Weekly iTunes Music Review: Blue Scholars
Hello, Frodo here. I am a big nerd. This of course spans the breadth of nerd-dom, including music. Each week it seems I download a new album from iTunes, and I feel like I should share my music nerdiness with you, the Weekly Geek reader/listener. Because if we have the same taste in video games, it's possible we have the same taste in music, right? Each week I'll tell you what I downloaded and what I am listening to, and maybe you'll post your thoughts or what you are listening to too! SOUNDS LIKE FUN? OKAY! HERE WE GO!
Blue Scholars: Self-Titled
This week is a download from The Blue Scholars, a local (to me) Seattle hip-hop group that I discovered after hearing their live performance on KEXP. My wife once said to me when describing some "phat beats" "you know when a hip-hop song is appealing?" I find Blue Scholars very appealing. Let me tell you, I am white. I am very very very white. I am the whiteyest of white boys, but I do enjoy hip-hop. Intelligent hip-hop, mind you. Blue Scholars falls into this field by providing lyrics that you can not only understand but may just relate to you, my fellow geeky listener. They rap about the failings of the American higher education system, the failings of the American high school system, and no hoes or pimps in sight. They do not seem to thug or front though I must say their beats are quite "phat". They use some great jazz and samba loops and are incredibly melodic. I am absolutely addicted to The Ave, which I would recommend checking out as a single.
I was listening to the words of the songs and thinking to my white boy self "Gee, self. They are rapping about things in Seattle! They just mentioned Northwest Summers! I live in the Northwest! I can relate to this! This must be how people in New York feel when they listen to rap songs about that city!". Yes, I had a hip-hop epiphany. It was very cool and suprisingly non-cliche` to hear them rapping about things that I could actually relate to. Like being frustrated with college. Like being frustrated with the Seattle Monorail Tax. It was amazing.
I was surprised, also, to find that I could download this album on iTunes, since it is technically "underground" or even "indie". You can find the link to the full album here. For a measly ten bucks, I highly recommend it. If you like bands like Gorillaz or Jurassic 5, check out Blue Scholars. Here, go listen to a sample of The Ave. Do it. Once you listen, let me know what you think in the comments.
Next week I am thinking about picking up something older that I have been meaning to get. Look forward to it!
--Frodo
What say you?!