This week’s live music pick heads in straight from the heart of New York. It’s Hoodie Allen! This New York-based hip-hop artist is definitely not afraid to march to his own beat. With his unique samples (from bands like Marina & The Diamonds and Death Cab For Cutie) and his quirky lyrics, this artist delightfully stands out in a crowd. His music has an old school twinge to it which brings its listener back to the olden days of rapping. Which is nice because auto-tune gets really old after a while… Hoodie is definitely the exception and doesn’t have to rely on clichéd lyrics to create a catchy and interesting song. The best part about Hoodie? He offers most of his music as free downloads, showing that he really wants to spread his love of music to as many as he can. Excellent, right? The albums are mostly mixtapes, including a terrific EP entitled Bagels & Beats, which I just can’t get enough of. My first pick for Hoodie Allen is a smoothly produced track called “Back to the 50's”, off the Bagels & Beats EP:
And if that didn’t convince you, here is the stellar track “You are Not a Robot” feat Marina & The Diamonds:
His fresh take on hip hop is what draws people to his sound. When I found him on Last.fm thoroughly by accident, I was impressed with how rich his sound was. Definitely a great quality of music for an unsigned artist. So, if you want to prove that you’re not a robot (and want to dance to some great tracks for an evening) check out Hoodie Allen this Wednesday at The Clubhouse in Tempe. Doors open at 7 p.m.
