Jim James' old band Mont de Sundua hits iTunes

It's hard to escape the past, especially when you make it big. Decemberists' commander Colin Meloy found out this truism firsthand when his formative years with Tarkio received a reissue last year. In 2007, it was Jim James of My Morning Jacket's turn. His previous outfit Mont de Sundua (aka Month of Sundays) saw its decade-old eponymous album released via Removador Recordings, to mixed reviews.

Now, however, the album is out on iTunes for piecemeal consumption, so MMJ fanatics can track down the good bits for download. Listening to some of the songs on the group's MySpace, it's interesting to see elements of the My Morning Jacket template starting to emerge in a sticky, prenatal form. James starts to flex his naturally reverberating vocals on "Dynamite Explosion," and the band stretches out for an At Dawn-style jam on "Space Beast."

Tonight, Jim James and My Morning Jacket will take the stage at New York's Beacon Theatre as part of an I'm Not There-inspired tribute to Bob Dylan's music. James also appears on the movie's soundtrack alongside Calexico, turning out a version of Dylan's "Goin' to Acapulco."

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