because if you don't, you should. but you probably already do. i only learned of them this year because i have a tendency to be at least a year behind on pop culture. in fact, just last week i had to look up "the kardashians" that i'd been hearing so much about and see what made them so famous. as far as i could tell, the answer to that is: nothing. also, recently i learned to identify justin bieber in pictures and then i heard one of his songs and my friend said "that's justin bieber" and i said "no way" because he sounds like a girl! i realize this is probably not news to you, but no wonder people make fun of that poor kid, whose girlfriend is selena gomez, according to all my students. (i haven't a clue who selena gomez is.)
ANYWAY.
i didn't come here to talk about the kardashians and justin bieber, i came here to share some actual talent with you. i love lots of songs and like a lot of bands. however, my list of favorite bands is short because in order to be a favorite, i must be very familiar with most of their discography and i have to be willing to pay money to see them in concert. there are very few bands that meet these criteria, therefore, my favorites are:
the beatles (duh)
cake (also, duh)
pink floyd
squirrel nut zippers
bob marley
jimmy cliff
my man friday
BUT.
i can now add mumford & sons to that list. oh my word, they are so good it makes my belly button tingle. they are unlike anything i've ever heard before (mtv says they're rock, itunes says they're alternative, i say they're french fries for my ears.) and they do for the banjo what jethro tull did for the flute (make it cool.) and their words!!! i'm not much of a lyric girl, i'm more for the music, the melody. sure, i can sing along, but i don't pay attention to the meaning or anything like that. but their lyrics? poetry!!
(mildly amusing anecdote: on cake's album, pressure chief, there is a song that i sang along to for months before i realized they were saying a very foul word that i am not fond of. and actually, i only learned they were saying that foul word when someone said to me, "i think it's cute that you substitute your own word there." and i had no idea what that person was talking about.)
"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. there is a design, an alignment to cry, of my heart to see the beauty of love as it was made to be. " -sigh no more (shakespeare gets some credit for this lyric.)
"i need freedom now and i need to know how to live my life as it's meant to be. and i will hold on hope...and i'll find strength in pain..." -the cave
"seems that all my bridges have been burned, but you say that's exactly how this grace thing works. it's not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome i receive with a restart." --roll away your stone
(warning: if you don't like foul words, stay away from "little lion man" even though everyone says it's their best song. it's not.)
so, in conclusion, throw together a few guitars, a banjo, literary lyrics, some jaunty tempo changes, a hint of celtic music, and scratchy british voices and you get mumford & sons. they make me happy.
3 comments:
My very cute boyfriend briefly introduced me to Mumford & Sons when he told me his very cute son wanted to learn how to play the banjo because of Mumford & Sons and now I hear and read about them everywhere. Even here! On your blog! I think the universe is telling me to like them. And, I have to go look up the foul words in Little Lion Man...one moment please...oh well, I kind of like that word but I don't know all their songs but I bet I can really get to like them. Hello iTunes. Here's my money.
they are a band i've been meaning to get into.
you see, i have this fear of getting to know new music. like you said, i like to be familiar with ALL their music before i call myself a true fan, so it's a little bit daunting to get involved sometimes.
but i will do as you say.
(what song is it on pressure chief with the foul word? cause i have no idea either!)
Matty burned a bunch of their songs for me. i likey. their music is fun...i don't usually pay attention to the lyrics of any song...even though i can sing them word for word.
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