David E. Beats And the White House Band New Hybrid Hip hop
rock nyc's Woody Fuller recently put me on to The White House Band, a hip hop/punk/indie/blues outfit out of Williamsburg, BK, to see what my metal-centric mind would make of this seemingly foreign genre. But lo! I listen to lots of stuff and even had quite a few pretty serious hip hop and rap phases in my past (my current kick: P.O.S. and Astronautalis, who compare favorably to The White House Band), and feel well up to the challenge.
That being said, I really like The White House Band. They are certainly not your typical hip hop group. Front man David E. Beats, who goes by Mr. “#dopesauce” Beats, plays lead guitar, raps, and writes most songs and brings a Kid Cudi/Kanye vibe to his lyrics, which are generally about overcoming obstacles and achieving personal goals (though of course, if I compare him to Kanye, there are certainly moments of self-worship and swagger). On the whole, Mr. Beats brings a refreshing perspective to rap that reminds me of P.O.S.’ lyrics.
Perhaps referring to The White House Band simply as rap or hip hop, though, is a misnomer. On songs like “#That’s My ‘Ish”, where fuzzy guitars, and sloppy drum beats work together to create a sort of punk rock anthem, there is barely any shred of semblance to those genres. Truer “hybrids” of hip hop and rock are the songs “#Grown-ups”, “#Stay”, and “#Sky-High”, where plucked, thoughtful melodies alternate with catchy soloed choruses. These songs tap a number of genres and bands, and I couldn’t help be reminded of The Lost Boys, Third Eye Blind, Sublime, Kanye, and more. Sounds like a headache, but it works quite nicely. Clearly Mr. Beats is diverse in his influences; at various points, he references heavy metal, guitars, and professes that “Billyburg be where we reside/where indie bands occupy most of our time.” A nice little dose of hipster, as you can see, as well as an eye for the tech generation, given the hashtags in his name and song titles. Though The White House Band is bound to draw comparisons to Gym Class Heroes, you should give the nod to The White House Band. Check them out, you probably will not be disappointed.
