Young the Giant’s sound is as uniquely diverse and eclectic as its five members. Sameer Gadhia, Payam Doostzadeh, Jacob Tilley, Francois Comtois and Eric Cannata hail from, surprisingly, Newport Beach, California. An assembly of international names and assorted backgrounds that combine to produce a refreshing brand of sun soaked Indie rock. With lush experimental compositions complimented by subtle yet infectious pop hooks and unique, soothing vocals, it is a sound all their own.

Predominantly comprised of teenagers, the five piece delivers mature arrangements far beyond their years. As high school students they conquered the local Orange County music scene winning awards and praise, quickly developing momentum that was soon challenged by their new college lives. At 5 different schools, divided by hundreds of miles of the California coast, the band persisted, continuing to play shows and write new music for their EP Shake My Hand.

With the release of Shake My Hand came the new and unexpected challenge of keeping up with the demands of critical and popular acclaim.With their single Cough Syrup becoming a local favorite on KROQ, and strong web chatter from sites like absolute punk who claimedthe EP was a “Slick set of rock songs… that for all of its cocksure maturity and tight, catchy production, can easily be confused with a veteran stadium show”, the praise was reaching much further than the shores of Newport Beach.

We are often told to make the most of each day. But Voxhaul Broadcast, a four piece band from Orange County, California, took this mantra to the extreme. Frustrated with the formulaic nature of today’s indie rock scene, the band decided to record and mix their debut EP “Rotten Apples” live. In one day. So on a sunny day in June the record was recorded live by Dwayne Larring, mixed by Dave Larring and later mastered by Mark Chalecki at Capitol Mastering.

It was a decision that came naturally to these childhood friends. Having played together in various incarnations for years, David, Tony, Phil, and Kurt began to consider themselves more of a live band than a studio one. Previous recorded efforts had been mainly done at home, laying down songs they had the chance to pick apart and overanalyze. The results of this process bordered on stale, an adjective that is far from reflective of the energy and passion they exude on stage.

After signing with Retone Records early in 2007, Voxhaul decided to take a page from some of their favorite artists and embrace the kinks and mistakes that make live records so great. By harnessing a sound that reflects a range of influences from James Brown and Al Green to The Beatles and Donovan, the group composed tracks with smart lyrics and undeniably catchy beats. In turn, the results of their labor are 8 songs full of raw enthusiasm, echoing the sort of musical honesty that turns even the most pretentious listeners into fans.

Mississippi Man formed in the fall of 2008 out of sheer coincidence. Messimer happened to be looking for a new project while Knight, Rabjohns and Haag were looking for a new singer. The four had all met during their stints with their previous projects so they were already good friends. After a few rehearsals to test the waters, it was clear that Messimer clicked with everyone. The band wanted to try something different though and Knight stepped up to share lead vocal duties. The last piece of the puzzle was youngster Santino Lighthouse who had befriended Messimer and had been trained on keys since he was a child. The band was finally formed.

Mississippi Man set out to record The Snake Oil Salesman in early 2009 with Raymond Richards (Broken West, Red Cortez, Ferraby Lionheart) at Red Rockets Glare studio in West LA. Recorded to tape, The Snake Oil Salesman is saturated in rich tones that echo the band’s love for music of the 60’s and 70’s and influences from contemporary bands like Dr. Dog and Delta Spirit. Stand out tracks include the infectious “The Jester”, the nearly 7 minute album closer “The Fight” and if it wasn’t enough being from Fullerton, “Bonjour Le Monde” is sure to draw Cold War Kids comparisons.