Denver Pre-Show Press

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_4988993

A band tailor made for the road
By John Wenzel
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Article Created:

People often feel moved to describe My Morning Jacket's music as they would the weather: stormy, uplifting, breezy, sun-drenched, turbulent.

The Louisville, Ky.-based group of long-haired guitar lovers has been perfecting its songwriting since 1999's "The Tennessee Fire." That spare, spooky album had more in common with lo-fi Midwestern acts like Swearing at Motorists than Neil Young or The Flaming Lips - references often made in their press.

But last year's "Okonokos," live double-CD/DVD, proved one thing: My Morning Jacket has developed into an undeniable concert powerhouse, backing up claims that their Bonnaroo and Coachella sets were high points of those festivals.

"We're trying to write and deliver music according to the room, so if we're playing a bigger place we intentionally cater to it," said drummer Patrick Hallahan. "We don't want to blow the roof off a small place, unless they want us to."

The band plays a two-night stint at the 1,600-seat Ogden Theatre starting tonight. This speaks to its burgeoning audience. Once embraced solely by the indie rock and alt-country communities, My Morning Jacket's audience now overlaps with the jam band world. Their label, ATO Records, was co-founded by jam icon Dave Matthews.

"A goal is to not make one specific kind of music," Hallahan said. "We're not jam band. There's a method to what we do. We like to have this beginning and ending and not just a bunch of tangents."

Despite that, songs on "Okonokos" feel like sepia-toned jams at times, succinct in execution but fiery and extended. Recorded over two nights at San Francisco's Fillmore, the pristine sound mix and exquisite musicianship seem a far cry from the subdued, intimate croon of lead singer Jim James' early days.

The band started out recording its vocals in an 80-foot grain silo to attain a deep, natural reverb. James' ethereal melodies were shot through with doo-wop and soul influences. Lyrics turned on lost loves and thunderstorm-laden horizons.

The band still straddles genres, as evidenced by its last couple of studio albums. Although they reference R&B and reggae, a driving, twang-rock undercurrent unites them. The verve with which the band attacks its songs also recalls metal.

"It's just who we are and how we react to music," said Hallahan. "We practice like that, too. When we're sitting around the bus listening to music, we're moving our heads around, getting down on our knees and jumping off the couch. When you see us live, we don't have a meeting beforehand that says, 'We're going to do this tonight."'

Rock music is all about showmanship, but My Morning Jacket's unconscious channeling of that energy is a heartening thing in a world of hand-me-the-Maybelline emo-pop that burns out after a couple years.

Hallahan says if the group ever starts to lose sight of its reasons for forming, it will disband.

"We'll always be rooted in the same family-oriented, music-loving (ethos)," he said. "We're just a bunch of brothers. We love playing music together and hanging out together. That element's never changed, just evolved."

That evolution saw the departure of two band members in 2004, James' cousin Johnny Quaid and keyboard player Danny Cash. The heavy touring following My Morning Jacket's major label debut, "It Still Moves," simply wasn't for them.

That's why after a busy, productive 2006, the current lineup is taking time off to write a new album. The road has been good to them, Hallahan said, but they need a rest after touring nearly non-stop since April. That, and the fact that the rigors of the road aren't the type of thing they would write songs about.

"There's been a lot of positive energy being pushed back at us this year," said Hallahan. "It makes us feel like we're doing the right thing."

Staff writer John Wenzel can be reached at 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com.


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My Morning Jacket
ROCK|Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax Ave.; 8 tonight and Saturday with Elvis Perkins opening|$25|ticketweb.com, 866-468-7621

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/music/article/0,2792,DRMN_54_5273530,00.html

5 Questions for My Morning Jacket
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
January 12, 2007

After four acclaimed studio albums, My Morning Jacket is back with Okonokos, a live album showcasing everything that's good about the Kentucky band. The sprawling two-disc set (and accompanying DVD) captures the group's power and ambition and the ubiquitous reverb-drenched sound that has become a trademark. Cherry-picking the best songs from albums Z, It Still Moves and more, Okonokos provides a perfect snapshot of a band ascending. Singer-songwriter Jim James of the band, which plays tonight and Saturday at the Ogden Theatre, recently answered some questions with pop music writer Mark Brown.

1. Why a live CD now after such a strong stretch of studio releases?

"It showcases everything good about the band - the best writing, the best performances. We always wanted to release a live record, even when we were infants, but things changed along the way, with members leaving the band, etc. We didn't feel 100 percent comfortable until Carl (Broemel, multi-instrumentalist) and Bo (Koster, keyboards) had been with us for a while and Z had been released. We really felt we were the best the band has ever been."

2. What are your favorite live albums?

"I like being able to feel like I'm there, in the moment - and also feel the energy. Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club is one of my faves right now. God, you can feel the hysteria that man whipped up, the screaming and singing along, the raw power of the recording and the timelessness of the songs. Bob Dylan Live at the Royal Albert Hall is one of my faves as well. The first record being acoustic and very dark, and the second record where he went live with The Band is so raw and just blowing up the speakers."

3. Your songwriting is sweeping, almost cinematic at times.

"I don't really think about it all that much. I just feel lucky when I get a bunch of pieces that fall out of my head and they equal a song that I enjoy playing. I definitely get in different moods, feel I need different pieces to make different pictures happen in my brain. My writing desk is next to a window that overlooks someone's backyard, and they are always out there throwing Frisbees and squeaky toys to their yapping dogs. So maybe the music I write is a slow-motion soundtrack to people playing with their pets? Also, Louisville (Ky.) has lots of trees, which I think are essential to writing."

4. You're getting bigger and bigger, but the music industry is imploding. Does that worry you?

"There are so many parts to the 'industry' that I don't think any of it will ever die. People need and love music, no matter how silly record-industry battles get. We've just tried to keep making records we love and keep having fun on tour. That's one thing that record sales or music formats will never affect: the need for people to gather in groups and have a common experience, the need for live music."

5. Are you sick of reading the word 'reverb' in references to MMJ?

"No. I love reverb."

[BH]

Wow, two gems!   Great interview on the second article.  Love the bit about the frisbees! ;D

And the first article. Wow.  Somebody that really gets it!  You can tell he is either a true fan, or at least took the time to write a totally accurate and well formed article.   Bravo John Wenzel of the Denver Post.

[Anu]

These are excellent, but really, the Jacket can't complain about the kind of press it gets. Look up 'critics' band' in this year's rock dictionary, and you'll see a picture of MMJ.

Hope to thank Mark and John this weekend at the shows!

Here's my humble blogarific attempt at pre-show press.

http://babyraindance.blogspot.com/