My Morning Jacket是由五个从肯塔基州来的乡巴佬组成，灵魂人物是主唱Jim James，他同时负责乐团里所有词曲的创作。这伙人身穿格子夹克，留落腮胡，还没中年却已经有了中年男人的模样，俗里俗气的，怎么看都不像一个会成功的乐团。而如果你知道主唱Jim James的嗓子是公认乐坛中最像Neil Young的一员，你对他们的刻板印象也许会自动停止。
继承着美国南方草根乡谣的优良传统，My Morning Jacket成团的时间虽然不长，却意外地获得了大范围的成功。不但在美国本土广受欢迎，他们竟然在欧洲也掳获了许多乐迷和乐评的耳朵。My Morning Jacket的音乐简单易懂，没有繁复的概念铺陈，也没有多余的累赘装饰， Jim James善用自己嗓音的优势，配合轻巧动听的旋律编写，一首首过耳难忘的好歌就这样生产出来。斑鸠琴，刻意调得很松的小鼓，句句滑进心坎里的SlideGuitar，My Morning Jacket用最简单的方式收买人心，不论什么季节聆听，都有自己特殊的风味。
Flaming Lips，Mercury Rev这两个乐团或许是聆听My Morning Jacket最容易想起的名字。早期Flaming Lips不修边幅的粗糙调调，些许Mercury Rev的新迷幻风味，这些讨喜的原素确实都可以在My Morning Jacket的音乐中找到。然而早在第一张专辑他们已经明确走出自己的方向，就是简单做自己喜欢的音乐。
Although they first emerged in 1998 as devotees of Neil Young's country-tinged classic rock, My Morning Jacket steadily widened their sound throughout the following decade, embracing everything from neo-psychedelia and Americana to funk, prog, and reggae. By the time Evil Urges arrived in mid-2008, they had successfully molded themselves into Kentucky's answer to Wilco, with unexpected detours and sonic experiments adding complexity to the band's alt-country roots.
My Morning Jacket's de facto leader is vocalist/guitarist Jim James (birth name: James Olliges), who founded the band in 1998 alongside his cousin Johnny Quaid (guitar), Two-Tone Tommy (bass), and J. Glenn (drums). Headquartered in James' hometown of Louisville, KY, the young group released its debut on Darla Records in 1999, with keyboardist Danny Cash joining the lineup one year later. Although The Tennessee Fire only found modest success in the U.S., the debut effort became a genuine smash overseas, particularly in the Netherlands. My Morning Jacket responded by launching a tour in Europe, where they were featured in a Dutch documentary film and received accolades from the Dutch music press. A Christmas EP was released in 2000, but it was My Morning Jacket's follow-up effort — 2001's At Dawn — that helped exponentially expand their audience at home. Jim James recorded his vocals in a grain silo, and the resulting reverb-heavy sound became a hallmark of the band's early work. Upon the album's stateside release, James' best friend from childhood, Patrick Hallahan, was enlisted as the band's new drummer.
My Morning Jacket maintained a grueling tour schedule throughout the early 2000s, hitting the road with such acts as Guided by Voices, the Doves, and the Foo Fighters. They also made the jump to a major label (RCA/ATO Records) for the 2003 release of It Still Moves, but the frantic pace had already taken an irreparable toll on Quaid and Cash. Tired and burnt out, the members announced their departure in January 2004. Keyboardist Bo Koster and guitarist Carl Broemel joined soon after, and the group continued to tour as a unified five-piece. My Morning Jacket's energy remained, and their sound took an experimental turn on 2005's Z. Produced by John Leckie, the album did away with the heavy reverb that blanketed the band's earlier efforts, while the addition of synthesizers and reggae influences introduced audiences to My Morning Jacket's experimental side. Tracks from Z were also present on Okonokos, a live album released in 2006, and the band's sonic experimentations continued with Evil Urges. Arriving in June 2008, the album showcased James' expanding vocal range, his bandmates' fascination with Prince, and My Morning Jacket's eagerness to challenge the boundaries of alternative country-rock.