Desaparecidos

Desaparecidos were an American indie/punk rock side project headed by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst, the frontman of the indie band Bright Eyes. They were also hailed as

Desaparecidos were an American indie/punk rock side project headed by singer/guitarist Conor Oberst, the frontman of the indie band Bright Eyes. They were also hailed as the Saddle Creek supergroup. Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Desaparecidos' lyrics are political in nature, and are about the state of affairs in America.

The band was both lauded and criticized for its intentionally raw sound following the release of Read Music/Speak Spanish. In sharp contrast to Bright Eyes' confessional, even sometimes mournful vocals, Conor Oberst's vocals in Desaparecidos' songs are much more characteristic of punk rock. Though his wavery voice is still present, he snarls in "Happiest Place On Earth" that "there's not enough to fatten the cows and feed all of us. Its just a rationing of luck." In "Mañana", he shouts, "We will spread, we will cover the earth / Like air and water / [...] If we're stopped, we'll just start again." The focus of the album, that today's bigger/better/best society is never sated, is neatly summed up by "Greater Omaha", in which Oberst muses, "One more mouthful, and they will be happy then."