Bright Eyes (band)
Bright Eyes was a song by Art Garfunkel. It was featured in the soundtrack of Watership Down. The song was immensely successful in the United Kingdom, staying at number one in the British charts for six weeks in 1979, and has sold over one million copies. However, it did poorly in the United States, and failed to reach the top 50 in that country.
Bright Eyes is an indie rock band fronted by Conor Oberst, an American singer-songwriter from Nebraska. Bright Eyes is often classified as emo, although some people disagree with that label, including Oberst himself, who has referred to his music as folk.
Conor Oberst is the only constant member of Bright Eyes; other musicians in the band change frequently. Oberst's vocal style and lyrics often have a desperate edge: He frequently sounds like he's on the verge of crying, or of having a nervous breakdown.
Oberst has stated that his lyrics do not necessarily reflect his personal experience, and are often similar to short stories. "Padriac My Prince," for example, tells of a mother drowning the narrator's brother in a bathtub, an event Oberst has stated is fictional. In interviews, Oberst has explained such situations are often required to achieve the emotive extremes he seeks.
Oberst has served in many bands since the age of 13, and currently is also the lead singer of Desaparecidos. Although there are some parallels between Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes, the lyrics of Desaparecidos tend to reflect more on society rather than individuals, and the music fits more to punk rock than folk.
Samples
- Download sample of "The Calendar Hung Itself" from Fevers and Mirrors
Discography
Albums
- Letting Off the Happiness (1998)
- Fevers and Mirrors (2000)
- A Collection of Songs: Recorded 1995-1997 (2000)
- Lifted or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002)
- Vinyl Box Set (7 LP's) (2003) This collection contains Oberst's first five releases plus bonus material.
- Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (2005)
- I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (2005)
EPs / Singles
- Every Day and Every Night EP (1999)
- Don't Be Frightened Of Turning The Page (2001)
- Oh Holy Fools: The Music of Son, Ambulance & Bright Eyes (2001)
- Drunk Kid Catholic CDS (2001)
- There Is No Beginning To The Story EP (2002)
- Lover I Don't Have To Love CDS (2002)