And they’re giving away the first track from their forthcoming self-titled album. Monsters of Folk, the Americana super group consisting of Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis, have made “Say Please” available via their website. All you have to do is submit your email and wait. More information to be release 09.22.09.On a related note Conor Oberst has also announced that his longest running and most successful project, Bright Eyes, will be releasing its final record in the Fall of 2010. It seems that Conor Oberst is ready to distance himself from the name Bright Eyes and his association with the emotional gravitas that people have come to expect from him. The last record is to be released on the Saddle Creek label he has helped build. There has been no word on whether this signifies an end to their longtime partnership.

Over here at NAM we love Americana. We’ve also got a real soft spot for minor league baseball so we were pretty excited to hear that 3 of American music’s living legends are combining for a must see summer tour. For a couple months this summer Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp will be touring the country playing minor league ballparks from Pennsylvania to California. “Ain’t that America…”

Tour dates are as follows:
7/15 New Britain, CT at New Britain Stadium
7/19 Syracuse, NY at Alliance Bank Stadium
7/21 Pawtucket, RI at McCoy Stadium
7/23 Lakewood, NJ at FirstEnergy Park
7/24 Aberdeen, MD at Ripken Stadium
7/25 Norfolk, VA at Harbor Park
7/28 Durham, NC at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7/29 Sevierville, TN at Smokies Park
8/4 Round Rock, TX at The Dell Diamond
8/5 Corpus Christi, TX at Whataburger Field
8/7 Grand Prairie, TX at QuikTrip Park
8/11 Glendale, AZ at Camelback Ranch
8/12 Las Vegas, NV at Cashman Field
8/14 Fresno, CA at Chukchansi Park
8/15 Stockton, CA at Banner Island Ballpark

Proving that he’s no Communist, Rolling Stone writer D.X. Farris says he enjoyed what he heard. Check out his review here.