By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

The irony of pitching a song with lush melodies to commercial radio stations about the lack of quality radio programming isn't lost on The Nadas' lead singer Jason Walsmith. In fact, Walsmith admits, he blushed a little when he discovered that STAR 102.5 in Des Moines, the pop-rock station that has hyped the band for years but he says has never actually played their music, elected to spin the title track to the band's seventh and newest CD, "Listen Through the Static."

"We're not trying to jab them," Walsmith says. "The station has been very supportive of us over the years and they took a risk when they went away from their normal programming to play it. But the song is about how there's still an independent voice out there, even if it's harder to find on the air."

Walsmith says the song wasn't the result of the band's frustration with a lack of airplay from its previous release, 2003's "Transceiver," a slicker, radio-friendly album they made specifically to crack the airwaves in hopes of landing a deal with a major record label. Instead, he says, the title track and songs like "The Deal," "Templeton Rye" and "I Didn't See You Standing There" reflect the struggles of their DIY approach to managing their own career and operating their own record company, Authentic Records. The new album even features pictures of radio equipment and albums from KFMG 103, the defunct independent radio station that championed independent artists during the '90s.

"It's really a reflection of our whole career," Walsmith says. "The face of radio has changed. The frustration is that radio is key to accessing your audience. We can play three shows a night every night of the week, but we can only reach a handful of people. All I ask for as an artist is to get my music in front of people."

The other irony associated with "Listen Through the Static," is that it is The Nadas' most mature, honest and cohesive effort to date, one which wasn't made with radio in mind, and might finally garner them the kind of commercial acclaim they've been seeking for 12 years. It's a bit of a surprising detour from their previous six releases in that its instrumentation leans more toward rock than pop and it incorporates shades of country and other roots forms of music. It also marks the first time Walsmith and guitarist-singer Mike Butterworth share songwriting credentials for every track. Even Walsmith admits it's the group's strongest studio effort to date.

"I like it the best," he says. "It's where we're at in life. Maybe it's a sign of our age, because it was easier to make than the previous ones."

Walsmith also credits the album's producers Todd and Toby Pipes, of the pop-rock group Deep Blue Something, for encouraging them to make the album, which was also mixed by Grammy-winning Stuart Sikes (The White Stripes, Loretta Lynn).

"They're awesome and they're great friends," he says. "The environment they create is magical."

Walsmith says he hopes the seasoned results found on "Listening Through the Static" will pay dividends. In the midst of a national tour that takes them from Los Angeles to New York and points in between like Minneapolis and Chicago, he says The Nadas continue to make some headway.

"So far the tour has been awesome," he says. "We've been playing good venues, getting airplay and playing some in-store shows, too. It's good. It's cool."

Scene notes

Singer-songwriter James McMurtry, son of author Larry McMurtry, returns to the Maintenance Shop in Ames Thursday at 8 p.m. in support of his first album in three years, "Childish Things." Admission is $12... Des Moines punk-rock natives Thank You Donny, who now reside in Denver, return for a show Friday at 10 p.m. Admission is $5. Sober for Sarah, which opened for the band's farewell show in January at the Mews, shares the bill... "Fast Forward: Music Meets Fashion," which features DJs and the latest looks from Des Moines' hippest boutiques and salons, will be held Friday at 9 p.m. at the House of Bricks. Local DJs Brad Goldman, DJ Oz, Don Magic Juan and Rich B will spin tunes while models from Peak Model + Talent strut their stuff up and down a runway. Admission to the all-ages event is $5 and is free to members of the Des Moines Music Coalition... Coffeehouse Productions' Salsa Saturday weekly series of dances returns this weekend to Pitcher's Lounge in the downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel after a brief hiatus. Admission is $5 before 9 p.m. and increases by $2 afterwards... As part of its "India Year Celebrations," Des Moines Area Community College will present internationally known tabla player Sandip Burman and Friends Monday at 7 p.m. in Building 6 on DMACC's Ankeny campus. Burman was a guest on Bela Fleck's latest album, "Live at the Quick," but is recognized as one of the world's foremost percussionists and will appear with his regular touring ensemble. To reserve a free ticket, call 964-6633... Seattle indie-pop band United State of Electronica is riding a wave of favorable national press by the likes of Spin, Rolling Stone and MTV thanks to its new CD, "U.S.E." and will play Monday at 9 p.m. at the Vaudeville Mews. Admission is $7... David Zollo (Trailer Records) and The Nadas' Jason Walsmith and Mike Butterworth (Authentic Records) will moderate a record label workshop at the next Des Moines Music Coalition meeting Tuesday, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The House of Bricks. The free event will include discussions on how to build, organize and market a record label, as well as how to scout talent, how to increase distribution and gain airplay. Other participating record labels and music industry folks include Zu Records, Bi-Fi Records, SR Audio, Madeline Soul, Neotone Records, Mushroom Cloud Records, Launchpad DMI Records and Soft Focus Recordings, among others... The Lift and Zzz Records are teaming up to present New Music Tuesday each week at The Lift. The listening party, which includes new music selected by John Huffman (bartender and The Autumn Project guitarist), starts at 5 p.m. each week, but will feature a new album to be played at 10 p.m. Afterwards, Zzz Records will sell copies of the album... Mark Bauerlein, former director of research for the National Endowment for the Arts and Emory University English professor, will address the issue that most college campuses have a liberal bias during a panel discussion Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room on the campus of Drake University. The discussion is free and open to the public... Norwalk native Sara Routh, a folk-rock, singer-songwriter who resides in Los Angeles, will perform Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at Java Joes Coffeehouse. Routh, whose actor brother Brandon Routh was tapped to play The Man of Steel in the upcoming Superman movie, is in town next week to be married. The 26-year-old manages a Los Angeles restaurant by day and performs original material by night at L.A. clubs... 311 and special guests Alien Ant Farm play the Val Air Ballroom Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets, $28.50, go on sale Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster and the Val Air box office... Local punk rockers North of Grand are on a 12-show, 13-day national tour promoting their stellar new album, "Attention to Revenge"... The Maintenance Shop in Ames has added two new shows to its fall lineup, including Cross Canadian Ragweed Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ($17) and Kingsbury Manx and The Standard Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ($9). Tickets are on sale now. Call (515) 294-8349... The Des Moines Metro Opera's educational touring program, OPERA Iowa, has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of its 2006 tour. The Iowa group is one of 23 opera companies from around the country that will participate in the "Great American Voices Military Base Tour: Unforgettable Melodies from Opera and Broadway." OPERA Iowa will engage in a residency at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. And in area schools to perform for families of military personnel stationed at the base. In other DMMO news, Executive Director Jerilee Mace will step down from her position after serving the organization for nearly 30 years. Mace will stay onboard until a new executive director is found. CV

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