Today I'm listening to a lot of Bright Eyes. Stuff from the Every Day and Every Night EP right now. Awhile ago, I listened to some of Lifted and will listen to more of it later, I'm sure. We'll definitely get to Fevers and Mirrors in a bit.
People like to make cracks about "emo" and whatnot (which Bright Eyes never was), but Conor Oberst is just one hell of a great songwriter. Lifted is just a brilliant rock and roll album, whether you look at it in some sort of underground context or if you compare it with anything else out there. Of course the rock press is all about it, but I like it anyeay. ;-)
I really need to get to reviewing some records, but I'm studying right now. Sometimes I can do both simultaneously; however, I had on earlier a record that came in the mail today for review and I just couldn't do it. People think that because we cover some things that are spiritual or Christian, that means we want a crummy band that wants to be some sort of praisechorus-spewing version of Dave Matthews (though U2 was mentioned probably one less time in the name-dropping bio). Sorry to disappoint, but I don't like the Dave Matthews Band, so patterning your CCM band after that sort of thing isn't really where it's at.