No Bird Sing, The Van Gobots, and Franz Diego
No Bird Sing
No Bird Sing, No Bird Sing
(Self-released)
To get an idea of the wide-ranging aesthetic that Twin Cities hip-hop trio No Bird Sing aims for on its self-titled debut, you need only look at the guests it has enlisted to help get the job done—the roster includes master MC Eyedea, jazzy songbird Alicia Wiley and folk-blues guitarist Bo Ramsey. The album runs the risk of feeling fractured with so many different styles on display, yawing from hard-boiled, spoken-word blues salvo, to ambient comedown indie-pop record, to fired-up, rapid-flow rhyme showcase. But MC Eric Blair’s precise lyrical take on high anxiety provides a common thread connecting the songs, creating a coherent whole. While No Bird Sing's minor-key melodies and funereal tone will likely try the patience of listeners seeking instant gratification, its stunning originality is rewarding over several listens. Those who take the time to let No Bird Sing’s shadowy tunes sink in will find them hard to shake.
Grade: B+
Upcoming shows: Sept. 11, Eclipse Records and Sept. 12, Triple Rock Social Club
The Van Gobots, Guantanamo Beach Party
(Self-released)
Combining the heated vocal delivery of emo pioneers Braid with the tricky time-signature shifts of Minus The Bear, local quartet Van Gobots firmly establishes itself among the Twin Cities’ most satisfying, ear-pummeling acts on Guantanamo Beach Party, its full-length debut. The sonic assault is relentless. Every tune (with the exception of vocal-with-Rhodes intro “Walk On Water”) rides the same formula of aggressive drum beats, twinned air-strafing electric guitar riffs, and frontman Mike Baker’s persistent bleat. The agitated tunes provide a simpatico backing for Baker’s bleak and cutting lyrics, which revolve around corrupt governments, shell-shocked veterans, and cutthroat competition. When taken as a whole, the album could clearly benefit from the occasional change in tone or tempo, but on their own terms, each track is a formidable firecracker—the kind of pugilistic, politicized post-punk that hopefully never goes out of style.
Grade: B
Upcoming shows: Sept. 11, Uptown Bar
Franz Diego, Franz Diego
(Bedroom Studios Productions)
Franz Diego’s smirk speaks volumes. While many rappers sport grimacing mugs in their press photos, the better to express a hard persona, the cover of the Minneapolis MC’s self-titled debut features the young rapper rocking a Southside shirt and a coy smile. As a member of south Minneapolis trio Illuminous 3 who also has two solo online mixtapes to his name, Diego has been paying dues long before this CD, and it shows: his flows sound seasoned and confident. The blueprint laid down by Atmosphere years ago predisposes most local rappers to incorporate downtrodden, introspective thematics into their lyrics, and Diego is no different, but even on the heavier songs, his wit keeps things light and smooth. Much of the album follows this pattern, with Diego delving into songs about girls, neighborhoods, and absent fathers with the lyricism of an indie rapper but with an eye to the swagger-conscious rhyming style of more modern hip-hop. There is also an evident lyrical talent under the shine, as Diego weaves his verses with excellent attention to internal rhyme and tricky rhythms, always looking out for punchlines and clever similes. While the album can lack the bouncy feel of his early mixtape output, Franz Diego’s strength is its cohesiveness, coming together as a full album better than his looser online-only material—it may be less adventurous, but it's tighter and ultimately more impressive.
Grade: B+
Upcoming shows: Sept. 12, Uptown Bar
