Highly Suspicious My Morning Jacket

10 months ago
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Highly Suspicious Album: Evil Urges (2008)
by My Morning Jacket

Evil Urges is the fifth studio album by My Morning Jacket. It was released by ATO Records on June 10, 2008. The album was nominated for the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, ultimately losing to Radiohead's In Rainbows.

Writing began in Colorado, while recording was done in Manhattan. According to producer Joe Chiccarelli, the demos he was sent, which were "very groove-oriented with hints of old-fashioned R&B", suggested a more urban record than previous albums, and as such he recommended the band record in an urban environment that had some "life and vitality". After looking into various options including Vancouver and San Francisco, the band eventually decided to record in New York.

Singer and lead songwriter Jim James said that the band wanted to get away from "normal rock and roll sounds" and emulate more of the band's live sound. Many of the songs were previewed at the 2008 South by Southwest music festival.

My Morning Jacket played "I'm Amazed" and "Evil Urges" on Saturday Night Live on May 10, 2008. At the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June 2008, the band played a near four hour set, playing all songs on the album except "Look at You" and "Remnants".

The season six premiere of The CW's teen drama One Tree Hill was titled "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream" and featured the songs "Highly Suspicious" and "Look at You."

On November 22, 2009, the American Dad! episode "My Morning Straitjacket" featured the band members playing themselves. The episode utilised four songs from Evil Urges: "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2", "I'm Amazed", "Highly Suspicious" and "Remnants."

Frontman Jim James told Mojo magazine May 2008: "This song is very theatrical. We sung in cartoon voices. They're supposed to sound like angry police officers, highly suspicious of you, knocking down your door. The main character, the one I'm singing, is this paranoid drug addict that the police are coming to get."

My Morning Jacket was forced to cancel their fall European tour in 2008 after lead singer Jim James fell off the stage in Iowa City, Iowa. James was injured but recovered without any permanent damage.

Frontman Jim James and the rest of My Morning Jacket once appeared in the animated TV show American Dad! My Morning Jacket played themselves in a Season 5 episode called "My Morning Straightjacket" where main character Stan Smith (the Dad) becomes obsessed with the band after trying to ban his daughter Hayley from listening to them.

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James is a huge fan of the late Jim Henson, calling him "one of the greatest artists of all time." James and the rest of the band were working collaboration for The Muppets, but the project was dropped when their producer was let go due to a takeover by Disney.

1998-
Jim James Vocals, guitars
Tom Blankenship Bass
Johnny Quaid Guitar1998–2004
J. Glenn Drums1998–2000
Chris "KC" Guetig Drums2000–2002
Danny Cash Keyboards2000–2004
Patrick Hallahan Drums2002-
Bo Koster Keyboards2004-
Carl Broemel Guitar2004-

Wasting time home alone dotting your I's
Peanut butter pudding surprise!
Ain't nobody care what's going on in your mind
But they got they eye on your prize
I'm highly suspicious of you

Now daddy's got you home alone- solving your crimes
Peanut butter pudding surprise!
Ain't no jokin, smokin, strokin, tapping your lines
Peanut butter pudding surprise!

I'm highly suspicious of you

Wasting all your time on drama, could be solving real crime
Waste away your mind too

I'm highly suspicious of you
I'm highly suspicious, highly suspicious of you

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