Artistic name changes are not reserved for such pop icons as he who dons purple crushed velvet or the hip-hop mogul who helms the Making the Band series. Quite the contrary, we've learned. This August, the brooding alt-indie artist sometimes known as Bright Eyes plans to release his first recording as Conor Oberst since the late '90s. And in support of his self-titled LP, Mr. Oberst will satiate listeners with a new website and international tour dates.
We've been tracking Oberst's growth over the years as he shed layers of tortured, confessional cries to cultivate expansive folk, culminating in 2007's Cassadaga. Since then, the Omaha native has shipped out to Tepoztlán Morales, Mexico to record Conor Oberst , backed by his group, The Mystic Valley Band.
"It was a real amazing experience," he recently told Paste. "Tepoztlán is a town about two hours away from Mexico City. I’m not sure how many people live there, but you can walk around the whole place in probably like an hour. People come from other towns [for the market], but for the most part it’s just this quiet little place.”
Look for more from Oberst in Paste's special International Issue in August. In the meantime, you can stream two tracks fresh off the record ("Danny Callahan" and "Souled Out!!!") on his brand-new website that launched recently.
The album will hit the streets on August 4 in the U.S. and August 5 in the U.K. Catch the troubadour performing tracks off his new release around the world with other sought-after singers like Jenny Lewis, Levon Helm and Bob Dylan:
July
16 - Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Studio SP
17 - Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Studio SP
18 - Santiago, Chile @ Cine Arte Normandie
19 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @ La Trastienda
25 - Billings, Mont. @ Bones Brewing *
27 - Calgary, Alberta @ Calgary Jazz Festival, Prince's Island Park
29 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ Richard's on Richards Cabaret <
30 - Seattle, Wash. @ Neumo's <
31 - Bend, Ore. @ Midtown Ballroom <
August
1 - San Francisco, Calif.@ Bottom of the Hill <
2 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Bottom of the Hill <
3 - Santa Cruz, Calif @ Rio Theatre <
5 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Troubadour <
8 - Nashiville, Tenn. @ Mercy Lounge **
9 - Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat's Cradle **
10 - Norfolk, Va. @ NorVA **
11 - Philadelphia, Pa. @Trocadero **
12 - New York, N.Y. @ Bowery Ballroom **
17 - Saratoga, N.Y. @ Saratoga Music Festival ^
22 - Leeds, U.K. @ Leeds Festival
23 - Birmingham, U.K. @ Reading Festival
24 - Reading, U.K. @ Reading Festival
26 - Portsmouth, U.K. @ Wedgwood Rooms
27 - London U.K. @ Electric Ballroom
28 - Manchester, U.K. @ Academy 2
29 - Inveraray Castle, Scotland @ Hydro Connect Music Festival
30 - Belfast, Ireland @ Spring and Airbrake
31 - County Laois, Ireland @ Stradbally Hall/ Electric Picnic
September
2 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
3 - Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique
4 - Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
5 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Rote Fabrik
7 - Munich, Germany @ Backstage Werk
8 - Zagreb, Croatia @ Studenski
9 - Vienna, Austria @ Arena
10 - Prague, Czech Republic
11 - Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Club
12 - Cologne, Germany @ Gloria
13 - Paris, France@Nouveau Casino
14 - Salisbury, U.K. @ End of the Road Festival
20 - Omaha, Neb. @ Anchor Inn
21 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium %
23 - Fayetteville, Ark. @ George's Majestic Lounge %
24 - Oxford, Miss. @ The Lyric %
25 - Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain's Ballroom %
27 - Austin, Texas @ Austin City Limits
October
2 - Melbourne, Australia @ The Palace
3 - Brisbane, Australia @ Tivoli
4 - Sydney, Australia @ Enmore
5 - Sydney, Australia @ Great Escape
* indicates dates with A Weather
< indicates dates with Dri
** indicates dates with Evangelicals
^ indicates dates with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, The Swell Season, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle and Raul Malo
% indicates dates with Jenny Lewis
Related links:
Conor Oberst details on MergeRecords.com
Bright Eye's bio on Saddle-Creek.com
Feature: Bright Eyes: Growing Up on Record
Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
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I cannot wait for the new album to drop & patiently await the mentioned upcoming issue of Paste! Glad he's coming to Tulsa.