Specifically **Sigh No More **by the former and The Hazards of Love and The King is Dead by the latter. While **Babel **, The Crane Wife, Picaresque, et al. are good albums, the first three mentioned are amongst some of my favorite albums of all time, and I would love to find more music reminiscent of them.
Help?
Check out some of The Avett Brothers. They’re neu-folk, like Mumford & Sons, and I really love them. I prefer them to Mumfords actually. Check out their new album “The Carpenter,” or “I and Love and You.”
Specific songs I’d recommend: “Die, Die, Die”, “Kick Drum Heart”,“Head Full of Doubt,” “Live & Die”
The only Mumford & Sons I know is whatever their big hit is, so I’m not much help there.
I’m not sure what it is you like about The Hazards of Love, but if it’s the whole prog-rock concept album thing, you might be interested in Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick, or A Passion Play. The Hazards of Love, while having a completely different theme, sounds like **“Thick as a Brick II” **to me.
A few other recently successful bands you might enjoy checking out:
The Lumineers
Alabama Shakes
Of Monsters of Men
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes
Are any of the bands mentioned so far also similar to Fleet Foxes? Other than the obvious similarities of not being hard rock.
Check out Glen Hansard’s solo work (linkey)… he is best known for his work with Swell Season and the soundtrack to the movie “Once” but his solo work is similarly awesome in a different kind of way.
Ditto his work with his pre-Once band, The Frames.
I like Fleet Foxes.
Maybe Okkervil River? John Grant (of former The Czars-fame)? (It takes some special talent to take lyrics consisting mostly of repetitions like ‘Bittersweet strawberry marshmallow butterscotch’ and make a song that’s absolutely heartrending…)
Thanks for those links, don’t ask. I love those kinds of tools. Looking at the link you posted, I’m actually a fan of a number of the bands it says others like.
I’m familiar with and like all of these except Of Monsters and Men. I’ll check them out!
I’ve given Tull chances in the past and they’ve never really grabbed me, but I’ll give them another shot. I’m actually not a big fan of proggy concept albums, though the expansive folk nature of The Hazards of Love is absolutely a large part of its appeal to me. It feels very mythic and timeless to me. If Tull can evoke those same feelings, I think I’ll like them.
There is a part in one Mumford & Sons’ songs off “Sigh No More” that gives me a really strong Swell Season vibe. I can’t remember the song, but will try to take note of it and post about it later if I can remember.
Of Monsters and and Men have a few Fleet Foxes-esque songs.
I don’t think it matches as well as usual this time. Awolnation and Paramore are way too close on the map considering they sound nothing at all like Mumford and Sons.
Their recs are better for The Decemberists: Sufjan Stevens, Elliott Smith, Iron & Wine, Bright Eyes, Damien Rice, Fleet Foxes…but not LCD Soundsystem or Modest Mouse, at least not compared to any Decemberists songs I’ve ever heard. Definitely not The Faint or Pinback, either.
I’ll throw out:
Ace Reporter
Brendan Benson
Eskimo Joe
Mouthful of Daisies
Dios (Malos)
Eagle*Seagull
For anyone still reading, the “I will hold on” refrain from Thistle and Weeds is what makes me think of The Swell Season, though it’s mostly the music, not the vocals.
I would have also suggested Of Monsters and Men. To me, they sound exactly like Mumford and Sons except I don’t want to strangle them for their preciousness. Someone who actually likes M&S (my sister, for instance – they’re her favorite band) might really like Of Monsters, or maybe not, but they’re worth a shot.
–Cliffy
Trampled by Turtles is similar. I like this song.
Oh I liked that one, thanks!
I’d say to check out Johnny Flynn. I really like these two songs:
You also might like the Head and the Heart.
I would heartily recommend Shovels & Rope. They seem to be heating up since their appearance on Letterman several weeks ago. The album is great.
Also, The Tallest Man on Earth should be up your alley. Here’s a clip.