Okonokos Press

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.sonybmgmusic.co.uk/news/2925/

My Morning Jacket
Okonokos
14/08/2006
My Morning Jacket release a glorious double CD on October 2nd.

Okonokos is a live album, a concert movie, an imaginary place– the setting for the ideal My Morning Jacket concert.

"We dressed stage with lots of leaves, tried to make it look like a forest," remembers Jim, "and built a little story through the movie, so there's a narrative continuing along. I don't wanna give too much away, I'd rather people saw it themselves. But we didn't want to do 'My Morning Jacket: Live at The Fillmore', or 'Live at Shepherd's Bush'. We wanted to make it mysterious; it's not about a time, or a place, it's about us playing music, somewhere!"

And what music... Okonokos is like My Morning Jacket sat down and played the perfect gig, just for you, with a setlist that'll charm new fans and the hardcore equally. Lowdown is giddily ecstatic, Jim's voice and the twin-guitars chiming in unison. Run Through stretches its arcing Zeppelin riffs out to a floor-shaking ten minutes, it's mid-song drum'n'bass breakdown a highlight of every 'Jacket show. The desolate Dondante similarly draws its drama out past ten minutes, Jim's ghostly verses giving way to a guitar solo that challenges Neil Young's Like A Hurricane for sorrowful eloquence. And a piano-wrecking, road-ragged stomp through the head-banging country-rock of Dancefloors shows that the stage inspires My Morning Jacket to always take their beloved songs somewhere else."We really go for it in the studio," Jim laughs, "But it's nice to open the songs up, when we're playing them live. When we watched the footage back for the first time, we were just amazed we lived through it: we filmed right at the end of a long tour, we were all getting sick, we were fuckin' slaughtered! A couple of songs stretched past the ten minute mark there, and they're my favourite versions of those songs, better than the album versions.

[LaurieBlue]

http://billboard.blogs.com/jadedinsider/2006/08/we_deliver_for_.html

My Morning Jacket, "Okonokos" (Sept. 26, ATO):

MMJ is one of the best live bands in rock, so we'd be testy if their first concert album didn't deliver the goods, which it thankfully does. There are ripping versions of "Z" tracks like "Anytime" and "Gideon," oldies like "Dancefloors" and "Mahgeetah" and lesser-known fare such as "Xmas Curtain," "Steam Engine" and "I Will Sing You Songs." Too bad they couldn't include their jaw-dropping cover of the Band's "It Makes No Difference" with Eddie Vedder, frequently performed while they were opening for Pearl Jam in May.

[ChiefOKONO]

awesome writeup laurie, thank you!

[dragonboy]

...and lesser-known fare such as "Xmas Curtain," "Steam Engine" and "I Will Sing You Songs."

Steam Engine?!! Lesser-known?!!  :-/

[Meddle]

This is malarchy!

[MyLifeISought]

[they're my favourite versions of those songs, better than the album versions.

i think that's going to be commonplace for the songs on this album
VERY well put about Dondante.

[tomEisenbraun]

this is the first "country" reference i've read that actually made me smile. they weren't dumb about it, they just used it where it was truly applicable and it definitely works.

well done sirs!

[doEVILslittle]

My Old Kentucky Blog has some clips of the DVD up

http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/2006/08/my-morning-jacket-okonokos-double-live.html

[droseritfw]

That clip just made me crap my pants.

[dragonboy]

WOW!!! Cheers 4 posting!  :)  :)  :)

[sweatboard]

HOLY FUCK!!!!!!!  :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

It looks like the enchanted forest idea is really going to pay off big time.  I was a little sceptical at first but they guy putting it togther is genious and really captures the humor and the magic and the raw natures of this band.  Looks like I will not be dissapointed.

[Meddle]

(Awe)

[dragonboy]

WOW...I can't stop watching this clip! Clearly this is going to be so much more than your average concert DVD. Do we really have to wait until the end of October? Man, this looks SO good...

[BH]

There is not a big enough smilley face in the world for what I just witnessed.

[dragonboy]

Haha, what is that supposed to be BH?!!  ;D ;D ;D

[dragonboy]

Haha, you modified your post!  ;D

[BH]

I was trying to make a giant smiley face but it didn't translate very well and I erased it but you caught me! ;)

[BH]

Holy shit is that DVD going to be good or what db?  I wish we could all get together for one big giant viewing party!

[dragonboy]

You gotta be faster than that BH!  ;)

[dragonboy]

Holy shit is that DVD going to be good or what db?  I wish we could all get together for one big giant viewing party!

Yer seriously...I mean we all knew it was going to be good but that clip just transcends all expectations. It f**king blows them out of the water!!!
A viewing party we be the coolest. One day we'll all hook up Bro, one day...