Usually, I hesitate to plug people I know or am related to on the blog. I guess I'm worried about seeming nepotistic or something. But my friend Stef is in a really neat band at the moment and I legitimately like the music and they're beginning to blow up a little, so I decided nepotism be damned. I'm plugging them. Before they get so big that Stef forgets he knows us. (Which he wouldn't do, because he's nice. But anyway.)

If you don't like dreamy, folky Canadiana, then The Wilderness of Manitoba won't be for you, but if (like me) you're into quiet, earnest singer/songwriter types who actually know how to play instruments (Stef plays several) and can manage some pretty harmonies, then hop on board. Like, now.

The acoustic music this band produces isn't likely to get you up and dancing, but it's perfect for a quiet winter day, a slow walk, or a lazy afternoon.

Personally, I recommend enjoying it on a late night with some red wine. (That's the way I do it, but to each her own.)

Though they're hometown, Toronto locals, the band will be touring around in the summer, with scheduled dates in places like Chicago, Phlly, Brooklyn, Denver, Seattle, Portland... all over. So check out the tour schedule and consider hitting a show. Or buy the new album, When You Left the Fire,  which will be hitting stores in the U.S. on May 10, 2011. It'll be worth it, I promise.

'Evening' is a song from the EP Hymns of Love and Spirits.
Video directed and edited by Zuzana Hudackova, DP: Kaan Akalin.

Sometimes it hard find things to write about. Particularly in the review blog.

One true truth about me is that, while I DO "consume, try, test, taste, etc." I am also a bit of a homebody and I like routine. When I find something good, I tend to return to it rather than trying something new. As a result, I occasionally run out of things to review.

Which brings me to today's rather odd post. It's about Mumford. Things called Mumford. Men called Mumford. Movies called Mumford. Why?

Because Mumford is a funny word, that's why.

First, listen to Mumford and Sons . They're a British band. Been on the radio a bit. Getting pretty big. The remind me a bit of Carbon Leaf and a bit of the Bo Deans and a bit of some other more hipster modern stuff I can't place right now.  I suggest the song "The Cave" since it's obviously their breakout single. I like it. You might not. But that doesn't mean it's not good.

Done? Good. Not a bad song, right? 

Next, head out to your local video store and see if you can rent the 1999 film Mumford, starring Jason Lee (among others). The cast it pretty big.

The video store might not have it. They may not have heard of it. They may have heard of it, but can't find it. The may have it, but only on VHS.

It's wasn't exactly a blockbuster.

Try and find it anyway. It's about a guy who pretends to be a psychiatrist in a small town. If I remember correctly (and keep in mind that I saw this movie 10+ years ago) it's pretty good. Touching and odd, which is a really concise way of describing almost everything I like.

Is it touching? It is odd? Yes? Sign me up.

I tried to find a third thing worth reviewing with the word Mumford in the title, three things being so much more appealing than two, but I didn't have much luck.

What (or rather, who) I did find was Lewis Mumford. Apparently he was some sort of American historian and literary critic as well as a friend of Frank Lloyd Wright. I know almost nothing about him.

That said, here's his picture. I've started reading his first book, The Story of Utopias (Pub. 1922), which can be found for free, online. Can't say I recommend it.

But old Lewis was a quotable gent, and he did say something I agree with:

“Restore human legs as a means of travel. Pedestrians rely on food for fuel and need no special parking facilities.”

I give that idea a hearty thumbs up.

So there you have it. Three non-reviews of three Mumfords. Consider your time well wasted.