Monsters of Folk (album)

Monsters of Folk is the self-titled first and only 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.[3] Originally slated for release in 2010,[4] 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."

Monsters of Folk
Studio album by
Monsters of Folk
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2009
StudioShangri-La Studio (Malibu, California)[1]
ARC (Omaha, Nebraska)[2]
GenreAlternative rock, indie folk
Length54:37
LanguageEnglish
LabelShangri-La Music, Rough Trade
ProducerMike Mogis

Track listing
  1. "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" – 5:07
  2. "Say Please" – 2:48
  3. "Whole Lotta Losin'" – 2:45
  4. "Temazcal" – 3:49
  5. "The Right Place" – 3:48
  6. "Baby Boomer" – 2:53
  7. "Man Named Truth" – 3:51
  8. "Goodway" – 2:01
  9. "Ahead of the Curve" – 3:40
  10. "Slow Down Jo" – 3:21
  11. "Losin Yo Head" – 4:37
  12. "Magic Marker" – 3:20
  13. "Map of the World" – 4:24
  14. "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me" – 3:23
  15. "His Master's Voice" – 4:50

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Drowned in Sound7/10[6]
The Guardian[7]
Mojo #191, p.99
The Observer[8]
Pitchfork Media6.5/10[9]
Q
Rolling Stone[10]
Sputnikmusic[11]
The Times[12]

Critical

Monsters of Folk was well received by critics. Music magazines Q, 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." [13] USA Today called the album a "harmonious and occasionally electrified blend of folk-rock, country and white soul."[14] 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.[15]

Commercial

Monsters of Folk debuted and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200, along with also charting in the Top 10 of the five other Billboard charts.

Personnel
  • Conor Oberst - vocals, guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, and 15), baritone guitar (track 12), bass guitar (track 1), keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 10, and 11), drums (tracks 6 and 11), percussion (tracks 6 and 10)
  • Mike Mogis - guitar (tracks ), keyboards (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, and 14), baritone guitar (tracks 3 and 7), percussion (tracks 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14), mandolin (tracks 5, 7, and 8 ), drums (track 12), bass guitar (tracks 10 and 11)
  • Jim James - vocals, guitar (tracks 1, 5, 11, 12, 13 and 15), bass guitar (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8), keyboards (tracks 1, 3, 5, 11, 12, and 15), drums (tracks 2, 5, 9 and 15), percussion (tracks 3 and 13), programming (tracks 1 and 3)
  • M. Ward - vocals, guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14), bass guitar (tracks 2, 5, and 12), keyboards (tracks 3, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 15)

Chart performance
Chart (2009) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[16] 15
US Billboard Top Alternative Albums[17] 6
US Billboard Folk Albums[18] 3
US Billboard Top Heatseekers[19] 1
US Billboard Independent Albums[20] 3
US Billboard Top Rock Albums[21] 8
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References
  1. Wappler, Margaret (September 20, 2009). "Laid-back, fun-loving Monsters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  2. Fink, Matt (October 1, 2009). "Monsters of Folk: Averting Disaster". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  3. Josh Modell (2009-06-11). "Oberst / Jim James / M. Ward record officially announced". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  4. Scaggs, Austin (January 22, 2009), "Smoking Section". Rolling Stone. (1070):26
  5. Monsters of Folk at AllMusic
  6. "Album Review: Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk". DrownedInSound.com.
  7. Dean, Will (September 17, 2009). "Monsters of Folk: Monsters of Folk | CD review". Theguardian.com.
  8. Staff, Guardian (September 5, 2009). "Monsters of Folk: Monsters of Folk | CD review". Theguardian.com.
  9. "Monsters of Folk: Monsters of Folk". Pitchfork.com.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved 2017-10-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Review: Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk | Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic.com.
  13. Edwards, Mark (September 20, 2009). "Monsters of Folk Monsters of Folk". The Times. London. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  14. Steve Jones, Edna Gundersen, Jerry Shriver, Brian Mansfield, Elysa Gardner (September 18, 2009), "Get ready for a coming sonic boom". USA Today
  15. Arnold, Chuck (October 12, 2009), "Monsters of Folk". People. 72 (15):46
  16. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  17. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  18. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  19. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  20. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  21. "Monsters of Folk Album & Song Chart History - Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
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