Aussie Hip Hop
So my Illy reference in relation to “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies led to some Aussie hip hop recommendations from Me, And All My Friends – I thought I’d check them out.
- Hilltop Hoods (not hip hop hoods, as my eyes tricked me into thinking): Feeling Classic Example ft. Pharoahe Monch, especially – you may remember Monch’s massive club hit over here, Simon Says – and Fifty in Five on the MySpace. The cover art for their latest release State of The Art is intense.
- Bliss N Eso: Seem to have more of a rock influence and actually remind me a little of Linkin Park on Field of Dreams. My favourite track is Eye of the Storm. No! Lonely Streets. No! Party At My Place. Well, pretty much all of them on the MySpace. Considering buying the album, Flyng Colours (another wicked album cover). It’s $40 AUD but you get 22 tracks for your money.
- Phrase: Mind-blowing electro-vibe remix of My People with The Presets but in general more low-fi feel. Favourite track on the MySpace is Skylight ft. Kram.
- Urthboy: To me, feels more mainstream…Kanye West-style, perhaps? For energy, Ready to Go, for a summer swagger with irony, Hellsong.
- The Herd: Unusual – seem to be a full band and regularly incorporate a female vocal, guitars…mixing soul with strength. Favourite track is The King Is Dead (also the top track on their Last.fm)
Bliss N Eso - Flying Colours
and…. a couple from me:
Illy – Generation Y
Kid Confucius – Inhale Exhale
The sunshine, the Aussie way of life in general, the wonderful accents…all lead me to want to draw the conclusion that all this is a lot more upbeat and a lot less bass-heavy/dark than the hip hop I’m familiar with from here up north.
Some of it is…but all of it? No – it’s still hip hop.
Personally…loving it and hope to catch a couple of live shows when I’m over in Sydney later this year. If you like what you hear, check out ABC’s THE hip hop SHOW.
Me, And All My Friends – Thanks for the tips!
