Back in 2004, the formidable trio of Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward teamed up for a tour they dubbed Monsters Of Folk. Each artist delivered a solo set,
[youtube]-uVj_LCMv70[/youtube] M. Ward – Rave On
North Carolina based indie-label Merge Records has a big 2009 planned to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The label, which is home to acts like Neutral Milk Hotel, She & Him,
When the names Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both appeared on the bill for the last night’s Change Begins Within benefit at Radio City Music Hall those who had plunked
It's little wonder that M Ward has collected so many favorable associations (Bright Eyes, MMJ’s Jim James) and even more au courant accolades. As displayed on his new album Hold Time, he writes sings and plays as if inhabiting his own peculiar universe.
There must be something in the water in the Pacific Northwest. Over the last couple of years the region has once again reclaimed the mantle as the epicenter of music cool, cranking out some of the most buzzed about bands around, which includes the likes of Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper, The Decemberists and Blind Pilot. Among the acts that hail from that region that deserves your immediate attention is rootsy-singer-songwriter M. Ward who calls the Rose City his home.
Matt (that’s what the M stands for) seemed to be everywhere last year as one half of the indie-pop duo She & Him – his teaming with doe-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel. While taking a back seat to the starlet who wrote most of the album’s material, Ward’s stellar production work secured the record a place on critic’s best-of lists at year’s end.
Prior to collaborating with Hollywood A-Listers Ward previously performed as a member of Beth Orton’s live band, toured with Jim James and Conor Oberst as The Monsters Of Folk and co-produced Jenny Lewis’ solo debut – oh and he’s also been making records on his own, most recently releasing his sixth studio effort Hold Time
READ ON for more on Matt and his vintage sound…
With 2008 starting to look smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror and 2009 now in full swing, we’re sure that you’ve probably grown tired of some of the
While mega-coffee chain Starbucks expects to make layoffs and close a number of stores this year, they still seem to knock it out of the park with their custom-made compilation
Zooey Deschanel (She) is best known for her roles in Elf and Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, while M. Ward (Him) is regarded as a guitar vitruoso amongst the new-wave of indie rockers. Volume One, their debut album as She & Him, is a throwback to old country and pop that reflects in Jenny Lewis’ recent old timey project with The Watson Twins.
riginally released in 1999, M. Ward’s debut, Duet for Guitars #2—which was reissued in July by Merge Records—is certainly a low-key affair. Almost entirely acoustic, with a couple of fuzzy electric tracks and the occasional hint of mandolin and dulcimer, the album drifts from track to track in a near weightless manner.
