Get ready for a music milestone that will make you feel old. Today marks the 10 year anniversary of "Transfiguration of Vincent," a pivotal record from Matthew Stephen Ward, or M. Ward, as most fans know him. Yes, that means the singer-songwriter, known to tow the line between folk and alt-country, has been around for more than a decade. Let the early 2000s nostalgia commence.
The 15-song LP was Ward's first album on Merge Records, the Superchunk-run label that has nurtured an indie dynasty of bands including the Magnetic Fields, Spoon and Arcade Fire. Written as a personal homage to the life and death of his friend Vincent O'Brien, the record makes reference to the 1965 John Fahey album, "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death." With singles like "Vincent O'Brien" and "Outta My Head" (not to mention his heartwarming cover of David Bowie's "Let's Dance"), the record earned M. Ward a spot on Slant Magazine's "Best of the Aughts" list.
"Transfiguration" certainly set the stage for Ward's indie takeover, predating the release of his chart-topping records, "Post-War" and "Hold Time", as well as his coupling with adorkable indie princess Zoeey Deschanel. Scroll through the slideshow below for a collection of some of M. Ward's best performances and let us know how you are celebrating his anniversary in the comments.
