It's not you, it's me.

Sorry blandorexics, i fell out of love with you for a minute. But I've been missing you and I wanted to see if we could get back together again. If that's cool with you, keep reading.

THE MONSTERS OF FOLK.

When you read that, who do you think of? Bob Dylan? Maybe Woody Guthrie or Joan Baez? Or even (for us youngin's) Devendra Banhart?

Then you will be disappointed.

The M.O.F. is actually the synthesis of Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes), M. Ward, and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket). While I am an avid fan of all three of these guys, and I approved of their touring together a few years back, I don't know if collectively they really have the right to dub themselves the monsters of any genre.

Mr. Oberst has been dallying heavily into folkier territory, recording his last album in Mexico and forming the Mystic Valley Band to back his solo material, but his infamous emo voice will always remain. His video off his self-titled first album showed him and the band playing around, being silly, and *GASP* smiling a lot, which i would bet was an effort to try to shake off his weepy notoriety. He even wore a cowboy hat when he performed with the MVB on Conan a little while back, but he will never be able convince me to think of him as some kind of drawling, down-home boy.

M. Ward has recently shot to the front of the line with his fun collabo band with the VOMITOUSLY AWESOME AND CUTE ZOOEY DESCHANEL (all hail). He has since released Hold Time, a well-rounded folky-pop album that ties in well with the vibes from his albums Post-War and Transfiguration of Vincent. I would daresay M. probably has the most folk cred of the alleged MOF.

Never Had Nobody Like You (Featuring Zooey Deschanel) - M. Ward

Jim James was a big part of the rather rad album "Z" and it's rather sad follow up "Evil Urges" with MMJ, but if he has any folk chops at all, I've yet to hear about them.

So these "Monsters of Folk" seem to be releasing an album this September. I will no doubt get it and listen to it, maybe even obsessively. Despite my intense disapproval of their name, I do love all three of them, and this record has potential. It could go either way, but Mike Mogis (the silent second half of Bright Eyes) is producing it, and I have faith for now.