Coachella Press Reviews

[LaurieBlue]

http://theguide.latimes.com/blogs/soundboard/2008/04/27/my-morning-jacket-melts-hearts-faces/

L.A. Times Music Blog
My Morning Jacket melts hearts, faces
April 27, 2008 7:58pm
The last sound heard at My Morning Jacket's Main Stage set was a garbled, terrifying shriek of voices, electronic glitching, bomb-raid guitar feedback and God knows what else. In an instant, it was the total sum of a set from a band that's looking more and more like it can do absolutely anything.

MMJ shed all the stock "Southern Rock" comparisons on "Z," which drew from sparkle-eyed disco and James Brown crackle as much as their grain-silo lonesome prairie-rock. The live album "Okonokos" documented the absolute monsters they are live. And if the cuts from their forthcoming "Evil Urges" are any indication, they may make those once-silly "American Radiohead" comparisons apt. The rhythms are sparse and more syncopated, nodding at deep soul and even hip-hop at points. The country songs are more romantic and spacious, and the rockers smoke harder than ever. The band's been experimenting with electronica rhythms and samples that sound unexpectedly fitting in their high-lonesome wail, and Jim James has never been in better control of his freakishly athletic voice, which has the desperation of Otis Redding with an ethereal purity all his own.

As culture loses more and more faith in new rock bands' ability to stir bodies, emotions, minds and radio plays at once, My Morning Jacket seems to be one of the only bands that can do each convincingly. No matter your cultural vantage point, MMJ alludes to it with Pentecostal fervor, but one run through with a sadness and majesty that maybe only the Good Book itself gets quite right. It might make them the best American rock band today.

– August Brown

[freeport]

i'm hopin for a setlist soon

[getinthevan]

i'm hopin for a setlist soon

What better way to find out what was played than to listen to a tape of the show...  hopefully...  anyone tape this?  

[Zzzzzzzz]

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/04/coachella-08--3.html

Coachella 08: Dark Side of the Sunday (Or, wait: Dark Sunday of the Moon?)

Apr 28, 2008, 06:59 AM | by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Coachella 2008, Music

Justice_l

Well, nuts. Here it is, 1am on Sunday night, and I'm all proud of myself because I've returned from the last day of Coachella-- where the crowds were not quite as pathetic as Friday, but certainly more comfortable than yesterday's soccer-riot-esque conditions-- to write up my blog post so you kids on the east coast can have it nice and early. And what do I discover? That the Whitney of Thursday told her photo editor she'd like a picture of Justice (left) embedded in her Sunday night blog post, because she would obviously be seeing the French DJs as they closed out the fest. But here's the embarrassing part, PopWatchers: The exhausted Whitney of Sunday didn't make it to that show, which means I've now missed Justice something like four times because they insist upon playing after my elderly bedtime. Tonight, they weren't going on until 11-- basically sunrise by the festival clock, even if they had started on time, which I doubt. Besides, at 11, mainstage headliner Roger Waters was still only like four songs into playing the entirety of Dark Side of the Moon, despite the fact that Roger Waters had already played a good two and a half hours of other stuff. Bored, filthy, out of water, and out of patience, I couldn't take it anymore, and totally bailed. So that picture of Justice over there? Useless to me-- and to you, the PopWatchers I so lovingly serve. I'm sorry.

I wish instead that I had a picture of the Shout Out Louds, or Stars, or Gogol Bordello, or, ideally, My Morning Jacket. Instead, all I have to give are the memories of those four bands, each one simply terrific on this final Coaafternoon, compensating for another generally lackluster lineup by providing sets I watched from start to finish. All this-- plus Swervedriver, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Manchester Orchestra, Metric, Sean Penn, and my discovery of the world's most perfect food item-- after the jump. And I promise to keep it short. This is something I learned while watching Roger Waters.

Bounded through security to the danceably rich rhythms of the Shout Out Louds, rolling up just as the poppy Swedes launched into "Impossible." Frontman Adam Olenius has a voice that's more than a little bit Morrissean, if Morrissey ever employed a cowbell as Olenius does for the catchy bop of "Tonight I Have to Leave It." The group also receives today's Best Guest Star award for bringing out James Fearnley of the Pogues to leap about with his accordion during "Very Loud." Then a quick sampler platter of appetizers (or Jacketeasers, as I think I shall now call them): Manchester Orchestra, a group out of Atlanta that circles the emo county line, and the Field, who-- oh. Right. The Field cancelled, something to do with visas.

So back to the mainstage we went for Broken Social Scene Side Project #1, Stars, where Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan festooned the keyboards with roses which they tossed out to the crowd along with some serious reasons to call B.S.S. Nation the most vital collaborative family working in music today. Not sure what it is about Montreal that breeds such talent, but as Stars cranked their lush, romantic volume up to fill the empty field, I definitely wished more people were around to appreciate it. "Prince said this was the coolest place on earth," said Campbell. "And if he said it, I believe it. Thanks for having us." Then Millan dedicated "Midnight Coward" to the swingers in the tents, yelled, "We'll see you at Metric!" and the two launched into a "Take Me To the Riot" so harmonically golden it's still stuck in my head.

More Jacketeasers: The reunited Swervedriver, whose shoegazey sound Josh best summed up as "Why don't girls like me as much as I like staring at my guitar pedals?", and today's most unexpected surprise, current hype-darlings Does It Offend You, Yeah?. A very nice man in VIP would later refer to them as "Do You Find It Offensive, Right?" but whatever, I totally knew who he meant, and it turns out we both liked those space punks and their furiously hyper video game rock a whole lot, especialy after they dedicated "Let's Make Out" to Elliot Spitzer. Also, further research has informed me that their band name is a quote from the British Office, so now I have to buy their album, I suppose.

Speaking of loud and hyper, Gogol Bordello! So, this was the point where logic unravelled-- maybe in a good way-- and I kind of stopped working and focused on enjoying myself instead, as the day had begun to feel like a wonderfully weird musical desert oasis that only we could see. Josh and I grabbed a beer to better appreciate the Bordellos' gypsy mindset, and we retreated to VIP where, in the press area, a group of journalists were very intently interviewing a man wearing a giant red expressionless mouse head. Out on the picnic tables a woman wearing the lady equivalent of a Borat swimsuit and a Native American headdress was making sure every last one of us saw her ass cleavage. Behind the mainstage, a giant white pig balloon was being spraypainted with graffiti that read, "Don't Be Led to Slaughter," complete with a man in an Uncle Sam hat wielding a pair of bloody cleavers. And in the field, Eugene Hütz was whipping the crowd into a frenzy, everybody jumping up and down to the Eastern European party vibe. I decided that Gogol Bordello are the world's most perfect festival band: They are bouncy, they are encouraging, they do funny things on stage, and you don't have to know their music or understand a single thing they're saying in order to have a blast.

Jacketeaser: Broken Social Scene Side Project #2, Metric, where the lovely Emily Haines and her silver short-suit were plagued by technical difficulties, even though she got the crowd to shout "I LOVE YOU, PRO-ONE" at her cranky synth. Then someone's guitar went nuts and she sighed, "It wouldn't be a Metric show unless we were f---ed." We stayed in earshot to grab some dinner-- might I recommend the Burgerito? It's nothing special, just a cheeseburger and fries wrapped in a soft flour tortilla and the greatest thing I've ever eaten in my life-- then warily meandered over to the last thing keeping us from My Morning Jacket: Oscar winner Sean Penn, who was "playing" his second "set" of the day. Seems Mr. Penn is worried about the direction in which our world is going, and during a short, rather scattered speech, he attempted to enlist Coachella attendees to leave their cars here in Indio and immediately join him on The Dirty Hands Caravan, a six-day "awareness-raising" bus trip to New Orleans complete with free food, free lodging, and campfire songs from Ben Harper. There were about a million and a half things to be snarky about in Sean Penn's short, rather scattered speech, but I don't want to go to hell for mocking someone who's trying to help, even if he can't remember the URL for his own website when he's speaking in front of thousands of people. Needless to say, however, I am not currently on a bus to New Orleans.

How on earth did this get so bloody long already? Um... MY MORNING JACKET WERE AWESOME. Things that were awesome about My Morning Jacket: The new, funked-up material (like "Highly Suspicious"); the new contemplative material (like "Smokin' from Shootin'" and "I'm Amazed"); Jim James' no-longer-shy rock star antics; his space boots; his omnichord; his propensity to wear a scarf on his head and walk around the stage crying like a histronic elderly Russian woman; "Off the Record"; Patrick Hallahan's hair; "Gideon" (so awesome it gave me chills). Show of the Day™ x 1000000000. I have to stop there or I'll write you all to sleep with the sonic crush I have on this band.

Plus, we want to save room for Roger Waters! Um... You know what? I'm outsourcing this one to my estimable colleage, Chris "Handles the Headliner" Willman, because I didn't get it, and I didn't try all that hard, and were it not for the aforementioned giant pig balloon, I might still be sitting, dazed, on a picnic table somewhere. Yes, in what I have recently learned is a long-standing Pink Floyd tradition, that pig went soaring over the heads of the crowd at the end of Waters' first set, while a small plane dispensed a stream of what appeared to be confetti that never hit the ground. (Josh and I are both banking on the fact that it was confetti and not some sort of biological warfare, though I can't stop thinking of that old Onion headline about the Yo La Tengo concert.) Angry political piggy then went floating perilously close to the stage, where extravagant pyrotechnics were lighting the chilly sky on fire; he was eventually released to rise up, up, up into the heavens and flirt with the searchlights until he flew out of sight. I can't help but wonder what that giant pig balloon was made of, and where it's going to come down, and what will happen to it when it does. Meanwhile, it also seems I still can't listen to Dark Side of the Moon all the way through.

Aaaaand it's time for the big finish! PopWatchers, it has been an honor and a privilege to once again have you all in my pocket for this year's Coachella Music and Questionable Behavior Festival. I hope I have in some small way managed to give you a glimpse of what it was like out here, and I hope if I botched it, those of you who attended will let me know. Tune in next weekend for my coverage of Coachella's country cousin, Stagecoach, which has been expanded to three days this year because Goldenvoice is trying to kill me. TTFN!

[MyLifeISought]

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/EVENTS17/804280323/1140/news01
My Morning Jacket has come a long way from its pastoral, southern-rock roots. And the band's hour-long set on the main Coachella Stage at dusk Sunday was even further proof that the Kentucky quintet is entering uncharted territory.

Singer and guitarist Jim James and company played five songs from their hyped upcoming release "Evil Urges" (June 10), including the bass-bumping, pedal-steel enhanced slow-burner "Smokin' From Shootin,'" "Evil Urges" and "Highly Suspicious," where James opted for falsettos and growls instead of reverb-drenched vocals.

All five tracks from "Evil Urges" are a departure from their first three records, as was 2005's "Z." James' vocals rang out on "Z" standards, "Gideon" and "Wordless Chorus," and the band gave Coachella a heavy taste of southern rock guitar on "Lay Low," putting out power that belonged on the main stage.

[MyLifeISought]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003795166
The third and final day of Coachella also featured a taste of Southern rock as My Morning Jacket previewed new songs from its forthcoming album "Evil Urges," due June 10 via ATO. As the sun set on Indio, Calif.'s Empire Polo Field, the Kentucky-based foursome commanded the main stage, belting out songs from its most recent album "Z," including "Wordless Chorus," "Off the Record" and "Anytime."

[MyLifeISought]

Rolling Stone:
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/04/28/coachella-day-three-roger-waters-my-morning-jacket-and-justice-send-revelers-home-happy/
Earlier, My Morning Jacket arrived just in time for sunset and were ready to rock, erupting with "One Big Holiday" as singer Jim James traded thundering electric guitar riffs with Carl Broemel. MMJ is known for wild improvisation during its live shows, but this was about musical fire and brimstone, not jam-band noodling. The Louisville, Kentucky act mixed fan favorites with songs from the upcoming Evil Urges album, balancing modern rock with a southern accent, like a post-grunge version of the Band.

New songs dabbled in new forms and beats, stepping out of the country-rock groove, even when setting Broemel's pedal steel against a spare 4/4 beat, before exploding again with loud slabs of guitar. James was still ready to slow things down at times, falling to his knees during the vulnerable "Wordless Chorus," wailing to a soulful southern rhythm, "We forgot about love, but weren't brokenhearted." The reggae-flavored "Off the Record" had James sounding a little bit Joe Strummer at the microphone, with guitars swelling into a big rock groove around the bright green drum-kit of Patrick Hallahan. Just as impressive was the quintet's ability to slide into complex instrumental jam-outs without getting lost there.

[MyLifeISought]

Spinner:
http://www.spinner.com/2008/04/28/my-morning-jacket-celebrate-portisheads-return/
One of the summer's most-heralded live act, My Morning Jacket, treated fans on Coachella's main stage to a surprise early in their set by bringing on guest M. Ward -- one-half of the Monsters of Folk also featuring MMJ's Jim James -- for the now-classic 'Off the Record,' from the band's breakout album, 'Z.' The band kept the treats coming with two songs -- the title track and 'I'm Amazed' -- from the upcoming album, 'Evil Urges.'

MMJ also offered up the potential new song of the year, 'Smokin From Shootin,' as well as favorites like 'Gideon.'

James told the crowd that it was an honor to play Coachella. "On a personal note, it was great to see Portishead back in action. Whenever I hear Portishead, I feel like I'm trapped in an evil funhouse," he said. "But Beth [Gibbons'] voice guides me through like a spiritual angel and I was just so happy to see them."

The crowd felt the same way about MMJ.

[Zzzzzzzz]

Wow.  Glad to hear Jim is such a big Portishead fan.  He was spot on in describing them.

[MyLifeISought]

Stereogum (Site has FANTASTIC pictures near the bottom, check it out, including some of Jim in his boots):
http://stereogum.com/archives/concert/coachella-sunday-in-photos_009386.html

MMJ didn't give us any "Sec Walkin'" (so Brandon's new "left leg, right leg" dance didn't get its proper debut) -- but Jim James, wearing some lovely white moon boots, did give us one hell of a show. He also had some of the weekend's most memorable banter:

   How great is it to have Portishead back? Whenever I listen to them I feel like I'm trapped in a horrific fun house, but Beth's voice guides me like a spirit angel.

Word. Note: "Evil Urges," "Highly Suspicious," and "Smokin' From Shootin'" sounds great live. As does "Gideon," but you already knew that. As he did the last time we saw James. M. Ward joined-in on guitar. Here, it was just for one track, "Off The Record."

[MyLifeISought]

Pitchfork's full writeup won't appear until tomorrow, but here's their Sunday picture roundup:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/50253-photos-coachella-sunday

[sweatboard]

AWESOME!!!

[The DARK]

 :o That is a most amazing picture!

[MyLifeISought]

Another country-fried reference, this time from Variety:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936929.html?categoryid=34&cs=1
Louisville, Ky.'s My Morning Jacket has been steadily building a formidable arsenal of increasingly experimental country-fried rock that's getting more and more difficult to classify. It's easy to think of them as the only jam band that matters, but that tag is too limiting. Frontman Jim James is a vocal chameleon, going from deep, soulful growls to ear-splitting falsettos with ease. The quintet's musical chops were in rare form Sunday, and it was an unexpected treat to see M. Ward sit in on the lengthy reggae-tinged jam "Off the Record."

[BH]

From the Rolling Stone review....

MMJ is known for wild improvisation during its live shows

Wrong.

[MyLifeISought]

From the Rolling Stone review....

MMJ is known for wild improvisation during its live shows

Wrong.

Yeah, that struck me as very odd.

[MyLifeISought]

Paste Magazine (read the last, odd sentence)
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/festivus/view/coachella_2008_day_3/

Legends-in-the-making My Morning Jacket brought in an influx of people from across the festival grounds, opening their set with "One Big Holiday." Whereas most bands tended to drag on within their short sets throughout the weekend, it took MMJ so very little to fill a mere hour. For their biggest fans, the band was somewhat cheated out of their element due to time constraints – but on the other hand for fans-to-be, it was a perfectly energetic introduction. The well-rehearsed quintet made ends meet at the halfway mark with both new and old songs that captivated the entire crowd; and it couldn't have been more fun to witness Jim James coming alive as a fun-loving, lighthearted frontman embracing his gusto as a main stage arena rock god.

The band served as the perfect opener for a piece of their own inspiration: Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.

[debbie]

Anyone else take pictures?

[BH]

http://www.nme.com/news/coachella/36277

[fitzcarraldo]

http://www.nme.com/news/coachella/36277

Yeah, got to hear P 3 today. It's Wicked!