Bright Eyes is an American indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst. It consists of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, arranger, composer and trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating line-up of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. Bright Eyes is signed to Saddle Creek Records, a Nebraska-based label founded by Justin Oberst and Mogis. In January 2020, the band announced their reunion, having signed with Dead Oceans.
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst. He quit shortly after the band was formed, though the Faint continued to share a spot with Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records.
Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993. Mogis soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel. The label is named after Saddle Creek Road, a street that cuts through the east side of midtown Omaha, and the beginnings of a scene whose members included Justin's brother Conor Oberst, Tim Kasher, and others. Collectively, they were known unofficially as the "Creekers". Saddle Creek first appeared in print on a show flyer, offering to "Spend an evening with Saddle Creek" Saddle Creek became an incorporated entity as a result of a class project on entrepreneurship. Distribution is handled by Redeye Distribution.
Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock.
The Execution of All Things is the second full-length album released by Los Angeles-based indie pop band Rilo Kiley. Expanding on their previous musical sound that mostly incorporated guitars, vocals, percussion and pianos, the album contains heavy electronica sampling mixed into the songs in a rather unusual and displaced-sounding way. Also, unlike their previous tracks which were written in very traditional manners, the lyrics to the songs on Execution are very wordy and read like prose. Musically, the record has a very sunny disposition, with bouncing bass lines and simple melodies complemented by lead singer Jenny Lewis's vocal style, but the upbeat music is generally counterpointed by the often dark and morose subject matter that the lyrics reference. The album was recorded at Saddle Creek Records in Omaha, Nebraska, and the aforementioned features show the influence of that studio's associated Omaha Sound.
Commander Venus was an American Indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Fronted by Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher, the band also included Todd Fink and Matt Bowen of The Faint, Ben Armstrong of Head of Femur and Robb Nansel, executive producer of the indie label Saddle Creek. Kasher subsequently went on to front the band Cursive, and Oberst later became famous as the core member of the indie folk collective Bright Eyes, and later the punk band Desaparecidos.
Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on 15 Passenger Records, Saddle Creek Records, and Big Scary Monsters (UK). Stylistically described as emo and post-hardcore, Cursive came to prominence with 2000's Domestica and found commercial and critical success with 2003's The Ugly Organ. The band has released eight studio albums, a compilations album, and a mix of singles and EPs since 1997.
Timothy J. Kasher is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska, and is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and The Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha-based record label Saddle Creek Records.
Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska joining the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included Bright Eyes, The Faint, Cursive and more. Azure Ray's music has often been featured in film and television including, Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, The Devil Wears Prada and more.
The Good Life is an indie rock band on Saddle Creek records.
Album of the Year is the third album by The Good Life. The limited edition release includes a second disc with an acoustic version of the album. The enhanced CD comes with footage of videos recorded February 3, 2004, at O'Leavers in Omaha, Nebraska.
Michael Riley "Mike" Mogis is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios. Mogis currently runs ARC in downtown Omaha.
Two Gallants are a guitar/drum duo from San Francisco, California. Consisting of Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel, the band formed in 2002. Two Gallants are often described as punk and blues-infused folk rock, with the band's sound developing deeper into rock and roll on later releases. The band has released five studio albums, two EPs, and several singles since 2004 as well as touring extensively.
Maria Diane Taylor is an American singer/songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She is also a member of the duo Azure Ray with Orenda Fink. Taylor plays several instruments, including the piano, guitar, and drums, and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes, Moby, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Joshua Radin, Nik Freitas and more.
Orenda Fink is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and half of the Dream pop duo Azure Ray. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Fink is also a member of O+S, Closeness, and has previously recorded or performed with Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Moby, Rilo Kiley, Now It's Overhead and more. She is married to Todd Fink of The Faint, another Saddle Creek Records band.
Novena on a Nocturn is the debut album of the band The Good Life from Omaha, Nebraska. The band is the side project of Tim Kasher, lead singer of Cursive. It was released on Better Looking Records in 2000.
Burst and Bloom is an EP by American indie rock band Cursive, released in 2001 on Saddle Creek Records. It is the band's first release with cellist Gretta Cohn. Some lyrics in the song "Sink To The Beat" reference the song-writing process and their record label. This theme would carry over to Cursive's next full length, The Ugly Organ, which again contained songs referencing the song writing process.
Saddle Creek 50 is a compilation by Saddle Creek Records in honor of being the label's 50th album release. It was released in 2003 and features one album track and one non-album track by each of the bands then recording for the label.
Criteria is an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, formed in 2003 when ex-Cursive founding member Steve Pedersen returned to his hometown after graduating from the Duke University School of Law. He spent six months in a friend's basement where he wrote all ten songs for his new project's debut album. He recruited the help of some old friends, A.J. Mogis on bass guitar, Aaron Druery on guitar, and Mike Sweeney of Beep Beep on drums. Their first album, En Garde, was released on his previous band's label, Initial Records.
