Sticks and stones can’t break St. Paul and the Broken Bones. While their emotional skeletons may take a beating, this Birmingham-based soul septet’s rise to public recognition has considerable momentum. Rolling Stone singled out their SXSW appearance and NPR profiled 'em, plus there’s the simple truth that they’ve got insane onstage charisma. With a sound that blends the classic-cool style of artists like Sam Cooke and the intensity of a Southern Baptist congregation, St. Paul and the Broken Bones are setting themselves up to become one of my favorite up-and-comers.