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 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.

The Kooks‘ new single, “Always Where I Need To Be,” has been described as “a real grower track” - you know, a song that requires a few spins to really get its hooks into you. For those who need further convincing of why they should dig this song, here’s a live version of The Kooks performing “Always Where I Need to Be” at a recent gig at London’s Astoria.

MP3:
The Kooks - “Always Where I Need to Be” (Live)

Colin Meloy is on a mission, and this time it has nothing to do with The Colbert Report. He’s on a mission to bring the sweet sounds of Sam Cooke, Morrissey, and an occasional Smiths tune to those who love The Decemberists. Of course most of the solo tour is Decemberists music, but for 3 years, Colin Meloy has made a habit of playing solo shows and cutting solo EP’s that are melodic, stylized versions of artists he strongly admires. This year is a bit different. With the Kill Rock Stars release of Colin Meloy Sings Live! In the words of the man himself, “what better way to promote this album then to sing . . . live.”

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Want to discover 29 of the 130 artists on the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup before they’re officially announced on April 15? ACL promoters are making anxious fans work for the list with a game that uses their ears. A mashup from Car Stereo (Wars) has been released that features 29 of the 130 acts. If you want some help, after the jump you can find a list of artists that fans have identified so far.

STREAM:
Car Stereo (Wars) - “ACL Lineup Mashup”

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