Fucking hell this is dreadful. Really, annoyingly, frustratingly bad. It starts out like the fucking Bee Gees, but fortunately ratchets it back from toe-curlingly awful to merely tediously mediocre pretty much immediately and then resolutely stays there for the rest of the album. Even the name of the band (d'you get it - d'you see what they did there?) has a self-satisfied, complacent whiff to it, and generally this whole sorry enterprise smacks of the lazy, lifeless exercise in self-congratulation and mutual backslapping which this sort of super[sic]-group stuff can so easily be accused of. I [...]
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars Let's face it, rarely do collaborations with bands you love to death ever truly work out. Sure, Queen and Bowie pulled off a song, but could they pull off an entire album? I doubt it. Now, we've been presented with Conor Oberst , M. Ward, and Jim James, along with Mike Mogis , joining together as Monsters of Folk . Could these boys rise above the hype and fulfill our dreams? First off, I'm not sure where to [...]
Ever since Cassadaga, I've regarded new Conor Oberst projects warily. I've always been a fan of Bright Eyes, but his work after never really did anything for me - it all struck me as nice and pleasant and boring, for the most part. So, maybe the trend hasn't changed and I should be praising the other three members of Monsters of Folk for their successful debut effort. Or maybe it has, and Oberst is hitting his stride once again. Or maybe his desire to hand off the mic from person to person recently helps him creatively. Bascially, who [...]
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars A.A. Bondy began to steadily make waves with critics after the release of his debut American Hearts . A short while later, he is releasing When the Devil's Loose on Fat Possum Records. It's a record that lives up to the expectation of the record's title, but in the most stripped down fashion that could only accompany A. A. Bondy. Just when you [...]
On Saturday night, the rains managed to hold off just in time for an amazing evening at Central Park's Summer Stage. Not only was the gig free and the headliner a Mr. Matt Ward , but it was also the live debut of Nels Cline and Mike Watt 's new project, Floored By Four. It was beautiful summer evening event that was not to be missed. Floored By Four opened the night with a fantastic set that not only showcased all four member's talents, but ran [...]
There's something odd about M Ward . Whilst I've listened to three of his albums - Transfiguration of Vincent, Transistor Radio and Post-War - more than pretty much anything else over the past four or five years, I still haven't really got a grasp of the man behind croaky voice, obscure lyrical themes, and that guitar playing. Would finally seeing him live crack open that mystery? Nope. First things first. Gig-goers in London - please take note. That nice, if somewhat kooky, lady up on the stage is trying [...]
M Ward performed a short 70 minute set at the Club Academy on Monday night supported by the lead singer of Lavender Diamond performing a solo set. Despite no taping and no photos (see update below), pen and paper was not banned and i was able to record the setlist. The no photos policy was actually enforced by one of the road crew! Lavender Diamond proved memorable only for her cringeworthy between song patter. This was probably supposed to be kooky but hit the wrong note with me. The songs themselves were simple acoustic odes which were pleasant [...]
The first part of any year is pretty tough for new releases. Major artists generally don't release much until February giving fans enough time to recoop financially from the holidays. As usual, I feel blessed to have not only a great love for music, but friends who are also complete nut jobs for the newest, coolest thing. Here are my favorites of the year so far: Seeland - Tomorrow Today - Seeland are Mark "Billy" Bainbridge and Tim Felton previously of Plone [...]
So we heard about M. Ward playing the DMA from the recommendations calendar via Last.fm (fantastic site, by the way - go sign up for a free profile), and even though none of us had heard of a concert inside the DMA, and since none of us were ultra familiar with M. Ward's music - especially solo - Ben Jill and myself rolled down there not fully knowing what to expect. (A side note - the DMA has a summer jazz series which takes place outside and is free; Thursdays around dusk, FYI.) At any rate, M. [...]
The problem with playing guitar behind a pretty girl (especially when that pretty girl is wily temptress Zooey Deschanel) is sometimes people forget you're there. But when it comes to getting noticed, instead of cutting some man-bangs and competing for hearts, you should just craft a jaunty and complex (that's right) folk album that softly sways votes your way. From For Beginners, the first track on M. Ward's Hold Time, his classic style and layered lyrics capture your attention and don't let go. This album sounds extremely American, in the best of ways. Think long stretches of highway, milk in [...]
All photos by Clint Miller We left Savannah, Georgia a few hours after the St. Patrick's Day parade and made the cross country trek to Austin, Texas. Upon arriving at SXSW around noon, everyone in our crew was already exhausted from traveling, but there is certain adrenaline that carries you through upon arriving to such a magical experience, and we were poised to tackle the day regardless of our condition. We started things off at Paste magazine's day show, and it was a fantastic way to kick this thing off. First up, I finally got [...]
Finally we have M Ward back on his own terms. The previously underground lo-fi genius has climbed into the mainstream with the critical acclaim of 2006’s Post-War and notable collaborations with American music glitterati such as Conor Oberst, Jenny Lewis and Zooey Deschanel. His rise from obscurity has been somewhat of a slow ascension in comparison to today’s get guitar/write song/myspace/fame generation but his mission was a labour of love and this is evident in his sixth studio LP Hold Time. “Hold Time” is a slightly less perky affair than his previous albums due [...]
M. Ward knows how to set an intimate mood. A single silhouette barely visible onstage. A dusting of dim blue lighting. An image of a window looking out into an early evening sky. Portland's returning troubadour played the first part...
As M. Ward said a the Palace Of Fine Arts Theater last night, "this place gets real quiet". And it does - so much so that it would have been ideal for a Ward solo show much like the one that he played at Bimbo's a couple of years ago. Which is why we were pretty surprised to see the man take to stage with a full four piece band (five, counting him) for a lengthy set that drew surprisingly little on his new record, and more than delivered the musical goods. [...]
“Oh a trance is a spell/ with a thrill wrapped up inside it,” Portland, Oregon singer-songwriter M. Ward sang, six songs into his set at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington on Feb. 21. While he may not have intended it, you can’t help but think the line is a bit self-referential. [Photos by Zachary Herrmann] There is, indeed, something trance-like about Ward’s music, and he had the crowd deep in meditation as he took the stage unaccompanied to open the show. [...]
M. Ward may be one of the few artists who truly understands the potential of a studio recording. Having long been regarded as something of a sonic loner – both in spite of and because of his friendship with Conor Oberst – Ward’s recordings started off sounding like bedroom angst recorded through a tin can. But with 2005’s Transistor Radio , the world at large began to see Ward had more to offer than his mournful crooning and virtuosic acoustic guitar picking. Finally on 2006’s Post-War , Ward burst from his shell with a collection of Jim James-produced [...]
Sound: A mix of old-time country, lazy lo-fi folk, Beach Boys-esque wall-of-sound pop, groovy garage rock and more. Some of the songs sound like they could have been recorded half a century ago (particularly the more stripped-down ones with hissing ambience)...
Fresh off his acclaimed She & Him project with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward returns with another solo album, Hold Time, his sixth effort and first release since 2006’s Post-War. Everyone’s favorite low-key indie folkster serves up generous helpings of sunny pop melodies, bluesy ballads, and breezy rock tunes with a slew of guests including Lucinda Williams, Jason Lytle, and, of course, Miss Deschanel. Once again, Ward combines a wealth of retro influences into something that doesn’t so much sound new as it does revitalized or refreshed. Hold Time takes the pattern Ward established on Post-War and makes [...]
And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, The Century of Self - The songs were peppered with emo vocals. It was a major distraction from the bands iron-clad rocking. Less Prog then previous albums which is where...
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars M Ward has won over fans this past year for his role in She and Him , which is deserved accolades, but lets not forget that the man on his own has always been able to record some of the more intimate bedroom listens of the decade. He returns now with Hold Time , his first solo outing since releasing Post-War. Opener "For Beginners" is the perfect album opener for [...]
Song, by Toad
Austin Town Hall
Knox Road
Hippies Are Dead
Loft And Lost
M1 Music
The Color Awesome!
DBF Music
soundUNheard
Ohmpark
State Magazine
OregonLive.com: Pop Music
Hidden Track
Between Love & Like
New Music Nation
Chewing gum for the ears
Avant/Chicago
Nueva canción de Arctic Monkeys: Do I Wanna Know
Blondie returning with a new album and a show at the Keswick in October
