music

Ok, if you haven't heard about The Streets, I'd be surprised. You know how bad I am at describing music in words, so I plagarize:

It's not what we consider hip-hop. It is a parallel universe, with unfamiliar beats and a different rhyming style (more sort-of spoken word), referred to as "British garage." It was born in the clubs over there around 1996, and combines elements of house music with bass lines. It is evolving into a British rap scene, but is not quite there yet. Skinner's lyrics are extremely detailed and quick flowing, but it takes getting used to. American's ears, so finely tuned over the years to our hip-hop, have yet to fully adjust to this overseas version.

I listen to it also to pick up his accent. Here is the newest album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, which is actually has more of a light tone than the earier two albums.

Matt Pond PA is rock/pop/indie singer sonwriter type stuff, but not that hippy-dippy crap you find in suburbian open mikes. Here's Several Arrows Later, which I find quite good.