Music Monday: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Name: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Style: Indie Folk
Similar To/Sounds Like: Hicks (no, that's not a band name)

I've been listening to quite a lot of what many people would consider to be hipster music lately, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is by far the most hipster of them all. If you hate all things hipster then you aren't going to like ES, but you should probably reconsider you stance and at the very least give their song "Home" a chance.

I first heard this group when their song "40 Day Dream" came up on my always-astounding Florence + the Machine Pandora station, the source of all good music in the universe, and jotted down their name to look up when I had the time. A few days later I did a quick Google search on them, and it was quite apparent that "Home" is their biggest hit so I listened to it on YouTube. And loved it. And then at the NYFA fashion show in Seattle last week, one of the designer's showed their collection with "Home" playing in the background and I loved it even more than the first time I head it. Almost as soon as I got home, I bought their CD on Amazon and it's been playing ever since.

The group is made up of Alex Ebert, the lead singer, Jade Castrinos, the back-up female singer, and about 50 other random musicians. OK, so not 50, but there's a bunch. They also have a superb trumpet player that is worthy of mention. I'm sure all of the other members are good musicians as well, but today I'm feeling particularly pro-trumpet... probably because my dad got his out the other night and was brushing up on his rendition of "Taps" for his second-career as a funeral trumpeter.

Like most of the bands and singers I listen to, I know this type of music isn't for everyone. Probably 85% of you that actually give the group a listen are going to think I'm insane, so sorry for that. But the other 15% is going to love me for sharing these guys with you, so you're welcome for that. Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you listen. (I'm only linking up my 3 favorites today, but I'm sure you can find all of them on YouTube.)

Up From Below

1. 40 Day Dream
2. Janglin
3. Up from Below
4. Carries On
5. Jade
6. Home
7. Desert Song
8. Black Water
9. Come in Please
10. Simplest Love
11. Kisses Over Babylon
12. Brother
13. Om Nashi Me

Download on Amazon (only $3.99!) or buy the CD.

This isn't a music video exactly, but I thought it was fun and a good way to listen to their best song:

Music Monday: April Smith and the Great Picture Show

Yes, I know it's not Monday. But I completely forgot to do a Music Monday post on Monday because, well, I was thinking about other things on Monday. So better late than never, right?

Name: April Smith and the Great Picture Show
Style: Folk pop
Sounds like/similar to: Adele, Kate Nash, The Hush Sound

It seems like very week a find a new favorite female singer. While my male favorites have remained the same for years now (Matthew Bellamy and Brandon Flowers for the win!), it's like there is no end to the sea of female voices I fall in love with week after week. The current #1 on my list is now Miss April Smith (I added the "miss", I actually have no clue if she's married or not) since I heard her on my Florence + the Machine Pandora station. That station never fails to amaze me every time I turn it on. Who knew there were so many talented female singers out there?

Anyways, I was talking about April Smith. What a neat, fun, fresh voice she has! She handles the fast paced songs very well, and then positively shines on the slower ballads. The CD as a whole has a very nice variety of styles, with a bit of folk, a bit of rock, a bit of pop, usually in some strange combination that somehow works together to form good music.

Listen on YouTube:
Songs for a Sinking Ship

1. Movie Loves a Screen
2. Terrible Things
3. Drop Dead Gorgeous
4. Can't Say No
5. What I'll Do
6. Colors
7. Dixie Boy
8. The One the Got Away
9. Beloved
10. Wow and Flutter
11. Stop Wondering

My favorites: Movie Loves a Screen, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Colors

Buy the CD on Amazon, or get the Mp3 Download.

Music Monday: Mumford and Sons

Their Name: Mumford and Sons
Their Style: Indie Folk
Sounds Like: The Decemberists

A few things I love about Mumford and Sons:
1. Their name. I want to marry the lead singer just so I can get his last name. Leanna Mumford. Can't you just hear it now?
2. Their pictures. I love bands with quirky and fun band photos. Check out a sampling on Google Images.
3. Their style. They sing folksy and they dress folksy, too. I'm not the type of girl that sits around and makes up lists of ideal physical features to look for in guys (i.e. "He needs to have blue eyes", or "He should have luscious locks of blond hair for me to run my fingers through"), but I am the type of girl that knows how she wants her future guy to dress. If he dresses like Mumford and Sons do, he passes the test.
4. Oh, I guess their music is pretty good, too.

You really can't go wrong with any of the following songs, so I'm not going to pick any favorites for you (though, like the rest of the world, I love Little Lion Man). Listen to the whole thing for the real experience, or just pick a few at random for a bit of a taste. The album tends to go from more upbeat peppy songs at the beginning to slower, more moody songs towards the end.

Sigh No More
1. Sigh No More
2. The Cave
3. Winter Winds
4. Roll Away Your Stone
5. White Blank Page
6. I Gave You All
7. Little Lion Man
8. Timshel
9. Thistle & Weeds
10. Awake My Soul
11. Dust Bowl Dance
12. After the Storm

Good stuff, no? I didn't think I'd like them at first because of the 'folk' label, but I also thought that about The Decemberists as well, and both times I was pleasantly surprised.