The Best Mumford

The best Mumford is unreleased Mumford.

You may or may not know of my love for folk and bluegrass music. I grew up listening to my father playing traditional bluegrass music. I hated it. I thought the singers sounded like drowning cats and I couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to listen to a mandolin, of all instruments. Luckily for me, a new generation of folk artists emerged. A generation with a sense of pitch and tone; a generation that made mandolins sound amazing. The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Chatham County Line, and others embody this nouveau-traditional plus movement. And the band to arguably achieve the greatest prominence and success is a little band originating in West London that goes by the name of Mumford & Sons.

Note: Not Marcus Mumford's actual sons

Most people are familiar with their amazing studio albums, Sigh No More and Babel. I won't pretend to be a music critic or provide reviews. I have a treasure far greater.

You see, Mumford & Sons have many officially unreleased songs. Some are covers, some are early projects, some are separate side projects, and all are amazing. 

My favorite unreleased Mumford song is a Marcus Mumford solo song called "You Ain't No Sailor."

Best line: "My heart wants to go one way/My mind don't agree

'Cause they, they have fallen out recently"

I'll forgive the grammatical error in the name of musical expression and flow. Seriously though, this is one of Mumford's most quotable lyrics. Oh, the profundity!

And it keeps getting better! Check out this funny little ditty that Mumford & Sons performed live around 2010-11. 

Best Line: every verse

I'm not even going to type any of the lyrics, because they are all amusing and I'll spoil your fun. Not your traditional love ballad!

Mumford & Sons also are part of a collaborative group called The Wedding Band (clever) that released a 4 track EP called The First Dance. Here's a sample!

Best line: 'Cause oh my girl I love everything you do

You and me make a pretty fine pair too

Second best line: instrumental interlude

I could dance to this.

If you like it, you can download the EP for free on the Mumford & Sons blog. Thanks, guys!

There are many more little Mumford treasures in existence, for which I am eternally grateful. "Wretched Man", another Marcus Mumford solo song, covers of "Tessellate" and "Go To Sleep", and true Mumford & Sons songs like "The Banjolin Song" and "Sister" are some other brilliant ones to check out if you haven't already compulsively stalked any recording on the internet featuring Marcus Mumford's voice. 

Enjoy!