Saintseneca are probably Columbus, Ohio’s best kept secret, having floated under the radar for a few years now impressing people one house-show at a time.  They released their debut album “Last” a few weeks ago and I can only attempt to put into words how great it is to finally be able to put something tangible into peoples hands to hear what I’ve been raving about.

Very similar in energy as The Head and The Heart with songs that easily clear the bar that’s been set by similar bands Local Natives, Fleet Foxes, and Mumford and Sons; I know, lofty names to throw next to a relatively unknown, but one listen and I doubt you will find it difficult to agree.

“On or No” is my favorite track from the new album, bringing to light the band’s ability to not use their stomp-along intensity as a necessary crutch when it comes to great lyric writing and overall craftsmanship. Not many bands can walk on both sides of that fence which usually puts an expiration date on the novelty they possess. After the first listen it’s clear that Saintseneca are a band with a future instead of a shelf life.

Connect with Saintseneca – Tumblr / Facebook / Last.fm / Myspace

On or No by MamaBirdRecordingCo

If there’s one genre of music I never expected to start getting into, it’s country. I mean, is there anything likeable about it? How often do we need to hear a downtrodden ex-cattle rustler growl about the tribulations of the trail, or how he’s called Sue, or whatever? Don’t even get me started on steel guitars.

Well, apparently there is something likeable about it. I’m still not exactly sure what it is, but it’s growing on me. Trust me: I’m as surprised as you are.

Count To Fire might not be gifted with basic numeracy (You know fire, right? That number between eight and nine that doesn’t exist?), but they make up for this by being quite good at making music. Their current single “I’m The Man You Need” is more or less a textbook demonstration of how to structure a pop song, and it sports the sort of chorus that stays stuck in your head for days. Seriously: when you fit two verses in before the first chorus and still stick to the minute rule, you’re doing it right.

I should point out that the five-piece – that’s Will, Dan, Ray, Joe and other Joe – are not actually American, but from Devon. For the benefit of Stateside readers, that’s a county in the west of England – home of the culinary joy that is clotted cream. That means two things: firstly, it might explain why they’re a lot better than the bulk of country bands – a little bit of distance from a scene can allow a very different perspective of it. Secondly, it means they’ll almost inevitably be pigeon-holed with Mumford And Sons. That would be a mistake – unless, of course, Mumford And Sons have become talented since I last checked, which I admit was not exactly recently.

Count To Fire came together back in 2008, inspired by a mutual affection for Wilco and My Morning Jacket. There are some footsteps that, when you follow them, can only lead to good things. Since then, they’ve been out and about in their native south west, playing everything from high-profile festivals to guerilla gigs on the beach, and generally building a cult following despite being thoroughly under the radar. Expect that to change more or less right now.

With The Lonely Wild covering similar territory in similarly-loveable fashion, there’s really never been a better time to revisit the Midwest – musically speaking, of course. No offence, Nebraska, but I glanced at some Willa Cather this one time and wasn’t exactly inspired. I’m not saying I’ve become a country evangelist, but I will say this: if more bands in the genre promise to take the same razor-sharp approach to their song-writing as Count To Fire, then I promise to actually listen to their music before dismissing it as schmaltzy nonsense in thrall to an outdated cliché.

You can download their single “I’m The Man You Need” below, or hit up the connect links for more alt.-country goodness. Just don’t mention Mumford And Sons.

Connect with Count To Fire – Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | MySpace

Count To Fire – ”I’m The Man You Need”

It might seem odd that LBYB is just now doing an introducing piece on Alex Winston, but it’s long overdue.   So, may I formally introduce Alex Winston.

At first glance, you might be surprised to hear that Alex Winston is classically trained in opera, but after listening to a few of her songs, it doesn’t seem all that crazy.  Winston’s voice is wonderfully feminine, similar to that of Ritzy Bryan from The Joy Formidable, and immensely strong.  Her sound is intoxicating, leaving you wanting more and the lyrics are smart and quirky, making her one of my new favorites of 2011.

Coming from a musical household, Winston, a mere 21 years of age, encompasses true musicality, interweaving interesting harmonies, beautiful melodies, with amazing vocals.  I honestly, listened to her newest single, “Velvet Elvis“ on repeat for a full day.  Growing up in the small but powerful town of Bloomfield Hills, MI, Winston’s parents were always encouraging and supporting her to explore music.  Bloomfield Hills is actually the hometown of a number of notable talents, such as Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ drummer, Chad Smith, Interpol frontman, Paul Banks and the music icon, Aretha Franklin.  So, it seems only natural that another music heavyweight would make it big.

Regrettably, we all have to wait until September 5 for her newest EP, but check out her songs below.  They never get old.

Connect with Alex Winston — Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Last.fm | Website

Alex Winston – “Don’t Care About Anything”
Alex Winston – “Locomotive”
Alex Winston – “The Cave” (Mumford & Sons Cover)

Buy the album from Amazon – CD

Sitting on the tube with a friend the other day, I spotted a poster for Benjamin Francis Leftwich‘s album, pitching him as “Brit-folk’s pretty new voice.” My friend turned to me and said: “Mumford And Sons are already Brit-folk’s new voice”. True, indie-folk, whether Brit or otherwise, is hardly lacking in voices at the moment. What’s compelling about what Benjamin Francis Leftwich brings to the crowded table, though, is not the new: it’s the pretty. Where Mumford chuck instruments, harmonies and influences at their music like there’s no tomorrow, Ben’s songs are carried by little more than his soft voice and soothing guitar work.

“Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm”, out today [4th of July], is a fragile, tender album. “Pictures” sets the tone immediately with its gently strummed, barely changing guitar part. In fact, its so unchanging that it feels more like an introduction than a fully fledged track in itself. “Box Of Stones” is a little more substantial, resting on similarly simple acoustic backing but adding a little more to the mix: the faintest breathy harmonies compliment Ben’s voice, and there’s even a touch of strings. The romantic lyrics are completely unchallenging ["I'm young, I'm yours, I'm free but I'm flawed. I'm here in your heart, I was here from the start"] and make for a lovely singalong chorus. As you might expect from someone with such big sincere eyes [and big sincere hair], there are plenty of other big, sincere love songs on the album: on “Atlas Hands” we’re swooning under stars, and on “Shine” we’re hoping to find the love that’s true. Predictable stuff, perhaps, but Ben’s voice keeps things warm throughout and, importantly, never sickly.

This ought to be the part of the review where I tell you how diverse the album is, that the love songs are offset by other, more bold tracks. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Ben’s releases in the build-up to this album have shown that he has a soft spot for Bruce Springsteen. His take on “Atlantic City” was admittedly gentle, but his love for The Boss had me hoping for, if not a full on anthem, then at least something to get the heart racing a little and give the album some momentum to carry through the second half. “Stole Away”, track six of ten,  threatens to be that song, with a moaning opening guitar line and even a solo, albeit one that only lasts 14 seconds. These touches make it the most interesting track on the album and probably the strongest, but for the most part it falls back on the same acoustic strokes that pervade the other nine songs.

Maybe a track with any more energy would shatter the delicate peace of the record. Maybe it doesn’t matter that so much of the album sounds so similar when it’s only 32 minutes long. With a load of advertising and praise from NME and Zane Lowe, it certainly won’t matter when the sales figures come around. “Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm” is a likeable album, and it’s certainly pretty, but a little more adventure wouldn’t go amiss. Check out the album stream below.

Connect with Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Myspace | Facebook | Twitter | Website

While on tour, Mumford and Sons stopped by Colorado radio station, KBCO to perform “The Cave” and a new song that is untitled, but has been dubbed “Home” by the listeners.  Mumford and Sons have been on tour for some time now, stopping by the Grammys for a mega-collaboration with the one and only Bob Dylan and spending a lot of time on this side of the pond (good for me).  So it’s only natural that bandmates, Marcus Mumford, Winston ‘Country’ Marshall, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane would be a little homesick.

The new song is a nice follow up track to their debut album that blew people away and made folk/bluegrass officially cool again.  Hopefully we can expect their next album soon, but until then, we’ll have to replay this lovely ballad, “Home” until they are able to get home and jump into the studio.

To listen to the full interview on KBCO click here.

Connect with Mumford and Sons – Facebook | Myspace | Website | Last.fm

Mumford & Sons – “Home/Untitled” (Live on KBCO) by TwentyFourBit.com

Mumford & Sons have been a round for a couple of years now, playing gigs in and around London along with buddies of the same scene like Johnny Flynn and Noah And The Whale, but they’ve only just (October 2009) released their debut album “Sigh No More”.  Polarising critics (some saying their music is awful, some (most) saying it’s excellent) they’ve made an album that’s passionate and catchy, melodious and stomping, but most of all enjoyable.

I think I’m on an Indie-Folk kick lately as most of the bands I’m featuring seem to be in that kind of genre, but what the hell, the music’s awesome and that’s all that matters.

Below you can hear “White Blank Page” that they did for WOXY, “After The Storm“, single “The Cave”, as well as a top notch cover of “Cousins” by Vampire Weekend.  Also are performances of “Timshel”, beautifully shot for Le-Hiboo and their official video for “Winter Winds”.