Jim James
| Jim James | |
|---|---|
 James performing on August 8, 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Edward Olliges, Jr. |
| Also known as | Yim Yames |
| Born | April 27, 1978 |
| Origin | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, Indie rock, Jam rock |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, Omnichord, Saxophone |
| Years active | 1992— |
| Labels |
ATO Records MapleMusic Recordings (Canada) |
| Associated acts | My Morning Jacket, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, VHS or Beta, The Decemberists, Mont de Sundua, Hotel Roy, Monsters of Folk, New Multitudes |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson Flying V, Gibson ES-335 | |
James Edward Olliges, Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames,[1] is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket.
Early life
James grew up in the Highlands-Douglass neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Martha grade school and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1996.[2] James briefly attended the University of Kentucky, studying art.[3]
Career
Prior to forming My Morning Jacket, James was the vocalist and guitarist of Month of Sundays, currently known as Mont de Sundua.
As the vocalist, frontman, producer and lead songwriter for My Morning Jacket, James has been instrumental in defining the sound of the band, from the haunting reverb of The Tennessee Fire to the amalgam of reggae, Americana, and folk that was the Z, which he co-produced with John Leckie.[4] He was given an "Esky" for best songwriter in Esquire's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue.
James typically plays rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, and occasional lead guitar on My Morning Jacket songs. He played the role of the band leader in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, singing the song "Going to Acapulco", with Calexico as his backing band, which was featured on the soundtrack of the film. Rolling Stone listed James among their "20 New Guitar Gods" along with fellow My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel. In 2008, James, along with former My Morning Jacket guitarist and cousin Johnny Quaid, formed Removador Recordings and Solutions record label. The label, as described on its website, functions "on the simple principal of yielding the highest annual percentage of aural joy back into the hearts and minds of investors and shareholders with ease and convenience".[5] He contributed vocals on The Decemberists' 2009 album The Hazards of Love.
On July 7, 2009, James released Tribute To, an EP covering George Harrison songs. A portion of the proceeds from the album will go to benefit the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. The EP is available on yimyames.com as both a digital download and a physical CD/LP.[6]
Jim James and the rest of My Morning Jacket played themselves in "My Morning Straitjacket", an episode of the animated television series American Dad!.
In 2012, Rounder Records released the Woody Guthrie tribute album New Multitudes which features songs covered by a variety of musicians including James (as Yim Yames) and Jay Farrar. James wrote an article on My Morning Jacket,[7] discussing how the band got its name and growing up in Louisville, for the July 2012 issue of Louisville Magazine. Bandmates Patrick Hallahan and Tom Blankenship also wrote articles for the issue.
Jim James released his debut solo full length album, Regions of Light and Sound of God, on ATO Records on February 5, 2013.
Discography
My Morning Jacket
- The Tennessee Fire (1999)
- At Dawn (2001)
- It Still Moves (2003)
- Z (2005)
- Evil Urges (2008)
- Circuital (2011)
Monsters of Folk
- Monsters of Folk (album) (2009)
Solo
- Tribute To (2009)
- New Multitudes [With Jay Farrar, Will Johnson and Anders Parker] (2012)
- Regions of Light and Sound of God (2013)
Equipment
- Guitars
- Gibson Custom ES-335 (Dot Figured-top Electric Guitar with Gloss Finish Honey Burst) [8]
- Gibson 1998 Limited Edition Flying V with custom chrome pickguard
- 1976 Gretsch Broadkaster (Plain wood finish. Used as secondary performance guitar 1999–2003 tours. Also used in recording of Tennessee Fire, At Dawn, and all EPs recorded prior to 2004)
- Gretsch Super Axe (red)
- Fender Stratocaster(sunburst, black pickguard, maple neck)
- Autoharp (not a guitar)
- Gold Tone Banjo (not a guitar)
- Ovation Preacher 12-string Electric
- Gibson J-185 Acoustic/Electric
- Takamine acoustic G335
- Gretsch Broadkaster
- Electronics
- Amplifiers and cabinets
- Mesa Boogie Tremoverb
- Carr Rambler
- Mesa Boogie 2x12" cabinets
- Pickups, effects and other equipment
- SIB Mr. Echo Pedal
- Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb Pedal
- Boss BD-2 Blues Driver Pedal
- Boss OC-3 Super Octave Pedal
- Boss TU-2 Chromatic Stompbox Tuner
- Hot Hand Phaser/Flanger
- Zvex Wooly Mammoth Fuzz pedal
- Zvex Vexter Box of Rock pedal
- Jim Dunlop Green Tortex Picks
References
- ↑ Leahey, Andrew. "Yim Yames". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ↑ Lou (25 October 2010). "21 Questions with My Morning Jacket's Jim James". Louisville.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ↑ ""1891", the MY MORNING JACKET history 1891-2004". Gerpotze.com. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ↑ "Z Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ↑ "About Removador". Removador Recordings and Solutions. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ↑ "My Morning Jacket man to release George Harrison covers EP". NME. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- ↑ "My Morning Jacket by My Morning Jacket: Jim James". Louisville Magazine. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ↑ "My Morning Jacket – Jim James Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment". Retrieved 2011-09-28.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim James. |
- Official website
- Yim Yames at MySpace
- Brown, Catherine. Review of Regions of Light and Sound of God on Cool Album of the Day
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