Spring Break
Hip-hop for the rest of us
Candice Ruud
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Diversions
Attention all you semi-nerdy, closet Lil Wayne fans who can't quite pull off listening to any of today's popular "rap," "gangster rap" or "hip-hop," who hate what's playing on the radio these days, and who can't bear to listen to the resurrection of Britney Spears and (cringe) … Lady GaGa.
Calling all wanna-be hip-hop aficionados who can't sing, can't dance and like to sprinkle in a little Starting Line or maybe even the White Stripes to their eclectic mix of Nas, Outkast and … Alanis Morrissette.
Attention to those fans of Heiruspecs, Gym Class Heroes and P.O.S., whose taste in rap and hip-hop may be either extremely specific or just reaching beginner status, moving over into indie hip-hop from a more alternative indie genre of music preference.
Gather round, those of you who get that rush of deep gutted, crotch-grabbing testosterone when you're in your "dangerous" mode getting ready to go out on a Thursday night, reppin' Girl Talk and maybe even some old school Warren G on your iPod speakers, but who generally prefer the likes of MGMT and on occasion, John Legend.
The Knux. That's what's up.
The group's newest album, "Remind Me in 3 Days," mixes some of the more popular and appreciated up-tempo hip-hop-style beats with guitar riffs that come to the forefront and provide a solid sound that is sometimes reminiscent of Hendrix and sometimes even The Ramones.
While one Barometer editor scorned the album, proclaiming that it "tries really hard to be the Gym Class Heroes, but fails," it had me at the first track … which may, admittedly, be the best track on the album.
This probably won't be the new-aged indie hip-hop experience that changes your life. While there are a few solid hits that I could listen to over and over again - and they would probably make for successful singles - the album falls short of epic. Once in a while, it even morphs into strange, unexplored territory, such as in the song "Life In A Cage" - it becomes dark, gangster, cyber hip-hop, reminiscent of Outkast yet seemingly geared toward those who wouldn't typically listen to hip-hop/rap - aka suburban white kids.
A few times, too, it gets a little strange and almost incestuous - I would recommend avoiding the track "Daddy's Little Girl" altogether.
But for those of us who secretly love hip-hop and rap but can't bring ourselves to listen to the radio and won't even dance at the Peacock anymore because of the god-awful Top 40 crap that's owning the billboards right now, this is a refreshing change. And it would be really fun to dance to, too … in the goofiest, least sexy way possible.
Candice Ruud
diversions@dailybarometer.com
Calling all wanna-be hip-hop aficionados who can't sing, can't dance and like to sprinkle in a little Starting Line or maybe even the White Stripes to their eclectic mix of Nas, Outkast and … Alanis Morrissette.
Attention to those fans of Heiruspecs, Gym Class Heroes and P.O.S., whose taste in rap and hip-hop may be either extremely specific or just reaching beginner status, moving over into indie hip-hop from a more alternative indie genre of music preference.
Gather round, those of you who get that rush of deep gutted, crotch-grabbing testosterone when you're in your "dangerous" mode getting ready to go out on a Thursday night, reppin' Girl Talk and maybe even some old school Warren G on your iPod speakers, but who generally prefer the likes of MGMT and on occasion, John Legend.
The Knux. That's what's up.
The group's newest album, "Remind Me in 3 Days," mixes some of the more popular and appreciated up-tempo hip-hop-style beats with guitar riffs that come to the forefront and provide a solid sound that is sometimes reminiscent of Hendrix and sometimes even The Ramones.
While one Barometer editor scorned the album, proclaiming that it "tries really hard to be the Gym Class Heroes, but fails," it had me at the first track … which may, admittedly, be the best track on the album.
This probably won't be the new-aged indie hip-hop experience that changes your life. While there are a few solid hits that I could listen to over and over again - and they would probably make for successful singles - the album falls short of epic. Once in a while, it even morphs into strange, unexplored territory, such as in the song "Life In A Cage" - it becomes dark, gangster, cyber hip-hop, reminiscent of Outkast yet seemingly geared toward those who wouldn't typically listen to hip-hop/rap - aka suburban white kids.
A few times, too, it gets a little strange and almost incestuous - I would recommend avoiding the track "Daddy's Little Girl" altogether.
But for those of us who secretly love hip-hop and rap but can't bring ourselves to listen to the radio and won't even dance at the Peacock anymore because of the god-awful Top 40 crap that's owning the billboards right now, this is a refreshing change. And it would be really fun to dance to, too … in the goofiest, least sexy way possible.
Candice Ruud
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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