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Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band | |
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![]() Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at the Leeds Festival, 22 August 2008. | |
Background information | |
Origin | Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
Genres | Americana Alternative Country |
Years active | 2007-2010, 2013, 2017 |
Members | Conor Oberst Nate Walcott Jason Boesel Nik Freitas Macey Taylor Taylor Hollingsworth |
Website | conoroberst.com |
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is an American band consisting of Conor Oberst and his backing band. The band is composed of Nik Freitas (guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott (keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel (drums). The band was formed to back Oberst on his 2008 solo album but soon evolved into a band of its own with all members singing and providing songs for 2009's Outer South.
In November 2007, it was reported that Oberst would work on a solo record with Jake Bellows, and that he would form a band with M. Ward [1] and perform two shows in late December 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [2] Contrary to this speculation, the shows were not played with M. Ward, but rather with Nik Freitas and Jason Boesel. [3] (Oberst and M. Ward would, however, later form the group Monsters of Folk, which also includes Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and Jim James of My Morning Jacket.) The band played 20 new songs and it was announced that these songs were not meant for Oberst's main project, Bright Eyes. [4] In early 2008, Oberst and his band traveled to Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico and spent two months living and recording their debut album there. Before leaving the country, the band played a show in Mexico City.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band played at the 2008 Reading and Leeds Festivals. In addition, they also performed at Connect Festival in Scotland and the Electric Picnic in Ireland in August 2008, the Austin City Limits festival in September and also at the Great Escape Festival in Sydney, Australia in early October 2008. The debut album, titled Conor Oberst , was released in the UK on Wichita on 5 August 2008 and 6 August 2008 on Merge Records in the U.S, billed as a solo album by Oberst. In October 2008 the band released the Gentlemen's Pact EP (again, billed as a solo effort from Oberst), which was available in limited quantities and sold only at shows.
On November 11, 2008, Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band appeared on the Late Night Show with Conan O'Brien and performed a then-unreleased song, "Nikorette", which would later appear on their second album.
Upon completing their touring schedule in late November 2008, the Mystic Valley Band spent time at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas. There they recorded more than a dozen new songs, many of which had become staples of their live set earlier in the year. On February 19, 2009, it was officially announced that the band's second album, entitled Outer South , would be released on May 5 on Merge Records. A number of the songs that appear on the album are written and sung by band members other than Conor Oberst. [5]
The band began their 2009 tour in Omaha on April 9 and toured through July 2009, with scheduled performances including stops at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
During their last several shows in southern California, Oberst was quoted to have called the tour "The Nail in the Coffin Tour".
The band played what was presumed to be their final show on August 29, 2009; however on July 23, 2010, the band played with Rage Against the Machine at the latter's first US show in two years at the Hollywood Palladium. The concert benefited Arizona organizations that are fighting the SB1070 immigration law. On the night of the show, a spokesperson projected that the concert had raised $300,000.
In April 2010 it was announced that the Mystic Valley Band would be featured on the John Prine tribute album, Broken Hearts And Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine , which was released June 22 on Oh Boy Records. [6]
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band played shows at the Slowdown in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 31 and August 1 of 2013.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band reunited for a single show on December 31, 2017. [7]
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.
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.
Desaparecidos was an American punk rock band from Omaha, Nebraska founded by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst.
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.
Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint, Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk, and Better Oblivion Community Center. Oberst was named the Best Songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.
Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, and Portland, Maine. The label was founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, The Other Side of Immigration. An early distinguishing marketing tactic of Team Love was the free release of complete albums for download in unprotected mp3 format at no cost on their website in addition to traditional record and CD sales. This practice evolved and was eventually dropped as the age of streaming came to dominate the user experience.
Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide percussion, instead of a drummer.
Park Ave. was an indie pop band that started in January 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska.
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 guitar, drums, and piano and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes, Phoebe Bridgers, Moby, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Joshua Radin, and more.
Nate Walcott is an American musical composer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and trumpeter. He has composed the scores for several feature-length films, including 2014's The Fault in Our Stars. He is a member of the band Bright Eyes, and has played in Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band and with singer-songwriter M. Ward. Between 2016 and 2019, Walcott was the touring pianist and keyboard player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, during their The Getaway World Tour.
Jason Lyon Boesel is an American musician, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. He was the drummer for Rilo Kiley and has also played with The Elected and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.
Cassadaga is the eighth studio album by Bright Eyes, released in the UK on April 9, 2007, and in the US on April 10. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006, with 13 of these appearing on the final track list. The album is named after the town of Cassadaga, Florida. Z Berg of the Like, Sherri DuPree and Stacy King of Eisley, and singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata all appear on this album. The first single, "Four Winds", was released on March 6, 2007, taken from the Four Winds EP, which contains five B-sides not on Cassadaga.
Conor Oberst is the fourth solo studio album by Conor Oberst, of the band Bright Eyes, which was released on August 4, 2008 by Merge Records. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #37 and reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200. It sold 98,000 copies in the US as of August 2009.
Taylor Hollingsworth is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and artist from Birmingham, Alabama. Hollingsworth is also member of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Dead Fingers, and has toured with Conor Oberst, Maria Taylor, The Dexateens, Monsieur Jeffrey Evans and his Southern Ace's and Verbena.
Gentleman's Pact is the first EP by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, consisting of four unreleased tracks, two preceding the band's 2008 album Conor Oberst and two preceding it. The EP was exclusively available to purchase at concerts during the 2008 tour, and was limited to an edition of 1,000 physical copies. It was released under the name Conor Oberst.
Outer South is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Conor Oberst and the second to be credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. It is Oberst's first solo album to include songs written and sung by his bandmates. Nik Freitas, Taylor Hollingsworth and Jason Boesel each contributed two songs apiece, and bassist Macey Taylor sings a song written for him by Oberst. The album was released through Merge Records on May 5, 2009.
One of My Kind is a 2009 documentary filmed about Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. It documents their tour, life in Mexico, and the recording of their new album, Outer South. This documentary was provided for free, in hopes that the viewers would donate to one of the numerous charities on the sponsoring website.
In the Next Life is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Maria Taylor, also a member of Azure Ray. It was released on December 9, 2016, on her label Flower Moon Records. The first single "If Only", features guest vocals by Omaha singer-songwriter Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes.
Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was is the tenth studio album by American band Bright Eyes. The album marked the band's first release in nearly a decade, following The People's Key in 2011. It was released by Dead Oceans on August 21, 2020, and it was their first album not released by Saddle Creek Records. The album was recorded at Electro-Vox and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska.
Five Dice, All Threes is the eleventh studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released by Dead Oceans on September 20, 2024. The album features collaborations with Cat Power and Matt Berninger. It was supported by two singles: "Bells and Whistles" and "Rainbow Overpass".