Monsters of Folk (album)
Encyclopedia
Monsters of Folk is the self-titled first studio album
by American indie rock
band Monsters of Folk
, a group that consists of the artists Jim James
, Conor Oberst
, M. Ward
, and Mike Mogis
. Originally slated for release in 2010, the album was released through Shangri-La Music
and Rough Trade
on September 22, 2009. "Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)" samples Trevor Dandy
's 1970 gospel song "Is There Any Love."
, Mojo
, and Rolling Stone
each awarded the record four out of five stars. Lucas Schott of "The Tide" ranked "Monsters of Folk" the number 1 album of 2009. British
newspapers The Guardian
and The Times
also gave the record a four out of five rating, the latter stating "this supergroup really is super." USA Today
called the album a "harmonious and occasionally electrified blend of folk-rock, country and white soul." People
magazine, however, gave the album two-and-a-half out of four stars, saying "There's so much talent in this supergroup-M. Ward, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis-that you kind of expect more from them." It added, "Still, dreamy tunes like the soulful "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" will help tame the beast within.
, along with also charting in the Top 10 of the five other Billboard charts.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk is an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, and M. Ward, renowned solo artist. The band was formed in 2004 when the members were on tour with their respective bands and solo projects. After playing...
, a group that consists of the artists Jim James
Jim James
James Edward Olliges Jr. , professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of Louisville, Kentucky-based rock band My Morning Jacket. James grew up in the Hikes Point neighborhood of Louisville, attended St. Martha grade school and graduated...
, Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst
Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
, M. Ward
M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.-Career:...
, and Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
. Originally slated for release in 2010, the album was released through Shangri-La Music
Shangri-La Music
Shangri-La Music is an indie record label based in Santa Monica, California. The label was started by Steve Bing as an expansion of Shangri-La Entertainment. Co-founders Jeff Ayeroff and Jon Rubin run the label. Shangri-La Music is a "boutique" label, which is a smaller, more specialized label and...
and Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
on September 22, 2009. "Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)" samples Trevor Dandy
Trevor Dandy
Trevor Dandy is a gospel and funk musician. The song Is There Any Love from his 1970s release Don't Cry Little Tree has recently been sampled by Kid Cudi and Monsters of Folk.-References:...
's 1970 gospel song "Is There Any Love."
Track listing
- "Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)" – 5:07
- "Say Please" – 2:48
- "Whole Lotta Losin'" – 2:45
- "Temazcal" – 3:49
- "The Right Place" – 3:48
- "Baby Boomer" – 2:53
- "Man Named Truth" – 3:51
- "Goodway" – 2:01
- "Ahead of the Curve" – 3:40
- "Slow Down Jo" – 3:21
- "Losin Yo Head" – 4:37
- "Magic Marker" – 3:20
- "Map of the World" – 4:24
- "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me" – 3:23
- "His Master's Voice" – 4:50
Reception
Critical
Monsters of Folk was well received by critics. Music magazines QQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
each awarded the record four out of five stars. Lucas Schott of "The Tide" ranked "Monsters of Folk" the number 1 album of 2009. British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspapers The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
also gave the record a four out of five rating, the latter stating "this supergroup really is super." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
called the album a "harmonious and occasionally electrified blend of folk-rock, country and white soul." People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine, however, gave the album two-and-a-half out of four stars, saying "There's so much talent in this supergroup-M. Ward, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis-that you kind of expect more from them." It added, "Still, dreamy tunes like the soulful "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" will help tame the beast within.
Commercial
Monsters of Folk debuted and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, along with also charting in the Top 10 of the five other Billboard charts.
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
15 |
| US Billboard Top Alternative Albums | 6 |
| US Billboard Folk Albums Folk Albums Folk Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top selling "current releases by traditional folk artists, as well as appropriate titles by acoustic-based singer-songwriters" in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated December 5, 2009... |
3 |
| US Billboard Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
1 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
3 |
| US Billboard Top Rock Albums | 8 |