“Common Knowledge” music video
Conor Oberst has unveiled the third video from his critically acclaimed new album, Upside Down Mountain.
Watch “Common Knowledge,” a companion piece to the album’s first video, “Zigzagging Toward the Light.”
The video’s release comes just a few days before he embarks on the second leg of a coast-to-coast US tour, beginning September 14 in Salt Lake City.
Oberst will release two previously unheard songs, “Standing on the Outside” and “Sugar Street”—recorded during the Upside Down Mountain sessions—for this year’s Black Friday Record Store Day on November 28. Watch this space for details.
The fall tour, featuring special guest Jonathan Wilson, will make stops in Salt Lake City, Austin, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, and more. Los Angeles fans can see him play a very special co-headline show with folk legend John Prine at the Greek Theater on October 5.
“Upside Down Mountain” is in stores today
Upside Down Mountain is in stores today!
Pick up your copy: iTunes | Nonesuch | Amazon
Catch Conor on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight, May 19th, on NPR's World Cafe tomorrow (May 20th), and on Sirius XMU Premiere on May 21 at 9p ET.
New tour dates, TV appearances, and Rough Trade NYC release show announced
Conor Oberst has announced several additional tour dates for this fall, including concerts in Boulder, Austin, Dallas, Seattle, Portland and more. Oberst will also co-headline the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with John Prine on October 5th.
Oberst is performing on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 19th. He will also be featured on CBS This Morning: Saturday on May 24th, performing two tracks from his new solo record Upside Down Mountain, which is out on May 19th via Nonesuch Records.
In support of the album release, Oberst will perform at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on May 20th. Tickets will be available at the door.
Pre-order “Upside Down Mountain,” new track “Governor’s Ball”
Pre-orders for Conor's new album, Upside Down Mountain, begin today.
Pre-order the album at Nonesuch and receive an exclusive limited-edition print featuring the album art, or reserve your digital copy at iTunes.
Both pre-orders include an instant download of “Hundreds of Ways” and “Governor’s Ball.”
Limited-edition split seven-inch with Dawes
Conor Oberst and Dawes will release a limited edition seven-inch for Record Store Day (Saturday, April 19). This exclusive split will feature Dawes covering the Bright Eyes song “Easy/Lucky/Free” and Conor Oberst covering Dawes’ “Million Dollar Bill.”
As previously announced, Dawes will be appearing on Oberst’s spring tour as “special guests” — both opening the shows and acting as Oberst’s band for the tour.
Image via Draplin Design Co.
Nonesuch to release “Upside Down Mountain” on May 20th; US tour with special guest Dawes
Conor Oberst has signed to Nonesuch Records, which releases his new solo album, Upside Down Mountain, on May 20th.
Prior to the album release, a limited-edition seven-inch single will be released exclusively for Record Store Day (Saturday, April 19th). This special single will feature album track “Hundreds Of Ways” along with album outtake “Fast Friends” on the B-side.
Oberst kicks off the first leg of a world tour in support of the new album on May 8th in North Carolina. His friends and colleagues Dawes appear on the bill as “special guests” — both opening the shows and acting as Oberst’s band for the tour. Tickets are on sale to the general public on Friday, February 14th.
The Mystic Valley Band announces only 2013 shows
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will play their only two shows of the year on July 31st and August 1st at the Slowdown in Omaha, Nebraska.
Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday at 10am, with a limited number of discounted two-day passes available as well.
2012–2013 solo tour dates
Though 2012 is winding down, Conor is gearing up to play a few more special solo shows before the year's end, beginning this week in Washington, D.C., and wrapping up in Omaha this December.
Early next year, Conor will play two weeks of solo shows in Europe. Full details and links on the Shows page.
For those on the East Coast (or those who will be on the East Coast next week), Conor and Bowery Presents have teamed up to donate a pair of tickets and meet and greet passes to Conor's sold out show at Carnegie Hall on November 21st.
Bidding is open until Monday, November 19th at midnight. Details here.
All proceeds from the sale will go directly to Occupy Sandy.
Conor Oberst to play Los Angeles’ Royce Hall and New York City’s Carnegie Hall
Conor has added two live dates to his 2012 schedule. Oberst will be playing at Royce Hall in Los Angeles on September 27th and in New York City at Carnegie Hall on November 21st. Tickets for go on sale for Royce Hall on May 18th at 10am and for Carnegie Hall on May 21st at 11am.
Announcing “One of My Kind”
This project is a release for those that were lucky enough to experience the magic and excitement of the Mystic Valley Band when their jackets were still clean and their chemistry was bursting with ideas and potential. Both CD and LP include a DVD of One of My Kind: The Story of the Mystic Valley Band, a full-length documentary feature by Philip Schaffart. LP includes a CD version of the album as well. One of My Kind will be available on May 15th.
Disc 1 (CD or LP)
One of My Kind
Gentleman's Pact
Corina, Corina
Synesthete Song
Breezy
Central City
I Got the Reason #1
Phil's Song (Learn to Stop Time)
Normal
Kodachrome
White Shoes (Reprise)
Disc 2 (DVD)
One of My Kind: The Story of the Mystic Valley Band - a documentary by Philip Schaffart
About the film: Philip Schaffart was not hired by Conor Oberst to make the film One of My Kind. He was hired to make sure the guitars stayed in tune. But Phil had a video camera with him as the Mystic Valley Band came together for the first time at Valle Místico in Tepoztlán, Mexico, in January of 2008, and so he started filming what he sensed was something special. “When I started filming, none of us had the intentions of turning what was being shot into a film,” says Phil, “but the things we were seeing, feeling, and capturing with the music proved to be inspiring in ways we were not prepared for.” Later that year, after touring Conor's self-titled Merge release, the Mystic Valley Band went back into the studio, this time at the Sonic Ranch outside of El Paso, Texas, where they recorded their follow-up release, Outer South.
This album was a reflection of what the MVB had become over the preceding 10 months. Now, the song writing was no longer Conor’s sole responsibility as the other members of the band all spread their own musical and compositional wings. All the while, Phil continued to film what was going on with the band, capturing the year of touring, the almond orchards in Texas, the temples and steep cliffs of Mexico, and the evolution of a group of musicians that started as not much more than an idea for a different way to make a record, and ended up being a fully realized rock band.
“Something was happening between the six members of the band musically that was effortless and natural in a way I had not seen before”; Phil continues: “In Texas we started thinking that the footage could be turned into a documentary film.” Phil returned to Omaha later and enlisted the help of the H Minus Production team and after many grueling hours in the edit suite, a film was born.
COMVB to support Rage Against the Machine
COMVB is honored to open for Rage Against the Machine this July in Los Angeles. The show, part of a national week of action, will be a benefit for The Florence Project and Puente Arizona, two organizations dedicated to fighting Arizona Law SB1070.
“Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows”
Check out Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine on NPR. The entire record is streaming, including Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley band's cover of “Wedding Day in Funeralville.” Look for the record, available for purchase on 6/22.
“One of My Kind” documentary
Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band are set to release One of My Kind on April 15th, a documentary that will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s journey over the past year and a half. Made by the band’s guitar tech Phil Schaffart and presented by causecast.org, One of My Kind traces the group’s ever-growing bond as friends and collaborators. Footage from Tepoztlan, Mexico, where they recorded their first album, Conor Oberst, their worldwide tour in 2008, and the making of Outer South in El Paso, TX, takes viewers on a 60-minute musical journey around the world.
The film will be available as a free stream or HD download exclusively on Causecast.org, IFC.com, conoroberst.com, mergerecords.com, and wichita-recordings.com. Additionally, Causecast.org partner sites IFC.com, The Huffington Post, and MySpace IMPACT will each feature exclusive outtakes, trailers, and live acoustic performances from the film.
Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band are offering the documentary, One of My Kind for free, in the hope that viewers will make a donation to one of the many nonprofits or causes on Causecast.