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Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes's Genre:

Indie Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Folk

Biography

Although many musicians joined the band's rotating lineup, Bright Eyes was primarily the songwriting vehicle of Conor Oberst, a quivery-voiced Nebraska native who first attracted attention in 1994 -- when he was only 14 years old -- as the singer and guitarist for Commander Venus. Oberst proved to be a prolific musician, joining multiple bands (including Commander Venus, the Magentas, Park Ave., and Desaparecidos) while also co-founding Saddle Creek, an influential label that helped broadcast "the Omaha Sound" to a national audience. Nonetheless, he devoted most of his time to Bright Eyes, whose albums encompassed everything from folk to indie rock to electronica. Oberst eventually shifted his focus to the Mystic Valley Band in 2008, fueling rumors that he'd shelved the Bright Eyes project after ten years of activity.

Oberst had barely entered high school when he formed Commander Venus. Nonetheless, the teenager was a quick songwriter, and he soon amassed a number of songs that didn't gel with the rest of Commander Venus' catalog, 20 of which were compiled and released in 1998 as A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, a solo record that doubled as Oberst's first release under the Bright Eyes moniker. Letting Off the Happiness followed several months later, featuring contributions from members of Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, and Tilly and the Wall. The album also marked the first collaboration between Oberst and producer/instrumentalist Mike Mogis, who would play an integral role in Bright Eyes' success going forward.

As Conor Oberst graduated from teenaged life to adulthood, his productivity increased. Bright Eyes' third release, Every Day and Every Night, appeared in 1999, followed by Fevers and Mirrors in 2000 and Oh Holy Fools in 2001. The Bright Eyes sound had expanded by this point, with Oberst finding room for flute, piano, and accordion in the band's music. The frontman also found room to pursue alternate projects, and he dedicated some time to Desaparecidos before returning to the studio with Mike Mogis in 2002. Lifted or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground was released that summer and proved to be Bright Eyes' breakthrough album, with Rolling Stone deeming it one of the year's best.

Bright Eyes released several EPs in 2004 -- including Home, Vol. 4, a collaboration with Spoon's Britt Daniel -- and rang in the following year with a pair of albums released on the same day: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (whose accompanying tour produced the Motion Sickness: Live Recordings disc) and the electronic-slanted Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, both of which cracked the Top 20 in America. Hailed by some critics as the next Dylan, Oberst supported the releases with a round of festival appearances and international shows before returning to the studio once more. Recorded in L.A., Chicago, New York, Omaha, and Portland, the follow-up effort Cassadaga was released in the spring of 2007, preceded by the Four Winds EP earlier that spring. Both releases featured full instrumentation -- including pedal steel, Dobro, xylophone, and orchestral swells -- making them some of Bright Eyes' most developed works to date.

Cassadaga debuted at number four in America and number 13 in the U.K., marking Bright Eyes' highest peak on either chart. Even so, Oberst followed such success by decamping to rural Mexico to work on his first solo effort in years. Recorded in a makeshift studio with a cast of musicians dubbed the Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst arrived in 2008. The project soon evolved from a solo effort into a full-band affair, and the Mystic Valley Band returned in 2009 with Outer South, an album that included songs written and sung by several of Oberst's bandmates. Bright Eyes returned in 2011 with People's Key, which was recorded in Omaha and produced by Mogis and Andy LeMaster. ~ Andrew Leahey

AOL Radio Stations Bright Eyes is Featured on (27)

Royal Teeth Showcase

This is the Royal Teeth Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band including music that is hand-picked by Joshua, Gary, Nora, Josh, Stevie, and Andrew as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and lives.

Bob Dylan Tribute

Slacker curator and nationally recognized Oldies expert Ron Smith is your host on this station as we pay tribute to Bob Dylan. You'll hear Dylan classics, collaborations, and songs from artists that he was influenced by and artists that he directly inspired. You'll also hear covers of Bob Dylan's songs by artists from across the musical spectrum.

The Parlotones Showcase

This is The Parlotones Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of The Parlotones including music hand-picked by the Kahn, Neil, Glenn and Paul as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Animal Kingdom Showcase

This is the Animal Kingdom Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Animal Kingdom including music hand-picked by Richard, Hamish, and Geoff as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

The Silent Comedy Showcase

This is The Silent Comedy Artist Showcase station on Slacker. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band including music hand-picked by Joshua, Jeremiah, Justin and Chad as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and life.

Indie Halloween

It’s often hard to tell the difference between costumed Halloween revelers and sullen hipsters. For this reason, Halloween is the most indie-rock holiday of the year. On this station, you’ll hear Indie artists singing about blood, death, bones, ghosts, pumpkins, and other loosely-related Halloween topics.

AFI Showcase

This is Radio AFI. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band members of AFI including music hand-picked by Davey, Adam, Jade and Hunter as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

The White Buffalo Showcase

This is The White Buffalo Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by The White Buffalo including music that he hand-picked as well as commentary about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

Adult Chill

We know you. You've got a million things on your mind, from kids to bills and back. When it's time to chill, we also know that you're looking for a laid-back, eclectic mix that matches your CD collection. Adult Chill is for you, offering a soothing blend of singer-songwriters, melodic electronic, and all flavors and eras of rock. Norah Jones meets Moby meets acoustic Led Zep. Chill like a grown-up. You deserve it.

Indie Chill

Indie Chill on Slacker Radio is the relaxation station of your indie dreams. Whether it's your soundtrack at work, an evening with friends or your indie lullaby, unwind to the soothing sounds of Iron & Wine, José González, Alexi Murdoch, Ray LaMontagne, Cat Power and more.

Family of the Year Showcase

This is the Family of the Year Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Family of the Year including music hand-picked by the band as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Indie Sleepover

This station features love songs for hipsters. Awkward glances, relationships founded over a shared love of the same band, and nights spent making out to Neutral Milk Hotel. If you think Valentine’s Day’s earlier records are better- this is the station for you. Featuring tracks from The Magnetic Fields, The Postal Service, Little Dragon, The Smiths, and more.

Eclectic Holiday

Sometimes the holidays aren't all chestnuts and tinsel. That's why Eclectic Holiday on Slacker Radio showcases the best in non-traditional, left-of-center and unheard songs that celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!

Indie Coffee House

Indie 500

After much debate and consideration, Your Slacker curators have come up with the top 500 indie songs of all time. Slacker’s Indie 500 is actually a showcase of the greatest songs from many different sub-genres, all unified by a common spirit and ethos. Call it College Rock, Post-Punk, Pre-Emo, Indie Rock, Twee Pop, Indietronica, Riot Grrl; call it whatever you like. Just know that all the songs on this station were created with the same independent spirit. Hear indie hits spanning from the late 70's up until now.

Alt. Country

Alt. Country on Slacker Radio walks the crossroads where country and rock meet. Country fans looking for great music off the mainstream path and rock fans who can handle some twang and the cry of a steel guitar should feel at home. You'll hear everything from the original outlaws like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash through the 70's revival of the Flying Burrito Brothers and John Prine, right up to the current torchbearers including Lucero and the Drive-By Truckers."

Matt Nathanson Showcase

This is the Matt Nathanson Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Matt including music that he hand-picked as well as commentary about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

The Current

The Current brings you the best authentic new music alongside the music that inspired it, from unique to universal, indie to influential, new to nostalgic. Broadcasting from the musical hotbed that is Minnesota, listen to The Current and you’ll see why we say, “Great Music Lives Here.” Find playlist, interviews and more at thecurrent.org.

Metropolitan Mood

Metropolitan Mood music on Slacker Radio is the provocative soundtrack to seduction and love. It’s not so much about the lyrics, as it is the sound and tempo of this mood music. It’s the sound of a big-city love affair. Featuring exotic electronica, downtempo beats and retro-futuristic sounds from the likes of Morcheeba, Portishead, and Massive Attack. Let Metropolitan Mood Music on Slacker Radio provide the uninterrupted soundtrack to a night of uninterrupted passion. Recommended for lovers of Chill and Alt-Chill on Slacker Radio.

Eclectic Rock

Eclectic Rock on Slacker Radio showcases music from across the spectrum of smart and sophisticated songwriting. Whether you seek to be inspired by the classics or discover promising new artists, Eclectic Rock offers the best of both worlds.

Coffee House

Slacker’s Coffee House station recreates the mellow, relaxing experience you seek when stopping into your neighborhood coffeehouse. Whether you seek a quick pick-me-up via your daily tall soy mocha latte, or you’re looking to make use of the free wi-fi and get some work done in a cozy environment—this station features the warm, acoustic songs and singer-songwriters that make you feel like you've got a home away from home. You can almost smell the java…this is Coffee House on Slacker.

Rock The Halls

Get the edgier side of holiday music with a great mix of holiday favorites from Rock, Alternative and Indie artists. Hear a wide range of holiday tunes from Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, U2, Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens and many more.

Alternative Chill

Alternative Chill on Slacker Radio is the ultimate "Easy Listening for Hipsters." The station is a hybrid of Electronic Chill artists, singer/songwriters and Indie rock songs that dip into the ethereal. You can expect to hear Jeff Buckley, Thievery Corporation, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Nada Surf, Massive Attack, Air, Nick Drake, Portishead, Everything But the Girl and even some surprises like Billie Holiday or Pink Floyd! It's the perfect station to kick back and unwind, so, open a bottle of wine, light some candles and relax.

Adult Alternative

Adult Alternative on Slacker has all the good stuff without the angst-ridden teens and their complicated haircuts. You’ll hear cutting-edge artists like Gotye, The Lumineers, and The Head & The Heart as well as established artists like Dave Matthews, Arcade Fire, U2, R.E.M., the Black Keys, and Talking Heads. If you’ve graduated from keg stands to craft beer, this is the soundtrack to your next party.

Alternative

Alternative on Slacker plays the latest music from today's hottest Alternative and Indie artists. You'll hear music from today's Alt. leaders as well as Indie artists that are breaking new ground and redefining the genre.

Indie

Indie on Slacker Radio is actually a showcase of many different genres, all unified by a common spirit and ethos. Call it College Rock, Post-Punk, Pre-Emo, Indie Rock, Twee Pop, Riot Grrl; call it whatever you like. Just know that all the music on the Indie station is created with the same independent spirit. Hear indie music spanning from the late 70's up until now.

Bright Eyes

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service, The Shins, Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, MGMT, Vampire Weekend and more.

All Stations

Bright Eyes's Selected Discography (22)

Fevers and Mirrors

2000 Saddle Creek200012 Songs

Artists Related to Bright Eyes (50)

	Death Cab For Cutie	Death Cab for Cutie's rise from small-time solo project to Grammy-nominated rock band is one of indie rock's greatest success stories.
	The Postal Service	Named for the courier service that allowed them to trade song ideas while living in different locales, the Postal Service were a short-lived supergroup featuring Jimmy Tamborello (leader of the electronica bands Dntel and Figurine) and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard.
	The Shins	A classic guitar pop group almost nine years in the making, Albuquerque, New Mexico's the Shins began in 1997 as the side project of singer/songwriter and guitarist James Mercer's primary band, Flake.
	Modest Mouse	Modest Mouse were one of the most surprising commercial success stories of the new millennium -- while their music was by turns taut and elliptical, and the lyrics sometimes cryptic and introspective, the band broke through to the mainstream audience with the platinum-selling Good News for People Who Love Bad News, and they became genuine rock stars at a time when their musical peers remained cult figures.
	The Decemberists	Led by Montana native Colin Meloy, the Decemberists craft theatrical, hyper-literate pop songs that draw heavily from late-'60s British folk acts like Fairport Convention and Pentangle and the early-'80s college rock grandeur of the Waterboys and R.
	Iron & Wine	Singer/songwriter Samuel Beam, who rose to prominence with a blend of whispered vocals and softly homespun indie folk, chose the moniker Iron & Wine after coming across a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron & Wine" while working on a film.
	Band of Horses	Emerging in 2004 with a blend of woodsy midtempo rock and reverb-laden vocals, Band of Horses gained an audience in their native Northwest before Everything All the Time made them indie rock darlings.
	Arcade Fire	A combination of indie rock muscle and theatrical, unapologetic bombast turned Arcade Fire into indie royalty in the early 2000s.
	MGMT	Finding an unlikely middle point between Suicide's hostile, proto-electro punk art noise and the sardonic, pop-friendly sound of the Flaming Lips, MGMT started as electroclash musical terrorists but quickly grew into an eclectic, brainy pop group with psychedelic overtones.
	Vampire Weekend	Describing their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto," New York City's Vampire Weekend mix preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms.
	Bon Iver	Justin Vernon began recording under the nom de band Bon Iver following the breakup of DeYarmond Edison, an indie folk group similar in tone and manner to Iron & Wine, Little Wings, and -- to a certain extent -- Bonnie "Prince" Billy.
	Yeah Yeah Yeahs	Discovered in the wake of the Strokes' popularity and the subsequent garage rock revival, New York's art punk trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are comprised of singer Karen O, guitarist Nicolas Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase.
	Radiohead	Radiohead were one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena rock that characterized U2's early albums.
	Cold War Kids	Long Beach, California's Cold War Kids make music with roots that go deep and wide, embracing influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley, and the Velvet Underground.
	The Strokes	Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon and the street-smart attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the Strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype -- particularly from the U.
	My Morning Jacket	Starting in the late ‘90s and throughout the 2000s and 2010s, My Morning Jacket expanded on their rock and country roots, embracing everything from neo-psychedelia to funk, prog, and reggae in their sonic experimentation.
	The Flaming Lips	Even within the eclectic world of alternative rock, few bands were so brave, so frequently brilliant, and so deliciously weird as the Flaming Lips.
	Arctic Monkeys	By distilling the sounds of Franz Ferdinand, the Clash, the Strokes, and the Libertines into a hybrid of swaggering indie rock and danceable neo-punk, Arctic Monkeys became one of the U.
	The Black Keys	It’s too facile to call the Black Keys counterparts of the White Stripes: they share several surface similarities -- their names are color-coded, they hail from the Midwest, they’re guitar-and-drum blues-rock duos -- but the Black Keys are their own distinct thing, a tougher, rougher rock band with a purist streak that never surfaces in the Stripes.
	Fleet Foxes	Seattle's Fleet Foxes are led by vocalist/guitarist Robin Pecknold, who fashioned his band's earthy, harmony-rich sound in honor of such perennial '60s artists as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Zombies, and the Beach Boys.
	Tegan and Sara	Folk-rock duo Tegan and Sara first burst onto the Canadian music scene in 1998, when they earned the highest score in history at Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition; their quick rise didn't stop, for their melodic acoustics and charming stage personas led to a slew of dates with Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair that same year and a record deal with Neil Young's Vapor Records in April 2000.
	Spoon	With their heady blend of precision punk and serpentine classic rock (the band has drawn comparisons to everyone from the Pixies and Sonic Youth to Elvis Costello and Tom Petty), enigmatic, Texas-based indie pop outfit Spoon went from underground press darlings to one of the genre’s premier commercially and critically acclaimed alternative rock acts.
	Feist	Leslie Feist -- best known simply as Feist -- was a respected member of the Canadian alternative music community before becoming an international pop sensation with the success for her albums Let It Die and The Reminder.
	The White Stripes	The White Stripes formed on Bastille Day in 1997, aiming to create simple, vigorous rock & roll with little more than Meg White's percussion and Jack White's guitar-and-vocal attack.
	Interpol	Although formed during the late '90s, Interpol rose to international attention in 2002 as part of New York City's post-punk revival.
	The Raconteurs	A self-described "new band made up of old friends," the Raconteurs feature the White Stripes' Jack White and power pop maestro Brendan Benson on vocals, keyboards, and guitars, and the Greenhornes' drummer Patrick Keeler and bassist Jack Lawrence as the group's rhythm section.
	Silversun Pickups	Brian Aubert (guitar/vocals), Nikki Monninger (bass), Christopher Guanlao (drums), and Joe Lester (keyboards) comprise the swarthy indie rock stylings of Silversun Pickups.
	Mumford & Sons	Inspired by folk, rock, country, and bluegrass, the London-based Mumford & Sons feature singer/guitarist/drummer Marcus Mumford, vocalist and banjo/Dobro player Winston Marshall, vocalist/keyboardist Ben Lovett, and vocalist/bassist Ted Dwane.
	Florence + The Machine	Hailing from South London, Florence Mary Leontine Welch writes songs that occupy the same confessional territory as gossip-loving, genre-bending contemporaries like Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, Adele, and Lily Allen and the moody, classic art rock of Kate Bush, blending pop, soul, and baroque arrangements into a sound that earned the young artist considerable buzz in 2007.
	Passion Pit	The Boston, Massachusetts-based Passion Pit began as a one-man project of singer and songwriter Michael Angelakos to produce a Valentine's Day gift for his girlfriend.
	Phoenix	The French group Phoenix draw elements from their eclectic '80s upbringing to arrive at a satisfying blend of rock and synthesizers.
	The Killers	Few bands in the early 2000s rose so quickly to the forefront of pop music as the Killers. With a mix of '80s-styled synth pop and fashionista charm, the band's street-smart debut, Hot Fuss, became one of 2004's biggest releases, spawning four singles and catapulting the group -- particularly their dandyish, 22-year-old frontman, Brandon Flowers -- into the international spotlight.
	Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros	Formed in 2007 by Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert after a brief period of existential crisis, the cultish 11-piece indie rock outfit Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros draw their inspiration from the communal musical communities that peppered Southern California (specifically Laurel Canyon) with positive vibrations during the '60s and early '70s.
	Peter Bjorn and John	Peter Bjorn and John formed in 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, comprised of members Peter Morén on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Björn Yttling on vocals, bass, and keyboards; and John Eriksson on drums, percussion, and vocals.
	Pixies	Combining jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, intertwining male-female harmonies and evocative, cryptic lyrics, the Pixies were one of the most influential American alternative rock bands of the late '80s.
	Franz Ferdinand	Glasgow's art-damaged rock quartet Franz Ferdinand -- named for the Austro-Hungarian Archduke whose murder sparked World War I -- feature bassist Bob Hardy, guitarist Nick McCarthy, drummer Paul Thomson, and singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos.
	Metric	Metric are a band with an eclectic, adventurous outlook, whose music encompasses elements of synth pop, new wave, dance-rock, and electronica and whose hometown has vacillated between Toronto, Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, and London over the course of the group's existence.
	Manchester Orchestra	As led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Andy Hull, the maturity of Manchester Orchestra's songwriting belied the fact that the bandmembers were barely legal when their group sprung into existence.
	The xx	Atmospheric English indie pop group the xx formed in London in 2008 around the talents of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Baria Qureshi, and Jamie Smith, when the bandmembers were still in high school.
	TV On The Radio	The Brooklyn-based group TV on the Radio mix post-punk, electronic, and other atmospheric elements in such a creative way that it only makes sense that their core duo, vocalist Tunde Adebimpe and multi-instrumentalist/producer David Andrew Sitek, are both visual artists as well as musicians.
	Matt & Kim	Keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino create the giddy, punky pop music of Matt and Kim.
	Wilco	Wilco rose from the ashes of the seminal roots rock band Uncle Tupelo, which disbanded in 1994. While Jay Farrar, one of the group's two singer/songwriters, went on to form Son Volt, his ex-partner Jeff Tweedy established Wilco along with the remaining members of Tupelo's final incarnation, which included drummer Ken Coomer as well as part-time bandmates John Stirratt (bass) and Max Johnston (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and lap steel).
	OK Go	OK Go didn't find an audience until 2005, when the band began creating homemade music videos to support their combination of off-kilter guitars, Pixies/Cars fetishism, and straightforward power pop sensibilities.
	Bloc Party	Equally inspired by Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Gang of Four, and the Cure, East London art punkers Bloc Party mix angular sonics with pop structures.
	The Kooks	Luke Pritchard (vocals/guitar), Hugh Harris (guitar), Max Rafferty (bass), and Paul Garred (drums) generate the rubbishy garage rock sounds of the Kooks.
	Foster the People	Indie rock trio Foster the People make atmospheric, psychedelic, and dance-oriented pop. Formed in Los Angeles in 2009, the band features keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Mark Foster, bassist Cubbie Fink, and drummer Mark Pontius.
	Cage the Elephant	Although chart success in England was an unlikely first step to fame for a band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, mainstream rock band Cage the Elephant achieved just that.
	Muse	Muse's fusion of progressive rock, glam, electronica, and Radiohead-influenced experimentation is crafted by guitarist/vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard.
	The Bravery	Formed during the height of New York City's post-punk revival in 2003, the Bravery took equal influence from dance music and stylish indie rock.
	The National	Although formed during the post-punk revival of the late '90s, the National took inspiration from a wider set of influences, including country-rock, Americana, indie rock, and Brit-pop.