Syncopated electronic beats painted on an indie rock canvas. IDM lovers get your fill! Rock/RPM/Urban Crossover, but the impetus definitely springs from the electronics dept.
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Entrancing IDM/Hip-Hop electronic tunes full of breaks and vocal samples from a producer in Doomtree out of Minnesota. For fans of DJ Shadow/RJD2 and epic mixes.
4 out of 5 Styluses
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Inspired by classic R&B acts. Michael Fitzpatrick stews up some salivation-inducing soul with the septet, the Tantrums.
4.5 out of 5 Hit-Me’s
Le Vice’s self-titled debut is an interesting mix of Hip Hop and Electro Rock. A little odd at first, but you eventually find a groove and can really get into it. Lead singer Alex Lee’s vocals are reminiscent of the female rappers of the 80’s and the Electro Rock back drop along with some Funk and R&B gives this a diverse sound. One problem though is that almost half of the tracks are FCC non-compliant. Other than that, this is a new spin on two genres that always need a new infusion of creativity.
Tracks: 1,4,10
Wow! Get ready hip-hop heads to eat this excellent release up. We got Madlib all over the production (with some scratches from J. Rocc), Guilty Simpson throwing down gutter rhymes and punchlines, and this is mixed together with samples, random audio sounds, and much more. Basically if you know Madlib then you know the deal and won’t be disappointed. Without gushing too much, it would prove more helpful to describe the tracks individually but I will say that Guilty is on tracks 3,5,6,8,10,12,13,15,17,19-21 and Madlib is of course on all of them but can especially/solely be herd on the rest. Important: most songs aren’t longer than 3:00 min. (longest is 3:31) so it’s mostly rapid fire verses/lyrics as oppose to verse-chorus-verse. To wrap it up this CD is hard-hitting where it counts on the lyrical side while offering innovative production simultaneously. With punchlines for days and beats for weeks this Producer + MC combo prove to be a lethal combination that terrorize(s) commercial rap(pers) and is a match made in heaven for true fans of hip-hop. Find yourself “guilty” of listening to this album again and again. FCC clean
RIYL: J Dilla/Jay Dee, Frank-N-Dank, Detroit Hip-Hop
Favs!! [a tough choice] Guilty Simpson: 5,*6,8,*10,*15,17, 21
Madlib: 1,7,*9, 11,*14, *16 released May 18th, 2010
Debut album from this Brooklyn based alto saxophonist. All instrumentals. Gastelum has lent a notable contribution to the Brooklyn neo soul scene—he has played with Sharon Jones, The Budos Band, and others on Daptone. That combined with some obvious Eddie Harris (electrified saxophone 
) and Mulatu Astatke (+ other) influences makes for an interesting and modern cross-bred sound.
Comprised of emcees Werdplay, Various, and producer/DJ FAFU; this group had everything at its fingertips—a contract with the Sony record label, TV interviews, and collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry. Yet, all of this was lost when their “we don’t give a f*ck” attitude, and recent drug habits took over. After being dropped from their label, and being blacklisted throughout the industry, the once almost famous trio is back with one of their strongest albums yet. The production is there, the album is best described as: “The big heavy enormous arena rap anthems to dark melodic acoustic songs.” Mixing Hip Hop and dark metal, the album has an eerie feel to it. The rhymes are solid and the stories that they tell are real. Check: 4, 8, 15
I’m just so in love with this entire album! “Infectious hooks. Insightful rhymes. A refreshing take on Hip-Hop. Blending classic soul, modern beats, and futuristic funk.” He plays guitar, bass, and keys on a few of the tracks, and takes part in all parts of the “creative process”. This album “combines modern “mixtape style” mash-ups with a premium blend of new originals. Inspired by the kickback lifestyle of the Santa Cruz scene, nearly every track features a different Bay Area collaborator, from rappers and singers, to horn players and string sections.” Oh! And all of the other artists on the album weren’t paid to be on the albums—so as he says “go check them out too.” Check: ALL or 1,2,3,5,6,8,9,10
Born on Queens Boulevard, Homeboy Sandman has a lot of love for Hip Hop, and has always thought out of the box. Funny, quirky, and different, his personality comes out clearly in his music, his flow is smooth, and tracks very melodic, although the production is a little boring. Check: 1,4,7,9,10,11,12,13
Funky, groovy, a little R&B meets Hip Hop. The album as a whole isn’t as strong but there are definitely a few upbeat, party-bumping tracks. Reminds me almost of an Outkast-Snoop Dogg duo. Check: 1 & 10