Courier-Journal GREAT Article

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051008/SCENE04/510080326/1046 <--- Cool photo w/the article



courier-journal.com > Scene >  Music      
Saturday, October 8, 2005

Still on their way up
The turning point
Louisville's My Morning Jacket has a new lineup and an acclaimed new album. Two years ago the band wasn't even sure it had a future.

By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
jpuckett@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

If you wanted to get sentimental about it, the big, beautiful heart of Louisville's My Morning Jacket can be traced back to Jim James' childhood bedroom in Hikes Point, where a stereo and a decent mattress combined to set his pre-teen mind free from gravity's pull.

With the black metal of Sepultura banging, James launched himself off the bed again and again, imaginary hair whipping the air while he hammered phantom riffs against his belt buckle. He was living the rock 'n' roll dream, or at least what he imagined the rock 'n' roll dream to be.
      
James was partly right, and fairly accurate.

He wound up with the hair -- famous hair, at that -- and much more important, he wound up in a band that frequently manages its own version of a gravity-free life.

My Morning Jacket -- all of whose members are in their mid-20s -- has slowly, surely grown into one of rock's most-acclaimed and name-checked bands. They have a cameo in Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" movie and a song on the soundtrack, but the rise to five-star reviews and magazine-cover status hasn't been trouble-free for James, Two-Tone Tommy, Patrick Hallahan, Bo Koster and Carl Broemel.

They've taken some lumps along the way, had some long-standing fantasies shattered and nearly called it quits less than two years ago, but in the big picture these five guys are clearly living one big holiday.
'Z' Day

My Morning Jacket's fourth album, "Z," was released Tuesday and finds the band at a crucial turning point. As the first album recorded with new members Koster and Broemel, it represents a fresh chapter in the band's story. In some ways, MMJ's anointment as the Next Big Thing hinges on the album's reception.

While the band has for several years captured the ears of tastemakers worldwide, a lot of journalists have taken the easy way out by describing the music on "The Tennessee Fire" (1999), "At Dawn" (2001) and "It Still Moves" (2003) as Southern rock, stuck halfway between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young. James, Hallahan and Two-Tone, the most hirsute of the bunch, have been endlessly described as long-haired country boys.

None of the above is completely inaccurate -- just mostly. It seems that what people are trying to say is that the anthemic, cathartic, death-defying splendor of the band at its best is a throwback to a time when rock was encouraged to be a celebration and an invitation to rise above the gray backwash of everyday life. For a lot of music writers, that leads directly back to the bands they loved as kids, which means classic rock, which means Skynyrd and Young. The lazy ones in the bunch just repeat what the rest say.

"Z," however, is blowing their minds.

It's an otherworldly blend of pop, rock and soul music, with the faint influence of Prince-style electronica. Elements from the first three albums are represented, especially by the blast of riffage that's "Lay Low," but for the most part it's a record that even some staunch fans have greeted with reservations and outright confusion.

For the first time, the band has made an album with a co-producer, Englishman John Leckie (Radiohead, Stone Roses, Verve). They abandoned the Shelbyville, Ky., studio built by former MMJ guitarist Johnny Quaid, James' cousin, and its infamous grain silo, the one that served as a reverb chamber to satisfy James' addiction to echo. They've also made a bold, decisive move toward a future where the words "Southern" and "rock" won't appear in the same sentence.

"That'd be cool, but in the end it doesn't matter because we didn't choose to be a 'long-hair band,' " James said. "We just do what we do. Hopefully, that will all fade away. Exposure is not always good exposure. I mean, who would want that kind of exposure?"

"I've seen everybody stretch and grow on this record," Hallahan said. "When I finally got to sit down and listen to it I was just so proud of how everyone pushed themselves. I've never been more proud of anything I've ever been a part of."

James, Hallahan and Two-Tone all credited Koster and Broemel with helping to find a broader sonic palette. Less than two years ago, they couldn't have imagined a similar outcome.
New kids on the rock

My Morning Jacket was pretty messed up in late 2003.

Quaid co-founded MMJ with James in 1999. During the 2004 holidays he quit, along with keyboardist Danny Cash; both were burned out and ready for a quieter life.

The lineup with Quaid and Cash had catapulted the band to a major-label deal and remains treasured by fans for the reckless charm of Quaid's playing and Cash's near-motionless stage presence amid the rest of the band's chaos.

More important, the band members were tight. James and Hallahan, for example, have been best friends since grade school. Hallahan's refrigerator sports a photo of a girlish 10- or 11-year-old James standing next to the mountainous Hallahan, looking for all the world like brother and sister.

When Quaid and Cash began to sicken of the accelerated lifestyle in the wake of "It Still Moves," the entire band suffered.

"Whenever anyone's in a place they don't want to be, it creates a negative space, and that expands to include everyone," James said. "They're much happier people now that they're doing what they want."

"We had gone through so much at that point and had never taken the time for the five of us to sit down and reflect," Two-Tone said. "Luckily for us, it didn't really explode. It just beat us all down past the point of exhaustion."

"All of that stuff you hear about the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is just bull----," James said. "People say, 'You guys are in a movie! You guys are rocking your faces off!' Yeah, but you've got a wife and family, and I envy that. My personal life has just withered and died."

MMJ was a band vote away from breaking up. The thought of playing as a trio was even more unappealing than holding auditions to replace two friends with whom they had lived, worked and laughed.

"We've always prided ourselves on being like a machine, just stepping out on stage and not even looking at each other and just being this big rock machine," James said. "We didn't want to get new guys in the band who would be looking at each other like, 'Is this where I'm supposed to change keys?' "

Oddly enough, Koster and Broemel were the first two guys they auditioned in Los Angeles. Both were living there, transplants from Cleveland and Indianapolis, respectively, and neither was extremely well-versed in MMJ.

Koster had one album and loved it, but Broemel didn't own an MMJ record until he learned every song for his audition. He had a crucial bond with the band, however, that neither party knew existed: He was in even worse spiritual shape.

Music had turned into a job after his Bloomington band, Old Pike, had ended. He was a hired gun with zero creative input in the bands he played with and was flirting with rock bottom. "One day I was driving around feeling really bad and heard the end of (MMJ's) 'I Will Sing You Songs' on the radio. I almost started crying. I thought, man, this is what I want to do. How do I do this?"

But he didn't know it was MMJ until he heard the song while boning up for his audition. "I thought, that's the song! I'm gonna be playing this song a lot."

His confidence paid off. He and Koster were natural fits musically, and their personalities -- responsible and hard-working with a streak of dark, biting humor -- were perfect.

"Bo had learned everything we asked him to learn and more," James said, "but Carl came in and knew every single song we'd ever done."

"And some we didn't know," Hallahan said.

"Yeah, he already knew 'Z,' " James said.

But Koster and Broemel didn't know what to expect when they first stepped on stage with the band in Birmingham, Ala. Rehearsals had been spirited, but something strange happens to the mild-mannered James, Hallahan and Two-Tone when a show starts: They become the adult versions of kids catapulting off the mattress, conduits for the mighty power of the rock, absolute nut-cases who almost levitate with joy.

"It was insane," Koster said, laughing. "The crowd was going crazy. I looked over at Carl, and his eyes were real big, and then I looked at Patrick, and he was smiling at us because he knew.

"I thought, man, this is my new home."
Loving Louisville

Home is an important concept for MMJ's Kentuckians. Louisville is their haven, their life-support, and few interviews pass without a series of shout-outs to the magic that they feel infuses the city and inspires them.

During the increasingly rare times they're off the road, you can find them basking in all things Louisville -- cookouts in Tyler and Cox parks, burgers and bean soup at Check's Germantown Cafe, karaoke at Akiko's and Seidenfaden's. You won't see them on stage, however. The only Louisville show planned for the foreseeable future is Thanksgiving Eve at the Louisville Palace with friends VHS or Beta.

"The reason we try to not play Louisville so much is because we just love Louisville," James said. "This is our home. Most of the great artists I've met are from here, and there's such a great current of creativity. We want to enjoy that and not be the people with our pictures everywhere. We just try to keep it on the down-low."

But if you spot one of the fellas at Highland Coffee on a pretty afternoon, you might get some advice if you want to hear about the hard work it takes to make it into Mojo, Rolling Stone and Best Buy circulars. It's simple but true:

"If you really want to do it, don't sit around and bitch. Go buy a van and do it," James said. "I don't think we'll ever have a mid-life crisis, because I think we all feel we've done everything we could."

And there's more to come.

[EC]

That IS a great article.

Laurie, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you are so AWESOME for putting these all here and making it easy to read.

 [smiley=rock.gif]

[whothrewthecake]

what a fantastic article!  how bout the picture of jim and patrick on patrick's fridge? good times.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

hmmmm...that's a different one than this one:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051008/SCENE04/51007015

[LaurieBlue]

hmmmm...that's a different one than this one:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051008/SCENE04/51007015

Yeah - one's a review of Z (see the Music section) and one's an article on the band.  Jeffrey was one busy writer. :-)

Laurie

[JacketGal]

Definitely a great one! Thanks LB! :D

[ChiefOKONO]

sweet article. thank you Laurie.. once again some great quotes in there!!!

[corey]

but something strange happens to the mild-mannered James, Hallahan and Two-Tone when a show starts: They become the adult versions of kids catapulting off the mattress, conduits for the mighty power of the rock, absolute nut-cases who almost levitate with joy.

"It was insane," Koster said, laughing. "The crowd was going crazy. I looked over at Carl, and his eyes were real big, and then I looked at Patrick, and he was smiling at us because he knew.

"I thought, man, this is my new home."

That's the closest I've ever been to crying while reading an article. Something about that part hit me REAL hard.
Those guys are special.

[LaurieBlue]

That's the closest I've ever been to crying while reading an article. Something about that part hit me REAL hard.
Those guys are special.

Amen.

I hope they tour these parts again next Spring.  I miss them.

Laurie

[LOWTRUX]

Laurie both are great articles. And by the way MMJ have to come to europe pleeease come to spain, im sure youll have a bunch of attendance. I can help!. ;)

[antoniostrohs]

This is a great article and review.Didn't get a chance to read it this weekend since we were out of town.Jeffrey Lee is a very gifted writer,he can make any story interesting even if I don't always agree with him.Plus he's got a great sense of humour in his writing style.He's love this band from the start and is truly a fan.I've stood shoulder to shoulder with him down front at numerous shows.He's also friends with the Louisville boys so I'm sure it can be a little difficult at times to write anything negative about your friends.But he always does a very professional and fair job.
.
Thanks Laurie for the link.

[EC]

What do you think they're singing?

(Um, have they all always had such beautiful teeth?)

I think they're singing a barbershop quintet version of Lick it Up.  

[Dee.]

Lol.

Great picture.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

What do you think they're singing?

(Um, have they all always had such beautiful teeth?)

I think they're singing a barbershop quintet version of Lick it Up.  

I dare you not to laugh at this picture...

[EC]

 [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif] [smiley=rock.gif]
YES!!!

[whothrewthecake]

man, without that makeup they aren't terribly exciting. pretty average looking weirdos, actually.  :-/

[dragonboy]

I thought the same thing.
Don't care for their music but kind of like the image, had that funny/cool kind of thing going for them.
Kiss without makeup just isn't kiss.
Anybody ever see Detroit Rock City? Closest I ever got to liking Kiss.

[Oz]

I want to see that photo of Patrick and Jim looking as brother and sister! :)

And that part about Carl driving in a car and hearing 'I will sing you songs', that's so beautiful...