Featured Release This Week From Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst is a busy, creative guy.  The Omaha native began writing songs and performing at a young age, and self-released his first solo cassette tape of songs when he was 13.  Oberst's best-known band is Bright Eyes.  Here are some more of his bands:  The Faint, Commander Venus, The Magnetas, Park Ave., Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters Of Folk.  He co-founded the independent record labels Saddle Creek records and Team Love Records.  Oberst's new album, Ruminations, is once again a solo record- truly solo with only Oberst singing and playing guitar, piano and harmonica.  He wrote and recorded it in Omaha last winter, following health problems and hospitalization.  As he explained:  "Winter in Omaha can have a paralyzing effect on a person but in this case it worked in my favor.  I was just staying up late every night playing piano and watching the snow pile up outside the window...I recorded (the songs) quick to get them down but then it just felt right to leave them alone."