Cardinal Sons Take Flight 

Written by  Nick Garrison

(Photos by Cardinal Sons)

 

The Shirley brothers want to make it clear: they're not Hanson. “I mean, yes, it's three brothers but we don't all play 'Mmmbop'. That's the only comparison we can make,” jokes guitarist and singer John Shirley. Along with his younger brothers Joe and David, John turned his songwriting ambitions into music with Cardinal Sons.

The trio grew up surrounded by music. They'd act as the house band while their aunts, uncles and cousins sang as part of their annual Thanksgiving party in their hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. 

“It's been this family tradition. We grew up playing music together and that was always kind of our outlet,” David says, “Until a year ago, we never really seriously tried putting something together.”

It took Joe and David's other band, e. company, going on hiatus for John to finally approach the two.

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THE REVIVALISTS AT MERCURY LOUNGE: SOLD-OUT AND WELL-DESERVED

by Chris Meyer

The Revivalists at Mercury Lounge 1/30/13

New Orleans’ The Revivalists played to a sold-out Mercury Lounge on Wednesday night.  It was my first time seeing them, as I have heard nothing but good things from many friends and acquaintances.  After hearing an “In The Studio” session on SiriusXM_Jam-On several days ago, it became quite clear that I was not missing this show. It’s hard to pigeon-hole these guys into one genre.  They are from NOLA and definitely get funky, but there is clearly some indie-rock elements, along with lyrical content that is borderline pop.  What this adds up to is a sound that is extremely unique, yet one that could very easily find a modicum of mainstream success.

They seem to be doing fairly well for themselves already, as they had a successful 2012 while touring in support of their second album City of Sound.  Having just been announced for the Governor’s Ball lineup this June in NYC, and the fact that musicians like Warren Haynes and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam have come out and played with them on stage, gives credence to the recognition that The Revivalists have received.  On Wednesday night, it became quite clear early on that these guys have a long career ahead of them.

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MTVHive: Vox and the Hound Refuse to Succumb on “No Matter What”

Photo courtesy of Vox and the Hound

New Orleans is known for jazz, bounce and a hodge-podge of hip-hop sounds, so indie rock isn’t something you necessarily associate with the Crescent City. But maybe that’ll change with Vox and the Hound, a five-piece that’s reminiscent of Britt Daniel‘s moody deliveries and My Morning Jacket‘s penchant for sick guitar solos. And you can hear this on their new song, “No Matter What,” where it slowly builds into something quite blistering. “[The song] is about a relationship that, by all accounts, shouldn’t work,” keyboardist Daniel Ray tells Hive. “It’s the all-too-common situation where two people drive each other crazy, but both refuse to call it quits. When it seems to turn into a game of last man standing, where each party wants to see the other buckle, but neither will succumb.”

Vox and the Hound’s new EP Cowards is out now.

Easy Apple is in full support mode for Offbeat Magazine's Best of the Beat Awards nominees: The Revivalists, Vox and the Hound, and Colin Lake! Voting is now open, and the winners will be announced at Generations Hall on January 18: http://bit.ly/bob2012vote

Celebrate OffBeat Magazine’s 25th anniversary at the 

2012 Best of the Beat Awards

The Revivalists are nominated for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Rock Artist, Best Rock Album, and Best Male Vocalist!

Vox and the Hound is nominated for Best Emerging Artist and Best Rock Album!

Colin Lake is nominated for Best Guitarist!