Monsters of Folk
(Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst, also of Bright Eyes)
When I arrive at the pearly white gates many, many, many years from now, I’m going to be awfully tempted to thank God for creating the members that make up this band. I’m not sure if you can still embarrass yourself even after you’re gone, so maybe I won’t thank him, for fear of appearing like a little schoolgirl when it comes to my thoughts on this band. Oh shoot! I think I have already said too much.
But seriously, in my honest opinion, Monsters of Folk are not just the greatest supergroup of the year, but maybe, just maybe, the greatest supergroup of all-time. The band actually goes back as far as 2004, when all three were touring with their respective bands and would jam together both on and off stage. All four men have appeared on a number of each other’s albums.
Because of commitments to everyone’s various projects, (M. Ward is also one-half of the duo, She & Him with singer/actress Zooey Deschanel), it took Monsters of Folk just about five years to finally get their debut album finished. The self-titled album features fifteen tracks, all of which take on a different sound, with lead vocal duties being spread throughout Oberst, James and Ward.
Monsters of Folk are coming to the Louisville Palace Theatre on Saturday, October 31, and believe it or not, tickets are still available, priced at $33 and $43 plus service charges.
Enjoy the second track off of the album. The first voice you’ll hear on this track is Ward, followed by Oberst, then James.