Mount Righteous

Enough of cold-weather quiet — bring on the Mount Righteous! The nine-piece marching band of sorts, from Grapevine, Texas, generates enough sunny warmth to sustain Kansas City during the last dreary month of winter. Without amps or microphones, the playful members of Mount Righteous ditch the confines of the stage to get up close and personal as they engage crowds with their acoustic-punk sing-alongs. As mighty in number as the Polyphonic Spree (with which it’s often compared), Mount Righteous is more concerned with creating frolicking fun than with making highbrow pop art. Think mariachi brass and megaphones and joyously shouted vocals and fat tuba riffs, with a side of Sufjan Stevens’ indie cheerleaders. A full-length follow-up to the 2009 EP Open Your Mouth — the group’s first recording to include electric guitar — is due out next month, in time for South by Southwest.