Had two separate friends send me videos of two bands I hadn’t heard of (which mostly likely everyone else has)- We Were Promised Jetpacks and Mumford & Sons (brilliant, brilliant names, by the way). The songs that slayed me, It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning, and The Cave are pretty great, along with the nice little understated video for The Cave. Then I saw Little Lion Man, and I think that’s my new favorite. That vicious lil’ mother chugs along like pint-sized freight train- if you’re standing on the tracks, you’re gonna get knee-capped by that opening verse strum, only to get hugged by that epic, grand bridge. That’s a song. Jeez.
Who am I to say, but I think Johnny Cash would’ve been proud of that song. Stunning work.
It’s incredibly disheartening when you’re subjected to songs like “Party in the USA” in stores and gyms and you wonder, “Who the hell likes this shit?” And then you realize, really, no one does. It’s just being forcibly rammed down your throat without your consent. You’re being subjected to it because you are a consumer. And then you hear a couple of bands like this, and it’s like getting oxygen after falling down an outhouse hole into the filthy, filthy darkness. Ah! A rope! Clean clothes! A shower!
Say guys, why do we still use that outhouse anyway? We do have plumbing, after all. This isn’t Deadwood.
Also, they’ve been playing the hell out of Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros on KCRW. Love Home. Love that song. Just joyous.
New music. Nothing like it.
Kenwoode 
Jetpacks are incredible live. Go see them if you have the chance… you won’t regret it.
Great post. Also hugely into Mumford and Sons. Thanks for the We were promised tip too…love that Glasgow scene.
”Fleet Foxes and Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit” also fit snugly into the current deluge of awesomeness, the latter being another stroky for your English folky whim so catered for Mumford. Some very good stuff around!
It used to feel like Sufjan was the only man keeping the game up, but now there’s a ton of good music around.
Good news for the ears.
made a mistake in not separating “Fleet Foxes” and “Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit”in the earlier post. Apol’s.
How can a band called ‘We were promised jetpacks’ not be awesome!!!
The name alone is reason enough for me to be at one of their shows….
As for Mumford and Sons, I love their debut… ‘The Cave’ is my favourite track on that record.
I’m loving the hell out of It’s thunder and it’s lightnin’ it made my final mix tape of “The Project”
I’m loving the heck out of, “It’s Thunder and it’s Lightnin” it gladly made the final mix of “The project”
Thanks so much. It’s great to hear music that sounds so authentic, like it comes from a person, not a studio engineer.
Mumford and Sons is wicked cool! I’d never heard of them, either, and am suddenly in love with their music. We Were Promised Jetpacks is another band I’ll be listening to and not just because it seems the video was filmed in my neck of the woods. Great post!!
Totally love Mumford and Sons!
Never heard of either of these bands, so THANK YOU, for posting these videos. Amazing! btw….. I love your comment that “you hear a couple of bands like this, and it’s like getting oxygen after falling down an outhouse hole into the filthy, filthy darkness”. So rediculously true and brilliant!
Love Mumford & Sons. Going to see them in Boston in May. Can’t wait.
[…] Random web surfing takes me to a blog where the author had nearly the same experience — same band, same initial reaction, same holy-guacamole-my-ears-never-felt-so-good-what-was-I-thinking-waiting-so-long? moment. […]
Thank you for introducing me to mumford and sons! just love them!!
I heard about Mumford and Sons from All Things Considered on NPR, then had to get their CD. They have such a great style.
Wow- Little Lion Heart if fucking brilliant! I love the way the guy is not only singing and playin guitar but playing drum and little cymbols with his feet too!!! Wow
I really like both bands – I think Mumford and Sons are great but sometimes they can be overpowering! Still, great to see Jetpacks getting some coverage!
I’m having the first time here and certainly will be posting more. Thanks!
I’m thrilled that I came across your blog!
Thanks for this post! I’m so feeling this right now….thank goodness for the goodness of new musical discoveries!
Thank you for introducing me to Mumford&Sons!!
Forgot to say….Have you heard of the Irrepressibles? Beautiful and haunting! Just discovered them myself and cannot get enough….
Wow. You weren’t kidding around about Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Heroes. There’s always two ways you fall into a really good band. You re-explore the band after dismissing them five years ago when you’re too unmotivated to research, or you find a band whose first meter just bowls you over onto the ground with awe. I’m dusting off the remnants of my dirty floor right now. Thanks for sharing!
Mumford & Sons’ lead singer has the voice of an angel. The first song I heard by them was White Blank Page, and his voice was bone chilling. I literally felt the emotion oozing out.
I am so ridiculously ecstatic to see We Were Promised Jetpacks mentioned on the WordPress homepage! I’ve been a fan of this band for awhile and have recommended them to anyone I know who has good taste in music. They have an absolutely phenomenal sound that’s full of heart, yet still light and fun. And the album “These Four Walls” is great in its entirety. There’s not a song on it that I don’t like. Great post!
That’s cool! thanks 🙂
Hey Kenwoode,
Your prose is outstanding! Did I say it emphatically enough – OUTSTANDING! What an innovative and refreshing approach to writing about new musical discoveries – keep it up, man! And thanks to you, it looks like I’m heading down the musical hole that is Mumford & Sons – I think it was the first line to Little Lion Man that knocked the breath out of me. Again, thanks!
Great Post! I hadn’t heard We Were Promised Jetpacks before! They are GREAT. Kind of reminds me of the late 90’s a little.
Subscribing to your blog! Here is mine: http://blog.lprevival.com
Great post, please do post more such posts!