Bright Eyes (band)
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Bright Eyes is an indie rock band fronted by Conor Oberst, an American singer-songwriter from Nebraska. Bright Eyes is often classified as emo, indie rock, or even glum rock, although some people disagree with that label, including Oberst himself, who has referred to his music as folk.
Bright Eyes currently resides on the Saddle Creek record label, an Omaha-based label that is home to bands including Cursive, The Faint, and Now It's Overhead. The name "Bright Eyes" came from a film Oberst was watching, where the male protagonist affectionately used the term to describe the female protagonist.
Conor Oberst is the only constant member of Bright Eyes; other musicians in the band change frequently. Oberst's vocal style and lyrics often have a desperate edge: he frequently sounds like he's on the verge of crying, or of having a nervous breakdown.
Oberst has stated that his lyrics do not necessarily reflect his personal experience, and are often similar to short stories. "Padraic My Prince," for example, tells of a mother drowning the narrator's brother in a bathtub, an event Oberst has stated is fictional. In interviews, Oberst has explained such situations are often required to achieve the emotive extremes he seeks.
Oberst has served in many bands since the age of 13, and currently is also the lead singer of Desaparecidos. Although there are some parallels between Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes, the lyrics of Desaparecidos tend to reflect more on society rather than individuals, and the music fits more to punk rock than folk.
During the 2004 election season, Bright Eyes toured with Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. on the MoveOn.org "Vote for Change" tour, further pushing him into the public eye. On May 5, 2005 Bright Eyes appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed his protest song "When the President Talks to God", a scathing rebuke of the Bush administration.
In early November, 2004, two Bright Eyes singles, "Lua" and "Take it Easy (Love Nothing)", reached the two top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales, a remarkable feat for a musician on an independent label. This was the first time this has happened on the list in seven years. As of January 2005, Oberst is on the verge of an international mainstream breakthrough.
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Samples
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- Download sample of "The Calendar Hung Itself" from Fevers and Mirrors
- Free MP3 Downloads of this artist are available at Saddle Creek's Bright Eyes Download (http://www.saddlecreekrecords.com/bands/brighteyes/downloads.html) page.
Discography
Albums
- Letting Off the Happiness (1998 · Saddle Creek Records)
- Fevers and Mirrors (2000 · Saddle Creek Records)
- A Collection of Songs: Recorded 1995-1997 (2000)
- Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002 · Saddle Creek Records)
- Vinyl Box Set (7 LP's) (2003) This collection contains Oberst's first five releases plus bonus material.
- Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (2005 · Saddle Creek Records)
- I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005 · Saddle Creek Records)
EPs / singles
- Every Day and Every Night EP (1999)
- Don't Be Frightened Of Turning The Page (2001)
- Oh Holy Fools: The Music of Son, Ambulance & Bright Eyes (2001)
- Drunk Kid Catholic CDS (2001)
- There Is No Beginning To The Story EP (2002)
- Lover I Don't Have To Love CDS (2002)
- Take It Easy (Love Nothing) CDS (2004) from Digital Ash in A Digital Urn
- Lua CDS (2004) from I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
- First Day of My Life CDS (2005) #37 UK
External links
- Saddle Creek (http://www.saddle-creek.com/) · Record label responsible for releasing a significant amount of albums by the band.
- Saddle Creek Records · Bright Eyes (http://www.saddle-creek.com/bands/brighteyes) · A Bright Eyes webpage, ran by Saddle Creek Records. Bright Eyes currently does not have an official website independent of the Saddle Creek Records website.de:Bright Eyes