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Bright Eyes was a musical starring Shirley Temple. For that article, see Bright Eyes (movie).
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.
Bright Eyes currently resides on the Saddle Creek record label, an Omaha-based label that is home to bands including Cursive, The Faint, and Now It's Overhead.
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. "Padraic 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.
In Early November, 2004, two Bright Eyes singles, Lua and Take it Easy (Love Nothing), reached the two top spots on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales, a remarkable feat for a musician on an independent label. This was the first time this has happened on the list in seven years. By January 2005, Oberst was on the verge of an international mainstream breakthrough.
Samples
- Download sample of "The Calendar Hung Itself" from Fevers and Mirrors
- iTunes currently has the exclusive track "When the President Talks to God" available for free download.
Discography
Albums
EPs / Singles
- Every Day and Every Night EP (1999)
- Don't Be Frightened Of Turning The Page (2001)
- (2001)
- Drunk Kid Catholic CDS (2001)
- There Is No Beginning To The Story EP (2002)
- Lover I Don't Have To Love CDS (2002)
- Take It Easy (Love Nothing) CDS (2004) from Digital Ash in A Digital Urn
- Lua CDS (2004) from I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
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