I'm a wuss).

Bad Luck Charm, "Til My Back Is Turned." Omaha. Dirty, fist-swinging, buzz-headed rock 'n' roll, as you've come to expect from Omaha's answer to the Stones and Stooges. Impossible to listen to without waggin' your head like a friggin' idiot.

Manalive!, "Open Your Eyes." Denver. Goes from made-for-moshing hardcore ska punk to verging on metal, all in a mere 2:27.

Ishmael, "Las Pappas." Omaha. Pounding hardcore, the sound of jackhammers and rage. Not for the squeamish.

Suicide Note, "Rods and Cones." Indianapolis. Noise rock quickly crossing the border to just plain weird. Brutal and unpleasant.

Keelhaul, "Lackadazical Chinese Tube Sox." Cleveland. Cotton says their fans call them an "audio high-speed collision between a MAC truck and consecutive root canals." Who am I to disagree? Very fast, very intense distorted noise rock that goes on for more that six minutes -- like an eternity.

Powerwagon, "Black Market." Milwaukee. Funky, troubled bass over painfully distorted guitar and spooky vocals, all verging on stoner territory.

Groove Champion, "Stroke of Luck." Omaha. Bluesy guitar, funky bass and fancy rock drums, plus some guy who sounds like he just stepped out of a Robin Trower album. Retro and cool.

Rounding out the package is original art by world-renowned artist Derek Hess, who's work has appeared on posters and CDs for artists including Boy Sets Fire, Alabama Thunderpussy, Bauhaus, Cibo Mato, R.L. Burnside, Season to Risk and Boss Hog.

Cotton is hosting two CD release parties for Decline at The Junction, 15th & Farnam. The first is an 18-and-over show Saturday, Jan. 20, and features Bad Luck Charm, Ravine and The Sound of Rails. The second, an all-ages affair Jan. 27, features Groove Champion, Ravine, Fromanhole and Ishmael. Admission is $8 and includes a free copy of the CD (Those who attend both shows will be charged $8 for the first, then $3 for the second). A third CD release show, at the Hurricane in Kansas City Jan. 31, features Hydrafader, Ravine and Evil Beaver.

Cotton says in addition to the bands distributing the CD at their shows (he's pressed 1,000), he's also negotiating with a number of national distributors, "but by the time it all gets worked out, this pressing could be gone." The CD's also available locally at The Antiquarium, Homers, CD Warehouse and Drastic Plastic.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly January 10, 2001

creaturesofhabit Inhabit the Music Box

Hardcore at the Music Box?

The venue that's becoming known for its blues, jam and contemporary music offerings is letting the noise take the stage Saturday, Jan. 13, when creaturesofhabit, Ravine and Ill Dojo headline a night of intense music.

Creaturesofhabit frontman Matt Haifley said the gig came together last October when two touring bands canceled their Music Box date and venue manager J. Rankin needed some replacements. "He posted on SLAM Omaha, and our manager, Ian Pugh, responded immediately."

Haifley said the deal involved getting assurance that the band would get another Music Box date in the future if the show went off well. It did, and after some relentless hounding of Rankin by Pugh, the second hardcore night was scheduled.

A veteran of shows at the Ranch Bowl, Asylum and The Junction, Haifley said his band sees The Music Box gig as a chance to increase their audience while generating a new scene for the venue. "We don't want to pigeon-hole ourselves to one audience," he said. "We'll play in front of anyone who will listen. The Music Box has the potential to rival The Ranch Bowl, which has become the place in Omaha to see rock shows. The only thing holding back the Music Box is their over-21-only policy."

With guitarist/vocalist Pat Reiner, bassist Jason Smith and Drummer Mario Ibarra, creaturesofhabit (spelled like one long word) has been carrying the hardcore torch in Omaha for eight years.

"A lot of people would like to call our band straight hardcore," he said. "These days, saying you're hardcore means that you're expected to act a certain way and live a certain lifestyle. That's never applied to us. Or music is hardcore -- we play loud and I scream. It's in-your-face, driving and very percussive-based."

The band has released a number of recordings on Skinsuit Records, including 1998's Paranoia and the Motivated Man, which Haifley says sold out its 1,000-CD pressing. A few months ago they put out a split-CD, He-man Veins and Broken Fingers, with Omaha bands Buzzo (in which Haifley plays drums) and Fornever. And the band is planning to enter the studio again with Buzzo to record tracks for a 10-inch vinyl release slated for early summer.

With the rise of a new crop of Omaha hardcore bands -- many of which consist of musicians in the mid-teens -- Haifley said at age 24, he's beginning to feel old. "I'm not old in my mind," he said. "A lot of these new bands just want to be rock stars and have naïve hopes that they're going to take off and get out of Omaha. We've always been about staying here and representing. We've done it for eight years. It's something that should be praised. Instead, we're treated like the old guys."

What's kept them sticking to hardcore all these years? "It's what we do," he said. "Our motivation is that we've constantly gotten better at songwriting and recording, making our own merchandise, T-shirts, website and publicity. It continues to grow and we think we've dug a nice little spot here that keeps getting better. We don't want a record deal. We love this town. This is where it is for me and what I love doing. I don't want to be a rock star."

And though the Music Box show is a highlight of sorts for the band, Haifley's quick to point out that creaturesofhabit is playing Ranch Bowl the night before, Jan. 12, as part of a five-band all-ages show.

creaturesofhabit, Ravine, Ill Dojo, Jan. 13, The Music Box, 7777 Cass St., $5, over 21.

* * *

Happy Birthday, Richard

What a way to celebrate a birthday.

Omaha musician Richard Schultz is commemorating his 31st by inviting a handful of musician-friends to drop by the Stage Right Coffee Shop Friday, Jan. 12, for a collaborative jam where Schultz also will unveil his latest musical project.

A veteran of the local music scene since '89, Schultz has been a member of the WhereAbouts and Sawdust Devil, performed solo and currently fronts an electric band, The Special People Club.

"The birthday show started last year," he said. "I thought I'd do something different when I turned 30, so we got out the guitars and did some duets." Performing with Schultz at his "2nd Annual 30th Birthday Party" will be Ken Smith, Schultz's first partner in the WhereAbouts; his fiancee Kela Swenson; and a partner in a former KISS cover band, Chris Beem. "Chris was Ace Freeley while I was Gene Simmons," Schultz said. "We'll be doing a version of 'Love Gun' Marty Robbins-style."

Kicking things off will be Schultz's joint project with former Digital Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan. The two have been working together since last July dusting off some old Digital Sex and Schultz songs, creating new material and working up a number of covers, including songs by Concrete Blonde and Patty Smith.

Schultz said he was first introduced to Sheehan's music by Janette Morgan, who played in The Acorns. "Stephen and I met at different shows around town, and he gave me a call," Schultz said. "This project has developed slower than we anticipated, but we both execute it so well. It's refreshing compared to other bands I've been in. We've been rehearsing since this summer and everything's just now starting to gel."

Their collaboration features Schultz on guitar and Sheehan on vocals and keyboards. "Stephen does 99 percent of the vocals," he said. "It's fun to hear the difference when he sings a song I wrote."

He said giving up control to Sheehan was easy because he respects his history. "We played each other's records and I learned to trust him on that level," Schultz said. "I've been the leader in my other bands, but so many songs we're doing are his songs that I defer to him with full knowledge that if I have an idea too, we can choose between them. I've never shared that before."

He said the project, which has yet to be named, will include regular live performances and recording… eventually. "We're old so we don't need to put artificial pressure on ourselves," he said. "I’m not in a hurry. I like to play live before I record. We're a local band and we only matter for a little period of time and I accept that as part of the rules of the game. So I'm not in a hurry to put something out and have it wind up in a pawn shop."

Comments like those would seem to limit Schultz to obscurity in Omaha. It's a fate he doesn't seem to mind. "I'm 31. If I was going to be a big rock star on a large scale it would have happened by now. I’m a full-time student at UNO with a full-time job and I'm proud to be a part of local music. This is where I live and where I am."

Schultz' 2nd Annual Birthday Party performances start at 8 p.m. at Stage Right Coffee Shop, 16th & Harney, Friday, Jan. 12.

Published in The Omaha Weekly December 13, 2000

Omaha folk rock outfit Turtle Moon has been busy promoting a 10-song demo CD they've been distributing to local radio, media and clubs, said bassist Scott Hedrick after the band performed in the 106.9 FM studios last Sunday night.

"Our sound is folk rock; it's definitely poppy," he said. "None of us are flashy musicians. We focus on making strong melodies and songs."

The demo, recorded in Gregg Markus' (of Apostrophe) basement, has a clean, simple, folkie sound, sort of like laid-back Counting Crows, Creed or a male-fronted version of Indigo Girls. Scott Jochim's vocals are more soothing than driving, even when he's belting out one of the more earnest ballads, while guitarist/vocals Dan Dwyer and drummer Pat Rejda never take the forefront or get in the way. Their acoustic balladry is hardly a sound that's topping the charts these days, but that doesn't concern Hedrick and Co. Though they'd like to push the band onto "the next level" of notoriety, they're not eager to adapt their sound to the current trends.

"It's tough to break through, especially with what's going on in popular music today," Hedrick said. "But we've always done things our own way. When we first started out in 1993, there weren't many bands locally with a frontman playing acoustic guitar."

Regardless, Hedrick said, Turtle Moon is generating a fan base through performances and pounding on the Internet. He said touring throughout the Midwest is a possibility in the near future, especially as a number of the band's members sort out different career decisions and devote more time to performing. "We're at a crossroads of sorts," he said. "The challenge is finding the time to get together and play."

With a number of new songs already written, Hedrick said Turtle Moon plans to put together a full-length CD early next year. You can check them out Friday night, Dec. 15, when they perform with Oil and Kory and the Fireflies at The Music Box, 7777 Cass St.

* * *

Stephen Sheehan, formerly of Omaha ambient rock pioneers Digital Sex, just returned from the West Coast where he discussed publishing rights usage of his catalog of songs written both for Digital Sex and for a number of his solo projects.

Sheehan has been under contract with BugMusic since 1993. "Bug helps songwriters present their music to film projects, TV, commercials and other artists who need material," Sheehan said. He asked for a face-to-face meeting with the firm to aggressively pursue placement of his music to commercial projects and to pursue collaborations with other artists on the BugMusic roster, which include Sam Phillips, Atari Teenage Riot, Bottlerockets, J Geils Band, Poster Children and Steve Wynn, among others.

Upon hearing a demo of some recent work Sheehan performed with Omaha singer/songwriter Richard Schultz, BugMusic executives suggested Sheehan contact Reeves Gabrels, David Bowie's guitarist for the past 12 years and a BugMusic client. After talking to Gabrels' wife, Sara, Sheehan found himself at the guitarist's front door. "He looked a lot like Frank Black and wore copper-colored fingernail polish," Sheehan said. "He was friendly and soft-spoken. I didn't feel any attitude whatsoever."

Gabrels exchanged CDs with Sheehan and agreed to stay in touch. Gabrels' last CD, Ulysses (Della Notte) released in 1999 by E-Magine Records, includes collaborations with Bowie, Frank Black and Dave Grohl. "Regardless of the outcome of our meeting, just knowing that one of the greatest and most innovative guitarists in rock history has my music on his shelf is a bit overwhelming." Incidentally, Bug also pointed Sheehan to Eric Schermerhorn, who has played with They Might Be Giants, Iggy Pop and The The; as well as legendary L.A. rock singer/producer/songwriter Kim Fowley.

Sheehan's recent collaboration with Richard Schultz includes dusting off some old Digital Sex and Schultz songs, as well as creating new material. Schultz has played a role in the local music scene since '89 as a member of the WhereAbouts and Sawdust Devil, through various solo projects and with his current work with The Special People Club. The two will perform on stage for the first time at Schultz's "2nd Annual 30th Birthday Party" at Stage Right Coffee Shop Friday, Jan 12.

Finally, a number of Digital Sex and Sheehan songs have been posted on FranceMP3.com. Digital Sex is no stranger to France, as their first CD, Essence & Charm, was released on French label Sordide Sentimental in 1986.

"The encouragement and support I received from France in the early days kept me going while I was drowning in enthusiastic indifference from other quarters, most notably the American music industry," Sheehan said. "If it weren't for certain people in France, I'd be forever basking in anonymity, which might not be a bad place, but I prefer the alternative."

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly December 6, 2000

Viva La Bad Luck Charm

One of the most anticipated local releases this year, Viva La Sinners, the follow-up to Bad Luck Charm's 1998 debut, Auto-Satan, is finally ready for the masses, said Bad Luck Charm guitarist John Wolf.

The band began recording the CD at Warehouse Studios at the end of 1999 and finished final production this summer. "We went through hell to get the artwork ready, but it looks great," Wolf said. BLC drummer Mark Blackman did most of the CD's art and layout, which includes a full-color, three-page booklet.

Fans of the band's full-on, heavy rock assault are in for a treat, Wolf said, as the 13-track (along with one hidden track) CD expands on the bone-breaking, loud as jackhammers, turbo-charged rock 'n' roll the band has become known for from its ear-bleedingly loud and violent live performances.

Formed four years ago by Cactus Nerve Thang singer/guitarist Lee M. (formerly known as Lee Meyerpeter before he was known as Lee Mia Hia) and Nuns With Guns drummer Blackman, the four-piece is rounded off by former Cellophane Ceiling guitarist/singer Wolf and Snakey Billy bassist Mike Carroll.

In addition to a number of local shows in the coming weeks, the band is trying to line up some out-of-town gigs after the first of the year, including a slew of Midwestern dates. "We have so much new material -- including songs that aren't even on Viva -- that we have a dilemma narrowing it down for live shows," Wolf said. "Our goal is to get this one out, get it paid off real quick, and use it to shop around and get some attention."

In addition to a new CD, Wolf has another new arrival -- his 3-month-old son, Nathan. He called being a new papa "awesome."

"My wife is real supportive of the band, so I still have time to play and rehearse, but I don't go out to the bar as much afterward. The last three months have been a whirlwind."

Bad Luck Charm is celebrating the release of Viva La Sinners with two shows this weekend. The first is Friday, Dec. 8, at The Junction, 15th & Farnam, with Sound of Rails and The Filthy Few. The 18-and-over show starts at 9 p.m.; cover is $5. The following night, Dec. 9, Bad Luck Charm performs at The 49'r, 49th & Dodge St., with Hong Jyn Corporation. Music starts at 10 p.m.; cover is $4. Copies of Viva La Sinners will be available at both shows at a discount.

* * *

The City Digs Deeper Underground

With DJ Brother Cliff leaving 106.9 FM The City, the station's intern, Doug Kabourek, has taken over co-producing The City Underground radio show with Scott Barnett, the staion's assistant program director.

Local music fans may recognize Kabourek by his stage name Fizzle Like a Flood -- a one-man project in which Kabourek plays all the instruments and records using a multi-track technique in his bedroom studio.

The City Underground, which began in October, is a 1-hour program that airs at 9 p.m. on The City featuring live performances and interviews about local music, art, dining and culture.

Kabourek said his goal as the show's co-producer is to get a wider variety of bands on the air. That includes playing demos, tapes and vinyl produced by local acts, something that's been missing from Omaha radio because most stations aren't equipped to play tape or vinyl.

"There isn't a tape player in our studio," Kabourek said. "But if I can get a band's tape, I can reformat it and put it in their computer, then play it on the air. I'm willing to do it to get a more-balanced show that represents Omaha's more underground-sounding music."

Kabourek has recorded a number of tapes himself, and his latest CD, Golden Sand and the Grand Stand, was released on Omaha tape label Unread Records, which prides itself on the number of local and national tape-only releases on its roster.

"I know there's more stuff coming out of bedrooms and basements that's only on tape, and I want to help share that music with a broader audience," Kabourek said.

Musicians with tapes or vinyl releases are invited to send them to The City Underground for consideration for broadcast. Send materials to: The City, c/o Scott Barnett, 5011 Capital Suite #300, Omaha, NE 68132.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly November 22, 2000

Street Urchins Glam it On

"If I had to describe our sound in one phrase, it would be 'balls-out rock and roll,'" said drummer Dima Decibel of the punk/glam band the Street Urchins, slated strut across the stage at The Junction, 15th and Farnam, Saturday Nov. 25.

Consisting of former members of Full Blown and The Del Stars, Decibel describes the Street Urchins' sound as ridiculously loud, over-the-top, kind of campy late-'70s-sounding punk rock. "Kind of like if Motorhead lived between New York and Detroit," he said. "We're pretty plagiaristic. You'll hear the New York Dolls, The Stooges and The Ramones influences."

The self-titled, self-produced 4-song EP recorded "at the drunk tank" is a tacky distortion box filled with evil MC5 motor punk, a sassy black leather fit of creepy crawly dragster music that sounds as fun as the glam/goth/garish CD artwork. Be prepared to dance, if not writhe in contortions of pleasure or pain, depending on your tastes.

Decibel said the band, consisting of Mike Feedback on vocals and guitar, and Timmy Tinnitus (ex-Del Stars) on bass, has been jamming for about six months between Omaha and Des Moines, where the band splits its homes.

Last weekend the Street Urchins opened for the supergroup metal/noise consortium The Rejects, consisting of members of Slipknot, Genitorturers and Dope. Hosted at Hairy Mary's in Des Moines, it was an event to be missed, Decibel said.

"They were awful," he said. "These people flew in a week ago, which is as long as they had to practice. It was poor punk rock, poorly executed with the help of a 10-person road crew. They had an idiotic giant set with a drum riser and started the show way late. Afterwards, little kids in Slipknot shirts wanted our CDs and autographs."

Decibel says the band hopes to shop the CD to Junk Records, a label dedicated to trashy underground rock and roll where they have some connections.

"We want to be heard around the country and possibly the world," Decibel said, adding that the trio intends to tour as much as possible.

Saturday's show is $3 and opening acts have yet to be determined.

* * *

Cursive's last for 2000

Cursive will have their last Omaha show for the year Nov. 28 at Sokol Underground, 13th & Martha. Also on the bill is Chicago 4-piece NYMB and Omaha's Secret Behind Sunday, who will be playing their last show ever. Among other things, guitarist Landon Hedges is now playing bass in Tim Kasher's latest band, The Good Life. $5.

* * *

Review: Sunshine, The Carsinogents, Sound of Rails Nov. 19, Sokol Underground

With a sound that was a blend of Sonic Temple-era Cult, Flock of Seagulls, U2 and PiL, Czech band Sunshine played the loudest set my bleeding ears have endured in recent memory at the Sokol Underground Sunday night.

Maybe it was the 30 mph Arctic-blast winds or the fact that it was a school night, but fewer than 100 were on hand to take in the night of high-energy rock 'n' roll.

Sound of Rails started things off with a set of tight, rhythmic, almost mathy indie-style songs that featured a surprisingly dense sound for a three-piece. The combo takes an intense but tuneful tact, with spare vocals and constantly building dynamics that emphasize the instrumental side of their music that creates a dramatic vibe.

Their stage presence consisted of the bassist and guitarist basically standing to either side of the drum kit -- not much of a show, but maybe my opinion was tainted because what followed them is arguably the best live performing band in Omaha. The Carsinogents know how to make the most of any stage. Missing from their normal set-up Sunday was their film/video projector set-up that features a mix of Spanish masked wrestlers, bodybuilders and '60s-era strippers. The project apparently got busted at a 49'r show earlier in the week, but it didn't matter, it just made for a cleaner stage.

I've seen the band four times now and this was probably their best sounding set -- big, chunky guitars, horror-movie keyboards and a tight-as-a-tick rhythm section playing blazing electrified punk with a tinge of vintage surf rock underlying all of it. Intense.

No Carsinogents set is complete without pyro effects. Sunday's show included a blazing, rotating trashcan and drummer Eldon Vampola blowing alcohol into a flaming skull (a privilege usually handled by lead vocalist Dave Electro). The Sokol's elevated stage kept the band far removed (maybe too far) from the audience, making it safer for onlookers as Electro swung the mike stand over his head. Electro, a.k.a. Dave Goldberg, is the first frontman since Ritual Device's Tim Moss to bring a show's energy all the way to the brink of the stage, and then into the crowd. The band is always better when nothing separates them from the audience.

Then came Sunshine. Only about 50 people remained to see the headliner tear through an ear-splitting set of classic-tinged '80s-style head-bobbing New Wave-meets-punk anthems. Lead singer Kay was a tall, lanky, black-maned thyroid case swinging a guitar around like an electric necklace. The sound was rife with delay and feedback, chiming guitars and either a thick rolling bass or keyboards. The guitar effects were sheer '80s echo-chamber stuff that brought back memories of a kinder, gentler, post-big-hair time when U2 still hadn't played Red Rocks and MTV still played rock videos. Kay's shrill, atonal, Johnny Rotten-esque vocals, however, took away from the effect and was am acquired taste. By the end of the set, you could hardly tell he was from a former Soviet Block country.

At one point in their set, chunks of something were falling from the Underground ceiling. Before the final song, I decided take out my earplugs (a must at all Sokol shows) at the back of the room to see just how loud it was and almost passed out from the sheer volume. Tinnitus, here we come.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly November 15, 2000

Juror 13 Declares a Mistrial

After three years of bone-jarring riffage, Omaha hardcore/metal band Juror 13 is hanging it up to pursue other interests. The band's farewell show is Nov. 16 at The Ranch Bowl with Blister 66 and Heroic Dose.

"We've been doing this for a while. We had a lot of opportunities to get ourselves in front of people and have gone nowhere," said guitarist/vocalist Jeff Bowers, one-third of Juror 13 along with bassist/vocalist Earl Thornton and Drummer Jeff Bowers.

Bowers said the decision to break up spawned from the band's Midwestern tour last April that took them to St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Ann Arbor. "We crossed paths with a lot of other touring bands and realized we were lacking something," Bowers said. "That pushed us to take a harder look at what we were doing, to get more creative. Before that, we were almost formulaic with how we wrote stuff. We didn't try as hard as we should have to work out good songs; we just spit them out."

Bowers said that for the past nine months, the band has been looking for other ingredients to add to their sound, auditioning both singers and guitarists. But the search proved fruitless. Then this fall, both Thornton and Bowers turned 27. "That brought on a lot of this," Bowers said. "We started looking past the band and toward what was coming next in our lives. In my case, that meant going to school. Things just kind of fell off. We were writing but not playing many shows. We were getting lazy."

Bowers and Thornton realized they weren't doing 20-year-old drummer Wilson any favors, and decided to part ways. He said the band's high points were playing at Rockfest, putting out their 1999 CD Demonstration, and opening shows for Static X and Soul Fly at the Ranch Bowl.

Bowers plans to move to Denver to attend the Colorado School of Art, while Thornton has joined Des Moines band Heroic Dose as a second bass player.

* * *

Janglepop ends, The Davis Three begins

Janglepop vocalist/bassist Chuck Davis said the band's performance at The City's Homegrown Halloween Jam at the Music Box Oct. 28 was their last. After six years and two albums, Janglepop is moving on to explore other music projects, Davis said.

Among them is his new band, The Davis Three, which will have its stage debut Nov. 18 at The 49'r, opening for The Get. The new band is comprised of Davis on vocals and bass, Aaron Skavdahl on guitar and Chad Rolles on drums. "These are all songs written by me, most of them written prior to putting this band together," Davis said. "After we've played our first couple gigs, we will be looking to record a demo."

Davis said the trio plays "tight, hooky, earnest rock music, occasionally dark and melodramatic." The Davis Three are also slated to perform on The City Underground radio show Nov. 26 and again at The 49'r Dec. 2.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly November 8, 2000

When The Destiny Café, 1217 Howard St., closed its doors for good last weekend, it left an Omaha jazz legend and his band high and dry.

Preston Love has been performing with his combo every Friday and Saturday night at The Destiny since January 1999. Love said he received a call from the venue Thursday saying that the bank was foreclosing on the restaurant and that the doors would be shut for good the following day. After some negotiations, the restaurant was allowed to remain open for the final two nights of jazz last weekend, where Preston and company played to a packed house of fans upset over the loss of what had become one of the most comfortable jazz scenes in Omaha.

"It's much more of a disaster than any gig I ever closed," Love said from his office at The Omaha Star. "That venue was ideal. People were in tears because they loved coming up there and they got to hear some kind of degree of world class musicianship instead of this crap they're calling jazz these days. I've had a lot of calls asking 'What are we gonna do?'"

The closing of The Destiny couldn't come at a worse time for Love. He said the band had a contract with the establishment to play New Year's Eve. This late in the year, it'll be difficult to find a replacement venue, as most are already booked for the holidays. This will mark the second year in a row since he began performing in 1940 that Love hasn't brought in the New Year with his saxophone.

"I had one other New Year's off in my lifetime and that was because I was in the hospital," Love said. "We used to have such a wide range of places to play. This used to be a major jazz city. Now there's few places that are booking bands like mine."

Whether you're a jazz aficionado or a casual listener (like me), it's impossible not to recognize the treasure Omaha has in Preston Love. According to his book, "A Thousand Honey Creeks Later," Love has played with just about every jazz legend since World War II including Count Basie, Lester Young, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. At 79, he still plays a wicked sax. An evening I spent in the intimate upstairs bar at The Destiny this fall was a trip through time, as Love and his combo played classic jazz and swing tunes while an admiring crowd kicked back, enjoyed cocktails and was treated stories about the golden years of big band music.

The Destiny also was to be the venue for the pre-release party for Love's upcoming CD, recently recorded and mixed at Warehouse Studios by producer Gary Foster, who plays drums with Love as well as the Omaha trio The War Ensemble. Foster said the finished CD should be in hand in December.

"We have a mutual love for Basie and the Kansas City-style of swing of the '30s and '40s. This is the first time he's had a chance to do it his own way in the studio," Foster said of the upcoming CD.

He said the recording has been picked up for international distribution by Cadence North Country Distributors of New York City. "They distribute lots of independent jazz releases all over the world," Foster said. "We're also talking to City Hall, a national distributor. There's a lot of people who know and love Preston's music."

Meanwhile, Love, Foster and the rest of the band are keeping their eyes and ears open, looking for a new venue both for the CD release party and for New Year's Eve. "We have friends and fans looking out for us," Foster said. "Something's bound to happen."

* * *

Once a mighty five-piece punk/ska band, the Fonzarellies are down to an intimate trio these days with the loss of their singer, Kyle, and rhythm guitarist, Jay (If you're wondering what their last names are, don't ask. No. 1 Fonzie, Thad Steady, says the band doesn't use last names. In fact, Steady isn't Thad's real last name. How rebellious!).

"It all happened about a month and a week ago," Thad said. "Blame it on corporate downsizing. We're all still friends."

The band is down to Thad on bass, Keith on guitars and vocals, and new drummer, Tex, who actually hails from Knoxville, Tenn., and has recorded with Tommyboy recording artist Kid Genius. "Tommyboy tried their hand at putting out rock bands, including Anthrax," Thad said. "All the bands eventually were dropped."

As a five-piece, The Fonzies had been recently finished recording a second full-length CD, We've Never Heard of You, Either, which they still plan to sell at shows and at The Antiquarium record store.

After playing a handful of performances as a trio, Thad said the new line-up is tighter than the old five-piece. "It's a lot easier to get newer songs done," he said. "And socially, it's more of a family. We all have similar styles and attitudes."

Check out the new, tighter Fonzarellies trio Nov. 25 at The Cog Factory, when the band plays with The Moronic 5 and Haven 21.

* * *

The disturbing Baltimore trio, Meatjack, crawls back to Omaha Nov. 9 for a show at The Junction, 15th and Farnam. Easily one of the most violent, disturbing and enraged bands to cross a Heartland stage, Meatjack take elements of heavy noise rock, metal, and distortion, and mix them with anxiety, paranoia, rage and sorrow for a gruesomely loud look at the darker cavities of men's souls. Their live, multi-media journeys into the bizarre add even more darkness by using concentrated, gruesome film collage that the band calls "penetrating vehemence."

These fun-loving boys have been busy since their last sojourn to Omaha in October 1999. "In June, we put out a split CD with the band Damad, also on At A Loss Recordings," said Meatjack's Brian (again, no last name given). "And one of our songs was in the film and soundtrack for John Waters' Cecil B. Demented."

For such a violent band, nothing violent has happened to them lately, Brian said. "But we did lose a drummer. We'll be touring with Will Scarf (from the bands Keelhaul and Crawl) filling in on drums. So we are still currently looking for a full-timer who either lives in or wants to move to Baltimore."

In fact, if you go to the band's website -- www.meatjack.com -- you'll be greeted by a banner asking if you're interested in joining up. "Must be dedicated, hard working, reliable, able to commit to a regular practice schedule, be able to tour and play out often & have pro gear." Presumably, you also must be able to endure painfully loud and gratingly hard music, various upsetting images and lots of screaming. Heart patients and pregnant women need not apply.

Meatjack is currently touring alone and hooking up with bands in each region of the country. They'll be playing with Damad and Mastadon in Georgia, then Keelhaul joins their tour in Cleveland for five dates, Pachinko and Powerwagon in Wisconsin, and Burnt by the Sun for their Baltimore gigs.

Omaha metal legends Ravine will be joining them for the Junction gig Nov. 9, along with intense, heavy-handed Ishmael and hardcore band Juror 13. Tickets are $5. The following night, The Junction will host Transforming Apollo from Lawrence, Kan., along with Fromanhole and Third Kind. Then Saturday, New York stoner rockers Core hit the Junction stage with Creatures of Habit and Vual. All shows are 18 and over.

* * *

Fresh from star-spun appearances on Farm Club and the Conan O'Brien show (Oct. 30, then Oct. 31), At the Drive In continues its sell-out national club tour at The Sokol Underground Nov. 9. The band has been on the road supporting their first full-length album in two years, Relationship of Command, released in September on Grand Royal.

The El Paso, Texas, 5-piece has been compared to everyone from Rage to Fugazi, Sidekick Kato to Braid, but, in fact, on their latest CD they come off as a cross between early Jane's Addiction (without Perry Farrell's soul) and an angry, angular Public Image Limited -- loud, abrasive, but always with a melody lurking somewhere beneath all that angst. Their shows last this month with Czech punk band Sunshine (who is slated for a Sokol appearance Nov. 19) and the Murder City Devils have drawn upwards to 450 along the East Coast, and are said to be brutal, off-kilter affairs, a perfect compliment for tour mates Cursive, who will be joining ATDI for shows in Denver and Salt Lake City following the Sokol date.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly October 26, 2000

The Good Life returns to Omaha for a CD release party Nov. 1 with Tristeza at Sokol Underground after spending more than two weeks touring the southwest, West Coast and Midwest with Better Looking Records' labelmates The Gloria Record.

In addition to introducing fans to their debut, Novena on a Nocturn, The Good Life also took the opportunity to draw a clear distinction between their sound and that of a certain other Omaha band close to the musicians' hearts.

"People don't even know that the two bands are related," said The Good Life's drummer Roger Lewis. "People have come up to me and said, 'I didn't know that this was by that Cursive guy.'"

"That Cursive Guy" is Tim Kasher, guitarist/vocalist and songwriter of The Good Life, as well as for Saddle Creek recording artist Cursive, who have spent a good part of this year touring in support of their latest album, Domestica.

Other than sharing the same lead vocalist, however, there's little in common between Cursive and The Good Life. The clear differences lie primarily in the angst department -- or maybe in the different kinds of angst. Whereas Cursive basks in its all-out sonic assault that leaves listeners looking for something to break, The Good Life revels in laid-back, acoustic-based melodies that are more approachable to the typical listener and that highlight Kasher's husky, breathy vocals and tender-hearted songwriting skills.

Novena opener, "A Dim Entrance," for example, starts with Kasher's forlorn voice alone singing, "Send me to bed/My head's drowning out/The thick and blurry sounds/Of horses on the highway," while slowly a rhythm track builds and a tinkly piano taps out a simple, sweet counter-melody. Gradually the track builds more and more but never loses its sense of sadness and languor. Finally you recognize the Kasher of Cursive as he breaks through loudly, toward the end, belting out the final lines, until the song fades back again to silence. For the most part, the music is slower, quieter and dreamier but not without the same anxiety that marks Kasher's work with Cursive. Meanwhile, a few songs, such as "What We Fall for When We're Already Down," aren't far removed from some of the more withdrawn moments on Domestica.

Lewis said the CD was well received as the band passed through El Paso, L.A., Southern California, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Denver. "Our first show in Pomona, Calif., at the Glass House drew about 400," he said, "and we sold a lot of merchandise that night. It felt good to go out and introduce the record to the country." Joining Kasher and Lewis are guitarist Landon Hedges and keyboardist Mike Heim.

Lewis, who also has toured with Bright Eyes, said the band drew a similar "emo" crowd. "There were a lot of emo kids, but we were playing with a lot of emo bands. They all play the same song that I've heard so many times, over and over. I'm sick of that song," he said.

Lewis said the band would like to branch out and tour with a wider variety of performers. "We're not an emo band," he said. "We play a different type of music that goes beyond that sound. We need to start booking tours with bands outside of that style."

He said The Good Life is now being booked by Ground Control, the same agency that books shows for Bright Eyes and The Faint, and that an East Coast tour is in the works for December.

* * *

Speaking of Better Looking Records, Omaha bands are well represented on that label's just-released Holiday Matinee CD Compilation, Vol. 2. Holiday Matinee is a San Diego-based promotion company that represents The Good Life and that used to represent most of the bands recording on Omaha's Saddle Creek Records label. Holiday Matinee president Dave Brown co-owns Better Looking Records with former Crank! Records' employee Paul Fisher.

Joining Cursive, Bright Eyes, The Good Life and The Faint on the compilation are such indie music stalwarts as Wheat, Tristeza, Sunday's Best, Vue and No Knife. Copies of the comp are available from the Better Looking Records website, www.betterlookingrecords.com.

Published in The Omaha Weekly October 19, 2000

Omaha metal band Ravine just got back from a two-week Midwestern tour that took then through Iowa, Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

"It wasn't a lengthy tour," said Ravine bass player/vocalist Randy Cotton, who has been touring for almost a decade with Ravine, and former bands Ritual Device and Nightmare. "We needed to get out there and put out a head's up about the upcoming Decline of Midwestern Civilization compilation, and that we have a new drummer (Oliver Morgan, ex-Reset. Guitarist Mike Saklar rounds out the trio on guitar). The tour also helped us tighten up new material before we head into the studio for our next CD."

Ravine's last CD was the soundtrack to the independently produced, all-digital motion picture, Killing Diva, and featured some of the most atmospheric -- and most aggressive -- music they've ever produced. Their sound is a pounding, rhythmic, minor-key guitar assault, with intricate, angular sequences that always seem to end with a crescendo.

Cotton kept a diary of sorts, highlighting the tour's highs and lows:

9/22 -- Des Moines. The tour's first stop is the legendary Hairy Mary's, known for its punk rock atmosphere that includes a motorcycle over the bar and pool table lights made out of a drum kit. Only five people made it out to the Saturday night gig, but among them was a member of new-deathmetal-hip-hop outfit, Slipknot, dressed in civilian clothing. From Des Moines, the 9-member band's stage show includes dressing in industrial coveralls and bizarre, homemade horror masks, a gimmick that caught the attention of fans and a handful of record labels. They eventually signed with Roadrunner, who released their first album in 1999. "One of the Slipknot guys used to work at Hairy Mary's," Cotton said. "He got us our second show at the Safari Club (Hairy Mary's second incarnation; the current bar is its third), and had talked about getting us on tour with them. It never happened."

9/23 -- Iowa City. The band plays to a packed house at Scrid's last show. With its members moving in different musical directions, the Iowa City metal band has decided to call it quits. Fallout included dozens of broken beer bottles on the equipment. "It took a while to get all the shards out," Cotton said. "It wasn't a good thing."

9/24 -- Chicago. Cotton spots infamous Chicago poet Thax Douglas in the crowd. Douglas' latest book, Tragic Faggot Syndrome, was printed and distributed by legendary underground comic book publisher Last Gasp. The book's jacket includes a portrait of the author standing next to a Ravine sticker in the now-defunct Chicago punk landmark Lounge Ax. "Thax approached us when we were loading stuff off stage and gave us books," Cotton said. "His stuff is pretty demented; he uses some bizarre language." Also in the crowd that night was former Omahan Nate Flansburg of the band House of Commons.

9/26 -- Cleveland. Ravine plays with Boston indie rock band Barbaro. "The circuit is flooded these days with a ton of stoner rock/metal bands," Cotton said. "It was amazing to see an indie rock band with a hard edge put on a killer show." Cotton said Barbaro could be passing through Omaha this December on tour.

9/28 -- Lansing, Mich. "We had never played this place before," Cotton said. "The door guy asked us what we sounded like. He says, 'The bands that were here last night played 311-style stuff and we spit in their f***ing beers, so you better not sound like that." Cotton said he found no luggies floating in his drinks, and the doorman bought a copy of their CD. "It was one of the best nights on the tour."

10/2 -- La Crosse. With a day off and on their way to Minneapolis, the band made a detour to catch a show by Shellac, a trio consisting of producer legend Steve Albini, veteran producer and bassist Bob Weston and drummer Todd Trainer. "We saw the show and hung out with them for a while," Cotton said. Albini and Weston now run a studio called Electrico, and Cotton said the band discussed possibly recording there in the future.

10/3 -- Minneapolis. For the first time, Ravine takes the stage at the legendary First Avenue & 7th St. Entry. "All the years I've been doing this stuff and we never played there," Cotton said. "The bottom line is it doesn't matter who you are, if you're asked to play First Avenue, you're gonna get treated unbelievably well."

Cotton said the tour's low point was a campus gig at Terre Haute, Ind., and having a women throw boiling water out a window at the band for parking their van in front of her house. All in all, though, the tour was a success, he said.

"Touring is a small investment for any band that's taking themselves seriously," he said. "If you're gonna record or do demos and make your recordings available, you should hit the road. The fans aren't not gonna come to you, you've got to go to them."

Another side benefit: After the tour, Kansas City's Season to Risk asked Ravine to tour with them next spring. "They didn't ask until we got back from this tour," Cotton said. "I think they were waiting around to see what we were gonna do, and it showed them that we were for real."

* * *

Another benefit of Ravine's recent road journeys has been getting the word out about The Junction, the bar-turned-rock showcase at 15th and Farnam that Cotton has been booking for the past six months.

He said interest was high along the road from other national touring bands who are looking for a place to play in Omaha. Unfortunately, Cotton says he doesn't have time to work every show going through the venue, and is looking for bands or anyone interested in helping book the joint.

"It's a good place to learn the business and for someone who's in a band having a tough time getting shows," Cotton said. Bands are asked to do the bare minimum -- essentially, sign a contract that says they'll show up for the gig. The deal lets the band keep any door money (Cotton gets part of the bar), though they're responsible for paying the soundman (usually about $25). The Junction has its own road-quality sound system and bands can also host all-ages no-booze shows. Though Cotton does some promoting, getting the word out is mostly the bands' responsibility.

So far, he said, a couple local acts have signed up to book the club at least one night a month. "All I ask is that bands try this once," Cotton said. "Once they see how simple it is, they'll want to continue doing it." Those interested in booking shows at The Junction can call Cotton at 896-2305.

The next Junction show: The Carsinogents, with The Chicken Hawks, Friday Oct. 20, 9 p.m. $3 cover 18 & over show, with drink specials for those of legal age.

* * *

Omaha punk band The Thuggs have called it quits after five years together, according to Thuggs' guitarist/vocalist Johnny Thursday.

The reason: Guitarist/vocalist Sleazy Joe Avary has taken a cameraman's job that will transfer him to Milwaukee by the end of October. The sleazy one also got hitched July 31.

As for the rest of the band, bassist/vocalist Thad Steady will continue his work with The Cuterthans and The Fonzarellies, while drummer Armond Tanzarian will now have time to immerse himself in his efforts to support the Green Party. Thursday said he's now in the process of forming a new punk band. "I hope we play a last show, so I can get drunk and be mean to people," he said.

The breakup couldn't have come at a worst time, as The Thuggs recently finished recording tracks for a new CD. Thursday said the band intends to finish mixing the tracks and will still release the CD sometime in the future.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly October 12, 2000

The same week 106.9 The City announced it was dropping its "free form radio" format, the station also launched a new program to replace Trout Tunes, their former local music program.

On at 10 p.m. every Sunday night, The City Underground is more than just a local music hour, said Scott Barnett, the station's assistant program director, who hosts the show with Music Director Brother Cliff.

"The program is still evolving," Barnett said. "The focus is on local music and nightlife, the art scene, we even plan on doing a segment on local theater."

Other regular topics will include restaurant reviews as well as a look at some of the area's more unique watering holes, such as the Polynesian-flavored Mai Tai Lounge or the grungy, campy Interlude Lounge. "We'll always have a review of what Scott and I did over the weekend and a review of a venue or restaurant," Cliff said.

Topics since the show first aired Sept. 17 have included everything from grocery stores as singles bars to the Saddle Creek Records label to last Sunday's in-studio interview with local rock band Musico.

"We want to have a live band on the show ever week," Cliff said. "About half the show is dedicated to music, while the other half is stuff of local interest -- all kinds of cool, quirky things."

"During the week, the station's programming is very rigid," Barnett added. "This gives us a chance to loosen up and have some fun. The vibe is like hanging out and talking about music with some friends."

Barnett and Cliff are both Omaha transplants -- Cliff has lived in Omaha for about nine years while Barnett blew into town less than two years ago from Chicago.

"People bitch about never having anything to do here," Cliff said, "but then they turn around don't go out to the shows. Omaha has a wide variety of live music, from heavy metal to main stream to funk to cover bands. The music scene is on a definite upswing. I remember years ago seeing bands like Fifth of May and 311, and now we're getting back to that quality of music."

Although City Underground is only an hour a week, Cliff and Barnett say it provides an important stage for local bands.

"A lot of radio in Omaha is cookie-cutter format, created entirely somewhere else," Cliff said. "The general consensus is that local music isn't a viable entertainment source for radio, and that's not true, especially in Omaha. (Local music) is the only kind of entertainment that is ours. It's unique, it's cultural, it's very important and viable on radio stations."

Regardless, Cliff added, it can be hard to convince a radio station to play Grasshopper Takeover instead of Santana. "For the stations, it's tough to make that call," he said. "We're lucky we have this hour to expose people to local music."

* * *

Musico's took their opportunity as guests on last week's City Underground to promote their CD release party Oct. 14 at the 18th Amendment with Five Story Fall and The 9's.

Musico has a distinctive, American rock 'n' roll sound, sort of like Urge Overkill meets The Tubes with plenty of '80s rock inspiration in the mix (there's no denying the influences, such as Elvis Costello on the organ-driven rocker "So Easily" or Trip Shakespeare and XTC on "Admit You're Wrong."). Their self-recorded and self-titled 10-track CD doesn't catch their live vibe (which is pure, unadulterated booze-hound party). Instead, the band makes up for it with stripped down, intimate arrangements that take advantage of quiet moments to accentuate the hooks, fuzzy guitars and simple pop melodies.

Brad Underwood, bass/vocals/keyboards, said the CD was recorded using an digital recorder at various rehearsal spaces and houses, including one in Denton, Texas -- former home to the band's new guitarist, Pluto. "We departed ways with (guitarist Mike) Hobbs in January with a record half done," Underwood said. "I knew Pluto when he was a guitarist with the Yardapes back in the early '90s. We called him in Texas and he was game."

Underwood and drummer Mark Hinrichs loaded up the van and drove to Denton, where they spent two days recording on Pluto's porch. "It was awesome," Underwood said. "You can hear dogs in the background on some of the tracks. We had to stop recording when a train rolled by."

A month later, Pluto was on his way to Omaha for good. Now with the CD in hand, the band hopes to generate a following both locally and regionally. "We're definitely gonna tour," Underwood said. "We're on the ground floor in Omaha and Lincoln, but will start booking regional shows. We're where every band is when they start out: trying to get the venues to return phone calls."

Meanwhile, the band has had some luck swapping gigs with out-of-town acts, including country rocker Marlee Macleod, who helped Musico book an upcoming show in Minneapolis. "We also have some natural 'ins' down in Texas," Underwood said. "We'll head down there this winter, to Denton and Dallas, then try to work Austin."

The goal: a record deal, of course. But Underwood said the band would rather find a booking agent first. "Our path is to do this ourselves," he said

* * *

Last minute entry: A little bird told me that Sound of Rails and The Carsinogents will be playing at the rarely open 906 artspace this Friday night. The venue will host an art show starting at 8 p.m., followed by the bands at 10 p.m. Sound of Rails includes former members of Omaha rockabilly legends Fullblown. As for the Carsinogents, if you haven't seen them live yet, you'll never get a better chance. Be prepared to rock.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly October 5, 2000

A blow for indie music fans: Omaha's KROCK-93.3 FM last week pulled the plug on "Pirate Radio," the city's only true alternative radio show featuring indie-label artists. Pirate Radio co-host, Robb Nansel, said fellow co-host, Roger Lewis, was notified by KROCK that the show had been canceled.

Nansel says he's currently looking for another station to pick up the show. Broadcast from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday nights, Pirate Radio featured an array of popular indie rock artists who simply are not heard anywhere else on your FM dial. Everything from Modest Mouse to Flaming Lips to Camera Obscura were played, along with new releases and local bands, usually from Nansel's Saddle Creek Records roster.

Nansel was unsure why KROCK chose to end the program. Efforts to reach KROCK program director Tim Sheridan Monday afternoon were unsuccessful. Lewis, who works for Homer's, is currently on a West Coast tour with The Good Life.

"I think we'll find someone else to pick it up the show," Nansel said. "We're just trying to expose the music to those who wouldn't have a chance to hear it otherwise."

* * *

Speaking of Bright Eyes, the Saddle Creek Records artist featuring singer-songwriter Conor Oberst and a rotating crew of supporting players will be back in town Oct. 9 for a show at Sokol Underground that also will feature Tiger Style recording artist Her Space Holiday, North Sea Story and Ambulance.

Afterward, Bright Eyes hits the road again to New York to perform at the annual CMJ Music Conference, with Cursive and The Faint as part of a Saddle Creek Showcase at Westbeth Theater Oct. 21. Oberst and company will then head out for a 3-week European tour, while Cursive will begin preparing for their November tour with Grand Royal recording artist At the Drive In that will include a Nov. 9 date at Sokol with the Murder City Devils.

* * *

Also headed to New York for the CMJ Conference is Man's Ruin recording artist Men of Porn, featuring former Omaha punk legend Tim Moss (ex-Ritual Device). Moss and his new line-up, which features Brian Hill on bass (former Buzzoven, Acid King) and Sean Tyler on drums (former Oakland's Eldopa), will be playing the Man's Ruin Showcase Oct. 20 at the Continental with stoner rock pioneers High on Fire and Alabama Thunderpussy.

Upcoming Porn releases include an LP/CD for Man's Ruin (Spring 2001), an experimental EP for Small Stone Records (Jan 2001), and a 7" single for Ismist Records, Moss said.

You can check out the pornsters when the band makes a stop in Omaha on their way cross-country for an all-ages show with Bad Luck Charm at the Ranch Bowl Oct. 12.

Meanwhile Bad Luck Charm guitarist John Wolf says his band's new 13-song CD is slated for release in early November.

* * *

What's the best way to make a stage debut? How 'bout opening for your favorite band? That's exactly what Council Bluff's Names Without Numbers is doing when they take the stage before Jimmy Eat World at the Sokol Underground Oct. 13. The ticket also features a reformed Red Menace and Split Second.

Names Without Numbers guitarist Dave Owens booked the show and figured "why not open for them?" he said. Consisting of former members of alt-rock band Life Nine, Names Without Numbers features John Hearn on drums and lead vocals, Brian Muldrew on bass and Ryan Cruiskshank on guitar. Owens describes the band's sound as somewhere between Jimmy Eat World and Get Up Kids.

"I grew up listening to all kinds of music," Owens said, "but then heard The Juliana Theory, and that led me to other bands, and eventually to The Cog Factory, where I've a seen a lot of shows."

It's no wonder that Owens is now working with the Cog to book a number of upcoming national shows, most with bands whose music is secular in nature. "All of our songs come from real faith-based life experience. The message is to be who you and and let God direct your path," he said, but added. "We're here to show the love, not to cram Christianity down anyone's throat."

Has being in a Christian-based band turned off any potential listeners? "Sure," Owens said, "but we get a lot of respect because we stand up for what we believe in. Everyone has the option to accept it or blow off."

Among the upcoming shows:

-- Stairwell (Takehold Records), Names Without Numbers, and N.O.R., Thursday, Nov. 9, Cog Factory

-- Dashboard Confessional (solo project from lead singer of Tooth and Nail recording artist Further Seems Forever), Sunday, Nov. 12, Cog Factory

-- Squad Five-0 (which Owens describes as "glam-punk, Cinderella meets Suicide Machines"), Living Sacrifice ("Metallica meets Sepultura"), Ace Troubleshooter ("melodic-punk"). All three bands have released material on Tooth and Nail Records. Saturday, Nov. 18, Cog Factory.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly September 21, 2000

Cursive lead singer and guitarist Tim Kasher shows a softer side with his new project, a four-piece called The Good Life. In addition to Kasher on guitar and vocals, the band also features former Glance to the Sequel and sometimes Bright Eyes drummer Roger Lewis, Secret Behind Sunday guitarist Landon Hedges and Mike Heim on keyboards.

The band's 9-song debut, Novena On A Nocturn, is slated for release Oct. 31 on Better Looking Records, a new label launched by former Crank! Records' employee Paul Fisher and Dave Brown, owner of Holiday Matinee, an independent publicity company with offices in San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Kasher says with no classes to attend again this fall, he can devote himself solely to music. "I felt I had some free time apart from doing Cursive," he said. "It's great to be able to come home from a Cursive tour and then go out on a Good Life tour."

Two songs from the new CD online at the Better Looking Records website (www.betterlookingrecords.com) paint a more melodic, gentler sounding Kasher than we're used to. "The Moon Redhanded," while still sporting Kasher's familiar Robert Smith (The Cure)-style vocals, has a laid-back rhythm section and a mostly acoustic arrangement that still manages to rock in a melancholy way. "Birthday Present," with it's hic-cup, syncopated drums, simple rhythm guitar and slight piano part, balances somber lyrics like, "I didn't want to cut that cord/You suck the life right out of me" that echo some of Domestica's sentiments. The difference, though, is that The Good Life eases you into the songs, whereas Cursive lovingly bashed your brains out with them.

"I've never been interested in being pegged as one style of song writer," Kasher said. "It's great to hear that it sounds so different from Cursive. I've always gone down these two streets, of writing for bands and for acoustic guitar."

The Good Life leaves Friday for a 2-week tour through the Midwest and the West Coast with The Gloria Record, who have a new release on Crank! Then it's back on the road with Cursive through Oct. 23, followed by a week back home before heading out again with Cursive Sept. 4. Kasher hopes to schedule a CD release show in Omaha during the off week. Meanwhile, future plans call for Good Life East Coast tour the second half of November.

* * *

Raygun Revolt, a new power pop project by former 4 Lb. Robin members singer/guitarist Reagan Roeder and bassist Albert Kurniawan, along with drummer Brad Allison, just finished recording their 4-song debut, Hollywood.

Recorded in Roeder's basement studio onto computer, the release sounds muddy and homemade, but the band's love for indie and British underground pop still manages to shine through. The guitar-driven easy rockers have a sort of Teenage Fanclub meets Pablo Honey-era Radiohead feel to them -- an interesting contrast to Omaha's run-of-the-mill radio-friendly FM-wannabe bands.

Roeder said he hopes the demo can open some doors to clubs and maybe even attract a record label. "I want to record a full-length next year, but I want to find a label to pay for it," he said. "I'm looking for an indie that would be big enough to be able to invest but small enough to have a person-to-person relationship."

With a Houston booking agent already lined up, Roeder said Raygun Revolt plans to hit the road this January, destined for gigs in Austin. Touring is the band's chief focus. In fact, Roeder said he and Kurniawan had planned on moving to San Diego or Austin after being unable to find a drummer in Omaha willing to do road work, then along came Allison.

He has little interest in building an Omaha fan base. "Omaha has always had good bands, but the fans go in and out of style," he said. "Going to see live music isn't always the thing for people to do here."

With that in mind, however, Roeder said he recently agreed to help Ravine's Randy Cotton book shows at The Junction, 1507 Farnam St., on a one-weekend-per-month basis. "I want to turn the Junction into another cool venue where the non-rotating Ranch Bowl bands can play," he said. "Hopefully we'll bring in some experimental stuff. It'll be a good place for my band to try out new music."

Check out Raygun Revolt's live debut Friday, Sept. 22, at The 18th Amendment with 5 Story Fall and Bad Luck Charm.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly September 14, 2000

The roster of fall releases by Omaha's Unread Records is crowded with a number of … wait-a-minute, you've never heard of Unread Records? That's probably because the label is part of the underground world of cassette-tape-only record labels, a music scene so obscure that it makes an indie label like Saddle Creek Records look like DreamWorks in comparison.

Operated by Chris Fischer out of his house/performance space known as Gunboat, Unread Records has produced cassette and vinyl releases from some of the underground's most famous unknowns, including a tape by South Carolina's "king of banjo" Charlie McAlister, as well as a 7-inch single by Shrimper and Catsup Plate recording artist Will Simmons.

Fischer says there are "zillions" of tape only labels. Some more-famous artists who have put out tape-only releases include Sebadoh's Lou Barlow, folk-music favorites The Mountain Goats, and even undisputed funk-groove indie rocker Beck, Fischer said.

"I started my label three years ago to put out tapes for me and my friends," said Fischer, who recently moved to Omaha from Lancaster, Penn. "I don't have any artists signed to anything, and I don’t ever want to put out a thousand units of anything."

That shouldn’t be a problem for the 20-year-old entrepreneur. Most his 27 releases include hand-made cassette shells or screen-printed jackets. Though promotion is usually through word of mouth or the Internet (www.lab.eccentrica.org/unread), Fischer has placed ads in fanzines and sent flyers to a handful of record labels that pass them onto their customers. His most popular release thus far is the McAlister cassette Turn of the Century Photograph of, which moved more than 300 units.

Fischer said the label will branch out to CDs this fall, with a release by Fizzle Like a Flood (Omaha singer/songwriter Doug Kabourek, who also performs as The Laces). Also look for a split 7-inch vinyl release by Park and A Boy Named Thor, a split-label CD with Twee Kitten Records, a Jarbaby one-sided LP, as well as cassettes by Church of Gravitron, Park, Caleb Fraid and others.

Just as obscure as Unread Records is Gunboat, Fischer's performance space located in the basement of the house he rents at 301 So. 38th Ave. Past Gunboat performers include most of the Saddle Creek Records' stable of artists, who have made house shows a staple on their recent tour schedules.

"House shows are a different kind of scene, a more personal performance that allows the fans to hang out with the people who play," Fischer said. "There's no stage, it's kind of one-on-one."

Gunboat shows attract a mostly under-21 crowd made up of house show regulars or people who have heard about the shows either by visiting the Saddle Creek Records website (www.saddle-creek.com) or by spotting a flier at The Antiquarium or Drastic Plastic. Fischer says his largest show drew about 70 people.

One recent night at Gunboat included performances by Bright Eyes, Philadelphia's Jen Turrell (Rabbit in Red), and Pennsylvania band Chauchat. Last week, Fischer hosted Jarbaby from Normal, Ill.

Among the bands slated for Gunboat's upcoming Sept. 20 show are The Good Life (a new project by Cursive's Tim Kasher), Boston's Kolya, Omaha emo-rockers Secret Behind Sunday and Lincoln's Her Flyaway Manner (slated to release a CD on Caulfield Records) Fischer says the cover is usually two or three dollars, all of which goes to the touring band to help cover their expenses.

* * *

Published in The Omaha Weekly September 7, 2000

Omaha punk-rock moguls The Thuggs have entered a recording studio, sort of.

Guitarist/vocalist Johnny Thursday said the 4-piece laid down some tracks in guitarist/vocalist Sleazy Joe Avary's domicile off 48th and Farnam, where the band set up an Otari 8-track next to Avary's favorite love seat.

"The first two days we laid down the bass and drum tracks in separate rooms, on Wednesday I did the guitar stuff and last night we got really drunk and did the vocals," Thursday said last Friday afternoon. "This is the complete and total epitomization of the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic. It also was the only way we could afford it."

The Thuggs, which also includes Thad Steady (Cuterthans, Fonzarellies) on bass/vocals and Armond Tanzarian on drums, has been playing gigs the last few weeks at The Cog Factory and The Junction.

The band hopes to release the 8-track recordings as a follow-up to their 1997 self-titled debut on VML Records, a label owned and operated by members of Chicago's Vindictives. That CD became a rarity of sorts, as hundreds of copies were lost in a fire which consumed Steady's house. Copies are still available from The Thuggs' website -- www.thuggs.com -- where you can also check out upcoming show dates.

No word yet on when the freshly recorded tracks will be available for public consumption, both on CD and on punk-friendly vinyl. "We'll probably do CDs because they're so cheap," Thursday said. "But I want to do vinyl as well because of the whole punk code of honor, which recognizes vinyl as the only true format. Digital recording is a machine recreating music with ones and zeroes. That's fucked up."

* * *

Fans of Omaha's late '80s and early '90s music scene hold onto your hats: Digital Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan is gearing up to hit the stage again. Sheehan recently began collaborating with Omaha singer/songwriter Richard Schultz, a solo artist who has also performed with The Whereabouts, Sawdust Devil and Special People Club.

"He has an understanding of the history of rock music, which is becoming a rare commodity these days among rock musicians," Sheehan said. "We'll be doing some songs of his, some of mine, some covers and some originals that we've worked on together that I think are quite wonderful."

The upcoming yet-to-be-scheduled gig will mark the first time Sheehan has performed live in more than six years, since the demise of the last version of Digital Sex in 1994. For the young folks out there, Digital Sex (a band whose name was way ahead of its time) formed back in 1982 when core members Sheehan, bassist Dereck Higgins and guitarist John Tingle created a hybrid that combined the sounds of such obscure acts as Durutti Column, Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, Brian Eno, Left Banke and Joy Division with their own Midwestern experience. The result was a unique ambient rock music that gained a following here, in Roune, France, and later in Pittsburgh, where the band discovered they had enough fans to drive the release of a new Digital Sex CD compilation in 1994.

These days, the personality conflicts that drove the band's numerous break-ups are gone, Sheehan says, and he, Higgins and Tingle stay in regular contact. So, is there a Digital Sex reunion on the horizon?

"The convoluted answer is that is Dereck and Scott Miller (ex-The World, a band that also featured Sheehan) and I have played together once in a sort of experimental way," Sheehan said. "John's been in contact with Scott more