Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Encyclopedia
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is the name taken by Conor Oberst
and his backing band, which is composed of Nik Freitas
(guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth
(guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott
(keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel
(drums).
and perform two shows in late December 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. Contrary to this speculation, the shows were not played with M. Ward
, but rather with Nik Freitas
and Jason Boesel
. (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.
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.
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 has been 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 will be released June 22 on Oh Boy Records
.
Conor Oberst
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, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
and his backing band, which is composed of Nik Freitas
Nik Freitas
Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia, California and currently residing in Los Angeles. Freitas began his career as a staff photographer for Thrasher Magazine where he traveled the world taking skate photos until turning his attention to music full-time in 2001...
(guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth
Taylor Hollingsworth
Taylor "Paper" Hollingsworth ia a singer/songwriter and guitarist from Birmingham, Alabama. He first picked up the guitar at age 14 and has gone on to front his own bands as well as play guitar for others, notably Maria Taylor....
(guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott is a trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboard player who has appeared on several of Saddle Creek Records artists' albums. He is one of three permanent members of Bright Eyes, along with Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and has toured with Bright Eyes....
(keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel
Jason Boesel
Jason Boesel was the drummer for Rilo Kiley and has also played with The Elected. He also drummed in the Bright Eyes touring band during their 2005 tour, and went on to write the liner notes for the consequent Bright Eyes live album, Motion Sickness and contributing to Bright Eyes' 2007 record,...
(drums).
History
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. WardM. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.-Career:...
and perform two shows in late December 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. Contrary to this speculation, the shows were not played with M. Ward
M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.-Career:...
, but rather with Nik Freitas
Nik Freitas
Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia, California and currently residing in Los Angeles. Freitas began his career as a staff photographer for Thrasher Magazine where he traveled the world taking skate photos until turning his attention to music full-time in 2001...
and Jason Boesel
Jason Boesel
Jason Boesel was the drummer for Rilo Kiley and has also played with The Elected. He also drummed in the Bright Eyes touring band during their 2005 tour, and went on to write the liner notes for the consequent Bright Eyes live album, Motion Sickness and contributing to Bright Eyes' 2007 record,...
. (Oberst and M. Ward would, however, later form the group Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk is an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, and M. Ward, renowned solo artist. The band was formed in 2004 when the members were on tour with their respective bands and solo projects. After playing...
, which also includes Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and Jim James of My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
.) The band played 20 new songs and it was announced that these songs were not meant for Oberst's main project, Bright Eyes.
In early 2008, Oberst and his band traveled to Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The town had a population of 14,130 inhabitants, while the municipality reported 41,629 inhabitants in the...
, Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and spent two months living and recording their debut album there. Before leaving the country, the band played a show in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band played at the 2008 Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
. In addition, they also performed at Connect Festival in Scotland and the Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in August 2008, the Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
festival in September and also at the Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape (festival)
The Great Escape was a music festival held at Newington Armory, located within Sydney Olympic Park that took place in 2006 and 2007. Initially held over the Easter long weekend for the first two events, in 2008 it was announced the festival would take place on the Labour Day weekend, however the...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in early October 2008. The debut album, titled Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst (album)
Conor Oberst is a solo-album by Conor Oberst, of the band Bright Eyes, which was released on August 5, 2008 by Merge Records. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #37 and reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200.-Production:...
, was released in the UK on Wichita on 5 August 2008 and 6 August 2008 on Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and 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.
Upon completing their touring schedule in late November 2008, the Mystic Valley Band spent time at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas
Tornillo, Texas
Tornillo is a census-designated place and border town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,609 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. 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
Outer South
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...
, would be released on May 5 on Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
. A number of the songs that appear on the album are written and sung by band members other than Conor Oberst.
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
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Telluride Bluegrass Festival is held annually in Telluride, Colorado by . Although traditionally the festival focuses on bluegrass music, it often features music from a variety of genres. In 1974, its first year, it attracted 1000 participants. Currently the festival's attendance is capped at 10,000...
.
During their last several shows in southern California, Oberst has been 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
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
at the latter's first US show in two years at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
. 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
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
tribute album, Broken Hearts And Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine, which will be released June 22 on Oh Boy Records
Oh Boy Records
Oh Boy Records is an independent American record label founded in 1984 by singer John Prine, his manager Al Bunetta and their friend Dan Einstein. The label has released more than 40 audio and video recordings by singer-songwriters Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, Dan Reeder...
.
Albums
- Conor OberstConor Oberst (album)Conor Oberst is a solo-album by Conor Oberst, of the band Bright Eyes, which was released on August 5, 2008 by Merge Records. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #37 and reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200.-Production:...
(released as Conor Oberst) (20082008 in music2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
- Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
) - Outer SouthOuter SouthOuter 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...
(20092009 in musicThe following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year...
- Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
)
Singles and EPs
- Gentleman's PactGentleman's PactGentleman'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 proceeding it. The EP was exclusively available to purchase at concerts during the 2008 tour, and was limited to an edition of...
EP (released as Conor Oberst) (20082008 in music2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
- self-released) - "Souled Out!" (2008, Merge Records)
- "Sausalito" (2008, Merge Records)
- "NYC - Gone, Gone" (2008, Merge Records)
- "Nikorette" (2009, Merge Records)