My Morning Jacket's Jim James Talks to Mustache Institute

With the release of Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket's Jim James made the switch from a full beard to a mustache, inducting him into an exclusive club that features members like John Oates, Freddie Mercury, the Killers' Brandon Flowers and the Sgt. Pepper's-era Beatles. So it was only natural that the American Mustache Institute would want to interview James to discuss his new facial hair look. "I have always been a fan of the wisdom and power of the mustache," James said. "Having only a mustache is a feeling unlike any other. A feeling of deep pride and sophistication." James said his father (who "will always rock the 'stache till his dying day"), James Brown and his desire to look like "a top rate T-ball coach" were all inspirations for his new look. James even offers some grooming advice: "I feel every man looks best with his god-given facial hair, as long as it's not a beard with no mustache. The 'stache must be present at all times."

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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