We're supposed to hate hippies. The whole thing was just a load of student drop-outs getting stoned. Then they started making music and it eventually turned into really boring prog and folk-rock. This is why punk happened. The trouble is, some of the bands who made their names in those genres were actually quite good, and you'd suspect that the perpetually sunny Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros would have found many fans in that movement. This video for new single 'Let's Get High' (even their titles are painfully flower-powered) was filmed on their UK tour last year and shows their gigs being more like hippy peace communions than rock shows. It goes on for seven minutes too, so it has all the ingredients to be loved by pretend hippies everywhere and dismissed by the rest of us.
But it goes back to that fact: some bands of this nature are really good, and this collective have generally been one of them. They always produce the goods. This meandering highlight from last summer's self-titled album doesn't care much for structure, and neither does it care about being cool or how it's perceived in general. This is why it works: you have to be a right miserable git to not like this tune. From it's lively and joyous opening to the slower, almost anthemic repetition of "everyone love". Some bands would have divided this into three separate tracks, but when you're having such fun then why stop the party? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a kaftan, some joss sticks and find some random strangers to hug and give flowers to. Peace.
Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros' website
Buy the album
Catch them live:
Mar 20 Cumbre Tajin, Veracruz, Mexico
Apr 10 Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia
Apr 13 West Coast Blues 'N' Roots Festival, Fremantle, Australia
Apr 15 Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Apr 17 Bluesfest, Byron Bay, Australia
Apr 20 Deni Blues & Roots Festival, Deniliquin, Australia
May 11 Shaky Knees Music Festival, Atlanta, GA
May 23 Boston Calling Music Festival, Boston, MA
May 24 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
May 28 Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto, Canada
May 30 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
May 31 Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
Jun 03 Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Jun 04 The Blue Note Outdoors, Columbia, MO
Jun 05 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
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