Vonnegutt- The Vice Nine EP

ARTIST: Vonnegutt
ALBUM: The Vice Nine EP
LABEL: Self-released
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 10-27-07

Vonnegutt's music is hip-hop, just to get that out in the open, so if you hate hip-hop, you're probably not going to like this, either. That said, the duo's guitarist, Neil Garrard, provides a pleasantly stony pop-inspired background, and MC Kyle "Double" Lucas thankfully eschews the gangster affectations and money obsessions in favor of a more down to earth rapping style, though he's nimble enough to show off the occasional burst of high-speed technical rhyming. His subject matter is likewise down to earth, and doesn't require any familiarity with broader hip-hop culture. Pretty much anyone can relate to things like crazy one-night stands ("Bright Eyes"), codependent relationships ("On My Side"), and getting sick after drinking too much ("Went to the Bar"). There's even a nod to UFO encounters on the nerdy yet creepy "Close Encounters of the 16 Bars." That said, while there's a pretty broad appeal here, it's still hip-hop, so rock music purists are going to hate this automatically, and the occasional R&B crooning on tracks like "Hard to Say" are also a likely turn-off. Then again, acts like Gorillaz, Outkast, and Gnarls Barkley have had scored some big crossover hits on alternative rock radio, so who's to say? In any case, if you're a fan of alternative rap cuts like Pete Miser's "Scent of a Robot," you'll probably enjoy Vonnegutt's debut as well.

Check out Vonnegutt on MySpace at www.myspace.com/vonnegutt.