Tonight's big show is over at the Slowdown, with The Hold Steady's Craig Finn taking the stage for his solo act. I'm a big Hold Steady fan (no surprises there) and I like his solo album a lot, though it's not really the same. Of course, don't expect to hear any Hold Steady songs tonight. Finn told me about that in this interview.
Also tonight is the kick off of Digital Leather's tour that kicks off tonight with a show at O'Leaver's. Well, the next show isn't until Feb. 9 in Seattle (full schedule here), but the band will travel down the west coast, through the Southwest and to Austin to play at Beerland. I wish I could be in Austin for that one. Cool venue.
Blue Bird plays Lincoln tonight with Cowboy Indian Bear at Zoo Bar and then they hit up Slowdown on Saturday (also with CIB as well as Skypiper and El Valiente). I talked to Blue Bird's Rob Matthews earlier this week about their bid to make it to SXSW this year. You can read all about that (and the band's forthcoming new album) in my column.
Also Saturday is local funk/disco legends Satchel Grande at the Waiting Room.
Sunday is the Super Bowl. If any local bands are playing a show opposite of the Super Bowl, I wish them good luck and the fortitude to perform in front of only a few people.
Normally when Craig Finn steps up to the mic, the crowd raises cups of beer, sings along about characters like Sal Paradise and girls that predict winning horses and belts out lyrics such as “we’re good guys, but we can’t be good every night.”
But Friday night will be different. Finn will be without his celebrator, raucous and literate rock band The Hold Steady and instead will perform songs from his debut solo album, “Clear Heart, Full Eyes.”
The songs are more intimate than anything we’ve heard from The Hold Steady. “Honolulu Blues” mentions a wavering faith in Jesus, how we’re all good and evil and how troubles still follow when you’re trying to get away from it all.
Intimate and personal? Yes. And still rocking without the soaring riffs of The Hold Steady’s Tad Kubler? Definitely.
We called Finn in Brooklyn as he geared up to head to Europe and then strike out on tour in the U.S.
Q. What should fans expect from your new album compared to The Hold Steady?
A. It’s quieter for sure. That’s the first and simplest answer. It’s also a little more narrative. It’s able to be a little more intimate and vulnerable.
With The Hold Steady, there’s high highs and low lows. My writing for that tends to be more cinematic. The solo stuff has more to do with the everyday and the mundane and those human moments.
Also in The Hold Steady, I really don’t write much music, if at all. Rarely do I contribute anything. With this, I come up with everything including lyrics and chords and melodies.
Q. Have you enjoyed doing things a little differently?
A. Yeah. I wouldn’t say they’re bad habits, but there are habits and ways you get of doing things. There’s a level of comfort there. One of the goals for me as an artist was to break out of those. To plug in with some other people and see if I could get somewhere with them.
Q. And you have never worked with this band before?
A. They were people I hadn’t met before. I remember the night before I left, I was really scared. I’m far from an accomplished musician. These guys, I had to shake their hands and then try to make a record with them. I learned a lot from it.
They’re all staring back at you and writing notes down. “This is the song in its most basic form. Where can we go from here? What is everyone hearing?”
It was nerve-wracking. It still was like you’re halfway through the song and you’re thinking, “Do they hate this?”
The producer (Mike McCarthy), he really produced the record in the true sense. He was sort of the leader, and he hand-picked some of the musicians.
Q. How did you end up working with Mike McCarthy?
A. We met through a friend. It must have been 18 months ago. I had a drink with him and he said some things that stuck with me. Also Britt (Daniel) from Spoon, he said a lot of the ways they made some of those Spoon records were very one-on-one.
I called him and talked about what I was thinking and played him some rough demos. I’m not a great musician and he said, “If you can sing me the song over the phone, like if you have a vocal, lyrics and melody, the rest of it can be my problem.” That was a really liberating thing to be said.
Q. Was it weird to be with a whole group of people you’d never worked with before and also to be recording in Austin instead of New York?
A. That was part of the whole concept; tying myself to a new concept and new people. It would have gotten weird if I was hiring people in New York or even Minneapolis. It was nice to separate and plug in down there.
Q. Is it the same band touring that was on the album?
A. Some of them. The touring lineup. I hired all Austin people because, spiritually, they live (in the mind set of these songs).
Q. Obviously, these shows have quite a different feel from what people may be used to seeing with you.
A. It’s more subdued, I’d say. There’s something about The Hold Steady that’s very celebratory. This record is sort of a break from being celebratory. There’s hours in the day where you don’t feel like that. This taps into a different part of my own human nature.
Q. How do you usually write? Do you sit down with a guitar or do you jot in a notebook?
A. It can go a lot of different ways. A lot of times, it’s the first line of the song or a phrase.
With this solo project, I really tried to write every day and write a song every day. I have a friend who wrote for Letterman. He’d say, “I don’t really have time to have writer’s block. We write a show and then we try to make it good.”
You probably know something about this feeling.
I though, “Maybe that’s a new way to approach songwriting.”
So, I started out with a song. A lot of them were terrible. But I gave them time and went back to them and got an idea of what was good and what wasn’t. Maybe the first verse was alright and then I’d build from there.
I liked putting a little more craftsmanship to it and punching the clock every day.
Q. And you recorded a lot of it live, right?
A. Even the vocals were recorded live, which is pretty unique. That’s one thing that I love about it. The musicians were in the room watching me sing. So when I step up to the mic, they back away, even imperceptibly. It’s the kind of thing you don’t get from overdubbing. I like the way it breathes.
Q. Do you think you’d ever do that with The Hold Steady?
A. It definitely makes me think of it. The volume that we operate at may not make that possible. (Laughs)
Q. Have you played much of this stuff live?
A. We just did one in Austin. It’s funny. When I got offstage, I felt like I hadn’t played a show yet — compared to what I’m used to. It’s mellower. I wasn’t tired and I wasn’t sweating and all wet.
Q. Is it tougher to keep people’s attention? It’s gotta feel different.
A. The audience energy is different. No one’s climbing on top of each other and throwing beer. It’s subdued material but it’s also keeping people’s attention. That’s a nice challenge to face. It’s a different one. It’s kind of cool.
Q. Will you be sticking to the solo stuff?
A. We won’t do any Hold Steady songs. We have 15 songs so far and we’ll be picking stuff up along the way. There’s 11 songs that made the record plus four outtakes. I might do a few songs alone without the band. I kind of want to keep things fresh. There’ll be plenty of material.
I don’t think it would feel right to play Hold Steady stuff. That doesn’t feel right to do.
Q. How many songs did you write for this album?
A. I have a lot of song that I wrote. I gave McCarthy 23 songs and he narrowed it down to 14. There’s plenty of songs. There’s more than that even. It’s just a matter of the band picking them up.
And they learn very, very quick.
Q. We’ve talked in past interviews about how you’ve taken up running a lot. Are you able to do it on tour?
A. I do. It’s actually a wonderful thing. It’s become completely necessary. I’ve got one of those iPod things that tells you how long you’ve run. There’s something about setting off on a run and not knowing where you’re going that helps me stay sane and focused and healthy.
I get kind of lethargic if I don’t run a few times a week.
Q. And you’ve talked about doing another Hold Steady record soon. What’s going on with that?
A. We have Steve Selvidge (on guitar) and we’re really committed to writing with him for this record. It takes a little extra planning because he lives out of town, but he’s coming to New York for all of next week.
I’d love to say that we’re in the studio in the end of the spring. I’d like to get back to the U.K. for the solo thing and then it’s back to The Hold Steady.
I’d love to have a record out in 2012. But that’s not always within our grasp. A lot of people have different things to say about that.
Vinyl pressings of "I Am Gemini" were revealed yesterday by Saddle Creek on its Facebook page.
Over at Stereogum, Cursive premiered another new track from its forthcoming album, "I Am Gemini."
You can also download the song, "Wowowow," below by giving Saddle Creek Records your e-mail address. (Did you know that a lot of companies put an actual dollar amount on each e-mail address they have?! As in, "Each e-mail we get is worth $10." You learn all kinds of stuff talking to marketing people.)
The track lurches along like a song from a trippy musical. The best part, of course, is Tim Kasher screaming "Wow, wow, wow!" juxtaposed with the serene vocals of two female singers singing "Without a me/there is no you."
I received my promo copy of "I Am Gemini" yesterday. It's another concept album from Cursive, but I was intrigued and thought it was very cool that the album came with a play book.
I assume it's a copy of the lyrics sheet that will come with the album, but it's laid out like a play with characters, acts, scenes, scene descriptions, character motivation, etc.
It's pretty damn cool.
The section that goes along with "Wowowow" is mostly from the perspective of Pollock, one of the twins at the center of "I Am Gemini's" story.
Saddle Creek is doing pre-orders now, which will ship out on Feb. 7. I'd do the "I Want It All" bundle, which has some awesome swag. The colored vinyl (pictured above) is cool, as is the 10" picture disc. And it's only 50 bucks, which is a steal for all of that stuff.
Via Twitter, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band announced it's releasing "One Of My Kind," a film about the band as well as an album of outtakes.
The film was shot by Phil Schaffart - a friend of Oberst's, his guitar tech and the leader of the band Con Dios - who recently performed a secret show with Oberst.
When the Mystic Valley Band got together to record in Mexico, Schaffart had a camera with him. He filmed the process, the resulting tour, the band's second album and the tour after that, too.
"One Of My Kind" is being released by Oberst's Team Love Records label and will be in stores on May 15. You can pre-order it now. Pre-orders will be sent out on May 1.
The tracklist features songs released in other formats by the band and Oberst as well as some (such as"Central City" by Taylor Hollingsworth) released at some point by other members of the band, but this is probably the best place to get it all. The song "Kodachrome," I would assume, is a cover of a Paul Simon song.
Disc 1 (CD or LP)
ONE OF MY KIND
GENTLEMAN'S PACT
CORINA, CORINA
SYNESTHETE SONG
BREEZY
CENTRAL CITY
I GOT THE REASON #1
PHIL'S SONG (LEARN TO STOP TIME)
NORMAL
KODACHROME
WHITE SHOES (REPRISE)
Disc 2 (DVD)
ONE OF MY KIND: THE STORY OF THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND - A DOCUMENTARY BY PHILIP SCHAFFART
Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds (Photo courtesy Saddle Creek Records)
You may already know this from following The Mynabirds'Twitter, but singer/frontwoman Laura Burhenn has been in the studio recording once again with Richard Swift.
Swift produced The Mynabirds' first album, "What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood," which is fantastic and was one of my best albums of 2010.
The Mynabirds recently performed "Roses While I'm Living" for The 78 Project, a video project that films breakout artists singing songs from the past and recorded on old technology. The song is by Dock Boggs, an influential singer and banjo player. You can watch the video below, which includes the soulful song and a bit of an interview.
The Mynabirds are also going out on a short tour, including to SXSW. Big Harp will be supporting them starting on March 10. An Omaha date comes shortly thereafter on March 23 at the Waiting Room. I'll be there. Will you?
The Mynabirds Tour Dates - Spring 2012
Mar-07, Denver, CO, The Walnut Room
Mar-08, Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court
Mar-10, Los Angeles, CA, Hotel Cafe
Mar-13, Tucson, AZ, Solar Culture
Mar-21, Des Moines, IA, Vaudeville Mews
Mar-22, Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry
Mar-23, Omaha, NE, The Waiting Room
If you've been around the Omaha music hangouts, you've probably already heard the rumblings about Icky Blossoms getting signed.
Now, it's official. Icky Blossoms has signed with Omaha's indie label Saddle Creek Records and is going to record with Dave Sitek from TV On The Radio in Los Angeles.
Icky Blossoms is Tilly And The Wall's Derek Presnall, filmmaker/musician Nik Fackler, and vocalist Sarah Bohling. The band formed from Presnall's former band Flowers Forever, which had one release on Team Love and performed at Conor Oberst's Concert For Equality.
I really dig the song "Perfect Vision," which is streaming on the bands website. It - along with other songs from the band - is hazy, dreamy pop that you could either space out during or get up and dance to. Listen over here.
More info is coming on the band's album and some tour dates and the like. (I'm a little surprised they didn't wait to release this info until they had a release date or an album title, but what do I know about running a record label?)
What do you think about the signing? I like that Saddle Creek has gone with another Omaha band.
"Phil and Conor are playing at Krug Park tonight. Don't tell too many people..."
That was the text I got at about 6 p.m. last night. The "Conor and Phil" in the text were, of course, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Phil Schaffart, a member of Bright Eyes' road crew and frontman of Omaha band Con Dios.
They were playing a secret show at 9 p.m. in Omaha.
Cool.
Secret shows are a somewhat regular occurrence in locales such as New York where there are enough "name" bands to be able to fill small clubs and bars at a moment's notice.
There's some good shows going on this weekend, all of them local.
Who's going out this weekend?
• Omaha rapper Jimmy Hooligan takes the stage tonight at Slowdown. $10 tickets
• See rockabilly band the Blacktop Ramblers tonight at the Waiting Room. $7 at the door.
• It ain't a concert, but O'Leaver's will have its Men Of O'Leaver's 2012 calendar available on Saturday. I've seen some of the images and they are both glorious and disturbing. There's a release party/signing at 9 p.m.
• Also at the Waiting Room this weekend is the Hootenanny on Sunday. A bunch of local musicians will be playing and jamming to raise money for the Gifford Park Teen Market Garden. $5 at the door.
• If you like the Doors, you should head to Slowdown's front room on Sunday. The Lizard King, a Doors tribute band, features a lot of talented, local guys. $7 tickets.
311 is, from left, Chad Sexton, SA Martinez, Nick Hexum, P-Nut and Tim Mahoney.
Today on Twitter, 311 singer/guitarist Nick Hexum dropped some news: he broke his elbow riding his bike and walking his dog at the same time.
The Omaha native said he broke his bone cleanly, is in a cast and will have surgery.
He says he'll be fine for 311 Day, the March 11 concert (3-11, get it?) the band puts on every other year or so. This year it's a three-day event (fan event and two nights of 311 concerts) in Las Vegas.
Tickets to the event, $102 to $135, get you into both concerts and are still available.
"I'm going to make a full recovery and be burning up the fretboard in no time!" Hexum said in his post.
I know I have some 311 fans that hang around this blog. Are any of you headed to 311 Day this year? Let's talk in the comments!
Team Love - the New York-based label co-founded by Conor Oberst - has cut back in recent years with the economy taking a dive, but that hasn't stopped them from releasing Omaha band Conduits' upcoming, self-titled album.
(Note: Conduits says on its Facebook page that the album comes out on March 20. Team Love's website says it comes out on March 30. When is it actually available? I'm trying to find out.)
Update: The album does indeed come out March 20. Team Love will ship pre-order copies about two weeks before that date, so get to ordering!
You can download the band's "Top Of The Hill" from its BandPage on Facebook and also listen to it below.
