Monsters of Folk, the indie supergroup comprised of Jim James, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and M. Ward, will release its self-titled debut album on September 22 via Shangri-La Music. To accompany this epic event, the group is setting out on a tour of the world, touching down all over the place to blow people’s minds with their epic ways. As if such a possibility weren’t enticing enough, the band is partnering with Air Traffic Control, a organization focusing on musicians’ philanthropic and social change work, and will donate $1 from every ticket sold on the tour to local non-profits. Now you have personal and moral imperatives to attend.

Tour dates are as follows:

10.13.09 Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum
10.14.09 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
10.15.09 Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
10.17.09 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10.18.09 Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
10.20.09 San Diego, CA @ Spreckels Theatre
10.21.09 Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
10.22.09 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
10.28.09 Omaha, NE @ Holland Center
10.29.09 Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
10.30.09 Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
10.31.09 Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace Theatre
11.02.09 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11.03.09 Boston, MA @ The Orpheum
11.06.09 New York, NY @ United Palace
11.08.09 New York, NY @ Beacon Theater
11.09.09 Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music
11.12.09 Stockholm, SE @ Philadelphia Church
11.14.09 Berlin, DE @ Huxleys
11.15.09 Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
11.17.09 London, UK @ Troxy
11.18.09 Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmartre
11.19.09 Koln, DE @ E-Werk
11.21.09 The Hague, NL @ Crossing Border
11.22.09 Antwerp, BE @ Crossing Border

Monsters of Folk, bka Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis have just made available the first track off their forthcoming self-titled album. It is called “Say Please” and you can get it by submitting, and we do mean submitting, your email address to their web overlords. The B-side to “Say Please,” entitled “Small Fork on the Outside” can be had by anyone willing to cry like a baby as Conor Oberst gives them a purple nurple. Welcome to the Record Industry 3.0.

—Nikki Turner

Matt Ward isn’t exactly the most talkative individual, so when we arrived at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto to interview him last week, we weren’t expecting garrulous anecdotes or divulging commentary. Sure, his accomplished career vindicates him from having to be a good interview or even offer some random blogger insight into his creative process. But like all writers, I thought I’d have a chance to dig a bit deeper. Not that I expected to be the Frost to his Nixon, but our Five Questions for M. Ward segment was, well, a flop. Matt Ward isn’t going to open up — not today.

To his credit, M. Ward’s latest album Hold Time certainly speaks for itself in terms of thematic content and musicianship. “Never Had Nobody Like You” is a bona fide love anthem. “Hold Time” is an existential contemplation. “One Hundred Million” ponders time’s effect on the heart and love (or perhaps vice-versa). Either way, Hold Time is a logical continuation of the ideas he explored on 2006’s breakthrough Post-War. M. Ward’s approach is direct and accessible, leaving little room for ambiguity, and this is one of his greatest strengths.

So maybe the problem isn’t as much Matt Ward’s reticence, but rather the clarity of his work. If all’s explained in his music (or all that he wants explained), well then there’s not much left to ask. His voice is gruff. He sings about his wife sometimes. He sings about life other times. He refuses to record digitally. He likes Obama. He doesn’t over-think. His writing process hasn’t changed. His music is a product of natural occurrences rather than concentrated happenings. I guess that’s all she wrote. But if still interested; Five Questions for M. Ward:

[Ed Note: Photography rules were strict. Photography was strictly banned for those without a pass, and those with one were only allowed to take pictures at the side of the stage during the first three songs. His opening three songs (“Chinese Translation”, “Requiem”, “Rave On”) went by in about 10 minutes so time was tight. We were also told M. Ward had private security incognito that would penalize us if we disobeyed the no flash rule.]

If Post War was the aftermath of a particular event, in what era or position did you envision Hold Time occupying?
I wanted it to be as era-less as possible – I wanted to create some healthy confusion where the listener isn’t sure when it was recorded or written.

When did your confidence as a song-writer come into fruition? Could you have released a song like “Never Had Nobody Like You” before then?
I think my confidence ebbs and flows like everyone else’s – its pretty impossible me for me to chart, measure or comment on.

I get the impression you don’t like doing interviews (which is completely fair), is this apart of the job you’d rather do without?
I don’t mind talking to people about music — it’s definitely part of my job…

Does politics affect your song writing?
Yes and no — it depends on where I am with the song.

Discuss an album of an artist that has most influenced you as an artist.
At the moment I’m listening to the Louvin Brothers — and I cant think of anything that hasn’t been said about them that needs to be said. It’s been a great discovery — I found them by first discovering the Beatles in high school and learning that their harmonies were borrowed from the Everly’s and later learned that the Everly’s borrowed from the Louvins.

There is really just one thing necessary to cover Chuck Berry: the ability to absolutely obliterate a roots rock guitar solo. M. Ward took on “Roll Over Beethoven” during an encore set at Coachella and left no riff unturned. If anybody is rolling over in their grave, it’s definitely not Mr. Berry.

The line up for the five-day-long Merge Records 20th Anniversary Celebration has been announced, and the event to bound to be nothing but stellar with headliners like label-founders Superchunk topping the bill.

The festival — XXMerge as they’ve dubbed it — is set to take place on July 22 through the 26, in Carrboro, N.C. at the Cat’s Cradle and one night at UNC. Along with the previously mentioned headliners, M. Ward, Spoon, Conor Oberst, The Rosebuds, Destroyer, Guv’ner, Polvo, Pipe and The Broken West, are all scheduled to perform at the event. More bands will be added to the line up at a later date, and we’re hoping we’ll get to see the Arcade Fire or Camera Obscura add their musical stylings to the already stacked line up.

In the wake of the ever increasing pool of festivals and the possible merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the idea of paying $200 to see live music during a recession resulted in our pockets slapping us back into reality. But to be fair, the Sasquatch Festival — presented by Live Nation and tickets sold by Ticketmaster — is one of the cheaper weekend-long festivals and the line-up could quite possibly be the best yet.

Of course, this has left us all wondering at what point does the festival circuit become too congested, leaving them all a bit redundant and watered down? Those who remember the 90s will remember that Lollapalooza took time off for this very reason. But we digress, the Sasquatch Festival will take place May 23-25 at The Gorge in Quincy, WA and features the just-announced-today-union of Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction as the festival headliners. But the rest of the line-up is what excites us and looks like this:

Kings of Leon, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, Of Montreal, Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, Doves, Calexico, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Chromeo (dj set), Deadmau5, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Airborne Toxic Event, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, BLK JKS, The Wrens, Tobacco, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Owl City, Viva Voce, James Pants, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Builders & The Butchers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Death Vessel, Horse Feathers, Hockey, Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Loch Lomond, Vince Mira & more to come.

And the comedy line up includes:
Zach Galifiankas, Demetri Martin, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, God’s Pottery, People’s Republic of Komedy & more.

Ok, got that? Now, as for tickets, beginning on February 28 (on sale weekend only), a discounted 3-day festival pass will be available until March 1 at midnight at $154.50 for the entire weekend with single tickets costing $56.50. Beginning March 2 a 3-day pass will run you $199.50 and a single ticket $66.50 and if you wait until the last minute (and tickets are still available), starting May 11 the weekend pass is $229.50 and single tickets will be $76.50.

Oh, and Ticketmaster will have all your ticketing needs. Go figure.