Words with Omaha's It's True!

This band is simply amazing.  They've been called Omaha's best kept secret.  With an album on the way, as well as a 7" vinyl coming out in February, this secret will soon be spoiled....

Two Pandas: Give us a brief history lesson on It’s True!

It’s True!: (Karl) The long and short of it is that Adam wrote some really great songs that he had been playing solo, and the rest of us just kind of naturally gravitated towards those songs and convinced him to form a band. From there, we’ve pretty much just spent the last year trying to do justice to the songs as a band…sometimes succeeding, sometimes not.

TP: We find ourselves asking almost every band this: What is the story behind the name?

IT: (Adam) When the name came to me, I was in a period of deep questioning…a state I’ve been in most of my life. I realized that no amount of intellect could deliver an answer to the “Great Question.” Logic certainly has its place at the table, but I believed, and still do, that a person must ultimately choose what he or she believes. And I believe it’s true.

TP: It is our understanding that you have just finished your first full length album. What are the plans for releasing the album? (Release date? Will it be released digitally? Etc.)

IT: (Adam) You understand correctly…or at least mostly. There are a lot of things up in the air right now. We’re still having discussions about track order and whether or not we’re ready to call some of the tracks “finished”. We’ve also been entertaining the idea of adding a song or two to the album. I think the hardest thing about any piece of work is actually knowing when it’s done…especially with art. The one thing we know for sure is that we don’t want to sit on what we have for much longer…at some point in time you have to just let it go. In summary, we have some decisions to make and we plan on making them very soon.

TP: Where was the recording for the album done?

IT: (Karl) We split our recording time between Conor Oberst’s ARC Studios and The Faint’s Enamel Studios….which, collectively, we like to refer to as “Name-drop Studios”.

TP: You are releasing a split 7” vinyl with Lawrence trio Cowboy Indian Bear, which should be an amazing release. Was this an idea Cowboy Indian Bear brought to you guys?

IT: (Adam) We had been entertaining the idea of doing a 7” of some sort as a precursor to the album. Some different ideas had been thrown around, but I’m not sure any of the ideas were worth pulling the trigger on until Cowboy Indian Bear mentioned that they were thinking of doing something similar. They had an actual plan in regards to how to go about putting it out and pretty much spearheaded the whole thing, so it all fell into place pretty easily for us. We love those guys and what they are doing and are really excited about sharing a piece of vinyl with them.

TP: What are the release plans for the split 7”?

IT: (Adam) The plan is for a string of release shows with both bands playing…Feb 5 and 6 in Lincoln/Omaha (Eagle Seagull is joining us on these dates. Awesome!), and the Feb 18-20th in KC/Columbia/Lawrence (Capybara is joining us on these dates. Also awesome!)

TP: As we ask every band, what is in store for It’s True! in the coming months?

IT: (Adam) Decisions, decisions, decisions…. We have a few things simmering right now, and a number of details to sort out. Then we’re going to put in some serious effort to schedule as much touring as possible. As a band, we’re also very serious about opening up a flower shop to supplement our incomes. We have an almost nauseating passion for horticulture. We hope that soon you will all be able to listen to our newly released music and perhaps look at our floral arrangements, if you so choose.

Thunder Power!

Omaha's folk pop sensation Thunder Power is a growing favorite of many music enthusiast in the Midwest.  With a stop at SXSW Festival in Austin, TX this spring, they're bound and determined to spread their sound across the country...

Two Pandas: For the unfamiliar readers, tell us a little about Thunder Power. First of all, what is the history of the band? (Who founded it? When did each member join? Etc.)


Thunder Power: The band originated in the summer of 2006 when Matt Hutton's solo project turned into a duo with the addition of keyboardist Jason Koba. In July of '06, Ian Simons joined on saxophone at first. Then, in September '06, Will Simons and Brendan Greene-Walsh joined on clarinet and drums respectively. All was well until April 2007 when the band went through a bit of an identity crisis. We parted ways with Brendan, and Ian switched to keys, Will to bass, and Jason to drums. The days of the horns were sadly over by the end of that turbulent month. The next month, May 2007, saw more personnel changes, with Alex Boardman joining to play lead guitar and Kacynna Tompsett joining as our lead vocalist. That lineup (Matt, Jason, Will, Ian, Kacynna, and Alex) stayed intact for over two years, but then the winds of change once again began to blow, with Jason leaving the band in October 2009 to further pursue his education. He was replaced by Boz Hicks later that month. In November 2009, Matt took an extended leave from the band, and he has since moved out-of-state and is now pursuing his solo project called My Pal Dragon, although he may make a guest appearance or two at future shows. It's kind of funny (well, not laugh-out-loud funny-ha-ha kind of funny but you know what we mean) that the two founding members have both quit but still the band soldiers on.

TP: What is the story behind the name?

T.Pow.: Legend has it that one night Jason and Matt were making merry on Jason's porch and one of them thought it would be funny to call the then-experimental wuss pop project "Thunder Power." After a few practices, though, they thought they needed to quit fooling around and come up with a serious name so they decided they would instead call the band Feelings In The Night. However, at their first show under that name, someone called them pretentious toolbags so they decided that they were better off as Thunder Power. The name has stuck with us ever since.

TP: Briefly, tell us a little about your past and present relationships with Slumber Party Records and Mono Music Records.

T.Pow.: We have been working with Slumber Party for nearly two years now. We knew some of those dudes from seeing them around town, and they thought that our sound meshed well with the stuff they were putting out, so they asked us if we wanted to do an EP. We were an upstart band looking for a label, and they were an upstart label looking for new bands. Everything worked marvelously and we have since worked together on several more releases. James, the founder of Mono Music, fell in love with our song "Take a Hike" when he heard it on MySpace earlier this year. A long-distance musical courtship blossomed, and our first European release on Mono Music is scheduled to come out in early 2010.

TP: What are the best and worst parts about being a band located in the Midwest?

T.Pow.: There are a lot of benefits to being a band based in the Midwest, particularly in Omaha. Omaha has a nationally-recognized musical community, and having all kinds of world-class studios, producers, engineers, and musicians available to work with certainly makes it easier to get a quality product out. Also, the low Midwestern cost of living and the thriving economy make it relatively easy to get a house with a nice practice space, which is very important for a band to have, as well as to keep decently well-paying day jobs which allow us to fund our operations while we seek that elusive big payday that will allow us to take things to the next level. On the down side, we are thousands of miles away from the big coastal cities where a lot of the most important music happens, so we have to haul ass a long way to get to places like New York to do shows. For example, we endured a non-stop 19-hour van ride each way to and from CMJ this past October.

TP: What has been your favorite city (Omaha) to play in so far?

T.Pow.: We've had a couple favorites. Lawrence, Kansas is always great, as is Carbondale, Illinois. We did a show in St. Joseph, Missouri once and were totally surprised when we had one of the most fun nights ever! We also did a show in the resort town of Quimgusset, Rhode Island last summer with this band called Tranny Package and, well...we better stop here since this is a family publication.

TP: We noticed you guys are going to be at SXSW in March of 2010. Is this going to be your first time there?

T.Pow.: It will be our first time there as a band, although Will and Ian went this past March in a journalistic capacity for the Omaha City Weekly. They were blown away by the scope of it all and knew that Thunder Power had to be a part of it.

TP: Was that something Slumber Party Records wanted you to do or was it a band decision?

T.Pow.: It was something that we wanted to do, and Slumber Party was instrumental in helping us make it happen.

TP: Based on a popular band consensus: tea or coffee?

T.Pow.: We know tea is better for you, but we'd have to go with coffee.

TP: In your opinion, what is the best pizza joint in Omaha?

T.Pow.: For straight-up pizza, Mama's has no rival. However, for great pizza combined with booze and music, the Pizza Shoppe never fails to please.

TP: As we ask everyone we interview, what is in store for Thunder Power?

T.Pow.: We have a split coming out in February with The 1959 Hat Company, who are an indie-pop band made up of kindred spirits from Toledo, which we will support with a mini-tour on the way down to SXSW. It will be a vinyl/digital release on Slumber Party. We will also make our European debut around the same time when Mono Music releases "Take a Hike" as a single in the UK, which will be followed up in the spring by a European release of our EP "Love Yourself" which will contain two special bonus tracks not on the US version. After that, we will finish up a full-length which will hopefully be out late in 2010 if all goes well.

A word with Noise FM...

Noise FM is one of the most talked about bands on the local music scene today. These two brothers and their always-changing cast of bass players are definitely leaving their mark with listeners around the Kansas City/Lawrence area and beyond.  No one should pass up an opportunity to see these guys play.  They'll be playing this Saturday, December 12th at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS so bundle up and go check these guys out, no excuses. The show starts at 8 pm. 

Two Pandas: You’re like Lawrence’s own Jonas’ Brothers. Would you agree or disagree with this statement?

Alex: It’s funny that you say that. I generally make the same comparison whenever we’re asked to describe our sound. We used to be even more like the Jonas Brothers when our younger brother Alvin was in the band.

Austin: He’s dead.


TP: Do the two of you have musical backgrounds together?

Alex: We’ve been playing together in various bands since we were in middle school. Our musical tastes and talents intertwined at a young age and have evolved to the point where we literally cannot be separated. We’ve tried playing in bands separately and we can’t function.


TP: Last spring you played at SXSW. Tell us about that experience.

Alex: SXSW is an experience. There was a night when one of the members of [Kansas City pop-rock quartet] The ACBs acquired a nice bottle of champagne and we found ourselves dancing with Perez Hilton. I also saw Janeane Garofalo walking down 6th street. Austin got chewed out by “comedian” Todd Barry. That guy’s a dick. Oh yeah, and we managed to play 3 shows that went really well.


TP: We know you work with someone out of Chicago. What is that person’s title and what exactly do they do for you?

Alex: We are managed by Mike Racanelli of Goldmill Artist Management in Chicago. Mike does a good job of exposing our music to new crowds and contacts, helping us with show opportunities and keeping “the business” of The Noise FM in order. He does all the behind the scenes work that we’re incapable of doing ourselves.

Austin: Lately, he’s had to make sure we’re taking a break from playing Modern Warfare 2 to actually do something music-related.


TP: As far as we know, you have done recording in both a recording studio and by yourselves at home. Having experienced both, which do you prefer most and why? What are the disadvantages and advantages of the two?

Alex: I’m a perfectionist like you wouldn’t believe. I generally approach a song with very specific ideas for everything from how the guitar tones should sound to how keyboards and synths should be panned to volume swells... you name it. So it’s great to have complete freedom to address all of those things when I’m recording on my own. However, there are obviously limitations to working on your own. It’s good to have a fresh set of ears and a second opinion when you work with someone else. And it’s also nice to work with engineers who actually know what they’re doing, as opposed to me just messing around in our basement studio until I get a desired result. We’re currently working with Josh Browning at Hey! Bulldog studio on music that will hopefully see the light of day in early 2010.


TP: You’ve had bass players move in and out frequently since the band started. What’s the deal with you guys and bass players?

Austin: We’re like small children: we don’t work well with others. Plus there is an arrogance that comes with the standard bass player that just drives me crazy. But seriously, it’s ridiculous. Basically every time we find a guy to fill in he moves on to bigger and better things. Or just decides to give up music entirely.


TP: This is a question we ask all of the interviewees, so we’re going to ask you. What does the future look like for Noise FM?

Austin: Hmmm, gloomy. Not for us, but for the rest of the world. The Noise FM is going to be like Viggo Mortensen in The Road. The world will be crumbling down around us, and we will still be here playing ‘Circles.’


TP: You share a house with members of Lawrence’s Cowboy Indian Bear. Are they as good of roommates as they are musicians?

Austin: They’re in a band? They have been good friends of ours for several years now and we share much in common with them beyond just a love for music. It’s great to have a constant flow of music running through the house. There is always noise flowing through the halls; we practice in the basement, CJ and Beau record a lot of demos upstairs, and about once a week we will meet in the middle floor living room for some Beatles Rock Band.


TP: Lastly, rumor has it that the two of you can be seen dancing on table tops around town in Lawrence. Is this true?

Austin: Yes, every Saturday afternoon at Joe Schmos on Mass Street and every Monday night around midnight at The Pool Room. It’s tough playing in a band; you always have to find something to help pay the bills.

Kansas City's Roman Numerals...

Roman Numerals are one of Kansas City's favorite group of musicians.  With members running venues, booking for venues, and playing in multiple other musical groups around the city, these faces are not uncommon to the area music lovers.  Two Pandas caught up with Steve Tulipana and talked a little Numerals with him...

Two Pandas: The members of the band are parts of multiple projects in the local Kansas City scene. Which members are members of other bands?

Roman Numerals: Billy Smith plays in Olympic Size, Thee Water Moccasins, Unknown Pleasures:Joy Division Tribute, Dirt Nap and Season to Risk as well as performing and creating soundtrack's solo.
I, Steve Tulipana also play in Thee Water Moccasins, Unknown Pleasures and Season to Risk
Shawn Sherrill plays in Unknown Pleasures
Ryan Shank plays also plays in Be/Non and Mannequin Skywalker

TP: Briefly tell us about your relationship with Anodyne Records, how it began, and the relationship now.

RN: John Hulston from Anodyne is an old friend. We recorded the first album ourselves and shopped it for awhile. John's offer was the best we got and we were happy to be part of a great local label. That said, I think he's transitioning away from the label as he recently opened Czar Bar and had a baby, so we plan to release future material independently.

TP: You’ve been up for a Pitch award more than once. You’ve had an album win Pitch.com’s Album of the Year. Who keeps the award?

RN: Not sure? We tend to drink a lot at the Pitch Awards parties and it's not just awards that go missing. Actually, I think there is one at recordBar somewhere.

TP: Steven, you also run the Record Bar meaning you’ve seen a lot of what the local music scene has to offer. What are your thoughts on the scene?

RN: I love Kansas City and it's bands. It's always in flux of course but I think we all support each other here despite genres. I think we have some great creative arty bands, awesome punk bands, good songwriters, a unique alternative jazz scene, and some decent metal too.

TP: What is your favorite venue to play in the Kansas City area? (You cannot say the Record Bar!)

RN: recordBar!!!!! Sorry, it is. Actually, it's pretty annoying to play here sometimes because it's hard to separate work from play but I am really proud of our sound system, engineers and the naturalness of the room. As long as the engineers aren't trying to blow the roof off. 2nd favorite? Ah, I don't want to play favorites. We'll play anywhere. Just played 8th Street Tap Room in Lawrence a few weeks ago and had a blast.

TP: What is on your Christmas list?

RN: Bo-tox, Propecia and Viagra. I mean Chartreuse, Gran Marnier and Veuve Clicquot

TP: You have all but one of your CDs stolen. Which CD would you wish be left behind?

RN: Einsturzende Neubauten's Haus Der Luge (I guess)

TP: It’s a popular question among many local music lovers… What is in store for Roman Numerals?

RN: We are working w/ this new company, TopSpin Media. We are utilizing their software to release digital singles coupled w/ videos and remixes. We intend for each "single" to come out every 4 to 6 weeks over the next year w/ a complete package at the end of the cycle. The plan is to use a different producer/engineer for each song. So far we've release one, "GO/NO/GO" w/o the extras as an incentive to build our email database. Dave Gaume (Stella Link) produced it. You can get it here for free www.theromannumerals.com . Soon the remix and video will be added. The 2nd single, "This Motion" was just finished w/ Eric Graves (Emotron/Esoteric). Kid Called Computer in Chicago is working on the remix as we speak. We are soliciting creative types to help w/ the video. We will release it once we have all the components. Oh yeah, and the video for the first single has been concepted by me (you'll just have to wait to see it) Studio N8 will be helping me on it. He's currently also working on the Be/Non film A Mountain of Yeses.

Blind Pilot/Laura Veirs and the Hall Of Flames/Mimicking Birds @ The Jackpot Music Hall

There is no better way to spend a Friday night in the Midwest. This of course is a matter of opinion, but I think I speak for everyone who was in attendance at the The Jackpot Saloon last Friday, November 27th. My plans of being front-and-center for the entire show vanished quickly as I walked into the venue. Rather, I fought for positioning beside the stage. It was there that, with a nice view of each musician’s left side, I parked my feet for the next few hours.


Mimicking Birds set the mood for the night. The trio is a very humble, soft spoken band making quite the unexpected entrance into the national music scene, and it was easy to tell why. Frontman Nate Lacy’s gentle voice filled the room with a very fitting aura for the holiday season. With sounds similar to Chicago folk artists Owen, the trio strummed, plucked, picked, and banged softly, diverting one head after another from the bar to the stage. Lacy’s finger picking style held a warm melody, complimented well by guitarist Tim Skellenger and drummer Aaron Hanson. The band has recently signed to Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s record label, Glacial Pace, and recorded their debut album in Brock’s home in Oregon. The album is scheduled to be released in early 2010. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

The night continued with Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames taking the stage next. With a baby on board (in her belly), Veirs and the band wooed the crowd with their timely folk ballads and their energetic alt-country jams. At one point during the show, Laura praised the crowd for their participation, (they had started an unprompted clap the previous song) jokingly noting that they had sped things up a little. The following song, bassist Eric Anderson took matters into his own hands. Playing a floor tom and cymbals during the song, he gradually sped the beat up as the song progressed, forcing Veirs (playing banjo at the time) and violist Kate O’Brien Clarke to speed up with him. The song became a talent show for the two and ended with the crowd in an uproar of cheers. They put on a fantastic performance as the crowd grew larger and larger. The newest album, “July Flame” comes out January 2010. I regret not buying one at the show.

Finishing the night off was Portland’s beloved Blind Pilot. Considering their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, was the album of the summer for me, this was a long-awaited show. The wait was worth it. They exceeded my expectations and only left me wanting more. Seeing five people climb onto a stage and play as “together” as these five musicians play may have left the other musicians in the crowd feeling discouraged and angry. After banging out the first few songs, fixing the feedback from the sound system, and setting the levels for each instrument just right, Blind Pilot left every attentive listener (which was almost everyone in what appeared to be a standing-room only venue) awestruck for the rest of the night. Whether it was lead singer/guitarist Israel Nebeker chatting with the crowd about the heat in the building or the other members playing with parts of the ceiling hanging down, they drove all feelings of nostalgia out of the room and instead filled it with relaxation and warmth. There was not much dancing. There was not much chatter. Instead, the room was struck with admiration.

-Christopher Michael/Two Pandas

Some unfortunate news...

The scheduled interview postings are obviously off.  Artists have not gottten back to us with their interviews and photos, music, etc.  As soon as we receive them, we will post them.  The Cowboy Indian Bear (www.myspace.com/cowboyindianbear) interview posting has been pushed back due to personel problems with Two Pandas.  Email us at twopandas@gmx.com with any questions, concerns, comments, or recommendations. 

Thanks.
Two Pandas

Little Brazil Interview

Little Brazil is one of Omaha, Nebraska's finest bands.  The newest member of Kansas City based record label Anodyne Records, Little Brazil's third full length album, Son, has been continuously catching listeners ears everywhere.  Climbing into the CMJ Top 50 and being "highly highly" recommended by Alternative Press Magazine, the latest album has fans on the edge of their seats and waiting for the next. 

(The following interview was conducted via email and is posted as was received.)

Two Pandas: First of all, tell us about the name.

Little Brazil: The name represents a neighborhood in New York City just off 45th street and is adjacent to Times Square. Landon first visited the area back in the early part of the decade. He said he saw the name on a street sign and it just stuck in his head. Once the project formed the name came easy. Sadly, it’s not that crazy of a story and it usually disappoints most. I would say we are all fans of the Brazilian Soccer team though. I think Oliver and Dan have some Samba skills. Those stories might work a little better in the future.

TP: You’re five years into this thing. Any regrets? Anything you would change?

LB: No. If any of us ended up changing anything we would have ever learned from our mistakes. That always ends up being some of my advice to younger musicians looking into the professional aspect of the music world; make every mistake possible. It’s the only way.

TP: You’ve just recently gotten back from tour with Weatherbox. Tell us about those guys.

LB: I’ve never considered us old guys by any means. We are all in our late 20’s and early 30’s. But those guys made us feel like we were getting ready to retire. I think the oldest member in that band was twenty three!? They are a fun talented band that re-invigorated being on the road for us. Being from California, a lot of their individual personalities definitely rubbed off each of us. I think I spent most of the tour reciting Point Break references or making Spicoli jokes to Brian the lead singer.

TP: We know Landon has been involved with a few Saddle Creek artists in the past. Is he still involved with these bands?

LB: Socially of course, but on a music level, no. Little Brazil and his solo endeavors take up the majority of his time.

TP: The infamous Saddle Creek records is based right there in Omaha. Was there ever any attention towards you guys from Saddle Creek?

LB: Not that I know of for sure. But we’re friends with the majority of the people that work for the label and we know they support and respect everything Little Brazil does.

TP: You jumped ships before releasing Son, from Mt. Fuji Records to the Kansas City based label Anodyne Records. What was the main reasoning behind the switch?

LB: I wouldn’t say there was a reason but I think we felt it was time for some type of slate change. When we set out to write Son, we never really had any label in mind. Mt. Fuji had been nothing but great for us with both of our previous releases and we are all very close with everybody at the label still. But we wanted to try something different and get away from the business aspect of labels and marketing. We took a step back and just wanted to worry about creating a record first and foremost. Once we had something we were extremely proud of we worked from there. Anodyne came about through friends and acquaintances and showed extreme interests in Little Brazil from the get go. As they say, the rest is history.

TP: Explain a typical day on tour for Little Brazil.

LB: Well, we usually rise about two hours after our wake up call. Then it’s like a zombie march for coffee while we slug each other with sleeping bags to make it into the van for a typical 6 – 8 hour drive. During the drive most catch up on the sleep we didn’t get from the night prior and dive into the DVD collection of Family Guy. We try not to stop on our way to the destination because most gas stations across the US have something that we end up regretting purchasing. We arrive at most venues late but always ready to play. And of course have a drink or seven. Control. Alt. Repeat.

TP: From our personal experiences, there is always a smelly member in a band. Who is the smelliest member in Little Brazil?

LB: I would say Landon is the most mountain man of us all. This is why we are sponsored by Febreze and Glade.

TP: Who is the most entertaining band you have come across over the last five years?

LB: The Photo Atlas. We met these young lads while on our first US tour in 2004 in Denver, CO. We not only love the music they create, which is kind of a cross between At-The-Drive-In and the Faint, but we enjoy their company and have become very close over the years. But that doesn’t mean they are the only entertaining bands we shared stages with. Bands like Tegan & Sara, the Black Kids, Har Mar Superstar, Cursive, and Ladyfinger all hold special places in our hearts.

TP: At this point, what is most essential in life: a beer, a cigarette, your favorite Queen album, or your bicycle?

LB: I figure all are a necessity if you want to enjoy your evening to the fullest. Ride your trusty old bicycle down to the local watering hole. Belly up the bar, order a beer or whatever your favorite adult beverage might be and light up a Camel Light. All you need now is to have to bartender crank the Queen records on the juke box and you can relax and attempt your best Brian May air-guitar windmill.

Check out Little Brazil at myspace.com/littlebrazil or littlebrazil.net