I am seeing Bright Eyes at the Massey Hall in in less than 24 hours. It will be my first time seeing a concert there... I can’t wait as I’ve heard many great things about that venue! So anyways, this is just another excuse for me to create another A to Z list, so enjoy.
A is for
Amos House Volume II, a compilation disc released by Wishing Tree Records which features the track "Entry Way Song" by Bright Eyes.
A is also for "Amy in the White Coat", a track from the 12" version of
There is No Beginning to the Story EP.
[download: Entry Way Song]
[download: Amy in the White Coat]B is for Bright Eyes, Oberst’s current project.
B is also "Burn Rubber", a b-side from the
Take it Easy (Love Nothing) single.
[download: Burn Rubber]C is for Commander Venus, a band Oberst was in from 1995-1997. Members consisted of Tim Kasher (
Cursive/Good Life), Todd Baechle (
The Faint), and Robb Nansel (co-founder of Saddle Creek Records).
[download: Commander Venus: Do You Feel At Home?] (full album, rar. file)
D is for Desaparecidos, Oberst's side-project. They released
Read Music/Speak Spanish on Saddle Creek Records in 2002.
E is for the
Every Day and Every Night EP, released in 2000 between
Letting Off The Happiness and
Fevers and Mirrors.
F is for February 15, 1980, Oberst’s birthday.
F is also for
Fevers and Mirrors, Bright Eyes second full-length which give both the band and their label (Saddle Creek) national as well as world-wide attentions. Oberst dropped out of school shortly after the release of
Fevers and Mirrors to go on tours.
[download: Feb. 15th]
G is for "Going for the Gold" from
Oh Holy Fools split with Son, Ambulance. A live version of the song was also featured on a compilation entitled
Future Soundtrack for America released in 2004 by
Barsuk Records.
[download: Going for the Gold]
[download: Going for the Gold (live)]H is for
Home Volume IV, a split with
Spoon’s Britt Daniel. The two songs by Bright Eyes were "Spent On Rainy Days" and "Southern State".
[download: Spent On Rainy Days]
[download: Southern State]I is for
I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, one of two albums released by Bright Eyes in January 2006.
J is for "Jetsabel Removes the Undesireables", a track from the
Japanese import of
Fevers and Mirrors.
[download: Jetsabel Removes the Undesireables] K is for Tim Kasher, who was in Commander Venus with Oberst.
K is also for "Kathy with a K's Song", a song from
Oh Holy Fools split with Son, Ambulance.
[download: Kathy with a K's Song] L is for Lumberjack Records (1993-1995) (not to be confused with
Lumberjack Distribution), the label was founded by a group of friends in Nebraska including Justin Oberst, Robb Nansel, and Mike Mogis which would eventually become Saddle Creek Records in 1996.
L is also for
Letting Off The Happiness (1998), the first Bright Eyes record.
L is also for
Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground (2002), Oberst’s and Saddle Creek’s first 100K records sales.
M is for Mike Mogis, a co-founder of Saddle Creek Records. He also engineered/produced many Saddle Creek releases including albums by Bright Eyes, The Faint, Jenny Lewis, etc. He is currently a member of Bright Eyes.
N is for Nebraska (Omaha), Oberst’s birthplace.
O is for
Oh Holy Fools, a split with Son, Ambulance released in 2001.
P is for Park Ave. Oberst played drums for them from 1996-1998. Their only full-length,
When Jamie Went to London, We Broke Up, was released on Urinine Records in 1999. It was repressed by Team Love last year. Park Ave. also featured current members of Tilly and The Wall.
P is also for "Padraic My Prince", my favorite Bright Eyes song.
[download: Padraic My Prince] Q is for nothing.
R is for "Road to Joy". A song from Bright Eyes'
I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. Oberst borrowed the melodies from the forth movement of Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 9.
[download: Road to Joy]
[download: Sym. no. 9 by Beethoven (Ode to Joy)]S is for
Saddle Creek Records.
S is also for
Spend An Evening With Saddle Creek, an excellent documentary on the label.
T is for
Team Love, Oberst’s record label, an imprint of Saddle Creek.
U is for an "Untitled" track from the
Insound Tour Support EP released in 2000.
[download: Untitled]V is for
Vote For Change Tour. Bright Eyes were involved in this tour, which took place in October of 2004 and its aim was to encourage people to vote against George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential Election.
W is for
Water, Oberst’s first cassette (1993) recorded by Ted Stevens (Cursive) on a 4-track in Oberst’s parents’ house. It is also Lumberjack Records’ first release.
[download: Conor Oberst: Water] (full album, rar. file)
X is for nothing.
Y is for "You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will." from
Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground.
Z is for... I can never think of anything for Z... damnit!
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herevisit Saddle Creek
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I first heard of Less Than Jake in my first year at U of T. Although I can’t say that I am a big fan, I did enjoy Hello Rockview and Borders And Boundaries. However, I don’t remember the last time I played those records. Their new album, In With the Out Crowd came out about three weeks ago, but I have just started listening to it a few days ago. Well, at first I did not really care for it – I wasn’t even going to listen to the album, but I decided to give it a chance and I must say, it is a pretty damn good release! All the songs sound solid. Unlike other LTJ records, In With the Out Crowd features less of the ska sounds and ultimately, it is more like a pop rock record... or should I dare say... an emo-ska record. Don’t be put off loyal LTJ fans, there are still some of that pure ska elements which clearly can be heard on tracks such as "A Still Life Franchise" and "Let Her Go". I don’t know what the lasting value for In With the Out Crowd will be, but for now, I am enjoying it!
