The best tunes for your summertime playlists.
Mumford and Sons: Sigh No More
Island Records
You may already have heard the jaunty folk-Celtic rock sounds of Mumford and Sons on your local new music radio station. The UK band’s hit single “Little Lion Man” is getting increasing airplay across the country and it’s about time. Already a well-known band back home and in Australia, Mumford and Sons make the kind of uniquely simple music that we sometimes crave. Sure, it’s great to listen to the complexity of Radiohead or the genius of Broken Social Scene from time to time, but Mumford and Sons provides easy listening without being annoying. You’ll hear all Celtic folk with their first single “Little Lion Man” while “Thistle and Weeds” brings the rock into the fold.
The band belongs to Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane. Mumford takes lead vocals and provides a raspy, almost weathered sound while Country, Ben and Ted provide layered harmonies on most tracks. Have a listen to “Dustbowl Dance” and you’ll have a perfect example of what I mean. Not to be dismissed is the band’s lyric writing abilities: “After the Storm”, the story of a man afraid of his past, ends the album triumphantly. While title track “Sigh No More” is a thoughtful ballad as they sing "Love it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you/It will set you free/Be more like the man you were made to be." All of this over quickly strum banjo.
As a woman, I can safely say that hearing a young man sing these words, with that music in the background brings one word to mind: sexy. There’s no doubt in my mind that these handsome 20-something’s don’t have a hard time with the ladies. The album came out in February but it may be your go-to summer album this season.
Sleigh Bells: Treats
N.E.E.T Recordings
Self-proclaimed “noise-pop” vocalists Derek El Miller and Alexis Krauss meld soft melodies and hard electronic beats in their latest, Treats. Signed to M.I.A’s record label N.E.E.T Recordings, the catchiest songs by far are: “Rill Rill” and “Crown on the Ground.” Dig deeper into the offering and you will hit surprisingly heavier tunes like “A/B Machines” where Miller’s over-strung guitars and distorted bass lines explode behind Krauss, who manages to sound incredibly poised amidst the chaos.
Feature image: Mumford and Sons
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