Saw them in Glasgow last night and thought they were excellent. Conor sounded really good and seemed to really be enjoying himself. Enjoyed seeing the Devil Town cover live, one of their underrated covers.
Continuing what has so far been a triumphant year of touring and new music, Bright Eyes has surprise-released a new single “1st World Blues.” The song, which makes a case for a fourth wave of ska, sees Conor Oberst lamenting the current state of the world with its biting takedown of contemporary American capitalism, propelled by gang vocals and an infectious off-beat rhythm. “1st World Blues” introduces a new sonic dimension from Bright Eyes and comes with a music video directed by Jared Sherbert, with animations by Sparks Studios. The video, which was shot on a hot summer day in Brooklyn, NY, features familiar faces like pro skater Nelly Morville, The So So Glos and producer/musician/mixer Adam Reich, while introducing a new star-in-the-making: Butter the dog. “‘1st World Blues’ is an homage to ska in all its waves,” says Bright Eyes. “From Desmond Decker to Tim Armstrong, we’re just happy to add our track to the bin. The video is inspired by NYC 90s hip hop, which like ska, has a long tradition of unifying people & using celebratory music to convey subversive political themes. To be played loud. Windows down. Summertime.”
Sean, this is a very informative post and contributes meaningfully. Really highlights how much you are slumming it 99% of the time.
Glad to hear something different from Bright Eyes but I just haven't been enthused by much from this Five Dice era, I never went back to this record much but I listened to Down in the Weeds... a ton.
I'm personally ready for Conor/the band to stop working with Alex Orange Drink (they can just be friends)
This was a b-side from Five Dice so it was recorded before his vocal issues cropped up and they canceled dates and has been sounding better than ever on the last tour.