Better Oblivion Community Center

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For the album of the same name, see Better Oblivion Community Center (album).
Better Oblivion Community Center
Conor Oberst (left) and Phoebe Bridgers (right), the two members of Better Oblivion Community Center
Conor Oberst (left) and Phoebe Bridgers (right), the two members of Better Oblivion Community Center
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
GenresIndie rock, indie folk, alternative
Years active2018 (2018)–present
LabelsDead Oceans
Websitewww.betteroblivioncommunitycenter.org
Members

Better Oblivion Community Center is an American indie rock duo consisting of musicians Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. They released their self-titled debut album on January 24, 2019, through Dead Oceans.[2]

Background[]

Oberst and Bridgers first met in July 2016, when she performed at a secret showcase he was hosting at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.[1] A mutual friend of theirs was helping organize the event and told Oberst that Bridgers was his favorite songwriter in LA at the time, so he invited her to play and was so impressed that he immediately asked her to send him the record she was working on.[3] She then opened for him on his European Ruminations tour in January of 2017,[4] and they continued to collaborate consistently over the following two years. He brought her onstage to sing the Bright Eyes song "Lua" at WXPN's Xponential Music Festival that July, he sang on the duet "Would You Rather" from her debut Stranger in the Alps in September, they covered Sheryl Crow with Soccer Mommy at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in February 2018, and they worked together on a new version of his song “LAX” for Amazon Music in October, among numerous other joint appearances at each other’s shows across the U.S.[5][6][7][8]

The initial idea of forming the band apparently stemmed from Bridgers complimenting a cover Oberst had done of a Replacements song one night, and him replying that they should start a band and sound like the Replacements.[9] When they first started writing together, they hadn’t planned on putting out a record, and they thought they might be writing for one of each other’s solo efforts or for a third party. Bridgers has said that it’s common for Oberst to dream up “fake bands,” so she didn’t know that he was being serious until they had written “like, five songs.”[9] They’ve mentioned that they wanted to create a separate project with its own name so that they could feel free to create a sound different than their individual solo acts.[3]

Career[]

Better Oblivion Community Center at the Showbox Theater in Seattle in 2019

The duo released Better Oblivion Community Center on January 24, 2019, through Dead Oceans to generally positive reviews.[10][11][12] The album was teased with “cryptic brochures” and a phone hotline, but was released with only a day of official notice and featured no promotional singles beforehand, which Bridgers explains was an effort to avoid people “[making] assumptions about what the entire record sounds like,” since the songs are each so different.[13][14]

They performed "Dylan Thomas" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the day before the album's release, and on January 26 appeared on CBS This Morning, where they performed "Dylan Thomas," "Didn't Know What I Was in For" and "My City."[15][16] They also filmed a segment at the NPR Tiny Desk.[17]

On January 29, 2019, the band announced their expansive concert tour of the U.S. and Europe, along with releasing a music video for their single, "Dylan Thomas," directed by Michelle Zauner, otherwise known as Japanese Breakfast.[18]

Toward the end of their U.S. tour in April 2019, they released the single "Little Trouble," a song not featured on the album that had previously only been available as a 7-inch vinyl they'd been selling at their shows.[19][20]

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Title EP details Peak chart positions
US
Sales
[21] 		US
Alt.
[22] 		US
Folk
[23] 		US
Heat
[24] 		US
Indie
[25] 		US
Rock
[26]
Better Oblivion Community Center 23 18 7 2 4 41

Singles[]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[27]
"Symposium Message" 2019 — Non-album single
"Dylan Thomas" 21 Better Oblivion Community Center
"Little Trouble" — Non-album single

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Reilly, Phoebe (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers On Their Surprise Joint Album 'Better Oblivion Community Center'". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  2. ^ DeVille, Chris (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers Release Surprise Album As Better Oblivion Community Center". Stereogum. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Better Oblivion Community Center: About". Dead Oceans. Dead Oceans.
  4. ^ Sacher, Andrew. "Phoebe Bridgers releasing a new single, touring with Conor Oberst". Brooklyn Vegan.
  5. ^ Moser, John J. "REVIEW: At XPoNential Fest, Wilco sounds good but exposes faults; Conor Oberst eviscerates Trump in great set". The Morning Call.
  6. ^ Brown, August (January 24, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst clandestinely make an L.A.-inspired album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Halabian, Layla. "Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst, And Soccer Mommy Covered Sheryl Crow In A Moment Of Indie Rock Triumph". Uproxx.
  8. ^ Gilke, Chloe. "Conor Oberst And Phoebe Bridgers Collaborate Again On A New Version Of His Song 'LAX'". Uproxx.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Gayomali, Chris. "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers Imagine a Better Oblivion". GQ. Conde Nast.
  10. ^ Walker-Smart, Sam (January 24, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center". Clash. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  11. ^ Murphy, Sarah (January 24, 2019). "Better Oblivion Community Center Better Oblivion Community Center". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  12. ^ Hermes, Will (January 24, 2019). "Review: Better Oblivion Community Center Make Soft Rock For Hard Times". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  13. ^ Sodomsky, Sam. "Better Oblivion Community center". Pitchfork. Conde Nast.
  14. ^ Richards, Will. "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst Welcome You to the Better Oblivion Community Center". DIYMag.
  15. ^ Serota, Maggie (January 24, 2019). "Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers Perform as Better Oblivion Community Center on Colbert". Spin. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Arcand, Rob (January 26, 2019). "Watch Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers Play Three Better Oblivion Community Center Songs on CBS This Morning". Spin. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  17. ^ Boilen, Bob. "Video: Watch Better Oblivion Community Center Perform at the Tiny Desk : NPR". NPR.org. NPR.
  18. ^ Trendell, Andrew (January 29, 2019). "Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst share 'Dylan Thomas' video and announce Better Oblivion Community Center UK and world tour". NME. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  19. ^ Daly, Rhian. "Listen to Better Oblivion Community Center's infectious new song 'Little Trouble'". NME. NME.
  20. ^ Rettig, James. "Better Oblivion Community Center – "Little Trouble"". Stereogum. Stereogum.
  21. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Top Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  22. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  23. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Americana/Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  24. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  25. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  26. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  27. ^ "Better Oblivion Community Center Chart History: Triple A songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
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