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University of Nebraska, Omaha
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| Bands |
 Bright Eyes
Most people with a passing interest in the indie rock scene are well aware of Conor Oberst and his revolving set of musicians that make up Bright Eyes. After spending his early teenage years being influenced by the likes of Simon Joyner and David Dondero, Oberst got to work in forming his own sound, first with Commander Venus and then under the Bright Eyes moniker. The group's seventh full-length, 2007's "Cassadaga," made its debut at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 and moved 58,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Recently, Oberst was invited onstage to perform "Thunder Road" at Bruce Springsteen's March 14 Omaha gig, made an appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and played at a rally in support of Barack Obama. He's also scheduled to release a solo album via Merge in August.
 The Faint
Like Bright Eyes, The Faint calls the Saddle Creek label its home base, but this outfit is more on the electronic side of the indie rock scale: With dance-y beats meshed with frontman Todd Fink's suggestive vocals (see: "Worked Up So Sexual"), the group's sound has landed it in opening slots for the likes of Gwen Stefani on nationwide tours. The band is currently bunkered down in its ENAMEL studio recording the follow-up to 2004's "Wet From Birth."
 Cursive
The third of Saddle Creek's "big three," Cursive is filled with accomplished musicians who always have a full platter of projects they're working on. Lead singer Tim Kasher bides his time working on a screenplay in Los Angeles and recording with his second band, The Good Life. Ted Stevens is working on an album with Steve McManus of the Bruces, while Matt McGinn lives in Columbia, Mo., with his family and works for Conor Oberst's label Team Love. And the band's new drummer, Matt "Cornbread" Compton is in Los Angeles producing music for movies and television. Even with all of those other projects, the emo rockers recently finished writing a bunch of new material leading to hopes for a new album in 2009.
 Tilly and the Wall
Tilly and the Wall was originally seen as something of a kitsch group, as the band's unorthodox approach to percussion -- using Jamie Williams as a tap dancer on an amplified box in lieu of a drum set -- often led crowds to pay more attention to the spectacle than the music itself. But with the group on the brink of releasing its third full-length, listeners can hear the maturity the band has gone through in establishing a unique sound. As of March 4, fans pining for new material can hear the band's newest single, "Beat Control," via a limited edition 7-inch or through iTunes.
 Simon Joyner
Perhaps the most influential Omaha musician in regards to Conor Oberst's early development, Joyner could probably be a force on the national scene if he only tried to promote himself. Instead, he's content with letting his folky lo-fi compositions speak for themselves. And though he might not be able to claim a sizable national fan base, he certainly enjoys popularity among indie music's tastemakers: In 1995, Beck listed a Joyner album on his top-10 list for the year in Rolling Stone magazine, and legendary DJ John Peel was so impressed by "Room Temperature" that he played it front to back on his European radio show. -- Jeremy Buckley
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This section's contents are produced entirely by student journalists, brought to Billboard.com by UWIRE, the leading provider of student-generated content. UWIRE aims to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience via professional media partners such as Billboard.com. Visit UWIRE.com to learn more. |
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- Amherst, Massachusetts
- Athens, Georgia
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- Iowa City, Iowa
- Lincoln, Nebraska
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- Madison, Wisconsin
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- Omaha, Nebraska
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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This town profile was produced entirely by student journalists from The Daily Nebraskan, the leading news source for the University of Nebraska community. You can learn more about the individual student contributors by visiting their profiles on UWIRE.com:
Text: Jeremy Buckley
Photo: Sean Welch
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