They're a big outfit as most indie bands go, but the 13-piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have created quite a buzz in Los Angeles, and in the indie world writ large, making excellent '60s-style folk-rock that could be called revivalist. With their converted school/tour bus, their back porch acoustics and their almost communal air, this is one band not to miss.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes are a relatively young group, coming together in 2007 under Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert. With influences like Polyphonic Spree and Bob Marley, their subsequent sound is big and embracing. They're a modern indie band, but they're also refurbishing '60s and '70s pop with more than a little psychedelia, bluegrass and good old southern rock sprinkled throughout.
They released their debut EP in May 2009, the buzz-building Here Comes, and the band's full-length release Up From Below followed in the middle of July. Ebert's rough voice, combined with eclectic instrumentals and a bright, utopian feel, are making Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes genuine rising stars.
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