Musician of the Week: Jim James!

Here are the previous ‘Musician of the Week’ recipients.

I apologize for being a day late on ‘Musician of the Week.’ I had Internet issues yesterday that took a while to be remedied.

The musician of the week is the frontman for the band My Morning Jacket, Jim James – also known foundly as Yim Yames (say Jim James, but with ‘Y’ sounds). Let me know what you think about Jim James in my comments section!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Born in 1978, James became active (musically) fourteen years later.  He excels at the guitar, songwriting, and singing, but James is fluent with the saxophone and omnichord (an electronic instrument that plays major, minior, and diminished chords). As I say every week, a musician should be more than a one-trick pony (I didn’t really go in depth with Jimi Hendrix and instruments, but he was a true musician as well) and be able to play more than just one instrument. If the musician could only play one instrument they would be a guitarist or bassist, not a musician. Semantics, maybe, but I like to make the distinction.

Along with creating six albums with MMJ, James had recorded three of his own solo albums:

• Tribute To
• New Multitudes
• Regions of Light and Sound of God

James also is a part of the folk rock band, Monsters of Folk – there is a self-titled album for the band and the album was well received by critics.

What I like about James is his love for the music, his fans, and his stunning lyrics. Seriously, I have spent several hours (altogether) pouring over MMJ lyrics to figure out what he says (I have somewhat bad hearing) and then trying to figure out the meaning behind the songs. I do this with other bands, but rarely am I as mesmerized as I am when I read lyrics written by Jim James. If you haven’t done it, go look up some lyrics to MMJ, Monsters of Folk, or even his solo work because it’s amazing.

If you’re interested here is the list of instruments James uses and has used throughout his career.

Though this is with MMJ, I believe this is still one of my favorite Jim James songs. Enjoy!

Related articles

• What band or musician is most important to you? (romeeamore.wordpress.com)
• Watch Jim James Play Kimmel (stereogum.com)
• Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God (2013) (imgnrysnds.wordpress.com)
• My Morning Jacket Abandon Limits for Next Album (rollingstone.com)
• Jim James Plays Solo At The Fonda Theatre (thescenestar.typepad.com)

Band Of The Week: My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket is the ‘Band Of The Week.’

The psychedelic rock band from Louisville, Kentucky has been a group officially since 1998, but I somehow, sadly, did not know about them until 2009 when lead singer Jim James appeared on an episode of American Dad! titled ‘My Morning Straitjacket’ (The band played at the end of the episode as well.) It was a beyond wonderful surprise for American Dad! to include an episode with My Morning Jacket because I instantly started looking up every single one of their songs, and fell in love the more and more I listened.  It is one of the more unorthodox ways of learning about a great band, especially through a television show that’s known more for it’s irreverent comedy than the music it plays each episode.

I was going to change the picture, but I figured that this picture showed off how big of beauties they really are. (Beauties is a good thing.)

My Morning Jacket isn’t solely a psychedelic rock band; they have ventured into other rock subgenres.  Those subgenres include: country rock, indie rock, southern rock, and roots rock.  Nonetheless, a band shouldn’t be defined by their genres, or subgenres, that people place on them because it makes them a singular and ordinary.  My Morning Jacket is far from ordinary, and in no way, shape, or form simple.

Their brilliance can be found in their lyrics (and if you’ve followed my blog long enough you know I love lyrics), and the funky, gnarly, and whatever 70’s sounding adjective you can think of, music they play.  It’s good for the soul, the mind, your emotions.  I need to see this band live, immediately.

Here are some of my favorite My Morning Jacket songs:

Wonderful (The Way I Feel)

Touch Me I’m Going To Scream – Parts 1 & 2

I Think I’m Going To Hell

What A Wonderful Man

Librarian

One Big Holiday (Video Below)

What’s your opinion on My Morning Jacket? Have favorite songs that weren’t listed? Or do you think another band deserves a shot at ‘Band Of The Week’?

Let me know in the comments.

Playlist To Fall Asleep To

Like many other people I have trouble falling asleep.  I prefer to not use sleeping pills because of their inherent risk of damaging my body by forcing it to sleep, and I’m not one that will fall asleep instantly once the clock strikes 10PM, even if I had fallen asleep at that time the past two nights.  So what do I do?  I make myself a playlist with music that has soothing melodies and lyrics that will lull me to sleep.  I typically put the volume at a lower level as well to add to the softness of the songs.

Here is the playlist I currently have (in no particular order), and I hope it helps you if you decide to use it!

The Intro by The Xx

Shelter by The Xx

Beach Baby by Bon Iver

re: Stacks by Bon Iver

Coming Back by Gotye

Moon by Little People

Song For Someone by The Frames (This one can get a bit loud, but still soothing)

Eleanor Rigby (Strings Only) by The Beatles (faster paced, but still somehow soothing to me)

Title And Registration by Death Cab For Cutie

Canon In D (there are many versions of this classic song)

Hotel California by The Eagles

One Big Holiday by My Morning Jacket (this one can get loud and fast paced as well, but MMJ just has some great sleep-to-it songs)

What A Wonderful Man by My Morning Jacket

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap

In The Waiting Line by Zero 7

Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Breathe Me by Sia

Hope this helps you in your attempts to get to sleep, it usually helps me!

If you have any other suggestions, or believe a song listed here is not a soothing song, comment below!