Oberst and Ward: Supporting Obama

Tonight in Obahama, Conor Oberst and M Ward are throwing their weight - okay, there's not much of that, even combined - and hearts behind the Barack Obama campaign at a rally-cum-fundraising-awareness event.

Oberst, as Paste helpfully reminds us, offered his support to John Kerry last time round, so that's probably good news for Hillary, then.

"Yes... yes, we can" smiled Barack, squeezing Conor's thigh. Oberst rolled over onto his back, idly scratching the politician's ear.

"But, Barack, I don't know what any of your policies are... I know you want change, but... how are you going to effect..."

"Hush now" said Obama, putting a finger on Conor's lips. "Let me show you why my campaign is built around a poster with a giant O on it..."

Oberst and Ward: Together at last

Sneaked away at the bottom of a piece in the Omaha City Weekly:

Also with recording plans for the winter is Conor Oberst. Beginning in the new year, Oberst is slated to begin recording two new albums — one a solo record in Mexico (?) with Jake Bellows playing a role and another with a new band being formed with M Ward.

There are people - I can give you a list - who will be unable to sit on their seats at thought of a band featuring Conor and M.

Conor, Conor, Conor...

"Okay..." said Conor, lowering his arm, "but I wish I'd never taught you that damn safe word..."

Integrity is priceless. For everything else, there's MasterCard

MasterCard - we still call them Access, to be honest - asked M Ward if they could use one of his tunes on an advert.

Their offer was declined.

So Mastercard went off and made a carbon copy. Ward, of course, isn't happy:

to avoid confusion re: mastercard/europe

Mastercard was denied permission by M. Ward to use his version of Daniel Johnston's "TO GO HOME" - so Mastercard found some anonymous musicians to re-record the song. Neither M. Ward nor the musicians that appeared on his version have any involvement in this recording or the commercial.

You can't put a price on it, can you?

Oddly, Mastercard happily blocked payments going to AllofMP3.com because it respects artist's rights. Sometimes.

Nor ah-gain

The woman who has to singlehandedly save EMI while Robbie Williams is rubbish ("incapacitated"), Norah Jones, is going to do her first UK tour in three years. That's not that interesting, but support is coming from the much-better-than-this M. Ward. Dates:

August 24 - Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
25 - Manchester Apollo
27 - London Hammersmith Apollo

You could try asking the ticket place if you can buy a half ticket for the pre-interval portion.