Conor Oberst, “No One Changes” b/w “The Rockaways”

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Back in olden days of yore, artists released 45s of their latest songs, and if they were good (or if certain people got paid) those songs got played on the radio and became hit singles. After releasing a few singles, the record company would compile those singles into an album. Great idea.

Then in the mid-’60s acts like The Beatles and The Beach Boys started releasing full albums of new material and the so-called “album era” began. The advent of online digital technology has eroded the album concept, at least with popular music. Nowadays, kids download or stream the songs they want, and place them into playlists with other singles.

It’s a shift that, in some ways, could help artists, especially up-and-coming acts who in the past assumed they had to wait and release an entire album before they started playing new songs or tour. I like the idea of bands, especially local bands, releasing two- or three-song singles every few months. It gives me a reason to go see them again and again rather than seeing the same band play the same material for a full year between albums, choosing to hold back on the new stuff until they get into the studio again.

(How many times have I heard “Wait ’til you hear our new stuff,” or “We have another whole album written,” and then been told I have to wait until the music is recorded, only for the band to never get around to releasing it because they don’t have the cash or time to get an entire album put together?)

All of that is a long way of saying it’s nice to see an artist like Conor Oberst release a new two-song single, which he did last night. “No One Changes” b/w “The Rockaways” is available for pre-order from Oberst’s bandcamp page as a 7-inch or can be streamed for free or downloaded for a fee right now. Vinyl singles give fans something they can collect, or they can wait and see if the songs will be included on a future album, just like they did it in the old days.

It’s also nice to hear a couple new songs dropped into his set the next time Conor rolls into town, which right now is Nov. 17, opening for John Prine at The Orpheum. Get your tix now.

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Got those post-election blues? Look, we didn’t get everything we wanted, but we got some of what we needed, right?

Well either celebrate and/or drink your troubles away tonight at Pageturners Lounge where NYC act Poppies (w/ Noah from Navy Gang) plays with headliner Nathan Ma. Putter & Co. open at 9, and this one’s free.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.