Band of the Week: Mount Righteous

[October 13-19]

Mount Righteous
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: I'm From Barcelona, Architecture In Helsinki, The Polyphonics Spree.

Synopsis: Something completely different.

Makes You Want To...: Clap your hands and say yeah!; Start a parade; Join a marching band.
[Myspace]

One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Mount Righteous.


Everything's bigger in Texas. We all know it, and Texans like myself know how true the stereotype is. 'Cause we live big. We live bold. We're Texans, boy howdy, and we're going to make sure everyone in the room/state/country/continent/world is entirely aware. Texas is a clashing state, one of intense conservative tendency, with ranchers out in the country still tending to their herds of longhorns, mashed up against some intense, wild liberalism in the big cities. If you were in Dallas during the Obama rally, you'd be hard pressed to realize this is actually a predominately Republican town. And for a state that doesn't support gay rights, there certainly are a lot of gay folks.

But issues aside, musically, Texas is a wonderful place to be. Yeah, so Mike Jones and Paul Wall have graced the rap business with their "Third Coast" whatnot. But let's look beyond that. There's a healthy dose of excellent musicians making their way in the music scene, including Eisley, The Rocket Summer, and PlayRadioPlay!. J Versus K rocks away in the Arlington, Explosions In The Sky down in Austin, The Paper Chase in Dallas... the list goes on. We - Texas - are not just about making good music. We're about making GREAT music. Which brings me to today's band of the week...

Case in point: Mount Righteous. Mount Righteous can be found in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It certainly isn't a mountain though; Mount Righteous is one of the niftiest, oddest, yet wonderful, eclectically mixed bands you can find these days. A band of 11 friends with no electrical instruments, these folks formed up together to bring you cheery sing-a-longs with a quirky, invigorating indie-pop twist. Who is Mount Righteous? Imagine if The Polyphonics Spree, I'm From Barcelona, and Architecture In Helsinki got into a car wreck. This combination would no doubt give you something like Mount Righteous.

In honour of the quirky, fun-loving songs sung by the 29-monster band I'm From Barcelona, Mount Righteous is rampant parade of happiness and joy. With no electric instruments, these folks are more like a marching band than a rock band. But playing lively, upbeat, vibrant songs filled with love, togetherness (and a healthy dose of fun), Mount Righteous makes your clap your hands and sing along almost instinctively. Their debut album, When The Music Starts, oozes smiles and jubilance like a frothy, well shaken soft drink. And the sweet sounds to reach your ears are every bit as sweet, with a sincere promise.

As for the ladies and gentlemen of Mount Righteous, they are wandering the Metroplex, slowly building quite a hefty following of fans, and playing live all around. They'll even be at the State Fair in Dallas to finish off the week! Though I hear their live shows are one of a kind, you can get a glimpse of the joyous energy Mount Righteous brings on their debut LP, When The Music Starts, available right now on! Of course, of course, that album is available on the Myspace they obviously have, but Mount Righteous also has a website! Visit them, say hello, and maybe do some dancing! It'll be worth it, I assure you.

Now that we're all autumnal, dawning our sweaters and scarves, leaves falling calmly to the ground, we don't have to mope! We can celebrate, and there's no better way to do that than to visit Mount Righteous. They're certainly one of the best discoveries of 2008. Have a wonderful week, reader, and have fun!