2011 has arrived and I’ve been spending the first couple days of the year catching up with some new music. The band that stands out the most to me the most is Lord Huron, the moniker of a Michigan-via-L.A artist otherwise known as Ben Schneider. He has a two excellent EPs out, Into The Sun and Mighty, and will presumably be releasing an album sometime in 2011. After hearing a couple songs from the latter of his EPs, I was immediately compelled to download everything the artist has done and I have a feeling I’ll be listening to them for a long time. I think it’s safe to say, if you’ve enjoyed music by Panda Bear, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, or Local Natives you’ll dig this as well.
There’s no easy way to describe Lord Huron that doesn’t make it sound like a million and one other indie bands from the last couple years, but take a listen before you say “do we really need another…”. The results are impressive enough to silence any charges of unoriginality. “Mighty”, the glistening title track of his second EP is a great primer, an exuberant rush of a song that’s lush tropical instrumentation, upbeat afro-pop percussion, and soaring, layered harmonies are sure to induce dance outbursts and beaming smiles on every listen. A close second would be “The Stranger”, which again hits the melodic jackpot, utilizing acoustic guitars, bongos and fuzzy vocals to transport you someplace warm and breezy. You can download both songs below and grab the rest at the Lord Huron’s bandcamp.
Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good 
Been digging him for the last few months as well. About the only thing I can complain about with him is that he washes out the vocals a bit too much for my tastes. I realize that’s part of the thing for him, but I think he’s strongest when you can hear the words he’s singing, such as on ‘Son of a Gun.’ I have high hopes for him as he continues to grow as an artist.
They do have similarities to Fleet Foxes, but I think the more you listen, the more you hear all the additional influences and really lush sound layers. We recently talked to Ben about the Mighty EP:
http://synconation.com/reviews/lord-huron-making-tough-talk-mysterious-and-beautiful/
Thanks! Love the blog.