Some people are true artists. They enter the world destined to create music, to be prolific masters, mind set to a constant stream of rhythms and melodies and words. Omaha, Nebraska produced two of the greatest musicians of the mid 90s and 2000s. These two created music together at the beginning of their careers, in high school, but eventually went their separate ways, one gaining mainstream fame as a master of folk infused with sounds of punk, soul, blues and country, Conor Oberst. The other found underground fame as a member of several well known and critically acclaimed groups, Tim Kasher. In 1995, while Conor Oberst was still 14, him and Kasher fronted a band called Commander Venus. Although they were a small indie band still in high school, they were signed and the recording of their second album was excessive, and cost $15,000. Rumors began floating around that Commander Venus was the next big thing, and the future of indie music. The band broke up though, as members got fed up with the "emo" scene.
After leaving Commander Venus Conor Oberst found success as a member of Saddle Creek Records, with as a member of several groups including Desaparacidos, and most famously as Bright Eyes. You can listen to the Bright Eyes latest album here.
Oberst covering Elliot Smith
Tim Kasher found success through his band Cursive. Cursive was powered by Kasher's deep introspective lyrics, idiosyncratic guitar style and powerful rhythm section. Cursive has long been one of my favorite bands of all time. Following Kasher's ugly divorce from his wife, his songwriting became deeply personal, constantly scrutinizing the details of his long divorce. This became a creative force that deeply permeated his songwriting, infusing his music with passion and energy. Here are some of Kasher's highlights.
No comments:
Post a Comment