TV

Would Conor Oberst Be a Good Late-Night Production Assistant?

The Bright Eyes frontman and his fellow musician, Phoebe Bridgers, appeared in a mockumentary segment called "Meet the CONAN Staff."

"Meet The CONAN Staff": Conor Oberst - Production Assistant | Team Coco

What would happen if your favorite artist suddenly switched careers and became a production assistant on a late night talk show?

The CONAN team has given us a hint on what that strange scenario might look like. On the latest episode of "Meet the CONAN Staff"—a mockumentary series depicting behind-the-scenes shenanigans—Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst walks us through a day in the life of his new job.

"I sort of stumbled into the role of being the voice of the emo and indie rock movement," Oberst explains. "But that was just to pay the bills. Really, I wanted to break into late-night television production. I guess you could say I'm the Happy Gilmore of emo." But, like any assistant job, he faces his share of difficulties. Worst of all, he can't shake the habit of breaking out into his trademark quivering vocals: "The transition's been a little rocky. My brain is just so good at coming up with sad songs about how we're just pawns in this f--ked up game, that sometimes the lyrics just slip out."

Of course, Oberst isn't alone in his job. In this comical alternate reality, he works alongside his Better Oblivion Community Center bandmate, Phoebe Bridgers. Although Oberst's try-hard attitude gets some flack from his superiors, Bridgers naturally exudes an effortless cool factor. "Yeah, I'll probably do this for a while," Bridgers says. "But it's kind of a bullsh*t job."

Watch the clip and delight in the sad songs of late night TV below.

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Harry Styles

Photo by John Angelillo (UPI/Shutterstock)

Harry Styles nearly broke Ticketmaster on Thursday morning, when tickets to his exclusive performance before his Fine Line tour went on sale for only $25, with a presale code available for early access.

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MUSIC

Bon Iver Makes Fans Cry Again

His two new tracks aren't revolutionary, but they're gonna make you cry.

When Bon Iver released For Emma, Forever Ago in 2008, it captivated listeners with its soft melodies and solemn introspection.

As time has gone on, Justin Vernon has continuously found a way to dive deeper into that well of untamed emotion, and through each release he's maintained and expanded upon his poetic yearning and hushed brooding. "It's as if he's trying to inhabit the in-between spaces separating musical expression and private rumination, exposing his regrets without relinquishing them," wrote Pitchfork.

Vernon's music has always been a catalyst for my emotional breakdowns, for the days I just want to sink into myself. "Holocene," "715 – Creeks," "For Emma," "Wash," and "29 #Strafford APTS" are just a few of the tracks that have been there to pull me down deep into an emotional swamp, reassuring me along the way that loud, aggressive sobbing in my neighborhood Starbucks is totally acceptable—even encouraged. Cathartic and dismantling, his falsetto is like a superpower, chipping away at listeners until they're raw. No one can escape it, and that's why when Vernon released "Hey, Ma," and "U (Man Like)," I waited until I was completely alone in my bedroom to listen.

"Hey, Ma" is laser-focused, with Vernon trimming the hedges and honing the glitchy tones of 22, a Million while leaning back into the soft-spoken folk of his first two releases. His ambient storytelling is still present, but this time around it takes its most palpable shape, with Vernon cooing to his mother, "Full time you talk your money up, tall time to call your ma, hey ma!" The second single, "U (Man Like)" is a brazen call to action from Vernon, as he asks for his fellow man to step up. "How much caring is there of some American love when there's lovers sleeping in your streets?" Compared to the existential questions Vernon has asked in the past, both tracks are thematically conspicuous and relatively grounded, previewing a new Bon Iver who's more concerned with being a better person in this realm than finding his place in the universe. The results are two songs that are catchy but manage to instill a feeling of hope and reflection. Yes, they will also make you cry.

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MUSIC MONDAY | Pop Evil – “A Crime To Remember” Not to Be Forgotten

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Pop Evil - A Crime To Remember

THE MIX | Grooving Across the Genres


07.30.18 | "Hey this is Leigh from Pop Evil and we're currently on the road supporting our new self-titled LP. These songs are just a snapshot of what I'm listening to right now, and they all mean the world to me. All of them are new tracks spanning the genre gamut, enjoy!"

Watch "A Crime to Remember":

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