Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News Karl Walter, Getty Conor Oberst , Bright Eyes ' central figure and master of warbled, drowning pain-poetry and cracking folked up tunes brought his intricate presence to the marvelous Carnegie Hall stage last night. Carnegie is one of those spaces that exists as sacred ground within the minds of many music-loving Americans, a holy space reserved for truly righteous musicians. I couldn't really afford concerts at [...]
The tale of the new Conor Oberst is a great example of how upside-down the music industry is right now. Maybe the issues are a good thing...or just another of example of its descent into self-destruction. This B-side/alternative track collection came out in May. I just discovered its release this weekend. I discovered it at (of all things) a record store. I saw the vinyl...thinking it

photo from @bosconcertphoto It is with great pleasure that I'm finally getting this out to you. This year's Newport Folk Festival feels as though it was designed for me. With tons of artists that have graced this website I couldn't be more excited for this years festival. So without further ado here's my mixtape for this year's fest! Sara Watkins - Long Hot Summer Days Deer Tick - Miss K. Spirit Family Reunion - When My Name [...]

Em 2011, Conor Oberst focou toda a sua energia na sua banda mais conhecida, o Bright Eyes , que lançou um grande disco no último ano, The People's Key . Tudo indica que em 2012, Oberst pretende seguir um caminho diferente. Se há alguns dias você conferiu uma pequena performance solo do compositor , agora Conor retomou seu projeto com a Mystic Valley Band para um novo lançamento: um DVD contendo o documentário One of my kind , liberado gratuitamente na internet em 2009, e um CD adjacente, [...]

Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band have announced a new CD/DVD release entitled One Of My Kind . The CD/LP package will include 11 outtakes from the recording sessions of 20092s Outer South as well as the DVD version of the previously released documentary of the same name. I'm crossing my fingers these are proper studio recordings, because if we're lucky enough to get a studio recording of the title track, that alone is worth the pre order price. The release is slated to drop May 15th via Team [...]

Thanks to my father's determination to visit all 50 US states in his lifetime, we've just returned from a short vacation, and as is our practice here at Cover Lay Down, that means a feature with a regional focus. Previous Vacation Coverfolk sets took us to California , the Carolinas , Memphis , and more; this week found us in Nebraska, and so we turn to the work of a particularly influential musician with a decidedly midwestern origin. Ladies and Gentlemen: Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes . [...]

I'm not sure why, but I'm more stoked on this month's mix than usual. A lot of good music has fallen into my lap recently. Whether it be new stuff or unearthed forgotten favorites, summer always seems to be one of the most exciting times to run things here. Enjoy! 01// parenthetical girls - the pornographer 02// the ghost of a thousand - moved as mountains, dreamt of by the sea 03// the wonder years - woke up older 04// hawkboy [...]

As we've just passed the halfway point of the first month of 2011, it's time to finally put a moratorium on looking back at last year's action-packed, 52-week span, and start looking forward to what's ahead for 2011. A quick glance at what's coming out in the next 11 and a half months, should get any music fan drooling, so we've decided to dedicate this week's B List to some acts that we expect big things from this year. Who: The Decemberists [...]
This song off of Outer South is actually written and sung by the drummer of the Mystic Valley Band Jason Boesel, who was touring with Rilo Kiley when they opened up for Bright Eyes and he and Oberst struck up a friendship that led to him joining the band.

It's good to get a new track from Bright Eyes. Mr. Conor Oberst, the head honcho behind the band, has been a busy man... he took some time off from Bright Eyes to work on other projects like, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Monsters of Folk, but the cows have got to come home and now he's set to release a new album in 2011 with Bright Eyes. Check out the album cover there on the right... don't touch it, though! It looks like it's on fire!!!! The People's Key is [...]

Fall is still making us all melancholic here in Montreal as its dead colorful leaves are covering the grass and its naked trees are slowly starting to appear. I have the feeling that everything is falling around us and I take refuge in some old songs that make this feeling even stronger. I will share these songs with you guys. Some are old and some are new, but I love every single one of them. Hope you can enjoy this playlist as much as I do. Temazcal - Monsters of [...]
After the release of Cassadaga in 2007, prolific singer-songwriter Conor Obert decided to put his Bright Eyes moniker on hold recording and releasing two albums under his own name with the Mystic Valley Band, as well as joining forces with Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis to form the Monster Of Folk . Oberst is looking like he is now ready to revive Bright Eyes, which will likely be the last time, after telling Rolling Stone last year that he had plans to make one last album before retiring the [...]
Every year in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, there is a music festival that brings together hundreds of thousands of people and is a proven success - and it's not Outside Lands. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the name, and the free three-day fest is in its 10th year. And judging by the lineup that dropped last night, this may be one of its best years. The names that stand out are frankly shocking gets for a free and ticketless festival: Joan Baez, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, and the Godmother of Punk herself, Patti Smith. Other [...]

Check out my photos of Rage Against The Machine and Conor Oberst at the Hollywood Palladium over at OC Weekly . My review is also over at OC Weekly .

With the list of musicians taking a stand against Arizona's recently passed controversial immigration law SB 1070 by participating in The Sound Strike growing, two of the more vocal opponents of this controversial legislation will team up for a benefit concert to take place in L.A. On July 23, Rage Against The Machine, who are no strangers to these type things, will join up with Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band to play the Hollywood Palladium. Proceeds from the benefit show [...]
Just two weeks after Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha teased the possibility of his band playing a US date in protest of the recently passed Arizona immigration bill, he has made it official. On July 23rd, the acclaimed rock outfit will team up with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band for a massive benefit concert at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. The concert will mark Rage's first US date in nearly two years and first proper Los Angeles show in a decade. Of course, it isn't too often Rage [...]
It's going to be a good Spring if you're a fan of the music of John Prine as you'll be able to enjoy the legendary singer-songwriters music in two very different releases via his Oh Boy Records label. First up, on May 25, the live album In Person & On Stage - which was culled from Prine's tours from the last few years and features cameos from Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter and Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins - will be released. Then, on June 22, Prine will get the tribute treatment with the [...]
Given that 2010 looks to be the year of the tribute album, it seems only appropriate that one of America's most acclaimed singer/songwriters will be getting his own this summer. On June 22nd, Oh Boy Records will pay homage to John Prine with the release of Broken Hearts And Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine . The 12-track features cover versions of Prine's song by a slew of musical heavweights, including My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band, Drive-By Truckers, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Josh Ritter, The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, Lambchop, and Justin [...]

"I think some of you are too familiar with some of these songs," James Mercer said with a knowing smile, acknowledging the packed room at the Bootleg Theater on Friday night. Imagine that. In the day when music seems to be teleported straight from the studio mixing console to fans' iPods, fans are singing along to songs before they're even released. Truth be told, however, the crowd for the surprise live debut of Broken Bells — the buzzed-about collaboration between Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) and the Shins' Mercer — [...]

Hi, do you know Conor Oberst? Of course you do. You first knew him as Bright Eyes. What, I don't know if you liked Bright Eyes; you never told me. I can't keep track of everything you say you liked. I'm just here to share, baby. Sometimes I don't even remember what I wrote last month. (Which wasn't much, actually, so I guess I have an excuse there.) He did a little bit of this before Bright Eyes and a little bit of [...]