Desaparecidos

Conor Oberst - vocals, guitar
Denver Dalley - guitar
Landon Hedges - bass, vocals
Ian McElroy - keyboards
Matt Baum - drums

Oberst may be better known for his confessional songwriting and storytelling, but Desaparecidos is nothing of the sort. Indeed, similar vocal melodies and song structure are present, but the guitars are loud and distorted, the bass is pounding, and the drums and keyboards round out this hi-energy, pop-rock band without the lyrical focus of personal relationships. Oberst screams out observational commentary about urban development, the sacrafice of human value for the dollar bill, and the new American Dream.

Setting out to capture the rawness of the band, the record was recorded over one week at Presto! Recording Studio in Lincoln with producer Mike Mogis. Bright Eyes fans will love it, but it'll also appeal to anyone who's ever dug At The Drive In, The Pixies, Weezer, Dinosaur Jr., etc. Look for the band to tour throughout early 2002 before Conor heads back into the studio to finish up the next Bright Eyes record due out in the fall.