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Scene Showcase: Hyder Ali |
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Written by Steve McPherson
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Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 10:06 AM |
 Four-piece Hyder Ali play a distinctly airy kind of hip-hop. "If I Had," which you can check out on their MySpace page, swells in over whole bass notes and reverb-drenched guitar before kicking into a vein of melancholy live-band hip-hop that hearkens back to the glory days of acts like Justice System and Five Fingers of Funk. Since their debut record Organix, The Roots have pushed themselves further and further away from that initial organic sound, but there are plenty of groups working on a strain of hip-hop that proudly flaunts its live-band chops, and Hyder Ali move the chains nicely with their music. "Sunrise," for instance, recalls no other act so much as Halloween, Alaska, which is certainly not the first band you'd think of when considering live hip-hop.
 The lyrics are thoughtful and introverted, but never so self-involved that they forsake the groove of the music. It's soulful stuff that should translate beautifully to the live setting. The band features members of Black Blondie, and their residency at the Nomad this month will feature a bunch of other likeminded bands such as The Blend, Omaur Bliss, and others. This week, on Thursday, April 3, Hyder Ali will be joined by the aforementioned groups and Histronic. As always, the show is super free and available to individuals aged 21 and over. |
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Last Updated: Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 01:21 PM |
