This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Olaf chapter.
It’s getting to be that time of year when summer is so close, yet the endless amount of school work makes June and returning home seem eons away. Even the weather seems to have it out for you. (I’m going to go ahead and ask the question on everyone’s mind: Why the f–k is it snowing?) Basically, you’re stuck in a rut. Personally, this is the time when I return to the bands from my hometown: Omaha, Nebraska. Not only is the music itself good, but it evokes better times. Friends, family, those awkward high school memories, the ability to wear open-toed shoes…you all know what I’m talking about. Most of all, I take pride in knowing that the people in these bands roamed the same streets as me, hung out at the same places etc. The music below is just a reminder of how great home can be.
A quick note: Omaha is home to Saddle Creek records, a label started by Mike Mogis (a member of many future Saddle Creek bands) and Justin Oberst (Conor Oberst’s brother, more on him later). The label is named after Saddle Creek Road, a street that cuts through midtown Omaha. And if you know anything about Omaha, midtown is where it’s at. Nearly all of Omaha’s musical fame comes from Saddle Creek records.
Perhaps the most famous artist to come out of Omaha is Conor Oberst. Since recording his first album at the age of 13, Oberst has been a part of groups such as Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Monsters of Folk as well as releasing numerous solo albums. He was also an integral member of that questionable “emo” movement a few years back. Regardless, Oberst has come a long way since this Creighton Preparatory yearbook photo:
http://bridgesandballoons.buzznet.com/user/photos/conor-oberst-yearbook/?id=4223471
Here is “Bowl of Oranges” from Oberst’s album Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TZlrNZQbXg
As I previously mentioned, many of these bands remind me of my high school days: driving on Saddle Creek, making poor outfit decisions, penning Xanga posts late into the night. Rilo Kiley provided a soundtrack to these memorable times. As I grew older and moved onto facebook, I recall all the cool girls writing “Jenny Lewis” (the bands lead singer) under their Religious Views. This was huge, seeing how I attended Catholic school and still thought I looked good with a middle parted ponytail. Although Rilo Kiley isn’t technically from Omaha, they were on Saddle Creek for a brief period and seem to be buddy-buddy with a lot of the bands. Lewis even penned the lyric “We’ll go to Omaha and work to exploit the booming music scene” in Rilo Kiley’s song “The Execution of All Things.” Big Things. Listen for it below. It should also be noted that Lewis was in some classic preteen ’90s movies such as “Troop Beverly Hills” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry, They Get Even.” Further, guitarist Blake Sennett had a small yet reoccurring role in the classic television show Boy Meets World.
I thought I’d wrap up this post with a great band by the name of Criteria. Criteria was one of the first shows I ever attended and it was also one of the best. They were loud, energetic, and basically everything a rock band should be. Unfortunately, they haven’t put out any new music in a few years (insert hints here). I also want to mention that the wife of the lead singer used to babysit my siblings and I and would play Power Rangers with us. This automatically makes her (and Criteria) cooler than you.
I hope you enjoy listening to these bands as much as I enjoyed writing this post. Although I only listed three, there are still tons of other great Omaha bands. Check out Cursive, The Good Life, Desaparecidos, The Faint, Tokyo Police Club…actually just go to Saddle Creek’s website and buy all the albums. You will not be disappointed.
Until next time, here’s to hoping the weather remembers its April…
