If you don’t already know/love Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros get ready to!

Formed by former Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are a 10 piece enseble from Los Angeles that play cheerfully soulful folk-rock and are a break from the tired and bland synth/indie/punk/funk that was Ima Robot. Ebert has described in an interview of wanting to change the way he was making music, from inciting anger or destruction in Ima Robot to making something beautiful, that could touch people in a more positive way than before.

The idea of Edward Sharpe came to Ebert after having broken up with his girlfriend, joining a 12 step program to combat his addictions and moving out of his house. He fantasized of a messianic figure that was sent to earth to heal and help the world but kept getting distracted by girls and by falling in love.

“40 Day Dream” is a wonderful example of what Edward Sharpe is all about, with beautiful lyrics such as

“Now I’ve been sleeping for sixty days and
Nobody better pinch me
Bitch I swear,I’ll go crazy
She got jumper cable lips
She got sunset on her breath
I inhaled just a little bit
Now I got no fear of death”

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are already being praised for their ecstatic live performances, with Ebert being a both charismatic and eccentric frontman as in this excellent performance of “40 Day Dream”:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, are also releasing a 12 part/song  film/musical called “SALVO!” , the cinematic tale of Edward Sharpe’s messianic journey in earth. The songs will be released in separate occasions and so far only the first two parts have been released. Alex Ebert’s looks, together with the desolate surrounding landscapes in these first two parts are  slightly reminiscent of Alejandro Jodorowski’s more famous films, more specifically of “The Holy Mountain” and of “El Topo”.

So here you have it, what’s there not to love about Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros???

Thank God for career changes and romantic Messiahs!

Here is part one of SALVO!: Desert Song

And part two: Kisses Over Babylon

And if you’re interested here is what Ima Robot sounded like: