PE.com - Patrick

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stories/PE_Fea_Ent_D_music.mymorningjacket.f68ac40.html

How's the view up there, guys? Different, thanks

MUSIC: My Morning Jacket has a new vantage, thanks to the success of its new sound.

09:46 AM PST on Sunday, November 6, 2005

By PAUL SAITOWITZ / The Press-Enterprise

My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan misses driving. There's something about helming a vehicle across this country's highways that appealed to him, and now he hardly gets to do it.

At fault for this is his band's latest offering, "Z" -- an atmospheric dose of Americana that marries Neil Young, Radiohead, the Clash and the reverb-soaked voice of chief songwriter Jim James.

The album, which hit the shelves earlier this year, resonated so deeply with fans and critics that the demand for the live performances has moved beyond tiny clubs and into larger theaters. This has caused the need for a larger road crew, which has moved Hallahan and his bandmates out of the van and into a large tour bus.

"I don't get to see the country as much this way. We travel a lot by night, and I miss stopping and checking out some of the sites," Hallahan said from the tour bus en route to a gig in Madison, Wis. "But you know, other than that, I can't complain. The purpose behind all of this is the two hours we spend on stage each night, and that hasn't changed."

What has changed is the band's sound.

With earlier efforts, such as 2003's "It Still Moves,"the songs skewed toward the sounds of the group's native Louisville, Ky. They were country-laced rockers that highlighted James' high-pitched vocals. The instrumentation stuck to the traditional set-up of guitar, bass, keyboard and drums.

"Z" finds My Morning Jacket expanding its sound without re-inventing its roots.

The opening track, "Wordless Chorus," is a repetitive keyboard-based number that builds to a crescendo around James' vocals. The song's coda sounds like Prince could have written it.

Another tune, "Off the Record," wears its Clash influences on its sleeve, but ends with a Rhodes piano jam reminiscent of the Doors.

"Things may sound a bit different, but people are under the influence that this was some kind of huge production," Hallahan said. "We recorded most of it live, and we didn't use more than 16 tracks on any song; the changes are more in the songwriting."

That and the fact that this is the first time the group used an outside producer rather just letting James man the boards. John Leckie (George Harrison, John Lennon, Pink Floyd) brought in a fresh perspective. He used his studio wizardry, such as putting snare drum reverb on James' vocals, to thicken the sound.

Another major difference on "Z" was two new band members. Bo Koster (keyboards) and Car Broemel (guitar) joined the band last year after longtime members Johnny Quaid and Danny Cash departed.

"It was pretty seamless because we'd been touring with those guys for a while now," Hallahan said. "Its also always kind have been Jim's project, so his vision was going to be the same no matter who was playing the instruments."

That vision has reached audiences with little radio play and no presence on MTV. Constant touring over the past five years has made Hallahan and company a tight live unit, but things may be slowing down a bit.

"I don't think we're going to tour as much on this album as we have in the past," Hallahan said. "We're kind of approaching touring with a less is more attitude."

At least he'll have more time to get back to driving.

[sideroad32]

I want more touring not less...
and longer shows like in the past...
but can't get it all i guess...