Lord Huron

Beautiful indie.  This band is primarily a guy named Ben Schneider, who named the band after Lake Huron in Michigan.  He's added in band members over the years, most of whom are apparently childhood friends.  And over the course of a few EPs and two albums, he creates a wonderful sounding indie folk that hasn't gotten old for me after repeated listens.

The most recent album, 2015's Strange Trails, has a more alt-country feel than his debut album, 2012's Lonesome Dreams.  But both evoke the sweet harmonic beauty of Beck's recent Grammy winner and similarly chilled folk music.  The album opener from Lonesome Dreams is the band's most listened-to track on Spotify and also their most popular.  It exemplifies this beauty I'm talking about perfectly.  "Ends of the Earth"

9.4 million listens.  Almost 3 million YouTube views.  Grand harmonies are an easy hook for me, and this one layers them on thick.  Great tune.  "I Will Be Back One Day," also on that first album, sounds like a Fleet Foxes song. And the second song on that album is the second-most-listened-to song on Spotify, clocking in at 6.5 million.  "Time to Run."

Driving and urgent, but still soft-focus and harmony-filled, its another great tune.  And a strange spaghetti Western video.  As for Strange Trails, the voice on this album sometimes reminds me of Jackson Browne.  The most jammed on that new album is "Fool for Love," with 3.8 million listens.

Another snappy tune, this one evoking some 50's rock and roll.  That whole new album is just great for me, with fantastic lyrics.  I hear themes of loss and wandering and wishful thinking about what could have been.  I do wish that "Until the Night Turns" didn't evoke the Dire Straits' "Walk of Life," but otherwise, I love the stories in these tracks.

Oh, and an NPR Tiny Desk concert.  Love these things.

"She Lit a Fire," "Time to Run," "Lonesome Dreams," "Ends of the Earth."  I have to say that the sound isn't great on these, the "Ends of the Earth" lonesome howls sound tinny and strained, but its still a cool mini-show.  I like this music a lot, and am bummed out that I missed a show a few weeks ago with Leon Bridges opening.  That would have been really cool.  Hope to see him do his thing in October.