by Hilary Stohs-Krause
PINK NOISE: A signal or process with a frequency spectrum in-between white noise and red noise. In pink noise, each octave carries an equal amount of noise power.
This week, we have new label signings, several CD releases and some exciting announcements.
Are you involved in a show, project or band that you'd like to see included here? Let me know at xrated@hearnebraska.org.
PICKS OF THE WEEK – COMING SHOWS – DID YOU HEAR? – PROJECTS
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PICKS OF THE WEEK
* signifies from out of town; bold signfies the band has at least one female member
Friday, Jan. 20
Platte River Rain, *Normandie Wilson, Video Ranger, Seaward and The Golden Hour at Side Door Lounge, 3530 Leavenworth St. in Omaha
This is a kick-off show for the Normandie Wilson/Golden Hour tour, the former a '60s-pop-esque chanteuse from L.A. and the former a husband-wife duo from Lincoln. The night is sure to feature lots of piano, breathy lyrics and strong melody.
Normandie Wilson:
Platte River Rain:
The Golden Hour:
Saturday, Jan. 21
Millions of Boys, Dads, The Empty Spaces, Powerslop at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. in Omaha
Millions of Boys is one of Sara Bertuldo's groups (Honey & Darling), and they've been building steady buzz for the last year. They're releasing a 10-inch vinyl album at this show, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
Millions of Boys:
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Here are some shows in the next few months that you'll want to get on your calendar early:
Feb. 17 – Leslie and the LYs with Pennyhawl and Ramona & the Swimsuits at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. in Omaha
March 25 – Eliza Rickman with Amy Schmidt & The Restless Things and Daniel Dorner at Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St. in Lincoln
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Icky Blossoms signs to Saddle Creek: Omaha record label Saddle Creek announced Monday that it would be releasing experimental dance-pop group Icky Blossoms' debut album, which the band is currently recording in L.A. It'll be produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, who's worked with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foals and Liars. No release date has yet been announced.
Mynabirds hit the road: The Mynabirds is heading out on a short tour, hitting Denver, Salt Lake City, L.A., Tuscon, Des Moines and Minneapolis, concluding with a show in Omaha on March 23 at the Waiting Room. New material from the band is expected soon.
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This is for items that are based more on community and less on strict performance. (Some might only indirectly be related to music, apart from the fact that the women involved are active in Nebraska's music scene.)
Omaha Girls Rock! camp accepting applications
Applications for campers and volunteers for Omaha Girls Rock! music camp will be available on their website starting tomorrow: "Omaha Rock Camp for Girls mission is to give girls the confidence to use their voice through music education and performance. Our female mentors act as a support system encouraging self expression and self respect. Through workshops and one-on-one instruction we cultivate the DIY values that form the core of the independent music experience- confidence,self reliance and original thinking- and encourage our students to apply these values in all aspects of their lives."
Les Femmes Folles call for subjects
Les Femmes Folles is an Omaha-based blog featuring "interviews, updates, excerpts, poetry and prose, and question-and-answers by women writers to promote and support the creative endeavors of women artists (from Midwest and beyond) of all practices and genres, by sharing their stories." Founder Sally Brown Deskins recently asked readers to send her ideas for women who deserve to be featured, including those involved with music, performance, theatre, literature, community development and more.
Want to suggest a Nebraskan or Midwest woman or event? Contact her at sallydeskins@yahoo.com.
Nebraska Pop Festival
The fourth edition of the annual Nebraska Pop Festival is set for July 10-15 in Omaha. The NPF has been stellar about maintaining a balanced diversity of acts, not only in terms of genre and geographic origin, but also gender. Specific venues haven't been announced, but it's typically been housed in the Benson area.
The Band Broke Up
This site has been around for a while, but I only recently truly explored it. It's a treasure trove of music from Nebraska bands — mostly Lincoln, but Omaha, too — who've broken up: "Maybe you put out an album or two, and you think they're really great. But that was 12 years ago, man. Maybe you have 478 copies of the cd you released last year, before your keyboard player went to grad school in Kentucky. I suppose you might be able to sell them. Right?"
All the music available for download is free. Check out tunes from past Nebraska bands with women members like Knots, the Heat Machine, Geisha House, MIster Baby, No Coast Dance Party and more.
Hilary Stohs-Krause is looking forward to visiting NYC again soon — there's always something new to discover. She gets her local music fix through HN and as a cocktail waitress at Duffy's Tavern. For more on Nebraska ladies making music, tune into the "X-Rated: Women in Music" radio show every Thursday from 1:05 to 3 p.m. CST at 89.3 FM KZUM in Lincoln or streaming live at kzum.org. Find it on Facebook at facebook.com/xmusicnebraska. Or, if Tumblr is more your style, check out xmusic.tumblr.com.