Throwback Thurs: Indie Hip Hop Looks Like an Orange Shirt

About a week ago my buddy Mikey B schooled me on some of what he deemed the cream of the crop of the Indie world. I respect his opinion mightily as he embodies the life of a Hipster (<---your goal should be to get posted on their Brado), frequenting musicfests like SXSW as well as a recent road trip to Pitchfork in Chicago. Plus, anybody with the audacity to try and aid in the effort to bring back jorts deserves some serious dap for resurrecting a once popular style. Aside from the undeniable Hipster swag Mikey B brings to the table, he's got a ear for music, which is why I made sure and took note of his response to my recent post about Cudi's collabo with Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij when he said:

"You have to check out this collaboration called Discovery where it was this same Rostam from Vampire Weekend and Wes, the lead singer from Ra Ra Riot (another fave of mine). It's definitely Indie-Dance, and It turned out to be one of the most underrated albums of the decade, just give this song a shot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfWwXl7EC3A&feature=related"

Hmm...Discovery, never heard of them and they're damn near impossible to Google, try it, there's a lotta shit that has been discovered or named Discovery over the years. Long story short, the duo represents two of the better Indie bands with Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles, the lead singer for Ra Ra Riot. For the record, in case you're wondering I think Ra Ra Riot & Vampire Weekend, but that's probably more because I really dig the strings of Ra Ra vs the more punk vibe Vampire gives off.

So my first reaction when listening to their standout song Orange Shirt was, "Whhaaattt?!?! Is this Hip Hop?" Just listen to the beat, it's got some thump to it and was not at all what I expected from two dudes from Indie bands. Moral of the story here is that @matsor killed the beat and percussion while @tennismanswharf threw down some harmonic verses that blend with the beat like Mr Palmer himself was mixing tea and lemonade. Notice too at the end of the track how Rostam chops up the last hook, adding even more Hip Hop spice on an Indie sandwich. Put it this way, it's only taken one lap around Discovery's LP to start wondering myself if this is the most slept on album in the last year. Early indications are yes...

For a follow up shot of Discovery check out Osaka Loop Line and So Insane, which are every bit as solid as Orange Shirt, but slightly less Hip Hop and a little more Indie-Rock/Electro. What they do on the So Insane beat is illegal in 48 states and absolutely sick...matter of fact as I listen to it now, I might actually end up liking it better than Orange Shirt because I am a sucker for speeding/slowing down the beat mid-track as seamlessly as they did on that track. Assist to the Steve Nash of the Hipster kingdom, folks at home note the Mikey B post tag at the bottom...much more to come...

Don't forget the feature presentation below and folks...seriously...quit sleepin' on some of these Indie bands...they're not afraid to be different like your current favorite artists is...

Discovery - Orange Shirt
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