The Best (and Worst) of Grand Rapids' Electro and Hip-Hop

Grand Rapids has always been a hot spot of the Michigan music scene... dominated by ska, punk, and hardcore, occasionally a band of a different persuasion will rise to the top. After the rise of hyphy (E40 anyone?), electro-dance (Daft Punk, I see ya'll), and, of course, a million DIY beatmaking programs, electronic music and hip-hop scenes everywhere are thriving right now, and the Murder Mitten is never one to be the exception. However, like any scene, GR hip-hop has its ups and downs. Here's a little bit of what's going on in the scene right now...

(For fun, there's going to be a point system, from 1 to 10:)

1 (they straight triflin') - - - 5 (they aiight) - - - - 10 (DAYUMN!)

[A.B! and Coconut Brown]
     My official favorite band today.
     This funk-hip-hop 6 piece (guitar, bass and synth filled out by a horn section) led by GR-area MC Adrian Butler plays hook-heavy, dance floor-ready hip-hop jams. With fearless, intelligent and articulate rhymes alongside smooth, funky hip-hop a la the Roots (see "Astro-Cool," available on their Myspace), these guys are a breath of fresh air in a scene crowded with indie and rock bands (both locally and nationally). While their strongest work lies in their fresh style of party-starting, warm-summer-night-driving hip-hop, AB&BC at times borrow from rap-rock ("The Breaks") and straight-up ska (the quirky, wake'n'bake-y "Apricot") with impressive competence and versatility. 

Song pick: "Japanese Denim." This surprisingly simple gem, built around a classic hip-hop beat (complete with a Sugar Hill Gang reference) and set off by a horn-based hook as well as AB's memorable rhymes (it's probably the only hip-hop song to ever contain the totally un-"street" phrase "Quality control: the thread count is too low!") would be worth a trip to one of their shows in and of itself.
Honorable mention: "E Squared." AB shows off his rapping skills; he is undeniably impressive, if not a little cocky ("Am I the only black dude/ in Advanced Placement?"). This one also highlights guitar player Biggie G with (SPOILER ALERT) a killer solo.

Alas, we leave AB&CB with my favorite rhymes from their MySpace selections (from "Astro-Cool"):
"I'm an astronaut, baby,/ wit astronaut boots/ chocolate ice cream I got astronaut scoops/ The dude gets sick, I got astronaut soup/ Astronaut warfare wit astronaut troops./ Astronaut pimps and astronaut coops/ Astronaut beats wit astronaut loops/ Astronaut cufflinks wit astronaut suits/ Your girl wants to play the astronaut crew." 
[Editor's Note: In case you get the feeling these guys know how to party (I sure do) they are playing a Cinco de Mayo show at the Intersection if you feel like putting the "rage" in "outrageous."]

POINTS: 10 (DAYYUUUMMN!)

[Almost Famous]
      This GR duo (comprised of rappers "Goob" and "J-Zav") brings white-boy hip hop to a new low. With a conspicuously homemade sound, and laughable humorous rhymes, these guys are following in the Puma-laden footsteps of LMFAO and other such novelty rappers. But, hey, at least they're memorable: in a song directly addressing their haters, "Don't Kid Yourself," contains not only an obscure "Family Matters" reference ("And my flow, you can't step on/ You're Steve Erkel/ and I'm fuckin' Stefan") alongside unabashed spoiled-suburban-kid cliches: "I'd rather kill myself than sell out like Cobain/ For every single person weeping over my grave/ I'd raise from the dead and I'd slap 'em in the face/ I'd tell em they should be ashamed, cause the pain of being lame is worse than worms in my brain." They even flex their Autotune muscles on "I'd Rather Have Nightmares."
     Through Almost Famous' lackluster beats and monotonous vocals don't stoke the hip-hop fires in my soul, their sense of humor shines through their rhymes and they are definitely good for a chuckle or two...

Song pick: "Party Dudes." "P-A-R-T-Y, cause we got to/ well, we don't have to/ but we really ought to/ Booze in the glasses, beer in the bong/ Dude, fill up the cups, we're gonna play pong."  Oddly, I can see this song catching on... 

POINTS: 5

[SuperDre]
     What might be more accurately described as trip-hop, this experimental DJ weaves simple beats with trippy loops that would be just as at-home in a nightclub as the soundtrack to a black-lighted, at-home chill sesh... a "just-sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride" kind of vibe. Experimenting with a mindblowing range of sounds-- from the spaced-out "A Lot On My Mind" to the porn-y "Bouncy Spacekids" to the mod-disco and then highly-psychedelic "Down Below," DJ SuperDre takes her listeners for a mind adventure the likes of which the world just might be ready for.  
     While SuperDre certainly holds one's attention, I couldn't help but feel that a lot of her beats would be more satisfying if they were complemented with a consistent rapper or vocalist (rather than mostly beat-oriented work with a few featured vocalists). Alas, for those of you with a taste for instrumental electro/ trance and/or slightly "weirder" musical palates, this is guaranteed to hit the spot.

Song Pick: "With A Certain Style." This song is the musical embodiment of a sweaty basement rave... in a good way. With echoed, spoken-word-poetry vocals over an absolutely hypnotizing beat, this song is a psychedelic journey grounded by thought-provoking insight-- think of it as a 60's Greenwich Village poetry slam from inside the mind of an acid-tripping Beatnik. But don't panic. As one of my most notorious heroes once said, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
     We might even have something to learn from SuperDre's guest poet-vocalist on this track: "So people, I want everybody to come together, come together, come together/ under the roof/ of a funky sky."

POINTS: 8 

***
Well, that's all for tonight, folks... it's Saturday night; hope this post made you want to get your groove on. I know I do.

XOXO
--Meg (thevolumejunkie)

Update.

So, Hip-Hop Week has come to an end (it was a 'business' week) but I hope you had an amazing time; I know I did.

Controversial as it may have been at times (I know... you might have taken the Eminem-over-Beastie-Boys thing kinda hard [Will]) and though it's not necessarily (grammatically) "perfect" (Aaron), I truly had an awesome time bringing you the "noize..." if that's what we're calling it (and, let's; it's kind of fun).
But, while I have certain journalistic responsibilities to which I've delegated myself (I literally didn't go out tonight until I wrote Friday's blog-- all for you guys!), I still have a lot of other shit going on during the course of a day. So please be patient with me.

Thanks so much for reading, and thanks a lot for your comments-- here, Facebook, wherever. Your honesty, love, etc is truly appreciated.
Stay tuned-- you know there's lots more to come. As always.

So... what's next? You tell me. I'm thinking... Skate Punk Week?

The first person to tell me the correct BAND and SONG TITLE of the following song gets 1.) cool points 2.) THE FIFTH OF HIS/HER CHOICE:
"But wait a minute dad, did you actually say "freedom?" Well if you're dumb enough to vote, you're fucking dumb enough to believe 'em. Cause if this country is so goddamn free, then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I damn well please." (Nick Stafford [and anyone else from Oklahoma] excluded).
NO GOOGLING ALLOWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL KNOW!
--thejunkie

Hip-Hop Week- Friday: Out With a Bang

Top 5 Hip-Hop Songs About Being A Pimp

If there's any genre that knows a thing or two about pimpin', it's hip-hop. Please forgive the unbelievable brevity of this article, given the huge, huge selection of pimp-related songs. But it's Friday night, and hopefully you have better things to do.

5."P.I.M.P."- 50 Cent. Not a big Fitty fan, but this one reminds us to keep our pimp hands strong. It certainly contains some powerful 'hood rhetoric: "Girl we could pop some champagne and we could have a ball/ We could toast to the good life, girl we could have it all/ We could really splurge girl, and tear up the mall/ If ever you needed someone, I'm the one you should call." Sign me up!

4. "Pimpin' Ain't Easy"- Ice T. Any of you who are fans of "The Godfather" certainly recognize this song. It is, after all, THE THEME; semi-inexplicably, but-- after minimal consideration-- rightfully so. After all, culturally speaking, there is a frighteningly (I hate this word. Too many suffixes) large volume of things in that weird football-shaped middle of the Thug Culture/ Mafia Culture Venn diagram. (Yes, I made one; copies are available upon request for a very reasonable price). "It's pimp or die/ Pimp or die, baby." Mmm. Ain't that the truth.

3. "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp"- Three 6 Mafia (perf. by actor Terrance Howard). I know it's kind of controversial to put a song written for a film (you might remember 2005's "Hustle & Flow") on this very-exclusive Top 5 List. However, this song and this movie are both THE SHIT. Three 6 Mafia very poignantly remind us of what we always knew, however deep down: pimps are people, too.

2. "Pimpin' All Over The World"- Ludacris. Not only is Luda a pimp, but he's also SMOOTH. Ladies, I dare you to resist the line "Hey gurl, how you doin'?/ You are the woman that I'm really pursuin'/ and I would like to get to know you, can you give me your name?/ if you jot down your number, you'll get mine in exchange." And, come on. Fancy cars? Caviar? Like "P.I.M.P.," this is another song that makes being a ho sound like a BLAST!

1. "Big Pimpin'"- Jay Z. The true pimp's anthem. It contains an aphorism by which I, personally, live my life, and you'd do well to do the same: "You know I thug 'em, fuck 'em, love 'em, leave 'em/ Cause I don't fuckin' need 'em."

And there we are.
I don't know about you guys, but I think Hip-Hop Week was a blast.
I leave you with some words of wisdom from Li'l Wayne: "Safe sex is great sex/ Better wear a latex." Have a good weekend, homies.

And, your final urbandictionary.com entry (this one goes out to Jay-Z! Big ups for makin' BEYONCE your ho fo' life!)
"big pimpin: 1.) phrase that describes a heterosexual man's ability to maintain relationships with multiple simultaneous girlfriends; such relationships are sexual in nature.
'Every true player got at least 3 women: his girlfriend, his mistress, and his bitch. He needs his girlfriend for sex on a regular basis, his mistress for oral sex without reciprocity,and his bitch for the shit that the girlfriend and mistress WON'T do! That's big pimipin!' "
--thejunkie

H.H.W.- Thursday: Top 5 White Hip-Hop Artists

I hope you guys didn't think I was trying to leave my Caucasians hangin.'

5. Mickey Avalon. No, Mickey Avalon is not black. He's Jewish. (Quick! Someone make a joke about "My Dick.") His lazy, 10th-beer-and-fourth-joint pace makes it incredibly easy for those of us even completely lacking swagger to rap along. You know what would have been cool? A Mickey Av/ ODB collabo.
4. House of Pain. Ah, Everlast, you have proven once again that giving up on working solo and starting a band is sometimes the golden ticket. Their almost-too-danceable 90s gem "Jump Around" gets me every time. This song almost got me in trouble with the law one time when my old roommate and I were driving and literally could not RESIST getting out of the car and dancing at a red light... at the corner of Westnedge and Crosstown Parkway... that's right; right by the police station. Long story short, that night started with "Jump Around" and ended with stolen 40s of Mickey's (here's hoping no cops are reading this). What is it about being exposed to Irish culture that just makes you cause trouble? Speaking of Irish culture... in case you don't know this song and you're in suspense, the answer is yes, this song does include a Biblical reference ("Word to your moms, I came to drop bombs/ I got more rhymes than the Bible's got psalms/ And just like the Prodigal Son I've returned/ Anyone stepping to me you'll get burned").
3. Eminem. (Come on, it was Eminem or the Beastie Boys. Had to show some love for the 313.)
2. Aesop Rock. Can you say "swagger?" All together now. Damn.
1. Brother Ali. Brother Ali holds the #1 spot for this reason: because he song holds it down (check out "Walking Away," which features an easy-going, funk-organ-decorated beat set off by melancholy but catchy whistling) because not only is he white, but he's SUPER-white. That's right; born with a rare genetic condition, he's actually an albino. Thanks, Brother Ali, for keeping it extra real... Twice the white, twice the swagger.

And, you must know: I'm updating this live from Kenny and Zach's place... So I dedicate today's urbandictionary.com entry to them.
"steelo: 1.) Slang for style; a playa's aura. Some get this definition confused with swagger. It can be your fashion but that's just part of the bigger picture. Let's just say, the devil didn't make you do it, it was your steelo.
'You should know my steelo/
Went from ten G's for blow to thirty G's a show/
To orgies with ho's I never seen befo'/' - Notorious B.I.G"
-thejunkie

H.H.W. Hump Day Salute: OutKast

I dedicate the entirety of Hip-Hop Week Wednesday to the Lennon/ McCartney of hip-hop: Andre 3000 and Big Boi.

Audacious? Maybe. But "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" is one of the best hip-hop albums EVER; certainly one of the best debut albums in any genre. True, this was just a skosh before my time (where was I in 1994?! ahhhg) but luckily I got wise to OutKast around the "Hey Ya" era; then I found out that buried beneath that ubiquitous, monolithic Single was a thrilling double-album ("Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below") and, later digging deeper into OutKast's discography, saw a nearly reverse-chronological ascent to some of the most prolific hip-hop that, in the words of an anonymous commentor on this very blog, "these ears have been fucked-by."

"Southernplayalistic" has this smug indifference and sense of artistic entitlement that is virtually nonexistent among first albums. However, their self-assured swagger isn't about money, loot or gang notoriety like most of the hip-hop of the early 90s; it's more akin to the quiet victory of an aloof high school art freak in the face of trendy-- but stupid-- bullies... an underlying confidence that says "even though you don't get me, I kick ass."
Thus the name: OutKast. No, that's not just me trying to be clever. (Surprise!) On the poignant spoken-word piece "True Dat" (brought to us by Big Rube), we get the run-down of the word that is really more an explanation of OutKast themselves:

"An OutKast is someone who is not considered to be part of the normal world
He's looked at differently
He's not accepted because of his clothes, his hair
His occupation, his beliefs or his skin color
Now look at yourself, are you an OutKast? I know I am.
As a matter of fact, fuck being anything else."

And so it began: a career of beautifully eccentric work executed with frightening ingenuity and talent-- alongside more "mainstream" hits you might remember skewered on various "Now..." compilations (the aforementioned "Hey Ya;" "Ms. Jackson," "Rosa Parks," "So Fresh, So Clean," "Roses" et al). They reached fearlessly into every imaginable corner of the music universe, from speakeasy jazz to Hendrix-esque psychedelia to the soundtrack of the vaudevillian "Idlewild," effectively re-establisting Hotlanta as a musical hub and a hip-hop mecca.

So, OutKast, happy Hip-Hop Week, and on this Hump Day, we salute you. Thanks for over a decade of ear-fucking hip-hop.

And without further ado... Your urbandictionary.com word for Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009:
"buckin' [commemoratively selected from "Call of Da Wild" off of "Southernplayalistic..."]
1. A urban dance commonly seen in area in Memphis TN, similair to pop locking and breakdancing or the heel-toe and chickenhead all mixed into one
2. getting crunk and rebeling against the law
3. get gangsta, or show aggression. Displaying your preparedness to fight.
They were buckin so hard at the party. "
-thejunkie

Hip Hop Week- Tuesday: Top 10 Party-Starters

Top 10 Classic Party-Starting Hip Hop Songs Of All Time

10. "Tell Me When To Go"- E40. "Jesus Christ had dreads, so shake 'em/ I ain't got none, but I'm plannin' on growin' some/ Imagine all the Hebrews goin' dumb/ Dancin' on top of chariots and turnin' tight ones." Enough said. (Hyphy is so awesome!) (In case you don't know what "goin' dumb" is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dozc0-Jbye8. Feel free to imagine Jesus.)
9. "Back That Azz Up"- Juvenile. It definitely creeps me out when girls sing along to this song, but they inevitably do. And you kind of have to. To be honest, I'm not crazy about Juvie's rapping on this one (ending every phrase in in "yeah" does not count as rhyming, home boy) but that hi-hat beat is siiiiick. And yeah, this is the perfect song to do The Worm to (my signature dance move [shoutout to 2007!]).
8. "California Love"-Tupac. (imagine my former boss, a very tall, very conservative, very German man, watching this in his office: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWOsbGP5Ox4 and totally loving it. [if you like what you see, Guitar Center is hiring!])
6. "Got Your Money"- Ol' Dirty Bastard. No, ODB can not rap his way out of a paper bag. Yes, he has less rhythm than... um, anyone, ever. As far as both swagger and sensibility, he's the rap equivalent of a crazy, senile grandfather. But I ain't mad at ya, ODB. My favorite part is when he screams at his backup singers: "SING IT! SING IT RIGHT NOW!" Throw this on at your next party, or "bitch, I'll cripple yo' style." (Not to be all scene, but I think you should hear Say Anything's cover if you haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV4Wisu5bXM if only for comedic value.)
5. "We Run This"- Missy Elliott. Don't hate on Misdemeanor. Don't you remember how she brought the pain on "Lady Marmalade?" Missy is the First Lady of Swagger... and, most importantly, you have to love ANYTHING that samples "Apache." (Incidentally, best thing on Youtube right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFGzGfym-7Y) No, Sir Mix-a-Lot did not invent that genius hook for "Jump On It."
4. "Rollin' With My Homies"- Coolio. "I think we should do a lap before we commit to a location." Shoutout. But seriously: (this is a true story): once I was driving on a snowy night, HIT A CAR, and still was having a good time because I WAS LISTENING TO THIS SONG. Recipe for the perfect vibe at a party: just add "Rollin' With My Homies." Purple clogs optional.
3. "Return Of The Mack"- Mark Morrison. I find that this song is not only a fantastic party-starter, but also a perfect first song for driving with people you don't know very well. In terms of bonding and friendship-forming mechanisms, it's like the auditory equivalent of a Jager Bomb. I think it serves as an instrument for a happy regression back to our childhoods: the Jock Jams days.
2. "Ride Wit Me"- Nelly. I know when I'm rollin' with my crew and everyone does the requisite shout-along with "heyyyyy, must be the mon-ay!" it feels fucking AWESOME. It wouldn't feel any better than if you were actually IN the back of the Ben-z, smokin' L's with Nelly and his crew.
1. "Yeah"- Usher. Is there any other song that could get you, your mom, your grandma, your little brother, your drunk aunt, your Christian aunt, and your cousin Cory and his "roommate" all equally bumpin' on the dance floor at weddings?! No. This is the PERFECT party song... after all, it's really easy to say "yeah!" over and over again when you're wasted.

Your urbandictioary.com word for Tuesday, Oct 20:
"1. triflin' (adj): Consistantly lying. Always up to no good. Sneaky. Suspect. Whorish. Always scheming. Conniving. (Should never be trusted)
Maarij Jathiyah is too triflin - he's steady off the tryin to be slick tip."
-thejunkie

Hop Hop Week- Monday: Food and Liquor

Hip Hop Week I promised, and Hip Hop Week you shall have.
[First annual Hop Hop Week sponsored in part by urbandictionary.com*]

Artist: Lupe Fiasco
Album: Food and Liquor

If you don't know Lupe, you might at least remember him featured on Kanye West's "Touch The Sky" (from 'Late Registration'). We all know Kanye's got the reputation of being a little bit of a spotlight hog anyway (especially these days... you know what I'm talking about) and this consequently wasn't a real memorable collabo, as far as top-40 hip hop is concerned... But make no mistake, when Lupe does his own thing, he holds his own. In fact, while we're on the subject of Kanye, "Food and Liquor" was FAR better than "Late Registration," though it got nowhere near the hype. Not to mention... I haven't seen Lupe starting any shutter-shade trends lately either (thanks, bro).
But, regardless.
The thing that gets me most about Lupe's rapping and that of his collaborators is that it has that remarkable intelligence that all hip-hop should have (check out Jay-Z's 19th century English literary reference on "Pressure"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bulwer-Lytton,_1st_Baron_Lytton; I admit, I Googled]), weaving street balladry, the tried-and-true "I'll do whatever it takes to make it and get out of this hood 'cause I'm better than this" sentiment, and a jaded, critical view of one's surroundings and associates: basically everything good about urban-poetic style since the Harlem Renaissance. The album is very poetry-oriented, but still edgy: Lupe finds an impossibly perfect balance on that deadly see-saw of art and style that draws the line between popularity and obscurity. For example, the slam-poetry intro to the album's first track (performed by an uncredited female poet) creates an unusual vibe on which to begin an album-- hardened, sober and socially conscious-- before giving way to an intense, intriguing backbeat, to an effect that basically says, "Yeah. I just blew your mind. But stick around... You bet your ass there's more." Pretty unique when juxtaposed against the shallow, party- and sex-obsessed hip hop dominating the charts today. Don't get me wrong, I try not to be the "this is good, and therefore should be popular" guy, or even the "I like this, therefore it's good" guy-- I'm just saying, there are risks taken with this album that I not only enjoy, but truly admire.
Subject-matter-wise, this album has something of a theme or uniformity; arguments could be made that the album is concept-esque, if not actually a concept album, in that it tells tales of life on the streets of Chicago from varied perspectives... Think of it kind of as a "Canterbury Tales" from the ghetto: from the kitschy illegal-skater anthem "Kick, Push" (and its darker sequel, "Kick, Push II"), about the life of a sk8r and his lady, to the climactic "Hurts Me Soul," on which Lupe raps from the perspective of a man who hip-hop made a misogynist ("Forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike/But I learnt it from a song I heard and sorta liked") as well as a prostitute ("My mom can't feed me, my boyfriend beats me/I have sex for money, the hood don't love me/ The cops wanna kill me, this nonsense built me/ And I got no place to go") and a down-and-out father ("They took my daughter, we ain't got no water/ I can't get hired, they cross on fire"). However, it certainly isn't completely character-oriented; Lupe vacillates between the "rapper" facade ("All they want is some shoes or some rims for they bubble/ Now that I got my own, I can hit them with a couple") and something that resembles genuine humility ("Struggle, yeah yeah, another sign that God love you/ 'Cause on the low, bein po', make you humble")... Although he does keep it pretty real on the over-12-minute "Outro," giving shoutouts to everyone from BET and Myspace to his brother Ian to some lucky gal named Cookie.
But anyway. I don't care who you are, how old you are, what music you're into, find a way to get this album. Just trust me. Fluent, deep, pure hip-hop with shimmering little specks of indie (the non-instrumental "The Instrumental"), Latin ("American Terrorist") and old-school soul ("He Say She Say") intertwine and tesselate into this amazing mosaic of voices and music; and people are still listening to Kanye?
This has so many lyrics in it I think I might need some MLA citations or something. You guys down with in-text parenthetical citations?
-thejunkie

*We're starting a new tradition: Each Hip Hop Week post will feature an entry from urbandictionary.com. Today, Monday, Oct 19, 2009:

"1. swagger surfin (v): when you go around looking for someone elses, syle, flow, lyrics, ideas and then try to pass them off as your own.
I saw a guy at the club swagger surfin. once he found a guy he swagger jacked him [see 'swagger jack']"

Barking Tuna 2009 NIGHT THREE PREVIEW!

That's right, kids. The full monty, the prestigious Night Three of the Tuna! Here's a little bit of what's going down.

Night Three: Sat 10/10/09 at State Theater

Fruit Bats (Chicago) {pop/folk-rock} [http://www.myspace.com/thefruitbats]
I have to say, on behalf of all Kalamazoo music geeks, it is really exciting that Fruit Bats are playing Barking Tuna this year. Led by singer-songwriter Eric Johnson (no, not that Eric Johnson, guitar nerds), Fruit Bats have been around with various lineups for the past several years, and signed to Sub Pop since '02. They have even played alongside indie heroes the Shins. Also, after they play this show, they are embarking on a European tour... But enough credentials and nerdery.
As for the music. Not to get all Carrie Bradshaw but...
"When listening to this band, I couldn't help but wonder: is there such a thing as too indie?"

My answer: no. And if there is, Fruit Bats aren't (Bright Eyes? maybe?). I just impulsively bought this band's music from their Myspace, and you know you like music when you pay for it. Tell you what... before you go to the show on Saturday, do yourself a favor, and listen to the music, because you're going to want to sing along. I promise. Check out "When U Love Somebody."

Small Brown Bike (Marshall, MI) {screamo} [http://www.myspace.com/smallbrownbike04]
Don't get mad at me, K-zoo scene kids, but... Yikes.
Just yikes.
Not to be a snob, but how did an screamo band from Marshall land this spot anyway? Screamo is over. It should have never happened and it's done now. Acclimate!
Can I please go back to Fruit Bats?!

Notes To Self (Toronto) {hip-hop} [http://www.myspace.com/notestoself]
This is another opportunity we don't get in Kalamazoo a whole lot: A GOOD HIP-HOP SHOW!!!
I want to reiterate what I said about bluegrass last weekend: just because you think it's not your scene doesn't mean you won't have a completely awesome time. Not only is hip-hop fairly rare to come by as far as live music goes, Kalamazoo doesn't really have the facilities, a following or a much of a scene at all for hip-hop. [P.S. This is something I've wanted to talk about for a long time, and I feel now is the time to discuss it. "Hip-hop" and "rap" are not the same thing. "Rapping" is the VOCAL PART of "hip-hop" music. That would be like calling rock music "singing" or "shouting," neither of which you would ever do, right?] [Thanks for humoring me there. Just a little pet peeve I had to shout.]
So, moving on, as a closet hip-hop enthusiast, I am PSYCHED for Notes To Self. Notes to Self is from Toronto, but they have a distinct West Coast influence: hypnotically smooth, swaying beats riding under articulate rapping that ranges from defiant to introspective and even psychological ("I'm about me/ I never got enough me as a child").
I'm digging the studio work posted on their Myspace, but, like all hip-hop acts, I'm sure their live show will produce a completely different sound. So I'm interested for now, and stoked for tomorrow night. Because, as you can see, it's official: THIS ENTIRE SHOW IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.

The Verdict:
Fruit Bats-- You are magical and beautiful.
Small Brown Bike-- I still have faith in you. I'm just a little perplexed. Not judgin'!
Notes To Self-- Please stay here in Kalamazoo! And bring your friends! Live, good hip-hop every weekend? That would be great. Canada sucks anyway.

See you guys at the show!