SXSW ’11 Day Two Recap

Again, I’m covering SXSW 2011 for The Newshouse. Day 2 included P.O.S., Maps & Atlases, Sharon Van Etten, Say Hi, and We Are Hex. Check it.

SXSW ’11 Day One Recap

I’m covering SXSW for The Newshouse. Day 1 included The Antlers, Now, Now, The Dodos, Mister Heavenly, The Gay Blades, Four Fists, Darwin Deez, Deafheaven, and Young Man. Check it.

Yes! – k-os

“I am not indie rock I was indeed hip-hop.”

k-os makes his allegiances clear on “Zambony,” the opening track of the wildly entertaining Yes!. Perhaps he feels the need to self-define who he is because of his atypical an MC offerings. A product of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (where he’s had great success), k-os is the type of eccentric that doesn’t fit into hip-hop’s archetypal molds. He’s more Andre 3000 than Big Boi, more Stephen Malkmus than T-Pain, more indie rocker than fortune-obsessed, gansta, or auto-tuned rapper. That’s not to say he’s not 100% devoted to his hip-hop core – he bleeds it – it’s just the method he goes about it is not the norm. It’s a fresh almost stylized take on the genre that should not be missed.

What makes k-os’s tunes stick out is the way he builds layer upon layer of sound that all come together in brilliant harmony. There is always some little audio detail working it’s way in and out of the music. It’s akin to a perfect, flowing 3-man weave in basketball – all the parts are crissing and crossing but instead of things colliding together and making a mess, it’s a smooth and fluid work of control and beauty.

Songs like “4321” jam packed with different sounds that it’s hard to even keep track of everything. The aforementioned “Zambony” starts with a simple beat and choir, then adds claps and sparse guitar trills, then throws in some orchestral strings and electronic flairs, and just keeps going along with more, more, more.
k-os does not shy away from unusual samples, like when he lifts “Love Buzz” (the original version by Shocking Blue, not the more well-known Nirvana cover) for the track “Uptown Girl.” When all these musical factors are combined with the scattered-references that pop up in the lyrics (there aren’t many MCs that namecheck Ellen Page or Tegan and Sara, as k-os does on “Astronaut”), it might seem like it would be something of a mess, but everything fits together tightly. k-os quite literally makes chaos sound wonderful. Yes! a musical party and any sound is invited.

Never Better – P.O.S.

Never Better might end up being one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, and yet, it might end up being among the elite punk albums of ’09 as well. That’s what P.O.S. brings to the table, rap with a punk soul.

Now to be clear, P.O.S.’s music isn’t some terrible nu-metal hybrid. This is pure hip-hop, but with a distinctly different feel. The blistering speed and unwavering aggression are far closer to old Against Me! than Jay-Z. He even quotes (samples?) Fugazi’s “Five Corporations” on the track “Savion Glover” singing, “This one’s ours let’s take another.” Needless to say, taking a page from the DC hardcore scene is not a typical hip-hop move.

From the dissonant chords and drum clattering that sounds like a lit fuse on the intro of “Let It Rattle” to the cup stacking (literally) beat of “Optimist,” P.O.S. experiments with a bunch of sounds that aren’t commonplace for his genre. His vocal style is also nontraditional. He’s very emotionally vulnerable for an MC; he’s not afraid to drop the tough guy front and open up in a very personal way (see: “Purexed”).

P.O.S. Is Enriching My Life

P.O.S. isn’t your typical rapper. He doesn’t drop lines about material wealth or about how he’s the best in the game. He hails from Minnesota. His background is not as a hip-hop fan, but rather as a punk rocker (and no, he’s not white). However, his eccentricities are what make him unique and one of the best emcees in modern hip-hop.

On his latest album, Never Better, P.O.S. attacks the mic with a genuine fierceness that is a cross between vintage Wu-Tang Clan and the D.C. hardcore punk scene (ala Minor Threat).

P.O.S. makes it a case to not fit in with the norm. For example, the beats on “Optimist (We Are Not For Them)” were created by stacking and banging plastic cups on a table. And what other emcee would reference Mitch Hedberg jokes and Fugazi?

But what really separates P.O.S. from the pack is his emotions. Emcees are not usually opening up their souls and pouring out. It’s not “cool” to show vulnerability in hip-hop, but he clearly does not care about what his peers think. He rattles through 15 tracks that touch on the personal, political, and a whole lot in between. On each track the man expresses not just the rhymes, but the feelings that are attached to the words.

As good as Never Better is, P.O.S.’s previous album Audition is even better. While it might not have the same level of ferocity, it’s a bit better balanced, offering a bigger range of tunes. The fantastic “De La Souls” is a perfectly crafted anthem of uniqueness while sampling “Argyle by The Bouncing Souls. “Safety In Speed (Heavy Metal)” even features fellow Minnesotan Craig Finn of The Hold Steady dropping rhymes.

If you’re a hip-hop fan looking for a change of pace or a punk fan who is convinced there is no good rap music, take a listen to P.O.S. At the very least, it’ll be a new experience.

*Published in today’s issue of The Gonzaga Bulletin*