Matt Ward is a fellow most of you know, and even if you think you don't know him, you probably do—in the past decade, his distinct and obscenely talented guitar work, or his gravelly millworker's voice, have tended to turn up in the most unlikely places. The Portland resident can be found alongside Zooey Deschanel in She & Him, or working with My Morning Jacket's Jim James and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis in Monsters of Folk, but to get the best feel for Ward's AM radio dynamism, one has to seek out his exemplary solo work. Prior to Ward's SXSW appearance in support of his new album, A Wasteland Companion, we hopped on the phone to chat with the thoughtful musician about T.S. Eliot, Christmas albums, being defined by collaborations, and why SXSW is not a terrible thing. more ›

Whispers flew around the packed ACL Studio as five men in suits as varied as their personalities filed on stage at 8pm. There were the expected four members of Monsters of Folk: Jim James, frontman for My Morning Jacket, M. Ward of She & Him fame, and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes. (For more background on Monsters of Folk, check out the ACL/Stubbs preview.) But who was the fifth suited man seating himself behind the elegant drum kit? more ›

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss, and by that philosophy some people just can’t sit still. Such is the case for members of the Traveling Wilburys-esque supergroup, Monsters of Folk. Each member of this cooperative project carries a reputation for playing the field musically, and it might just be that zest for experimentation and thirst for musicality that makes them such a special act to see. more ›

With members of super successful groups like My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes and a name like Monsters of Folk, it's hard not to expect fireworks and a full on folk implosion. The talented Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis make up the masterpiece that is Monsters of Folk. With a supergroup like this, we're sometimes left with the desire for more of the outstanding original work of each individual artist. While Monsters of Folk's material may not be anything earth-shattering, it's still darn good music. And not just plain folk music. There are elements of country, blues and soft rock throughout the music, making it difficult to lump into one category. more ›

Photos courtesy Steve Hopson. Monsters of Folk consists of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward. more ›

Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis have partnered in a pubescent version of the Traveling Wilburys and have so far been met with underwhelming response. It's a shame, considering they decided to name their band something worthy of arenas and used their own faces as album art. Never fear, though, the quartet delivers jaunty soft-rock (and better-than-expected) tunes on this long player. Sample "Say Please" at Pitchfork. more ›