On The Revivalists About page on the band’s website, the first line proclaims that it is a surprise that the entire planet cannot hear the band playing when it takes the stage. Well, soon enough it might. With the music that the New Orleans horn/rock septet is churning out, I would be surprised if the band were not on the playlists of a plethora of music lovers across the globe. Why am I so confident? When a band so clearly presents a panoply of excellent musical attributes, it is hard not to be giddy.
So, what should you know about the Revivalists? The band’s latest album, Men Amongst Mountains, will be released on July 17 and will combine power and quality while maintaining a “distinctly raw, old-world feel.” The band has been able to cut a great following in the known musical hot spot New Orleans – if you can make it there as an Indie/Rock horn band, you can make it anywhere. The band is made up of a collection of tremendous musicians (David Shaw – vocals, Zack Feinberg – guitar, Andrew Campanelli – drums, Ed Williams – pedal steel guitar, George Gekas – bass, Rob Ingraham – saxophone, and Michael Girardot – keyboards & trumpet) who fastidiously plan a live show experience, which means the band is totally worth seeing – lucky for you there are many live dates this summer. Oh, how can I forget the most important piece of information – the band’s sound is electric and massive! Let’s have ourselves a listen, why don’t we.
There are so many good things to say about “Keep Going” I don’t know where to start. David Shaw’s vocals are funky and mature, invoking an amalgamation of Bruce Springsteen and Brittany Howard. The instrumentation is killer – combining toe-tapping percussion with hard-line rock guitar, which form a chorus of horns and potent repetition. The chorus smooths out into a relaxed echo – horn and vocal – followed by those horns riffing in the background of the second verse. The song is magic. It’s a soulful anthem, an advice track that swoons with Shaw’s awesome vocal. I listen to this song and just imagine it performed live, and that’s always a good thing.
“Wish I Knew You” is even funkier, featuring a modern Mark Ronson guitar riff that hangs behind some airy, ethereal noises. That is where the Indie comes into play – the track combines a St. Motel-like 70s spice with a more modern electronic sound. The song has that cool sound that is just enjoyable to listen.
You can find out more about the Revivalists by visiting the band’s website, Facebook, or Twitter.
The Music Court 