Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) a hitmaking pop star?

[wing]

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Last week, the two highest debuts on Hot 100 Singles Sales were by Bright Eyes, the musical invention of 24-year-old Nebraskan Conor Oberst. This week, those two singles, "Lua" and "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," move 18-1 and 7-2, respectively, to take over the top two spots on the survey.

It is the first time in seven years that one artist owns the top two positions on this list. In August 1997, Puff Daddy was No. 1 with Faith Evans on "I'll Be Missing You" and was featured with Mase at No. 2 on the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money Mo Problems."

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=6737877

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What? He doesn't even get radio airplay (besides college stations), nor has he ever been on MTV. Huh? Can anyone explain this?

[joeysimms]

Maybe there's money involved? are the songs any good? i've never heard him.

[rob@SigmaDelta]

maybe because he writes good songs?


hahahaha.

I like the music, and the lyrics, but they are extremely generic. Its so good you can tell he's just a genius as creating what people want to hear. EAsily the next elliot smith character in pop-music.

[cgarges]

Man, Wing, you should start a promotions company!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Wonderland]

No, I'm the next Elliot Smith character in pop music.

[Ryan Silva]

I find my self slightly confused with this last post. Mr. Oberst, is that you? Never knew you posted here. If that was in fact you, sorry that you had to read that dribble, but you know how it goes. We all run at the mouth when we think nobody listening.
On the subject of replacing Elliot Smith as a pop icon, I just don't see. I find the experience of Bright Eyes to be very unique. Not that compliments really mean anything when you don't trust your source, but I will give it anyway.

Tonedrone

P.S. ?You have a talent for composition and style?hehe

[concubine]

Maybe there's money involved? are the songs any good? i've never heard him.

mr. oberst has had quite a bit of hype on his side.

personally, i don't get it. he's a whiny bitch when he sings. like, there are some songs where his moaning and groaning gets so bad that it really just sounds like a bad parody of something. when i first heard it, i cringed in complete disbelief and bewilderment 'til my facial muscles began to ache.

the music i heard certainly could've been worse (kind of slow, organ/keyboard heavy, melancholie stuff), but the vocals were the deal-breaker.

[Ryan Silva]

This is true, Bright Eyes has had a good amount of hype in recent days. But us industry types should see through that shit right? As far as the quaility of Mr. Oberst voice, I also found very hard to listen to in the begining. But after I really started to listen(because thats what we do at tapeop) I fell in love with his pain. I am not a big 'Emo' listener but these recordings captured somthing I haven't heard in a really long time, Honesty.

Just my humble opinion.

[inverseroom]

No, I'm the next Elliot Smith character in pop music.

Reminds me of the good old days when everyone was calling Elliot Smith the next Inverse Room. And suddenly Ben and Matt stopped returning my phone calls.

[wing]

i don't like bright eyes either... too much whine.

but the fact he gets no major media attention, nor no major airplay, has me still realy confused here.

[Wilkesin]

Well, your source was a bit mistaken because the Hot 100 actually takes sales into account, and therefore the Bright Eyes singles are no where close. His singles are just one and two on the 'billboard singles' list....which i am assuming is dictated by airplay or payola or whatever....

I kinda find his recordings intringuing though, especially the Fever and Mirrors record, and to a lesser degree the newer ones, but i can not argue with the people that hate him. Then again, having some people hate you often makes those who love you, love you that much more