Don’t be confused.  This week I’m not switching from talking about awesome new music to promoting cosmetic dentistry.  It just so happens that the name of a type of  very thin porcelain tooth veneer also happens to be the name of my favorite new band-of-the-moment, The Lumineers.  Don’t be confused by that awesome band photo up top, either – they aren’t from the turn of the century, they’re from suburban New Jersey.  But this trio de jour does have a throwback sensibility that I love.  It’s not just their sometimes old-timey, dust-bowl era fashion sense (fedoras and suspenders are staples), their music is also threaded with a nostalgia that evokes a simpler, sweeter and often heartbreakingly beautiful time.

That heartbreak stems all the way back to The Lumineers’ inception.  Born out of the grief of losing his best friend to a drug overdose at 19, bandleader Wesley Schultz enlisted that best friend’s younger brother Jeremiah and together they found solace in songs.  After moving out to Denver and finding cellist Neyla Pekarek on Craigslist, the now 3-person outfit found their sound…a unique and soul stomping take on roots revival and the kind of music that makes you want to drop everything and listen to nothing else for weeks on end (a.k.a. what happened to me the first time I heard today’s featured single, ‘Ho Hey’).

Their self-titled debut only came out in April of this year, but already The Lumineers have been gathering up devoted fans, critical acclaim and even a late night Leno performance.  Their record has an endless supply of ‘your new favorite’ songs and their live show, which I was lucky enough to catch last week, is pure joy.  There’s a lot of tambourines and clapping and sing-alonging involved…the word passionate would be a huge understatement.  Every time Wesley (who I now have a gigantic and eternal crush on) opened his mouth, the crowd was nothing short of mesmerized.  I highly recommend you check them out as soon as possible…lucky for you guys they just embarked on a big headlining U.S. tour this week which you can buy tickets for here.

The video for ‘Ho Hey’ is just as endearing as the band itself.  Wesley and Co. walk through Edison-bulb lit hallways singing and playing and end up in a giant dance party filled with fans who are all dressed like Jeremiah (those fedoras and suspenders are becoming iconic).  It’s one that you’ll want to watch over and over again anytime you might need a smile to brighten your day.  Check it out below and get on The Lumineers band wagon…I guarantee it is going to be standing room only from here on out.

See Also: ‘Stubborn Love’ and ‘Big Parade’