LISTEN IN
ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS IS GETTING TO ACT AS A GREEN ROOM FOR TOURING ARTISTS AND PROVIDE THEM A SPACE TO RELAX BEFORE OR AFTER SHOWS.
WHEN TIME PERMITS THEY SIT DOWN AND CHAT WITH US ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE RECORDS. THESE CASUAL CHATS ARE CONDUCTED BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARE MEANT TO BE TIMELESS AND HOLD A PERMANENT SPOT IN OUR LIBRARY.
HERE'S A FEW SNIPPETS FROM FOLKS WHO'VE DROPPED BY THIS PAST YEAR.
Big Thief listens closely, sparingly, and constantly recording “Masterpiece” and “Capacity”
We got the chance to sit down with Big Thief before a show to talk about their listening habits, special albums, and how they work on their own music. In this clip, guitarist Buck Meek tells how their now-infamous song 'Masterpiece' came together quickly in the studio, with a little guidance from their engineer/producer/friend Andrew Sarlo, and a Neil Young track. The impromptu prep-work and spare, but constant listening practices turned out to be a major influence on their recording for their second record 'Capacity'. Listen in.
James Tormé gets one of the first Walkmans in England
James Tormé is a world renowned jazz vocalist. Son of the Grammy award winning composer and performer Mel Tormé and British actress Janette Scott, James grew up ‘on the lap’ of some of jazz and pop music’s greatest stars. His debut album “Love for Sale” topped jazz charts in 2011, and he has won several major international awards, including the John Lennon Songwriting Award and the Chuck Niles Jazz Music Award. He sat down with local producer Keith Rodger at the Hi-Fi House the morning after his performance at the 1200 Club in Omaha on May 6th, 2016.
Ben Jaffe understands the meaning of music through ‘A Love Supreme’, and has something in common with Patti Smith
Ben Jaffe and Clint Maedgen are cornerstones of the internationally acclaimed Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Ben is the son of Allan and Sandra Jaffe, the founders of the Preservation Hall venue in New Orleans’ French Quarter, and now serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Preservation Hall Foundation. Clint Maedgen is a wildly diverse multi-instrumentalist and performer, whose career with Preservation Hall as a saxophonist has surpassed a decade of heralded performances around the world. Clint and Ben sat down at the Hi-Fi House with bassist and sound engineer Jon Ochsner before their performance at Stir Concert Cove in Council Bluffs on May 21, 2016.
Marissa Paternoster, Stephen Sowley, and Camae Ayewa Talk Albums, Memories, and the Sounds They Want to Live In
After a show in October 2016, Camae, Marissa, and Stephen dropped in to Hi-Fi House to hang, talk records and share memories of some of their favorite artists. Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females, Stephen Sowley of Fake Limbs, and Camae Ayewa a.k.a Moor Mother are some of the hardest working touring artists on the road, and it was amazing and hilarious to have them all sit down together to chat as a group. Interviewed by Omaha's own Rebecca Lowry of All Young Girls Are Machine Guns. Listen In!
Bob Mould discovers the value of music in used jukebox singles, is always inspired by ‘Revolver’
Bob Mould is one of the founding members of the majorly influential Minneapolis punk group Hüsker Dü. His career as a songwriter, producer, musician and Dj has spanned four decades and dozens of projects, including 13+ widely acclaimed solo albums such as 1989’s ‘Workbook’, 1998’s ‘The Last Dog and Pony Show’, ‘Long Playing Grooves’ released under his anagram alias LoudBomb in 2002, and in recent years, the indie chart-topping releases ‘Silver Age’, ‘Beauty & Ruin’, and ‘Patch the Sky’ via Merge Records. He has also contributed songs and efforts to a wide range of benefit concerts and fundraisers, including co-organizing the WEDRock benefit efforts in the early 2000’s raising support the legalization of same-sex marriage. Bob sat down with Omaha songwriter and producer Dereck Higgins for a conversation before his September 9th, 2016 concert at the Slowdown.
Marisa Dabice and Sadie Dupuis on “timeless” album ‘Back to Black’ and finding Amy Winehouse
Marisa Dabice is the lead vocalist and co-songwriter for the Philadelphia based band Mannequin Pussy - an emotional, genre bending, and tirelessly touring punk and noise-rock outfit. Sadie Dupuis is a multi-instrumentalist widely known for fronting the Massachusetts based alt-rock band Speedy Ortiz. Her late 2016 solo project SAD13 sought to create songs which “put affirmative consent at the heart of the subject matter and emphasize friendship among women and try to deescalate the toxic jealousy and ownership that are often centered in romantic pop songs.” Marisa and Sadie sat down with local activist and drummer Andrea Kszystyniak before their show at Milk Run in Omaha, November 25th, 2016.