My Morning Jacket finds the right note
(CBS News) Time now for A Summer Song . . . from a group whose music wears as well as a favorite piece of clothing (and has the name to prove it). Here's Serena Altschul:
So how would the members of My Morning Jacket describe their group's style?
"Psychedelic, soul, country, rock, jam," suggested Bo Koster.
Carl Broemel added, "Hairy."
You've got to admit, "hairy" is pretty accurate. But whatever you call them, crowds and critics alike seem to love My Morning Jacket!
Their last album, "Circuital," reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
Rolling Stone calls them "one of the greatest live bands of their generation"; The New York Times says their "ringing, optimistic" songs are the perfect soundtrack for a summer road trip.
"Sunday Morning"'s Bill Flanagan has seen a lot of bands over the years; he says they're one of the most important bands to emerge in this century.
"My Morning Jacket have the eccentricity and the interplay that you associate with every great rock band, from The Who to Sly and the Family Stone," Flanagan told Altschul.
He says the group has something special.
"I really love the song 'Golden,' " Flanagan said. "It could be a song from Sweet Baby James, it could be a song from Harvest. It has that kind of timeless quality. And you realize they're a big loud rock 'n' roll band, but they can get it down to just voice and an acoustic guitar."
WEB EXCLUSIVE: To hear streaming audio of songs from My Morning Jacket's album, "Circuital," or to purchase through iTunes, click on the embed player below.
Altschul caught up with My Morning Jacket at their sound check at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Jim James, the leader of the band, said the venue is so different from others they've played because of its history: "You walk through the hallway out there and it's just, like, crazy, you know? To think of all the people who've played here. I've been dreaming since I was a kid, that we might ever have a chance to play one of these places. We used to make joke posters that said, 'Live at Madison Square Garden,' and hang up around town, just for, like, fun!"
WEB EXCLUSIVE: To hear Jim James of My Morning Jacket describe the "typical" fan of the indie band, click on the video player below.
"Town" is Louisville, Ky., where James and drummer Patrick Hallahan grew up.
They go way back, having met in fourth grade.
On a very windy Spring day, Altschul got a tour of the farm where it all began. The farm was great for the young band: they could play as loudly as they wanted out in the country.
And in these corn silos lies the secret to their trademark sound.
"The various major studios all had their echo chambers that they're known for," said James. "So I thought, 'Well, we've got these giant silos that sound amazing. Why not use them as our chambers?' So, we wired [the silo] with cable and threw a microphone over the top.
"It's got a beautiful sound," James demonstrated. "A dirty floor, but a beautiful sound."
The sounds of the silos were one inspiration - and there was another: the voice of Roy Orbison.
"I went through a huge Roy Orbison phase," James laughed. "I love him so much."
But Roy is only James' human inspiration. Another was The Muppets.
"I mean, I don't, like, sit around and watch 'The Muppet Show' all day or anything," he laughed. "But I feel like what they did, that's what I aspire to do -- that level of art where it touches the kids, it touches the grownups.
"My first experience with music was seeing 'The Muppet Show' -- that was the first time I ever knew what music was."
The song "Wonderful" was written with Kermit in mind. " 'Cause I wanted it to be a kind of sweet thing that you could picture a Muppet sitting there and singing it," James said.
Doesn't matter to me. I can take it or leave it
I can learn from way back when and still live right now
With the sun on my shoulders, and the wind at my back
I will never grow older, at least not in my mindI feel so wonderful, wonderful, wonderful the way I feel
I'm going where there ain't no fear. I'm going where the spirit is near
I'm going where the livin; is easy and the people are kind
A new state of mind I'm going where there ain't no police, I'm going where there ain't no disease
I'm going where there ain't no need to escape from what is
Only spirits at ease
VIDEO: Jim James of My Morning Jacket performs "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" for Serena Altschul in this exclusive video for CBS News. Click on the player below.
Perhaps like Kermit, James is mostly self-taught . . . which is why he relies on conservatory-trained Carl Broemel for the details.
"So when you're envisioning something," Altschul asked James, "and you want a piece to have a certain sound, what will you say to them, and how are they able to interpret that?"
"I'll be like, 'I want it to be purple, and it's a horse falling off a cliff, and the horse is pulling a cart full of iron,' " James laughed.
"And I'll be like, 'I'll play E-flat,' " said Broemel.
"Music school is sort of a blessing and a curse," continued Broemel with a sigh. "I loved it and I'll value that forever. But to me, the point of music is not, like, dissecting it and analyzing it into pieces and parts, so much as finding the right note."
By the looks on the faces of their fans, My Morning Jacket has certainly found the right note.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: To hear streaming audio of songs from Jim James' album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," or to purchase through iTunes, click on the embed player below.
For more info:
- mymorningjacket.com (Official site)
- "Circuital" by My Morning Jacket; Also available on iTunes
- My Morning Jacket's free iPhone app
- jimjames.com