Just in time for the weekend, your boy Train has a band that’ll have you smiling – nay, skipping – all the way to your favorite haunts with visions of peace, love and happiness dancing in your mind’s eye. Who is this mystical band of musicians I’m speaking of? Hailing from the City of Angels, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have (somewhat) recently burst onto the scene and have quickly become the standard bearers for the folk-rock revival. Read on…

The 10-12 member group are garnering a reputation for putting on one hell of a live show, and recently released their self-titled debut album for mass consumption.  There’s not a whole lot of info out there about these guys/gals, but here’s what I managed to learn on my internet voyages: lead singer Alex Ebert often performs shirtless and with his hair in a faux crown (I’m thinking of stealing this look); the band travels in a converted school bus driven by a gentleman named ‘Cornfed’ (I’m thinking of stealing this name); the late Heath Ledger gave them some start-up cash, and, oh yeah, they play a mean tune.  It’s hard to describe their sound as ES & the homies MZ are fond of switching up styles from track to track – some songs would be cozy on a Fleet Foxes album, others on a Motown compilation, and still others on god knows what – but whatever seeds they’re planting, I’m diggin’.  I dare you to not be in a good mood after listening to ‘Janglin’, and if you are, then you are far beyond the clutches of sonic therapy hombre.  And for whatever it’s worth, ’40 Day Dream’ has one of my favorite lines of the summer – ‘She got jumper cable lips, She got sunset on her breath’. I like it, I like it a lot.  So crank those speakers and let your freak flag wave high folks…Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Train Tested. Muffin Approved.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Janglin’

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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream

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Buy Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros at Amazon or wherever good music is sold.

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B-B-B-Bonus jam!! I received a special request for a particular bonus jam from mi amigo Sydney C earlier this week.  He’s been jamming like a mutha (i.e. adding his own handclaps) to this cut by The Band and wanted it to see the light of Muffin day. So without further ado, here’s a special Sydney-copying-Train-bonus-cover-jam. Ha!

The Band – Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen cover)

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ULTRA Bonus Vid! Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros performing the song “40 Day Dream” at the Regent Theater in LA. Awesomeness ensues.