Alright, so continuing with in this indie vein (isn’t indie just the next emo?) I figured we better at least spend a moment talking about the quintessential broken hearted indie rocker, Conor Oberst. Oberst is the front man and main contributer in Bright Eyes. While the music Bright Eyes has produced ranges greatly, I’ve tried to include some of that music which seems best suited for heartbreak.

Basketball is a song that I listen to frequently while going through rocky relationships. It always seems like when things are going well, they suddenly crash. Then, when things are at the worst my ex shows up and we get back together and the cycle starts all over again. Hopefully this song will help you wallow, like its helped me.

Basketball

I was first introduced to Owen when I was taking an Intro to Film class by a friend named Jeff. I had to search high and low to find songs, but when I did I realized it was worth the effort.

So imagine with me, if you will, a band that features a great guitarist, great drummer, solid vocals and songwriting. Now, imagine that they’re all the same person. If you were able to imagine such a thing you’d pretty much be thinking about Owen. Owen is the work of Mike Kinsella. Having played with Joan of Arc, Cap’n Jazz, Owls and American Football, Kinsella already had a few successful projects under his belt when he decided to go solo.

So, Owen is good. The music is mellow, the lyrics are intelligent and if you’re looking to be impressed, feel vidicated, and still wallow in your sorrow then you don’t need to look any further than Mike Kinsella’s Owen.

Who Found Who’s Hair In Who’s Bed?

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That Mouth:

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I first heard of Okkervil River when they came into town while on tour with The Decemberists. I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to go to the show and so I decided to see what Okkervil sounded like. While I didn’t end up going to the show I did end up liking Okkervil River. In fact I like them a whole lot more than The Decemberists. I think what appeals to me is the emotion conveyed through their vocals.

While the actual tonal quality might be quite different, I find myself drawing comparisons between Okkervil’s lead singer, Will Shef and Bright Eyes front man, Conor Oberst. Both prefer confering emotion over vocal perfection and for all I know it may be because they lack the ability to sing in tune.

It Ends With a Fall:

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For decades and decades people have been writing songs about breaking up.  I don’t think I ever really appreciated how many songs there were until I was going through the process of breaking up my engagement to my then fiancee Carrie.  I remember listening to my Ipod and having to skip song after song because they were all either talking about breaking up (which reminded me of my situation and made me feel worse) or were talking about being in love (which reminded me of how things had been and made me feel worse).  Since then I’ve heard countless songs about breaking up.  Now is my chance to share some of these songs with you, the broken hearted public.  We hope that if nothing else these songs will help expose you to some new music and help you to realize that pretty much everyone goes through heartbreak of some kind at some time in life (even Britney and K-Fed have their hard times).