Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward Are Monsters of Folk

BY Josiah HughesPublished Jun 12, 2009

After some speculation and a whole lot of waiting, the long-rumoured collaborative album of indie folk heartthrobs Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward finally has some tangible details. According to one of those press release things, the trio have used the gag-inducing moniker Monsters of Folk for their project, and have a September 22 release date set for the record.

Jim James pointed out that the horrendous band name has actually been around for a while, saying, "M. Ward, Conor Oberst and myself have done several tours together called the Monsters of Folk... We'd play during each other's sets and do our own sets as well. And M. went out on tour with us a few years ago. We were his backing band, and he'd come out and play with is."

For a title, the record is going to ol' self-titled route, and will come out in North America via Shangri-La (Rough Trade in Europe). It was laid down with producer/Bright Eyes member Mike Mogis in Malibu, California and Omaha, with the tunes ranging from "road-worn" to "intimate" to "sun-soaked."

Word on the street is that the Monsters of Folk will be folkin' it up on a large tour this fall, though the details for have yet to be revealed.

Here's that tracklisting:

1. "Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)"
2. "Say Please"
3. "Whole Lotta Losin'"
4. "Temazcal"
5. "The Right Place"
6. "Baby Boomer"
7. "Man Named Truth"
8. "Goodway"
9. "Ahead of the Curve"
10. "Slow Down Jo"
11. "Losin Yo Head"
12. "Magic Marker"
13. "Map of the World"
14. "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me"
15. "His Master's Voice"

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