September 11, 2009

Week 1 - Mike Truth and the Relacement Killers - timimnotamachine

Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers
timimnotamachine

The initial release from Austin’s Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers may only be 18 minutes long, but there’s more good music packed into this five song EP than most bands full length discs.

How is this possible? Well, consider the band. You’ve got former Rubberhed frontman Mike Truth, Muppletone guitarist Aaryn Russell, bassist Kevin Knight from W.O.R.M., the horns of saxophonist James Brinkley, along with Jason White and Mike Ded bringing in the percussion. These guys are all professionals and when they play together it’s tight.

If you’ve had a chance to see these guys live, you know the funk and jazz infused with rap sound well. The horns are hot, percussion is spot on and Mike Truth spits Public Enemy-style lyrics with ease. And unlike a lot of local bands, they were able to capture the energy of the live show on this release.

timimnotamachine, named after a meltdown between during the recording process with producer Tim Gerron, kicks off with the fitting “Anthem” where Truth introduces the sound and his intention of rocking the microphone like a “real go getter.” It continues with a shout-out to the hardcore hustlers in the “Southside Swing,” and a tribute to the folks who hit the bottle a little hard in “Cheers.”

Probably my favorite song to catch live is the love song for everyone’s favorite bird, “Fried Chicken.” The guitarwork of Russell on this track is fantastic as he makes the guitar cackle to the beat as Truth demands you “Clap your hands and stomp your feet / Southern Fried Chicken is good to eat.”

The final track, “I Rock The Beat” is lyrically, the classic self-defining rap song. Want to know the Replacement Killers? This song is their bio.

At 18 minutes, timimnotamachine ends too soon, but if you listen to it like I do, you can repeat early and often and when you get to one of their shows you can sing lyric for lyric with the crowd.

Check Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers online at myspace.com/miketruthandthereplacementkillers. – Sean Claes

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