HONESTLY - CARTEL
There must be something in the water in Conyers, Ga. The southern town is the birthplace of actresses Holly Hunter and Dakota Fanning, and now has sprung MTV/MTV2 lovechild Cartel into the big leagues. But this quintet has worked its collective heinie off to play ball, with promotional initiatives from Yahoo, AOL, Clear Channel Online and MySpace, along with persistent touring, including a coveted slot on Warped. Sniffing a phenom, Epic acquired debut “Chroma” from indie Militia Group and now first single “Honestly” — three years after the band formed — is growing like a fertilized weed. The pop-punk anthem, about the insecurity that hovers in the time between an argument and making up, clips along with a thunderstorm of bass and percussion, jangly guitars and the propane-charged vocals of lead vocalist/lyricist Will Pugh. Repeated listening reveals a song that rises above other vapid youth-driven emo anthems. Billboard
