Mumford & Sons

There's a timelessness to the music of Mumford & Sons (call it indie bluegrass, but only for the sake of convenience). The British foursome converged in 2007, yet unfurl lolling, intricate melodies which seem transcribed from yon a century earlier when American country was just beginning to collide with folk, jazz, and the blues. Marcus Johnstone's unadorned vocals themselves, tortured and soulful, sound as if channelled from another dimension, as if captured by some surviving Lomax's tape recorder. That's not to say the band can't at times rock as hard as a Calexico or a Gomez. Add in a vibrant live show and Mumford & Sons had stirred up a healthy fan following even before their first studio record.