Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him.[1] The band was formed in 2004 when the members were on tour with their respective bands and solo projects. After playing together both on-stage and backstage, they started working together on various material. Due to the members' main projects, Monsters of Folk did not finish their first album until 2009, and the self-titled album was released on September 22 on Rough Trade.[2] It debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at 15.[3] It also reached No. 3 on Top Independent Albums, No. 8 on Top Rock Albums, No. 7 on Top Digital Albums, and No. 6 on Top Alternative Albums.[4]
Monsters of Folk | |
|---|---|
 Monsters of Folk | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | Folk, folk rock, indie folk |
| Years active | 2004–2010 |
| Labels | Rough Trade Shangri-La Music |
| Past members | |
| Website | Official website  |
The group recorded their self-titled album in sessions in Omaha, Nebraska and Malibu, California, before embarking on a tour in support of the album.[5]
Their song "Baby Boomer" was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week for October 27, 2009.[6]
On October 23 and 24, 2009, they performed at Neil Young's 23rd annual Bridge School Benefit held in Mountain View, California, at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
During live performances, Will Johnson is the performing drummer. In the band's appearance on Austin City Limits, James declared him as "the fifth Monster".
M. Ward has stated that there is more to come after Monsters of Folk's first album.[7]
"His Master's Voice”, the closing track of their self-titled album, is featured in the soundtrack in the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Other appearances in media include “Map of the World”, the thirteenth track of the aforementioned album, which was featured in the CW teen drama Gossip Girl.
Discography
editAlbum
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] |
US Alt [9] |
US Folk [10] |
US Heat [11] |
US Indie [12] |
US Rock [13] |
AUS [14] | ||
| Monsters of Folk |
|
15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 91 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Say Please" | Monsters of Folk |
| 2010 | "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" |
Band members
edit- Jim James – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards
- Mike Mogis – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, pedal steel, mandolin, dobro, bass, drums, percussion
- Conor Oberst – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards, piano
- M. Ward – vocals, guitar, bass, piano
Touring
- Will Johnson – drums, backing vocals
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Josh Modell (2009-06-11). "Oberst / Jim James / M. Ward record officially announced". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ Monsters of Folk at AllMusic
- ^ "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
- ^ "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
- ^ Diehl, Matt (2009-10-29). "Monsters of Folk's All-Star Experiment". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ Heringer (2009-10-27). "Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week – Monsters of Folk – Baby Boomer". www.mark-heringer.com. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
- ^ "M. Ward Talks New Album, Promises More Monsters of Folk Material". Billboard.com. 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monsters of Folk Chart History – Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 192.