My Morning Jacket Becomes Ubiquitous

MP3 Give-Aways, Album Streams, Headlining Mountain Jam Set Webcast, “Unstaged” Live on YouTube, “Storytellers” on VH1, Jimmy Fallon, WNYC Interview, “Relix” Cover and more…

Update December 1st

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureHeartDay/status/142274240899596288

UPDATE August 14, 2011 Vote for My Morning Jacket in VH1’s Top 20 here.  Also eligible: Best Coast, Foster the People (currently in the top 10, making the “leap of the week” following their well-publicized Lollapalooza set), Friendly Fires, Mumford and Sons, Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay and the usual suspects (Adele, Britney, Beyonce, Gaga, Avril, Katy)…
UPDATE August 31, 2011 Although My Morning Jacket did not make it onto the Top 20, they did rank as “countdown contenders” on VH1’s August 27th list placing at #23 and continueing to receive airplay on the station’s daily morning video block, “Jumpstart”.  Watch the band play Circuital live in its entirety here (via NPR, via KCRW).

Back when I discovered My Morning Jacket (circa 2002-2003) I never imagined they’d become ubiquitous.  Since first starting to receive acclaim – with their split EP Songs: Ohia and major label début It Still Moves – they grew into critic’s darlings mid-decade with Z and soon after became kings of the festival circuit.  Their career arc was well-earned, still the notion that press and promotions tieing into the release of one of their albums would be everywhere seemed unlikely.  Come late May/ early June 2011 though, that is exactly what’s happened. 

Some examples:

• The entire new album, Circuital, streamed at NPR First Listen and Spinner’s Listening Party.
• The band released free downloads of live tracks recorded at their Terminal 5 run (in New York City, October 2010) in which they played all five of their albums in full over five consecutive nights.  For six weeks in spring 2011 they released one free recording from each of those shows, leading up to April 12 2011 – when they offered their new single, “Circuital”, for free download.
• “Circuital” (the track) was also available from Amazon for free on the release day of Circuital (the album) – May 31st.  Amazon also offered downloads of the entire album for just $5.00.
• Best Buy offered a coupon here to buy Circuital on CD for $7.99 at any location (expired Saturday, June 4th). 
• My Morning Jacket Unstaged – part of American Express’ “Unstaged” series – streamed the band performing live at The Palace Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky on YouTube the night of the album’s release.  Directed by Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There), the concert/ stream was promoted with a series of YouTube videos leading up to the night (plus video ads on other My Morning Jacket videos, e-mails from American Express, etc).  Guest Erykah Badu performed “Wordless Chorus” and “The Day Is Coming” with My Morning Jacket, plus two of her own songs (“Tyrone” and “Twinkle”).  Watch highlights above and below.
• Rave On Buddy Holly – a much-buzzed tribute album featuring The Black Keys, Modest Mouse, Julian Casablancas and others – will be released on June 28.  My Morning Jacket’s contribution, a cover of “True Love Ways” premiered on June 2nd at Spin.
• On June 3rd, My Morning Jacket Storytellers premiered on VH1 (watch a highlight above; the entire performance streams here).
• Also on June 3rd, My Morning Jacket headlined Wakarusa.
• Two days later, they were Mountain Jam’s closing night headliners – busy weekend…
• iClips webcasted much of Mountain Jam – including Bela Fleck, Warren Haynes and others on Friday (6/3); Mavis Staples, The Avett Brothers, North Mississippi Allstars Duo, Gov’t Mule and Umphrey’s McGee with John Oates on Saturday (6/4); and Dawes, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals on Sunday (6/5) – among others (check iClips for full schedule and details).  The stream ended with My Morning Jacket’s finale headlining set on Sunday, June 5th at 7:30 PM.
• On Monday, June 6th Jim James discussed Circuital live on WNYC (listen here).
• Pop quiz – Jimmy Fallon’s Live musical guest for Tuesday, June 7th??? You guessed it – My Morning Jacket…
  They appeared on Conan on June 24th.
• The weekend following their top-billed slots at both Wakarusa and Mountain Jam, they played a highly anticipated Bonnaroo set. 
• KCRW hosted an intimate, 200-person My Morning Jacket gig on June 21st at Los Angeles’ The Village Studios (where everybody have recorded – from Lady Gaga, Raconteurs and Weezer to Neil Young, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones).  Tickets, $125, went on sale Wednesday, June 1st at 10am to KCRW members only (remaining tickets on sale Tuesday, June 7 at 10am).  According to a statement from KCRW Music Director/ Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley “We’ve hosted some magical sessions at The Village, but I have no doubt this up close and personal concert will be one to remember.
• The week before Circuital was released one of its songs, “Slow Slow Tune” was used in an episode of American Dad!
• Numerous music sites and print publications have exclusive stories on or interview with the band.  Most notable are the cover story of Relix, a profile in The New York Times, an interview with NY Magazine and this interview with Spinner – in which Jim James says, among other things, “You know how it is — you leave the theater with movie brain, like you’re still inside the movie when you leave. The parking lot looks different. A lot of times I’ll just go home, pick up a guitar and come up with riffs. Film is such an all-encompassing experience, for better or worse.” “We’ve tried to avoid putting certain date stamps on our music. That said, it’s all personal taste. Some people hear music from the ’80s and think it’s dated, but a lot of that music is timeless too. We’ll still be listening to great Peter Gabriel songs and great Prince songs years from now.” ” I used to have these dreams — “This is gonna be our f—ed-up synth-funk record,” or our response to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On.’ But at the end of the day, I can’t force myself to write more synth-funk songs. I only have the songs I have.”
•  By early August they were Lollapalooza’s highlight – with the prime slot on Saturday night’s YouTube stream – and in VH1’s video rotation
• Later in the summer they playing a top slot at the Austin City Limits Festival…

http://twitter.com/#!/ThieveryCorpDC/status/76889335881932800

http://twitter.com/#!/stereogum/status/77828076242870272

http://twitter.com/#!/RollingStone/status/77769841037148161

http://twitter.com/#!/BlessinBackpack/status/74563593714155521

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureHeartDay/status/82797514117496834

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureHeartDay/status/80007899186855936