Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape of a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle's flowerheads.

The term thistle is sometimes taken to mean exactly those plants in the tribe Cynareae (synonym: Cardueae), especially the genera Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum. However, plants outside this tribe are sometimes called thistles, and if this is done thistles would form a polyphyletic group.

Taxonomy

, a method of seed dispersal by wind. The tiny seeds are a favorite of goldfinches and some other small birds.]] Genera in the Asteraceae with the word thistle often used in their common names include:

Arctium – Burdock

Carduus – Musk Thistle and others

Carlina – Carline Thistle

Centaurea – Star Thistle

Cicerbita – Sow Thistle

Cirsium – Common Thistle, Field Thistle and others

Cnicus – Blessed Thistle

Cynara – Artichokes, Cardoon

Echinops – Globethistle

Notobasis – Syrian thistle

Onopordum – Cotton Thistle, also known as Scots or Scotch Thistle

Scolymus – Golden Thistle or Oyster Thistle

Silybum – Milk Thistle

Sonchus – Sow Thistle

Plants in families other than Asteraceae which are sometimes called thistle include:

Salsola – Saltwort, Tumbleweed, or Russian Thistle (family Chenopodiaceae)

Heraldry

.]] In the language of flowers, the thistle (like the burr) is an ancient Celtic symbol of nobility of character as well as of birth, for the wounding or provocation of a thistle yields punishment.

The thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland since the reign of Alexander III (1249–1286) and was used on silver coins issued by James III in 1470. It is the symbol of the Order of the Thistle, a high chivalric order of Scotland. It is found in many Scottish symbols and as the name of several Scottish football clubs. The thistle, crowned with the Scottish crown, is the symbol of seven of the eight Scottish Police Forces (the exception being the Northern Constabulary). The thistle is also the emblem of Encyclopædia Britannica, which originated in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carnegie Mellon University features the thistle in its crest.

Origin as a symbol of Scotland

According to a legend, an invading Norse army was attempting to sneak up at night upon a Scottish army's encampment. During this operation one barefoot Norseman had the misfortune to step upon a thistle, causing him to cry out in pain, thus alerting Scots to the presence of the Norse invaders. Some sources suggest the specific occasion was the Battle of Largs, which marked the beginning of the departure of King Haakon IV (Haakon the Elder) of Norway who, having control of the Northern Isles and Hebrides, had harried the coast of the Kingdom of Scotland for some years. Which species of thistle is referred to in the original legend is disputed. Popular modern usage favours Cotton Thistle Onopordum acanthium, perhaps because of its more imposing appearance, though it is unlikely to have occurred in Scotland in mediaeval times; the Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, an abundant native species in Scotland, is a more likely candidate. Other species, including Dwarf Thistle Cirsium acaule, Musk Thistle Carduus nutans, and Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum have also been suggested.

Place names

Carduus is the Latin term for a thistle (hence cardoon, chardon in French), and Cardonnacum is the Latin word for a place with thistles. This is believed to be the origin of name of the Burgundy village of Chardonnay, Saône-et-Loire, which in turn is thought to be the home of the famous Chardonnay grape variety.

Ecology

Thistle flowers, along with bugle and brambles flowers, are favourite nectar sources of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, and Dark Green Fritillary butterflies. Thistles (and thistle-seed feeders) also attract the North American goldfinch.

Some thistles (for example Cirsium vulgare, native to Eurasia), have been widely introduced outside their native range. Control measures include Trichosirocalus weevils, but a problem with this approach, at least in North America, is that the introduced weevils may affect native thistles at least as much as the desired targets.

Weed removal

As a weed, thistles are sometimes thought to be difficult to remove, as they will grow back if cut. However, covering the cut stem with plain table salt will kill the root.

Literary references

Hugh MacDiarmid's poem A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle is an extended meditation on themes which are in part derived from the position of the plant in secular Scottish iconography.

Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case, Garth Nix's novella in , involves a Free Magic creature's weakness to be a thistle.

The thistle also features in the song The Thistle o' Scotland which uses the plant as a humorous metaphor for the prickly determinations of Scots: Wha daur meddle wi' me! which is the Scots translation of the motto, Nemo me impune lacessit.

They Burn the Thistles is the second part of the İnce Memed tetralogy by one of Turkey's leading writers, Yaşar Kemal.

The poem "Thistles" by Ted Hughes.

In the anime One Piece, the flower that suits Roronoa Zoro is a Thistle.

It is also Eeyore's favorite food in Winnie the Pooh.

Medical uses

Maud Grieve recorded that Pliny and medieval writers had thought it could return hair to bald heads and that in the early modern period it had been believed to be a remedy for headaches, plague, canker, sores, vertigo, and jaundice.

Notes and references

External links

Category:Asteraceae Category:National symbols of Scotland

Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
Name	Conor Oberst
Landscape	Yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Conor Mullen Oberst
Alias	Mitchell Cain
Born	February 15, 1980
Origin	Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Instrument	Guitar, piano, drums, vocals
Occupation	Singer-Songwriter
Genre	Indie folkIndie rockFolk rockAlternative country
Years active	1992–present
Label	Saddle Creek RecordsMerge RecordsWichita RecordingsTeam Love records
Associated acts	Bright EyesConor Oberst and the Mystic Valley BandDesaparecidosCommander VenusPark Ave.The FaintThe Magnetas Monsters of Folk
Url	Conor OberstBright Eyes Website Monsters of Folk Website Saddle Creek Records

Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer (The Faint), Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.

Musical career

Oberst began his musical career at age 13 while at St. Pius X St. Leo School with Ben Lancaster. He was in the school choir and other musical groups at the school. One night in 1992, Ted Stevens (of Mayday and Cursive) invited Oberst onstage to play. Bill Hoover, who was in attendance, invited Oberst to come back to play with him a couple of weeks later. In that short amount of time, Oberst wrote enough songs to fill out the set, establishing himself as an artist. Shortly thereafter, Oberst began committing his new repertoire to tape in his parents' basement with his father's four track cassette recorder and an acoustic guitar.

In mid-1993, Oberst self-released his debut album Water on cassette tape. The release of the album was financed by his brother Justin on what they called Lumberjack Records, the indie label that would become Saddle Creek Records, making them founders and present day executives of the label.

Shortly after his two solo recordings, Oberst began playing with four friends; they formed Commander Venus in mid-1995.

Here's to Special Treatment was followed by 1996's The Soundtrack to My Movie, a cassette only released on Sing Eunuchs!. Kill the Monster Before It Eats Baby, a split 7" vinyl with Bill Hoover, was also released around this time.

The Faint

In 1994, following a Slowdown Virginia show, Oberst, along with friends Joel Petersen, Todd Fink (formerly Todd Baechle) and Clark Baechle, formed a band called Norman Bailer, later known as The Faint. A few days later, Oberst told the other members of the band that they had a show in two weeks at Kilgore's. Despite having never performed together, they produced nine songs to perform. An album, Sine Sierra was released on cassette only in 1995.

Commander Venus

Oberst formed the rock band Commander Venus in 1994 with Tim Kasher, Todd Baechle, Ben Armstrong, and Robb Nansel. They recorded two albums: Do You Feel at Home? (1995) and The Uneventful Vacation (1997). Kasher later went on to form Cursive, Baechle became the vocalist for The Faint and Nansel was the co-founder of Saddle Creek Records. Kasher left the group to focus on Cursive as they were about to go in to the studio to record their second album, and was replaced by Todd Baechle. Commander Venus disbanded in 1998.

The Magnetas

The Magnetas were only active for a very brief period of time in 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska. Along with Oberst, band members included Todd Fink (The Faint) and Chris Hughes (Beep Beep). They recorded three songs, only one of which ("Anex Anex") was released on Ghostmeat Records' Parts compilation album. Two other confirmed recordings exist: "Clatter" and "Science Fiction in Schools."

Park Ave.

In January 1996, Oberst began playing drums in a group named Park Ave., alongside Baechle, Jenn Bernard, Neely Jenkins (now in the band Tilly and the Wall), and Jamie Williams (also in Tilly and the Wall). The group only played between 10 and 15 shows and made a handful of recordings (several of them with Mike Mogis as producer). The group disbanded in 1998 when Williams, the singer and primary songwriter, moved to London, England. In 1999, Urinine Records released their only album, When Jamie Went to London...We Broke Up, which has also now been re-released under Team Love.

Bright Eyes

, Sweden. July 16, 2005 ]] Oberst's television performances with Bright Eyes have included a spot on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he performed "When the President Talks to God" in May 2005. The performance drew notice for the song's political overtones. Oberst has also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, where he performed "Trees Get Wheeled Away" , and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, where he sang "Road to Joy" (which included an abrupt smashing of instruments and an interview with Conor Oberst promoting the band's two new albums: Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning).

Aside from his Jay Leno performance, Oberst has made other political statements as a band member of Bright Eyes along with fellow band member Mike Mogis. A longtime opponent of Clear Channel, Oberst in September 2005 cancelled a show the band was scheduled to play at The Pageant in St. Louis due to the venue's ties with the media giant. Before the 2004 presidential election, he took Bright Eyes on the road with Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. as part of the "Vote for Change" tour.

Bright Eyes have collaborated with a number of renowned artists of the country and folk genre. They include Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle.

In a June 2009 issue of Rolling Stone, Oberst announced that he wanted to "retire" the Bright Eyes moniker, and would be making one final album with the band: "It does feel like it needs to stop at some point. I'd like to clean it up, lock the door, say goodbye." A re-release of the Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova split One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels was released early 2010, featuring 4 new songs.

On July 31, 2010, Bright Eyes teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska, and Brian Cavanaugh to put on a concert for equality in Omaha, Nebraska. The concert raised money for a federal lawsuit the ACLU is filing against the city of Fremont, Nebraska for an ordinance the city passed on June 21, 2010 banning the hiring of or the rental of properties to illegal immigrants. At this show, Bright Eyes debuted a new song entitled "Coyote Song" about 2 lovers separated by the Mexico-United States Border.

The band's new album entitled "The People's Key" was released by Saddle Creek Records on Conor's 31st birthday, February 15, 2011.

Desaparecidos

Oberst was a guitarist and singer for Desaparecidos. The music and lyrics of Desaparecidos differ greatly from Bright Eyes, having more in common with punk rock than Oberst's usual folk rock. The lyrics are generally social commentary on the state of affairs in America and the pitfalls of the suburban lifestyle, as opposed to the more introspective lyrics of Bright Eyes. Desaparecidos was active as a band between 2001–2002 but have regrouped to play shows in the Omaha area. They have two releases: a single for "The Happiest Place on Earth" and the full-length "Read Music/Speak Spanish".

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

In November 2007, it was reported that Oberst would work on a solo record with Jake Bellows, and that he and M. Ward would start a band and perform two late December shows in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contrary to what was believed, the shows were not played with M. Ward, but rather with Nik Freitas and Jason Boesel. They also played a show in February in Mexico City, Mexico.

On March 31, 2008, it was announced that Conor Oberst would play at the 2008 Reading and Leeds Festivals. In addition, he also performed at the Electric Picnic, in County Laois, Ireland on August 31, 2008, the Cains Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Austin City Limits in late September 2008, shows across Australia in early October 2008, and the Warfield Theater in San Francisco October 24. Conor also headlined the Friday night slot of The End of the Road Festival at the Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, held over the weekend of 12–14 September 2008.

Conor Oberst released the self-titled album Conor Oberst, which was recorded in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico with Taylor Hollingsworth on guitar and Macey Taylor on bass, on August 5, '08 on Merge Records.

In about mid October, the band sold a new EP, Gentleman's Pact. It was limited to 1000 copies and was only available on tour. The band placed limitations on how many were sold at shows. It has four unreleased tracks. Three of them are pre-album songs while "Corina, Corina" is a cover of a traditional folk song.

Conor and the band released their second album, Outer South, on May 5, 2009 on Merge Records. They have also released a documentary, One Of My Kind.

Monsters of Folk

Conor Oberst is one of the four members of the band Monsters of Folk. Other band members include Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M. Ward and fellow Bright Eyes member Mike Mogis. The band members swap instruments and share vocal duties. The quartet released their self-titled debut album on September 22, 2009.

Songwriting

He was named the best songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.

Saddle Creek and Team Love

Oberst is one of the founding members of the independent record label Saddle Creek Records, which hosts and has hosted bands including Cursive, Desaparecidos, The Faint (who left to start their own label Blank.wav), Rilo Kiley (who left to start their own label Brute/Beaute Records), Bright Eyes, Two Gallants, Son, Ambulance, Azure Ray, The Good Life, Sorry About Dresden, among others.

Oberst co-founded the Team Love record label (along with Nate Krenkel long time manager of Bright Eyes) to "do different things, or smaller things, that we couldn't get everyone to be into at the same time" at Saddle Creek. such as Tilly and the Wall, Willy Mason, The Felice Brothers, David Dondero, Taylor Hollingsworth and Jenny Lewis' solo album with The Watson Twins.

Influences

Oberst was drawn to music at a very early age, due in part to his older brother Matt's penchant for bands like The Smiths, R.E.M., Fugazi, and The Cure. He has cited their first singles collection, Staring at the Sea, as the first record he ever bought, as well as being one of his favorites. "It must have been third grade...I bought the cassette at a local record store chain called Homer's in Omaha. I just loved the sound of Robert Smith's voice. It just sounded good."

Some of his biggest influences and favorite songwriters are local musicians David Dondero and Simon Joyner. Joyner wrote the song "Burn Rubber", which Bright Eyes covered on the "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" single. The two used to do mini-tours together, usually on weekends due to Joyner having a family.

Oberst has also been heavily influenced by the 1960s folk revival, mentioning Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and country singers Emmylou Harris, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt. He covered Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend", collaborating with Mike Mogis, Jim James and M. Ward in concert. He performed the Townes Van Zandt song "Rex's Blues" live with fellow musician Steve Earle. He has also performed two of John Prine's songs live, "Crazy as a Loon" and "Wedding Day in Funerville". Harris sang on a few tracks on Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning.

Oberst was also greatly influenced by Daniel Johnston. A cover of "Devil Town" is featured on .

Oberst was also profoundly influenced by the work of Elliott Smith, saying in an October 22, 2003 All Things Considered interview that "sometimes when you're not feeling good, you have to listen to really sad music like Elliott Smith's" and that [Smith] "wrote the sweetest, saddest, most gentle songs". Oberst also said he liked to "listen to Elliott Smith's songs when he [couldn't] find anyone to talk to on the phone" and thought that it was sad that, "through his music, [Smith] had the ability to answer feelings in others that he was unable to answer in himself". A live cover of Smith's "The Biggest Lie" is featured on Motion Sickness.

Personal beliefs

Oberst has publicly supported PETA. On January 1 and February 7, 2008, Oberst performed at a rally in Omaha, Nebraska for 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama. While he was raised Catholic, Conor Oberst holds no specific religion, claiming he has not found one that "hit the mark" for him yet. He expresses disappointment in the narrow-mindedness of major religions, and is fascinated and frustrated by "eternal" concepts.

Discography

As Conor Oberst

:

In bands

Monsters of Folk The Sun Society

Guest work

Arab Strap - Monday at the Hug & Pint (2003)

Criteria – En Garde (2003)

Cursive – The Ugly Organ (2003)

Street To Nowhere – Tipsy (2006)

Tilly and The Wall - ''You and I Misbehaving

Mayday – Old Blood (2002)

Son, Ambulance – Key (2004)

Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins – "Handle With Care" (2005)

Dntel – "Breakfast in Bed"

Melon Galia – "N'en Parlons Plus"

The Faint – "Dust"

Maria Taylor – (2005) and Lynn Teeter Flower (2007)

"Lua" (2009) Dark Was the Night, Red Hot Organization

The Album Leaf-"Hungry for a Holiday"

References

External links

Team Love Records

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

– Brand new Conor Oberst fan site/community

Saddle Creek Records

Live review on Drowned in Sound

Review Solo Projects

Interviews

New York Magazine: Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst Finds Inspiration in New York (01.07.05)

NPR: A Chat with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (01.14.05)

Huffington Post: Conor Oberst on Politics, The Presidency, and Purple States (06.26.08)

Category:1980 births Category:American agnostics Category:American folk singers Category:American male singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American indie rock musicians Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Nebraska Category:Pescetarians Category:People from Omaha, Nebraska Category:Saddle Creek Records artists Category:Team Love Records artists Category:Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska