Turnaround Bright Eyes! Following yesterday’s ACL lineup announcement, many were surprised to learn that the mercurial Conor Oberst has added yet another band to his résumé - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Despite playing a couple of shows and booking several music fest gigs under his new handle, not much is known about Oberst’s latest and mysterious musical project. Hypeful, however, was able to uncover the following info about Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band:

In addition to Conor Oberst, the Mystic Valley Band members include Nik Freitas and Jason Boesel.

The band’s first live appearance was at a pair of late December 2007 shows at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

While performing live, Oberst’s group has played 10 new songs and “covered” three from the Bright Eyes canon.

The band’s third gig was at Pasagüero in Mexico, where the band is rumored to have recorded their upcoming album.

Another rumor is that the band’s name is a reference to a place the group stayed at while recording their album.

Rumors and speculation aside, perhaps the best way to get to know this new band is by actually listening to them! Below is an excellent recording of the entire set that Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band performed at the 400 Bar back in December. Give it a listen and Hypeful will try to get more details for you as they emerge!

MP3s:
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (Live @ The 400 Bar)
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Gone, Gone From New York City”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “There’s Nothing That The Road Cannot Heal”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Where Pilgrims Disappear”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Cape Canaveral”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Beach Bum Song”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “That’s My Fault”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Danny Callahan”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Smoke Signals”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Let Them In”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “El Cielo”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Breezy”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “I Don’t Want To Die In The Hospital”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Milk Thistle”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Lua”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “Man Named Truth”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - “True Blue”

The Sun is reporting that Amy Winehouse and superproducer Mark Ronson have begun work on the theme song for the new James Bond flick, Quantum Of Solace (Nov. 7th). An inspired choice, if not just because “Amy Winehouse” is a perfect Bond girl name…

MP3:
Chris Cornell - “You Know My Name” (Casino Royale Theme)

The seventh annual Austin City Limits Music Festival has announced the 125+ acts that will be featured from Sept. 26-28. Foo Fighters, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Beck, Manu Chao, John Fogerty, David Byrne, the Raconteurs and the Mars Volta are among the top acts booked for this year’s ACL Fest. Also noticeable on the bill are Gnarls Barkley, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, N.E.R.D., MGMT, Tegan & Sara, Iron & Wine, G. Love & Special Sauce, Neko Case, Band Of Horses, the Swell Season, Silversun Pickups, Gogol Bordello, Gillian Welch, the Black Keys, Against Me!, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Hot Chip, Spiritualized, Drive-By Truckers, Vampire Weekend and many others. For the full lineup, check out the ACL Fest site.

Kenneth Ellen Parcell, the perpetually cheerful NBC page from 30 Rock, opens up to this week’s EW about the top ten albums that warm his Georgia-reared heart. (“Midnight Train to Georgia” didn’t make the list, but The Golden Girls theme pops up twice!) Here’s Kenneth’s list along with his commentary:

1. TV LAND PRESENTS: FAVORITE TV THEME SONGS
Various Artists

This is the best album ever! I especially love Cynthia Fee’s rendition of ”Thank You for Being a Friend.”

2. TRACY JORDAN’S WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOVE
Tracy Jordan

Listening to this album is just like hanging out with Mr. Jordan: It makes me cry and dance!

3. SOOTHING SOUNDS FOR SLEEP 

Hush Little Baby

This white-noise album makes me feel like a baby again…a baby out in a rain forest!

4. DULCEM TUNES
Colonel Tugbeard Band

There is truly nothing better to have on your Zune during a Civil War reenactment!

5. E=MC2
Mariah Carey

The high notes really make my parakeet dance!

6. AUTHENTIC SOUND EFFECTS, VOL. 4
Keith Holzman

After some glaring missteps on Authentic Sound Effects, Vol. 2, Mr. Holzman has recaptured the magic from Vol. 1. So many versions of ”Boiling Water”!

7. I didn’t list one here, because my family considers 7 an unlucky number. Because of the deadly sins. And days of the week.

8. CERTIFIED HITS
Crystal Gayle

Ms. Gayle has hair to brush for days, and ”Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” always makes me think of the special contact lenses I have to get for Ms. Maroney.

9. USA (UNITED STATE OF ATLANTA)
Ying Yang Twins

I don’t understand most of the lyrics here, but these guys are from Atlanta!

10. ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO
Andrew Gold

So many things to love. For starters, it says heaven right in the title! I also love his rendition of Cynthia Fee’s rendition of ”Thank You for Being a Friend.”

Below, Hypeful put together a l’il playlist of songs based on Kenneth’s faves - including Je Suis France’s ace cover of (you guessed it) “Thank You For Being A Friend”!

MP3s:
Je Suis France - “Thank You For Being A Friend”
Cynthia Fee - “Thank You for Being a Friend”
Tracy Jordan - “It’s a Jordan Christmas!”
Tracy Jordan - “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah”
Mariah Carey - “Touch My Body”
Crystal Gayle - “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”
Ying Yang Twins ft Pitbull - “Shake”
Andrew Gold - “Thank You For Being A Friend”

With their debut album set to drop next week (The Age Of The Understatement, April 21st), The Last Shadow Puppets have released four new videos. Recorded live at Avatar Studios in New York last month, the clips feature Alex Turner and Miles Kane wearing all black (Sprockets, anyone?) and going “unplugged” on four songs from their forthcoming disc. Check out the videos after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »