Quietly tucked away in a midtown Omaha, Neb., house were two
brothers, one with a tape recorder and the other with an acoustic
guitar, ardently confessing secrets to one another. Then
13-year-old Conor Oberst and his brother would compile their first
recordings onto a cassette under the name of Lumberjack
Records.

With the help of a few friends, Conor would offer his first
public performances under the name of Commander Venus. Since 1993,
nothing has dramatically changed. Oberst has spent nine years
touring and releasing material with his two active groups, Bright
Eyes and the Desaperacidos. Guitarist Robb Nansel would ultimately
take over the day-to-day details of running Lumberjack Records and
watch it evolve into Saddle Creek Records.

What was once a bedroom project, Saddle Creek has blossomed into
one of the most successful independent labels of the now clich?d
Emo Movement. Featured artists include Bright Eyes, the Faint,
Cursive, the Desaperacidos Azure Ray, and Son, Ambulance. All
artists currently are based out of Omaha. Throughout its growth
spurt over the past decade, Saddle Creek’s artists have headlined
tours internationally, been featured in Billboard and Rolling Stone
magazines, spotlighted on MTV, and among others, have been on
separate tours with pop notables Moby and No Doubt. A handful of
impatient critics and revivalists have christened Omaha as
developing a musical climate similar to that of Seattle, Washington
in the early 1990s.

Saddle Creek presses on into August 2002 with a full-length
release from Bright Eyes. Conor Oberst is the creative force behind
Bright Eyes and regularly invites various friends and musicians to
play on his records and form the supporting band during his tours.
The latest release from Bright Eyes marks a turning point in the
road for Oberst’s fans. Since the release of the previous Bright
Eyes album, Oberst formed the Desapericidos, a side project to
Bright Eyes, and released Read Music / Speak Spanish.

With socially conscious lyrics, abrasive and distorted guitars,
and charged concerts left fans wondering if they were witnessing a
major shift in Oberst’s musical career. Releasing a split LP with
Son, Ambulance (Oh, Holy Fools!) along with a solo EP in une of
2002 (There is No Beginning to the Story). Conor subtly assured
those concerned that Bright Eyes was alive and well.

Amidst the buzz surrounding the Desaperacidos, Oberst was
crafting a new collection of songs, breathing passion and fragility
into a modern American culture desperately seeking introspection
and meaning.

Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
is the fourth full-length release from Bright Eyes. With an
unapologetic deliverance, Oberst presents another revealing
collection of songs that unassumingly drift between late- night
diary admissions and eulogistic memoirs.

While the lyrical content on Lifted is not new territory for
Oberst, the emergence of an orchestral string section adds an
understated complexity to the album that, throughout the years,
Bright Eyes as a group has struggled to capture.

Alongside a full band and string section, Oberst’s narrations
breathe an eerie, hallowed liveliness into several songs. When
ushered in, the strings’ added depth affords Oberst’s voice the
luxury of not having to create a dynamic wall of sound. Amongst an
acoustic landscape with the percussion swaying the stability of the
music, Oberst’s steadfast voice stands out in a handful of
hauntingly memorable choruses.

In short, Lifted is Bright Eyes’ most complete collection of
music to date.