For aficionados of the Saddle Creek Records expanded universe, the name Neva Dinova might conjure an immediate association with Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes. In 2004, the two Omaha bands released the split EP One Jug Of Wine, Two Vessels. Coming in the wake of Neva Dinova’s self-titled debut 2002 LP, and Bright Eyes’ breakout LIFTED album from that same year, the project not only showcased top-notch songwriting by both Neva frontperson Jake Bellows as well as Oberst, it acted as a two-way street each band benefited from. For Neva Dinova, it was an entry point into their catalog for Oberst’s legions of devotees; for Bright Eyes, it solidified their ties to their hometown music scene and its non-corporate ethos, to the community they took root in.
Neva Dinova put out a couple more records before splitting in 2009; Bellows remained musically active in low-profile ways, though, and last year he re-formed his old band to tour with Nebraska emo icons Cursive for the 20th anniversary of their album Domestica; here in Philly, they also played a late December headlining show at Johnny Brenda’s. The unexpected return of Neva Dinova continued this fall, when they announced a short North American run at mid-size venues, supporting artists with idiosyncratic names like Henry Doorly Zoo Explosion, 7:55 Saturday Radical Stage Riot Boys, and Ojos Brillantes. When Reddit detectives determined that these were all code names for Bright Eyes (in retrospect, Ojos Brillantes is pretty on the nose), fans began speculating whether the show might include a collaborative performance of One Jug Of Wine, Two Vessels. It didn’t. But what they got instead was even better.
Currently comprised of Bellows with drummer Roger Lewis, bassist Megan Siebe, and guitarist Ted Stevens, Neva Dinova used this run to show off their first album in 16 years, Canary, which released on Saddle Creek at the end of September. The album is a stunner, packed with gnarly and growling instrumentation, tender vocal melodies, and sonic callbacks to Silver Jews, Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr., Pedro The Lion, and Magnolia Electric Company. Here in Philly, where they played the Music Hall at World Cafe Live on September 16th, the night opened with the crunching riffs, hammer-on lead licks, and warm vocals of “Edge Of Something,” where Bellows and Siebe pensively harmonize about disconnection and desperation; “I can’t decide calling you up / Who’s on the line if it ain’t you?”
Neva Dinova | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
The slamming “God Damn,” another standout from the set, hits maybe even harder two months later as it seems to address the feeling of hopelessness endemic in the contemporary American condition: “God damn; everywhere I look there’s heartache and there’s nothing I can do / God damn; There’s something in the water that makes man turn into a fool.” On the dreamy wash of “Something To Lose,” Siebe and Bellows brought their sublime harmonies back to the stage, reflecting on intimacy and what happens when it begins to fray: “I never want another friend, I never want another something to lose / I never want to love again, I never want a brother.”
These songs, it goes without saying, hit just as hard on the studio recordings heard on the Canary album; it’s a somewhat rare instance where I watched a live show built of predominantly unfamiliar material and, listening to the album weeks later, I recall the songs instantly, as though they’re longtime favorites. And though the mood was mostly that of a chugging indie rock four-piece, Neva Dinova threw some curveballs, like on “Lonely Heart” where Siebe took a heartrending lead vocal while playing a MIDI synth: “You’ve got your love in your heart / And if the world comes apart / How you gonna hide your love?”
Neva Dinova | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Ultimately, one Jug Of Wine song got played that night, and it wasn’t collaborative — Neva Dinova covered “I’ll Be Your Friend,” one of Bright Eyes’ songs from the split, and Bellows dedicated it “to my friend.” It was a tasteful nod to the reason a lot of folks in the room likely first heard of the band onstage. But it also showed that the band’s primary reason for being there wasn’t to look back, but to showcase their next chapter.
Canary is out now via Saddle Creek Records, and can be ordered here. Neva Dinova heads out on a west coast headlining tour on December 10th when they’ll play Seattle, Portland, Redding, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, and San Francisco; they end the year on December 29th with a hometown headliner at Reverb in Omaha. Find their full tour dates and get tickets here and check out more photos from Neva Dinova’s World Cafe Live concert below.